Vizergy

Measuring Success

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne Jarecki) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:02:00 +0000

What defines a successful email marketing campaign? Most people would answer with ‘a high return on investment’. While that answer isn’t necessarily incorrect, it’s more so incomplete. The end result is always going to be to make money, but what about acquiring new leads or achieving a low unsubscribe rate? Those are items that also determine whether or not your email marketing campaign has been successful. Achieving any of these successes is dependent on a few factors.

The art behind email marketing is finding the balance between reaching out and touching your customers enough that they know you’re out there, but not so much that they are tired of hearing from you. That balance is going to vary based on your market and the info that you are sending out.

Take a guess at how many email blasts you receive on a daily basis and now guess how many of those you actually read….the answer is the first number you guessed is going to be a lot higher than the second one. How can you make your email blast better than the one that hit that inbox before yours? Send info that your customers asked for! On your opt-in form on your website, see what you’re customers are interested in and then send them info on it, it’s simple. Another great way, always offer a promotion, people love discounts!

Now for some visuals, let’s keep content to a minimum that is of course unless you’re sending a newsletter. People are way too busy to read an entire page of something. Make your email brief and to the point, and then link it to your website. Include images to showcase your property or images that are relevant to your message. Use a font size and color to flow with your message, not stand out from it. And include clear calls-to-action to make it easy for your reader to find things.

These items combined are going to help you achieve new leads and keep your unsubscribe rate low, and of course bring in the money! Ok, to recap, don’t annoy your customers, keep your customers interested with relevant content, keep the message looking pretty, make them an offer they can’t refuse, and most importantly, keep them away from the dreaded unsubscribe link!

What is PPC?

noreply@blogger.com (Chelle Boyd) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:43:00 +0000

As a paid search analyst I am frequently asked two questions. “What is PPC?” and “That sounds simple, can’t any caveman do it?” While the definition of paid search is quite simple (advertising on search engines based on action, not views), the success of a pay-per-click campaign is not.

Pay-per-Click (known as PPC) is a type of advertising on search engines. Unlike banner ads that anyone can see, paid search ads are only viewed by qualified searchers and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Similar to SEO, a paid search campaign begins by choosing keywords that relate to your website. After you determine your keywords you must assign a value to them, giving each keyword a bid. When a searcher types in your keyword phrase, your ad will appear under the Sponsored Search results based in part on how much you are willing to pay (higher bids usually receive top placement).

SEO and PPC are similar in that they both revolve around the keywords your clients use to search for your website. The main benefit of SEO is that there is not a cost involved when searchers click on your link. Although PPC does have a cost (your ad spend) the main difference is that you control the message the client sees. When you rank on seo/natural search, the search engine decides what text is displayed, but when your PPC ad is displayed, the message you created will show. While there is a constant feud over which is better, the clear answer is that it requires both to have a successful website. Clients are more likely to visit your website and believe you are reliable if your domain is shown both in the natural and paid search listings. Although algorithms change daily, possibly making you lose page rank, your paid search ad will continue to be displayed for as long as your budget will allow.

While many think PPC is simply bidding on keywords, it does take more than that to receive a return on your investment. The first thing that will make or break your campaign is your keyword choice. A solid campaign has both broad and specific terms that a client in all aspects of the buying cycle will search for. The second important aspect is your bid. While you do not want your ads to only be visible to clients who search on the third page of results, top placement is also not always your best choice. A good analyst will find a balance between a keyword bid and the amount of revenue it can generate. After your ad is listed, the next step to success is compelling the searcher to click on it. This requires an ad message that appeals to their needs and stands out from your competitors. Lastly, you must ensure that when they land on your website they find the information relevant to the search they performed. If they cannot find the information they need, they will quickly click back and find your competitor instead.

Once you have created messages that stand out with content that is relevant, you should quickly start to see conversions. As with any industry, you must follow trends and stay ahead of your competitors. But if your paid search analyst is doing a good job you’ll quickly begin to think receiving a high ROI is so easy, a caveman could do it.

What is SEO?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Ross) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:33:00 +0000

With the ever-growing Internet marketplace, it is important that your website can be found by consumers. How you ask? The answer can be answered simply with 3 letters SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Now you may be asking yourself what is so special about SEO and why your website would need this type of service. Allow Vizergy to help you answer those two questions.

