More Common than I'd Like to Admit

Having a situation with a client that is a little more common than I like to admit.

The issue is that when money starts getting tight, THEN they want to know what we can do with the search engines. While there are certainly some strategies you can lube with a quick investment and get quick results, business owners in a panic do not understand (or choose to ignore) that search strategies (particularly organic) take continued investments of both time and money.

Now let me be clear - I am glad when any business starts looking at the Internet for the opportunity and possibility to grow what they are doing. This is a good thing. But this business has chosen to invest much less in the internet than was suggested (by me). I have had contact with them for a number of years, but our engagements were typically a little strange.

In almost every case, budget restrictions on money and time limited plans from finding their true potential. Money was rolling in and there was a lot of growth, so there was not that much concern with additional organic growth. There was work to do, but we did not often take full advantage of the opportunities as they presented themselves.

Fast-forward to now. Like many businesses today, this business is feeling the economic crunch of consumer apprehension, and is making less money on all fronts. Still well in the black mind you, but simply less of it coming in.

So they start examining channels, and the "How's our web presence?" discussion comes up. Questions flail out about SERP positions, social media, pay-per-click, video and everything "Internet" that has been reported on in the past 2 years.

The irritation comes from the fact that I had posed many potential paths for success when times were good, but it was determined a very low priority. Now, when the priority shifts and expectations need to be reset, some uncomfortable situations can occur.

Buck it Up
So it's a lame situation, but I am an SEO copywriter with a longstanding relationship on the line - so I am up for the challenge!

I go into my own files, and retrieve all of the reports and the proposals I had delivered in the last 2-3 years. I sort these into projects we had done, and ideas that never quite materialized. The second pile turned out to be smaller than I thought, and I was happy to see in front of me, the concrete proof of lots of progress.

I re-read the reports and suggestions, and realized I had plenty of material for re-pitching an SEO plan. Better still, I now had a few years of data stored up in analytics programs, so I could use real numbers to support my efforts to-date, and give a little more fact to my proposal.

So this week was spent looking over miles of analytics and reports from the past, spinning it all back into an action plan. It was at times frustrating and exciting - because I could see what might have been had we moved back when, but I was excited at the idea of making lots of headway armed with this information.

I do think we can get some great momentum going, because suddenly everyone in the company (that matters to my longevity here) is curious as to what I am up to now.

This is the common thing that I have seen - when things are good in a company and money is rolling in, there is like a fountain of cash spraying all over everyone. Lots of vendors in on it, lots of contracts and stuff happening. Less about scrutiny, more about reaching out into as many opportunities as possible.

Then, as money starts getting tight because this kind of spending simply does not make any sense, every stone is upturned in a panic, looking for answers. Under the rocks are dirt and slugs, but every business digs deep, hoping a few diamonds are unearthed.

All's Well, That Ends With Me Working
To continue this metaphor waaay too long, I am going to be this business' diamond. I have numbers, I have stats. I have newly refreshed strategies, and I can project a solid ROI. I can run lean and strike hard - needing only a little budget and some uninterrupted time. I can't work miracles, but I can build a stronger, deeper online presence. I can increase the money coming in from the website. I can reach more people than I am at present - in a thought: I can help.

Though this started off with me feeling pretty whiny about how good ideas often don't receive the attention they deserve until the panic has started, it ends with me being pretty grateful that I am called in to offer solutions again. There is every likelihood that I will pitch a strategy that will not see the light of day, or may be co-opted by someone else in the company. So be it.

Times are tough right now, and people are looking for answers. I do think a solid web strategy is essential for today's businesses. However, I don't think enough business owners see the web as they should, as a place to deploy small, continuous and comparatively inexpensive growth strategies. This means continuing to grow, steadily and with purpose, no matter how the economy is behaving.

I am going to put this all behind me for the minute, and go cut my grass outside. It's a beautiful day here in Atlanta...I want to go be a part of it.

Multiple Sites or One?

I have been implementing some new strategies for some folks this week, and sometimes, I get asked which is better - to do many sites (like a microsite strategy) or simply putting more power behind one.

Like everything in SEO, there is no really simple answer here, but I will offer my own advice and experience.

