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SEO – What is Search Engine Optimization and How it Can Benefit Your Business

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization, which is also known as SEO, is the process of increasing the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines via organic or search results through the help also with a freelance SEO consultant Sydney. The higher your company’s website ranks on Search Engine Result Page (SERP), the more searchers will visit your site.

As a marketing strategy for increasing site’s relevance, SEO consultants consider how search algorithms work and what people search for. A SEO process may involve a site’s coding and structure, content and copywriting, site presentation, as well as fixing other problems that will prevent search engines from indexing your company website. If your company’s website is not indexed by search engines, there will be no chance at all for your site to get high visibility rankings on search engines. Therefore, it is extremely important for businesses to take note of SEO and make sure that their websites are properly indexed by search engines.

The term “SEO” can also refer to “Search Engine Optimizer”. This is an industry term that refers to agencies and consultants that carry out search engine optimization process on behalf of their clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in-house. Every agency and consultant has their own SEO methodology; therefore they may use different methods to achieve high organic rankings for websites. In most cases, in order to have effective SEO, it may require changes to the HTML source code of a site, SEO tactics will be incorporated into website development and design. That is why almost all credible SEO agencies and consultants will first look at the design and back-end architecture of a website before starting any SEO process. This will ensure that SEO is carried out effectively.

Search Engine Optimization as a Marketing Strategy for Businesses

So how should businesses use SEO as a marketing strategy? The primary objective of implementing SEO to a company’s website is to drive targeted traffic to it. Eye tracking studies have shown that searchers scan a search result from top to bottom and left to right, looking for relevant results. Therefore, if your site is near the top of organic listings rankings (organic listings refer to the web results that are listed on the left hand side of the SERP), it will most likely increases the number of searchers who will visit your site.

A successful online marketing campaign may usually involve SEO, but it also consists of the use of paid advertising on search engines, building high quality websites to engage and persuade site visitors take action either through enquiries or online sales, setting up analytic programs to allow site owners to measure their successes and improving a site’s conversion rate.

Benefits of SEO for Businesses

Businesses can benefit from SEO in a lot of ways, be it to increase brand awareness, get sales leads or increase sales revenue. The following is a list of benefits that businesses can get from SEO:

o Get more targeted traffic. SEO can increase the number of visitors to your site who are actively searching for your product or service.

o Increase brand awareness. SEO can give your brand a high international profile. You can also use SEO to create brand awareness for any new service or product by optimizing related product/service key phrases to rank higher on search engines.

o Marketing your brand 24/7. With SEO, your website will get exposure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – without stopping.

o Higher sales. As SEO brings you targeted traffic, it can mean increased sales of your product or service.

o Long term positioning. Once a properly optimized & designed site is in place, rankings on organic listings should be consistent whereas the cost for Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising is ongoing.

o More value for dollars. Once your company’s website has achieved high organic rankings for various key phrases, you will not have to pay for each visit. Whereas for PPC Advertising, to enjoy high ranking visibility on search engines, you need to pay for each click or visit to your site.

However, to make sure that you have a successful SEO implementation, you need to make sure that your dedicated SEO agency abides to the guidelines of search engine when optimizing your site…

White Hat SEO VS Black Hat SEO

When it comes to SEO, there are 2 schools of thoughts – White Hat SEO vs Black Hat SEO. White hat SEO is techniques that search engines recommend as good practice and black hat SEO is those techniques that search engines do not approve of. For SEO consultants who practise white hat SEO, they tend to produce results that last a long time. Black hat SEO techniques may get a website to rank well initially, but the site will eventually be banned either temporary or permanently once search engines discover what they are doing.

So it is very important for you to know the best practices in the SEO industry and make sure that the SEO agency that is handling your account uses techniques that conform to the search engines’ guidelines and involves no deception.

White hat technique is generally summed up as creating content for users, not the search engines. The content that is created should be easily accessible to search engine spiders, rather than intending to trick the algorithms from its intended purpose. So, the general rule of thumb is to stay on the safe side by creating content that is relevant to your target audience. Search engines value relevancy – they will definitely want to rank a site higher their organic listings if the content on the site is what searchers are looking for.

Black hat technique usually involves techniques that attempt to improve rankings that are disapproved by search engines, or involve deception. One common black hat technique is to use hidden text, either as text coloured similar to the background of the website, or positioned off-screen. Another common technique known as cloaking is to load a different page depending on whether the page is accessed by a human or a search engine spider.

