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Whether you are starting to get into doing business online, or your business has been online for a while pay per click search marketing might be exactly what you are looking for to give it a boost. Although there are a variety of marketing methods that are successful on the internet, this one is still the most effective. The information presented here may be able to give a better idea of how pay per click advertising actually works and the benefits it can bring.

The concept is simple; by placing a text advertisement with a link to your site on a larger website that is very busy, you can direct traffic to visit yours. Very simply, you will pay the site (that the traffic comes from) a small amount from your account but only providing the visitor stays more than 10 seconds. There are a couple of pints to remember about this: your advert will be related to the subject of the site it is being used on and these sites are generating huge amounts of traffic. However this is not the only advantage because you only pay for the advertising when it is used, which means if someone doesn’t visit your site through the link you do not pay.

This is where the cost benefits come in against other forms of marketing where there is a cost up front without any guarantee the advert will even be noticed. Some people are worried about competitors clicking to run up their bill or lose them from the screen completely but in practice this rarely happens. From a business viewpoint, pay per click marketing is extremely effective at targeting the exact market the business wants. You basically have a captive audience of people looking for something you are marketing, on a related site they are visiting.

By now most people have experienced the Google Adwords pay per click system which has grown dramatically in recent years. The process is easy to understand; all you need to do is provide Google with the phrase or word that you want people to use to see your advert. The searches that are then made on that term will bring up natural results and paid examples which may show at the side or at the top of the page.

These instant results cannot be beaten in any other advertising medium and it is that attracts pay per click customers. Many companies use this technique to gauge how good their advertising copy will be before they use it in more expensive areas. This is a simple and easy system to understand that is incredibly powerful and effective at the same time so it is not surprising that almost all companies use pay per click search marketing.

Unlike search engine optimization, which can fluctuate according to the search engine’s whims, pay per click marketing is the only guaranteed way to reach a top listing for any given word. Most most businesses and marketers will use PPC as a dirt-cheap way to do keyword research for the longer term SEO campaigns.

Internet writers often find themselves underpaid since it is a skill that is common belief it is “easy to do”, “anyone can do it”, which is not the case.

Writing for the internet as well as becoming a search engine optimization content writer requires additional caring and professional devotion, this way the writer will be certain that his or her work is good and therefore ask for an appropriate pay for his or her effort.

Language mastering will also be a good assistance in search engine optimization writing developing, languages that are commercial and that are rarely spoken outside their natural countries make for the biggest and most paid search engine optimization writers. Languages like Esperanto, Latin and other dead languages might be of assistance though they are scarcely required.

Thus, the surfer will be viewing a result of web contents that are most related and most highly ranked. Learning to use keywords in such a way that it is not being “overly” used is also one thing to remember. Google might not include your site at all instead of putting it on one of the top lists, if you don’t follow this.

The same degree of value goes to every single piece of knowledge a search engine optimization writer has or is willing to possess. Technical search engine optimization writers will be required to be fully knowledgeable on their area of expertise, as will other search engine optimization writers that are devoted to general areas or a multitude of areas.

This subtle division is something that a good search engine optimization is able to see and pin point to the exact amount that can make even the most tedious topic in something that will be read even by the laymen to it.

The most successful writers on the web are those who have a solid background of SEO techniques. They are technically referred as SEO Content Writers or Search Engine Friendly Content Writers. Seo content writers know how to play with words which make their articles highly ranked by Google, at the same time interesting, informative and thought provoking to any internet reader and surfer. SEO content writers also know that for their contents to create lasting impact, it must not only be rich with keywords but also high in quality and relevance.

If after few minutes of browsing on your site and web surfers can’t find anything relevant on it, they would most likely leave and find another site that would cater to the specific information they are looking for, probably the next one on the list. And of course, we don’t want that to happen to our business.

Gaining a good or high rank in Google search engine is not just about having lots of keywords on your pages. Most important is creating high caliber and high quality materials that are relevant. Therefore, gaining a good rank does not happen overnight, it’s something that has to be worked on over time. Patience, effort, time and energy has to be sacrificed by the SEO content writer along with the knowledge of the proper use of keywords, internet links and techniques on writing contents that are enticing and interesting to the readers.

Your search engine rankings are a large contributor to the success of your web site. If you want all that free organic search traffic from the search engines you will have to learn how to improve your search engine rankings. The main search engine you should really be focused on obtaining better rankings in is Google.

Why Google? Fact is, Google currently holds a 77% market share of the search engine business. Google handles 300 MILLION search queries every DAY. With over 8 billion pages in the Google index (with thousands being added daily), you need to have your ducks in a row and learn how to improve your search engine ranking or else you will get lost in the Google index. Without better search engine rankings, your web site will remain a virtual ghost town.

