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SEO is huge. It’s probably the most popular question among my clients. How do I better search engine optimization? How can I get my site on the first page of Google? Or in the first spot?

First, let’s address the First Spot vs the First page.

You goal should be the first page – within the top 5-7. Studies show that spot #4 often get more clicks than spot #1. Being #1 isn’t that important. Being in the top 5-7 is. Very few times will a visitor click to the 2nd page of results. Your first goal is to get to the first page. The second goal is to get into the top 5-7 spots.

Social Media

As much as I don’t like jumping on bandwagons, it’s necessary to jump on this one. The most popular options are:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Google+

You don’t necessarily need to be on all of these, but be active in at least one of them, and semi-active on 1 or 2 others, if possible. The more active the better. There are also techniques to use within each social media platform to help your search engine results. That’s for another post. For now, at least start using 1 or 2 of these platforms.

Regular Updates to Site

Search engines don’t like static sites. They want consistent regular updates. Find ways to regularly update your site.

• Highlight a client
• Do a promotion
• List events
• Show employee of the month
• Surveys
• Polls
• Blog (see below)

Blog

Blogging has so many benefits. Not only does it get you higher in search engine results, it gives you credibility and a platform. It is one way to regularly update your site. Blogging is also a great way to give your visitors/clients valuable information.

Optimize your Site

There is too much information pertaining to this to cover this in detail. I wrote a post for WPMayor that covers this in more detail. It will be published on May 15th. But to give you a brief overview:

Much of this can be done by your web designer, but as the content provider and being more familiar with your industry than your web designer, it’s best that you provide your web designer with the following:

Keywords
What keywords do visitors use to find your site? In addition to providing the keywords for each page, provide content that uses these keywords towards the top of each page.

Page Descriptions
Use effective page descriptions. The page description shows up on the search results page, under the link. Include keywords within each page description.

The page description is behind the scenes. Check with your web designer about page descriptions on each page. It’s best to provide your web designer with page descriptions with the option of them tweaking for best search engine results.

Inbound Links/Backlinks

The more links back to your site, the better. Potential sites that may include a link back to your site:

• local chamber
• community groups
• economic development corporations
• etc.

Being listed in directory listings is also helpful. Your web designer can help with this process, if needed. Also, sharing links with clients, vendors, suppliers, etc. increases links back to your site. Commenting on other blogs is another way to get inbound links.

Analysis

Getting top search engine results is an ongoing process. Search engines are constantly fine tuning their algorithms. Google Analytics is a great tool to monitor how your website is performing. SEO companies specialize in monitoring this activity, interpreting the data, and keeping your site performing well.

QR Codes are becoming rather commonplace. Let’s discuss what they are and why you might want to use them.

QR codes are form of a barcode. The main difference between a ‘normal’ barcode and a QR code is that a QR code is two dimensional – which means it can hold a lot more data. QR is short for Quick Response. Their ability to hold more information and their ease of use makes them practical for small businesses.

The beauty of QR codes is that they can be read by smartphones. Apps that read QR codes are readily available. Digital information such as a website address can be stored in a QR code, read by a smartphone and the smartphone user is immediately taken to a website.

Two things are needed to start using QR codes: 1) QR code generator, and 2) QR Code reader.

QR Code Generator

Google ‘QR Code generator’ and you’ll get a number of results. Most of them are free. Some generators allow for more design and color in the QR code than others. A couple of recommend sites are Kaywa, Keremerkan, and myQR. The code on the left is from myQR. At each site you can choose whether you want a website address (URI), an email, a text message, or other options in your QR code. You enter the desired information, click a button, and walla, there’s your QR code! You can download it and place it wherever you’d like.

QR Code Reader

Google ‘QR code readers’ and you’ll have a number of options for apps that read QR codes. Kaywa has its own reader, but there are others available. Mobile-Barcodes has a list of the ‘best QR-Code reading software available’. QR code readers are available for most smartphones.

In a future posting, we’ll discuss the many different ways to use QR codes for marketing your business. In the meantime, go create your own QR code!

If you spend anytime on Facebook or Twitter, you’ve probably noticed the messages that go something like this: “I’ve checked into Cables Pub and Grill”. Maybe you’ve wondered how can you get your clients that walk in your door to post the same thing. The answer: Foursquare.

Foursquare is simply a way to let the world know there’s activity happening at your business. Friends of friends of friends see that activity – and it just might spur interest in them to come visit your business. Maybe they are looking for a couch, or an air conditioner, or maybe they are just needing a cool drink —and your business pops up on their cell phone when they are nearby.

Being on Foursquare promotes your business in two ways. 1) People are more likely to visit your business when they see their friends visiting your business. 2) Your business pops up on their smartphone when they are near by.

How does Foursquare work? To start, two things need to happen: 1)Enter your business on Foursquare, and 2)Your visitors need to have the Foursquare app on their phone.

Enter your business on Foursquare

Visit foursquare.com. If you are an owner, manager, or employee of a business, you can enter your business on Foursquare. Once you are on Foursquare, when others visit your location, encourage them to ‘let the world know’ by offering specials to Foursquare users when they check-in, (discount, freebie, coupon, etc.).

Download Foursquare app

Foursquare also needs to be on the visitors’ smartphone. Go here to download the Foursquare app.

Promote Your Business

Foursquare will also (upon request) send you free stickers that you can post to let others know that you are on Foursquare.

Once you are on Foursquare, Foursquare helps promote your business by showing their users Specials nearby. For example, if a user is in your venue, they’ll see your Special within their foursquare app on their phones. They don’t have to be visiting your place, they can just be nearby. Once they see your special, they know they can stop by to redeem it.

And, of course, once they are in your store, the message “I’ve checked into your business goes here” will pop up in Facebook, letting all their friends know about your business.

This wasn’t the first time I used Facebook – I’ve been on it for over 6 months – but it’s the first time I experienced its value. Maybe I’m finally getting it!

Up to this point, I haven’t been really convinced of the usefulness of Facebook. Having so many people able to invade my living space so easily, left me feeling rather exposed! But, I decided to take a different approach last evening and share, what I considered, something of value.

I had just posted by 5th entry to my relatively new blog at http://livinglifebydesign.wordpress.com.  I decided to spread the word and invite my Facebook friends to check it out. Within 1 hour, I saws the hits double. Over the last 24 hours, the # of hits have quadrupled from what they were before. Keep in mind, this is a relatively new blog and I haven’t done too much in promoting it – so the numbers are small, but to see this kind of change, tells me that Facebook works!

So, now I am pondering more ways to pass on ‘value’ to my Facebook friends.