Thanks to all those who entered our Free Web Site Contest for October! This months' winner is Genesis! You can see her blog here. Congratulations Genesis! As a thank you to all those who entered our contest, we'll be sending you a coupon code for 60% off a custom Web Site. Also, remember to check in with Sweet Deals 4 Moms as we will be running more Free Web Site contests in the upcoming months.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Free Custom Website
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to get a Website, now may be your opportunity. For the month of October, TheGrandWebDesign (our Web design business), is running a free Website contest. Simply fill out an entry form, and on November 2nd we will randomly draw one winner to receive a fully customized Website with unlimited pages, text, custom graphics, a logo, and customized feedback/contact forms. Hosting and domain name registration are not included. This offer only pertains to small businesses and personal sites.
Starting Monday September 28th, we are also running a month long special. Anyone who fills out a Custom Website Quote and retains our services by October 31st will receive 20% off of their quote.
Starting Monday September 28th, we are also running a month long special. Anyone who fills out a Custom Website Quote and retains our services by October 31st will receive 20% off of their quote.
The Optimized Search
Technology runs the world today. From households to businesses, people are dependent upon the tools and components of technology. People are surrounded by Bluetooth, Blackberry’s, IPods, and the latest gadgetry to make their lives more entertaining and efficient. With the world so plugged into the future, it is important for businesses to keep up with the demands of their customers. The internet has allowed businesses to connect with people on all levels, instantly catering to their needs. But, the question becomes how to gain online customers. Not only do businesses need to get traffic to their web sites, they need to keep potential customers returning. Competition is fierce, prices are high, and the failure rate is staggering.
So begins the cyber-race, and in this high-tech world, search engine ranking is what can make or break the deal. Search engine optimization has become an important tool in business. The type of search engine optimization used and the advantages of using it become clearer as one examines the purpose of search engine optimization.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, starts with the collecting of data from competitors and potential customer groups. This data is analyzed and used to create compelling content for web sites geared to the wants and needs of potential customers. Search engines like Google and MSN use this information to measure the usefulness of a site to those searching the internet. In turn, the search engines rank web sites by the relevance of their content. When a potential customer types ‘rustic furniture’ into a search engine, the first five businesses listed are the most likely to gain sales. This ranking is a direct result of search engine optimization. The end goal is to be in the top search engine results for a chosen market.
There are several approaches to achieving a desired ranking. Organic SEO relies solely on pertinent information and useful interactive content to improve rankings. Pay-per-click programs and sponsored ads both use the placement of paid links in related searches to attract site traffic. The advantage to organic SEO is the price. A business owner can implement SEO themselves for free. Pay programs can cost businesses thousands of dollars each month but can often reach a wider audience.
Any type of search engine optimization can be helpful to a business, but the question is how much time and money an owner can afford to put into a SEO campaign. The biggest advantage to starting a SEO campaign is increased sales. More and more people shop online for clothing, house wares – even cars. Very few people see an advantage in driving around for a good deal anymore. While employing a full-time web developer can be costly, the internet has allowed small businesses to produce revenue with very little start up cost, versus brick-and-mortar shops that employ dozens of employees requiring benefits, and pay expensive building leases.
Regardless of if a business chooses to use only a web site to drive sales, or as an addition to its established store, the internet has opened up opportunities for all businesses. Search engine optimization can make the most of a web site by improving the quality of its content and helping customers find what they are searching for. The technology that exists to make life easier can also make it more complicated, but with careful understanding businesses can implement a search engine optimization campaign that is successful and lucrative.
So begins the cyber-race, and in this high-tech world, search engine ranking is what can make or break the deal. Search engine optimization has become an important tool in business. The type of search engine optimization used and the advantages of using it become clearer as one examines the purpose of search engine optimization.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, starts with the collecting of data from competitors and potential customer groups. This data is analyzed and used to create compelling content for web sites geared to the wants and needs of potential customers. Search engines like Google and MSN use this information to measure the usefulness of a site to those searching the internet. In turn, the search engines rank web sites by the relevance of their content. When a potential customer types ‘rustic furniture’ into a search engine, the first five businesses listed are the most likely to gain sales. This ranking is a direct result of search engine optimization. The end goal is to be in the top search engine results for a chosen market.
