1- On-Page Optimization. This is mostly a technical and code related effort

2- Quality link building  to  your site

This blog is about #1

1. Make any necessary changes in website’s structure to show unique content to search engines for each page and push the repetitive content (left hand menu) down in HTML hierarchy. The structural changes are intended for search engines only and it will not affect the site’s appearance..

2. Take care of canonical issue. Search engines may think Mydomain.com and www.Mydomain.com are two different sites. You should set up a permanent redirect (technically called a “301 redirect”) between these sites. Once you do that, you will get full search engine credit for your work on these sites.
3. Prevent leakage of PageRank from the site to external websites. This could occur when links on your site take the visitor to external sites. Use the rel=”nofollow” attribute to all of your links. That will prevent leakage to other website.

4. Modify robots.txt file to prevent search engines from indexing directories and pages such as website admin directory and pages.

5. Make changes in page title and meta data so that meta description and meta keyword, and page title should be the same for each key phrase you want to promote. For example, if you are trying to promote the key phrase “AC repair Nashville”, the page title, a meta keyword, and a meta description should contain the phrase “AC repair Nashville”

6. Include H1, H2, and H3 heading tags in page copy (wherever appropriate).

7. Don’t stuff meta keywords. By using a high number of keywords, it is possible that you are diluting the effect of your most important keywords. I would suggest keeping the keywords to 10 or less

8. Optimize images by inserting keywords in ALT tags of the images.

9. Optimize anchor text of the links to include core keywords in them.

10. Create a new XML sitemap after optimizing the website and submit to Google, Yahoo!, and Bing search engines

Some of the most beneficial tools come from Google.

Google Voice - This is definitely a useful tool for anyone. Released over the summer, Google Voice is still in its early stages, but it offers free and local phone numbers. As long as you have a cell phone or other landline to use for forwarding, you’ve got the ability to set up a completely separate phone number to use for business purposes. Ideal for those just starting out and freelancers, GV gives you the option of having a phone number that you feel comfortable sharing online, with the ability to forward it directly to your cell. An added bonus is the ability to transcribe voicemails so you can read them before you check them. For Gmail users, it will feel quite familiar as the layout is nearly identical… plus, you can easily incorporate your Google Address book, get emails when you miss calls or receive messages, and send SMS messages with GV.

Google Checkout – There is no better time than now to expand your storefront. If you’re in the business of tangible goods, why not offer the op tion to buy online? Google Checkout gives you the ability to receive payment online for very little cost (2.9%+$.30 of eac h transaction under $3,000). Offering products online is also a great way to bring in customers outside of your local ar ea and a relatively low cost way of selling.

Google Webmaster Central – This is everything that can help bring traffic to your website and keep you and your visitors organized. Webmaster Central can be an easy fix for a simple website that needs a little more interactivity and traffic. Among the features found in GWC, AdWords is one of the most valuable. An inexpensive pay-per-click campaign that utilizes your site’s best keywords is an immediate and well-targeted way to increase traffic. You can integrate a Google Calender into your site; a great solution for someone that isn’t comfortable editing the webpage directly, with a Google Calender you can easily log in to add and edit events that will let your visitors know what’s going on at and around your business. Incorporate an interactive Google Map to help customers find your location. The possibilities are endless.

Google Apps – Tired of using an inprofessional yahoo.com email address? Are you and your employees constantly getting off track with each other? Google Apps for business is a great start to better internal organization. Gmail for business allows you to use your domain name in your email address and gives you the power of Gmail (in my opinion, the best email client on the planet). Use Calenders, Docs, and Sites to stay together within your organization… Agendas, Scheduling, Spreadsheets, Secure Code-free Sites are all features found in Apps. And at a reasonable $50/user/year… Apps is a great value.

With all of this help from Google, I feel like a nice “Thank You” card might be in order. However, Google isn’t the only company with a laundry list of great apps and features to help businesses grow. Another free tool to help build your business is the wide world of social media. As mentioned in previous entries, social sites are a direct route to your target market. The hard part is finding and creating a message that will really reach and stick with them.

What are some free and inexpensive tools you use to better business?

Available here, you’ll find details on successful websites, including design, content, marketing, SEO, and more. Here at WebPlus5, our goal is to help you reach yours and hopefully beyond…we hope this will give you the edge and knowledge to take the steps toward a top-notch business site.

To follow, we’ll be publishing a video this week that will compliment the E-book, so stay tuned for that.

This marketing mix, not to be confused with the good ol’ “four P’s of marketing”, has to do with a perfect balance of traditional and online techniques. A weak campaign will often lean heavily to one side or the other and ultimately miss out on a large part of the potential market. Often, your efforts should blend and complement each other.

A restaurant wanting to drive traffic will often offer coupons to customers to get them in the door. Instead of just hoping your newspaper ad will bring in business, spread your coupon via social networks. The word of mouth from social media outlets is nearly instant and relatively free. Announce the coupon for a “free entree” or “buy one get one free drinks” on your website as well as the newspaper ad. Then  share the link with friends or followers on sites like Twitter or Facebook, and if your message has value, it will spread itself.