Why Have Multiple Sites?
You might wonder why you'd even want to have multiple sites. Here are a few good reasons:

• More potential SERP results. In most cases, a single site won't have more than 2 results on any SERP. I sometimes sneak in a few more, but rarely. Yahoo is for some reason a little easier on this than Google, but neither one is very consistent. But, add a few more unique sites into the mix, and your potential for term domination increases. I say this, but ask you to be sure to note the rest of this post as my qualifier in saying it.
• Isolate tracking. On one gig I have right now, I manage about 70 sites. Of these, 2 are open for search--the rest are copies (that I intentionally block from search) on unique URLs, placed there to isolate the results of specific initiatives. It helps the business to track ROI on an effort without complicating things--I built out a few templates, so that I can enter in graphics and phone numbers but otherwise leave everything else as-is. Sometimes there are better ways to handle this, but for this client, it makes sense and works well.
• Try different approaches. Let's say you have a successful site, but want to see if you can do better by trying something new. If you start another site, you won't have to risk what the first one is doing to create a new avenue for exploration. Rather than split-test a site that is performing, you can take an entirely new direction with a new site and see what you can do with it. If it too becomes successful, you are in a great place. If it flops, no biggie...your main site is still there thumping away. Pitch the dud, and try again.
• Zero-in on a tiny aspect of the big picture. Let's say you have a site on fishing. You can launch another one on fishing boats, another on fishing gear, another on great fishing destinations. Each one is smaller, but more focused on the info it offers...can result in better SEO saturation, and better user interaction with each specific property.

There are many more reasons I am sure, but that is enough to help you see why this is sometimes a good idea.

What are some Problems with Multiple Sites?
While it may seem like a great idea, there are some things to be careful with if you are launching multiple sites.

• Duplicate content. Don't think that putting the same site out on different URLs will work...it won't. Don't think you can lift pages, swap a few words, and make all of it work. The engines are only getting better--and believe me, it is not hard at all for them to find and penalize duplicate content.
• Same Host. If you host all of your sites on one server, the search engines see it immediately. This can make them look more closely at what you are doing, which in turn, may make them decide to only show some (or worse, even none) of them.
• Same Site Structure. Same as above--if every site you launch has the same code "skeleton" (even with unique content in each), it is easy for the engines to see this, and possibly penalize you.
• Same Registered Domain Owner. Ditto to above.
• Updates/Management. The more you have out there, the more you have to update. The more you have to pay. The harder it is to maintain exceptional content across the board.
• Loss of Strength. If you have multiple sites and the engines see it, they may reduce the overall value of any one of these sites. I have seen this happen, but it is not something I can directly put my finger on - like "this" caused "that" positively. But I do think it is true--one site, one host, one registered owner can actually help you to rank a little bit. More so in Google than Yahoo or MSN, in my experience...I think it is because Google tries to be pretty proactive in thwarting spammy stuff.

Again, these are but some of the potential drawbacks--but the possibility of potentially harming your efforts should be enough for you to reel it in a little, and make sure you do things very carefully.

So What's the Best Thing To Do?
I don't think you should blanket this question with one answer. Handle it uniquely for each situation. I usually suggest at least 2-3 sites for any business - but some are handled perfectly well by expanding on one. It simply depends on what you are facing.

If you do decide to look at multiple sites as a strategy for a business, consider these tips for better results:

• Use multiple hosts if you have more than 10 sites.
• Use the privacy option when you register each domain. It costs a little more, but it is worth it to disassociate yourself from them completely, or at least, make it harder to draw a straight line between them.
• Use various site structures and different coding methods.
• NEVER duplicate/share content between them.
• Limit your links between them (may eventually hurt you, sometimes, penalizing all of them as a result).
• Make each one legitimate for its targeted audience...create real value in each site on its own.

Not the be-all-end-all on this subject by any means, but hopefully, you get the idea.

Avoiding SEO Traps, Part 1 of 2

I got another one of those emails today, offering "expert" SEO services. For a hefty premium, these guys promise first-page results and all kinds of beautifully esoteric things. Of course, I am not interested in this stuff...at least not from them. But it made me want to warn people about falling into one of these all-too-prevalent SEO traps.

Promises, Promises
The first thing I notice in these ads, is that they are quick to point out how the face of business is changing. True, true. The Internet has changed business...and this means, you must take advantage of new business methods like SEO to succeed. These authors tap an existing pain to offer a remedy.

