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In this article, you’ll find some tips on making crucial decisions for your website, whether or not to outsource certain areas and when to look for help.

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There has been a lot of opinions being bantered around online regarding the recent post Matt Cutts did about �??How to report Paid Links�??. The majority of the opinions fall into one of three categories: those for it (the ability to tattle tell), those vehemently against it (probably from those that over abuse it�?�just my opinion) and those that worry that their competitors will sabotage them by buying a bunch of blogs, reviews etc�?�

But what I am not seeing anyone write about is the fact that Google seems to be �??pouting�?? a little bit and basically threatening to �??take its bat and ball and go home�??. 

As the current owner (more on that comment in the coming weeks) of a search engine optimization company, I certainly do not want our client�??s sites having to compete with other websites that have no business ranking in the top 10 organic spots. But if the sites that are ranking in the top 10 are relevant, and as long as they are not using black hat SEO tactics, why would Google want to possible �??penalize�?? or in anyway take away that particular sites top 10 listing?

What�??s that you say? Paid links is now considered �??Black Hat�??? Well, I would agree that some paid text links should be considered black hat�?�Having run of site text links where one website that has 3,000 pages and offers links for sale in the footer and is not on topic should not be an acceptable tactic and I think Google has done the right thing by modifying their algorithm to detect and then ignore (meaning the link is neither good or bad for the site�?�it�??s just a waste of money for the site owner unless of course they are getting quality traffic out of it).

However, now that just about everybody in the world knows that anchor text links are an important part to Google�??s ranking algorithm, and being that most business websites do not freely (or very visibly) link to other websites (how many other websites do you link to or promote on your business site? Didn�??t think so) site owners are going to push the envelope as much as possible and with good reason. They have a lot to gain by getting top rankings for quality (relevant) keywords to promote their business.

Google needs to understand (and I think they do or they would not allow the Matt Cutt�??s of the Googlesphere to blog like they do) that businesses every day count on the search engines to produce revenue. Google is no different. $465.26 per share at the time of this writing for 1 Google Share? And where does 90% or more of the money Google generates that makes the stock worth that much? A form of a text link ad.

Ok so let me for a moment a self appointed mediator between Google and the Website owners�?�

First let�??s understand Google�??s position. Google, the webmasters of the world understand that you can not afford to have your top 10 results be cluttered with non relevant websites. Doing so would only lead to your demise as your own search volume would rapidly decrease, leading to less money made through your primary business model.

Webmaster�??s position: Our very existence seems to be connected to how well our search placement is on Google (and Yahoo and MSN) and not having top rankings for relevant keywords seriously effects our bottom line in a bad way.

Mediator:

Webmasters: Agree to follow the webmasters guidelines and understand that getting top placement is more often a marathon and not a sprint. If you truly deserve to be in the top 10 and your company is one of the best companies for your industry, stay at it and do all you can with in the guidelines. Hire outside help if you need to that has the experience to help you.

Google: Keep up the great work of making sure those that are not playing fair, get the boot so that those that are playing by the rules have an equal chance. But please do not punish those who find out a �??secret ingredient�?? to your algorithm and then use that ingredient to benefit their ranking. If the results in the top 10 are relevant, who cares? I don�??t ever remember Google crying �??foul!�?? when title tags or h1 tags were discovered as being important.

Getting quality links is hard to do. And maybe that is why it is such an important part to your algorithm. But considering it �??spam�?? when a webmaster or seo or owner of a website pays a blogger to post about their business in order to try and rank better for keywords that are relevant to their site? They are just doing everything they can to make sure they can put food on the table for their families. Instead, if you sense a threat to having this �??ingredient�?? well known, improve the recipe. Chances are you will come out with a better meal for everyone.

The �??Remains of the Day,�?? part however is the �??results guarantee�??. How many SEOers are willing to put their money where their mouth is? There is a well-known �??gremlin�?? component in the search engine world that sometimes shoots your ranking results in the foot. How can you guarantee the client the product they paid for in the face of this �??uncertainty principal”… and maintain your integrity as a Professional SEO Company?