Find out where your customers are. What is your demographic? Then research their internet usage to determine your best mix. A social media savvy demographic will probably crave a strong drink, so add a little more online alcohol. However, a traditional demographic that depends on newspapers, magazines, or television for their information may prefer the weaker beverage, so plan accordingly.

Most importantly, make sure you know what’s in your cabinet. Without the proper ingredients, you’ll never get the results you want. So, if you’re unsure of your target market, then ask for help.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the competition! We had a blast watching the tweets and meeting new people on this great platform for communication. Stay tuned for more to come from @WebPlus5!

Oh, and congratulations to our winner, @jess4002, proud new owner of a fancy-pants Netbook!

Beginning August 12th at 3:00pm C.S.T, WebPlus5 will be holding a tweet-athon for a chance to win a brand new Asus Netbook Computer!!

To celebrate the conception of the newest division of BusinessWays, we’ve decided to introduce the WebPlus5 name to the world with the help of one of our favorite networks, Twitter. During the seven days spanning from Wednesday August 12 at 3:00pm C.S.T. to August 19 at 3:00pm, anyone with a Twitter account can enter to win this cool new netbook.

Putting your name in the hat is easy; Just send an update from your Twitter account that includes #webplus5 or reply to us at @webplus5. Enter as many times as you want to increase your chance of being that cool person with the neat little mini-computer sipping your espresso beverage at the local coffee shop. Our only request is to try and refrain from spamming your followers with our hashtag because as much as we want to get the word out, we’d hate for Twitter to become too spammy and full of advertisements. So stay cool, and have fun!

Make sure to follow us for updates and the announcement of the winner to immediately follow the closing of the competition. Check out the rules below and if you have any questions, leave us a line or tweet at us (@webplus5).

Copy and Paste this Tweet to share with your followers!

Win an Asus Netbook with @WebPlus5! Tweet #webplus5 or @webplus5 to enter. Details: http://ow.ly/jPWr

Contest Rules

1. This competition is offered by WebPlus5, a division of BusinessWays, inc. and is open to anyone with a Twitter account who is at least 16 years of age. Employees and agents of BusinessWays, Inc.  and/or its affiliated companies and family members of such employees are not eligible to enter.
2. The competition give away will begin at 3pm CST on Wednesday August 12th and finish at 3pm CST on Wednesday August 19th.
3. One prize is available and will be announced after the competition has closed from the WebPlus5 Twitter account. At that point, the winner will be responsible for follow-up. If the winner has not made effort to claim their prize within seven (7) days of announcement, WebPlus5 has the right to withdraw and reselect a winner.
4. The prize is a brand new Asus EeePC Netbook Computer. The winner must confirm address via email in order for us to send the prize. We will dispatch the prize within 31 days of the competition closing date.
5. To enter the competition you must tweet from your own Twitter account and include “#webplus5” in your message or reply (@webplus5) to us. The rest of the message is up to you, and you are welcome to retweet our competition launch tweet and the prize URL. No purchase is required.
6. You can tweet as many times as you like (though entries using automated tweets will be disqualified), and each tweet is a separate entry so make sure to tweet often for a better chance at winning. However, we do not encourage spamming or annoying overuse; we want to keep Twitter a fun place for people to share and communicate.
7. We will choose the winner randomly from all the entries within two (2) hours of the competition’s close time. We will then announce winners from our twitter account (@webplus5) so keep listening and follow us to see if you’ve won.
8. Entrants’ personal details will be used by WebPlus5 to send the prize, after which, will be discarded. We promise in no way, shape, or form, to give or sell your information to anyone, ever.
9. Neither WebPlus5 nor its affiliated companies shall have any liability for (i) any technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (ii) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the competition; (iii) any malfunction of or damage to the prizes; or (iv) any restrictions or delays imposed by any customs authorities or any import or other taxes of any kind imposed by any taxation authority in respect of the prizes.
10. Entrants are encouraged to get @TheEllenShow to retweet the #webplus5 hashtag. If @TheEllenShow can confirm the account that convinced her to tweet the message, that user will automatically win. However, if @TheEllenShow does not confirm, then the drawing will procede at random based on all entrants. If multiple accounts are given by @TheEllenShow, the winner will be selected from those at random. Replying to @TheEllenShow does not guarantee winning the prize. (Added, August 18 at 11:00am CST)

However, the people using these networks are smart. They don’t fall for blatant advertising traps like they used to. They want to know that there’s something in it for them… If your product isn’t it and that’s all you’re talking about on Twitter, then they’ll ignore you. Social networks aren’t about advertising – they’re about building relationships.

Say you run a small business, maybe you own a restaurant, a clothing boutique, a PR firm or a chiropractic firm… What is in it for you?

• Take a look at your customers or clients when their in your office or store. Are they on their iPhone or Blackberry checking email? Did they mention finding you online? Did they hear about you from a friend? If you can answer “yes” to any of those questions, then you’re missing out on connecting with your customers and should probably put on a pot of coffee, cause you’re going to be here for a while.
• Social media is a chance to be in your market’s finger tips when they look at their phone or get online in a friendly and non-obtrusive way.
• You can quickly address customer service issues by communicating directly with the customer.
• Prospect new clients.
• Learn about trends in your industry, stay up-to-date with competition and network with power players in your industry.
• Offer existing customers incentives, coupons or interesting information to keep them tuned in to your brand.