There are several approaches to achieving a desired ranking. Organic SEO relies solely on pertinent information and useful interactive content to improve rankings. Pay-per-click programs and sponsored ads both use the placement of paid links in related searches to attract site traffic. The advantage to organic SEO is the price. A business owner can implement SEO themselves for free. Pay programs can cost businesses thousands of dollars each month but can often reach a wider audience.
Any type of search engine optimization can be helpful to a business, but the question is how much time and money an owner can afford to put into a SEO campaign. The biggest advantage to starting a SEO campaign is increased sales. More and more people shop online for clothing, house wares – even cars. Very few people see an advantage in driving around for a good deal anymore. While employing a full-time web developer can be costly, the internet has allowed small businesses to produce revenue with very little start up cost, versus brick-and-mortar shops that employ dozens of employees requiring benefits, and pay expensive building leases.
Regardless of if a business chooses to use only a web site to drive sales, or as an addition to its established store, the internet has opened up opportunities for all businesses. Search engine optimization can make the most of a web site by improving the quality of its content and helping customers find what they are searching for. The technology that exists to make life easier can also make it more complicated, but with careful understanding businesses can implement a search engine optimization campaign that is successful and lucrative.
The Black-hat Threat
Most businesses are trying to sell consumers something. It is the advertisers’ job to help market businesses’ products and services. But, what if those ad agencies used commercials or billboards to show a great new car that got 50 mpg, and when customers went to the store to see this wonder automobile they only found aisles full of waffle irons? Now, what would happen if television commercials, magazines, and signs were flooded with this type of misleading marketing? False advertising suits would be filed, company images would suffer, and buyers would be lost in a sea of dishonest commerce unable to find the products for which they were searching. This type of advertising is unacceptable, yet these disreputable marketing tactics are used every day to lure internet users to web sites. A tool that was designed to help consumers find the products they wanted has become infested with keyword stacking, link farms, and page swapping. As a search engine optimization marketer, it is important to use only quality methods for advertising. Unethical search engine optimization techniques known as ‘black-hat’ SEO undermine the purpose of search engines and threaten the integrity of internet marketing.
When Google started as a search engine on Stanford’s web site in August of 1996, the goal was to rank web sites based on how well they presented information and how many relevant links went to them (Battelle, 2005). Using a complex algorithm, Google was able to help consumers find the most applicable sites for their needs. This opened the door to internet optimization. It also opened the door to SEO marketers tricking the search engines into indexing unmerited sites. Proponents of ‘black-hat’ SEO claim that the practice is not illegal or harmful and only gives disadvantaged sites a boost in the search engines, yet their methods have earned the label, “spamdexing”.
Spam generally refers to unsolicited advertising on the internet. “Spamdexing,” is the use of “…words, HTML/XHTML code, scripting, or programming on a Web page that is not meant to benefit the user experience” (Thurow, 2008, p. 238). And, after all, isn’t user experience what the internet is all about? The danger of dishonest optimization lies in creating an environment where users become confused and give up on even legitimate sites. The claim that ‘black-hat’ SEO is not “harmful” is false. ‘Black-hat’ SEO is not only harmful, but also malicious. Once we assess some of the devices of ‘black-hatters’, we can begin to see just how damaging the effects can be.
1. Keyword stacking: This repetition of keywords or keyword phrases is meant to trick search engines into interpreting the site as more relevant than it actually is.
2. Keyword stuffing: Creating web pages that are entirely unusable by people. Pages will literally contain nonsense.
3. Link farms: Sites that contain nothing but links to other sites. Their sole purpose is to build links – relevant or not.
4. Redirects: SEO marketers will submit a relevant page to search engines, and then use that page to redirect traffic to sites with no relevant content.
5. Page swapping: Creating a highly optimized page for search engines to crawl. After high ranking has been established the optimized page will be swapped for the page a user will see.