Search engines will penalize sites which use black hat techniques, either by reducing their organic rankings or even eliminating them from their database completely. This is a very costly mistake on the business point of view as you will lose out a lot of grounds as your competitors are enjoying free organic traffic from search engines due to their high rankings for major key phrases. One infamous example was in February 2006, whereby Google removed BMW Germany from its database for use of black hat methods. However, the company has quickly apologised and cleaned up the offending pages and were eventually restored to Google’s database.

Therefore, it is very important to make sure that your SEO agency is moving away from black hat methods. You will not want to be blacklisted by search engines which will translate into loss in sales and profits.

Keyword Research – The Key Factor to Successful SEO Implementation

Major search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN Live and AOL get a lot of searches every day. Before you implement SEO to your website, you must know what key phrases or keywords your target audience is using to search for the product or service that you offer.

Whether you like it or not, there is a good chance that many people have never heard of your company. These people might be your customers, if only they can find you on search engines and buying from you. It is well accepted that building awareness is the first step to land a new customer. For example, when someone sees a TV advertisement about that new car, you hope that he or she is in the market for a car at the moment. However, relatively few people are in that situation at any one time. Majority of people who saw the TV advertisement have no interest in buying a car at the moment. But someday they will. So advertisers know that the messages – the model of the car and company name in their commercials will stick in viewers’ minds, who might remember the message later when they are ready to buy a car. It is the same for SEO.

Searchers might not know that your company offers a particular product or service unless they see your site listed on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP). Unless they see your listings, they will not think of you. Most of the time, searchers looking for a product or service for the first time might not be aware of any specific company or brand name as they are just gathering information. However, according to a research done by search marketing consultancy iProspect, more than 55 percent of searchers expect to see big brands listed at the top of search results. The same study also shows that over 66 percent of searchers believe that sites that are listed at the top of search results are the top companies in their field. So can you imagine how this affects your company’s brand awareness? If your company’s website is not listed at the top of search results, they will not see your company as a “big brand” in their mind. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to optimize keywords or key phrases that your target prospects will use to find the product or service that you are offering.

So what types of keywords or key phrases should you choose? Businesses should target keywords that are relevant to the content of their websites. Basically, keywords can be categorized into 3 types, which are: “Too Hot Keywords”, “Just Right Keywords”, and “Too Cold Keywords”. Too Hot keywords are single word search terms like “Aircon” and “Translation” which do not seem to be targeted enough to get conversions. These keywords usually bring in high search volume (which is naturally tempting to optimize) but the conversion may not be as ideal as targeting keywords which falls into the “Just Right” category. (For examples: Aircon Servicing, Translation Agency Singapore”) By optimizing those “Just Right” keywords, businesses can get more targeted traffic to their websites and increase the chance of conversions.

Choosing the right keywords is the real beginning of any SEO effort. After you have determined the right set of keywords to target, you can start the work of search engine optimization.

Why do you need to outsource SEO?

SEO is a very time-consuming process as continual fine-tuning and monitoring need to be done. Therefore, it is advisable for you to hire a search engine optimization agency to plan out the optimization plan for your company.

A professional SEO agency will look at your site and make recommendations to increase your search engine ranking and website traffic. Once they start to optimize your website, they will provide recommendations and monitoring reports for you to know the progress of it.

Last but not least, in order to achieve successful optimization results, it is very important for your SEO agency to work closely with your website designer if you have your own IT department. This is because your company website needs to be both visually appealing and search engine friendly in order to achieve high organic rankings, as well as conversions.

Cheow Yu Yuan is the co-founder of OOm, an online marketing agency that provides SEO Singapore services.

Check out more about SEO at http://www.optimalonlinemarketing.com

Please feel free to republish this article on your website, or distribute it to your friends or clients, as long as you leave the resource box intact.

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5 Tips to Keep Your Car Looking Great

Some people made a wise decision in choosing car paint protection Adelaide, others are afraid of the risk will regret it. Having a car is convenient, but it takes a lot of responsibility to be a good owner. As with all material things, a car deteriorates over time. But if you know the proper way of taking care of it, you beloved vehicle will stay pretty and reliable much longer than an average car does. It takes some sacrifice, and a great deal of patience, but then you decide it’s time for a replacement, you will find that all your sacrifice will pay off when you try to resell it. So how do you keep your car looking great? Here are 5 tips.

