More than a year ago Google introduced the Panda algorithm update, which fundamentally changed the search engine optimization industry. On April 19, SEO.com will host a free webinar analyzing the impact of Google’s algorithm changes on search engine rankings for many websites.

“There’s been a lot of talk about the Panda update since it came out,” said David Malmborg, a search engine optimization expert at SEO.com. “However, the majority of that talk has been directed toward Web designers and SEO professionals. This webinar will address the Panda update from a marketing point of view.”

Search engine optimization is the process of improving a website’s visibility in search engines like Google and Bing.com.

“The webinar will explain how SEO applies to marketing and website content,” said Malmborg, who will present at Thursday’s webinar. “It will also explain what parts of Panda business owners and marketers need to pay attention to.”

Since its release in February 2011, the Panda algorithm update has been revised about 14 times by Google.

“Panda is an attempt by Google to rate the quality of website content,” said Claye Stokes, SEO director at SEO.com. “The websites that suffered the most from the Panda update were sites that copied content from other sites and didn’t have very unique or high-quality content of their own.”

Stokes said lower profile blog-like websites were most negatively affected by Panda, not business and ecommerce sites.

But according to Malmborg, “marketers and business owners need to care about SEO and the Panda update because it directly affects their online visibility.”

SEO experts estimate that more than 80 percent of websites affected by Google’s algorithm changes are still struggling to regain strong search engine rankings.

The SEO.com webinar will detail the significance of Google Panda and how it relates to online content and organic SEO. The presentation will also provide tips on how to recover from previous Google Panda impacts and how to prepare for future updates.

“Whether you’re trying to start your own business and are just starting the website creation process, or you’re a marketing director for a large company maintaining a website, this webinar will tell you what you need to know and keep your eyes out for,” Malmborg said.

The webinar is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Eastern time and will last for about 40 minutes. To register for the webinar, visit http://www.seo.com/webinars/impact-googles-panda-update-content/.

SEO.com Will Host Webinar to Explore Impacts of the Panda Algorithm Update on Content is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

The Secrets Behind Successful Landing Pages

Generating traffic to your website is great, but it isn’t the ultimate goal. Traffic is only beneficial so far as you convert the visitors into customers. If you utilize email campaigns, pay-per-click advertising, or even if you gain website visitors directly from search engines, you could be losing the opportunity to convert website traffic into customers if you don’t create the right landing pages.

An all too common mistake businesses make is directing earned visitors to the home page. By dropping people off on your home page, it requires the visitors to navigate themselves and you are more likely to suffer from higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates.

Using a few key elements, building the right landing page is not only possible but more likely to be successful.

Where to Start

Landing pages are created for the sole purpose of promoting a particular product, service, or offer. These pages are designed to gather information from website visitors by introducing a lead generating form. If done right, a landing page will entice a visitor to fill out the form.
If people are looking for something specific, and you provide a valuable solution, your landing page should reflect this and provide a way for visitors to connect with you.

There are two critical questions you have to ask yourself prior to perfecting a landing page:

1. What do you want visitors to do on your website?
2. How can you ensure visitors do what you want them to do on your website?

Optimized properly, you can subtly tell customers exactly what to do and how to do it.

Getting People to the Page

Sometimes, you need to nail down the basics. First things first for a creating a successful landing page is making certain you take advantage of the title and meta data. The title is displayed in the browser and search results page as the link that goes to your site. Be sure to include keywords in the title. Write your title strategically, and try to include your brand. A lot of specialists recommend leveraging your brand because it can help increase click-through rates.

Writing the meta-description is of equal importance. The meta description provides a brief synopsis of the page and should entice people to go to your page. If you leave this section blank, the search engines will simply pull content from your site that may not be useful. It should also include keywords as well as a clear call to action telling people what to do.

Landing Page Pointers

When people get to your landing page, tell them everything with the headline. The headline of a page has a lot of responsibility. This single line has to capture attention, describe the page, include keywords, and read naturally. Because the headline of the landing page is the first thing visitors see, you want the headline to be straight to the point. A solid headline is a brief statement and should match up with the title of the page. It also happens to be the first thing the search engines index.

The actual content on a landing page should be visually appealing. Huge blocks of text turn visitors away. In an attempt to make your landing page engaging, consider breaking up the page with:

• Lists
• Bullets
• Videos
• Images

The content needs to be long enough to cover the subject at hand, but short enough to maintain interest. Try to be both descriptive and clear, and do not forget to have a call to action.

One of the most important things to optimize on a landing page is the actual lead generating form. The key to a solid form is to determine how much information you need from the audience. If you ask for too much information, you run the risk of getting less leads, but the leads you do secure could be more valuable. If you don’t ask for enough information, you may get more leads, but those leads might be a waste of time. Find a balance for your industry, and test it. A good start is just asking for a name and email address.

