Category Archives: SEO Promotion

SEO or SEM?

SEO or SEM?

“Should we start our online marketing with SEO or Google ads?”

We are asked this question by clients every day. We have been servicing business’ online presence for nearly 20 years, and have the answers to this question. This question used to be difficult for many to answer, as you want to give great advice and both products work very well.

Below is our Methodology for explaining this dilemma:

seo

SEO (Search-Engine-Optimization):

Every company should perform SEO for their website. We perform SEO work on our site on a weekly basis. Keep in mind there is a HUGE difference from company-to-company where SEO is concerned. The proper way to build a great online presence is as follows:

Keep your content fresh. Continually add new, relevant content to your site.
Check your site regularly for code requirements, as Google changes these regularly. You can use this tool to check your site: www.validator.w3.org , Use online directories to add relevant back links to your site, thus boosting your online image and relevancy. You can get started here: http://directorylogin.webdesign309.com

SEO keeps your site running optimally, which is always the best practice. The roadblock for business owners often comes down to budget. It gets tricky when your budget is under $1000mo for online marketing. With a budget this size you often have to choose one service over another. Many companies have a need to obtain leads quickly. some examples are landscaper, roofer and other seasonal services. They only have a need for leads during certain seasons and paid advertising online often is the best solution, as you can adjust budgets as needed. For a more detailed explanation see below.

SEO or SEM?SEO or SEM?SEO or SEM?

SEM (Search-Engine-Marketing)

This marketing service is the fastest and easiest way to obtain top search results quickly. It does not improve your website the way SEO does, however it does produce results when setup properly. If your company has purchased paid ads previously and results were poor, you probably hired a firm that had little or no experience. When this service is setup properly it works each time.

Below is a dilemma all marketers experience and how we handle it:

Dilemma:

A roofer in Illinois gets a new website completed in September. The season is closing soon and they need to generate leads from the website immediately.

Solution:

Start SEM (search-engine-marketing) immediately. While you are running ads online start slowly building landing pages for your display ads and make them publicly visible. This will help with SEO. We typically create 10-20 landing pages with unique content for SEM clients, and this generally improves overall organic ranking at the same time they are running ads. Once the season hits it’s end, pause your SEM campaign and go directly into full off-page SEO. Once the season starts back up you can go back to utilizing your SEM campaign, while moving SEO into a “maintenance” mode.

To learn more about SEO, visit our blog at www.webdesign309.com/blog

If you have more questions or would like a free consultation contact our office at 309-213-9398!

SEO or SEM?

What is SEO?

WebDesign309 is posting this to help others understand what SEO (search engine optimization) really is. Over the past several years we have heard many definitions, as described by our clients from other companies. One company stated they did social media marketing, and this was true SEO. Another developer stated they do SEO when they build a website, and in reality this is  HTML coding. The truth is these are part of SEO, however there is only one truly proper way to do SEO.

Search engine optimization is made up of 3 distinct categories that all must be addressed in order to have a solid foundation. Here are the categories and descriptions:

On-Page SEO (Proper Coding/Content)

Many websites are missing proper page titles and descriptions. These need to be unique and relevant, and should never begin with your company name. Page content should be 300-500 words and contain keywords you are trying to be relevant for, without overly selling the point. We recommend around 2% keyword density. Make sure you link each page to other relevant pages using ‘anchor link’ strategy.  Images need to have ‘alt tags’ describing what is contained in the image. There are dozens of best practices that not only affect how search engines see your website, but also how it is displayed to visitors. We can talk about the points discussed here as well as others in our initial consultation.

Social Media and Blog Posts

Social media and blogging are an important aspect of SEO. Posting relevant content that help consumers make informed decisions is key. You want to include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and a blog in your mix. Use your blog to help buyers and your social media to keep buyers up to date on current events and special offers. We prefer  ‘Plug-In’  strategy for social media within your site code.

Off-Page SEO

This is the most vital part of SEO and where you have to pay some money. Many believe you can SEO off-page with any company and achieve the same goal. The truth is you might get short term results with a poorly managed SEO campaign, however your rankings will drop fast if not properly built. An example of a poorly managed campaign is ‘link stuffing’, this is where companies link your site to hundreds of non-relevant websites to try and trick Google. Google has figured things out and you will fall in rank just as fast as you rose. Links should be relevant to your industry and the sites you choose should have some authority.

Here is a list of what Webdesign309 offers with SEO service:

  • Authoritative back links
  • Directory submissions
  • Blog and article writing
  • Ongoing updates to your website coding
  • Google+ Local, Google Maps, and much more.

If you would like a free, no obligation quote regarding SEO and/or a website analysis please call or email our experts.