Blog Tag: SEO

4 SEO Lessons of 2012

April 16, 2013

Attention RTV virtual tour providers! SEO changed completely in 2012 starting with the Penguin update released in the early spring.

As websites were still recovering and finding their way around the new algorithm, Google then released the EMD update.

The rest of the year provoked even more scurry as refreshes were made to the Panda and Penguin updates.

If you look at 2012 as a trial, then look at 2013 as a chance to do SEO the right way. Most of Google’s updates are applied to keep the search results fair and authentic. Here are 4 lessons that 2012 taught us about search engine optimization.

Longtail Keywords Are Good

Once upon a time, single keywords were all the rage but if you still use them, you are in for a shock. Longtail keywords are your friend.

The Penguin release aimed to penalize those who used keywords too much. This is easy to do with single ones but much harder with longtail options, especially when you use many in high quality content.

In fact, this will also help increase your traffic since 50% is from longtail searches.

To learn in 2013: opt for the longtail words that are commonly ignored and have high quality content. This will avoid penalties for over-optimization and increase the traffic to your website.

White Hat Is Your Friend in the virtual tour business!!

Thanks to the updates to Google’s algorithm, black hat search engine optimization techniques are out and white hat techniques are in.

Black hat techniques simply gamed the system by using blog networks, questionable techniques for building links and spinning content. These will hurt your SEO campaign if you use them in 2013.

However, it does not mean that you can post some content that is high in quality and then sit back. You need to be more active.

Instead of buying links to your website, opt for some guest posting. There are also infographic campaigns that will help.

But it takes a lot of time, right? Unfortunately yes, and it can cost more money, but this is worth it when it lasts longer and you are rewarded for your efforts.

To learn in 2013: Black hat techniques will not work. If you want to be on the first page of Google permanently, you need to implement white hat SEO techniques.

New PR May Not be Relevant

Former members of Google’s Search Quality Team released information regarding the PageRank on October 15, 2012.

While so many people obsess with PageRank, this is not as important to the search. It is about the quality of links and where they come from. It may sound strange but there is thought behind this.

Those with back links from PR0 or PR1 sites that are in close proximity to their niche are more likely to increase their positioning in searches than those posting on PR6 sites with no correlation.

To learn in 2013: Stop looking at the PageRank of websites when looking for back links and focus your efforts on whether they are related to your niche.

Develop a Real Internet Marketing Strategy

True internet marketers will dominate the web in 2013. These are people who create content that is buzzworthy and make people want to link naturally all the time and share with their friends.

Search engine optimization is no longer about automated software to help rank 100+ websites. Those who live in a bubble simply will not survive.

There are now many marketers who are looking away from the traditional techniques for search engine optimization and looking at the old school tactics to increase outreach. This natural approach to targeting specific traffic, sharing through social media and opting for high quality links is exactly what Google is looking for.

Too many people found a comfort in the traditional techniques for SEO but it is time to step out of that bubble and build relationships and your brand. Marketing is the best way forward.

To learn in 2013: Practice the real marketing techniques to build social shares and links.

If KM3 Media can help you determine more about online marketing, please email us, call us, or visit our website. We would love to help!

Kyle Murphy
Owner / Virtual Tour Provider
KM360 Virtual Tours
SLO Virtual Tours – A Sacramento Virtual Tour Company
Order a Virtual Tour: 916-517-0029

Local Search Engine Optimization For Businesses

January 22, 2013

With the emergence and dominance of the internet as a global marketplace, it’s more important than ever for small businesses to find a way to stand out. For example, if you’re a small retail store, how do you compete with a giant monster like Wal-Mart. It’s certainly not going to be with some fancy web design. But you definitely can increase your chances of success by taking advantage of SEO, particularly Local SEO. Have you considered using virtual tours or interactive virtual media for your site?