Search Engine Optimization by definition is the practice of modifying a website by manipulating onsite and offsite elements in order to improve the traffic a site receives from a search engine. To apply this to your website, ask yourself the question "Where does my site show up when I perform a search for my markets top keyword phrases?" Do you show up on the first page of the top 3 search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN)? Do you show up anywhere in the first 3 pages? These top 3 pages are essential for any website owner to show up in as it is only a very small percentage of Internet users that go past page 3.

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as selecting certain keywords and your website will rank for them, due to the many additional factors that have to occur before you show up for the more competitive keywords on your site. One thing to keep in mind is whether you have ever had a company perform this type of service before. The SEO techniques used may be outdated or they may have used undesirable techniques that could now have a negative impact on your website. Some of those techniques include: hidden text, keyword overuse in any element of your site (one version of "spamming"), or doorway pages. If any bad techniques were used they must be removed, then the search engines have to come back to your site to verify that the changes have been made so they can determine if they should include your site back within their result listings. Once your site is "cleaned up," your websites content needs to be updated to support the appropriate keyword phrases. Relevancy to your market is one of the biggest determining factors to whether a search engine will position your site as a result of your selected, targeted keywords. Once the hard part is out of the way, a successful link building campaign needs to be started for your site. Minimally, this should focus on the most competitive phrases on your website. Consider links to your site like this, every time another site adds a good keyword rich link back to your site, it's like receiving a vote for relevancy to that term, although this is a simple explanation to the importance but helps describe what it can do for your site.

As to the other important question, "Why does my site need SEO," the simplest answer is that your competitors are using SEO to help improve their online market share and the traffic they receive from search engines. Your website can also be your top sales channel, as it can reach a broader marketplace than a traditional brick and mortar business. If your website is optimized properly, individuals all over the world can find your website if they need your service. Why wouldn't you want to take advantage of SEO, as the majority of web traffic is driven by search? If your site cannot be found, then you are missing out on the incredible opportunities that would be available to you through search.

Lastly here is a checklist to determine if your current site is not search engine friendly.

Does your site have a Session ID?

Is your website built using frames?

Does your website URL contain 2 or more dynamic parameters? e.g. http://www.yourwebsites.com/?pid=1020&content=231&color=12

Do you have to sign in to get to your content?

Is your website built in flash?

Is your page content built into an image?

Does your website have hidden text?

Do you have multiple domain names pointing to the same website?

Unique title and description tags?

Absolute home page links?

"Rev Up Revenue" Workshop Sponsored by Vizergy

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Garner) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:25:00 +0000

Join the VIZERGY™ Speaker's Bureau on April 8, 2008 to find out how to maximize your brand visibility and implement effective Internet Marketing tools to increase your revenue and maximize ROI on your most profitable sales channel.

Jacksonville, FL (March 11, 2008)- Hoteliers and property management groups will have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of Internet marketing for the hospitality industry in a series of comprehensive, seminars being offered April 8, 2008, in Chicago- sponsored by the VIZERGY™ Speakers Bureau.

The workshop series, "Rev Up Revenue" will demonstrate best practices for hoteliers and the use of Web 2.0, taking an in depth look at the importance of pay per click and search engine optimization campaigns as they relate to maximizing ROI.

"With a softening demand market, it is imperative that hotels fight for every percent of Market Share available. These workshops will focus on moving share in a cost effective way; from their most profitable sales channel, the Internet." says Joel Carver, VIZERGY™ Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing and speaker for the Blast Off portion of these dynamic workshops. Carver was recently named one of HSMAI's Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing for 2007 and is touted for his captivating presence and knack for increasing Market Share, Maximizing Revenue and ROI.

"Rev Up Revenue" is open to the public and will be held on April 8, 2008, at the Ambassador East Hotel, in Chicago, IL, 1301 N. State Parkway.

The workshop series will cover:

Blast Off – an over view of Internet Marketing (9 am -11 am)

Turn Buzz Words Into Bookings - A synopsis of PPC and SEO (12:45 pm - 2:45 pm)

Turn Internet Speak Into Success Speak - Understanding Social Media (3 pm - 5 pm)

For more information on the Rev Up Revenue workshop series visit VIZERGY™, or please call Amakeda Sekou at 904.389.1130 Ext. 179 or email Amakeda.s@vizergy.com.

