SEO and web design are critical components of your company’s internet marketing – most small business should agree with that. So which is more important? Is one more critical than another? And does how does a small business best address website design and search engine optimization?

Well, yes and no.  First of all – I am a search engine optimizer, not a web designer. That should not surprise you if you are on my website (you found it and you are looking at it). But this is about growing your business, so where do you focus your efforts.  It is also geared towards marketing strategy – not a discussion about html validation, keyword density or the emotional influence of warm colors versus cool colors.

Web Design: If You Build It, They Won’t Come

In my experience, the typical business owner focuses on website design.  Website design is more qualitative and is therefore subject to being driven by the opinion of the viewer.  Many business owners make the mistake of focusing on website design because they can clearly deliver an opinion on it, whereas SEO requires technical knowledge. So unless the business owner understands SEO, it’s human nature to focus on website design. The problem is building a beautiful website means nothing if your target market can’t find it – and let’s face it, that means Google and high Google rankings requires SEO.

SEO for Small Business: One Piece of the Puzzle

Search engine optimization brings traffic to your website. SEO is one of the most cost effective ways to drive highly targeted traffic and prospective customers to your company’s website.  But website design can’t be ignored, driving traffic through an effective SEO campaign is critical, but if your website visitors bounce off your website because it is visually or graphically unappealing, then you have a bucket with a big hole in it.

Good website design will be visually appealing to your target market, provide intuitive and inviting navigation, convey your company’s brand or image, and support your company’s brand and strategy.

Website design and search engine optimization are both important to your internet marketing strategy.

Website Design and SEO Are Both Important…

But resources are limited so where do you focus you energy and money? This depends on your business goals.

In the early stages of a business you need a quality website with good design and layout.

Quality content is always important.

As you develop your content, involve an SEO consultant or do your search optimization in house.  Once you start developing quality content on a well optimized website your traffic will increase, the more you do this (while applying effective SEO practices) the more your traffic will increase.

Revisit your website design and search engine optimization frequently. Ask colleagues, customers and others for feedback – and review your website’s analytics so you understand what keywords are driving traffic and what improves bounce rates.

Is Local SEO part of your overall internet marketing strategy? SEO for Local Businesses is an area that is increasingly competitive. Let’s cover some basic tips for local SEO and how you can quickly and effectively improve your local presence with the search engines.

Local Business Listings on Search Engines

First local SEO tip – claim your local business listings on the major search engines.

• Google Places (formerly Local Business Center)
• Bing Local Listing Center
• Yahoo! Local Listings

When you create your local listing in each search engine there are a few things to keep in mind. Try to include the name of your product or service in the local business listing title.  Categorize your business accurately in your local listing.  Add your product or service to your business’ local description.

Local SEO Tip #2 – Local Search Listing Reviews

Now that you have created your business’ local listing it’s time to start building your online reputation. Successful SEO for local businesses requires gathering reviews for your local listing. Ideally you want organically generated, genuine , positive reviews.

Local SEO Tip #3 – Local Directories

I recommend you also add your business to several of the top local business directories.

Yelp, Best of the Web Local (BOTW Local), Yellow Book, Localeze and CitySearch are some of the more popular local directories.

On Page SEO for Local Search

Additionally, you should optimize your website pages for local seo.  Let’s look at some simple things you can do to improve your businesses local search engine rankings.

Local Address on Website

Show your complete local address on your Contact page.  This is important. Also, include a local phone number as well, even if you offer a toll free number.

Also consider including your business’ complete local address and local phone number listing on every page.

Use Regional or Local Names in Page Titles

SEO for local businesses is done effectively when you include the region (state, city, etc.) in your web page titles. Consider targeting your money keyword – one that you wouldn’t expect to rank for on a National level, and add your local qualifier.  For example New Jersey Insurance Agency.

Additionally, consider creating individual pages that target your product or service and mention the actual town or city.   A local SEO strategy I like to use is to target at high level on the home page (e.g. Product, State) and then creating pages which target more specific locations (e.g. Product, City, State).

