02.17.12

Let's try and find some value!

Recently, I was talking with a good friend of mine who owns a large web firm in Charlotte NC.  From time to time, we will meet for lunch (or other venue) and discuss our industry and many of its pros and cons.  During this chat, he disclosed to me that his SEO team was having a very difficult time in trying to monetize social media efforts.  As a result, this issue was bleeding over into the sales process with customers and the overall mood of maintaining social media efforts for clients was becoming sour in general.  As he was mentioning this to me, I quickly realized this was a problem that my company has been facing and in turn, we have made some proactive steps to remedy the problem.  I guess the funniest part of the matter was that it took a casual lunch conversation to uncover and ‘frame’ a serious problem. In addition, I figured if we (collectively) were having the same problem, common logic says its probably happening to many others in our industry as well.

I did some research… it is happening, and I’m not saying it can’t be monetized.

Please don’t get the wrong impression and think I’m saying there is no way to monetize social media. On the Internet, if you put enough effort into anything you almost always at least find some form of a positive return on investment (ROI).  The real challenge comes when limited resources ($$$) are being used for campaigns which include daily Facebook/Twitter posts, weekly blog articles, reporting, tracking, etc… As professionals, we seem genetically programmed to always find and report positive ROI for our services, right? Maybe we can’t in some cases.

Google and Cosmic Black Holes have a lot in common.  They both are massive, have tremendous pull and affect those orbiting around them in mysterious ways.

Where exactly are we again?

Today, most people have a vague idea that Google holds a 66% market share of all Internet searches.  And Yahoo and Bing hold about 14% and 15%, respectively. Basically, just understand the ‘Big Three’ control over 95% of all searches and Google is the big kid on the block. If you are wondering why I am covering this mostly widely known data,  its to set the stage for ‘why’ I think so much effort is being placed on social media efforts these days.  Last year, in 2011, Google had a major algorithm update occur—enter the “Panda.”  Panda can be thought of mostly as “frequency/social signal” update that places strong emphasis on social media websites, their activity, and integration within (and to) an organization’s website.  Many experts say the update had an up to ~12+% effect on Google’s results and this is considered huge when a search engine has such a large market share.  Now, all of the sudden, the routine SEO techniques of building optimized landing pages with traditional inbound links is no longer yielding the success on the search results. So what happens? Bazillions (my word for many) of optimizers learn of the ‘social media counter measure’ and quickly begin incorporating social media management campaigns in conjunction with ongoing SEO. Does it work?  I have to say it does, based on the results we are seeing.

Social Media Marketers—this is not slam on what you do, it’s just a perspective from the SEO side.

There are some really good social media marketing firms out there who are showing positive ROI, but for the most part, when social media is directly compared with traditional SEO, the ROI is higher for the latter. This claim is mostly based on the fact that people use social media to talk to family and friends; not to buy things and/or conduct intricate product searches.

Thanks for the info, but what do I tell my clients?

Tell them the truth. Let them know that professional Facebook and Google Plus pages need to created and updated frequently.  Tell them you are primarily managing social media for the search engine algorithms and secondarily for people. This way, the client tends to be much more relaxed moving forward and any social media gains that directly convert into a sale is considered a bonus.

You may be reading this and thinking “he is offering an easy way out of this problem and there probably is a better way of handling it.” 

If you are thinking this, just understand that most of my solution is based on a limited client budget. Within any SEO/Social Media campaign, the ultimate goal should be to gain more search market share with a corresponding increasing revenue gain. When measuring, for example, Facebook activity against a website’s traffic data, one tends to show much more ‘direct ROI’ than the other. However, it is very difficult to measure ‘indirect ROI.’ Both matter and have a profound effect on each other.  And we have much to learn about Black Holes too.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charlotte NC area.

02.05.12

Complete SEO is Wholistic SEO

Before we begin, I realize the correct way to spell “holistic” is with an “h” and not a “w.”  Since this subject is a bit theoretical, I wanted to try and coin a new phrase that matches my thoughts on the matter.

Most of the general public and many optimizers think that SEO (search engine optimization) simply means enhancing websites for high search results rankings. This understanding is only marginally true and does not provide a truly accurate picture into the complex science of SEO. In addition, it does not address all high level (overview looking down) parts of the field.  How do I make this claim? Let’s think about it in layman’s terms:  Businesses typically hire an SEO firm with the desire to ultimately earn more revenue via increased search engine exposure for their products and services.  Immediately, this ‘should’ sound like a long term (not one-time), customized and dedicated budget strategy. In addition, Wholistic SEO can/should affect the look, feel and message (and more) of the company website.  You can imagine that as new keyword phrases are targeted, they can have a profound impact on ‘what’ and ‘how much’ a company sells.