Vizergy Newsletter 2-14-2008

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Garner) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Being an SEO for Vizergy, I get a number of emails discussing the state of the hospitality industry, and how it relates to online marketing. I was recently sent our newsletter that was of particular interest to me, and I thought it would be nice to share it with our readers.

Pay close attention to some of the number of people online, the number of searches conducted and the amount of growth over the last couple of years. I would go on to explain how important online vizability is (we use a lot of 'Z's' around here at Vizergy), but the numbers really speak for themselves.

Why use Sponsored Search?

Sponsored Search is a great way for you to connect with the ideal customers-the ones already interested in what your business offers. With text ads that appear in search results, you promote your business to people who are actively searching online for your products or services. And you pay only when your ad is clicked.

Unlike other marketing options, a Sponsored Search account offers measurable results and lets you test different ads. Sponsored Search can achieve multiple objectives, including acquiring new customers, increasing brand awareness or influencing purchasing decisions.

There are many types of Internet marketing, but one thing sets Sponsored Search apart: you don't go looking for customers, they find you.

Check out the research

Did you know over 38 million people use search engines daily? Or that 67% of U.S. adults who research online before making a purchase decision use search engines as a research tool? Research indicates that search marketing is one of the best performing Internet marketing tactics.

Key Statistics

When you consider that more and more consumers are using search to find the products and services they want, it just makes sense for your business to be featured prominently in search results.

Consumers who use search are actively seeking what businesses like yours sell-which means they are highly targeted and motivated to buy.

The Popularity of Search

How many people are utilizing search each day? Findings by PEW Internet and American Life Project indicate that on an average day, nearly 60 million people use a search engine.

Also for the first time in three years, paid search has outperformed other online marketing tactics in click-through and conversion rates, according to a survey conducted by MarketingSherpa.

The Importance of Search

A study by iCrossing reveals that most adults who buy online rely on search engines to research their purchases.

88% of adults who purchase items online conduct some sort of online research at least sometimes prior to completing their purchase. 67% of U.S. adults who research online before making a purchase decision use search engines as a research tool.
40% of those conducting online research go to search engines first. Nearly equal percentages of respondents who use search engines to research products online use them to find a web site from which to buy (54%) or investigate where to purchase their desired product (53%).

Research by iProspect, further explores user behavior, revealing that 62% of search engine users click on a search result within the first page of results, and 90% of search engine users click on a result within the first three pages of search results. Statistics like these indicate that in order to be seen by the most searchers, marketers need to try to get their listings onto the first few pages of the search results.

The Future of Search

Search engine marketing was a $5.75 billion industry in 2005 and it will nearly double to $11.1 billion in 2010, according to SEMPO's (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization) latest industry survey. In 2006, search marketing spending will total about $7.2 billion and increase by 15.3% to $8.3 billion in 2007.

(Editor's Note: We are talking billions here...with a 'B')

Couple this information with the trends in search use and it's clear that advertisers utilizing search only have one place to go: up.

The Heads In Beds Mentality

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Garner) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:54:00 +0000

As an SEO (Search Engine Optimizer), I don't get to delve into the ideas and methodologies of hotel management too often. I run a report, check on a site, compare it to it's own history, and adjust accordingly (I know this sounds really boring to a lot of people, but I love this nerdy stuff). Well, as a first part initiative to get the Vizergy Blog rolling, I thought it best to learn a little more about the hospitality industry as a business, and not just as a website.

After listening to a lot of terms and jargon thrown around this place between the execs and former hotel managers, who are now account managers, one term stuck to my brain. Heads in Beds. Hmm...that sounds interesting. What does it mean?

I got to pull Stacy Kimbrough (Vizergy's Director of Client Marketing Services) aside for a little brain-picking to understand more about this idea.

Basically speaking, the "heads in beds" idea is that there are times to consider offering reduced rates to raise the occupancy level of a hotel. There are a number of situations in which a hotel may want to take on this mentality. To me this sounded like taking a hit, but Stacy soon cleared that up for me as well.

"Let me paint a picture for you. Sunday through Thursday you're consistently hitting your 90% occupancy. You get a steady stream of business travelers throughout the week. However, when Friday rolls around, your occupancy level drops to 30%. No more business travelers on the weekends. You may want to consider reduced rates to fill those rooms. ‘Heads in beds,’ as it were."