The answer is easy when you start thinking about it. The components of high ranking from an SEO Company are these:

1) How experienced is this SEO Team?
2) How much past success have they enjoyed?
3) How is this SEO Company motivated for getting and maintaining high rankings for their clients? 

Motivating SEO Results

Flagging results for your client�??s campaign may stem from the fact that, with most SEO models, your SEO Team just isn�??t that motivated to ethically push for great client results. For most SEO Companies, client campaigns are prioritized as they come in the door. Many are forgotten after their initial optimization motions are in place. How can an SEO company with this type of modus operandi guarantee results? The answer is THEY CAN NOT. There is no incentive for guaranteed results.

Like any other sales business, how do you motivate great results? The answer is money.

Guaranteed SEO Results are Possible

With the model of SEO from eTrafficJams there is motivation. It�??s called Pay-for Performance. eTrafficJams provides organic SEO service in two steps. 1) An affordable set-up fee. 2) After the initial setup fee, the Monthly Pay-for-Performance model kicks in. The guarantee is this: If eTrafficJams.com doesn’t provide 10 top-ten rankings for the client�??s approved keywords that month, the client gets that month free. The monthly fee is actually based on the performance of eTrafficJams.com. That�??s motivation!

The client pays for high rankings. eTrafficJams.com gets paid for that performance. This just may be the closest thing to a win-win situation in the SEO Industry.

Search Engine Optimization is a consumer-based service. SEO companies serve as professional advocates for their clients by working to obtaining high website rankings in the wake of changing and complex search engine algorithms. The fight for your search engine rankings begins before your ink is dry on your SEO contract. But which battle-plans have you chosen?
 
A Critical Look at Two Search Engine Optimization Models

1. One Large Payment for One-Time SEO

Definition: Pay a large upfront fee. The company optimizes your site once.
 
Pros: One payment means little or no bookkeeping. Results are not promised so you don�??t have to expect them. Because your expectations are low, you�??re probably not going to be disappointed. Little emotional risk.

Cons:  Initial results aren�??t promised. Future results are not promised. Basically the bird in your hand flew into a window pane and you’re paying for the two birds in the bush. Your money is gone and you signed the contract. Maybe things will get better? (Tell that to the boss.) (If you�??re the boss, tell it to yourself.)

2.  Pay-for-Performance SEO Model

Definition: Initial affordable flat fee spent on optimizing your site. A team focused solely on your account. The Pay-for-Performance Monthly Maintenance Plan starts from $500 / month. Your monthly fee is based on your number of top-ten placements. If a minimum of 10 top 10 organic placements on Google, Yahoo!, and/or MSN are not met, that month is free.                                    

Pros: The initial set-up fee is affordable. Top rankings are the goal. Your monthly fee depends on your number of top-ten placements. If a minimum 10 top 10 organic placements on Google, Yahoo!, and/or MSN are not met, that month is free. You lower your financial risk because you only pay monthly for ten top-ten organic rankings. Your SEO team is motivated to keep your rankings high, every month. Three more: more traffic, more visitors, more sales.

Cons: If too many top-ten rankings overwhelm your sales department, you may want a less success-oriented plan. Alternatively, you may have to expand your business and invest in faster hard drives.

Which Plan Benefits the SEO Consumer the Most?

As you consider these two plans in terms of value, results, your results over time and the overall future of your business, a shortsighted plan isn’t viable for the success-driven e-commerce entrepreneur. You are optimizing your site in the first place because you want it to rank high in the search engines. Pay-for-Performance gets the results you want. If getting results is important to you and your business, Pay-for-Performance is best.

Let�??s say it�??s your job to get your passengers on a ship heading to a certain specific destination. You are responsible for predicting ship arrivals and departures and scheduling passengers for the cabins they desire.

A sea vessel is doing the ferrying for your passengers. This ship must take these passengers back and forth. You are depending on it. Your passengers are depending on YOU.