Perfecting the Landing Page

When all is said and done, it helps to get an unbiased opinion about your landing page. After you put your hard work in, an outsider’s perspective can help you see if you’ve missed the mark or have perhaps been a little too over promotional. If you want your landing pages to really pay off, a second opinion can help ensure it looks natural for better conversion rates—and that’s what it is really all about.

Client Spotlight: Reputable strategist uses search marketing to ensure success

Behind success is strategy and behind strategy is Rich Horwath. Rich Horwath is the President of the Strategic Thinking Institute and is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author on strategic thinking. He provides strategy training programs, workshops and gives speeches to help businesses build competitive advantages. So what does a guy like Horwath do when it comes to strategy and his own personal success? Horwath harnesses the power of search engine optimization.

Horwath has worked with organizations such as Google, FedEx, and Kraft building strategies, but with his very specific niche, he explained that in order to get new key clients who are looking for him and need his help, he relies on search marketing to connect him with potential clients.

“Today, when people look for information they go immediately to the Internet, and as an entrepreneur being able to have a strong presence on the Internet makes good strategic sense,” Horwath said. “Because that’s the first place people go to find things, it’s important to be there on page one.”

According to Horwath, since he began utilizing SEO.com’s expertise his trophy keyword ‘strategic thinking’ went from being on page three of search engine results to page one. He has even secured the number two position on page one of the search engine results beneath Wikipedia.

Search marketing has proved beneficial for Horwath for dozens of search terms. He has experienced an increase in page rankings for other targeted keywords related to his work as well. Some successful keywords shifted five or ten positions on the search engine results, while others have jumped forward nearly ninety positions.

In the wise words of Horwath, you have to be strategic or you’ll be gone.

“I think with the reality of today and the ability to get on the Internet instantly at any point and any time, including the development of mobile applications, it’s critical to have a good strong online presence,” said Horwath. “Or you are not going to be found.”

Tips and Tricks: Create a content generation strategy

Having a “good enough” content strategy is what puts you behind the competition. A content strategy needs to be more than high word counts and filling in white space. Your strategy needs to lay out an entire plan for the creation, publication, and control of usable and useful content.

The principles of a content strategy are centered on developing valuable website content to improve the user’s experience. Strategists need to build a structure for content to decide what content needs to be developed and decide why it should be published.

A superior content generation strategy will:

1. Build loyalty.With fresh content on a regular basis, your website or blog will urge visitors to return frequently. Consistency can help build industry credibility.
2. Appeal to search engines.Consistent and well-organized content can help you secure higher rankings in the search engines because it helps your website remain relevant.
3. Generate new traffic. Your content generation strategy helps you keep your site up-to-date and timely. As such, your website will spark more interest and bring in additional visitors.

Before you can create a content generation strategy you need to have your keyword research completed. Your keyword research will help you maintain a focus for your content generation strategy.

Creating a content generation strategy begins with brainstorming. Use your keyword research as a structure to appease the search engines, but find topics surrounding the keywords to be relevant to readers.

Once you have brainstormed topics and determined what you to write, organizing the information is next. From an SEO perspective, organizing your information prevents you from duplicating content.

You can organize your content by putting different topics in categories and lists. By mapping out your content, your strategy helps solidify quality content that will engage the right audience. Decide what type of content works best including blog content, eBook content, white papers, or even webinar content. It also helps to build a style guide for your site so everyone who will be contributing content will be able to work within your set strategy and structure.

By combining critical thinking with brainstorming and keeping yourself organized, you can maximize your content generation strategy by making sure to hit all the SEO basics such as creating links and including images, alt text, videos, and audio.

Industry events

Social Media Strategies Summit: Chicago; April 18-19

Search Insider Summit: Captiva Island, FL.; April 22-25

Search Marketing Expo: Toronto; April 25-26

SEO.com events

Webinar: Impact of Google’s Panda Update on Content — April 19 at 11 a.m. Mountain time

The Link — SEO.com's April Newsletter is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

The Secrets Behind Successful Landing Pages

Generating traffic to your website is great, but it isn’t the ultimate goal. Traffic is only beneficial so far as you convert the visitors into customers. If you utilize email campaigns, pay-per-click advertising, or even if you gain website visitors directly from search engines, you could be losing the opportunity to convert website traffic into customers if you don’t create the right landing pages.

An all too common mistake businesses make is directing earned visitors to the home page. By dropping people off on your home page, it requires the visitors to navigate themselves and you are more likely to suffer from higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates.

Using a few key elements, building the right landing page is not only possible but more likely to be successful.

Where to Start

Landing pages are created for the sole purpose of promoting a particular product, service, or offer. These pages are designed to gather information from website visitors by introducing a lead generating form. If done right, a landing page will entice a visitor to fill out the form.
If people are looking for something specific, and you provide a valuable solution, your landing page should reflect this and provide a way for visitors to connect with you.

There are two critical questions you have to ask yourself prior to perfecting a landing page:

1. What do you want visitors to do on your website?
2. How can you ensure visitors do what you want them to do on your website?

