Sunday, June 29, 2008

Search Engine Optimisation – A Foundation

I'm delighted to introduce my good friend and a UK leading authority, Guy Levine to be guesting on my blog. Read what he has to say - it will raise your visibility.

Most people will use a search engine every day, if not many times per day. Looking for information, looking for new suppliers, looking for things to buy. People are looking for everything online. In fact, some research just released states that a font page Google listing is worth between £10,000 and £100,000 per year! Web Marketing Advisor CEO Guy Levine, a Manchester SEO Company shares his strategy

Do you want to be top of the search engines?
The benefits are numerous, but there is some work involved. Let me share some SEO foundations.

Firstly, survey your competitors

The best way to get ahead online is to take a good look at the competitors around you. Everything is possible, but it is far better to make sure that your first efforts are effective. The best way to find this out is to look at the number of search results for a key phrase which you want your website to be found for. Our method of beer mat calculation says that searches with less than 1,000,000 results are projects which can be done quickly and cost effectively. 1-5,000,000 are a little more challenging and 5,000,000 and above become and longer term project.

Choose your key phrases very carefully

When you ask most people what words they want people to use to find them online, they will often give you the most generic phrase possible, such as consultancy, mortgages, accountant or some other top level word. The issue is that these phrases never really produce any business. Firstly because there is so much competition, getting to the front page can be a long, involved and expensive operation. Secondly, because they are too generic.

Keyword Selection Strategy

When someone does a search for the word ‘accountant’ on Google, there is very little chance that they are going to buy or enquire from the search results they see. The search is just to generic. What people will then do is add a word to the search depending on the search results displayed. So the next search might be ‘tax accountant.’ This could then bring up a country wide selection of tax accountants. The likely hood of this search bringing in business does improve, but it can be made better. The final iteration is to add one more word, which then becomes ‘tax accountant Manchester.’ The person who types this search into Google is definitely a potential new client for a tax accountant in Manchester!

The more keywords in the search, often the less competition which ultimately means quicker and more cost effective results. It’s worth taking the time to really think about the words you choose to optimise your website for as they really do make a big difference.

All of the strategies above can be classed as ‘on-site’ which means things that you can do to your own site. There are also a host of other activities which need to be undertaken, which can be classed as ‘off-site,’ one of which includes increasing the number of people who link to your website.

Guy Levine is the CEO of Web Marketing Advisor, a cutting edge SEO Company.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Don't sell when you network, but do....

...remember when you are at a business event you have a vital role to play. Whether you are a single person business or represent a major organisation you are
THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE BRAND.
When you meet someone and you are the first person they have met from the business you are attached to that person will often decide what sort of a business it is depending on your behaviour. behave well and when that person has need for your company's service you may well be the portal through which business will come.
So, it doesn't matter if you're a first year trainee or a senior partner you can bring in the next biggest client.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Pour P.E.E. into your presentations!

When you make a presentation, whether it is to colleagues, clients, prospects or
professional contacts you are saying “I’ve earned the right to be up here; I’m
an expert.”

When you do it well i.e. in a confident and convincing manner it is the very best way of marketing both yourself and the company you represent. When you give away free and valuable information to your relevant audience it is one of the very best methods to attract new business.

BUT, when you present in a nervous hesitant manner, go on unprepared, read from the screen, put no energy, passion or enthusiasm into your talk you are damaging your
company’s reputation.

It will always be better not to volunteer if you see yourself with the shortcomings in the previous paragraph.

Most people, however deep their knowledge is, shy away from presenting.
Whenever you volunteer to stand up the key to a great presentation is
P assion
E nthusiasm and
E nergy.
if they aren't present in abundance, think twice before standing up.
If you need help check this out

Friday, June 06, 2008

Kids + adults + rejection

I was chatting with my fellow professional speaker, Kenny Harris about why kids don't seem to have the same problem. He wrote

You'll recall you pondered the question - kids don't seem to be nervous/shy
about walking into nursery, and just introducing themselves - why not, and
what makes adults different?

(There are, obviously, kids who ARE shy, mostly with adult groups, but for
the most part I think you're right).

Here's what I've been thinking about:

1. Kids live 'in the moment'. They don't consider what 'might' go wrong, so
don't worry about being rejected, insulted, whatever - at least until they
learn (probably at primary school) that this does in fact happen.

2. Kids have no fear. You know how you see them climbing trees, patting
dogs, rolling down steep hills, with no thought of the consequences? Again,
they don't stop to consider "what bad thing might happen here?". There's a
great line Scottish mums used to use (maybe they still do - my wife's
English!). Whe the kid was balancing along a ledge or wall, they'd shout "If
you fall and break your legs, don't come running to me!".

3. Kids don't hang on to grudges. My two will be fighting cat and dog - and
three minutes later sitting up close to one another, quietly doing a puzzle
together. It's all I can do to stop myself saying "I thought you two hated
each other?"!!!! Adults bear grudges - if there's someone we don't like, or
there's a competitor in the room, we're wary and careful, unlike children.

Hope this sparks some thinking, and perhaps a new theme for you?

Sunday, June 01, 2008

"It's my birthday every day"

Whoever I say this to they laugh or smile. But it's true. I love what I do;I feel good when people tell me I have been able to help them in various aspects of their lives through effective and confident networking.
I aim to see the best in everyone, even when people are discourteous and disloyal. I try to win all arguments by avoiding them and where we make mistakes we put them right immediately to every one's satisfaction. That way we often get more work even after errors or bad service. Mind you, this rarely happens as we plan and prepare carefully.
The first principle of building relationships,i.e. networking,is to give first and receive second.You feel good when you give to or help people you know, like and trust.
Yes, every day is my birthday