All of these methods seek to subvert the goal of search engines; provide users with the information they seek and companies with positions they deserve. A pharmaceutical web site that earns ranking from using keywords that do not pertain to their products is wasting the time of consumers. Not only do these methods trick users, but they can potentially hurt the reputation of the company using them. They also go against internet marketing guidelines. And, illegal or not, there are repercussions for dishonest marketing.
The BMW Company recently was banned from Google indexing for page swapping (Taylor & Kerwin, 2006). This penalty is a common response to ‘spamdexing’ from search engines. While there are ways of getting back into the search engine’s good graces, the process is time-consuming and costly. Following more ethical guidelines in internet marketing could easily have yielded optimal search results without the penalty and embarrassment.
Despite the ramifications, there are still marketers who see ‘black-hat’ SEO as the preferred optimization method. Ralph Tegmeier, a software developer and search engine optimizer, is currently working on an automated content creator called Fantomaster. Fantomaster will be a doorway to “a commercial service titled ‘Customized Content Creation’ (CCC) which will offer clients just that: 100% unique customized content created to their specifications in terms of topics, targeted keyword phrases, links etc. in any conceivable volume. Moreover, this is content that is not detectable in any way as having been autogenned” (Tegmeier, 2009).
When internet content is auto generated and no longer benefits consumers, what use will the internet be? Search engines like Google see the imminent threat of ‘black-hat’ SEO and have tried to guard against the misuse of content, but the continued unethical practices are still around. And no, ‘black-hat’ SEO is not illegal, but only because the internet is more difficult to regulate than other medias. There is nothing productive in ‘black-hat’ systems. As one ‘black-hat’ opponent stated, “[black-hat SEO is] like going into a public library and miss indexing the books” (Van Rensburg, 2009). Only when useful, relevant content is presented in a logical way, can end users find the information and products for which they are searching.
References
Battelle, J. (2005 ). The birth of Google. Wired, 13.08, Retrieved July 20, 2009, from
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.08/battelle.html?pg=1&topic=battelle&t opic_set=
Taylor, L., & Kerwin, A. (2006, February 27). Media morph: Google death penalty. Advertising Age, 77(9), 51-51. Retrieved July 23, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Tegtmeier, R. (2009, July, 6). Some misconceptions regarding black hat seo. Searchcowboys.com, Retrieved July 23, 2009, from http://www.searchcowboys.com/guestposts/745
Thurow, S. (2008). Search engine visibility. Berkley, CA: New Riders.
Van Rensburg, W. ( comment, July 14, 2009) in response to Some misconceptions regarding black hat seo.
When Google started as a search engine on Stanford’s web site in August of 1996, the goal was to rank web sites based on how well they presented information and how many relevant links went to them (Battelle, 2005). Using a complex algorithm, Google was able to help consumers find the most applicable sites for their needs. This opened the door to internet optimization. It also opened the door to SEO marketers tricking the search engines into indexing unmerited sites. Proponents of ‘black-hat’ SEO claim that the practice is not illegal or harmful and only gives disadvantaged sites a boost in the search engines, yet their methods have earned the label, “spamdexing”.
Spam generally refers to unsolicited advertising on the internet. “Spamdexing,” is the use of “…words, HTML/XHTML code, scripting, or programming on a Web page that is not meant to benefit the user experience” (Thurow, 2008, p. 238). And, after all, isn’t user experience what the internet is all about? The danger of dishonest optimization lies in creating an environment where users become confused and give up on even legitimate sites. The claim that ‘black-hat’ SEO is not “harmful” is false. ‘Black-hat’ SEO is not only harmful, but also malicious. Once we assess some of the devices of ‘black-hatters’, we can begin to see just how damaging the effects can be.
1. Keyword stacking: This repetition of keywords or keyword phrases is meant to trick search engines into interpreting the site as more relevant than it actually is.
2. Keyword stuffing: Creating web pages that are entirely unusable by people. Pages will literally contain nonsense.
3. Link farms: Sites that contain nothing but links to other sites. Their sole purpose is to build links – relevant or not.
4. Redirects: SEO marketers will submit a relevant page to search engines, and then use that page to redirect traffic to sites with no relevant content.