There are so many unproven theories out there pertaining to the process of ranking better in the search engines. Most of us already know that Google puts emphasis on the following factors of a web site - and ranks a site with these factors in mind:

URL containing your keyword

Keywords in content (and near each other)

Link Popularity (links that point TO your site)

Keywords used to link to your site

The theme of the site or page

Strangely, Google doesn’t seem to mention optimizing meta tags, however,it is my experience that taking the time to optimize title tags and description tags can help… and certainly can’t hurt.

Improve Search Engine Ranking - The Myths

There is plenty of false information going around about how to boost the rank of your site in the search engines. Your first step in learning how to improve your rankings is to learn what is fact - and what is NOT.

These are some of the search engine ranking myths that you need to get out of your head:

Myth #1: Google Knows All and Sees All

Myth #2: Google Will Not Rank Duplicate Content

Myth #3: You Must Get Links From Related Subject Sites to Rank

Myth #4: Your Site Must Focus On One Subject To Rank

Myth #5: High PageRank Means Good Rankings

Myth #6: To Maintain Good Rankings, You Must Add New Content

MYTH #7: THE BIGGEST MYTH: Ranking In Google Is Hard!

Improving your search engine rankings is not difficult to do

Thankfully, improving your ranking in Google is not difficult - if you know what you’re doing. Think about Google, and what their goal of their search engine is. Google’s goal is to provide their users with the fastest, most relevant search results possible. In fact, they are the only website that I can think of that has the goal of getting visitors OFF their site as quickly as possible!

If you learn effective ranking methods - take time to learn what Google wants - and de-program yourself of all the inaccuracies regarding better search engine rankings, you will do fine. Improved search engine ranking will be easy for you to obtain.

The way Google handles search is changing. You may not have heard of universal search yet, but it is going to affect the way your website and your company show up in search engine results, at least for Google. You may have noticed that pictures, videos and even press releases are showing up alongside websites in regular search engine results.

You need to develop a strategy to meet these changing search conditions, and that means optimizing more than just your website landing page. Images, videos and articles are all parts of your site that could be working harder for your company. Here are five tips to help universal search work for you.

Stop the presses

Make sure your press releases and company news are getting into Google News and Yahoo News. If you’re not doing press releases, you should seriously consider it. Press releases will give you one more chance of showing up in the search engine results beyond your web page. Press releases also give people looking for information about your company the chance to see you in the best light. If you play your cards right, you might get some publicity out of the deal as well.

This is the perfect chance to one-up the competition and highlight your company as an industry leader. Even if you think you have no news, you can comment on industry trends or recent studies relating to your business. The more you get your name out there, the more results you will ultimately see.

Don’t overlook images

Images are already starting to show up in search results based on text around them and the description text in the HTML image tags. It’s not difficult to get images onto your site. You can include pictures of past projects, process illustrations, graphs and charts related to your business or industry. A little creativity in this aspect of your website can pay off with your images showing up in Google search results.

Once you have the images in place on your website, make sure the search engines can find them. Pay attention to your image ALT tags, captions and surrounding text so your images show up. Always be sure to have keyword-rich descriptions with your images and use descriptive names for your files as well.

Capitalize on video content

Presentations, training videos, interviews and commercials could all be working harder for your company. Don’t let these just sit on the server when they could be showing up in search engine results and providing even more results for your site.

Consider creating a multimedia page where customers can view these and where search engine spiders can locate them. Again, be sure to have keyword-rich titles and descriptions so search engine spiders will know what they are seeing. You might also consider distributing your videos to YouTube for extra exposure and another chance to show up in the search engine results.

Make sure search engines can get to your content

Do you know if your site is easily accessible by search engine spiders? Flash-heavy sites, improper redirects and broken links can thwart your best SEO efforts. Remember, search engine spiders see your website differently than a normal user. They are looking for content and links, and it is in your best interest to be sure they can navigate your site with ease.

Above all, spiders need clear text links. Uploading a new page to your web server, while personally gratifying, may as well be invisible if you do not provide links from your main site. If you don’t lay down a clear link path throughout your site, search engines may never find your content. Site maps are an essential tool for making your content search-engine friendly. Make sure yours is updated regularly and submitted to Google with the proper formatting.

Don’t ruin your hard work

While it’s important to prepare for the future, don’t overlook the basics. Keyword-rich text and title still matter for your web pages. Quality links to your site are still essential SEO components. Just because you’ve discovered new Internet toys doesn’t mean that you should turn away from the tried-and-true methods. Use both for maximum results.

By taking the time to ensure every aspect of your website is ready for universal search, you maximize your chances of getting your name in front of potential clients and customers. Follow these tips and jump to the front of the search engine multimedia race.
President and founder of Xeal Inc., Tony D. Baker is Oklahoma’s leading Internet marketing expert with over 10 years of Internet marketing experience. You can catch Tony on the Xeal Radio Show on Sunday nights on 1170 KFAQ Tulsa or visit www.Xeal.com to sign up for a free website analysis on Xeal’s Weekly Webinar.

Usability, as you hopefully know, is all about making sure that the people who come to your website can find the information or product they want, and ensuring they can find it quickly, efficiently, and with minimal hair-tearing.

