1. Understand the needs of your mobile visitors

Mobile browsers have fewer capabilities than desktop computer browsers.  As such, it’s a good idea to create a slimmer version of your site specifically for the less-capable browser (see example below).  Before you build this mobile version,  be sure to identify specific objectives for your mobile users and how they differ from users sitting at their computers. This will most often involve making telephone numbers, driving directions, and hours of operation more readily available.  In turn, your mobile Web site probably does not need to include the more content-heavy portions of your site.  Naturally, this will vary by industry; mobile users looking for restaurants and hotels, for example, will require very different information than those who focus on business-to-business interaction.

2.  Design a mobile-ready layout for mobile browsers

Once you have decided on how to best serve your mobile audience, it’s time to contemplate a layout. You’ll want to be sure to keep the use of images to a minimum.  To eliminate the need for images, you can also take advantage of some of the newer features in CSS3 and HTML5, available on most smart phones. Be sure that links and buttons are big enough to be touched; users with touch screen devices need larger and well-spaced buttons to avoid touching the wrong button. Touch target sizes will vary depending upon the platform(s) you are targeting.  Other than those considerations, the process of creating mobile Web pages is very similar to “standard” Web pages.

Two versions of the Orlando Sentinel Web site captured at the same moment in time.

3. Configure a special script to direct browsers to the appropriate location

Once the design is finalized and loaded on a server, the final step is to install and configure a script to properly direct user traffic.  This piece of code simply detects a user’s browser type (determining whether they are sitting at a computer or using a Blackberry) and re-directs them to the right page.

After the site has launched you will want to make sure you continue to listen to any feedback so you can keep improving and meeting your users mobile needs.

1. Take the long view – If you want to begin building links, be ready to exercise patience.  We talked in an earlier post about the idea that search engine success is a journey, not a day-trip.  Link-building is a perfect example of that.  It takes time to develop your linking strategy, more time to create / develop link partnerships, and even more time for Google to recognize your progress.
2. Use your keyword research – Your link-building strategy should follow the findings of your keyword research.  So before you begin, be sure you are clear about which words you are targeting on Google.
3. Identify worthwhile link sources – Not all links are created equally.  Some links can help your site ranking improve incrementally while others can help you do so dramatically.  Be aware that some sites have been flagged by Google as manipulative (i.e. spam links or link farms) and can actually hurt your rankings.  For a deeper understanding of the methodology, see Wikipedia’s entry on PageRank.
4. Identify link directories – There are some directories that can provide worthwhile links for little or no cost.  One broad example of this is the Open Directory Project, but it’s known to be very competitive to earn a listing.  There may well be some specific (and powerful) directories in your particular industry, so be on the lookout for industry-specific associations and directories.
5. Research your competitors’ link sources – If you are trying to overcome a competitor for a particular keyword, simply type their URL in a site like BackLink Watch to see exactly where their links are coming from.  You will be able to see right away where the links to their sites originate.
6. Create or dedicate a page on your Web site to link partners -  A worthwhile tactic to increase links is to negotiate reciprocal links with sites that are similar to yours.  Create a page on your Web site where you feature your link partners and provide contact information for those that may wish to trade links with you.
7. Prepare your own link text – Referring back to our earlier post on the importance of links, be sure to compose the link text that you might wish to see your linking partners put on their Web sites.  If you don’t think this through, you may be wasting your time bargaining for links that aren’t so helpful.  You may even wish to put this text on the page you dedicate to your partners.
8. Reach out – Now that you have your links page prepared and your link text developed, start contacting other site owners to begin negotiating reciprocal links.  You may wish to create a record of correspondence in a separate file or wiki page to track your progress and learn what works.
9. Create a schedule – As you can see, there are many activities that contribute to a successful link-building effort.  It may be worthwhile to create a link-building schedule for yourself that budgets time on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.  This will help you stay on track and maintain steady progress.
10. Set goals – Like any performance area, setting goals regarding your linking activity can be helpful and motivating to you and/or a team.  It is advisable to create a series of short and long range goals to record what you’re hoping to achieve.

Building links to your Web site can be time-consuming and slow to evolve, but it’s a necessity if you are looking for search engine success.  Following this handful of simple steps can get you on the road in no time at all.

But there’s a fine line.  It’s not advisable to simply “cram” keywords into a page in an overly-repetitive fashion.  At the same time there is a requirement to be sure that target search phrases do appear within the copy to be sure the search engines recognize it.  Google suggests a common sense approach in determining how to toe the line:  make pages primarily for users, not for search engines.

As you contemplate how to create and develop your Web site’s content, here are three keys to consider:

Key 1: Do not repeat keywords in an unnatural way.

The ability to keep an article keyword-rich and enjoyable is an art form in and of itself. When given the choice of one more related keyword and keeping it free of awkwardness, err on the side of readability. You can always spin the article anew with a separate and distinct article. Today’s readers will tend to scan, or gloss over the copy. When a keyword is repeated multiple times, the reader will see the pattern and conclude the article is less than genuine. In the same vein, use of name brands should be avoided unless extremely pertinent to the article. Scanners spot ads woven throughout the copy the fastest.