Optimized properly, you can subtly tell customers exactly what to do and how to do it.

Getting People to the Page

Sometimes, you need to nail down the basics. First things first for a creating a successful landing page is making certain you take advantage of the title and meta data. The title is displayed in the browser and search results page as the link that goes to your site. Be sure to include keywords in the title. Write your title strategically, and try to include your brand. A lot of specialists recommend leveraging your brand because it can help increase click-through rates.

Writing the meta-description is of equal importance. The meta description provides a brief synopsis of the page and should entice people to go to your page. If you leave this section blank, the search engines will simply pull content from your site that may not be useful. It should also include keywords as well as a clear call to action telling people what to do.

Landing Page Pointers

When people get to your landing page, tell them everything with the headline. The headline of a page has a lot of responsibility. This single line has to capture attention, describe the page, include keywords, and read naturally. Because the headline of the landing page is the first thing visitors see, you want the headline to be straight to the point. A solid headline is a brief statement and should match up with the title of the page. It also happens to be the first thing the search engines index.

The actual content on a landing page should be visually appealing. Huge blocks of text turn visitors away. In an attempt to make your landing page engaging, consider breaking up the page with:

• Lists
• Bullets
• Videos
• Images

The content needs to be long enough to cover the subject at hand, but short enough to maintain interest. Try to be both descriptive and clear, and do not forget to have a call to action.

One of the most important things to optimize on a landing page is the actual lead generating form. The key to a solid form is to determine how much information you need from the audience. If you ask for too much information, you run the risk of getting less leads, but the leads you do secure could be more valuable. If you don’t ask for enough information, you may get more leads, but those leads might be a waste of time. Find a balance for your industry, and test it. A good start is just asking for a name and email address.

Perfecting the Landing Page

When all is said and done, it helps to get an unbiased opinion about your landing page. After you put your hard work in, an outsider’s perspective can help you see if you’ve missed the mark or have perhaps been a little too over promotional. If you want your landing pages to really pay off, a second opinion can help ensure it looks natural for better conversion rates—and that’s what it is really all about.

Client Spotlight: Reputable strategist uses search marketing to ensure success

Behind success is strategy and behind strategy is Rich Horwath. Rich Horwath is the President of the Strategic Thinking Institute and is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author on strategic thinking. He provides strategy training programs, workshops and gives speeches to help businesses build competitive advantages. So what does a guy like Horwath do when it comes to strategy and his own personal success? Horwath harnesses the power of search engine optimization.

Horwath has worked with organizations such as Google, FedEx, and Kraft building strategies, but with his very specific niche, he explained that in order to get new key clients who are looking for him and need his help, he relies on search marketing to connect him with potential clients.

“Today, when people look for information they go immediately to the Internet, and as an entrepreneur being able to have a strong presence on the Internet makes good strategic sense,” Horwath said. “Because that’s the first place people go to find things, it’s important to be there on page one.”

According to Horwath, since he began utilizing SEO.com’s expertise his trophy keyword ‘strategic thinking’ went from being on page three of search engine results to page one. He has even secured the number two position on page one of the search engine results beneath Wikipedia.

Search marketing has proved beneficial for Horwath for dozens of search terms. He has experienced an increase in page rankings for other targeted keywords related to his work as well. Some successful keywords shifted five or ten positions on the search engine results, while others have jumped forward nearly ninety positions.

In the wise words of Horwath, you have to be strategic or you’ll be gone.

“I think with the reality of today and the ability to get on the Internet instantly at any point and any time, including the development of mobile applications, it’s critical to have a good strong online presence,” said Horwath. “Or you are not going to be found.”

Tips and Tricks: Create a content generation strategy

Having a “good enough” content strategy is what puts you behind the competition. A content strategy needs to be more than high word counts and filling in white space. Your strategy needs to lay out an entire plan for the creation, publication, and control of usable and useful content.

The principles of a content strategy are centered on developing valuable website content to improve the user’s experience. Strategists need to build a structure for content to decide what content needs to be developed and decide why it should be published.

A superior content generation strategy will:

1. Build loyalty.With fresh content on a regular basis, your website or blog will urge visitors to return frequently. Consistency can help build industry credibility.
2. Appeal to search engines.Consistent and well-organized content can help you secure higher rankings in the search engines because it helps your website remain relevant.
3. Generate new traffic. Your content generation strategy helps you keep your site up-to-date and timely. As such, your website will spark more interest and bring in additional visitors.

Before you can create a content generation strategy you need to have your keyword research completed. Your keyword research will help you maintain a focus for your content generation strategy.

Creating a content generation strategy begins with brainstorming. Use your keyword research as a structure to appease the search engines, but find topics surrounding the keywords to be relevant to readers.

Once you have brainstormed topics and determined what you to write, organizing the information is next. From an SEO perspective, organizing your information prevents you from duplicating content.