5. Page swapping: Creating a highly optimized page for search engines to crawl. After high ranking has been established the optimized page will be swapped for the page a user will see.
All of these methods seek to subvert the goal of search engines; provide users with the information they seek and companies with positions they deserve. A pharmaceutical web site that earns ranking from using keywords that do not pertain to their products is wasting the time of consumers. Not only do these methods trick users, but they can potentially hurt the reputation of the company using them. They also go against internet marketing guidelines. And, illegal or not, there are repercussions for dishonest marketing.
The BMW Company recently was banned from Google indexing for page swapping (Taylor & Kerwin, 2006). This penalty is a common response to ‘spamdexing’ from search engines. While there are ways of getting back into the search engine’s good graces, the process is time-consuming and costly. Following more ethical guidelines in internet marketing could easily have yielded optimal search results without the penalty and embarrassment.
Despite the ramifications, there are still marketers who see ‘black-hat’ SEO as the preferred optimization method. Ralph Tegmeier, a software developer and search engine optimizer, is currently working on an automated content creator called Fantomaster. Fantomaster will be a doorway to “a commercial service titled ‘Customized Content Creation’ (CCC) which will offer clients just that: 100% unique customized content created to their specifications in terms of topics, targeted keyword phrases, links etc. in any conceivable volume. Moreover, this is content that is not detectable in any way as having been autogenned” (Tegmeier, 2009).
When internet content is auto generated and no longer benefits consumers, what use will the internet be? Search engines like Google see the imminent threat of ‘black-hat’ SEO and have tried to guard against the misuse of content, but the continued unethical practices are still around. And no, ‘black-hat’ SEO is not illegal, but only because the internet is more difficult to regulate than other medias. There is nothing productive in ‘black-hat’ systems. As one ‘black-hat’ opponent stated, “[black-hat SEO is] like going into a public library and miss indexing the books” (Van Rensburg, 2009). Only when useful, relevant content is presented in a logical way, can end users find the information and products for which they are searching.
References
Battelle, J. (2005 ). The birth of Google. Wired, 13.08, Retrieved July 20, 2009, from
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.08/battelle.html?pg=1&topic=battelle&t opic_set=
Taylor, L., & Kerwin, A. (2006, February 27). Media morph: Google death penalty. Advertising Age, 77(9), 51-51. Retrieved July 23, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.
Tegtmeier, R. (2009, July, 6). Some misconceptions regarding black hat seo. Searchcowboys.com, Retrieved July 23, 2009, from http://www.searchcowboys.com/guestposts/745
Thurow, S. (2008). Search engine visibility. Berkley, CA: New Riders.
Van Rensburg, W. ( comment, July 14, 2009) in response to Some misconceptions regarding black hat seo.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The SEO Claim That Can’t Hold Water
Words you should be familiar with before reading this:
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The practice of making a Website clear and informative for search engines and users in order to gain better placement in search engines.
• Search Engine: A program that contains a database, or detailed list, of Websites and their content. Examples: Google, Bing (formerly known as MSN), Yahoo, Ask, and Dogpile.
• Rankings: The order in which a Website shows up in a search engine based on its content. The higher the ranking, the better.
• Keywords: Words that accurately describe and define a Website’s content. Example: A flooring company’s keywords may consist of hardwood, tile, carpeting, Berber, and linoleum. There are also Keyword Phrases which refer to string of keywords. Example of same company’s keyword phrases: hardwood flooring, granite tile, carpet installation, Berber carpeting, and linoleum prices.
• Algorithm: There is no easy way to define this term. It is the process of inputting information, computing the results, and creating an output. There are many types of algorithms.
• Content: Anything contained on a Website. Text, images, videos, podcasts, etc.
• Sponsored Ads: Advertisements that appear in search engines when relevant keywords are entered. These ads are pay-per-placement, which means the more money clients pays, the more often their ads will appear.
• Web Search: Any keywords that are typed into a search engine. Example: When looking for a local florist, a user would type in ‘florist (your town)’, giving them listings of florists in their area.
When working on Search Engine Optimization for my Web design business, I came across a company that guaranteed top 10 rankings in Google for your chosen keywords, starting at $500 per month, or your money back.
