SEO doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. This is a simple 7-step SEO method anyone can use on their website. It uses the most important principles for high quality SEO. This assumes you have already picked your keywords that you want to be found for.

1. Title Tags: Use your most important keyword at the beginning of the Title Tag and follow it with your second most important phrase for that page. Every page should have different Title Tags and you should use keywords that are relevant to that page. Ideal length is 60-70 characters including spaces.
2. Heading Tags: Heading tags can go from H1 to H6. H1 tags are given the most importance by Google. You will want to use only one H1 tag on each page. Place your most important keyword phrase at the beginning of the H1 tag. Example: “New Jersey Bankruptcy Attorney Can Help Erase Your Debts.”
3. Content: Use your keyword phrases several times each in the first half of your content. Each page should have 400+ words of text. The text should be high quality and professionally written because you are writing both for the search engines and your visitors. Your writing should be clear, direct, concise, factual and detailed.
4. Content Growth: Plan a long-term content growth strategy. Larger websites that have keyword rich content attract much more traffic than small websites. This could be adding new pages, articles or white papers. Adding a blog to your website is an excellent way to do this since each blog posting adds one new page to your website.
5. Interlink Related Pages within your site. If you have ten pages about one topic; interlink these pages using the keywords in your hyperlinks. This reinforces the content as a keyword focused topic. Having multiple pages that have closely related semantic network of content that will yield many potential long tailed search phrases.
6. Link Building: Get others to link to your content by publishing original and compelling articles. Links should be from relevant websites, blogs, directories and social media. Ideally the hyperlink text (anchor text) will include your keyword phrases. The best way to do this is by providing content that people will want to link to and share.
7. Web Analytics: Use website analytics like Google Analytics to identify which phrases your website is already attracting organic search traffic. Check for visits, bounce rate and time visitors spend on your website. This allows you to understand visitor behavior with things like bounce rate or time and page. This will allow you to measure the success of your SEO campaign.

SEO is like smoking crack, when it’s working for you, there’s nothing else quite so good and you need more and more to satisfy you. @a1webserver

SEO is like music. The foundation hasn’t changed since the beginning, but the application of SEO evolves with time.

SEO is like gardening. You can’t plant your SEO recommendations this week and expect a rankings harvest the next. @CraigGeis

SEO Is like An iceberg, mainly hidden but with massive impact @CroudMarketing

SEO is like food. Quick, cheap SEO and has little long-term value, while healthy SEO costs more but has a better long-term effect.

SEO is like kids. A lot of work goes into it and you can’t be guaranteed of the results.

SEO is like a doctor. If you don’t follow the advice of your SEO, you’ll never have a healthy site.

SEO is like Acupuncture and Homeopathy; it works even if you don’t know how or why. @seotwittowoo

SEO is like a diet. It’s easy to know what to do. Not so easy to do it successfully. @mflcm25

SEO is like getting braces … it takes time and patience, you can’t rush it, but the results are outstanding!!! @ kissbyte

SEO is like getting in shape. There are no shortcuts to good results. @mflem25

SEO is like exercise. If you don’t keep at it, you lose the benefits of it.

SEO is like art. You can theorize about it all day long, but it’s the end result that matters.

SEO is like adding another rung to your website to get to #1 on Google. @graphicsdezine

SEO is like the Jones’s. If you are only keeping up, you’re falling behind.

SEO is like the weather. When traffic is hot everything is cool. When traffic disappears, temperatures rise.

SEO is like a video game. You want a top 10 score to show off to your friends, but you can’t be sure you’ll keep it. @rhcerff

SEO is like Highlander. There can only be one number one ranking (per keyword).

SEO is like 24 Hour news. There are lots of people giving their opinions, but very few have any solutions.

Last week I was asked by a construction company for ideas on what they could blog about. My reply was that contractors are always innovating and coming up with solutions to client problems. Blog marketing should be about creative solutions that they came up with. This could be a technique, and unusual use for a material or they could do a case study on a project.

Adding a blog to your website is one of the best ways to “naturally” optimize your website. Each blog posting adds one new page of keyword rich content to your website. A blog that is well written with original, interesting information will attract links, primarily from other bloggers. Other bloggers will link to your posting to site you as a source for their information.