You can organize your content by putting different topics in categories and lists. By mapping out your content, your strategy helps solidify quality content that will engage the right audience. Decide what type of content works best including blog content, eBook content, white papers, or even webinar content. It also helps to build a style guide for your site so everyone who will be contributing content will be able to work within your set strategy and structure.

By combining critical thinking with brainstorming and keeping yourself organized, you can maximize your content generation strategy by making sure to hit all the SEO basics such as creating links and including images, alt text, videos, and audio.

Industry events

Social Media Strategies Summit: Chicago; April 18-19

Search Insider Summit: Captiva Island, FL.; April 22-25

Search Marketing Expo: Toronto; April 25-26

SEO.com events

Webinar: Impact of Google’s Panda Update on Content — April 19 at 11 a.m. Mountain time

The Link — SEO.com’s April Newsletter is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

SEO.com President Ash Buckles will volunteer as a judge for the DECA International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City. The event will bring more than 14,000 high school students from around the world to compete in marketing, management, finance, hospitality, tourism and entrepreneurship.

“I volunteered as a judge for DECA in 2010,” said Buckles. “I really enjoyed it, so I decided to volunteer again. This year I will be a judge for the sports and entertainment marketing series event.”

The conference is on April 30 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. DECA is still seeking business professionals to volunteer as judges for more than 40 competitive events.

“It’s a great opportunity to help the next generation of business people and entrepreneurs,” said Shane Thomas, director of competitive events for DECA Inc.

DECA is a non-profit student organization catering to high school and college students who are focused on careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

“A lot of students have been working on their project since the very beginning of the school year,” Thomas said. “The sports and entertainment marketing series event is a role playing event.”

While role playing, students are given 10 minutes to read over a scenario. Each scenario poses a problem the student must solve. Judges are presented with the solutions.

Students compete for mostly recognition, though some events offer monetary awards.

“We believe it’s important to stay involved in the community,” Buckles said. “What better way to get involved than to take an interest in our future employees?”

SEO.com, a leading provider of search engine optimization services, stays active in education circles in Utah. The company has presented in various business classes at Davis High School, sponsored the BYU Marriott School’s Sales Idol Finals and hosted a conference at Utah Valley University discussing the ethics of search engine optimization.

“SEO.com has been a valuable source of information for use in my social media marketing class,” said Jeff McCauley, business teacher and DECA adviser at Davis High School. “They have provided insight that my students found interesting and useful.”

Buckles said that SEO.com is interested in seeing what these students will contribute to the business world as they enter the professional workforce.

“We want to offer our expertise to these students. We want to tell them why search engine optimization, social media and other Internet marketing strategies are important components to effectively running and promoting their business,” Buckles said. “It’s important to us to prepare them for success.”

He encouraged other businesspeople to volunteer as judges for DECA.

To volunteer, applicants should visit http://www.deca.org/events/judge. All volunteers will be provided free parking, breakfast, lunch and an onsite orientation session.

“It’s all about the students and to see hardworking students achieve their goals and work toward this accomplishment,” Thomas said.

SEO.com President Volunteers for International DECA Competition is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

Entrepreneur Daymond John and an official from SEO.com spoke to high school students in March. John was in the classroom via Google+.

Daymond John, president of FUBU clothing and panelist on ABC’s “Shark Tank” will lecture to a group of Utah high school students on March 29. By utilizing the power of Google+, students will have the opportunity to engage via webcam with the entrepreneur. SEO.com will also present at the event about the need for small businesses to maintain a presence in social media.

“This lets students who would never get a personal interaction with Daymond John have one,” said Jeff McCauley, a business teacher at Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah.

“Shark Tank” gives budding entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their ideas to a panel of successful businesspeople. Contestants vie for the chance to make their dreams come true by securing funding for their business ambitions.

“I show the show to my class sometimes,” said McCauley, whose students are holding the event. “It’s pretty interesting having them point out the real-life situations I try to teach in my lessons.”

McCauley, who contacted John through Twitter to arrange the event, said his students can learn a lot from John, both as an entrepreneur and investor.

The Google+ webcam chat function, known as a hangout, has given McCauley the ability to bring big-name business professionals into the classroom via social media.

“Google+ is great because it’s easy and free,” he said. “I’ve held three classroom hangouts since the social network came out last year.”

SEO.com President Ash Buckles said a hangout on Google+ is a great way to discuss entrepreneurship between students and prominent entrepreneurs like John. It bridges the communication gap and exposes the next generation to social media tools and how to use them for business purposes. Google considers social activities like hangouts, +1 votes and written content when ranking search engine results, so each business benefits long after the initial hangout by archiving their brand’s content with more visible search rankings.

“Google+ is a free marketing tool,” said Buckles, an Internet marketing expert. “Where Facebook is used to connect with friends and share pictures, Google+ is heavily influencing how pages are ranked in Google. … Google is using social to better refine search. It’s using people’s preferences and social tendencies for making search results more relevant.”

