| Take The Low Hanging Search Engine Fruit | | | | doing |
| Millions of Web sites are elbowing each other | | | | this in a way that "informs" your Web site |
| every day for search engine position. Many of | | | | visitors instead of intentionally piggy-backing on |
| them belong to big businesses with big marketing | | | | the popularity of another Web site. Case in point - |
| budgets. How do you compete with that? By | | | | Virginia Oncology Associates has an extremely |
| grabbing some of the lower hanging search engine | | | | content-rich Web site. On their research pages |
| fruit they're too big and busy to notice. Our | | | | they mention the "Sarah Cannon Cancer Center" |
| company, Visionefx, is located in Virginia Beach, | | | | regarding on-going clinical trials. If you type "Sarah |
| Virginia and helps businesses in all Hampton Roads | | | | Cannon Cancer Center" in Google you get a first |
| cities to rank high among major search engines. | | | | page, first position result for Virginia Oncology for |
| One of our methods is to collect quality content | | | | the corresponding page; ( Now take a look at |
| for our clients' Web sites. The content can be | | | | their search engine results in Google. Not bad |
| regional or local, and we recommend using as | | | | search results for Google. They also get the |
| much as you can. If you sell lady's jewelry, talk | | | | same results in Yahoo, MSN, AOL and Ask |
| about local jewelry shows, local trade shows, | | | | Jeeves. Be careful when you're using |
| fashion shows and events. Don't know of any | | | | a competitor's name. For example, if you're a |
| events? Try calling the Convention Center in your | | | | moving company based in Virginia Beach and you |
| city or check out their web site. Another great | | | | fill your Web pages with name-brand, popular |
| resource is your regional newspaper or online | | | | moving companies in Virginia Beach, Virginia for no |
| newspaper web site. Quality content is king!Utilize | | | | other reason than to ride on their popularity in the |
| Local and Regional Search Engine Listings | | | | search engines, you could get penalized by the |
| If you have a business in Virginia Beach or any | | | | search engines. Remember, it's all about relevant |
| other Hampton Roads city such | | | | content - relevant to your Web site.Going Passive |
| as Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake or Suffolk, | | | | Increases Search Phrase OptimizationYou can |
| get a local listing in Google. | | | | never tell how potential customers are going to |
| Yahoo offers local listings as well. To see how | | | | find your Web site. I call this "passive search |
| local results differ from general | | | | phrase optimization". This is when users visit your |
| results go to Google and type "Web design in | | | | Web site while they were searching for |
| virginia beach". At the top of the | | | | something else. Case in point: Rourk Public |
| page you'll see "Local results for Web design near | | | | Relations has a section on their Web site titled |
| Virginia Beach, VA". If you | | | | NEWSROOM. The article under the newsroom |
| click this link you'll see 9 to 10 companies listed | | | | titled "What Does Your Image Communicate", |
| for Virginia Beach, VA. This | | | | contains tips about professional business attire, |
| type of list is very popular and powerful when it | | | | presenting a polished and powerful appearance for |
| comes to consumers looking for | | | | men and women, and so on. One phrase in the |
| services or products on the Web.Get Results | | | | article is, "best quality gabardine suit". Go to |
| With Regional Listings | | | | Google and search the phrase "best quality |
| | | | gabardine suit". Rourk Public Relations is on the |
| Customers prefer doing business with local | | | | first page, fourth listing. This is "passive search |
| businesses. But you need to rank high | | | | phrase optimization".Optimize Web Site Headings |
| in their Web search, or you'll be buried on page | | | | TooAnother way to optimize your Web site is to |
| 10, where few customers tread. | | | | use your keywords in headings, subtitles, page |
| How do you get there? Sprinkle your Web site | | | | titles (found in the blue bar at the top of your |
| with the correct keywords. If you're | | | | Web browser), bold face and hyperlinks, because |
| a Virginia mortgage company, figure out how | | | | these stand out to the search engines. For |
| customers will search for mortgage | | | | example, a local Visionefx real estate Web site |
| services or loans over the Internet if they live in | | | | client Charlie Laurens and Associates had a page |
| Virginia. Will they type, | | | | file titled "our team.asp". We changed this to |
| "loan companies in Virginia", "Virginia mortgage | | | | "virginiabeach-realestate-team.asp". Their page title |
| companies" or "mortgage loans | | | | is "Virginia Beach Real Estate Services |
| in Virginia"? One good way to know what | | | | Virginia".How To Be visibleMany Web sites were |
| phrases people are using to search for | | | | built by hobbyists or built with old software that is |
| your product, service, issue or cause is through | | | | no longer recognized by today's sophisticated |
| the Google Suggest Tool. Not | | | | search engines. That means these Web sites are |
| many users, including search engine professionals, | | | | "invisible" to major search engines, which means |
| know about this great Google | | | | thousands of "eyes on screens" will be looking at |
| tool. But it works and it's a great tool for getting | | | | someone else's product, service, issue or cause. I |
| into the consumer's mind. | | | | went to Google and searched "plumbing company |
| It is located on Google under 'Google Labs/ | | | | in virginia beach". I did not find any local plumbing |
| Suggest in the left hand column. | | | | Web site results on the first or second pages. |
| | | | What does this tell me? It says there is not one |
| All Politics Is Local -- So Is Good Web Site | | | | single plumbing company in the city of Virginia |
| Content | | | | Beach that has a Web site that is properly |
| | | | optimized. It also tells me that there are not very |
| If a business with a Web site in Hampton Roads | | | | many (if any) Web sites for plumbing in Virginia |
| is based in Virginia Beach, then it's a good idea to | | | | Beach. Too bad, a small plumbing business could |
| tighten your Web site copy and keywords to | | | | rule local search in the major search engines for |
| contain the words "Virginia Beach". But make sure | | | | "plumbing". Try this with search terms related to |
| you walk the fine line between legitimate use and | | | | jewelry, real estate or auto sales and the results |
| overabundance. Search engines will spot the later | | | | will be much different.Web Sites Don't Cost, They |
| and ignore your site. Your success or search | | | | Pay |
| engine position will also depend on the | | | | If you provide services or products in Virginia, |
| competitiveness of your business. For example, | | | | Virginia Beach or other Hampton Roads cities and |
| "firewood in Virginia Beach" versus "dentists in | | | | you don't have a Web site, get one. It is quickly |
| Virginia Beach".Write For Visitors - Not Search | | | | becoming the primary way our younger, as well |
| EnginesThere is no magic formula or special | | | | as our middle-aged, generation search for |
| software to get you listed at the top of search | | | | information, products and services. To find a |
| engine results. However, there is a golden rule | | | | professional Web design company, shop around |
| that will do the trick | | | | and request quotes. A bulleted list of what you |
| -- Content is King. Good content generates great | | | | want your site to do will be helpful in your search. |
| search engine results - period. So go ahead and | | | | Submit this via email to a Web design company in |
| chat it up, tell people what you do, what you sell, | | | | your area and |
| what you provide. Talk about your competition. | | | | comparison shop. |
| Yes, you heard me right. But make sure you're | | | | |