Many people will pay thousands of dollars trying to get these things with traditional techniques. Social media is free… despite, of course, any operating costs like time and possibly design fees to add a professional touch. You need to be on here… Do a Google News search for “small business social media”. BusinessWeek, LA Times, NY Times will be some of the publications insisting you buck up and make it happen.

How to participate effectively:

•  Do not start a social media campaign if your intention is free advertising. No one will listen and you will waste your time. Period.
• Take a minute and figure out what you want to get out of being involved in social networks. Research how other businesses have been successful. Make a plan. Mashable is a great place to learn about social media.
• Twitter is a great place to find people in your area, geographically or by industry, and interact with them. Make a conversation, always give if you ever want to receive and don’t constantly advertise. No one likes spam… so don’t spam your followers with pleas to go to your website or go into business with you. Offer your followers a coupon or discount if you’re hoping for business from them… Keep them up-to-date on any changes to your menu or services… Share fun pictures from happy customers… Follow-up with an unhappy customer or use your competition’s bad customer service as a great way to introduce you into their lives. Just remember to keep it real, be  you, because everyone wants to know that there’s a human behind your username.
• Facebook is generally most successful by companies with a large following or customer base. But that doesn’t mean you should skip it… create a personal profile so you can network with friends and family. By being there, you can instantly share things about your business with people who already like you and will probably listen more than the average stranger. By keeping your brand in their mind, they’ll be more likely to spread the word and pass you along to their friends, and so on. Word of mouth, my friends…

• LinkedIn is a must have for anyone in business. Very straightforward here, like a virtual resume on steroids. It’s always good to network with past and present colleagues and continue to build relationships, because you never know when you may need them or vice versa. 

Last Words: Keep your brand consistent among all of the networks you decide to join. Monitor your brand using tracking tools. And remember to Collaborate, Communicate, and Participate. 

Web+5 is a full-service web design and development firm. We provide e-commerce solutions, web design, software development, search engine optimization (SEO), online marketing, and web reputation management.

Our team’s experience is diverse, and deep, and covers web and graphic design, application development, project management, business development, copywriting, marketing, and PR.

Our team is completely committed to building business websites that serve the purpose for which it was intended.

• Which networks to join?
  
• How to participate?
  
• What’s enough, or too much?
• How will it help my business?

So, to answer some of these, I’d like to present my “Social Media For Dummies” overview. First, a quick recap of my favorite hubs and what they’re about.

Facebook – The ultimate platform for keeping up with (stalking)  friends. I joined Facebook way back in 2005, you know, when it was just for college students and before you could even share photos (gasp!). I’ve witnessed the evolution of this mega-network over the years, and it has become, not only the 4th largest website in the world, but the best place to find people, keep up with them, and inform them. It is the son of Classmates.com on every possible steroid ever ingested by humans. The ability to share and communicate with friends and colleagues is seamless. Overall, Facebook is a great place to start your social networking endeavors.

LinkedIn – A must-have in every business person’s arsenal of tools. If you are (or hoping to be) in business of any sort, LinkedIn is a great place to set up shop. Very similar to Facebook, minus the annoying applications, plus job postings and resumes. This is where you network with those in your industry, join groups, research companies, and prospect clients. Build you credentials by asking colleagues for recommendations or head to the “Q&A” section to offer advice.

Twitter – Share, Learn, Meet. I wouldn’t be surprised if Webster adds a new definition for “tweet” this year. Within the first half of 2009, Twitter has gone from nearly 5 million users to over 23 million. It is the social media platform of choice at Fortune 100 companies. Easily share links, pictures, videos, articles… Oh, and personal updates… with followers. Twitter is kind of like the cocktail party of social networks. Here, you can easily reach out strangers by tuning in to their tweets or quickly replying to them. A limited amount of customization keeps annoying advertisements and outlandish profiles at bay, unlike the outdated MySpace.

Digg, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, reddit, etc. – Social Bookmarking to share and store your favorite links. You just read an article over at NYT.com that you loved. Use one or more of these bookmarking sites to share it with the world. Looking for information or articles on a certain subject? Head to one of these sites and search your topic, you’ll be able to peruse a list of articles or sites that others have found useful or interesting. Not only are these great for sharing, but storing sites for later use as well. Say you have a home desktop, a netbook for travel, and a work computer… customize your bookmarks and easily access them on each computer without updating each machine.

FriendFeed – All of your networks in one place. FriendFeed lets you put all of your networks in one big stream. Users can see your Facebook status, latest Tweet, pictures posted on Flickr, blog post, bookmarked article and much more when they follow your feed. Much like Twitter, but a whole lot more.

These are the networks that I tend to spend most of my time on and are probably some of the key ingredients that should be in the pot. Every person and business is different and may need to change their recipe accordingly, but the key to all of these is to contribute and become a part of the conversation.

For next time: how to participate and how it can help (or hurt) business.