SEO Tips for Local Businesses

If you apply these basic tips for local SEO, you should see an increase in long tail and local search traffic to your website.  Local SEO for small businesses is increasingly competitive. As the web gets bigger, markets get smaller. The sooner your business includes local SEO in its internet marketing strategy the better positioned you will be.

Additional Local SEO Resources:

David Mihm’s Local Search Ranking Factors – 2009 edition of this collection of top local SEO minds

A great Local SEO case study by Aaron Wall of SEOBook.com – I’ve done a similar test of my own agree with Aaron’s results

All small business owners I know want or need more (qualified) traffic on their websites.  And they have varying degrees of understanding about search engine optimization.  The problem is how to find the best seo service – and don’t forget we’re talking small business, so the best seo service on a limited budget.

Since I do this for a living I thought I would provide some tips on choosing the best seo service provider for your budget.  Of course I would like you to choose my firm, Marketing Practicality, as your SEO Marketing Consultant. But this post is not a sales pitch, rather some practical tips for small business owners to select a quality seo service provider.

Searching the Web for SEO Service Providers

When one doesn’t know where to start, this seems like a logical place, right? Is it the best place to find an SEO service provider? Maybe yes, maybe no.  The problem is it’s incredibly competitive, so the first page of Google maybe not actually list the firm that might give you the best seo service for your business.  You have a few options:

1. Select a big SEO firm
2. Outsource your SEO overseas
3. Learn SEO and do it yourself
4. Do some digging and find a smaller SEO firm

The Big SEO Firm

Large SEO firms typical provide service packages. So for a set price, you’ll receive a defined service (updating content, submitting your website to a number of directories, changing title tags and meta tags, etc.).

• Expect to have the seo work performed for the price you paid.
• Expect to be up-sold on other products or seo services
• Don’t expect much help outside of the scope of your agreement

This level of service may be fine for your small business if this is what you are looking for,

Outsourcing SEO service overseas

I’ll admit, I haven’t run across too many companies or clients that have chosen this route when looking for the best seo service for their own company.  Most small business owners want a resource that is at least US based. My firm uses a programming resource in Europe from time-to-time with positive experiences.  But I would be wary of using an unknown resource for one of the many link building services that frequent my junk mail box.

Learn and Do Your Own SEO

Generally, I have two types of clients (which one are you? Be honest)

Client A

Developed a great website (it cost a fortune)

Cash flow is tight

Unfortunately, the website isn’t generating traffic like he hoped it would

After some research, he learned about search engine optimization, SEO

SEO has something to do with meta tags

So maybe he will try this SEO himself and then the expensive website will generate traffic and his internet fortune is made.

Client B

She has a great website (it cost a fortune)

Cash flow is tight

Checks her Google Analytics frequently

Has relevant title tags

Has her local business listing on Google and Yelp

Keeps trying to update her blog but doesn’t have time

Knows she should be doing more with social media – no time

Business is good, growing, even in this economy

She can even code a little HTML

But with all the business pressures, family obligations, etc. she can’t give the website her full attention. And cash flow is still a constraint – so hiring an full time seo is out of the question.

Client A can become Client B with the right aptitude and time.  Client B can do SEO herself, if she feels it is the best use of her time.  Understand, SEO never ends (if you want to do it the right way) and it is dynamic, so it is a considerable time investment.

If you want to do it yourself, here are some good starting points:

The Beginner’s Guide to SEO – by Rand Fishkin

High Rankings Advisor – by Jill Whalen

Hire a Smaller SEO Service Provider

If you want the best seo service, this may be your best option. Smaller firms often provide a more customized and detailed approach the your website’s search engine optimization strategy. But, like anything else, there are good apples and bad apples.  Here are some tips in selecting your “best seo service provider”:

1. Ask your network for recommendations
2. Ask your potential SEO partner for references – current and previous clients
3. Get data from the SEO service provider (before and after ranking reports) from clients
4. Define what the SEO firm will do for you – get it in writing
5. Trust your gut – do you feel like you are entering a partnership or being sold?

