If you are doing your SEO in-house instead of retaining a firm like ours, you will need to allocate time to set some goals and measure your campaign results. If you do not do this, you may spend too much time on tasks that are slowing you down as you try to reach your objective.

Here are Some Ways to Measure Your SEO Results:

1. Ranking Reports – There are many web based and desktop tools that provide a report of where your website ranks for numerous keywords. However, keep in mind that this type of software often “scrapes” search engine results, so it is important to not do it in large volume. It is also important to track your long tail keywords. Long tail keywords do not provide as much traffic per term, but it is easier to maintain rankings for them.
2. Inbound Links - There is a common misnomer  that every inbound link to your website is a good one. Quality over quantity applies here, so make sure that you do not submit your site to link farms, exchange links with a site that has a lower PR than yours or pay questionable firms for a high number of links in a short amount of time.
3. Visitor Engagement – Metrics such as time on site, bounce rate and pages per visit will give you insight into the type of traffic you are receiving. If your visitors leave quickly, you are not optimizing for keywords that are relevant to your target audience.
4. Conversions – How your traffic is converting into business is perhaps the most important metric. Keep in mind that a conversion is not just a sale, it can be a service request, newsletter sign up or whatever else you consider to be an action that satisfies a business objective.

You can add many other metrics into the mix, but it is important to analyze them correctly and not let them mislead you. Always evaluate your campaign’s performance and look for areas that need improvement.

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In today’s information age, it is difficult to differentiate your message and value proposition from competitors. The average consumer is bombarded with 1’000′s of redundant marketing messages a day. So how do you make your message stand out from the clutter?

If your potential customer lands on your website or blog, it is up to your content to sell your company or product before the visitor takes the next action.

Here are Some Tips for Being a Thought Leader Online

1. Tell your audience something different. Your target audience is exposed to similar marketing messages and superlatives everyday, so if you do not offer them something new or tell them how you are going to solve their problems differently, your message could be forgotten.
2. Decide on a tone of voice. Whether you have an authoritative tone or passive one, it’s important to keep it consistent. This is a crucial part of your branding effort.
3. Watch your competition. If you observe your competition carefully, you can provide your audience insights in the areas they missed.
4. Add a personal touch. Social Media has changed the way we communicate online. The days of standing behind a PR firm will eventually fade. Let your audience know who you are and what you can do for them.
5. Take a stand on a topic. If you believe in something that is controversial or outside of the norm, let people know. You will be labeled as an innovator and increase your following.

Online thought leadership is a great way to make your content stand out from competitors. Practicing these basic principles can also revive a stale brand.

Posted by Paul under Uncategorized | No Comments »

Posted by Paul under Uncategorized | No Comments »