As you are reading this, you may see I am building a case that Wholistic SEO is a serious strategy for a business… and in some cases… can either make or break a business model. At PalmettoSoft, we explain what Wholistic SEO is as one of the first objectives when meeting a potential client. By doing so, it helps to better educate the customer and sets the stage for a much better working relationship moving forward.  With a better understanding, the client tends to allocate a higher budget, and in addition, may even dedicate supporting internal resources towards their Wholistic SEO initiatives.

Commodity SEO:  Get out the of kid pool and rinse off, you are in the wrong place
Commodities are basically anything that can be bought or sold at cheap prices by many producers—and quality SEO is not as simple as creating a brochure.  When trying to find a great attorney, would you haggle over his hourly rate? Probably not, because you realize his/her time is valuable and you are ultimately paying for their expertise and experience in order to get something accomplished. Then why do optimizers offer competing “packages” with numbers of keywords at certain prices to the public?  I’ll tell you why… they think it’s what the public wants to see and it ultimately drives down the quality and effectiveness of SEO.  I have nothing against attorneys and the fine work that most of them do, but we are not ambulance chasers; and should not present ourselves in that manner.

In Summary, Wholistic SEO is serious business for the Serious Business
Wholistic SEO is the practice of coordinating business goals, message, budget and long term product/service development via the Internet. It is not a cheap and/or low quality service, nor should it be offered in that manner.  Thank you for reading my post today and we look forward to the possibility of working with you.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charlotte NC area.

01.25.12

Search engine optimization and social media are becoming one.
Effective Charlotte NC SEO requires that organic optimization and social media converge. As more people spend longer periods of time on social media sites, the search engines have taken notice.  Recent algorithm (ranking formula) changes are paying more attention to social media websites such as Facebook, and correspondingly analyzing how these unique pages and their activities correlate to a website’s own keyword branding strategy.

A Website by Itself doesn’t cut it anymore.These days, a website needs to have an integrated blog, professional Facebook page, Twitter account, etc… all working in tandem in order for the company/organization to be perceived as a forward thinking and technologically proficient. At PalmettoSoft, our Charlotte NC SEO firm guides our customers with an integrated, high level strategy which continually brings new customers in—and strengthens relationships with the current base. If you have not figured it out yet, search engine optimization is used to bring them in the door, and social media is utilized to maintain and enhance customer relations.

How is it done?
Normally, our Charlotte NC SEO company integrates a WordPress blog or similar technology—and this software is either fully integrated within the website, or is ‘stand alone’ and features its own keyword rich domain name. Blog entries need to be around 400 words (or more) and feature a keyword density of 1.5-2.0% for every 100 words. Anchor text links are used (typically 3) at the beginning, middle and ending of the article and they all link to the same targeted page. Don’t forget your targeted keyword in the blog title, either. Depending on the competiveness (number of search results) for the targeted keyword, more or less blog posts are needed in order to boost the rankings. Basically, the search engine algorithm is seeing a lot of targeted, keyword specific content that links to each other. If you were an unethical or “quick strike” business website, you probably would not be going through all the “best practice/White Hat SEO” trouble to enhance your rankings. Our Charlotte NC SEO company uses only best practice techniques and this guarantees long term stability on the search results.

What about Facebook and Twitter?
Once your blog entry is posted, you can update your Facebook status with the same link. If this seems a bit redundant, it is. However, you are essentially integrating your website and social media efforts and the search engines tend to reward you for taking the time to do it the right way. Once Facebook, is updated, go ahead and select the “Like” button as the engines will notice…and if you have some friends who are not doing anything at the time, have them “Like” your post as well.  The main point of this exercise is to post your blog entry on Facebook and get as many “Likes” as you can. In addition, your Twitter account should be setup to automatically receive your Facebook posts, so that makes managing the account a minimal time activity.

Thank you for reading another blog post from our Charlotte NC SEO firm and we look forward to the possibility of working with you.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charlotte NC area.

01.13.12

Welcome to our Charlotte NC SEO firm’s blog. In this post we would like to highlight some of the benefits of working with a boutique SEO company.  Most people understand that smaller companies typically offer more personalized service, better customized plans and better long term flexibility regarding budget and direction of a search engine optimization campaign. Basically, a smaller boat is faster and can turn quicker than a large ship. However, some prefer to creature comforts and security of a larger vessel and it simply boils down to a matter of preference as to what a company feels more comfortable with.