Then they go on to promise that if you pay them, they will guarantee your first page ranking. It's the remedy. This is also a warning flag as big as a house. Why? Because they are sending this email out to hundreds or even thousands of "marks" so how can they possibly promise legitimate results for all of them?

They can't. They can promise page one rankings, but they can't offer any specifics around what that means. In the 6 years I have done this, I have a learned few tricks that can get most pages onto the first page of a targeted SERP pretty simply. It ain't rocket science. Whether or not they stay there on page one, is another question entirely. Getting there is one thing. Staying there is completely different. Getting there is easy, staying is not. So a promise of first page rankings may be truthful, but may mean less to you than you think.

Also, it is important to recognize how competitive your keyphrase is. This makes all the difference. Ranking for "Viagra sale" is going to be infinitely more difficult than ranking for "South Milwaukee chain saw repairs" so this is not really comparing apples to apples. It is more like looking at an apple and a watermelon, and calling both "fruit."

So when someone promises to do something for your business, the first page sounds very alluring...but you have to also know what that means. It may be first page ranks for long tail keywords that never convert. I also sell siding, bridges, shoes, and used office equipment if you are interested.

Researching and understanding keywords that convert is waaaaaaaaaaay more important than being on the first page for ones that don't.

Use a promise of a first page result as a warning. I have dealt with some of the best people in the field of SEO, and they are hesitant to promise things like this, and I never do either.

Make it Real
I am realistic about the engines. I know a lot about what makes a site or a page or a file attractive--both to a user, and to a search engine. That doesn't mean I'll promise you first page rankings--even though I know how to get them. Don't trust people that do--more often than not, they game the system. My method is simpler and just as available--I (or other ethical SEOs) will improve your site, and how it is viewed by both the user and the engines. I'll promise progress, and promise to deliver better content...but promising something that is completely out of my control (like a SERP ranking) is silly. SEO can be offered in realistic terms. Demand it.

See Part 2 of Avoiding SEO Traps

Screen Capturing the SERPs

If you are an SEO writer, it can help to keep track of your wins. One way I do this is by taking screen captures of some rankings in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

The SERPs change all the time. In the case of Google, there are many different data centers serving up information. This means you could technically be seeing different results depending on which data center you are pinging. It also means if you win a good SERP position, it may likely be fleeting. So if you want to share this win with your bosses, you need to take the time to know some methods of capturing this information as it happens.

I have some SEO tools that automatically ping some terms for me and they create a spread sheet I can analyze every day. But no one else should have to look at this--they don't care about it on this minute level. This is why I am there--to care. What I do for them is to capture images of good things, and imbed them in an email.

How you do a simple screen capture of a SERP
I used Google and a PC for this example.

1. I perform the search. In this case, I used "Freelance seo copywriter tips"
   
2. The SERP appears, with my results in the top 2 positions. Hooray!
   
3. Since I have multiple screens, I use the mouse to make sure it is on the right screen by clicking in the background of the SERP. I then hit "Ctrl"-"Alt"-"Print Scrn". The "Print Scrn" button is located just over the insert button on the far right of the top level of this keyboard. This saves the screen capture to my computer's memory.
   
4. I open PhotoShop, and create a new image. It has a size of about 1200 by 1000, to acommodate the screen capture. If you don't have PhotoShop, you can use Paint...just start a new image in whatever program you prefer.
   
5. In my new image, I hit "Ctrl"-"V" which pastes the screen capture from my computer's memory into the image I am creating.

At this point, you have something that looks like this:

Now this is fine, but I like to highlight a little further what it is I want them to see.

So I crop it, and then use the paintbrush tool in PhotoShop to highlight the search term, the number of results, my position, and sometimes offer other information.

I typed in the date in the sample below to give you an idea:

I might have circled them or whatever--I use the paintbrush tool because I think it looks funny, and it is simply meant for a quick look at what I am doing. If it needs to be more formal, I can make the lines more definite and precise.

But see how easy it is to give them a little bite of what you are doing? If you want to keep them happy, every once in a while offer one of these for a competitive keyphrase.
If you can show a high rank for the same thing in Yahoo and Google, you are showing about 80% or more of the search volume out there.

Nothing makes as much sense as something that works.

SEO Copywriting Tip : Keep it Coming

Fresh content is an aspect of organic ranking many websites fail to do. My own website (http://www.articulayers.com/) is unfortunately a great example of this--I have not been diligent in doing new site updates. In fact, other than a few very minor tweaks, I have not done much to this site in almost 2 years...simply been too busy.