Staying Competitive
She also pointed out the idea of area competition. If you are surrounded by other hotels offering a lower price point, it may be beneficial to reconsider your rates to compare to theirs. If you're able to lock in some rooms at a reduced rate, you're not taking the real hit of a $0 sale, which is actually a negative impact due to the cost of keeping that room (electricity, water, etc.).

Improving Overall Occupancy
Stacy informed me of a report offered to the hotel industry known as the Star Report. This allows hotel managers to keep up with a few competitors' occupancy level, allowing you to adjust your strategy to compare. Let's say you have those 90% occupancy numbers on a regular basis. You never want to stop improving. So, once you hit that number, you could begin to offer a reduced rate to increase your occupancy further, bringing your numbers up over a period of time.

Proving Grounds
We work with a lot of clients that have resorts or full service hotels in fierce competition with surrounding hotels or properties across the street. At first, they think "Hey, we are so much better than them, of course we are going to charge more." If you think about it, if you never sell a room, then people don't get to see how much better your property really is. In some cases, it may be best to offer a comparable rate to get heads in the beds, so as to grow your initial customer base, and prove the value of your ADR (Average Daily Rate). A slow increase is better than no increase (I’m learning that wisdom in the business world always has to rhyme).

Heads In Beds To Sell the Future
In my world, everything is the Internet. This all started to make sense, but I need something I can use in an online form of marketing. Before I could put my SEO brain to the task of finding that form, Stacy posed another use for the 'heads in beds' mentality. Over the last few years, you've been keeping email addresses from your patrons, and using them to communicate. Now, let's say there is a time of year that you usually don't attain a high occupancy, especially if the hotel across the street does. You may be able to look at your reservation system, determine what the situation looks like a few months out, and consider an email blast that your property will be offering a reduced rate for previous customers during that time.

Use With Caution - Price Integrity
Stacy did warn of a very real reason that being too liberal with the 'heads in beds' mentality could prove to be counter-productive. For some properties, price integrity is important to the hotel's perception. Offering a too reduced rate could send the wrong message to a potential guest (Is there something wrong with the hotel? Is there new management? Are they having a mold problem?). Each property should consider their specific situation, and strategize accordingly.

So, if you're hitting a block in finding a resolution to raising your occupancy levels, the 'heads in beds' mentality could be just the thing you need.

To leave you something in closing, Stacy's first response to my email questioning the 'heads in beds' idea came with a few neat numbers (I'm a nerdy guy. Numbers I can relate to).

If you can sell: 100 rooms at $100 each = $10,000. However, if you can sell 100 rooms at $100 each and 25 more at $75 = $11,875. You just made the owner an extra $1875 in one night!! Let’s say you could do that every Friday and Saturday night. That’s an additional $195,000 in the owners pocket, because you sold some of your rooms at a discounted rate in order to place more heads in beds!!!

Stacy Kimbrough
To give you a little history on Stacy, as the Director of Client Marketing Services, her responsibilities include directing the account-management, customer-service, copywriting and design teams for Vizergy. Before joining Vizergy, Stacy spent twelve years in the hospitality-sales industry, working with leading clients such as Marriott, Hilton, Choice and Ramada.

You ever meet one of those people that make you wonder how they were in an industry for so long? Yeah? Well that's not Stacy. I whole heartedly believe she could manage a 4-cage kennel and turn it into a 5 star resort in under a year. Be sure to read more about her and the other Execs of Vizergy.

And the Sphinny Goes To . . . Social Media Needs Self-Adulation

noreply@blogger.com (Brenton Crozier) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:36:00 +0000

From an outsider's perspective, the SEO subculture appears to be one that is possibly reaching a zenith of self-referential and self-aggrandizing platforms. Well, I'm not sure that a true zenith exists for the amount of praise any one person or trade likes to bestow upon itself, but I am an admitted outsider. I equate the type of self-adulation to the Grammys. Most of us at one time or another were mesmerized by this event and actually staked a caring claim into who that coveted shiny statue was awarded to. Then as the years passed, you realize that the music industry puts on the Grammys. So, the industry, along with a number of others is celebrating itself. Before you get angry and think I'm being derogatory ...

As arrogant as the aforementioned ceremonies and concepts appear, they are indeed a necessary and important tool. Forums such as Sphinn and Digital Point give experts and novices alike a chance to swap ideas, explore old and new concepts, and essentially evolve. Who better than experts on the subject to discuss these theories, beliefs and ideas? Social media in general is one of the true essences of the Internet and the SEO world has a huge hand in this emergence.