He added that SEO.com is watching closely as teachers like McCauley train the next generation of entrepreneurs and social media marketers. SEO.com just launched a new program for small business owners and startup entrepreneurs who are hoping to improve where their websites rank in search results.

“Google and other search engines have dedicated a ton of real estate to small, local businesses,” said Bryan Phelps, a director of search engine optimization at SEO.com. “Our goal is to help push smaller companies to the top of the heap.”

He said businesses risk losing customers if they do not grasp how to market themselves on social media websites like Google+, Facebook and Twitter. Features like Circles on Google+ allow companies to target select audiences with products and services specifically created for them.

“That is a tool that you cannot find anywhere else,” said Darin Berntson, social media marketing manager for SEO.com.

The hangout with John will be recorded on Google+. Officials will place the recording on YouTube after the event

‘Shark Tank’ Panelist Will Use Google+ to Address Students is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

Utah Valley University will host a conference this week on the ethics of white hat and black hat search engine optimization techniques. Executives from SEO.com along with several professors will present on this controversial topic. The conference will take place at the university on March 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend and brown bag lunches will be served.

Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website in the search engine rankings. The ethical question businesses face is should they use accepted white hat SEO techniques for stronger, long-term search engine results or black hat techniques, which though unscrupulous may produce more immediate results. Internet marketing experts view black hat SEO as unethical.

Still, this is an area often discussed by organizations using SEO companies to help grow their presence online. Industry leaders weighed in on the ethical issues businesses face when choosing white hat or black hat SEO techniques.

“Businesses should make sure that they are ranking high in the search engines for the right reasons, not by taking shortcuts,” said SEO.com President Ash Buckles, a presenter at the conference. “SEO companies should have nothing to hide in the work they are doing. … Online marketing has seen rapid changes for more than 15 years. The standards of 1997 do not match the standards of 2012. Ideally, a search strategy is established and the work performed thereafter improves visibility without risking your brand through deceptive techniques.”

Danny Sullivan, editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land and Marketing Land added, “Pick any industry, and there are generally accepted rules of behavior. Some people want to push outside those rules. Some may win by doing so. Some also get hit with penalties.”

“I think it’s far better to ask yourself if what you’re doing is something you’re proud of. If you’re link spamming a blog that’s a tribute to someone who died, is that really what you want to hold your head up about? My biggest disappointment really tends to be that people will justify poor behavior all around with arguments that other people are getting away with it,” Sullivan said.

SEO expert David Mihm described tactics some search marketing firms use that may be deceptive to consumers.

“Things that would fall into this category would be fake reviews of your business, fake reviews of your competitors, fake Facebook or Google+ or Twitter personas that are not obviously fake, creating fake locations for your business, hijacking competitors’ business listings, dynamic price-switching tactics,” Mihm explained. “This should certainly be avoided morally and ethically and may even be illegal.”

One technique often debated is the purchasing of links to build search engine presence. Mihm doesn’t find any ethical issue with buying links, but recommended businesses stay away from this tactic so companies are not penalized by the search engines.

Utah Valley University assistant professor Arlen Card questioned whether Google should be the ethical arbiters on the Internet.

“Maybe the ethical issue is not about breaking Google’s rules, but instead about Google skewing and steering the Web in unnatural ways for their own ends – profit,” said Card, a presenter at the conference.

View Ash Buckles’ slides from the event

Conference Will Let Professors and Industry Experts Weigh in on the Ethics of Search Engine Optimization is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

SEO.com Social Media Manager Darin "Doc" Berntson will be raising money this week for schools as he travels to the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin,Texas. Berntson will stop at schools along the way to teach students about social media.

Social media has become a way of life for today’s youth. That’s why Chevrolet has put together a group of Internet marketing experts who will tour the nation teaching students as young as elementary school about social media in anticipation of this month’s SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas.

“The purpose of the tour is to raise money and awareness for Adopt-A-Classroom,” said SEO.com Social Media Manager Darin “Doc” Berntson, a member of the team from Salt Lake City.

Adopt-A-Classroom is a non-profit organization that raises money for teachers to purchase resources for their classrooms.

“South by Southwest (SXSW) serves as a perfect venue for Chevy to listen, engage and build relationships with next generation customers. We launched the road trip idea two years ago and added the charity component last year,” said Rebecca Harris, a Chevrolet representative. “The activity has been a huge success. In the past, the road trip teams have had great interactions with the schools, the kids have had excellent experiences and the teachers have provided positive feedback on the content and funding assistance. ”

Teams from around the country will begin their trips March 5 and will travel for about a week.

The Salt Lake City team plans to visit schools in Utah, New Mexico and Texas. The final destination is SXSW Interactive, a festival focused on technology. The conference includes presentations from industry leaders and networking events.

“I have always wanted to go to South by Southwest. The event has always looked amazing,” said Berntson. “The road trip aspect is just an added bonus. Being able to partner with Chevy and bring awareness to the charity as well as raise funds for them is icing on the cake.”

According to Harris, “social media is changing the way the world is communicating.”

