Posts Tagged ‘google’

Australian Website Design Professionals

All websites needs visitors. Gee, what a profound statement, no I can not take credit for that.  How original, all websites needs visitors. Sounds simple doesn’t it, yet we, Hosting Impact, receive phone calls and or emails daily from website owners that had their websites designed by other companies and want us to provide them with a FREE SEO Report. We gladly do this report as it identifies key SEO factors that, if addressed, will improve how the search engines currently look at them.

The conversation with the customer normally goes like this:

Hosting: Good Morning, Hosting Impact, How may we help you ?
Customer: I have a website and want you to do your FREE SEO Report.
Hosting: OK, How long have you had the website for ?
Customer: about 4 years and we are not being found in the search engines ?

It is at this point, judging from the tone of the customer, that we can also summise that they have not changed, altered and or added information, relevant information to it. The conversation normally ends with the customer saying, “The web design company isn’t as good as we thought they were and we have been ripped off. Our response, In some cases, yes that may very well be true, however, in a lot of cases, web designers are not by nature, SEO Specialists or even SEO aware. Nor should they be, it is a different ballgame all together. Additionally, you had this designed 4 years ago. 4 years is a long time in the internet and a lot of things have changed, have you changed your website at all in 4 years ?

Hello…..Hello…Are you there ?

There are certain design principles that have evolved that will certainly assist in search engine optimisation, but overall, web design is not to be confused with true SEO. That is like going to a dentist and asking, while your there, can you check my blood pressure and give me a clean bill of health. It aint going to happen.

A major source of traffic for most sites on the Internet is search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN, etc. Hence, by designing a search engine friendly site, you will be able to rank easily in search engines and obtain more visitors. 

Major search engines use crawlers or robots to index websites to list on their search result pages. Once they have it indexed, they read the content of the page, record it in their own database and then display it as people search for it. Simplistically speaking. 

If you want to make your site indexed easily, you should avoid using frames on your website. Frames are so yesterday. That is all we really need to say about that.

Refrain from presenting important information in Flash movies or within images. Search engine robots can only read text on your source code so if you present important words in Flash movies and images rather than textual form, your search engine ranking may be affected dramatically.  

Use meta tags accordingly on each and every page of your site so that search engine robots know exactly what that particular page is about and whether or not to index it. By using meta tags, you are making the search engine robot’s job easier so they will crawl and index your site more frequently. 

Stop using wrong HTML tags like <font> to style your page. Use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) instead because they are more effective and efficient. By using CSS, you can eliminate redundant HTML tags and make your pages much lighter and faster to load. 

Use Correct Title Tags when addressing your website. 
Use Precise Meta Tags
Use Exact Description
Use Good Content
Use Correct Keywords
Use Alt Tags
Update With Fresh Content On A Regular Basis  

Do Not Spam the Search Engines
Do Not Keyword Stuff Your Web Page – Do so at your own peril- You Have Been Warned

By adopting the above Do’s and Dont’s, you will be better received within the search engines.

Depending on the amount of feedback we receive, we will design a website live, brand new and show everybody the entire process, from start to finish. How to do it correctly. You can sit in and watch the entire process. There will be no charge, it will be completely free, we will not hide any aspect of it. At the end of it, you will be able to use the exact same principles on your own website. If this is of interest, please contact Hosting Impact accordingly.

We trust you have found this post of benefit.

Until Next Time…Happy Blogging
Happy Blogging

SEO Steve
Hosting Impact – Australian SEO Specialists 

Australian Website Design Professionals

Search Engine Optimization is a process of choosing the most appropriate targeted keyword phrases related to your website and business, ensuring that this ranks your site highly in search engines so that when someone searches for specific phrases it returns your website at least within the first 3 pages and ideally on the first page. Research has shown that website visitors generally do not go past the first three pages of search results and of course being on the first page is a preference.  It basically involves a process of incorporating fine tuning the content of your website along with HTML and Meta tag aspects and also appropriate link building systems.