Hear are things (at a minimum) to expect from an quality SEO service provider:

• SEO strategy development commensurate with your business goals and objectives
• Competitive market analysis
• Detailed keyword research to develop the SEO marketing strategy
• CLIENT EDUCATION – so you learn about SEO
• Analytics interpretation and analysis
• Effective link building strategies (off page SEO)
• Professional, responsive and consultative interactment
• SEO and practical use of Blogs and Social Media
• On page SEO – optimization (code editing) of all elements
• Qualitative and quantitative feedback of your website
• Knowledge sharing

If your SEO service provider regularly gives you these things, within your budget and sales and traffic are improving – congratulations! You’ve found a quality seo service provider.

The Best SEO Service – Where to Find it?

Like most questions, this has many answers. But I would recommend you start within your network and expand your research from there. Once you’ve made the decision to hire an seo service provider – and I believe this is usually the most cost effective and productive route – make sure you are getting results.

Best of luck in your search for the best seo service – there are many qualified firms out there which will help grow your business.

Of course you can always contact Marketing Practicality!

But here are some other resources:

Google - with a link to their SEO starter guide

World Wide Web Consortium

Webmaster World

One of the most devastating things that can happen to a small business – especially a business that generates leads and business through the internet – is a Google penalty.
A Google Penalty is often difficult to diagnose and fix, especially if you have recently made multiple changes prior to the suspected website penalty, such as a complete redesign or if you are not completely aware of what your SEO company is doing.  I’ll provide you with some practical advice on how to diagnose and fix a Google Penalty.

What Was Done Before Your Website Rankings Dropped?

I suggest you apply the scientific method of eliminating variables here as well as ask yourself some honest questions. Let’s presume your website previously ranked well in Google for select keyword searches, and now it doesn’t – ask yourself this:

• Did your website really deserve to rank for those terms?
• Have you, your web design firm or your SEO firm recently made changes to your website?
• Where does your website rank for a Google search of mywebsite.com? How about site:mywebsite.com?
• What do you see in your Google Webmaster Tools account?
• Has your organic search traffic dropped on all search engines or just Google?
• Do you buy or sell links (or both)?
• Do you run an affiliate program?

Review and understand exactly what has been done to your website prior to the suspected Google penalty.

Google Penalty or Search Engine Algorithm Change?

Sometimes your website may lose it’s rankings because of an algorithm change. OK – sometimes Google makes a change to it’s algorithm and that can impact your website, the rules do change and that’s a good reason to diversify your small business’ marketing exposure, as well as hiring an SEO firm that stays on top of this activity. Sometimes this happens for other reasons, for example new websites that rely on rankings because of keywords in the url.

In my experience, sudden dramatic drops in small business website rankings are not algorithm changes, but it’s possible.

Fixing a Google Penalty

Here are some of the things I recommend you consider to diagnose and fix a Google penalty:

1. Check your website for Malware and Viruses (every directory, every file, every line of code – start with .htaccess and your web logs.
2. Look at your links – use Xenu or a similar product, a bad link profile can crush a website.
3. On page content – could you be keyword spamming? Using excessive anchor text? Loading your footer with keywords and links?
4. Consider a reconsideration request with Google as a last resort.

Resources for Fixing a Google Penalty

Having seen this with several clients, I understand the frustration and real revenue consequences that come from a penalized website. I recommend the follow websites as resources as well as for more tips on diagnosing and fixing a Google penalty:

• A great flowchart and article on diagnosing a Google penalty by Rand Fishkin at seomoz.org
• Ann Smarty’s post on How to Diagnose the Reason of Google Penalty
• Andy Beard’s article on his experience submitting a Google Reconsideration Request
• Please review the Google Webmaster Guidelines
• Marketing Practicality – my firm, that specializes in small and mid-sized business SEO. We understand the seriousness, urgency, responsiveness needed to restore your website rankings.

If you suspect you have experienced a website penalty, I recommend you either plan on spending a lot of time analyzing exactly what changes potentially triggered the change or hire a professional, qualified SEO company. In order to properly diagnose and fix a Google penalty it is critical to understand what caused it.  More important is fixing the penalty, and restoring your business’ website traffic.