Unfortunately, some people just don’t know the guidelines, or just don’t follow them. This can lead to a lot of frustration on the part of the user, and if users are frustrated, then chances are good they won’t be back to your site. Whether you’re building a new site or redesigning an old one, here are a few usability tips you should be keeping in mind.

Website usability tip #1: Consistency

Consistency is one of the most important aspects of usability. The page style, text style, colors and navigation should be consistent throughout your entire site. Not only does this help with usability, but it will also help with building your brand online. By using those visual cues throughout your site, people will know exactly where to look for the links they need, and they’ll always know for sure that they’re still in your site.

Website usability tip #2: Navigation

According to Jakob Nielsen, a usability expert, a good navigation system should answer three questions for your users:

Where am I?
Where have I been?
Where can I go?

Keep your navigation consistent throughout your site, and this is one case where it’s okay to be redundant. Provide multiple ways for your users to find what they’re looking for, such as text links, graphics links, a clearly marked search function and a site map, just to name a few. Also, cookie crumbs (home > products > Product Name > features) are a good way to let visitors know where they are on your site and how they got there, so it’s easy for them to go back if they need to.

For more on useability, check out this post from Midwest Business Tips:
http://smbtips.blogspot.com/2007/08/website-usability.html

Website usability tip #3: Content

Yes, pretty pages are a plus, but if there’s no meaty content to the pages, there’s no reason for users to come back. Don’t dump big blocks of text on your site. Break it up into smaller paragraphs, and organize your content with headings and subheadings so that people who are skimming the site can quickly find what they’re looking for. Giant text blocks only serve to give people headaches.

Either stick with a light background and dark lettering, or a dark background with light lettering. Contrast is the key here. Use a sans serif font (like Arial) for the regular copy, and don’t make it too small. Don’t make your information difficult to read, unless you really want to drive people away from your site.

And proofread, proofread, proofread. Nothing will damage your credibility quicker than blatant grammar and spelling mistakes.

Website usability tip #4: Images

Yes, you’ve got that gorgeous flowery picture that you just HAVE to have on the background of every page. But did you ever stop to consider how distracting it could be, or how the color changes in the picture could obscure the text on top of it? Unless you really know what you’re doing, steer clear of background images.

For all images, make sure that you have appropriate ALT and TITLE attributes. This is the text that shows up in an image box before the image loads, or appears when you mouse over the image. Not only will this increase usability, especially for people using text browsers or site readers, but it will also increase your keywords, which makes search engine spiders happy.

Website usability tip #5: Custom error page

It happens to the best of us. Pages get removed from sites. Links get changed. Sections get taken down and updated. People enter file names wrong. No matter the reason, it’s entirely likely that somebody visiting your site will click on a broken link. If you have a custom 404 error page, then you have a chance to let your users know what happened, redirect them to a page that might have what they were looking for, or just take them back to your home page.

Plus, that way you can keep your colors and branding consistent, even on the error page. It’s much more professional than having your site host’s 404 page show up when somebody clicks a broken link.

Website usability tip #6: Contact and feedback

You should have a clearly marked contact page, and there should be more on there than just a form “contact us” box. Let your users know who you are, where you’re located, and give them options other than just email for getting in touch with you. If you do have a form, clearly note what information you require and make sure you don’t require information, like ZIP codes, that international users won’t necessarily have.

Website usability tip #7: Testing

Not everybody using your site will be from North America, have a monitor with 1280 x 800 resolution, and be surfing via Internet Explorer. You’ll have international users, users with older, fullscreen monitors, users on dial-up, users on Macs, users on PCs with Firefox or other browers, blind users with site readers, you name it. That’s always something to keep in mind and a big reason why you need to test. There has to be usability across all platforms, not just the one you use to build your site.

Get real people to test your site so that you can get an idea of how users will experience it, and you can fix any problems before it goes live. Usability testing is the only way to make sure that your site fits both yours and your users’ needs. That way, you can find out what works and what doesn’t, and can adjust your site so that everybody has an enjoyable, pleasant experience browsing your site.

For a few more tips on optimizing your site, check out this post: Five Ways to Optimize Your Website for Universal Search.

Website usability is a vast, important topic, and it’s nigh impossible to cover all the applicable points in just one article. However, one of the most important things to remember about these guidelines is that they are just that: guidelines. You won’t get in trouble with the Internet Higher Authorities if you don’t slavishly adhere to them. Just keep your users in mind with your site design. The easier it is for them, the better it will be for you.

About the Author
President and founder of Xeal Inc., Tony D. Baker is Oklahoma’s leading Internet marketing expert with more than 10 years of Internet marketing experience. You can catch Tony on the Xeal Radio Show on Sunday nights on 1170 KFAQ Tulsa. Sign up for a free 25-point website evaluation and pick up crucial tips at Xeal’s free Thursday webinar at http://www.xeal.com/webinar.