Avoid scratches as much as possible. Are you the type who mindlessly drives against those bushes along your driveway? Then you should be reading this. Scratches are the biggest enemy to your car’s finish. Avoiding scratches is the best way to keep your car finish looking great. Although your paint is made to last some minor torture, that dirt and grime on the car’s surface needs to be rinsed off first with running water before you ever start washing it. Why because some of that dirt can be abrasive, and when rubbed against the surface, it may cause deep scratches. Anything that comes in contact with your car’s finish should be soft – like fresh clean water, wash mitt and chamois.

Protect your car against the elements. Where do you keep your car parked? To maintain its beauty, try to keep it parked in a garage or covered area. If you do not have a garage, then the use of a car cover is recommended. Exposing your car to direct sunlight all the time will cause significant fading of its paint. Sometimes, due to extreme changes in weather (extreme heat to rain to near-freezing temperatures) can make your car paint fade in severe cases the clear coat can fail and peel – and that’s the end of your beautiful car finish. One more thing you must remember – never park your car under a tree, where tree sap can drip on the surface, or under power lines where birds love to perch on. Tree sap and bird droppings, plus petrified bugs on the windshield can do much damage to the car’s paint and glass. Anything that was once organic will oxidize and leave a lasting mark on your car finish – so take it off asap, and don’t let it marinate on your car.

Always maintain a good coat of wax or paint sealant. Keeping a coat of wax on your car will prevent minor scratches, plus it also protects the car against the elements. Even if bird does their thing on top of your car, the paint is less likely to incur damage, since there is a coat of protection to prevent the preventable. Even too much sunlight will not affect a waxed as much as a non-waxed one. Think of it as some sort of sunscreen for your car. Wax your car every three to six months depending on the was/sealant (too much waxing is not recommended also) Cars that are parked under direct sunlight need to be waxed more often to maintain the shine and sheen of the car.

Keep the interior clean – always. Nothing is more pretentious than a car that is so shiny and clean outside, but extremely dirty inside! It’s like a woman who is so physically pretty but ugly deep inside. A car’s interior is just as important as a car’s exterior where appearance is concerned. Fabric covered car seats and car mats can be cleaned with an interior brush to remove dirt particles, then vacuumed. Vinyl or leather seats may be cleaned with a mild commercial detergent or leather cleanser. Clean the interior windows with a commercial glass cleanser. Keep the dashboard spic and span too by vacuuming the nooks and crannies, as well as wiping it with a mild cleanser. Some people even use leather conditioner for leather-lined dashboards. The dashboard takes the blunt of dirt and dust since it’s one of the most exposed and used parts of the car. Besides, all those crevices do have a tendency to gather plenty of dust and dirt. Keep the seats free from rubbish and food crumbs also, as these greatly diminish the beauty of your car.

Detail your car. By detailing, we mean extremely thorough cleaning, polishing and waxing of an automobile, both inside and out, to produce a show-quality level of detail. Besides improving appearance, detailing helps to preserve resale value of a car.When your car is subject to tough conditions, wash your car every 2 weeks – and this is the minimum. Never use dish washing detergent to wash your car with, as these remove the wax coating you spent hours putting on.. Use a PH Neutral car shampoo. Use clean water to rinse your car with, and then dry with a chamois to avoid smears or streaks. And don’t ignore the tires, because the true mark of a serious car owner is attention to all details. Scrub the tires with a brush, then give it a coat of tire shine to make it really stand out. The tire shine also prevents your tiers from going brown. Keep it looking new!

A clean car will be a sight to behold, so keep it looking shiny, bright and pretty. A beautiful-looking car says much about its owner.

Tim is the Owner of Northern Beaches Car Detailing [http://www.northernbeachescardetailing.com/]

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Online Ski Lessons – 7 Ski Techniques to Learn to Ski Well

This is why heli skiing Canada has become a popular thrill-seeking adventure, attracting more skiers and snowboarders every year, from first-timers to expert free-riders. The following fundamental drills are foundational to learn to ski well. While there are a variety of ski techniques, all use these 7 basics in one form or another. This is by no means an exhaustive list of exercises or drills, but they are the roots to learning to ski. Downhill skiing must of course be learned on the ski slopes. The following text will give you context, descriptions, and metaphors to give you a better understanding both before and after you actually ski.