This ship travels all around the world, a vast ocean. (Let�??s call it the WWW) It has its storms, hurricanes and tsunamis, but overall it�??s pretty predictable. High tides and low tides, beach condominiums, populated islands, surfers; these things are symptoms of regularity.  The ocean is something people (a lot of people) can live by, on and around.

Ultimately, What is most concerning for you and your passengers is who or what is navigating the ship? (There is no one offering anyone traveler�??s insurance here.)

Could this concern be the fathoms-deep algorithm? Probably. But in this story, it looks like an old mean seafaring captain maniacally rolling ball bearings between his fingers. This captain has a fairly regular schedule and he has accurate maps, a mariner’s compass and all that. How do you predict how this old captain will sail this ship? For this, you will probably want to look for clues before your passengers cross that ramp.

Take a look:

1) Which way are the ocean currents flowing? Are other boats following these currents?
2) You might want to examine the captain�??s prior behavior. Does he have binges of weekend drunkenness? If so, are they predictable binges? Are there bouts of depression?
3) Does the captain generally make it to his destination? What percentage of the time?
4) Which way is the wind blowing?
5) Has the captain become the victim of mutiny? If so, how many times?
6) Is there a captain?
7) Are the rats leaving the ship? If so, is it clear why?

In this allegory, the captain is an algorithm; the ship is the search engine, and the ocean, our beloved web. The ship�??s passengers are our SEO clients, expecting their SEO guide to get them top rankings. Search Engines shuttle websites and surfers all over the place, to their intended destinations or not. Your search engine may leave you in the middle of the Leeward Islands when you were looking for a Long-Island hotdog. Who knows?

Where does SEO fit into all this?

In examining SEO in relation to Search Engines and the WWW, look at our algorithmic captain a little closer. By looking at past behavior, bad behavior, predictable bad behavior and the behavior of others affected by his behavior, can we find some hint of predictability in the unpredictability? Is Chaos Theory afloat here? If this is the case, then the solution just might be as simple as watching those rats a little more closely. Because as everyone knows, when the rats leave the ship before its departing voyage, a sinking ship is in the future, and your passengers are going down with the ship.

Have a look at the initial strategies regarding the Little Red Wagon Account:

1. It�??s a Red Wagon
2. It�??s the CLIENT�??s red wagon
3. Who Uses Red Wagons
4  Types of Red Wagons
5. Different Red Wagon Uses
6. Product Benefits: It�??s Red, The Wheels Stay On, etc.
7. What�??s missing here?

Pitch to Local Traffic Using the SEO Geographic Strategy 

What’s missing is local traffic. SEO Professional Companies use local traffic to their advantage and enjoy the extra traffic (and conversions) this kind of marketing brings. However, it is amazing how many SEO companies miss this strategy completely. High local SE rankings are easier to obtain than broad search rankings. Even better, local searches are likely conversions.
 
Think in terms of where the product is available and add possible places where outlaying customers live. Optimize for:  provinces, states, counties, major cities, small cities, towns and half a-dot on local maps.

Geographic Targeting, The Hometown Advantage

The h1 tag is a great place to introduce local and regional names that will draw the additional traffic you want. You can also use Google regional ads (shown only to specific states, cities, or region of your choice.) Think also about Local Pay Per Click Campaigns. PPC can focus your ad marketing to a ditch along Main Street, if necessary. When you target local traffic, you give your client additional rankings for less-competitive city, county or state searches. This really is �??The hometown advantage.�??

Don�??t target all areas at once. Let each page target no more than 3 or 4 local regions. If your client has distributors or representatives in different counties or cities, their individual pages are ideal for geographic optimization.  Be clear- don�??t be overly repetitive with your geo- targeting text; and use that h1 to your advantage. Geo-searches are a goldmine…take the time to pan for local customers.

Question: I realize something needs to happen to make my website a moneymaker. I need to optimize but how can SEO companies tell how or if it�??s working?

Answer: This is where web analytics comes in.