Here are five reasons why your Search Engine Optimization Strategy needs Local SEO:

Front Page Google Results

Everyone wants to be on the front page of Google. Most SEO and web design firms try to make that promise to all of their clients. But the fact of the matter is that Google is starting to promote local search results in their prime real estate areas. This means that a traditional SEO campaign that doesn’t utilize the principles of Local SEO is likely to miss the front page entirely.

Trust and Authenticity

Because unscrupulous businesses and people can mask their true identities and intentions on the internet, it’s becoming increasingly important as a business to show that you are indeed authentic and trustworthy. By having a Google+ and Facebook page for your small business that includes maps, address verification, reviews, images and videos, you gain trust while also providing Local SEO content that helps you get found.

Get Found by People on the Go

More and more people are using their mobile devices while they’re out and about to find places to go and things to buy. This means you should adapt your traditional web design to a mobile device to make sure prospective customers can find you. Essentially, people’s mobile devices are their connection to outside world and because of these device’s location services, they’re going to point buyers in the direction of what’s the closest. Again, a search engine optimization strategy that embraces Local SEO is what’s going to help you capture those sales.

Close More Sales

When choosing between multiple places, people tend to pick whichever one is closest. But if you are using traditional SEO instead of Local SEO, the people who would normally flock to your business may not even know you’re there. Again, this is where making sure your web design and search engine optimization strategies are compatible with location-sensitive mobile devices.

It’s Easy

People want to support small and local businesses, but they have to be able to find you first. It’s surprisingly easy to make this happen by simply claiming, verifying and building a presence in Google+, Yahoo and Bing. Start engaging with your Facebook audience and encourage customers to write reviews about your product or service. All of these contribute to Local SEO and result in you getting found and getting more business.

If you have any questions, please contact us below.

Kyle Murphy
Owner / Virtual Tour Provider
KM360 Virtual Tours
SLO Virtual Tours – A Sacramento Virtual Tour Company
Order a Virtual Tour: 805.709.5577

Google Juice and the Art of SEO

May 31, 2011

Ahhh, Google Juice. That glorious feeling of doing a Google search for your keywords and turning up on page one. Or better yet, number one page one.

Recently, I was asked to give a presentation to a local real estate company on why they need social media. They gave me 20 minutes. I only needed five.

First I showed them a quick video I had prepared on Canadian social media statistics, and secondly (and my favorite) I opened a web browser, brought up Google and did a search on my (secondary) keywords. “Nova Scotia social media consultant”. Go ahead… do it. We DOMINATE page one. (insert grin) I told them, “The last thing I do each night is visit Google Analytics to measure the traffic to my site, clear my cache (to get a true reading) and perform (yet another) search for my keywords.” It’s true. My routine. The LAST thing I do each night. One particularly outspoken (and fun) guy in the group said, “Get a life”. *Note: my primary keywords are “Nova Scotia virtual tours“. We’re ranking well with these too.

I bet I’m not alone. It’s said that the driving force behind the success of Facebook is vanity. I completely relate. And there is something COMPLETELY satisfying about “the feeling” of being in “control” of your Google ranking.

So… What’s my secret?
•    First of all, admittedly (and luckily) there is not a lot of competition for my keywords. (Whew!)
•    Second, you will notice a lot of links to my various social media profiles. Twitter – Nancy Bain LinkedIn – Nancy Bain, Activerain – Nancy Bain , and my favorite, Facebook – Nova Scotia Virtual Tours Each of my social media accounts are optimized for my keywords. Yours should be too.
•    And finally – I employ a little SEO.
What is SEO? Search engine optimization is the art making small modifications to parts of your website that could have a noticeable impact on your site’s user experience and performance in organic search results. SEO is a quest for increased visibility in search engines via relevant copy, quality links, domain trust, social popularity and search engine connectivity.

Here are a couple of guides that helped me with SEO:

Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

SEOmoz The Beginners Guide to SEO

Join Supernova Studios e-Club to download our SEO Guide and receive our monthly newsletter.