Searchable terms and phrases begetting successful searches begetting further search philosophy and in the end, usability. So what if it is at times a popularity contest or a chance to flaunt your mad skills? It is an indispensable part in the continued growth of the industry and truly a cornerstone in the viability and effectiveness of the World Wide Web as a comprehensive, yet easily usable social media medium.

Search Engine Marketing is a discipline found to be strangely abstract and formulaic at the same time, making it a complex practice for just anyone to understand. With the continued popularity and availability of self-editing software and the growing use of customer generated content, these forums are only going to grow in significance. It is possibly the very organic principles found at the heart of so many social media forums that will not only keep natural search alive and well, but enable it to thrive. So give yourself a pat on the back and more importantly, take the acclaim given from others who are getting better and maintaining relevance in large part because of the feedback and information you have provided.

5 Reasons Design Is Still Important

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Bultman) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:37:00 +0000

When considering your online marketing campaign it’s important not to sell yourself short on the total package by focusing too much on any one element. With many Internet marketing companies pushing natural and paid search efforts it’s sometimes easy to think a simple or template design will suffice. A well designed website not only gives you the ability to showcase your product in an aesthetically pleasing way, but when properly engineered can effect SEO, enhance well-written copy, and turn your visitors into paying customers. In short, these 5 ideas showcase why you should bring design to the front line with the rest of the team.

1.An aesthetically pleasing website is a sticky website

Great high res images, engaging flash elements, and a great color scheme. These elements may not be what your clients think of first for their online marketing campaign, but they are an important part of keeping potential buyers on your site. While many online marketers focus getting traffic to the site, don’t forget about these vital sticky features. I’ll preach website usability all day long, but if the site isn’t cool to look at, your website is lacking.

2. Good CSS is SEO friendly

CSS should be considered a standard for search engine friendly web design. If done properly, the styling elements of a website should be fully controlled by an external style sheet. Popular sites like http://www.csszengarden.com/ have inspired the design community to challenge what can be done with the style of a website. Clean, concise code on page will have your SEO team sending you flowers and chocolates. A website that separates your CSS from html markup makes it easier for search engine spiders to crawl your site and can give you that edge in the rankings.

3. Less Clicks, More Money

A great website will not only look incredible, it will guide users in the right direction to make a buying decision. The less convoluted the click path on your website, the easier it is for the customer to get to the checkout. A well designed layout should guide visitors through the site to give your product a fair chance. The design of your website should highlight the key areas to send your users to ensuring that the right customer is getting to the purchase stage. What’s more meaningful at the end of the day, a website with a million hits and $1000 of revenue, or a website with 1000 hits and $1 million in revenue?

4. Usability is King

Make sure to give proper focus to your websites usability. While paid and natural search marketing will drive traffic to your website, unless your website has well designed usability it could all be for not. Spend time researching the latest studies in effective website usability techniques. Keeping your site current with consumer trends can help prevent your site from feeling stale and outdated.

5. Details without Design

A truly effective marketing campaign need to focus all aspects including design. For example, imagine if Apple had not bothered to spend so much time on the appearance and usability of the iPod. Sure, they could have advertised all the great technical features of the device such as storage space, screen resolutions, etc. but then they would have no edge over their competition. By giving their product a very stylized design they gained an edge in their marketing that made their device synonymous with MP3 players.

Good design can go a long way in the customers’ eyes. If we give the proper focus to design, it will support the other aspects of your marketing campaign to give you the edge. Are these reasons the only factors in why design is so important? Of course not, but if we continue to make strides in website design and other areas closely related, then we can continue to work together with the other forms of marketing to make a product the next big thing.

Do You Know the Value of Your Keywords?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff C) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:59:00 +0000

In the world of Internet Marketing we have a distinct advantage over other mediums. Our analytics programs allow us to measure the value, success or lack of success of our work directly from our consumers almost instantly. Other advertising efforts are not as fortunate. Traditional advertising takes previous consumer data, analyzes trends and sets up focus groups in order to find that "sweet spot." Online marketers know it is important to convey the value of our work to our clients and educate them about why we make the design, copywriting and keyword choices we do. Search engine marketing professionals use numerous tools when determining how to proceed with the focus of a site.