5 Ideas for contractor blogging topics:

1. Projects: Announce the start of new projects and write case studies on projects completed.
2. People Centered Designs: Your unique insights can solve a specific problem for your client. This could be a special purpose, temperature control, lighting or some new energy efficient design. This could be ideas for remodeling a bathroom or kitchen or a new idea for factory construction.
3. Environment: Interesting topics could be green building methods. This could be using recycled materials or creating a highly energy efficient building. This could range from use of solar to using high efficient lighting methods.
4. Building Regulations: New code, building regulations or local trends may restrict or change how construction can occur. New laws or incentives can create opportunities that can cause clients to decide start a new project.
5. Write Local: Building contractors almost always want their websites optimized for a specific city or state. To help with this, each blog posting should include the location of the project. Another way is to refer to a communities building code rules or unique requirements.

Use your blog to help potential clients who are facing particular challenges in a renovation or new construction. If they come across your blog and you have interesting solutions, you will become the natural company to contact because you have direct experience with their need.

The number of searches done in the US on the 5 major search engines is still increasing each year, but the rate of growth has been dropping steadily. In 2008 searches were up 22.5% over the prior year. 2011 showed only a 9.5% growth over 2010. This is according to data published by Comscore.

This data is taken from ComScore monthly reports of US search engine rankings and compares search the last 6 months of data for each year. This includes the total searches done on the 5 major search engines including partner searches and cross-channel searches. It excludes contextual searches, searches for mapping, for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites.

The number of websites on the Internet more than doubled on the web from 273 million (Dec 2010) to 583 million (Dec 2011) according to data from Netcraft.  This means that the competition for visitors is growing much faster than the number of searches, making the need for website SEO.

With the decline of traditional media such as print Yellow pages, newspaper advertising and trade magazines, businesses must not only have a professional website with high conversion built in. Their websites must be optimized to attract targeted traffic.

You arrive at a website searching for a solution. You scan their website to see if they can help. You get confused. You look a little deeper… still nothing. Maybe you can figure out what they do, but where are they located? You finally hit the back button and go onto your next website.

It is a real shame that a website can actually attract visitors, only to lose them because their message is not clear. Here are 5 examples of websites that confuse or drive visitors away.

Local Plumber Website

You are searching for a plumber to fix your clogged drains and you come across G&W Plumbing. Where are they located? What do they do?  You go to the About Us page and you find that they are in Florida? That’s a big area for what looks like a one person company.

William Glen & Son

You arrive to the website with a spinning carousel graphic in the center without any reference to what they do or where they do it. It turns out they export Scottish clothing to the United States and Canada. The spinning graphic is enough to make your head spin and you just want to flee the website.

Sixties press

This has to win an award for the most obnoxious sites on the web. I looked around their site and I couldn’t figure out what they do.

Flo-Go Systems

Here is a mystery website. Flow-Go… Is it a plumbing fixture or drainage product? They actually produce electronic displays including directional signs.

Massage Therapy Website

Not a great looking site. But more important, where are they located? This is another example of a local business that forgets to put their address, office hours and driving directions on their website.

Website visitors are time-strapped multi-taskers with an ultra short attention span. They arrive in scan mode and look around for up to 3 seconds before hitting the back button and resuming their search.

The messaging on your home page needs to be crystal clear and compelling if you want to capture your visitor’s attention. If you are unclear about what you do (and where you do it) you can kiss that potential client goodbye.

Can you adequately express the entirety of your business in a split second? Can you create a snapshot of your business in just a few words? To be successful, this is a must.

1. Keep it Simple: If you over communicate with everything that you do or can do, you create a fuzzy message. The more complicated your message, the longer and harder it will be to understand. Instead create a laser focused headline that captures your core message.
2. Page Headline: There is nothing more powerful than a strong headline. Don’t waste it on “Welcome to My Website.” Instead choose “Denver Plumber, We Come to You 24/7.” This type of message communicates to both visitors and search engines.
3. Benefits, Not Features: Features are facts and descriptions of what you do. Benefits answer the question “What’s in it for me?” Would you rather visit a dentist “whose services include implant, cosmetic and pediatric dentistry.” Or one that promises “We create beautiful smiles that last a lifetime.”
4. Visual images: Communicate your message and support your page headlines with compelling pictures or graphics. Visual images communicate at an emotional level and drive your message home. Page headline, images and content should work together.
5. Action Messaging: Answer the question “what now?” After you present your primary home page message; use action messaging to clarify and encourage action. Prompt visitors to buy, sign-up, call or request a quote. You want to encourage people to take the next step.

For more information on conversion rate optimization

The Internet is a living, growing, dynamic web of websites and information. It more than doubled in size in 2011 reaching a size of over 582 million websites according to Netcraft who keeps track of this.

