Using the Competition to Boost Your SEO Performance

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When it comes to getting higher rankings in Google, the competition can seem fierce. This is true--unless you're in a niche market where it may be easier to predict or manage the outcome of specific search terms.

If you're in the competitive real estate, health and beauty, or general medical supplies markets, you probably wonder how a company can get and then stay on the first page of Google's search results year after year. Top listings in search engine results pages--also known as SERPs--are considered the mother-load for search terms with significant amounts of traffic. The results are free, and if done right, you could become very successful online.

Competition is both a challenge and an opportunity in business. In SEO, your competitors can be the most valued source of data. When performing competitive research, the goals are to discover:

• How entrenched a competitor is and how hard it is to unseat them;
• The competition's SEO skills; and
• Link prospects, so you can trade links, host articles and do reviews.

Let's go through the steps for analyzing where you stand compared to the competition, using "mortgage loans," a very competitive search term, as an example. We refer to this as a tier 1 keyword, since it's the top search term within this category.

1. Determine link popularity. Go to Google, type in the tier 1 keyword and pick the top three ranked sites. Then go to marketleap.com and use the link popularity checker to see how your site compares in terms of incoming links to the top three sites from Google. Look for sites with the highest Google rankings and lowest amount of incoming links. Keep in mind that MSN records the highest number of back links--incoming links from one website to another--but also pay attention to the Yahoo! results, since it's the best linking engine to use for link review. Also, Google recently updated its Google webmaster tools and has enhanced its link tracking system. Make sure to get an account and compare the results with the others in this step. Write down all the numbers.

2. Find sites to target. Next, go back to Google and enter "allinanchor: mortgage loans." This restricts the results depending on the number of links coming into a site based on that key word phrase. This will help determine which site to target links from.

3. Review link counts. Go back to Yahoo! and enter "link:www.yourbusinessdomain.com" and review the number of results with the numbers from Marketleap in the first step. Note that Yahoo! orders the list by power, or the sites with the most links coming to them. Those sites are the most important to target and are likely to have a good page rank. At this point, you'll know how much work you have ahead of you. If it seems impossible, start by looking at the fifth step about keyword research to narrow down keyword selections and start again.

4. View source and "on page" SEO factors. Once you've found the top list to target, go to each of the sites and review the source code. That's done by selecting menu choice "View: Source" in Internet Explorer browsers and "View: Pagesource" in Firefox browsers. Make sure to review the title, description, meta and H1 tags on the sites. They should be programmed as discussed in my previous column, "10 Steps for Increasing Visibility Online." Some handy SEO tools can help you validate your work, including SearchStatus, a toolbar extension for Firefox and Mozilla, and SEO for Firefox. They can help you indicate quickly whether the competition is doing things right.

5. Perform keyword research. Use the search term suggestion tool at inventory.overture.com, which is one month behind in data results, and look for keywords and their permutations with a good search volume. Any number more than 20,000 to 30,000 is a good average. Continue looking at the tier 1-type terms until you spot an opportunity to build on. Use other tools like Google keyword tools, keyworddiscovery.com. Use the keywords you select in this step by adding pages to your site, a common SEO practice.

6. Consider conversion rates. Finally, visit the competitive sites and compare them with your own. Do they have content, flow and site structure that encourage conversion? Are the sites easy to navigate? Do they emphasize call-to-action statements like "download a white paper," "sign up for this newsletter" or "buy this product now"? Look to see if they are using long tail keywords, such as "mortgage loans for police officers in Los Angeles." If they are, then you should consider doing so, too. Misspellings in text on your page also can work, but be careful not to confuse your visitors. A little trick is to include them in a PDF or Word document. Search engines, specifically Google, spider PDF and Office documents.

Competitive research is a serious SEO exercise for gaining advantage online. Having the tools, capabilities and expertise are not enough; you also need to look at traditional media--print, radio and television--to learn what the competition is up to. Fight back with more pages, more content, improved design and source code, and more incoming links with diverse descriptions. Use tools like UrlTrends to track your progress and SpyFu to look at advertising costs, giving you an indicator of your competition's activity, spending and strategy.

Don't forget to open their spam e-mail marketing messages that you receive. You may learn something by studying that material, however painful. Also review what they send you through the regular mail and discover ways to improve your own campaigns, both offline and online.

Only an alert internet marketer with a keen eye toward the competition will win in today's online business space. Remember to use patience in the most competitive marketplaces and continue using what you've learned here.

Jon Rognerud is a recognized authority on the subject of search engine optimization and has spent more than 15 years developing websites and marketing solutions at companies like Overture and Yahoo!. His website provides a wealth of informative articles, resources and complimentary e-mail courses on everything you'll ever need to know about SEO and search marketing.