Let's assume client a wants a full site, start to finish, to compete in a competitive online market. Your fantastic design team has whipped up a beautiful, user-friendly, spider-friendly site with all sorts of "sticky" features to drive the consumer to that final sale. But it's up to your SEO/PPC team to make sure the consumer can find your site in the first place. "No problem" you think, "I'll use one of the many keyword tools available in the industry to pick the most valued terms out there, and based on relevancy to my client's market we'll get them to 1st page in no time."

That's a good start, but how will you keep them on that first page? With those fantastic analytics tools we mentioned earlier. Don't be fooled into thinking you can maintain number one rankings in a competitive market using just a "Wordtracker" score alone. A truly effective long-term Internet marketing campaign in a competitive market must be monitored on a recurring basis to understand the traffic coming to that site. What word brought them here? What page did they come in on? Did they make it to a conversion point? These are questions that you should be answering for your clients. These are also the things that will justify your keyword efforts, or show where your targeted campaign may be needing help. Measure those seasonal trends if they apply to your industry. Make sure your pay per click campaign isn't wasting effort on useless terms.

Just because Wordtracker doesn't think your term has value, a program like WebTrends or even Google Analytics can show what searched phrases are driving traffic to your site (or on to conversions if your analytics tools offer that level of reporting). This is more valuable to your client than any "score" that some tool can provide. With plenty of due diligence you can sift through all that boring traffic and trend data to make sure you’re covering all the bases for your site. You may even come across that long tail diamond in the rough that will turn all those visitors into the conversions your client is paying you for.

How Design and SEO work together

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Bultman) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:10:00 +0000

So the routine goes, you open your Internet browser, go to trusty Google then type in a specific phrase for a product or service you’re looking to purchase. This can easily result in more than a million relevant websites in return. The SEO team for your company spent months targeting specific keywords and climbing page after page to finally have your website appear on page one. After a click or two, you land on a website. GREAT, you’re finally there! All of the effort your SEO team has put into your website ranking has finally paid off. But has it? Dum, da dummm . . .

A great debate I frequently hear is Design vs. SEO. Which is the more important factor in creating your website? The debate can go on and on and I once thought that one prevailed over the other. The truth is they are equally as important. SEO technicians can spend countless hours marketing your website, but unless a visitor can successfully land on your website from a first page position and then successfully purchase a product or service that you’re trying to sell them, you have failed.

Make your SEO specialists happy by creating a consistent website that has a rock-solid design, unparalleled usability features (great navigation, great formatted copy, etc), and effective marketing elements (power phrasing in your flash headers, great Calls to Action) to help sell the product on your website. In doing this, everybody wins. Hooray! Your design team will have a cool site for their portfolio, your clients are making money, and your SEO team members won’t detest you since their efforts didn’t go to waste. Now let the harmony abound!

Web Content Pugilism – Smug SEO Techs vs. Hypersensitive Copywriters

noreply@blogger.com (Brenton Crozier) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:38:00 +0000

In this corner: convoluted and often clunky, yet effective SEO terms developed by the natural search gurus in your stable. And in this corner: strong, active, succinct and flowing ad copy developed by that creative propeller on your team, the copywriter. As intriguing a prize fight it is and as much as I would love to hear the introduction delivered by Michael Buffer himself, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a battle. There is middle ground, it may not carry the profundity of King Solomon’s decree, but let’s face it, we’re not talking babies, we’re talking web content.

SEO authorities develop keyword phrases based on search terms that web users enter into the respective search engine that they use, or more realistically, Google, Yahoo or MSN. There are a multitude of considerations for a SEO technician including competition, popularity and complex concepts like algorithms—frightening concepts to the fragile, creative soul. What does not rank high on their list of concerns? Finding terms conducive to writing good copy probably doesn’t even make it to their top 10—because while your copy may evoke the greatness of Proust and Joyce, it won’t grace anyone’s monitor if you don’t incorporate those burdensome SEO phrases.

Proximity
Your keyword phrases are all grown up now and no longer need to flank each other with each appearance. Give them some room—let them breathe! Your copy will thank you later for it. Just because you are handed a phrase to incorporate throughout your copy, does not mean that each word of the phrase should appear in succession. The search engines will pick out the phrase just as effectively if you have a few words separating the terms that make up your phrase. Is that a muddled enough explanation?

It is painfully obvious when reading web copy, if the author is under the impression that SEO phrases must not be torn asunder. It’s kind of like watching the kid who tries to cram the square piece into the circle shape. Don’t be afraid to throw an article, noun or verb, that is, if you’re feeling crazy, in between the terms that make up your SEO phrase. Depending on which search engine is used you could get anywhere from 3 – 6 words separating your keyword phrase.

