Tag: Web Design

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Is SEO Really Dead? That’s What Webmaster World Says

I read with interest one of the main page articles titled is SEO dead? at Webmaster World. I have long felt that the combination to organic search placement success was a number of many factors and not just links or code optimization. But it is interesting to read the thread of comments with some professional webmasters agreeing that SEO is dead and that social networking has become king.

Here’s my take. The typical SEO program as we used to know it, is not totally dead, but needs a refresh and new life. What we recommend is great keyword research, excellent site architecture, unique and well-written content with good use of important keywords and keywords in the cross linking of pages. We know that this is actually just good design technique, but many web designers simply do not follow these guidelines much to the chagrin of the end user. It takes time and thought to implement these components into a new site design and the consideration of organic placement needs throughout the whole process. But it does not stop there…

No real program for organic site improvement is complete without a blog to continue to build unique and on-topic content. Search engines reward interesting content that is on-topic and builds “Web Authority” over time. We know this and understand this concept. In fact it has worked for many of our customers as an overall approach for improving organic placement. In addition to blogging, we strongly recommend articles and press releases as great ways to build additional quality incoming links.

If you have time to also embrace social networking like Facebook or LinkedIn and even Twitter you can get even more traction with links and traffic activity, but it all starts with the right website and concept to market your products and services on the code side of things.

So is SEO dead? No not really, but maybe it has mutated into something better. Something  that actually works to draw in web readers and engage them in ways that pure SEO did not. Content has always been king on the Web and that hasn’t changed, but where you put your efforts and budget dollars certainly has.

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Pro Bono Work? Do You Do It?

I used to when I was first starting out in web design in 2001. If I was in your club or organization I offered to design your website or webmaster your website for free, but I no longer do Pro Bono work.

There is a place for free services and typically that place is for new start-ups or web businesses that are trying to get their foot in a market. You cannot demand top dollar when you are untested and unknown. But once you have paid your dues and established a clientèle base, most businesses, such as mine, no longer offer free services.

What do you do about Pro Bono or free work requests? Do you do them? If you do are you established or just getting started? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this as a reality check for my view point.

Why we are on that topic how about family work? Do you do it? Do you discount your services or offer them free? I have worked for family members and find that for me mixing business and pleasure is not the best solution. I do not seek to perform services for family members or friends. I value the relationship too much to have business stresses interfere. What about you?

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New Innovations in Web Design

Not everyone can afford our custom SEO-niche based web design services, but for those that need a simple web presence, using website templates can get you exposure fast.

GoDaddy.com has a nice template based simple web design editor that you can set up in under four hours. For a first time web presence this is enough to get exposure fast. I’ve taken their application for a run for a client and I think that their color choices and designs are fine. Once you’ve made your template selection adding content is as simple as typing.

For businesses who need a website and really don’t have the money to pay for services such as ours, this will give you a taste of the web possibilities that are out there.

For mature businesses who have already tasted the Web and now need serious “authority” and better placement, we’re a great match and we invite you to review our services, client ratings, and portfolio. We understand that we are not a good match for everyone, so if you need a quick and nearly free website, GoDaddy.com is a great place to start and do it yourself.

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Keeping Tabs on Your Website Placement

Have you looked lately at your website’s organic placement? The majority of my business comes in from our high listing in the organic search results for the majority of our important keyword phrases. I know this and monitor my own website’s placement at a minimum of once a month.

What I have done is researched the popular search phrases that I want to place on. I have then optimized my source code to organically place for these terms. Once a month I review all the terms and update my placement and the placement of key client’s on my search engine results page.

To make it easy to track my results I made a word document with the term and inserted the Google, Yahoo, and MSN returns page address that shows my placement. When I want to do a review, I click the link in the Word document, use Control+F to open the search box and enter my domain, this allows me to count back up to the top of the page to know my own placement immediately. I then log the placement on the same Word document so I have a running tally of where I am. This allows me to identify if my month’s efforts or last page update made a difference up or down.

After I document my placement, I will typically go and tweak my home page or section home page in an effort to improve my own placement for those specific terms.

If you are not tracking your own website placement you should. You should be using your organic placement as a key metric to identify if what you are doing is working for you. A website that doesn’t work for you is not worth your time and money investment.