“Schools are beginning to integrate social media into the classroom experience. Businesses are using social media every day. As these kids enter the workforce, they will be expected to know how to utilize these tools,” she said.

High schools and universities have even started offering courses in social media marketing.

“Kids need to be aware of what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable when it comes to using social media, and how these platforms fit into their lives,” Harris said.

She said that while elementary school students are not old enough to register for social media websites, Chevy wanted to teach the children about social media because they use the Internet.

“We are happy to be a part of the Chevy road trip to South by Southwest,” said Ash Buckles, president of SEO.com, an SEO services company. “Doc has a lot of experience in the social media field, and he is perfect to teach the next generation of marketers about social media.”

Chevy will have a map on its website with OnStar showing where the teams are at any given moment.

Follow Berntson and teammate Scott Duehlmeier on Twitter at @SLCSXSW. Use the Twitter hashtag #SLCSXSW and read the team’s blog at http://www.slcsxsw.tumblr.com.

SEO.com Participates in National Charity Road Trip that Aims to Teach Students about Social Media is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

All you need to know about local SEO

Small businesses can thrive off local search marketing and here’s why:

• More than 40 percent of monthly searches use localized keywords
• 70 percent of households use the Internet when shopping for products and services locally
• 90 percent of people click on the first page of the search engine results

At this point it almost goes without saying that local search marketing has serious potential to help small businesses gain a competitive advantage—if done right.

Ranking With Relevancy

Ranking factors for local search mimic traditional search because they look for relevancy and popularity. Bryan Phelps, SEO.com’s director of SEO for small business, revealed expert insight on how to make your company more relevant.

1. Location.  The first thing search engines use to determine relevancy for local search results is the physical location of your business related to the search query. Phelps explained that if people search for a dentist in Salt Lake City, the closer the business is to the epicenter the search engines create for the city, the higher you may rank. For any new entrepreneurs who are looking for ways to start their small business off right from a search marketing perspective, Phelps suggests they do some research beforehand about local search and what the search engines are using as the epicenter.

2. Website. On-site optimization carries significant weight for local search rankings. For instance, Google will crawl your website to make sure your business name, address, and phone number match your Google Places profile. The search engine also crawls for relevant keywords on the website. The stronger your site, the bigger your online footprint. Focusing on simple things like title tags, Meta data, and content will help enhance your site and make a significant impact on local search rankings.

3. Business listing information. Consistency is key for local search. You need to keep your company name, address, and phone number (NAP) formatted the same across the web. Decide how you want your information to be standardized and stick with it. For example, do not alternate between spelling out ‘street’ in your address and using the abbreviation. Having different addresses tied to your company can work against your SEO efforts.

Building Online Popularity

In local search, online popularity is just as significant as relevancy. Compared to traditional search marketing, there are several unique approaches to building popularity for small businesses.

1. Create citations. Citations resemble link building for traditional SEO . Google goes out and searches for your business name, address, and phone number to check for an online presence. Consistency plays an important role in building popularity with citations as well. Using the same format for your business information helps the search engines gauge your existence online. Phelps said there are a number of ways to create citations and that you can build citations on almost any website. If you make your online signature your NAP, when you comment on a blog or forum Google will take note.

2. Distribute business listings. Distributing your business listing across other sites like YellowPages.com helps search engines recognize your business. When you have a presence on such sites Google acknowledges you are a legitimate and popular company.

3. Get reviews. “Building a review mentality in your business is really important,” Phelps said. He explained that small businesses should make online reviews a priority because search engines pay attention to quantity, frequency, and quality. Other local search experts agree and reveal that rankings change tremendously with review quality and quantity. It would be ideal to receive one or two reviews a week.

Leveraging Local Search

The sole purpose of local search results is to give consumers exactly what they are looking for, which is why local rankings can be critical for small businesses. When it comes to local search marketing and rankings, some small businesses fail to recognize the advantages available which is why many turn to an internet marketing service. Even worse, some small businesses fail to make their presence known. With these suggestions, small businesses can increase their relevancy, popularity, and more importantly, revenue.

Client Spotlight: Cautionary construction supply company keeps a competitive edge

While some teenagers are given allowance, others have a natural entrepreneurial spirit and are making money their own way. Back when Brandon Anderson was in the ninth grade, his father suggested he help sell traffic barricade lights for extra cash. Anderson took the challenge to heart and set up a rookie website and became a distributor. At a young age, he began cold calling companies, contacting manufacturers and trying to make sales. He proved successful, and later on in life Anderson expanded his horizons. Now, he is the founder and owner of his own company called Trans-Supply.

Trans-Supply has come a long way. What once was just a supply of barricade lights is now a plethora of cautionary construction supplies for highway renovation projects and even airport supplies.

“I really decided to take it to the next level during my sophomore year in college,” Anderson said. “I decided to start from scratch with a new site and began to add a wider variety of products from all manufacturers.”