Don’t be the kid quizzically staring at the square piece—give the terms that make up the more convoluted SEO phrases some space and let the search engines do their job!

SEO. Science or Art?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Garner) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:50:00 +0000

As you get to know more about myself through this blog, you will see that I like to debate. Not argue, but discuss a topic with someone of a different opinion, exploring their reasons behind their thoughts. One of my favorite debates is the idea of SEO being more art than science. I'm of the art opinion, but one of my superiors is of the science crowd. I asked him (Scott Ross) to write his thoughts so that we may learn a bit more about his reasoning. So, without further ado, I introduce to you Scott Ross. With his fancy Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Science, he is currently the Director of Search Marketing for Vizergy (Hmmm...fancy title too)

SEO. Science or Art?
by Scott P. Ross

Some say that the world of SEO/SEM is a Science while others say it is an Art. During the debate of Science vs. Art there have been many arguments for one or the other. I have been asked about my stance on the subject, and after 5 years of working in the industry, I lean towards the Science side of the conversation. I look at it this way, Google employs thousands of individuals to help run its company. And looking into their job postings from time to time (only from a research stand point, of course), I find them looking to employ individuals with Neural Network and Expert Systems experience. These two fields in the computing industry require a level of intelligence far above that of a typical employee, and I can’t help but wonder: why would they hire an individual if they don’t plan on taking advantage of that talent and expertise? Of course, any good business wouldn’t. This is where my journey into the Science behind SEO will begin.

The world of search as we currently know it is powered by Algorithms. Those algorithms are no more than a mathematical equation- albeit a highly sophisticated one- they may even be an expert system. An algorithm has variables that need to be met for certain conditions to match. The more matches that occur, the more precise the solution that is presented to the algorithm. So for SEO/SEM purposes, the more matches the higher our pages rank in the SERPs. With the variable matching left up to an SEO expert, this is where experimentation comes in to play. Google, Yahoo, and MSN are not going to give us the search algorithm they use for their engines, so we must manipulate HTML on a site and deploy link building techniques to improve a site’s positioning in the SERPs.

Experimenting is a scientific process that includes many steps. Even though I may not be a traditional Scientist, I still can use the Scientific Method of experimentation to help improve a site’s keyword ranking. First a hypothesis is formed. If I modify my title tag in a certain way it will produce a certain outcome, however if I modify my content in another way it will produce a different outcome, etc. (I know those are poor examples but a hypothesis does not need to be fancy). Second, we must make a modification to our site to back our hypothesis. We then record any reaction that may occur (observing how our rankings changed). Finally, we come up with a conclusion that either the changes we made had a positive or negative effect on our rankings. We then get to repeat this process for every phrase we want to improve in the SERPs. Anyone who tells me that making these types of changes on a site and then waiting around to see how the rankings were affected would only be kidding themselves if they argue this is not experimenting.

Now with that said, here is where I start to ride the fence. There are many of us out there that have a strong background in HTML or any one of a number of computer languages but struggle when it comes to creativity. As a Search Engine Marketer we will need to make visible content changes to help support a phrase. Without a certain level of creative juices flowing, any changes we make to page content may become written in a way that sounds robotic. There have been numerous articles written about writing your content for your visitor and not for a search engine. Well to do this correctly, a specific skill set must be used to write effective website content for both entities. Because if we don't show up well in the SERPs then a site will not receive as many visitors and no matter how eloquent our site copy may be, no one has the opportunity to read it.

To finalize my thoughts, SEO/SEM must combine both Science and Art to truly be effective in the world of Search Engine Marketing. Because without experimentation we will never find new techniques to use to combat understand the minds at Google, MSN and Yahoo and without creativity our site content will be written strictly to help out with search and not getting the consumer to the site.

Google PageRank - Does It Matter?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Garner) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:54:00 +0000

In the SEO community, there are numerous debates on many aspects of process and methodology. One of the most heated of which is the validity of Google's PageRank system. Does it even matter? IS it even worth having the Toolbar on your browser? First, we should take a small look at what the PageRank system is, and then we can look at whether or not it's worth our worry or not.