After you create a new web page, do you wonder how how much time it will take to get in Google’s Index?  It’s something I constantly check for my own website as well as for my clients’ websites.  But over the past several months, I’ve noticed ultra fast Google indexing when you combine blog posts, Google Caffeine and FeedBurner.

And I mean ultra fast – my posts are indexed by Google in three minutes.  The group at Hobo-Web also wrote about this phenomenon.

(Update) In this case – Google indexed the web page in two minutes:

Formula for (Almost) Real Time Indexing

Here’s how I’m set up:

1. My blog is WordPress
2. The RSS feed is connected to FeedBurner (which pings Google Blog Search)
3. My FeedBurner is also using the Socialize feature to update the post on my Twitter account

Here’s what I have observed:

1. Blog post is submitted
2. Search for the targeted keyword(s) appears in SERPs (search engine results pages) almost instantly as in 3 minutes
3. Rankings bounce around for a few days before stabilizing

Google Caffeine, FeedBurner or QDF (Query Deserves Freshness)

Admittedly, this post raises more questions than it answers, but hopefully you will share your own observations and experiences.

The time to get in Google’s Index is likely tied in to the Google Caffeine infrastructure change, FeedBurner integration and the QDF or Query Deserves Freshness part of Google’s algorithm.

QDF – which is covered in more detail by SEOmoz here – deals with a part of Google’s algorithm which identifies certain topics which are deemed to require more frequent updating.  So webpages covering topics which fall into this category get indexed more rapidly.

However, I believe Google Caffeine, FeedBurner and technology advancements have more to do with this than the QDF part of the algorithm.

Google Does Not Index all Web Pages at the Same Rate

No kidding right? But seriously, in the last two weeks, I’ve experienced three very different indexing situations.

1. Blog Post Indexing
   • When connected to FeedBurner, new posts on my WordPress blog are indexed within a few minutes.
   • When the blog posts are not connected to FeedBurner, it takes significantly longer.
2. Non-Blog Web Page Indexing
   • A client’s home page was revised – content, title and meta information only, not a redesign
   • 12 days later – the changes are not reflected in the SERPs
   • Standard (not a blog) HTML webpage – not connected to FeedBurner or RSS
   • Bing picked up the change after about a week
   • This is a Page Rank 4 website that gets a respectable amount of website traffic
3. New Website
   • Created an e-commerce website for another client two weeks ago
   • Website was added to Google Webmaster Tools
   • Sitemap was submitted
   • Links were added from authoritative, established websites
   • Website is not indexed in Google, Yahoo or Bing after 2 weeks
   • This is what is referred to as “The Sandbox” effect

Shorten the Time to Get in Google’s Index

If you want to shorten the time to get get in Google’s index, hook up your blog to FeedBurner.  Whether it’s the new Google Caffeine infrastructure, FeedBurner or a refinement to the QDF portion of Google’s algorithm is a technology question.  If you want your blog posts to get immediate visibility – consider adding FeedBurner.

Keyword selection is a crucial part of developing your internet marketing strategy.  Many factors come in to play, such as:

1. What is the search volume for my targeted keyword?
2. What is the relative competition for the keyword?
3. What is the relevance the targeted keyword to my website’s content?

Presuming you already selected keywords with (ideally) high search volume and relatively low competition, then it’s time to answer how relevant the keyword is to your site’s content.  This can be a deceptively tricky process, so here’s a keyword selection tip as well as a great tool to validate your keyword selection strategy: Google’s Wonder Wheel.

Google’s Wonder Wheel

The Wonder Wheel is a free tool that is easily accessible within Google – no need to log in to a Google account.  Simply perform a search (in the example above I searched on “internet marketing”).

In the light blue bar (below the search box) you’ll see “Show Options”.  When you click on Show Options, a sidebar opens up and about two-thirds of the way down the list of options you’ll see Wonder Wheel, this is where the fun starts.