On one hand it is good, because it made me start to look a little more seriously at blogging and other aspects of the craft, but for the good of my site's organic rankings, it has been the kiss of death. I totally owned my keyphrases for years, and in the last 6 months, have been dropping like a lead balloon.

I am not too worried about it, because when the time comes for me to put more muscle behind it, I will--in the meantime I have been testing some off-site strategies to see what happens. But I do know if I don't do something to improve the freshness of the content in my site, it will slowly fall off the map completely...or at least not get beyond the second page of the SERPs, which for me, is not really ranking at all.

An Easy Sell
I have found that selling the idea of fresh content is usually pretty easy with established clients. They may hesitate at first, but once I can clearly show them (preferably using their site) the value of adding fresh SEO content (as well as non-SEO pages) , they are quickly in my camp, and ready for me to add more girth and pull to their site's content. An SEO copywriter should be able to show a client proof (and I use that term a little liberally here, since you can't really prove much in organic SEO) that this service will have a lasting value. From there, it makes writing and posting new content a relatively easy sell.

Keep it Valuable
Remember that this type of fresh content is an SEO strategy, and like all solid SEO efforts it should be focused on providing more user value per visit. So if you have a client selling widgets, you want to offer content all about widgets--what they are, how they work, what to look out for, and so on. Posting your Aunt's cookie recipes might indeed add content, but this is not adding to the perceived "widgets" value of the domain...so it won't work as you might want it to.

Every niche has a million and one things to talk about. As an SEO writer, it is often my job to dig up the dirt and understand instinctively (or thru trial and error) what fires up the audience. From here, I need to know how I can blend this user need into the architecture of the site without disrupting the flow of information, or impeding the call-to-action. There is a very fine line between providing enough information to earn trust and making a sale..it is an SEO writer's tightrope.

Simple Strategies
In offering fresh, regular content there are some very simple things you can suggest.
Blogs
If you can get a blog infused into the site's architecture, you are opening up a beautiful channel of opportunity. Blogs are easier to write than many other types of copywriting, at least most of the time. The language is a little more casual, the topics can range all over the map (within reason, of course). And most importantly, it is something I can train a person to eventually take over--so my client can reduce their cost by handling this in-house. Though I love people coming back for more of my work, ideally, I am really after finishing a project and moving on. If I can work with a client to make them more self-sufficient, they will appreciate me more than if they depend on me for every word. Blogs offer this platform...and will tend to boost the organic aspects of a site significantly. Discussion boards work well too, but blogs are so easy, it is a shame not to harness them.

Press Releases
Most businesses have a lot going on, so why not share this with the world through regularly scheduled press releases? Writing press releases is pretty much a formula--once you have done enough of them, you see the pattern. Intro paragraph summing up the release, second paragraph highlighting the benefits of the action, third (and fourth) paragraphs offering quotes from the principals, and a summary to close. Bing, bang boom. Blast it out to a free news wire (there are lots who do it for free) or put a little money behind it to have it picked up by a reputable news wire. Note that paying to have it picked up may cost a couple hundred dollars, but in doing so, you are greatly improving the chances that this release is seen by more people. I typically suggest both--using the paid services for the really important releases, and the free ones for the rest.

I will say, if I am doing a "blast" of the release in either manner, I am always very careful to have it on the home site before anyone else can get it. Stronger sites (like major news services) will outrank you for your own press release, but over time, they will typically fall below the original post. pay special attention to the way you word your titles too--this has more juice than many people realize. By not optimizing the title, they miss an easy opportunity for SEO progress.
Tips and Hints
Every business probably has some tips and hints to make it easier to use their products or services. So map out a strategy that adds a new tip every week, or every month at least. Again, the point is showing the engines that your site is actively trying to add to the discussion. Sometimes tips and hints can become the entry pages that bring in targeted customers.

Testimonials and Case Studies
These are excellent sales tools that really work well when properly executed. A case study or testimonial will have a user putting themselves in the situation described--which is perfect! People tend to feel more comfortable making a purchase when they see that other people who have done so are reaping the benefits. Illustrate that for them.