Getting (long term) traffic from Google is about KEYWORDS and LINKS. It’s about being relevant enough for a keyword search, and being trusted enough to rank for it.

To help improve your sites ranking:
•    Use “Geo Keywords” in all your title tags and make sure each page has a unique title
•    Make sure your meta-descriptions are unique and reference copy you have on your pages
•    Link your pages to one another. Links are like lasers. When you link to a page, you heat the page you are linking to
•    Make sure you use unique original copy. Google favors diversity
•    Get quality inbound links. Google considers an inbound link from an authority site as a “vote” for your page
•    Read Google Webmaster Guidelines and make sure you comply but do not use “Google Submit Your Site” to submit your site. Google prefers to find a link to your site on a site it already knows. 
•    Setup your Google Places account immediately. Read our blog for instructions.
•    If you are totally lost, contact us.

What is a keyword? And specifically “geo” keywords.

When you’re looking for a great pizza in a town you’ll be visiting next week, you do what millions of other people do. You go to Google and type in “Pizza, any town” You ALWAYS include the town/city/location. That’s the “geo” in geo-keywords. Note my keywords “Nova Scotia social media consultant” Someone in Nova Scotia searching for my services would (hopefully) perform a search using my keywords. Or possibly “Nova Scotia social media trainer”. My site is optimized using these keywords. Specific pages http://www.supernovastudios.ca/social-media-consulting-training  within my site are optimized for various synomyms of my keywords.

What is a “quality inbound link”?

Inbound links are links from pages on external sites linking back to your site. Inbound links can bring new users to your site, and when the links are an authority source, they’re also a positive signals to Google about your site’s importance.

How can I get “quality inbound links”

Create Good Content: Nothing will serve you better when it comes to inbound links, and many other areas of your site, than creating good content. Writing an insightful blog post or creating a useful template or presentation will not only lead people to link to your site, but also drive traffic and build equity in your site and brand.

Directories can be a great inbound link source. Focus on local/industry-specific options if available.

Vendors/Suppliers These people or groups have a vested interest in helping you succeed. Explain to them that you’re trying to increase your exposure on the web and that this will in turn help them as well.

Business Allies Business allies can include any type of business partner that you’ve worked or networked with that isn’t a direct competitor.

Sponsorships / Charities / Associations If you serve on a Board, have made a significant contribution to a charity or are a member of an association, these groups are looking for ways to thank you and provide value in return — especially if it doesn’t cost them any money.

Sure hope this helps, I’d be interested to hear from you about your results. Changing your page titles to include your Geo-keywords will take 5 minutes. Do it! Measure your traffic today and compare in 2 weeks. You can thank me then.

To your success! (unless of course we have the same keywords!) wink…

—
Supernova Studios
The very best Nova Scotia Virtual Tours
Riverport, NS, B0J 2W0

Phone 902-766-TOUR (8687)
Toll Free 1-877-745-TOUR (8687)
Fax 902-766-4489

Marketing Facebook | Quick Tips From KM360 Tours

March 16, 2011

There are now over 132 million users on Facebook in the US, climbing to almost 1/2 the population! This is incredible. Inbound Marketing such as SEO & Social; Media are allowing for cheaper and more effective marketing potential than ever before.

Common Questions

 1. Should I Have Two Profiles? One for Business, One for Personal?
You don’t need to have a separate account for your business. Many of us already have a personal profile and by creating a whole new profile for your business, you are risking Facebook shutting your account down. The complications involved in handling two separate profiles will also add to the confusion, making your life one step crazier than it already is. Facebook does not want to complicate things for you. Yes, there are a few steps and account settings you will need to make so your Friends aren’t seeing your advertisements and your Boss isn’t reading about changing baby diapers… Which brings us to our next Do-Do.