The most popular search engines are Google, Yahoo, MSN and when you think about it they have only been around for about 10 years, give or take. Search engines keep their methods and ranking algorithms secret and change them accordingly. This in itself is not a bad thing as it helps to deter spam pages from clogging those results.  Another good thing from this change is the fact that web designers and SEO Specialists are encouraged to engage in sound seo practices. Of course, there are always those cowboys and self righteous ego manics that believe they can bend the rules to suit themselves, but they will be caught and their websites will be banned, it is just a matter of time. A search engine may use hundreds of factors while ranking the listings where the factors themselves and the weight each carries may change continually. Algorithms can differ so widely that a webpage that ranks #1 in a particular search engine could rank #200 in another search engine. New sites need not be “submitted” to search engines to be listed. A simple link from a well established site will get the search engines to visit the new site and begin to spider its contents. It can take a few days to even weeks from the referring of a link from such an established site for all the main search engine spiders to commence visiting and indexing the new site.

If you are unable to research and choose keywords and work on your own search engine ranking, you may want to hire someone to work with you on these issues. For additional infromation or assistance please contact Hosting Impact.

Search engine marketing and promotion companies, will look at the plan for your site and make recommendations to increase your search engine ranking and website traffic. They will also provide ongoing consultation and reporting to monitor your website and make recommendations for editing and improvements to keep your site traffic flow and your search engine ranking high. Normally search engine optimization experts work with your web designer to develop an integrated plan from the commencement of your website.

Contact Hosting Impact for a free Search Engine Optimisation Report on your current website. 

We trust you have found this information of use and please feel free to contact Hosting Impact fro additional information.

Until Next Time
Happy Blogging …

SEO Steve
Hosting Impact

Australian Website Design Professionals

Who’s To Blame … It aint me, it aint my dog … then it must be the internet. It must be the Marketers. It’s got to be somebody, cause it aint me. 

I have just literally hung up the phone from a potential customer, sorry potential SEO Customer and thank goodness I gave up smoking 12 months ago, drinking 3 days ago and sex, yea right … anyway … otherwise, I would be a chain smoking, bourbon drinking $%^& rat.

Where do potential customers get the idea that if they or somebody else build a $19.99 website and put pretty little pictures inside it and place one or two “keywords” throughout it, then asks, why can I not be number 1 in Google for the “Keyword” hosting.

Probaly because there is approximately 440,000,000 search results, yes that’s right, 440,000,000 results. Nothing wrong with being optimistic and positive and all the other adjectives I can think of, however, the thing that amuses and frustrates me at the same time is that they want to achieve this with a set budget of $400.00

To top it off, they would like to know what references We have, what past results We have and wait for it, can we do it a bit cheaper than the allocated $400.00, because they just spent $7 000.00 in a phone book advertisement. Do we offer a gurantee, that if there website is not Number 1 within 10 days, can they get there money back.

Damm, I suppose so, yea hell why not and while you are there, why not just bend me over and #$%^&* me. Oh by the way, I asked this potential SEO Customer, if he placed the same demands onto the Phone book company, ie: if he doesn’t receive an inquiry every day from the phone book, will they get their money back. I don’t believe he appreciated that, I don’ know why, I was smiling when I said it.

If it was as easy as that, don’t you believe that we, Hosting Impact, would at least have a look at doing that for us, but noooooo, we wouldn’t even consider it, because we know the market is far too competitive and we don’t believe our targeted customers would type in that word.  We know the advantages in long tail keywords and that they can produce good sound results. These results allows us to build a foundation to at least start with.

I am missing an important component, yes, yes, apart from the “Keyword” Hosting and the Budget of $400.00, they would like it achieved in about 7 to 10 days, because that is when they will be starting their business. I remember now, they are still working for somebody else and want their Hosting business to be up an running and getting new customers every day, so they can pay for their new offices and wages.

Give me a break people, I know a lot of us receive emails saying that you will be Number 1 for blah blah blah in 1 week and it will cost you $19.99… GO FOR IT … EMBRACE IT … BUT LEAVE ME ALONE.