SEO�??s use analytics to evaluate all data pertaining to activity on your site. In the next few days and weeks after your site has been initially optimized, specialized reports on visitor behavior are studied. These include: which pages your visitors use to enter your site; which pages are most often used as exit pages; how long your visitors spend on each page, and much, much, more. All traceable aspects of web user behavior are examined. This data gives your SEO Team information on which variables of your site are working and which are not. It�??s an ongoing process and good SEO companies know what to look for and how to make it work. They know how to make your site reach your ranking goals. The closer your site is to the top of a search term result, the more visitors you�??ll get.

Trends

As your site develops a customer history through ongoing website analysis, your SEO Company will begin to see important customer trends. This gives your SEO Company even more data that is used to regulate and optimize the flow of visitors to buy items or services on your site.

Hitting Your SEO Goal

As your site begins to hit its goal ranking, new directions and techniques can be added to the overall process. The goals are to: 1.) Insure a lasting result on your initial optimization campaign and 2.) To further increase your e-commerce gains by targeting other venues and niches that help you get the most from your website. Analytics are an important part of what an aggressive SEO Company needs to fight for your website rankings. The goal is to get your website working for you, not you working for it.

Week-one: Your PPC campaign has been implemented. You have a somewhat-limited budget to work with and you�??d like to see large increases in international grapefruit trafficking soon. You want decent early conversion rates. Your grapefruit expectations are high.Week-two: Your clicks are through the roof. Everybody and their grandmother are clicking on your grapefruit ad. However, your client�??s conversion rates are in the toilet and you�??re flying through your budget. Your PPC campaign has quickly hit an impasse. What�??s going on here? What should you do next?

Look for Pay-Per-Click Text Issues

What�??s going on with your ad text? Are you being clear about the client�??s product? Is it well worded? Can customers tell immediately what the product is from the ad?

Boldly Going Places You Didn�??t Want to Go.

If your writing is good then basically your PPC campaign plan itself has keyword problems that have temporarily gone out-of-control. The campaign keyword list you started out with seemed like a good idea at the time. Your red-hot keywords: �??grapefruit,�?? �??grapefruits�?? and �??buy grapefruit�?? didn�??t turn out like you expected. These broad (but topical) keywords have flung you into the final frontier, where you explored strange new worlds. Basically, you boldly went places you didn�??t want to go.

Your Dismal PPC Grapefruit Exam Results

You had no idea grapefruit was a lotion, a soap, a candle, a hugely popular diet, a fruit tree, a juice, plus, plus, plus. Grapefruit soaps and trees have absolutely nothing to do with your client�??s product. Your client is clearly not into juice or candles. He doesn�??t even use lotion. You might as well have clicks beaming in from outer space. Let�??s face it; you were out of the grapefruit loop and had been living in a jungle this whole time. What�??s needed here is aggressive SEO pruning.

Fertilize Your Pay-Per-Click Campaign

Cut those keywords down. Take out those bad, broad grapefruit terms before they cause any more budget spillage. With you ripping through this client�??s money like there�??s no tomorrow, there may be no tomorrow with this antsy customer. Bring in narrower terms that real grapefruit-package buying citizens would use if they were in the market for buying and shipping citrus fruit. Your PPC�??s keyword list should be narrowing and shrinking and your negative keyword list should be flourishing and growing. You just may have more conversions in your future.

Keep Your SEO Eye on the Grapefruit!

As experienced SEO Professionals know, PPC is the art and science of quickly streamlining your ad campaign into conversion-generating material; a process consisting of painstaking, daily, ongoing adjustments.This grapefruit scenario may seem pretty self-evident to everyone but consider the real-life clientele of SEO Professionals. We work for clients who represent highly specialized products and services every day. “What is the product? How is it used? Is it animal, vegetable or mineral?” With these kinds of PPC accounts, you�??re as clueless as the jungle guy. Choosing the best initial keywords and negative keywords right from the beginning is unlikely even with detailed client interviews. With new Pay-Per-Click accounts- staying on top of new campaigns almost hourly in its first few days is de rigueur. This early input can clue you in early as to whether you are on the right track or the wrong track. You can avoid extraneous spending and improve your client’s conversion rate faster. When you get PPC money channeled in the right direction, your grapefruit can get where it’s going.