How to Benefit from the Power of Google

How to Harness the Power of Google

How to use Google’s Keyword Research Tool

Getting the most out of Google AdWords

How to improve your Google “Local” Listings

How to rank at the top of Google’s Free Listings

Why focus on Google?

United States Search Engine Market Share (over the last few years) Google is now responding to over one billion searches per day Source: comScore

Keyword Research

What are the search terms that people REALLY use when searching for your specific products or services?

How popular and how competitive is each search term?

allintitle:“gainesville homes” Example of differences: fiber optic tool kits (227,000) “fiber optic tool kits” (4,630) allintitle:“fiber optic tool kits” (77)

asheville plastic surgeon

Sponsored (pay-per-click) Listings

Sponsored Listings (pay-per-click) Getting the most from AdWords

Start off conservative on your bids

Target secondary, yet relevant search terms

Turn off the content network

Use conversion tracking codes and reporting

Experiment with various ad titles & descriptions (A/B test)

Capitalize the first letters of your URL

Use the ad scheduling option if it makes sense

Use geographic targeting for local companies

Use custom landing pages to improve your Quality Score

Allow a realistic budget and test, adjust, test, adjust, etc.

Local Listings (1, 3 or 10 spots)

How are people finding local businesses?

Google Maps (get listed!)

Make sure your website clearly communicates your address

Create a free account within Google’s Local Business Center

Submit your Website, address, hours, pictures, videos, etc.

Confirm or correct the location of your “map” flag

Choose a validation option of a phone call or (slow) postcard

Encourage customers to add positive reviews

Submit your company (for free) to “data providing” websites (YellowPages.com, SuperPages.com, InfoUSA.com, etc.)

Non-Sponsored Listings (default setting will display 10 results. Also known as organic, natural, free listings) Internal and External elements…

Internal Elements

Don'ts

Avoid website designs that are in all flash or all images

Don’t ever try to hide text or links

Don't use any type of cloaking or misleading redirects

Don't create mirrored websites with substantially duplicate content

Avoid "doorway" pages that are created just for search engines

Is your website still in frames? Time for a redesign

Avoid Keyword stuffing Example:

(tennis shoes, running shoes, golf shoes, basketball shoes, track shoes, men’s shoes, women’s shoes, etc.)

Internal Elements

Do’s

Offer content that is truly unique and helpful to the world

Write for the reader but (strategically) interject keywords

Use unique, keyword enriched Title Tags on every page (site: )

Utilize header tags <h1>, <h2>, etc. to define “important” areas

Utilize image alt tags with related target keywords

Use keyword rich “anchor text” on internal links …not “click here”

Each page should have a minimum of 300 words of content

Keyword Density …Don’t fret over nailing an exact formula

When possible, use static pages vs. long dynamic URL’s

Internal Elements

Do’s

Create a site map with links that point to the important pages

If your site is over 100 pages, break up site map over several pages

Keep the links on all individual page to fewer than 100

Use text instead of images to display important information

(Google’s crawler is unable to read text contained within images)

Fix broken links and move important content toward the top

Provide a strong “Call to Action” to improve your conversions

External Elements (inbound links ARE CRUCIAL!) Why can’t I get my site to rank #1 for the word “mortgage?” Not a new concept. Google’s prototype was named “Backrub”

Another quote from Google: “ The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can quickly gain popularity in the Internet community. The more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it. … It is not only the number of links you have pointing to your site that matters, but also the quality and relevance of those links. ” http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=66356