While this is definitely something that can be undertaken in-house, you may not be inclined to try to tackle these tasks on your own. That is certainly understandable and if you’ve decided to hire an SEO firm or freelancer, here are a few guidelines to help you make a good decision on whom you choose to do business with.
Archive for the ‘On Web Strategy’ Category
How to Choose an SEO Firm or Freelancer
Posted by Mike July on August 30th, 2011
Posted in On Business, On Web Strategy 
Tags: business, google, search engine optimization, search engines, SEO 
Comments OffFocus On The Things You Can Control
Posted by Mike July on May 31st, 2011
Twice in the past month I’ve had long conversations with clients about their concerns for the activities of certain competitors. Specifically, they were worried about the fact that some of the sites who are trying to compete in the same online space are engaging in some unscrupulous SEO and other marketing tactics, such as purchasing links and redirecting blind links from PPC campaigns.
These activities cause concern because I always preach the importance of ‘white-hat’ marketing tactics, with integrity being paramount. There are shortcuts that can be taken in order to potentially achieve favorable search engine rankings faster, and there is a degree of ‘success’ than can be had going this route. But the reality is that ‘black-hat’ SEO activities have a major downside. If you get caught – and the probability of getting caught is substantial – you run the risk of being blacklisted by Google and other search engines. Getting de-indexed is about the worst thing that can happen to your site if you are relying on search engine traffic as the main traffic source for your business.
Posted in On Business, On Web Strategy Tags: black hat, business, internet marketing, SEO, web presence, white hat Comments OffSo You’re Already an Expert. Now What?
Posted by Mike July on September 9th, 2010
Whether you’re an master auto mechanic, a leading .net programmer or simply a stay at home mom whose raised four kids, you have some area of knowledge that would be valuable to others in some capacity or another. If you’re looking to establish a presence online in order to share what you know, there are a few things you’re going to need to get lined up before you can jump in cyberspace. The good news is that the most difficult task has already been completed.
If you’re already an expert at whatever it is that you do, you have already done the hardest part.
Posted in On Blogging, On Business, On Social Media, On Web Strategy Tags: blogging, personal branding, planning, social media, web presence Comments OffTransparancy is the Key to Doing Business in the Digital Age
Posted by Mike July on July 12th, 2010
The advent of blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting and the overall unprecedented access that the everyday person has to virtually everything they could ever want to find out has remove the facade of businesses small and big alike. The old days of the mystique that businesses were afforded have been replaced with an age of complete transparency. The internet has placed everyone in a glass house. Those who accept and embrace this new shift in culture have thrived; those who’ve rejected or ignored it have paid a price.
The reality about transparency is that this is not a bad thing at all. Is it really unfavorable that your clients are able to verify almost every claim you make? Not if you’re genuine. However, if you didn’t really manufacture all of the products on your site like your ‘about’ page says you have, then you’re probably going to have a huge PR problem sooner or later.
Posted in On Business, On Web Strategy Tags: blogging, business, ethics, facebook, social media, twitter Comments OffThe Internet is not a Small Town in Indiana
Posted by Mike July on June 10th, 2010
If you’ve ever lived or owned a business in Small Town USA, you know all too well the element of community that makes small businesses go. The patrons of the locally owned restaurants and grocery stores and auto repair shops are all very well familiar with the owners of these businesses, as they usually live in the area and it’s not uncommon for their businesses to have been around for generations.
The element of community is strengthened by the fact that more often than not, the owner of the business is also the same guy who operates the register. Loyalty to the local economy feels good knowing their hard earned dollars are going into the pockets of another hard working man or woman that they’ve known and trusted for years. Business owners know that these relationships are built one at a time and are the core of their survival.
So it’s only natural instinct to apply this same principle when your business ambitions expand into cyberspace. The first thing you’re naturally inclined to do is fill the homepage of your new website with a bunch of warm and fuzzy text telling the visitor about how your business was founded by your great-grandaddy Jebediah and has been in the Podunk community for 700 years and on and on. The problem is, we’re not in Kansas anymore.
Posted in On Business, On Web Strategy Tags: business, internet marketing, planning, web strategy development, website functions Comments OffSearch Engine Optimization is No Longer Enough
Posted by Mike July on May 17th, 2010
It doesn’t matter what type of business you run, if you’ve checked your email in the last five years, you’ve undoubtedly received spam from the so-called SEO experts who promise to get you to the number one spot on Google for your keyword of choice – all for the low low price of just $39.99.
While this practice (ahem scam) has faded away significantly in the past 12 months, it still has left an fallacious perception in its wake that SEO – or Search Engine Optimization is the be-all-end-all of your online marketing efforts. Get to the front page of Google and those 20,000 people a month who search for your particular phrase will come banging down the virtual door to your website automatically. The problem is that not only is this not the case, it never was.
Posted in On Business, On Web Strategy Tags: business, internet marketing, search engine optimization, SEO, web strategy development Comments OffThe Dos and Don’ts of Google Adwords Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Posted by Mike July on March 9th, 2010
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising on Google and other networks can be one of the most time effective, efficient way to drive decent amounts of targeted traffic to your website in short order. A well thought out plan that targets the correct visitors and caters to their needs will almost certainly pay dividends in the long run.
That said, it amazes me the amount of companies on the web that are doing an abhorrently horrific job with what is ultimately a pretty simple exercise when executed properly. For that reason, I, along with my friend and Mindscape employee Jim Buchanan, have put together this simple guide to running a smooth, profitable PPC campaign.
Posted in On Business, On Web Strategy Tags: google, google adwords, ppc advertising, web marketing strategy, web strategy development Comments OffWhat a Web Marketing Strategy is not
Posted by Mike July on February 10th, 2010
Before we get going, ask yourself this: how much of the following scenario describes your web presence?
You’ve got a website. You either built it yourself, or you had it designed professionally by a creative firm or freelancer. Your website functions well and looks pretty good, yet you aren’t getting any traffic. Or you aren’t getting enough traffic with respect to the popularity of your industry, or you aren’t getting nearly as much traffic as your competitors seem to be, despite the fact that you are considerably ‘bigger’ than they are in the traditional sense.
You’ve got a Twitter and Facebook account set up, and maybe even have secured a few friends and followers. You’ve invested in a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising campaign on Google and maybe you’ve even experimented with banner ads on various forums and sites in your industry. Yet despite all of your efforts, you’ve only seen minimal success online. And you’re frustrated as hell.
So What is a Web Marketing Strategy?
Posted by Mike July on February 2nd, 2010
The phrase “Internet Marketing” means different things to different people. The definition can refer to a wide variety of people using the web to promote products and services, from people pushing get-rich-quick schemes to miracle fad diets like the Acai Berry ads that you saw all over the web last year. This term can also refer to spammers and other ‘black hat’ types of underhanded behavior as a whole.
While Internet Marketing as a blanket term also would describe the services I provide for companies with ambitions to increase their digital footprint, it’s vague in its definition and often can be misinterpreted as something its not. For that reason, I prefer to refer to my services as “Web Strategy Planning and Development.”
Mike July is a Freelance Web Strategy & Internet Marketing Consultant specializing in Visitor Experience Optimization, currently living and operating in the great city of Grand Rapids, MI. 