Search Engine Optimisation is a legitimate business and we do enjoy the challenges that we face everyday. Challenges with our customers websites, challenges with our own websites, but we do enjoy it and when we have positioned our clients website, within the search engines, where we said they would be within a reasonable time frame, that is pure joy. No Cheap Tricks, no sneaky black ops, just quality workmanship, time and effort.

So to all of the snake oil salesman out there claiming they can do this and this and this for only $19.99 and within a week you will be number 1, I say, GO $%&^* yourself.

I can not really blame the customer, because the interent does look simple and in many ways it is, however, common sense applies people. The business that has invested time, effort and money into marketing and search engine optimisation techniques, will really give up their number 1 position for their selected keywords…just because you have built a brand new website. No, I don’ think so either.

Until Next Time…
Happy Blogging

SEO Steve
Hosting Impact

Australian Website Design Professionals

Website designs these days can be created by anyone with a computer, from a 13 year old to a 80 year old with little or no experience. The difference is that not all webdesigners are the same nor are their web designs. 

While some designs are excellent and work quite well, all to often we hear of problems associated with websites created by someone not necessarily involved full time within the industry nor is it their first point of business. From not being able to contact the person to updating the website, to not having access to the website at all, to being totally dependent on that person who will update, change or alter your website when it suits them be it today, next week or never, just to name a few.

Some types of website designs work better than others, so remember while you might want an all singing all dancing website, with all the bells and whistles, and while it may look great for your potential clients, all will be lost if the search engines don’t rank your website highly, or indeed a potential customer can’t view your site because they don’t have the latest computer or plugin, or fast internet access and it takes forever to load.

The design of your website does and will reflect your business image, just as your premises of your business reflects your business and or the way the telephone is answered.  First impressions are important!

Your website needs to be designed in such a manner that it is easier for the search engines to spider and decide where in the search engines (such as Google) your website will appear for certain keywords. While your website will not just appear no 1 in google and requires much more than good webdesign to achieve this, it all goes towards the goal of good traffic and enquires and or sales for your business. 

Please feel free to visit Hosting Impact’s Web Design Portfolio page

Our Search Engine and Web Traffic Categories provides more information and tips to help you achieve this or alternatively contact our team here.

When a potential client lands on your website, you have approximately 22 seconds to impress them….not much time, granted ….. however, with a well laid out design, good navigation, loads fast and has relevant content, 22 seconds is more than enough.

Until Next Time …
Happy Blogging

Design Team
Hosting Impact – Australian Web Site Design Professionals

Creating Your Website Presence

One of the biggest bugbears and time consuming aspects of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) back in the old days, was the time required to alter, add and or change the content. This change of content allowed the search engines to identify numerous aspects of your website and more importantly being able to find and subsequently rank it. However, it was at times a long, drawn out process and at times not enjoyable.

With the advent and development of Blogs, the ability to change and or alter the website content with relevant and fresh content have moved the goalposts significantly so that it is no longer necessarily the case!

The website owner now has the ability to create fresh, new relevant keyword rich content at any time of the day or night.  

Now, that is not to say that SEO is a tactic that you no longer need to consider. Indeed, with ever increasing competition in online market places, Search Engine Optimisation is  something that needs greater thought and consideration with every passing day.

Creating Your Website Presence

 Why Is Blogging So Effective?

If there is one single phenomena that could best be said to represent the idea behind Web 2.0, it is blogging.

A blog is simply a website that will usually ‘provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.’ according to Wikipedia.

Whilst blogs first came into being as online personal diaries, the ones that we are going to concentrate on are those that are used for business.

Blogs have many attractions, the main one being their simplicity. Anyone who has the basic ability to use two fingers on a keyboard can begin to create their own blog,

They can also be updated as often as you like, and many people do update their blogs two or three times a day.

This means that there is a constant stream of fresh new content available on blog sites, which is probaly the main reason that blogs are fast becoming the favorite sites of the major search engines, especially Google, itself the #1 search engine.
 