Key 2: Give a call to action to attract a community around the article.

Think like the audience. The articles with the most activity involve the reader in some way. If you are writing content on dog training, you could ask a question like “Do you think bulldogs can be trained?” toward the end of the article. Viewers will voice their opinions and inadvertently add more related keywords to that page with little to no effort on the site-owners part. Adding internal links inside the article that are keyword-rich are also helpful to get traffic to multiple pages within the site.

Key 3: Use the “rule of three.”

This very article narrows down the many SEO copy writing tips in to a three-point list. This phenomenon (the rule of three) is as unexplainable as it is memorable. Historic examples would include “Blood, sweat, and tears,” “I came, I saw, I conquered”, and many others. You can use it to your advantage and present your ideas in three-point bullets. It increases readability and is another opportunity to include related keywords. If this seems to restrictive for particularly long articles, you can break the primary three points in to the secondary parts. This compounding of the rule of three has been shown to be just as effective.

1.  The text in your link matters. A link to your site from another needs to reflect the keywords your visitors may be using to find you.  This should be learned through solid keyword research.  Here are some examples of how links are usually created, using our company as an example.

• Learn more about WebSolvers here (not very effective, unless you wish to rank highly for the word ‘here’)
• Learn more about WebSolvers (effective for building relevance for our company name, but we might assume that people typing ‘WebSolvers’ into Google are going to find our firm anyway)
• Learn more about Orlando web design (best approach because it corresponds to a keyword that our potential clients are using)

2.  The pages where links are placed matter. It’s not enough just to arrange for links to your site on other Web sites (although most links are helpful in some way).  Here are a handful of things to look for when determining how “powerful” a referring site is:

• Sites with a high PageRank (Google’s ranking “score” for a page)
• Web sites with older, more established domain age; the longer a site has been existence, the more credible it is viewed
• Pages that have some relevance to the keywords you are seeking are more critical; if you are looking to rank highly for “computer repair” yet the site linking to yours ranks highly for “pet food,” the link will probably do you much good.
• Web sites that carry high “general” credibility, like news sites or consumer portals carry high credibility.

Understanding these two simple concepts will take you a long way in your search engine rankings and link-building efforts.

In the near future, we’ll be addressing the issue of how to go about applying these topics to a link building strategy or campaign.

For starters, think of search engine marketing as an ongoing process, not a one-shot deal.  You may wish to refer to our earlier post which casts search engine optimization as a journey–not a day trip.  Note that the diagram below is a continual process, not a linear one.

Simple Search Engine Marketing Methodology

With the image of a cycle in your mind, let’s briefly describe the steps, starting at the top.

1. Keyword Analysis – Perform keyword research and analysis to be sure you’re targeting the right words.
2. Web Site Optimization – Make sure your pages encompass the words you’ve selected both within the pages and the site itself; this also includes the idea of following some structural guidelines so that your site is “well-received” by search engines.
3. Off-site Optimization – Perhaps the least understood step in the process, it’s perhaps the place where you can have the most impact on your results.  This involves making a concerted effort to build links to your site from other sites of relevance.  Google views these links as “votes” for your site and increases your rankings.
4. Campaign Implementation – This involves the active implementation of tactics designed to increase visits; for most, this involves link exchange activity and/or pay-per-click execution.
5. Performance Reporting & Analysis – Once you’re on your way, you need to periodically measure what is working and what is not.  Once complete, go back to Step 1.

This simple diagram should help you gain a better understanding of how you can improve your search engine rankings and performance.  Most marketers will look at this diagram through the lens of their own site and likely see one area (or more) that needs most immediate attention.

But not all managers and business owners have been so quick to embrace social networking.  Research reports from around the Web reveal that many leaders have yet to jump in with both feet.  And while surveys and data tell the story, it is in conversations with professionals that the story comes alive.  In talking with business owners about using Twitter, some of the reflexive comments they convey include:

• Twitter is for a younger audience, not me.
• My daughter is on Facebook, not me.
• Twitter is a place for celebrities to talk about their day.
• I don’t care what someone had for breakfast.

You can’t blame people for reacting to social media opportunities this way.  We typically hear about Twitter in the mass media when, for example, a professional athlete says something he shouldn’t or a celebrity couple breaks up because of it.  It’s hard to get a serious person to take something seriously when it is associated with things that aren’t, well, serious.  As a cumulative result, social media tools get dissed and dismissed.

But there is a real danger in this for corporations and leaders.  While people are indeed talking about things that do not matter to you, they are also talking (every once in a while) about things that matter to them.  And they’re talking to each other.  Along the way, they are mentioning brands.  They’re mentioning the nice barista at Starbucks, the on-time departure with Jet Blue, and the deal they just scored at the Volkswagen dealership.  And while it might not be your brand today, it might be tomorrow.  And that should matter to you.