ONE: Skiing On One Ski

If you’ve seen the Karate Kid, you’ll remember how Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel that he “must first learn balance!” Now, you won’t need to stand at the bow of a row boat or get pummeled by ocean waves (you can if you wish). You will, however, need to practice skiing on one ski. Start on easy terrain such as the beginner’s area, and slowly traverse across the hill lifting up one leg. Do this until you are comfortable with either leg raised. Practice both legs equally. Simply cross the hill back and forth, gently descending. Next, when you’re comfortable, start straightening out your turns more directly downhill. Practice this drill in small increments. It may be awkward at first, but you’ll improve rapidly.

TWO: Skating

This drill is exactly what it sounds like – skating. Just as in ice skating, you push off one inside edge of your skate to the other to move forward. You’ll just do this with skis on. On gentle terrain, push off the inside edges of your skis to propel/push yourself forward. You’ll notice that your skies with naturally form a V allowing you to push from the back (somewhat) to create the forward momentum.

Why do this? It will help your body position, which is critical in order to Ski Great! It will also help you feel the pressure and edge of your skis. You want your skis to become an extension of your body. Just as a tennis racket is an extension of Andre Agassi or a golf club of Tiger Woods, you need to feel, know, and trust your skis.

THREE: Side Slipping

This drill is also just as it sounds. You’ll be slipping down the hill sideways. Don’t worry – it’s not as scary as it sounds. Simply stand perpendicular on the hill (so you’re facing the woods or the side of the hill). The edges of your skis, which you can feel really well because you’ve practiced “Skating,” will hold you in place. While on gentle terrain, slowly flatten your skis by relaxing your ankles to the point where you start “slipping” sideways downhill. Let yourself slip side away. Tighten your ankles to stop. Then start again. Practice this exercise facing both ways. Next – have a little fun and try slipping slightly forward by pressing your toes down while you flatten your skis. To slip backwards, lift your toes up. Once comfortable with this, try it on steeper terrain.

FOUR: Stepping

We do this every day when we walk down the street. We put one foot in front of the other. We don’t lean too far forward or tilt backward – we walk in perfect balance. With this drill, you’ll just be walking with skis on. On gentle terrain, try stepping through a turn. Traverse slowly across the slope and prepare to step through another turn. What you’re doing in this exercise in training your body to lean forward (just like you do when you take a step). Just as you lean forward to begin walking down the street in perfect balance, you need to lean forward to get your body down the hill, while maintaining balance. Not an easy exercise to illustrate, but imagine taking tiny baby steps around a corner. You want your skis to stay parallel – avoid the “snow plow.” While the snow plow turn (also known as the wedge) may be helpful to brand new, or nervous skiers, stepping is “just as easy to learn.” The stepping exercise has the added benefits of not encouraging bad habits and helps you to learn to ski better faster.

FIVE: Shuffling Skis

This lesson is similar to “Stepping,” except your skis are kept on the snow. Start by sliding one ski forward and the other back. It will be similar to Cross-Country skiing or using a NordicTrack Skier. On gentle terrain, shuffle your skis back and forth as you traverse the slope. You want to train your body (your hips specifically) to stay directly above your feet.

When your hips are positioned above your feet, you have optimum control of your body and skis.

SIX: Rail Road Tracks

This is a bit more of an advanced drill that will take your skiing to new heights. Essentially you want to ski on the edges of your skis (by shifting your ankles) so you leave rail-road-track-like marks in the snow. Start with wide a parallel stance tipping both ankles and knees while simultaneously engaging your ski edges. Traverse gentle across the slope, back and forth. This should be done on gentle terrain.

SEVEN: Pivot Flat Ski

This is the most difficult exercise, but has the greatest rewards for you. Master this and your skiing will skyrocket! Start perpendicular on the hill (like you do with the “Side Slipping” technique), but release the edge of your skis by leaning your upper body across and over your skis – rather than relaxing your ankles. This body positioning will force your skis to flatten naturally. Once you feel your skis start to move, steer your feet so you swivel and face the opposite direction. Repeat and turn in the other direction. Try doing this with as little forward momentum as possible. It takes practice, but will give you the skills to ski virtually any terrain – trees, bumps, powder…etc. Own it!

For photos of the above exercises visit Online Ski Lessons

Theodore P. Olson
Editor-in-Chief, http://www.SkiGreat.com
Learn to Ski – Online

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Theodore_Olson/52325

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