What is SEO?

Many offline business owners are confused about exactly what SEO or Search Engine Optimization is.

Should I hire an SEO company? How do I get my website to show up in the search engine results? How to I get more traffic to my website?

How much money should I spend and will I be guaranteed the 1st place on Google?

These are some of the questions I hear often and I would like to clear up some myths and misunderstandings regarding what is SEO or search engine optimization.

Search engine optimization simply means optimizing your website so that you can rank well in the free (organic) search engine results.

Search engines such as Google have mathematical formulas for evaluating websites. The website optimized best for a particular keyword or phrase will rank the highest on the Google search results page. Yahoo and Bing have different criteria for their top ranking sites on their search results, but the method it the same.

To be the first website that shows up on a particular results page for a specific keyword or phrase, you need to optimize your web page for that keyword…and better than your competitors.

Should you try to be 1st on Google and the other search engine results pages?

Yes, you should optimize your website to rank as high as you can for as many important keywords for your niche and target market as you can.

Why? Because the website that shows up first on Google can get 70% of the clicks from potential customers. Each subsequent website receives fewer click-throughs as you go down the page.

How do you get your website on top of Google’s search results?

SEO is based on a mixture of “on-page” and “off-page” techniques that should be followed in order to increase your webpage results rankings.

SEO consists of 4 key principles:

1. Choose the Best Keywords:  Identifying the best keywords for your website is a vital step in Search engine optimization. You need to determine the best group of key phrases to ensure that you receive targeted visitors to your web page. You DONT want to guess at keywords. Your keyword list should be created by using the proper keyword research tools on the Internet.

2. Optimize Your Website for Keywords: Make certain your site has keyword-rich page  titles and meta tags. Also bear in mind the internet search engine bots can’t see the images and videos you have in your site, they are able to only browse the text. So choose the best text content for the website – and include the right amount of keywords. You need to make sure that your articles are informative and related to your business or service.

Your content  needs to be designed to capture some of the most popular local keyword terms your prospects may use when searching online.

 3. Backlinks: Backlinks are linked pointed to your website from other sites on the Internet.  The best backlinks are from authority sites, as well as those that are highly relevant to your business. Backlinks help the search engines determine how relevant and important your website is in your particular niche. The more ‘important’ the search engines determine your site to be, the greater your rankings will be. The better your site ranks in the search results greatly determines how many targeted visitors you will get. 

4. Site Structure: In terms of SEO, your website’s structure is an important factor in determining how well your site ranks in the search engines. Your site should be structured in a way that is easy for your visitors to navigate and find what they are looking for. Avoid confusing navigation menus and flash websites that can confuse and irritate visitors.

Learn more by downloading our Free Report.

Local Business Listing Services

Having a Website is not enough today to get found online. Let us help you get your website listed on the major search engines and directories so that your Customers can find You!

Let us List Your Business, Enhance Your Profile and Monitor Your Web Presence.

Why do you need our local listing and claiming service?

Back in the old days before the Internet, businesses only had to worry about one print listing in the Yellow Pages book (when was the last time you used one of those big books?) Today businesses are turning to website and Internet marketing to help customers find and learn about their business.

Technology is booming with search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing; along with Social Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Now Bloggers can write about any business on sites like Yelp, and companies are using QRC codes to direct customers to their websites.

The future trends will be mobile search on Androids, iPhones, Blackberrys and Ipads. If that isn’t overwhelming enough, just over the horizon will be more new trends such as in-car search and web browsing on your television!

Perhaps you didn’t know, but today your business may already be listed on many online digital search portals, but may be missing from others.

How can you know that your business is represented in the best possible light?

How do you know where you should be listed and how can you get listed everywhere without spending hours and hours on research and manual effort?

Today there are hundreds of places online where consumers are looking for information about businesses and services like yours.

Virtual Marketing Pros is here to help!

Here’s what we can do for you:

List your business with free online directories and key digital portals which helps potential customers find you and controls your online identity. We verify your listing information to increase your credibility and build trust with your customers.

We can customize a Business Listing Services Package for your particular needs and budget.  Get a Free Quote