SEO MAKEOVER

Back in my younger days when the Internet was still at it’s infancy and search engine optimization is virtually unknown, the most common practice of organizing web pages is by naming them sequentially, such as page1.html, page2.html, and so on. But such names do not give a hint on what the webpage is all about, leaving both humans and search engine spiders clueless and scratching each other’s heads!

As website owners eventually became more educated on the benefits of SEO, the trend has changed in recent years. Web documents are now increasingly being defined by URLs that give brief description about it’s content. This is achievable by using keywords/phrases in different parts of the URL, such as the file name, directory, and even the domain name.

I have here two URLS about the key phrase “Nokia N97 Review.” Can you tell which will get a better chance at a better SERP and more clicks?

http://www.mobile-reviews.com/reviews/2009/nokia-n97-review/

http://www.random-name.com/dir01/a/product.asp?productFamilyID=1188&ModelID=0238&CatID=59

Yup, it’s the first one indeed! Making keyword-enriched URLs like the first one in my example gives two benefits:

• Search engine spiders can easily decipher that the link is most likely about Nokia N97 Review, therefore giving it more relevance.
• The person searching will most likely click to your site because of the more intuitive URL structure.

Beefing up your URL with relevant keywords or phrases will greatly complement your overall SEO makeover efforts. It is very simple yet can do wonders for you and your website.

No, we’re not talking about a new strain of flu virus here.

In its simplest sense, Viral Marketing refers to the use of internet marketing tools in order to drive traffic to your website. The term is analogous to how a pathological virus gets transmitted from person to person, or a computer virus propagates itself from PC to PC. It is considered as an extension of off-page Search Engine Optimization that aims to influence online users’ behavior and decision-making, and compel them to visit your site.

Some tools of the trade include:

• online articles
• freeware, shareware, or other software programs
• free services such as e-cards
• e-books
• images and videos
• flash-based games

So how do these tools translate to traffic you might ask. The key here is HYPERLINKING and DISTRIBUTION. By placing links that leads to your website within these tools and distributing them, you are reaching previously unknown visitors and converting them into potential revenue generators.

Another means of Viral Marketing is by word-of-mouth or referrals from existing subscribers and clients. This is probably the best “tool” for Viral Marketing since it utilizes the credibility and sincerity of these clients. And they are doing this favor for you free of charge!

Launching a carefully planned Viral Marketing campaign will definitely intensify your SEO makeover strategy, translating to boost in traffic and sales in no time.

Susan Boyle. Happy Slip. Lonelygirl15. Fred Figglehorn. They all have become global household names in no time, thanks to the power of video sharing websites.

With the cost of broadband services becoming more consumer-friendly, and the increasing ability to host hundreds of Mbs on the web, it is no doubt that the viability of using videos as a strategic part of your SEO makeover is becoming more of a necessity than just an option.

You Tube, for instance, has been consistently in the top 3 most visited sites on the internet, capturing more than 100 million visits per year. Its huge success is highly attributed to online netizens’ attraction to user-driven and visually rich content, such as moving pictures, colorful animations, flash movies, slide shows, and edited or raw video clips.

There are other notable websites that offer video sharing services such as Break.com, Google Videos, Liveleak and Veoh. Even social networking sites realize the importance of having a video sharing feature available on their platforms. Use their services to establish your own SEO video campaign.

When creating a high impact online video ad, make it short and sweet. Typically, it should not go beyond 10 Mb in size, and ideally last for 3 to 5 minutes to sustain viewer interest. Make it straight to the point, with a content that’s easy to swallow and leaves a lingering punch on the viewer’s subconscious.

If Search Engine Optimization was a movie, then keywords will have the starring role.

Keywords and phrases are at the center stage of every SEO initiative. If you ask any search engineer to help you come up with a SEO plan, he will definitely ask you for your target keywords.

One of my duties as a SEO consultant is to perform keyword research and analysis. Fortunately, there are reliable online tools available that help me achieve this purpose. Wordtracker and Overture (now known as Yahoo! Search Marketing) are just two of the fine examples of keyword research tools. Other more traditional procedures for conducting keyword research include customer surveying, as well as interviewing website owners to get more information about their website.

Keywords and phrases are the essence of search engine-driven marketing. Therefore, it is very crucial that we select these words or phrases carefully and use these strategically, including alternate spellings, synonyms, abbreviations, acronyms, and misspellings. Otherwise, your SEO makeover efforts may be diverted to the wrong search terms and phrases.

Are you a website owner and you want to learn how to promote it? Congratulations, you are the luckiest person on earth, because you have found the right place to start! Welcome to SEO Makeover’s Blog Page. This will be your destination for the latest trends in the (virtual) world of SEO.

This being the very first blog post, I guess it will be very fitting that I start by briefly explaining the benefits of having a carefully planned SEO makeover.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, involves a set of procedures that aims to improve the quality and quantity of traffic from a search engine going to your website. If you own a website that sells the most promising cure for hair loss, or offering the most innovative book on how-to-get-rich-quick-without-robbing-a-bank, you have to employ different SEO techniques to get the much needed boost in your website hits. Then, translate this huge traffic into sales to transform your once idle website into an unlimited revenue-generating machine working for you! Why the emphasis on search engines? It is because people almost always start their online search by using (quite obviously) search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing to find what they are looking for.

In the coming days, I will guide you on how to make your SEO makeover strategies more effective, accurate and productive. Sit back, relax, and learn to grow your business online!