Can SEO be packaged? No. It’s driven by budget and client goals.

First off, let me tell you that SEO cannot be boxed up and packaged with cool package names which feature coordinated and consistent branding graphics.  I don’t know how many times we see “Gold, Silver, Business Plus, Express, Executive, etc…” packages on SEO provider websites.  Packages include everything from numbers of keywords to numbers of keywords, etc… What’s overlooked in this scenario:  Quality and conversion. When an account manager is backed up with work at the end of the month and knows he must produce, for example, (8) SEO keyword landing pages… you can imagine the work being done can become commoditized—and rather quickly.

This quick strike, package strategy can bring a false sense of security to the client because the real “driver” of any search engine optimization campaign is the client’s goals coupled with their budget. Think about it…what is the true value proposition of an Express Package when a company is trying to market to new customers and increase market share? The value, connection and proper expectation is not there and the customer may as well go and order the “Premium Package” for their new cable service. I say this tongue in cheek and also don’t intend for fellow optimizers to take offense to what I am saying… but… at the end of the day… it’s about the customer. Why do we see so many “package style offerings” out there? I think it’s because it very difficult to sell a customer on a 100% customized plan. They want to see the neat brochure, with 3-4 offering schemes… and don’t forget the “Our Best Value!” one.  Our Charlotte NC SEO firm would rather slow our marketing message down a bit and educate and consult our customer so they truly understand that what we are offering is 100% customized and tailored to their business model.

In addition to customized plans, we offer very personal service. As a matter of fact, every PalmettoSoft customer works directly with the owner, Rhett DeMille (me). Every one of our clients has my personal phone number and email and can get in touch with me 24 hours per day if they need to. Our Charlotte NC SEO firm has some outstanding technical programmers on staff, but the research, strategy and execution falls directly in lap of your account manager/owner. If you would like to speak with PalmettoSoft, please contact our Charlotte NC SEO firm today.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charlotte NC area.

01.12.12

Recently, PalmettoSoft has moved our base of operations to Charlotte, North Carolina. We are very excited to enter the Charlotte NC SEO market and look forward to working with all wonderful businesses and organizations in the Greater Carolina and surrounding areas.

Our Charlotte NC SEO company has clients in, but not limited to the following areas:  manufacturing, education, fundraising, real estate, and print fulfillment. By working in various industries, we have learned that sound and ethical techniques always yield the best results… even in a world of constantly shifting algorithms and marketing strategies. Recently, for example, Google updated its algorithm (Panda change) to place more emphasis on fresher content, such as blogs, for example (wink). As an experienced Charlotte NC SEO consultancy, we quickly learned of the change, and then began the process of changing our own SEO methodology to better work within Google’s new parameters. Since Google currently has about a 65% share of all searches, we never overlook or underestimate anything they do.

An example of positively responding to a major algorithm shift is begin placing more emphasis on blogging, news posts, moderator controlled comments, Facebook “Likes,” and other components/systems that make Internet content more interactive and up to date. When we talk to new and existing clients, our Charlotte NC SEO firm discusses the update and we also help them create their own, in many cases, “in house” blog producer which can work in tandem with—and under our direction so all search engine optimization efforts are maximized.

At PalmettoSoft, we don’t view ourselves as “just another Charlotte NC SEO company,” we view ourselves as a long term strategic partner that uses experience, care, ethics and leadership to get the maximum benefit for our clients. This is another reason why your account manager will be the owner of the Charlotte NC SEO company, Rhett DeMille.

Rhett first started his web development career working in the field of website design. After building hundreds of websites over the years, he developed a keen knowledge of usability, quality graphic design and message. These aforementioned items constitute the three main components of any successful website and also help provide a foundation for successful search engine optimization. You see, all the off page optimization techniques and link building won’t matter if the website visitor lands on a sub par website. Our Charlotte NC SEO consultancy understands this deeply and we hope have an opportunity to work with you—or somebody you may recommend to us.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charlotte NC area.

12.13.11

*Names have been changed for anonymity*

Good morning Gary:

I enjoyed meeting you the other day at Patriot’s Point.  Within this email I have attached a recent Keyword Analysis Report which we use as a basis for Spectra’s optimization strategy.

About 10 years ago, I began my career in web design and it has evolved into full service search engine optimization, whose roots are founded in the aforementioned along with marketing, usability, and a heavy dose of leadership. After talking with you about your website, I think you have great vision and are a system-type thinker like myself and Walker. It is very rare that business owners in related vertical markets collaborate towards a common goal—and when they do, their output increases exponentially. I look forward to the possibility of working with you on future projects.