There is no need to know anything whatsoever about website creation or scripting language to create a blog.

No matter which blogging ‘platform’ (system) you use, it is always a simple question of following a very small handful of simple instructions, and you are good to go.

And, as the Wikipedia definitions suggest, a core function of blog sites is that they invite reader input and feedback in the form of comments.

What a good blog site therefore does is start a ‘conversation’ between the blog site owner and their readership.

It has an inherent ability to begin building a relationship centered around a common area of interest, as expressed in the subject matter of the blog itself.

So, in simple terms, if for example you are an avid mountain climber, and start a blog about your hobby, then the chances are very good that most of the people who visit your pages will be interested in climbing mountains too.

So, all you need to do is create articles that are interesting or controversial enough to prompt your readers to comment and you have generated a discussion or debate about a subject that is close to your heart.

And, the point is that you can create your own blog about any topic under the sun, and publish it for the whole world to read literally within minutes of sitting down in front of your computer.

Our next post will discuss Business Blogs.

We trust you have found this information of assistance and please feel free to contact Hosting Impact for further assistance.

 
Until Next Time…
Happy Blogging

SEO Steve
Hosting Impact – Australian Search Engine Optimization Specialists

Australian Seacrh Engine Optimisation Specialists

Search Engine Optimisation is a competitve business. You have to arm yourself with not only the proper knowledge but also the correct tools to make your web site stand out from your competitors.

Each day, more and more sites are clambering to optimize their rankings and if you lose your guard, or worse, not continue to work your website and add relevant new content to it, you may just get trampled on and be left in the abyss filled with so many non effective websites.

Search Engines and in particular the big three, Google, Yahoo and MSN are the most widely used Internet tools used today by internet users. The Search Engines use certain algorithms to index or crawl websites and it is every website owner or webmaster’s goal to be number 1 for a particual search string.

The majority of people that use Search Engines use only the first page top ten search results, when looking for a particular thing. It is generally acknowledged that people do not normally search past the first three pages. So being found within the first page and in particular the top three, for a specific search string, should be everyones aim.  Being found within the top three three is considered a barometer of a sites success in Search Engine optimization.

You will get a higher ratio of probability in being clicked on when you rank high. The more traffic for your site equals more leads for your Business and the more leads you receive equals more potential sales.

However, it is essential to grab a hold of that top spot or make your ranking even better. Each day is a new day for all websites and with each new day comes the opportunity to make them rank even higher or better using correct Search Engine optimization Techniques. Be ever mindful, that the major Search Engines and indeed all Search Engines constantly change or alter their algorithms to prevent manipulation by spammers and the like.

So just what is Search Engine optimization and why do you have to use it? The answer to why you have to use it is an easy one. You need correct Search Engine optimization to rank your website highly within the (SERP) Search Engine Ranking Position. Simple, Higher position means more exposure, means more potential sales or leads.

Implementing correct Search Engine optimization techniques allows you the benefit of generating potentially higher traffic volumes. If you can increase your traffic to your website by 10% over a two month period and increase your sales as a direct result of that increase in traffic, then that can sometimes be the difference in just getting by and making a substantial profit.

So once again, what is Search Engine optimization? Search Engine optimization is utilizing tools and methods in making your site top ranking in the results of Search Engines.

Getting yourself in the first page and better yet in the top half of the page will ensure that your site will generate public awareness of your site’s existence and subsequently generate more traffic, traffic that could lead to potential income and business.

Search Engine optimisation requires a lot of work to be fully realised. There are many aspects you have to change or add within your web site to receive higher or better Search Engine optimization results.

With the upcoming Posts, we will discuss in detail the many factors that make up Search Engine Optimisation, which include keyword phrases, keywords, meta tags, title pages, alt tags and our favourite, content. Not just any old content, but relevant, keyword rich content that is directed towards a specific product, service or solution. There are certain rules and guidelines to be followed with making your site’s content applicable and conducive to Search Engine optimisation and we will address this in due course.