These construction supplies help guarantee traffic safety. The supplies offered range from speed bumps and traffic cones to flashing airport lights and sand barrels. Aside from his extensive selection of supplies, Anderson does what he can to be best of breed.

“I make sure there are no headaches in getting safety products to my customers. I like to be the person they go to for inexpensive products,” said Anderson.

According to Anderson, people come to his site and are often surprised by his affordable prices. In fact, Anderson admits that his prices are substantially lower than the competition because his company makes it a point to research prices and ensure they are equal to, if not well below, competitor’s prices.

Anderson continued to explain that he does everything in his power to get products to his customers as fast as possible for as cheap as possible.

With Trans-Supply’s large network of suppliers and an owner who was raised in the industry, clientele can always expect extensive knowledge, top-notch quality, and inexpensive products.

Tips and Tricks: Make pages easy to share for social bookmarking sites

Social bookmarking services have little link building value in SEO, but they can provide value in their ability to generate site traffic. Many people still utilize social bookmarking sites such as StumbleUpon and Delicious, and having a presence on prominent sites such as Reddit and Pinterest can really help your site gain ground.

Personal bookmarks do not generate significant traffic to your site from a single user, but getting the attention of multiple users on these sites and offering them an easy way to bookmark your site or page so they can share it will have an immense impact on click-thrus.

Social bookmarking can help generate site traffic for a number of reasons. Users on these sites are:

1. Browsing. People who are browsing, or following along their friends social bookmarks can easily stumble on your site. If your site sparks their interest including an easy way for them to subscribe, bookmark, or share with their networks is a great way to attract readers.

2. Searching. People who are specifically searching on social bookmarking sites for certain content can easily find your site. Better yet, they tend to trust your site because it comes from like-minded individuals. In a way, some social bookmarking sites give your pages automatic credibility.

People who are browsing and searching social bookmarking sites who come across your site can eventually help your page rankings in the search engines because of the additional traffic. With increased traffic, people may end up linking to your site which will encourage a viral effect.

Taking all of this into consideration will mean more viral sharing to increase traffic as well as link equity for your website.

Industry events

SEMPO: Atlanta; March 8, 2012

SXSW Interactive: Austin; March 9-13, 2012

Search Engine Strategies: New York; March 19-23, 2012

Search Insider Summit: Captiva Island, FL; April 22-25, 2012

SEO.com events

White Hat/Black Hat Symposium — March 8 at 11:30 a.m.; Utah Valley University Library in the Lakeview Room (4th Floor)

SEO.com SXSW Road trip — Started March 5; Follow us @SLCSXSW and be a part of it with #SLCSXSW

The Link — SEO.com's March Newsletter is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

Conference Will Let Professors and Industry Experts Weigh in on the Ethics of Search Engine Optimization

With black hat SEO techniques viewed as unscrupulous, symposium will explore the ethics of white hat versus black hat search engine optimization.

Utah Valley University will host a conference this week on the ethics of white hat and black hat search engine optimization techniques. Executives from SEO.com along with several professors will present on this controversial topic. The conference will take place at the university on March 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend and brown bag lunches will be served.

Public Speaking Event at UVU – Thursday, March 8 is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

What does online PR mean for SEO?

Online public relations and search engine optimization tread common waters. While each discipline and its methods may differ, they both build organizations (and websites) through relevant and quality content. Some companies feel torn choosing between the two, but they fail to understand the interconnected impact of utilizing both search marketing and online PR. Because SEO is about optimizing your entire web presence, it inherently includes things like social media and PR. In fact, it seems these two disciplines actually have room for a relationship of synergy.

PR Scratches SEO’s Back

Most people recognize that SEO is more than just on-site optimization, meaning that off-site optimization is increasingly more important. Part of off-site optimization means creating quality content that people want to share. Building authority for a website includes links from articles, blogs, news, and more. At this point online public relations is beneficial in an SEO campaign because it helps attract quality links to build site credibility.

The role of public relations in an SEO campaign is growing in significance. On the surface, online PR means understanding the client, knowing their industry, and creating an image using content that reaches the target market. By reaching the target and providing value, the role PR plays is significant for building your brand. Bringing it back to SEO, there is no point in generating content if people are not interested. Through the use of online PR, content can be SEO-friendly, relevant, and help solidify an online presence because it ensures people are interested.

The Benefits of Bonding

SEO relies on quality content to be picked up and distributed, and PR can successfully swoop in to help. Consider Google’s organic search algorithm. Google continually tweaks the algorithm, and while most of these improvements don’t always impact your online presence, there were three pretty substantial changes in the last year that had a profound effect on positioning.

1. Panda Updates (reducing content farms)
2. Freshness Updates (ensuring content is relevant)
3. Social Signals (gauging social media marketing interactions)

Creating quality, relevant content that fits most search engine’s criteria and SEO purposes can include a press release. The content of a press release should reflect the keyword research for the SEO campaign to broaden the scope of links. From the search engine’s perspective, an online press release contains:

1. Trusted backlinks (Panda Updates)
2. Timely content (Freshness Updates)
3. “Sharing” icons (Potential Social Signals)

Clearly, the cooperation of online PR and SEO can be beneficial for a brand.