Below are some of the SERPS (search engine results pages) where Spectra holds top rankings. In addition, I have attached a keyword research report which shows the actual search volume of these phrases in the “KEI” section found in the left hand navigation of the PDF. It is important to understand these are real and viable search terms directly related to what Spectra Integration is selling.

Pick and pack fulfillment

Inventory management fulfillment

Print fulfillment

Kitting fulfillment

Pick and pack fulfillment

Before I look at your website, I wanted to show you some of our capabilities. Next week, I would like to create a list of recommended changes to your site—along with a detailed keyword analysis of your industry. Have a good weekend.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charleston SC area.

11.28.11

Developing business websites in 2011 can be equated to the auto industry. Like cars, professional built sites can range in price from a few thousand dollars to six figures.  They also can be built rapidly with standardized components and semi-custom graphics for lower cost and higher profitability for the builder. If your company is looking to hire a website development firm, you need to ask the question “do we want to drive a Dodge, a Honda, a Lexus or a Rolls Royce?” All of them will share similar features such as Home/Contact pages, strategic messages, images, mail forms, etc… But, at the end of the day, it’s really about how much (or less) money your business is willing to invest in its online presence.

All the above examples can function well as “company cars,” but have dramatically different price points. And this leads me to my next point: If you go to a car lot to look at purchasing a new vehicle, one of the first things the salesperson will usually ask is “what is your budget?” Depending on your answer, they will lead you to a particular section of the lot which best serves your interests. Unfortunately, the website design industry does not work this way. More often than not, the consumer will contact a development shop and ask “how much do you charge to build a website?” Is this a bizarre question? Yes, but we hear this literally everyday in our field. I usually counter with “would you like a Honda Accord or a Rolls Royce? Or better yet, “would you like a manufactured home or a 15 bedroom mansion?” Once the client realizes “what” they have requested, we usually begin to bring the conversation from outer space back down to earth. Always remember this: Website development is a commodity business and can be done by many different providers for a large range of prices. In addition, customers desire a website that looks good and functions well; and the development shop is looking to deliver that product and make a profit for their labor. Usually, it doesn’t get more complicated than that. This is why I always initially ask the customer, “what is your budget?” In addition, I tell them our beginning price point.

At PalmettoSoft, we have developed hundreds of professional and elegant websites over the years for our customers. At this point in our history, we are not so much concerned with “can we do this?” But rather, “what is your budget and do your expectations match what you are requesting?” When both vendor and customer expectations are matched, usually a great product is delivered and both parties are pleased  to do business together. If you would like to talk to the owner of PalmettoSoft, please click here.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charleston SC area.

Charlotte NC SEO

11.04.11

Analysis, Implementation, Tracking, Reporting

*REPORTING*

Tracking return on investment (ROI) is difficult to do, but can be done.
According to a recent industry report (see page 88), tracking ROI is the #1 challenge for SEO firms. Unless the website features an E-commerce shopping cart, leads must be tracked within the client’s day to day business at some level. For example, when a visitor arrives on the customer’s website via a search engine, they basically have several options: 1. Email the client 2. Call the client (toughest to track). 3. Leave the website.

Email form
At minimum, a website will need to feature a simple email form (5-6 fields) on the Contact page. This is a conventional and accepted way to contact someone. For better clarity, more fields can be added, but longer forms tend to be filled out less, so you need to be very careful in not asking too many questions and/or making too many fields required. I always recommend making the name, email address and telephone number mandatory—otherwise you probably don’t want to deal with them anyway.  Since email forms store data, this can be a simple first step in tracking a lead from a website. In the background programming, when an email is sent to a designate client email address, a carbon copy (cc) can also be sent to the individual or system tracking ROI.

Telephone calls
This is the most difficult lead to track because some form of “system” must be created within the customer’s business to track inbound calls from the website. If the business is small, the office personnel should ask “how did you hear about us?” and track the responses in a simple online database for later review. Typically, only a few pieces of information are needed such as the person’s name, business, basic contact info and nature of call. In a larger business with many inbound phone lines, a unique website telephone number should ring to a particular person trained to answer the call and track the information.

