Google’s new Penguin update has been a cause of concern for many businesses, particularly those who rely heavily on SEO usage on their website to engage customers and generate revenue. Google released Penguin as a follow-up to Panda. The aim is to stop the issue of widespread use of spam links and words which serve to boost the Google rating of websites with poor content, to taking away from well-built sites with high quality content. In short, Penguin is Google’s way of making search results more relevant by getting rid of search related spam. Penguin’s primary focus is on sites that overuse keyword or SEO (Search Engine Optimization) terms, and anchor-text links. Use of these has long been recognized as an effective way of increasing Google rankings, even if a site had little relevant content.

So, what does this mean for you? Using Google Analytics is a good way to see where your traffic is coming from, and if this has changed. Don’t just analyze your Google traffic, look at all traffic streams.

Your site should not be affected if it:

*Does not over-use SEO words (less than half your traffic comes from high-volume key words)

*Does not have spam links, hidden links, or what Google term “unnatural links”. Google haven’t given any specific figures, but as a guide, no more than 10% of links should have a key-word anchor; with another 10-20% of links being able to have related anchor text

*Does not have hidden text or links, such as white writing on a white background, with SEO terms and links specifically added to boost a Google rating.

*Has good quality content

Unfortunately, some sites with good content have been adversely affected by Penguin. If Penguin has reduced your traffic you will need to change your content to fit in with the new algorithm, by reducing key-word anchor links and SEOs. Businesses also need to rely less on Google algorithms for their traffic and look at other routes. You can still use SEOs, but they should only punctuate quality content, and not have a page written around them. Business should also work on improving their online profile by being active online with things like press releases, comments and guest posts on other websites, building links, social media campaigns, and CPM advertising.

Getting the Best Local SEO Conversion Rates

More consumers use the Internet as a source of information than ever. When was the last time you whipped out the Yellow Pages to find a phone number? Do you even know where you have it stored? Using search engines for business look-ups is faster and more convenient. With Internet-enabled mobile devices enjoying increasing market penetration, printed information sources become rapidly obsolete. Now, when a consumer needs a gas station, a quick search provides several options, price comparisons and turn-by-turn directions.

The ease and convenience of using mobile devices as a shopping aid should make you sit up and take notice. Mobile users don’t just use search engines regularly; they use searches to find local products and services. Mobile users follow-up on searches 89 percent of the time. Some users call the store, while others make a purchase. In either case, local SEO helped the business make the connection and the conversion.

What is Local SEO?

At this point you are probably familiar with at least some basic SEO concepts. Posting keyword optimized content, link building, blogging and social media marketing are just a few of the more common SEO practices. Local SEO incorporates all of these, along with a focus on a geographical area. Instead of mass posting all over the web, local SEO works to build rankings for area specific searches. After all, a local plumber doesn’t need a first page search result for “plumbers”; they need a first page result for “plumbers in City.”

Getting Started with Local SEO

Getting that first page search result isn’t easy, with all the competition out there. Local SEO helps you bypass a lot of that competition by focusing on a smaller audience. The first thing you should do is sign up with Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing Local and other similar services. The process is quick and painless, and only takes verification to get your business to start popping up during searches. Of course, you need to enter appropriate keywords related to your business and fill out your profiles, but it only takes a few minutes. The next time a consumer searches for plumbers in Happy Town, you’ll definitely be on the list. Maybe not at number one (probably more like number 101), but it’s a start.

Next, register your business with review sites like Yelp, Measuredup and Angie’s List. Encourage your current customers to post reviews. Even the occasional negative comment generates positive results. Internet users tend to assume that businesses with zero negative comments post fake positive reviews, so a few negative comments make your business seem more legitimate.

Don’t forget to register with CitySearch and Local.com, two frequently used search sites with posted consumer reviews.

Take Your SEO Strategy to the Next Level

You’re listed now, so any search for your business name shows consumers where you are and basic contact info. Now it’s time to start really pushing for increased exposure using local SEO. Your website content is the next place to look. Many searchers want local results, but they also want price comparisons. Make sure that your website details what you do, how you do it and what you charge. The lowest price isn’t everything, but it is nice to be able to weed out those without the wherewithal for your product/service. Also, many price comparison websites use “crawlers” to pull information on prices from all over the web. If you list all of your products and a price, free price comparison sites, like Google Base, include your items in search results.

Not all price comparison sites go to you; some of them make you come to them. Make sure to open a merchant account with all the free sites, like Nextag. Post some of your best deals. Don’t be afraid to price a little higher either; the whole point of these listings is added exposure. Top ten is good enough for a first page result, which is all you need.

Take Control of Your Internet Presence

Does all of this seem like an awful lot of work? It can be, particularly when you are first getting started. Researching all the different sites, optimizing your website, staying current with your social media and much more, all take a serious time investment. But remember, local SEO offers some of the best conversion rates out there. Mobile users in particular use local search results to inform their purchasing decisions. Out of the mobile user 89-percent action rate on local searches, 25 percent make in-store purchases and 21 percent buy online. Traditional advertising and marketing efforts often have conversion rates of less than 1 percent. Local SEO is not a possibility for businesses; it is a necessity.