78.3% of people in the US now use the web according to Internet World Stats. They perform 578 million searches per day, with 65.4% of these occurring on Google according to ComScore.

Where is the next big frontier in Internet Marketing? It is clearly in the area of mobile. Please enjoy the infographic below which pieces together what has happened in the last 5 years and predictions for mobile.

World Wide Web Infographic

Conversion Rate is critical for your website. You can drive traffic, but if they don’t take action, what good is it? What is your website’s conversion rate? A clear and compelling call to action is the key to boosting website conversions.

Your call-to-action needs to answer three questions.

• What? What should they do? What action do you want them to take? Buy? Request a quote? Make an appointment? Sign-up?
• Why? Why should they do it? How will it benefit them?
• How? How do they take action? What is the next step?

5 attributes of a great call to action

1. Compelling: Make sure it satisfies a real need your visitor has. Use action oriented phrases such a “Buy Now” or “Join Today.”
2. Visible: Location is very important. Make it clearly visible and above the fold. Use colors that make it stand out. On your home page, the upper right quadrant is prime territory for your call to action. It is more easily seen there.
3. Clarity: Keep it simple. Use short bulleted phrases. Don’t clutter it up with too much text. Use simple graphics. Use ample white space.
4. Urgency: Create a sense of urgency to encourage immediate action. Limit the time or the quantity. Have an expiration date or label it as a limited time offer. You could make the offer available for the first 30 buyers.
5. Incentive: Offer a premium or reward for taking immediate action. This could be “Act now and receive…” Use an incentive that will appeal to your best buyer. This will help attract your targeted customer.

Show that your company is the logical one to do business with. Build your company story into your website to differentiate your business from your competition.  The idea is to educate buyers and to reset their buying criteria. This is sometimes called education based marketing.

1. Messaging: Position your company as the leader that protects buyers from hidden dangers in your market. Educate web visitors on hidden trends and problems in making purchases in your market. What problems occur when people purchase from others. Show you are part of the solution.
2. Advantages: Use your home page to explain the advantages of using your company over your competition. Use your company story to help explain the differences.
3. Tell Your Story: Build your company story into the About Us page. Tell your story about how your approach to the market is different and innovative, helping clients navigate the hidden dangers that your competitors ignore.
4. Header Animation: Tell your story using an animated header. Show the dangers and your solution to the problem in a short 3-4 scene sequence. This is usually placed on the home page.
5. Free Report: Create a free report that can be used as a sign-up incentive for building your email list. The title should be attention grabbing and appeal to your target audience.
6. Email Marketing Campaign: Once someone subscribes to your email list, follow up with a series of educational emails delivered by sequential auto responders. This could be every 2-3 days or once a week. Use your company story as a basis of writing these emails.
7. Short Video Segments: Create 1-2 minute videos that inform and educate. When presented by your CEO, it puts a friendly face on the company. Videos on your site are great attention getters.

Empire Research Group is a market research company that helps businesses develop their own differentiating company story with a product they term “Core Story”.

How do the different generations interact with the Internet? Baby boomers and older will say “I want to meet someone and shake their hand before we do business.” Someone younger will say “I need to see their website and check them out with online research before I will do business with them.”

Are younger Internet users reckless? Are older Internet users overly concerned with security when offline transactions are fraught with a high risk?

Gen Y or Milliennials (18-33 years) are more likely to access the Internet wirelessly on their phone or laptop. They are more likely to use instant messaging, social networking sites, listen to music online and read blogs. This is according to a 2010 Pew Internet study.

Even though Gen Y’s like to read blogs, they are less likely to write a blog posting than they did in 2006. Blogging is increasing in popularity with older generations.

Gen Ys are the only generation that is more likely to own a laptop computer or netbook than a desktop. Desktop computers are most popular with adults ages 35-65.

Gen X (34 – 45 years) and Baby Boomers (46-66 years) are more likely to visit government websites and get financial information online. Searching for health information was done mostly by adults is now the third most popular online activity for all internet users 18 and older.

12-17 year olds are 42% more likely to text a friend than to call them on their cell phone. They are even less likely to talk to them face to face. These teens are 5X more likely to text than use email. This is according to another Pew Internet study.

All generations seem to regularly use email, seek out health information, get news online, book travel, rate or review products / services and make online charitable donations. Watching videos continues to grow by all age groups. The number of adult internet users who watch video online jumped in the past two years, from 52% in May 2008 to 66% in May 2010.