Website visitors leaving the site
I still get asked all the time “I want to capture the person’s information while they are on my site.” Good luck on that one because you may as well be painting the bottom of a swimming pool while it’s full of water. Unless the website visitor is “behind” a unique IP address, such as a large company or agency, you won’t know “who” is actually on your website. To make things more confusing, Internet service providers (or ISPs) may have thousands of people using their (1) IP address and it will look like, for example, that Comcast Cable was on your site last week. The best method for “capturing” visitor data on your website is to make the site highly usable and aesthetically pleasing with clear and compelling content. “If you build it, they will come.” –Field of Dreams

Summary
Tracking ROI is mainly difficult to do because it requires some client involvement and in interaction with the SEO firm. In many instances, the client thinks they have more important things to do rather than mutually assist in their overall success (wink).  Before I ever begin an SEO program with a client, I ensure they have proper “buy in” at the highest level. When this occurs, the program runs more efficiently, more effectively and the customer realizes the value of their SEO program. This understanding tends to lead to higher client profits and larger campaign spends.

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charleston SC area.

10.29.11

Analysis, Implementation, Tracking, Reporting

*TRACKING*

It’s all about Unique Visitors—not “Hits”
How many times have you heard somebody say: “I had (x) amount of hits last week on my website.” You probably heard it more times than you have fingers and toes.  Hits are basically defined as how many files are requested from a website and have little value in the context of actually tracking users on your website.  In the world of SEO, we track Unique Visitors, which are individuals assigned to an IP address that can visit once or multiple times—and they are only counted once.  Every month, “unique visits” are tracked and graphed so the client can get a bird’s eye view into how their website is performing over the short and long term.

How do we track Visitor Behavior? Server log file analysis programs
Most website servers have secure, installed web analytic programs which essentially track who, when and how a web server is used. Things like numbers of unique visitors, duration of stays, entry and exit pages, browsers used, keyword phrase searches used to get to the site, particular search engines and their volume… and many more great metrics are supplied by these programs.  The data can also be categorized by date ranges for even deeper analysis by the requesting party.

Since the log file programs show so much visitor information, it’s important to create a simple spreadsheet which only shows about 4-5 types of information. At PalmettoSoft, we recommend at minimum, showing the following:  1. Number of unique visitors per month. 2. Duration of visitor stays 3. Queried (or inbound) keyword phrases 4. Most popular pages. More information can be shown via client request and/or SEO program level (introductory-to-advanced), but for the average, non-technical audience, the aforementioned list will give the client a great understanding of how their optimization program is performing.

Now that Tracking is understood, let’s switch gears and hit the turbo.
As more traffic hits the website, modifications to a particular web page will have a more profound impact. For example, we notice last month that page “C” on your website had an average visitor stay time of 15-30 seconds while page “D” had an average of 2 minutes. We can study the layout of page D and it’s components and make the same (or better) enhancement(s) to page C and watch it’s stay time dramatically increase over the short term. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of comparisons that can be done with analysis and usability upgrade enhancements. With a good optimization firm as your strategic partner, the possibilities are endless.

Coming Soon: Reporting

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charleston SC area.

10.20.11

Analysis, Implementation, Tracking, Reporting

*IMPLEMENTATION*

Landing Pages

Return on Investment grows with SEO

The toughest part of any optimization campaign is delivering rankings and respective traffic. Special landing pages need to be built around the targeted phrase and literally a hundred unique enhancements are required with word placement, type, frequency, relation, coding, etc… in order for the search algorithm (or spider) to “like” or index the page. Once the page is “crawled,” the search engine begins the process of moving the page up the search engine results pages (serp).

Navigation & Coding
In addition to landing page creation, the entire website navigation must be analyzed to ensure proper structure, hierarchy, code validity, linking, etc… Behind the scenes html coding enhancements are done so the spiders can determine what the website is mainly about, as well as relational sub categories. Once the navigation is deemed to be “seo friendly,” future additions tend to faster and easier to implement.

Off Page Exercises (Directories, Blogs, Social Media)
We are referring to anything and everything not specifically done on the website in order to properly and ethically boost rankings. For example, free URL submission to DMOZ.org, the largest human edited directory, is important due to the tremendous credibility (and link “juice”) of the inbound link. Yahoo has a paid directory as well if you have the budget.

Social media websites, such as Facebook, provide powerful inbound links when properly setup and managed. They not only boost your rankings, but also assist in ensuring that your company is “top of mind” as you are continually talking to your audience with daily and weekly posts. If you want to further increase your social media efforts, an integrated blog such as WordPress is a great vehicle in which to provide an endless stream of good, quality content your customers will want to read. Full disclosure: This blog you are reading is an integrated WordPress application.

Coming Soon: Tracking

About the Author: Rhett DeMille, the owner PalmettoSoft LLC, is a leading search engine optimization consultant located in the Charleston SC area.