Once you select Wonder Wheel your search term will be graphically displayed in a hub and spoke pattern – similar to a mind map pattern.  The spokes are based on actual Google searches and represent a visual display of how people searching on Google refine their search terms, switching from short tail terms to long tail terms or even switching search terms entirely.  Again, in the image above, I searched on Internet Marketing and selected the spoke Internet Marketing Company.

For example, if someone searched on the term Apple, the intent of the searcher is difficult to fully understand (i.e. is the person looking for computers, phones or fruit – or something else entirely).  Using the Google Wonder Wheel can help you identify terms that are highly relevant to your product or service, and if your web page is optimized effectively, you will attract more qualified traffic.

Keyword Selection Tips – Keyword Relevance

The concept of keyword relevance should not be casually overlooked or assumed. Just because you believe a specific keyword is relevant to your business does not mean the masses searching on Google will use that term to find your service or product.  So start by casting a wide net and then use Google’s Wonder Wheel to refine your keyword targeting.

And note – although this post is mainly covering the Wonder Wheel and Keyword Relevance in SEO – this tool also works well for identifying long tail keywords for your Google AdWords campaign (pay per click marketing).

More keyword selection tips will follow in future posts (search volume and competition) – in the meantime, try using Google’s Wonder Wheel – let me know what you think of it and if you think it is a useful tool.

The Importance of Meta Keywords and SEO

Meta Keywords Tag is not important in search engine optimization – or not in the way you want it to be.  Many high ranking websites don’t even use them.  I admit, I still use them sometimes, perhaps it’s just an old habit and often clients insist meta keywords are important – but consider the following if you choose to use the meta keywords tag:

1. Keep the keywords short – 5 or so is fine
2. Use relevant meta keywords – don’t add keywords that aren’t in the web page’s content
3. Meta keywords should be unique to each page
4. Understand meta keywords won’t help the ranking of your page but overuse or misuse can negatively impact rankings
5. Your competitors can easily view your meta keywords and know which terms you are “trying” to target or rank for – think about that

If you, your SEO resource, or staff thinks that meta keywords are a way to improve your search engine rankings – well, they are not.

The Importance of the Meta Description and SEO

The meta description however is an important meta element – because, as shown in the picture above, the meta description is what search engines typically display to describe your website.  While the meta description does not have significant SEO value, it does influence whether or not someone may click on your website’s search engine listing.

For that reason alone, care should be taken to craft relevant, meaningful description that are unique for each page.

In some cases, a search engine will choose to display a description other than what you have carefully worded as your meta description.  The most common example is Yahoo! is a Yahoo Directory description (if you have one) or search engines electing to use a DMOZ description (if you have one). Though I have even seen Google use alt tags as a web page description.  Yahoo! directory and DMOZ listings can be easily controlled (by using another meta tag!).  If Google is using other on-page elements for your description you need to understand why and fix it.

Your Website’s Title Tag and Search Engine Optimization – SEO

OK – the title tag (which is not a meta tag) has significant search engine optimization value and they influence whether someone will click on your website’s search engine listing.  So website titles should be crafted carefully and well, to target the intended keywords, provide a meaningful description of your website’s page and influence someone to click through your website’s search engine listing.

The title tag is probably the most important on-page seo element and one of the easiest to modify and improve.

SEO Marketing Services – Pricing and Value

So if you are shopping a search engine optimization partner, and you see a variety of different rates and service levels, and you don’t really understand what kind of value you are getting for your investment, I’ll offer these points for your consideration.

• If the seo service provider is planning on changing your meta tags, title tag, submitting your website to a bunch of search engines and directories – the rate is probably low, for a reason.  There will be little return (albeit some) for that sort of service.
• If your seo marketing resource is charging you a high rate for doing the above, look elsewhere.
• Many seo marketing agencies offer tiered plans – and while it’s good to see a list of what will be done for your marketing investment, understand you are purchasing a pre-packaged seo plan – which may not fit the specific needs of your business.
• If your resource provides seo marketing services which include on-page and off-page optimization; stays current with search engine trends; understands the different algorithms and has a successful track record with other clients – you may be on to something.  If you can effectively determine that seo provider’s professionalism and responsiveness, well then, now you may really be on to something.  Just be sure to use a qualified seo marketing consultant.