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Creations come to life at school

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Future scientists and inventors dropped marbles down water pipe insulation sleeves transformed into roller coasters, dodged acid rain on Planet Zack and assembled inventions at Hornung Elementary School last week.

School is out, but Camp Invention took over the Genoa Township school last week and brought it to life with students scurrying from one project to another. They took apart computers, hair dryers, VCRs and other household items and used those pieces to create their own inventions. They also worked in group settings to solve problems.

"I thought it would be cool if you could zap it at somebody and send them back in time," said Lauren Coughlin, who was creating her invention from an old hair dryer.

The Lindbom fifth-grader, wearing goggles, said she, of course, would only send people back in time if they wanted to go.

"I like taking things apart and seeing what's inside," she said.

Sophia Garner, camp director and a first-grade teacher at Hornung, said 109 children in grades 1-6 participated in the five-day camp that ran from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

The camp concluded Friday with each student showcasing an invention he or she made.

Garner said students rotated among five classrooms each day and worked on different tasks. They designed and created a roller coaster, built cars and tested them for safety using eggs as passengers, and were stranded on an imaginary planet and had to figure out a way to leave.

Garner said she's impressed with the students' problem-solving, working together and using their critical thinking.

"It's really interesting to sit and listen to them and how they should create these things," Garner said.

Sarah Hively, a Lindbom fifth-grader, decided to make an iPod with a computer.

"I like it here because it's so fun and it's not boring," she said.

Camp students C.J. LeClair, Connor Gordon and Riley McMahon sat at a table strewn with pieces of a computer and VCR.

They were building a "comoky," a computer and karaoke invention.

"I like taking stuff apart
and putting it back together," C.J. said. He took apart an old computer and was impressed with how complicated its interior was.

"It's amazing that somebody actually knows how to put something together like that," he said.

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Michigan Considers Extending Sales Tax to Service Industries

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Move to address state budget deficit and generate additional revenue could hurt small businesses, opponents say.

Michigan legislators are considering expanding the state sales tax to include businesses in the service industry as a way to generate added revenue for the state. With Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and a financial advisory panel scheduled to meet throughout the month to address a state budget deficit that is expected to be close to $1 billion for the current year—and possibly twice as large in 2008—many business owners are wary of how those discussions might affect them. If extended, the sales tax could be imposed on a large number of the 142 currently untaxed services in the state, including salons, dry cleaners and golf courses, and possibly even extend to legal and accounting services.

As with the broader U.S. economy, Michigan has seen a decades-long shift from an industrial economy toward a more service-oriented one. At the same time, the Michigan tax base has not been expanding and the state's tax revenues have been declining for the past six years. Given those changes, the sales tax in Michigan does not reflect the present structure of the economy, said Okan Kavuncu, an economist at Public Sector Consultants, a public policy firm in Lansing. "We have an uneven playing field right now," says Kavuncu.

Taxing services could bring in approximately $8.5 billion a year for the state, according to Kavuncu. "If the state taxed all services, it would be able to solve every single problem it is now having," he said, noting that he personally does not support extending the sales tax as the only solution.

Some business owners like Paul Hense, president of Hense and Associates, a CPA firm based in Grand Rapids, Mich., say the state shouldn’t be looking to them to make up the budget shortfall. "In these types of situations," Hense said, "we end up as a collection agency for the state."

Although Hense believes that a tax on his accounting services would not hurt his business, he expects opposition to the tax to gather momentum. "There's going to be a huge battle because the question is: the state needs the money, who are they going to get it from?" Hense said.

On January 10, Governor Granholm appointed an emergency financial advisory panel of former public officials to discuss new tax reform policies. In addition to confronting the state's fiscal crisis, lawmakers are feeling pressure from last year's repeal of the Single Business Tax (SBT), a value-added tax on businesses that will be phased out starting in 2007. While many in the business community pushed for the elimination of the SBT, the question remains of how to effectively replace the tax without hurting the entire business community.

Tricia Kinley, Director of Tax Policy and Economic Development at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, says the state is in need of some major tax restructuring, which she believes should be accompanied by government restructuring and a plan that will use tax payer's dollars more effectively. The Michigan Chamber has long objected to expanding the sales tax to cover services.