Google is constantly changing it up. This keeps us seo experts on our toes but it is also important to understand the changes and how it effects how your site may be listed.

Google’s latest update bases your searches not only on the words you enter in the search but also your past searches. In the end your search may be different from mine and your customer or client. What factors into your search? EVERYTHING, Google Plus, so be smart and safe about what you one up and who you follow. Also, make sure your business has been added to Google+. To see how Google is considering your past search history in search results look at your Google Dashboard, your web history and your ad preferences. To find out more about what Google knows about you see this post.

Here is a promotional video from Google

Nicholas Air, located in Columbus, MS called us to update their Flash based website into a more compatible website.

Nicholas Air is a customized site which includes:

• Custom Website Design
• Graphic Design
• Search Engine Optimization
• Google Analytics
• Jquery Functionality

Visit Nicholas Air Online

Whether you sell products directly on your site or you keep an online product catalog the full description section of your product page can greatly affect conversions.  If you were researching products you would want to see as much information about that product as possible. Depending on how many products you carry, this can be a daunting task.

Styling the text in your full description makes it easier to scan through and get to the benefits of the product. Here are a few tips you can use to style the full description areas of you product listing.

Headers

Below are the header tags from largest to smallest. You may want to try a few different sizes to see what looks best. It is also a good idea to keep it consistent.

Header One

<h1>Header One</h1>

Header Two

<h2>Header Two</h2>

Header Three

<h3>Header Three</h3>

Header Four

<h4>Header Four</h4>

 Lists

Lists are great ways to layout the benefits of the product. There are two different types of lists unordered and ordered.

Unordered List

• list item
• list item

<ul>

<li>list item</li>
<li>list item</li>

</ul>

Ordered List

1. Item One
2. Item Two

<ol>

<li>Item One</li>
<li>Item Two</li>

</ol>

Basic Paragraphs

Ma quande lingues coalesce, li grammatica del resultant lingue es plu simplic e regulari quam ti del coalescent lingues. Li nov lingua franca va esser plu simplic e regulari quam li existent Europan lingues. It va esser tam simplic quam Occidental: in fact, it va esser Occidental. A un Angleso it va semblar un simplificat Angles, quam un skeptic Cambridge amico dit me que Occidental es.

<p>Ma quande lingues coalesce, li grammatica del resultant lingue es plu simplic e regulari quam ti del coalescent lingues. Li nov lingua franca va esser plu simplic e regulari quam li existent Europan lingues. It va esser tam simplic quam Occidental: in fact, it va esser Occidental. A un Angleso it va semblar un simplificat Angles, quam un skeptic Cambridge amico dit me que Occidental es.
</p>

Text Styles

Using the strong or emphasis tag is best used when you have a word or short phrase that you want to stand out in your description.

Most people scan pages rather than read them. They count on triggers that make them want to read more. Using the strong tag or emphasis tag can pull your readers eyes through your product’s description.

Most people <em>scan</em> pages rather than read them. They count on <strong>triggers</strong> that make them want to read more. Using the <strong>strong</strong> tag or <em>emphasis</em> tag can pull your readers eyes through your product’s description.

These are basic tags that you can use in your products full description area. If you have a question let us know.

To your success

It takes time…

Search engines pride themselves in providing relevant information for their search results. After all we wouldn’t use them if the results didn’t really fit what we were looking for. First thing is to have a level of understanding how search engines work. For one site to appear above another is based on relevance. It takes time for your domain name to earn relevance with search engines. SEO experts have many methods to help you establish relevance.

I have had some clients jump on the first page of Google within a week and some take 6 months. The times will vary depending on your area and the amount of online competition you have.

You do have options while you are waiting to climb the ranks in the search engines. If you have a budget you can pay for sponsored listings.

Whether you are using an outside company or you are going it alone do your homework and ask questions so you know what to expect.

LoneStar Mattress Outlet located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area is a mattress outlet superstore. This family owned business contacted us to help them drive traffic to their website and with help to convert more visitors.

LoneStar Mattress Outlet is on a customized maintenance plan which includes:

• Custom Website Design
• Graphic Design
• Search Engine Optimization
• Google AdWords Management
• Pay per Click Management
• Local Search Management
• Social Media Management
• Google Analytics
• Website Maintenance
• Domain Name and Hosting

Visit LoneStar Mattress Outlet

Southern Seed and Feed is a manufacturing company with customers based in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. The company’s primary online goals were to attract new customers as well as increase existing sales. To achieve these results we built a custom website which features the following tools:

• Secure admin area allowing the Client to maintain the website’s inventory
• Search Engine Optimization
• JQuery slideshows (Eye Candy)
• Visitor Tracking & Reporting
• Graphic Design
• Web Hosting & Email

A Cooks Place is a kitchen retail store that wanted to use their website to push their in-store classes and events as well as generate traffic to its affiliate links and advertisers. To achieve this we built the site on WordPress allowing them to keep their site up to date and expand it as their needs developed. We included:

• Class & Event Calendar as well as ecommerce allowing customers to sign up and pay for classes
• Recipe Section
• Search Engine Optimization
• Online Analytics
• Lead Capture with Manager
• JQuery (Eye Candy)
• Web Hosting and Domain Managment