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