Kinley noted that the impact of such an expansion would not only increase costs for consumers, but also for business owners purchasing services for their company. The burden "will be disproportionate for small businesses," she said. Larger companies are more likely to be able to afford an in-house attorney and save on costs, for example, whereas smaller businesses generally retain outside legal help, putting those small businesses at a disadvantage when competing against other big businesses. Taxing more services "will drive up the cost of products that small businesses sell to consumers and might discourage customers from buying their products," Kinley said. Michigan businesses would also be at a competitive disadvantage with neighboring states, she added.

Granholm has not yet laid out her thoughts on the proposed tax, but has reportedly refused to rule it out. Business leaders say any move to extend the sales tax will likely face harsh public scrutiny and be challenged by small-business owners. "At the end of the day, it probably doesn't have enough support to pass on its own," said Robert Fowler, President and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan.

Granholm will announce her plan for solving the state budget crisis during her State of the State Address in early February.
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Choosing a Web Designer the Easy Way

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Choosing a Web Designer

When you choose a web designer, there are many things that you need to be aware of and that need to be taken into consideration before you make a decision.

To some extent, the ability to work successfully with your web designer is sometime as important as their actual skill in being able to deliver the project.

A web designer that is skilled in what they do but is a pain to deal with can make the whole process frustrating and not worth the money being spent, especially if you have an emotional attachment to the project (which you should have being the one supplying the money and motivation)

That relationship can be worth a large proportion of the contract.

However, there are some key things you need to consider.

Be careful in what you get for your money. Some possible pitfalls you may want to check on:

Obviously what do you get for your money

What is included? Design, Content, Search Engine Submission, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphic Design, Updates? You need to get these details so you can compare your quotes against each other. You also need to quantify some of these things in terms of quantity, hours, numbers search engines submitted to etc.

What are the ongoing costs?

All websites have ongoing costs. Web Hosting, Domain Names and updates are the main three. Make sure you know the total cost of your investment. Some companies offer lower up front costs to lock you into higher ongoing costs that end up costing you more. Some other things are SSL certificate costs, more bandwidth and web space.

How easy is it to incorporate your branding

Some template sites are hard to blend a logo or colours into them, be wary of template driven website companies, some of these people are skilled enough only to change the text on a template. Some designers design their sites from the ground up incorporating all of you design elements in their design. These companies offer the most flexibility.

How reliable is the services provided

With hosting and email, too much down time can make the whole experience unworkable. You don't want to have to change hosts after six months because your designer has provided you with a poor host. Some people rely heavily on email and these are the people that need to choose carefully so their business inst impacted.

What are the costs for making changes later on?

Updates and maintenance on your site is something that will eventually happen, even if you don't change the content frequently (see the Making Your Site Super Sticky Article for the benefits of this) you will eventually change some content and so you need to know what it will cost over a year.

Hidden costs

Make sure common things (like search engine submissions) are either not included or are an extra cost. Some key things can be omitted to keep the price down. Make sure you don't get sold short. An important one...is the web designer doing the job part time Are your web designers doing this as a full time job? Some designers are working during the day and then web designing at night. A lot of designers started out this way, but it can cause issues when you need something done and they don't do the job from 9-5.

If all these things check out then you have found someone who you can work with and provide you with a service that will get you your desired result.

Remember; choose a designer with the right skills, but also one you believe you can work with on an ongoing basis. Build a working relationship that will benefit you both and your web project will benefit as well.

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About the Author: Steven Gardner runs DeepWeb Web Design, a web design business that caters to all businesses looking to get an edge with their presence on the Web, providing web design, maintenance and consulting services. You can find him at www.deepweb.co.nz.

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10 Pointers for Crafting an Effective Advertorial

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There comes a time when all small businesses must pay for their publicity. They've exhausted their use of the press release. They've used up all of their feature story ideas. They've depleted their finances for direct-mail packages. Now they're left with one final marketing tool to generate hot leads and push their profits to the next level. It's advertising.

When you reach that point, it's not the time to think fancy. It's time to think response. Instead of the typical ads that you see in most publications--newspapers and magazines--think advertorial, the kind of ad that actually looks like a real news story or other editorial matter.

Advertorials generally have a good track record. They are to print what Infomercials are to TV. They may be corny to the uninformed but, like the TV informercials, they work just the same.

A Tip from Reader's Digest
In his classic advertising primer Tested Advertising Methods, John Caples rightfully noted that editorial-style ads get high reading. As an example, he referred to a test conducted by Reader's Digest, in which an ad for Adolph's Salt Substitute was designed to look like a magazine article. Here's what he said:

A split-run test of two mail order ads showed that an ad that looked like a magazine article pulled 81 percent more orders than the identical copy, set in ad-style.

Incredible, isn't it?

Copywriter Joe Vitale observed that "readers are up to 500 times more likely to read an advertorial than a straight ad." Results like that would compel me to at least try the advertorial.