The Google PageRank is a link analysis algorithm, giving a measure of importance on a scale of 0 - 10 (10 being best, of course). Scores are determined by the amount and quality of links pointing to a website. This is a very simple explanation of the PageRank system. There are a great number of other factors that can be considered when discussing the PageRank (PR) of a site. So, how does this relate to our websites?

The tricky thing to remember about PR is that it does NOT determine your rankings. You can see this for yourself by conducting a few searches on Google and looking through the top ten results of each search. You will often see pages outrank other pages with higher PR. However, the same thing that makes a big impact on your PR, also impacts your rankings (I told you it was tricky)--that is, both the quantity and more importantly, the quality of the links pointing to your site. This fact alone constitutes the need for attention by most website owners. But I believe there should be just a bit more consideration.

As stated, the PR number itself does not determine your rankings. But it does serve a different purpose. You see, there are a number of services that offer website owners the ability to sell text links on their site for a commission of the sale price. Now, the price offered to a site is largely determined by your site's PR. This, yet again, is another tricky topic. You see, selling links on your site can, and usually will result in a penalty in your site's rankings in Google (See their guidelines, and a little history on the recent onslaught from Google).

For this reason, we strongly suggest that our own sites do not sell links. If you sell links, you probably want to explore traffic sources outside of Google (or at the least outsmart them in the delivery). If you don't sell links, the PR has little to no impact on your site, and there is no reason to give it much of your attention.

So, the answer. Does it matter? Yes and no. I know, it's a horrible answer, but that's SEO for ya. Every aspect has more than one answer or method, and 90% of the time both answers and methods are at the same time correct and incorrect. In short, for our clients (the hotel and hospitality industry) PR doesn't "matter." For some blogs and other sites out there, it can mean the difference between a good and bad advertising check.

The PR bar can still be fun to look at though. So, if you're still interested in it, I'll try to get a detailed post on the Google Toolbar itself, along with some screen shots.

800 x 600 Design - A Thing of the Past?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Garner) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:28:00 +0000

I hear many debates on whether a designer should create their websites for an 800 x 600 resolution or break the mold and cater to 1024 x 768. It’s always been a standard practice for me to design a small width site to cater to the majority. However, according to the resolution stats from w3school.com, about 80% of the market are not using an 800 x 600 resolution. Things are now changing…

But what does this mean for the hotel industry?

With higher resolutions, more information can be presented above the fold on your website. (above the fold is in reference to the information displayed on your website before you scroll down your page).

With a higher resolution, hotel websites can now:

* Showcase larger photography while still displaying important content
* Allow websites to display information with more variety
* Be unique – most hotel websites are still designed for smaller size resolutions

In the hotel industry, it’s all about standing out. Presenting more information to the end user will help your website stand out from the competition. A website enhancement this simple could really bring some additional business to your hotel.

Natural and Paid Search for a Winning Team

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Garner) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:25:00 +0000

Many SEO technicians take pride in the work they do to get their customers websites to the top of the search engines. It’s been mentioned that PPC (pay per click) ads are the easy part, there is no challenge to PPC, just pick a word and go, and that it’s only as useful as your budget allows it to be. While some of that may be true, I can tell you that our PPC team works just as hard as our SEO team, and when done right, both online marketing techniques require diligent research, reoccurring analysis of consumer trends, search engine changes, and traffic stats for your site.

Studies show that ideally websites looking to maximize their visibility should have both organic and PPC working together in a strategic fashion to complement each other.

Bottom line with SEO, is that while organic results are considered most relevant by search engine users, they take time to achieve, and can fluctuate due to various outside factors (search engine algorithm change, other websites using “black-hat” techniques, etc). This is where using a PPC campaign that is monitored regularly will help. Not only can PPC give you instant results, but the data gathered by those click through rates can give you some insight as to whether the keyword theme of your site is considered relevant by actual users. While we may use several tools to predict keyword values, nothing beats real clicks to your site monitored on a regular basis. Utilizing a flexible spending plan with your PPC can help target slow periods when seasonal factors may have less people searching for specific terms, helping you grab a broader search audience. Or alternately, save PPC funds by not overlapping heavy seasons when natural search provides plenty of web traffic on its own. Overall any placement on screen is beneficial to your site, at the most it’s a click through by a potential customer, and at the least it will help train customers to associate the terms you’re targeting to your site by repeatedly showing your web address with those keyword terms. When done right an Organic/PPC combo will help your website achieve maximum visibility in both the short and long term.