 2. So How Do I Get My Virtual Tour Business on Facebook?
Create a Page within your Profile. Don’t fear, anything you can do with a profile can also be done with a page. Keep this simple reminder: Profiles are meant for people, and pages are meant for business. Profiles require “accept”ance and businesses can get “liked” by anyone. The [business] Page(s) also come with analytics so you can evaluate marketing effectiveness.

 3. I Don’t Want Negative Comments, Should I Restrict Access to My Wall Postings?
Absolutely not. This is your chance to fix something and make it right. The whole point of the page is to interact with your community and allow comments. The good news is that this is happening on your turf, so you have the chance to respond and uphold a reputation worth standing up for. Chances are the good will outweigh the bad. Every time someone leaves a comment, whether good or bad, that interaction is spread between both your network and theirs. Everyone has heard the phrase, “There is no such thing as bad press.”

The Best Way To Build Customers
1. Put an easy to find “Like” link towards the top of your website or blog
2. Create engaging, sharable, and current content; it may show up in newsfeeds
3. Use the Wall to interact and connect, NOT to promote
4. Fans are looking for an ‘insider’ feeling from Facebook:
•    Offer tips about your industry that apply to buyers
•    Offer discounts, promos, special deals of the day
•    sweepstakes, games, contests
5. People become fans because:
•    They liked your website
•    They saw an ad that caught their attention
•    A friend (or current fan) recommended them

When To Post
Studies have shown posting on the weekend and in the mornings is optimum for getting a lot more engagement for your page. Facebook is very much the kind of thing you do after you get home from work and during the weekend when you have more free time. According to the study, optimal posting frequency is about once every other day.  This way you are keeping a consistency with your audience without inundating them too much.

If you would like to know more about SEO & Social Media Marketing or to check out our HD Virtual Tours, please visit our website or call 805.709.5577

Kyle Murphy
KM360 Virtual Tours
San Luis Obispo Virtual Tours | SEO Video Internet Marketing
www.KM360Tours.com
Order a San Luis Obispo Virtual Tour today: 805-709-5577

Does Your Website Bring You Top ROI?

October 27, 2010

Google is following a new kind of way to validate your virtual tour webpage rank. There is no longer just good content and a set of keywords that make people link to your webpage. Business now requires that business are more creative creating multimedia, posting in You-tube, placing photos on Flikr and tagging this multimedia as much as possible.

There is another problem since there is a new SERP on the left corner of the search page. This really distracts users from the rest of the first page. It is extremely important to be in the first rows to obtain attention to your webpage.

The best way to achieve this will be to place as much content as possible on the different places of the Internet like YouTube, twitter, Flicker, etc. It is important to respond as quickly as possible to the comments and critics of your clients.

This is what will keep them coming to your place and increasing your SEO. If you need advice on how to increase the presence of your business on the Internet, you need to be in contact with those that really can help you get there by creating for you your own webpage and helping you find the right keywords and produce the multimedia that your business requires. Here are some results that might help you understand the advantage of good SEO. Section www.virtualfloridarealtours.com

Website Grade
83
Moz Rank
4
Google Indexed Pages
35
Traffic Rank
5,049,414
Blog Grade
97
Inbound Links
252

Finally, which statistics you should be looking at?
There are hundreds of numbers related to your website performance, the most important are:
1. The number of visitors (new and returning)
2. How many of those visitors become leads? Specially, what is the rate of visitors to leads?
3. The rank of your page. Google will rank your page between 1 and 10 based on a group of characteristics that you have to address.
4. You need to know which keywords are scoring better and if they are going up or down.
So how you can do this? It can sound as a monumental task, but in reality is an obtainable goal. To increase your presence on the Internet you need some knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Our personnel at Virtual Florida Tours are trained to help you optimize your internet presence allowing your company to increase the number of leads. To get help on your webpage optimization, do not hesitate it not more. Contact our specialists or simply make a phone call to 305 331 8960, help is just a phone call away.

Gabriel Duque
http://virtualfloridarealtours.com
Order a virtual tour today: 305 331 8960
Using the finest virtual tour software