Watch, and Learn
Use your analytics and tracking programs to see how these new pages perform. Look at keyword referrals, entry pages, forward paths and time spent on the pages. When fresh content is working well, not only will these all improve, but so will your SERP positions. If you see something is working better than other efforts, put more muscle behind it--expand the keywords, the subject matter and the amount of information you provide.

There is not set formula to follow: adding X number of pages will not result in Y every time. This is simply another aspect of SEO writing that provides a little job security...and there is no denying the effect that fresh content has in today's organic SEO world. Could change tomorrow of course, but for now, just do it.

A Happy SEO

What makes a freelance SEO writer happy? Success.

This week, for one site, I was able to capture 9 of the top10 spots for my targeted keyphrase. SERP domination like that is what I call success--it made me very happy to line everything up carefully, pull the trigger and watch it all fall into place.

This week, I was able to optimize and launch a new site for a long-standing client. I built it from the ground up to replace the canned Go Daddy template site he had. in doing so, I not only improved his look and feel, but I took his 8 page site and made it into a 60 page site--only creating 3-5 new pages of content. He had extremely long pages full of great information--I simply helped him to re-think the informational architecture, and put the same content out there in smaller, more focused bites. I am writing a case study on this project because his was a very common dilemma, and I think what we did to fix it could help many people.

This week, I was able to look at some traffic stats that showed improvement over last month--slow, steady climbing, which is exactly what I want. While huge dramatic leaps are cool, they also seem to prelude huge dramatic drops as well...when a site continues to build and grow in a steady fashion, it seems to have longer-lasting results.

This week, I was able to mentor 3 up-and-comers, sharing whatever I could with them. We spent a few hours talking about strategies in SEO writing, and what to do or not, and why. They were energetic and plugged-in--I wish them all great success.

This week, the bass started biting...I caught 15 large mouth beauties last night. Looks like freelancing will once again take a back seat to my fishing fetish.

This week, I received 4 Braves tickets as a bonus for doing some good work. Look forward to taking my family out for a nice evening.

And it's only Wednesday!

A Saddened SEO Sigh

So I had an old client, one that I helped about 2 years ago with some SEO work.

At the time, this client was concerned because his company website was not ranking for his targeted keyphrases. I worked with him to help create a new, improved structure, and wrote a bunch of stuff to help him hit his organic goals. The results were very positive--we entered the Top-10 SERPs for most of his targets, all without using anything more than some relatively simple and inexpensive on-page strategies.

So his traffic improved, and the site started doing really well for him. Great!

Here's the Rub
Since his traffic improved and site conversions were up, he decided to upgrade the site. A good move for sure, because the look and feel of the one we had optimized was pretty weak.

He found a new, fairly expensive developer who made him a new site. It was built with some solid UIs (user interfaces), allowing him to update and edit his content on a whim. Sounds great, right? Sounds like he was taking steps toward making the most of his web presence.

The problem?

There was no way for him to build new pages, or add to his basic site structure. Worse still, he had no way to control the meta data or individual page titles in the new site. There was only one page title and one set of meta data--so all of our wonderful optimization and SERP mastery was now for naught.

Sure enough, as soon as the new site was indexed, all of the precious SERP positions disappeared. His new developer was not very SEO savvy, and told him that the single set of meta tags was all any search engine needed (WHAT???!!!)

I wept, quietly on the inside, for my client...I knew he was pretty well hosed by his new, fancy website, and his developer's attitude would prevent him from improving in something very crucial to his success. My hands were tied.

The Moral
Bells and whistles are for trains, not websites. If you want to really service your customer base, make your site appear in the engines when an end user is typing in a search. Help them find you.
For my old client, he came to me imploringly, seeking some SEO juice. I suggested a few things, but told him that he was really missing a valuable piece of the puzzle, and he shouldn't expect it to work as it had for us in the past. I explained why the meta data was so valuable, and suggested some off-page strategies to make up for it. He had spent too much money on his new site to pitch it or start over, so he is doing what he can.

But this caused me to heave a weary SEO sigh twice:

1. My client looked to upgrade a successful organic site, but did not consult an SEO before making a success-crushing decision...and the decision made could have been avoided.
2. My client's new developer was telling my client bad, uneducated and inexperienced SEO information, and my client (though I thought differently) didn't know any better.

These are things I have always dealt with as an SEO writer and web developer. But it still makes me shake my head...and sigh sadly.

Oh well...there's always more to do.