Meta Tags and Search Engine Optimization – Recap

So to summarize, here’s the real search engine optimization value of meta tags:

Meta Keywords – They will not help your search engine rankings. If used improperly, they may have a negative impact on your search engine rankings.

Meta Description – Important for your search engine listing and can influence whether or not people click on the listing and visit your website.

Title Tag – Very important for both search engine optimization as well as gaining traffic from search engine listings.

OK – it’s 2010, are you considering your resolutions for your small business website? If you are looking for small business website help, one of the things near the top of your list should be website security risks.

Do You Backup Your Small Business Website?

No one wants another task added to their list, but regularly backing up your website can save a lot of headaches if your website gets hacked.  I have had several clients come to me because their search engine rankings dropped significantly, which often results in a drop in traffic to their small business’ website, which results in a loss of revenue.  Having a small business website can be your primary means of revenue so I strongly recommend your consider the website security risks associated with the responsibility of owning a website.

Blogs and Website Security Risks

WordPress can be a great help to your small business website.  It is an extremely robust and useful, open source blogging platform.  But with popularity comes a price.  WordPress blogs have several website security risks – hackers have automated the process.  In fact most clients that come to me for help with their small business website (after a major drop in rankings) – have had some sort of website security breach.

Here is a great article on best practices for managing a small business WordPress blog:

Triple “P” Of Total WordPress Security

Website Security Risks and Your Small Business Website Host

Have you checked with the company that hosts your small business website?  Do they regularly backup your website?  Are you comfortable that your website could be completely restored in the event of a malware problem?  If not, I recommend you check with them and don’t leave anything to chance.  Backing up your website yourself can save you a lot of hassle if your hosting company isn’t there for you when you need them (or you didn’t understand their policies… remember all that fine print?).

An Ounce of Prevention

It’s an old saying but good sayings get old for a reason.  So if you are looking for small business website help first consider your website security risks. Then move on to the fun stuff like SEO, Google AdWords and other small business marketing techniques.

The much discussed Google-Twitter integration appears to be underway.

CNet wrote about it here: Google Launches Real Time Search

At the time of writing this post – I can see the live stream if I search on “Tiger Woods”.

Seems like the beginning of a paradigm shift to me.  I have read how Google’s mission was to “organize the world’s information” and the addition of streaming news feeds and tweets strikes me as more aggregation than organization.

Whether this is another arrow in Google’s quiver to prove superiority over Bing or it’s the beginning of a fundamental change in search behavior remains to be seen.  But it certainly strikes me as a strategic change for the world’s largest search engine.  An attempt to provide information to people who want to know what’s happening “right now”.

Others will certainly present the counterpoint that with real time search, image results, news results, video results, book results, etc.  Real estate on the first page of Google is getting pretty  cluttered.

By now, most SEO’s are very familiar with Google’s new infrastructure update, referred to as Caffeine. The new infrastructure is expected to roll out after the 2009 holiday season.

Why Caffeine? Because of the way it indexes websites is like old Google jacked up on caffeine (and the old Google was already faster at indexing than the competing search engines).

As of this post, Caffeine results can be seen at this data center: 209.85.225.103.  The Caffeine search results appear about 50% of the time so you may need to refresh your search if the results are the same as current Google.  Try a search by clicking on this link:

http://209.85.225.103/search?hl=en&q=marketing+practicality&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=

So What Does This Mean For Your Business’ SEO?

Well, your rankings may change.  Caffeine is not necessarily believed to be a change in the way Google ranks website pages, but it does enable Google to crawl more pages more quickly.  So if more competition enters the rankings, it may affect how your business ranks.

On the plus side, I have seen websites jump in rankings.

The websites that improved rankings with Caffeine were a result of changes or improvements to web pages I would have done if Caffeine was there or not.  But the indexing speed is currently incredible – hours, not days.

Optimizing your Small Business Website

No one will really know until everything goes live after the holidays, but your SEO should be working on your website rankings now and checking them in the Caffeine datacenter.