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Search Engine Optimization: Dos and Don'ts

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an effective method to get your web ranked on popular search engines like Google, Ask, and MSN. By having meaningful content, adding keywords and site descriptions, you can increase your web site traffic. SEO is not a magic solution, though. If your web site is about an extremely popular topic such as real estate, you will have a harder time getting your web site ranked very high in the search results, as these sites tend to share the same keywords and there are just too many of them. There are, however, some ways to help your site leap above a competitor's ranking and some ways that can drag it down.

DO:

• Include information in meta tags. Meta tags, visible in the source file of a web page, determine in what search results your web pages will appear. The description meta tag is a paragraph that defines your web site. Description meta tags should be roughly 150 characters (including spaces!) and absolutely no more than 420 characters in order to comply with most search engine requirements. Keyword meta tags are a list of relevant words, usually separated by a comma, that someone would type into a search engine to find your site. These keywords should also be included in the text of your web site in order to be truly effective.
• Include relevant text on your home page. People make the mistake of having a completely visual home page and don't understand why their site doesn't have a lot of traffic. A search engine cannot read an image. Even if you include meta tag information, web pages that have multiple instances of keywords will still appear higher in a search results list. Even content heavy web sites that don't include meaningful keywords will fare just as poorly as sites with very little text.

DON'T:

• Use Flash to represent your entire site. While search engines and Flash technology have gotten a little better at acknowledging each other, it is still a handicap as far as search engine rankings. A Flash file is treated the same as an image file, so not much, if any, information is gathered.
• Repeat the same keywords and descriptions on each page of the web site. Search engines will assume each page is the same and very few pages of your site will appear in results.
• Use "tricks". Some sites try to fool search engines by including keywords in fake links. The code exists to make them a link, but attributes are added so they don't appear to be clickable. Another trick is to submit your site to search engines over and over again. Some web sites even include popular search terms in the keywords meta tag that have nothing to do with the web site topic hoping that someone will see the site when searching for something else. Search engines are starting to block sites that use these tricks.

This information only scratches the surface of what SEO can do to improve your overall web site traffic. Contact us to find out more.

Effective Advertising, Final: Are You Using All 12 Cs?

Duane Sprague, author of Power Advertising with a Branding Campaign, did a fantastic job listing the essentials of effective advertising. Similar to the 4 Cs of selecting a diamond (Cut, Clarity, Color, and Caret), he presented the industry with the 12 Cs of advertising. When all elements work in harmony, the end result is impressive. In the last issues of The Intentional, we covered the first eight. Below, we end with the last four:

9. Cost. Your media schedule must be professionally planned and negotiated. More money is wasted in advertising than you can ever imagine, simply by paying too much, buying the wrong media outlets, the wrong schedules, and the wrong programs.
10. Caliber. Your ad must be of a high caliber that will reflect positively on your dealership. The quality of your advertising production, like your clothes, your house and your car, are a direct reflection on who you are, the types of customers you attract and serve, and where you are going in the future. Don't skimp on production if you can at all help it. In fact, reserve about 15-20% of your entire monthly advertising budget for print and electronic media production.
11. Copy. Use advertising copy that entices, describes the benefits in word pictures, stirs the emotions, justifies the decision on logic, and SELLS! Make every single word count. No fluff, no filler, no waste. Your job is to capture their attention, peak their interest, motivate and sell in only a few seconds.
12. Cute. Avoid cute kids, pets, models, jingles or jokes if they are not absolutely critical to the selling message and motivation to buy. These are known as "attention vampires" and they actually rob from your advertising impact by taking the focus off of your critical selling message and offer.

For a consolidated list of all 12 Cs of Advertising, please send us your request to newsletter@showyourintention.com.

Internet Marketing: How to Launch Successful Viral Campaigns

Viral marketing has taken the word-of-mouth phenomenon to a whole new level. With over two hundred million people participating in some kind of social networking (i.e. My Space, or dating sites and blogs), if you can create a message about your product that people want to share, you will see it quickly spread all over the globe.

Most viral campaigns are funny in nature, particularly the first ones that came out. Remember the Burger King "Subservient Chicken"? It received an award in 2005 for "The Most Infectious North American Viral Campaign." Being funny, however, doesn't guarantee success. The Dove Evolution ad has become one of the most enduring viral videos without being at all funny (see video on YouTube). Other great examples of effective viral campaigns can be found at http://ideasmarkit.blogspot.com/2007/06/most-popular-viral-ads-on-net.html

So, what is it that makes a viral campaign successful?

Simplicity. No one has time to read instructions or wait for files to upload on their computers. If your viral campaign is in the form of a game or test, please keep it simple. If viewers need more than 10 seconds to understand it, you will lose them.

Global appeal. If your content or message is not entertaining and engaging to the vast majority of people, your viral campaign is not likely to spread.

Right technology. It's very important that the technology you're using is robust. Large file sizes or uncommon video formats will create a negative impact on your campaign. Hiring an expert to create and track your campaign is critical.

Branding. Make sure whatever campaign you're launching fits with your brand's values and personality, otherwise people will not be able associate the campaign to the brand. You don't want people to remember the video (and pass it on), and not remember which product it was for.

User Reward. You don't have to offer prizes or discount coupons, but you should at least offer an online experience that feels "rewarding" to viewers. The more they enjoy the experience, the more friends they will forward your campaign to.

If you're interested in launching a viral campaign or just in learning more about the possibilities, contact us and we'll share more.

What We're Reading

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design, by Jason Beaird

Why do we recommend it? Whether you are a serious web designer or just looking for ideas on how to improve your current web site, this book is for you. It breaks down the parts of a design (Layout and Composition, Color, Texture, Typography, and Imagery) and explains how each one needs to work with the other. If you feel like all your "new" design ideas are starting to look alike, this book will give you a fresh perspective. Filled with real-world examples, common sense explanations, and useful tips, this book is a great complement to any design reference collection.

In the next issue:

• Web Site Usability: Are Your Customers Getting to Where They Need to Go?
• Business Blogging: Can it be profitable enough to justify cost of maintenance?
• Effective B-2-B lead generation campaigns