The PR and SEO Cocktail

Creating a cohesive strategy utilizing PR and SEO can be brilliant because the integration maximizes reach. By implementing keywords in a press release, SEO advantages continue. Interesting online stories and releases spread fast and easily, and by being SEO optimized, they have extra mileage. Even after a story or event is over, the content can continually generate traffic and interest months afterward. Better yet, the interested audience may also include journalists who want to publish your story or feature your release on their site, creating a bigger brand buzz. Additionally, the links a story creates not only generate traffic, but they help boost rankings as well.

In order to get the best return from publicity and positioning efforts online, these two disciplines can successfully integrate to generate interest, build authority, and cover more ground. An SEO strategy is the key to improving your overall web presence, and PR sparks intrigue and assists with organic rankings by producing fresh content. If you’re interested in learning more about the collaboration of online PR and SEO, SEO.com is hosting a How to Optimize Your Press Release webinar on February 23.

Client Spotlight: Aquarium supply company becomes an industry asset

Many people connect the stunning display of a saltwater aquarium with high-end hotels and dental offices, and few ever think they can afford one. However, there are opportunities to experience this luxury for less because building your own aquarium is possible and affordable.

Bulk Reef Supply is an online retailer of affordable saltwater aquarium supplies. Back in 2007, owners Andrew Duneman and Ryan Batcheller recognized that typical pet stores lack helpful resources that educate people about owning a saltwater aquarium. With opportunity in mind, they started Bulk Reef Supply. The company not only sells all the products you need to build a complete aquarium but also provides helpful videos on how to build and maintain them. They shine in the industry as an educational tool and vendor for anyone curious about owning a saltwater aquarium.

For those interested in saltwater aquariums, knowing where to start and how much money and time to invest is difficult to figure out. Likewise, many customers worry about managing and maintaining their aquarium, especially while on vacation.

“We want people to know that this isn’t as hard as they think,” said Richard Mast, director of marketing for Bulk Reef Supply. “We offer educational videos and we have customer service representatives with aquarium experience. We are trying to be the one source for any and all questions.”

The company really sets out to be the most responsive in the industry. With their vast variety of products and supplies, customers know their questions will be expertly answered in a timely fashion.

To take it a step further and truly help educate sea life enthusiasts, Bulk Reef Supply will launch a new interactive website within the year that includes a video explanation of many of the products found on the site. Eventually, people will be able to surf the site and learn what they need to know for their aquarium adventures including how to start a saltwater aquarium.

“Five years ago we wanted to be a resource, and today we remain a reliable resource. We separate ourselves from other companies because we take it to the next level,” Mast said.

Bulk Reef Supply is an excellent place for the novice, but the company can also provide experts with precisely what they need to keep their aquarium looking amazing.

Tips and Tricks: A clean surfing experience increases conversion

Consumers today are practically buried under an avalanche of product choices, and as the number of competitors begging for attention increases, so does the anxiety consumers feel. The best way to alleviate that anxiety is by simplifying your site. A clean surfing experience helps provide consumers with much needed assurance throughout the conversion process. Because you have mere seconds to engage a customer, the significance of a good design and easy checkout process cannot be overstated. Here are some areas you should consider adjusting to improve your site.

Limit content so you don’t distract from your call to action.

Too much text on a homepage can overwhelm, confuse, or bore the customer. If you clutter your homepage with content, they may leave the site without exploring any additional pages. To keep it clean, your homepage should directly lead your customer to what you want them to do. For example, if you’re selling clothing, make the apparel the focus of the page and provide easy to find “buy now” buttons.

Keep content clear and concise.

Being creative for creativities sake with your content can lose readership and sales. You want your content to be engaging, however, it shouldn’t be overly clever or confusing and you should avoid using industry jargon. To be honest, it never hurts to go back to the basics, so make sure your content addresses who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Make sure your call to action is noticeable.

Decide where you want people to look first on your site. If your call to action involves clicking a button, make the button big with contrasting colors to draw in more attention. Although the feel of your site needs to be clean and simple, the call to action must be bold and obvious.

Search marketing can only do so much to help increase your conversion rate. Once consumers click on your site, the site should seal the sale and an effortless surfing experience is critical for conversion.

Industry events

Online Marketing Summit: San Diego; Feb. 6-10, 2012

Search Engine Strategies Search & Social Accelerator Conference: San Diego; Feb. 9, 2012

PubCon: Honolulu; Feb. 13-15, 2012

SearchFest: Portland; Feb. 24, 2012

Search Marketing Expo West: San Jose; Feb. 28 to March 1, 2012

SEO.com events

Webinar: Tips to Improve Your Local Marketing — Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. MST

Webinar: How to Optimize Your Press Release — Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. MST

The Link — SEO.com's February Newsletter is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.