Learning about social media doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to start broadcasting whether you like Cheerios or Wheaties in the morning.  Lifecasting may not be for you.  But it is a big deal to some.

In the end, there is a spectrum of social media users.  At one end of the spectrum might be the life-casters:  they use Twitter, Facebook, and others several times a day to communicate with friends, post pictures, and, yes, follow celebrities.  On the other end of the spectrum are the real nay-sayers.  Not only do they not participate in social networking, they may even poke fun at those who do.  In the middle of the spectrum might be those that dabble from time-to-time.  Maybe they update their status every once in a while, but mostly they lurk–simply monitoring their friends’ activities for fun or entertainment.

No matter where you fall on this spectrum, it’s our assertion that no place is the “right” place to be.  You’re not necessarily missing the boat if you’re not a life-caster.  In our view, the only danger is in not acknowledging the spectrum itself.  Dismissing it altogether may result in lost opportunities for you and your organization.

1. In-house social media seminar for an executive team – We led a half day session in a corporate office showcasing some relevant case studies and brainstorming on a strategic direction for a global holding company of over 50 subsidiaries.
2. Digital branding for a newly-launched investment fund – We worked with a team of veteran hedge fund executives to conceive and execute a brand identity for a start-up hedge fund.
3. Custom application development for a consumer brand – We worked with a consumer products company to architect and implement extranet functionality between both suppliers and distributors.
4. Customer retention campaign – We worked with a service provider to conceive, implement, and track an email campaign designed to stimulate referrals and reduce customer attrition.
5. Email newsletter launch – We worked with a client to design and implement an ongoing email newsletter campaign.
6. Viral marketing campaign for a consumer product launch – We implemented and measured a viral campaign involving an email announcement, targeted contest-giveaway, and in-depth database construction.
7. Remote social media training for a tourist destination – We conducted a 2 hour Webinar for an organization in order to train team members on implementing a company-specific social media strategy.
8. Custom Web design for a software portal – We designed and produced a series of graphical “skins” for a client’s newly-selected software portal.
9. Internet Marketing Plan for a consumer product – We developed an Internet Marketing Plan for a consumer product that was already seeing a healthy level of online sales but wanted to increase lead generation and visitor conversion.
10. Google AdWords campaign management - We developed and managed a year-long campaign to help a non-profit agency attract and convert new customers from relevant Google searches.

The list could go on, but we’re pretty excited about how things have evolved.  If you’d like help in developing some new strategies or implementing some new tactics, please let us know.  We would love to share with you what we’re learning.

Somewhere along the way, however, the game changed.  Some started to manipulate the system unfairly and search results became slanted toward those who were the most manipulative–not necessarily the most relevant.  All the while, the number of Web sites vying for prime positioning skyrocketed–naturally making search even more competitive.

But perhaps the biggest game-changer was the birth of Google in 1998 and its rise to prominence in the few years that immediately followed.  Among other reasons, Google began to dominate because its search results were more relevant than other search engines.  Why?  Because Google’s system disqualified (not rewarded) would-be manipulators and boosted the search positioning of those sites with the most sites linking to them.  Google started classifying a site’s inbound links as votes of endorsement from others (it can be a revealing exercise to actually skim through Google’s patent awards).  While some still try, theirs is a very difficult system to manipulate.  And while no one knows for sure, there a number of other factors that Google is thought to reward in its search results: how often a Web page is updated, how long a Web page has been on the Internet, and a host of other items.

Most of the above is common knowledge.  But it sets the stage for sound thinking when it comes to attractive positioning.  Unfortunately, though, getting attractive search engine positioning isn’t as easy as it used to be.  And while most companies want to have a quick and easy solution (an undertaking that begins and ends within a few weeks), the truth in today’s environment is that there is no such thing.  Good search results require some research, a plan, and an ongoing commitment to the cause.

While there is no cookie-cutter process for all sites to follow, here are a few simple steps that represent a sound methodology for gaining search engine momentum:

1. Perform sound keyword research to determine what word searches might represent those looking for your company.  It is not wise to rely solely on your “hunches” in this area.
2. Filter keyword research according to the competitiveness of the terms; it may not be wise to pursue ultra-competitive terms.
3. Structure content, page names, and tags according to the terms you wish to pursue.
4. Develop a linking strategy to trade links with other sites that may have overlapping relevance with yours; this can be tedious and time-consuming, but well worth the effort.
5. Use sites like www.backlinkwatch.com to monitor your progress.
6. Keep your site’s content fresh.  Consider adding a blog to your site to facilitate this.

Most importantly, recognize that search engine success is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing journey that requires much in the way of time and effort.  If you have dabbled with a few activities to try and improve your search ranking, try broadening (and lengthening) your perspective first.  While the road may certainly be long, the benefits are considerable.