Although much has been said about advertising in print media, it goes without saying that most of the concepts provided here will also apply to the Internet.

For instance, veteran copywriter Clayton Makepeace has been extremely successful in writing advertorials for the Internet. In an interview published in his newsletter, The Total Package (May 23, 2006), he surmised that effectiveness on the web was because people are used to receiving free information on the web. He explained:

If you begin a promotion that says, ‘Hey, here's my product. Isn't it beautiful?' You're really saying, ‘Hey, you know, if you read this I'm gonna try to sell you something.' Whereas, on the other hand, if you go in with an advertorial appeal and you talk to the person about fulfilling their desires or assuaging their fears or eliminating their frustration, by the time you get around to the sales copy, you're their friend and advocate instead of a salesman trying to get them to sign the dotted line.

A Good Example
When was the last time you saw a good advertorial written for a small business? In my own case, I see few on the local level but dozens on the national level that appear primarily in business opportunity magazines.

However, there was one I saw a while back that caught my eye. It was for a nonprofit organization, Food For The Poor of Deerfield Beach, Fla. The advertorial appeared as a full-page ad in Christianity Today (December 2000). While I don't know the results of its response, I'm willing to bet that it was a good one.

You see, the ad looks and feel like the other articles appearing in that magazine. It has two strong headlines, a byline, three photos, and a NO logo. And that's the secret. To look like an article, your advertorial must be of a size that's similar to the actual editorial copy.

Would you like to try your hand at developing a good advertorial? Then remember these factors:

1. Study the publication in which your ad will appear. Get a sense of its style. Check out the competition--the kind of ads they use. Look at the typeface and size of the type. Study the headlines and graphics. Then, as much as possible, try to model your ad after those articles.

2. Inquire about the policy on advertorials. Some publications frown on ads that look like their editorial copy. As a result, they insist that ads have some noticeable differences. OK, that's understood. If you must use a different typeface or font, so be it. But you can still make your piece look like an article.

As a rule, most publications will require the word "advertisement" printed in small letters at the top or bottom of your ad. Some will only use such ads in special sections.

3. Determine an appropriate size. To look like an article, your advertorial must be of a size that's similar to the actual editorial copy. Ideally, you'd want it to be a full or half-page in magazines. In newspapers, consider nothing smaller than a quarter page (unless, of course, you can only afford something smaller).

4. Write a suitable headline. Unlike the headlines in your brochures and direct-mail pieces, a suitable advertorial headline is one that is newsy or very similar to those in the publication in which it appears. In the typical newspaper, you won't see a headline loaded with fluff or superlatives that brag about an organization. Instead, you see headlines that are simple and straightforward. Food For The Poor used: "Poor Families Rely On Trash For Food Clothing-- Survival."

At the bottom, another headline appears: "Food For The Poor's Outreach Creates Hope Among Riverton's ‘Dump Dwellers.'" You might consider borrowing headlines from your press releases.

5. Use a byline. That gives it credibility, particularly if the name is recognized by readers. Pen names also are useful. Even if it's not well-known, the appearance of a byline will suggest that the piece was "authored." Food For The Poor uses "Special Report by Geraldine Hemmings."

6. Use photos with captions. Captions do not appear in the Food For The Poor's ad. But typically, an advertorial is stronger when its photos have some kind of caption written underneath, like those you see in newspapers. As with the "article," include a byline for the photographer.

7. Open and close with a bang. As with all forms of good communication, your lead paragraph should hook the reader--just like the articles in the publication you've chosen. Don't forget to close with something that moves the reader to action.

8. Sprinkle with quotes. Enliven your piece with quotes from real people, real experts. Use the quotes as testimonials or to back up certain claims. Insert them throughout your copy. Use them the way a typical journalist would.

9. Break up copy with subheads. Depending on the length of your copy, subheads can make the material more reader-friendly. Use them to draw attention to crucial parts in your ad.

10. Include the "call to action" and contact information. Your piece may look like an article, but it still is an ad. For that reason, don't slack in calling the prospect to action. Create a sense of urgency and tell them exactly what you want them to do--and when!

You may or may not use a coupon (and you probably shouldn't), but if you do, include contact information on both the coupon and in the copy of the ad. That way, if the coupon is torn out and another person reads the publication, he or she may still have access to your organization.

With these ideas in mind, you should be able to create a winning advertorial. Examine your budget and see if you can't test an idea. Start small--with small publications or small ads--and work your way up.

To learn more about other direct-response advertising tools, read Direct Response Advertising Made Easy from EntrepreneurPress.com.

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