I need to address this.
There are a few reasons that this is not a valid claim.
1. No one, not even Google’s shareholders, knows how the Google algorithm works. Those who claim they do are speaking untruths.
2. New businesses start every day. Many of them are putting up Websites, which means constantly changing competition and SEO challenges.
3. Content, as they say, is king. Your keywords matter, yes, but what matters more are how you use them and what kind of valuable information you place on your site. Keywords are just the beginning.
4. The big corporations holding the top spots in the Google rankings are spending MILLIONS of dollars per year on marketing – much of which is going to sponsored ads. $500 a month isn’t going to get you that.
Can you get in the top search ratings without all this hype and money? Absolutely. The biggest advantage you have, small business owner, is a small local business. Most likely, your target audience lives nearby, which gives you a huge advantage in the local search market. Wal-mart can’t even compete with you there.
I give you warning. Do not fall for false claims when looking at SEO. If the company tells you they can get you where you want to be no matter what, watch out. Those companies are probably the ones employing unethical search engine tactics, and hopefully, you don’t want to be associated with those kinds of practices.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The practice of making a Website clear and informative for search engines and users in order to gain better placement in search engines.
• Search Engine: A program that contains a database, or detailed list, of Websites and their content. Examples: Google, Bing (formerly known as MSN), Yahoo, Ask, and Dogpile.
• Rankings: The order in which a Website shows up in a search engine based on its content. The higher the ranking, the better.
• Keywords: Words that accurately describe and define a Website’s content. Example: A flooring company’s keywords may consist of hardwood, tile, carpeting, Berber, and linoleum. There are also Keyword Phrases which refer to string of keywords. Example of same company’s keyword phrases: hardwood flooring, granite tile, carpet installation, Berber carpeting, and linoleum prices.
• Algorithm: There is no easy way to define this term. It is the process of inputting information, computing the results, and creating an output. There are many types of algorithms.
• Content: Anything contained on a Website. Text, images, videos, podcasts, etc.
• Sponsored Ads: Advertisements that appear in search engines when relevant keywords are entered. These ads are pay-per-placement, which means the more money clients pays, the more often their ads will appear.
• Web Search: Any keywords that are typed into a search engine. Example: When looking for a local florist, a user would type in ‘florist (your town)’, giving them listings of florists in their area.
When working on Search Engine Optimization for my Web design business, I came across a company that guaranteed top 10 rankings in Google for your chosen keywords, starting at $500 per month, or your money back.
I need to address this.
There are a few reasons that this is not a valid claim.
1. No one, not even Google’s shareholders, knows how the Google algorithm works. Those who claim they do are speaking untruths.
2. New businesses start every day. Many of them are putting up Websites, which means constantly changing competition and SEO challenges.
3. Content, as they say, is king. Your keywords matter, yes, but what matters more are how you use them and what kind of valuable information you place on your site. Keywords are just the beginning.
4. The big corporations holding the top spots in the Google rankings are spending MILLIONS of dollars per year on marketing – much of which is going to sponsored ads. $500 a month isn’t going to get you that.
Can you get in the top search ratings without all this hype and money? Absolutely. The biggest advantage you have, small business owner, is a small local business. Most likely, your target audience lives nearby, which gives you a huge advantage in the local search market. Wal-mart can’t even compete with you there.
I give you warning. Do not fall for false claims when looking at SEO. If the company tells you they can get you where you want to be no matter what, watch out. Those companies are probably the ones employing unethical search engine tactics, and hopefully, you don’t want to be associated with those kinds of practices.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
For Artists – A Canvas
I had the pleasure of stumbling across an ingenious site yesterday called Odosketch by Odopod, an online sketch pad that records each stroke for others to watch and marvel over. Your art can be featured and (like most of life now) even pasted into Websites.
So, budding artist – go to Odosketch - and let that creativity flow! Dark and mysterious, bright and sprightly, confused and… well, whatever. Use it as a portfolio if you will. Send me a link to your sketch with permission to post it, and let our growing community see what you have to offer.
