From the category archives:

search engine optimization

5 Must-Know Things About SEO

by Daria Steigman on March 12, 2010

Is your Web site optimized, or do you mostly just have random people dropping by?

I was on another very useful MarketingProfs Webinar yesterday, this time on the topic of SEO essentials. Janet Driscoll Miller of Search Mojo coupled a great primer on the topic with some terrific tips and free resources for monitoring and analyzing Web sites.

Here are her 5 SEO essentials:

  1. Make sure your Web site is indexable.
  2. Keywords are the foundation of SEO, so it is important to identify the right keywords for your target audience. (Google AdWords Keyword Tool is a search tool that lets you identify the volume of searches associated with a particular word or phrase.)
  3. It’s not just about identifying keywords, but also where you place them. They should appear in a number of places on the page (i.e, filename, title tag, meta tag, meta description, link text, and so forth). The best sites aim for 2-4 percent keyword density.
  4. Inbound links help search engines rank your site, and the best inbound links are one-way. (Yahoo’s Site Explorer can help you determine your site’s link popularity.)
  5. Your social footprint is becoming more and more important. (For example, Google Caffeine is expected to incorporate more social media links; Google’s real time search already is.)

Finally, Miller stressed that it is not enough to incorporate SEO–you have to measure it. She advises regularly (i.e., monthly or quarterly) measuring your rankings in search engines, your competitors’ rankings, and your site traffic from organic search.

Photo by mecookie (Flickr).

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Blogging for Business Value

by Daria Steigman on June 4, 2009

Have you ever wondered why a growing number of small businesses are investing time and resources into starting and maintaining a blog?

My latest column for CW Bulletin is out, and the topic is blogging for business value. While there is no magic formula for business success, a well-written, well-focused blog can be an effective way of promoting yourself by adding value for your multiple stakeholders.

The column looks at three key reasons why, if you don’t have one, you might want to consider starting a business blog:

  • content
  • thought leadership
  • street cred

Plus it features insights from Marc Meyer and A.J. Leon, both of whom know a little something about successful business blogging.

Read the column here, then come back and let’s talk about why you are (or aren’t) blogging for your business.

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What the Spiders Know

by Daria Steigman on April 27, 2009

I had the pleasure of speaking about social media to two PR classes at the University of Maryland last week. They’re smart students, and they’re just starting to explore social media. Almost all of them had Facebook pages, a few were on LinkedIn, a couple on MySpace, and a smattering had started to explore the Twitterverse.

I started our conversation by asking them one simple question: When was the last time you Googled your name?

It caught their attention (and apparently what they discovered really startled at least a couple of them). Plus it proved a good entry point for a discussion about why companies and individuals need to be monitoring their online reputations and engaging with their stakeholders.

If you haven’t Googled your name lately, go ahead. Then come back and tell me what the Web spiders have learned about you.

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