Here's a sample by fixerman, titled Gunz -
So, budding artist – go to Odosketch - and let that creativity flow! Dark and mysterious, bright and sprightly, confused and… well, whatever. Use it as a portfolio if you will. Send me a link to your sketch with permission to post it, and let our growing community see what you have to offer.
Here's a sample by fixerman, titled Gunz -
Friday, September 18, 2009
A Brief Introduction…
I wanted to write about something profound and useful for my first blog post; something that would empower small business owners and fight against the corporate Web designers charging them thousands of dollars each year.
I wanted to write about ethics, standards of business, customer service, buyer loyalty… and I will… in time.
Right now, I want to talk about you and me.
I know that the Internet can be a scary place when you don’t know who to trust. And sometimes, knowing who to trust can be a hard thing to figure out.
I’ll tell you what I want. I want to be a trusted source of information to small business owners. I want you to be able to ask me your questions and get the answers you need. I want you to succeed in your business so your community can depend on you.
(Can you see me up there on my podium, bright lights - glittering white smile? Inspirational speakers, they call them. The people that raise you up with words, making you feel good like a five minute drug, and then let you down.)
I am not them. As you get to know me here, you will learn that.
I am a small business owner. Am I successful? Well, I am not rich, but I have customers that are happy and that trust me. Although it sounds cheesy, that means more than money. Really.
I grew up in a small, simple town in Oregon where most people around me lead small, simple lives. I grew up poor, but happy. I never knew any different. Something about that combined with what is essentially ‘me’, has made me root for the under-dog all my life.
I won’t lie. I am no fan of corporations. I don’t work for them, and I don’t want to. You, small business owner, are the life of our nation. You pay the taxes, provide the goods corporations are too lazy to provide, give the care that comes with understanding, and you generally (pardon my language) get screwed.
Most likely you, small business owner, aren’t reading this. I know you don’t have much time. But, if you are reading this, know that my future posts won’t drone on this way. I will try to get to the point so that information can benefit you quickly. I just wanted to introduce myself and my philosophy.
I am you. I have a family, bills that I can barely pay, a home that tends to fall apart on me, and sometimes – a fear of what is to come.
From here-on-out, I hope to be your “inside man”, so to speak. I run a Web design company, and I know a bit about all things Web.
So, ask me your questions. I don’t charge.
See you later, small business owner.
I wanted to write about ethics, standards of business, customer service, buyer loyalty… and I will… in time.
Right now, I want to talk about you and me.
I know that the Internet can be a scary place when you don’t know who to trust. And sometimes, knowing who to trust can be a hard thing to figure out.
I’ll tell you what I want. I want to be a trusted source of information to small business owners. I want you to be able to ask me your questions and get the answers you need. I want you to succeed in your business so your community can depend on you.
(Can you see me up there on my podium, bright lights - glittering white smile? Inspirational speakers, they call them. The people that raise you up with words, making you feel good like a five minute drug, and then let you down.)
I am not them. As you get to know me here, you will learn that.
I am a small business owner. Am I successful? Well, I am not rich, but I have customers that are happy and that trust me. Although it sounds cheesy, that means more than money. Really.
I grew up in a small, simple town in Oregon where most people around me lead small, simple lives. I grew up poor, but happy. I never knew any different. Something about that combined with what is essentially ‘me’, has made me root for the under-dog all my life.
I won’t lie. I am no fan of corporations. I don’t work for them, and I don’t want to. You, small business owner, are the life of our nation. You pay the taxes, provide the goods corporations are too lazy to provide, give the care that comes with understanding, and you generally (pardon my language) get screwed.
Most likely you, small business owner, aren’t reading this. I know you don’t have much time. But, if you are reading this, know that my future posts won’t drone on this way. I will try to get to the point so that information can benefit you quickly. I just wanted to introduce myself and my philosophy.
I am you. I have a family, bills that I can barely pay, a home that tends to fall apart on me, and sometimes – a fear of what is to come.
From here-on-out, I hope to be your “inside man”, so to speak. I run a Web design company, and I know a bit about all things Web.
So, ask me your questions. I don’t charge.
See you later, small business owner.
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