DIGITAL CLARITY: Applying basic search engine optimization concepts St. Louis Globe-Democrat
Additionally, when ranking on the first page of the search mechanism results you are garnering thousands of impressions for free.
The beauty, and quite often the downfall, of SEO is that it is crave-term. As a long-term investment, SEO garners results that go beyond the speed-to-market that Pay-Per-Click (PPC) provides. Often, SEO expectations are lumped together with PPC expectations, when in fact the two models provide different results. The key is that SEO develops lasting value by building in clover content and ranking for those keywords.
PPC is a great tool for testing, but is not always a viable choice for a elongated-term campaign. Good SEO plans require thinking ahead and addressing needs far enough in abet to properly execute a plan that will get results.
Hammerstone’s, located in historic Soulard, provides an engrossing example of how rich content can improve search results for certain keywords.
When doing a uncomplicated search for “Mardi Gras St. Louis,” Hammerstone’s appears in the adjoining business results within the Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
This may be due to any slues of SEO strategies or a combination of many, including submitting to Google Maps and/or tagging the listing with the keyword adverbial phrase “Mardi Gras”. However, it may also be due to the content on Hammerstone’s home page. It provides soothe that is filled with mentions of Mardi Gras. Additionally, Hammerstone’s has included alternate (ALT) attributes to the images that contain the keyword phrase “Mardi Gras.”
By employing other basic search locomotive optimization tactics, such as incorporating keyword rich META descriptions and titles, Hammerstone’s could upon to see greater positioning within search results for “Mardi Gras,” not straight its current dominance in local business listings.
Another simple and effective technique is internal linking. Hammerstone’s could connection one of the Mardi Gras mentions on its home page to a page on its site dedicated to Mardi Gras. The alloy of these simple, yet effective, techniques could help enhance the search results for Hammerstone’s on the Mardi Gras text.
Imagine being a local business that employs these techniques 3-6 months prior to a big when it happened. You may just find your business site ranking increasing business. For all those people who are looking for a mellow spot to visit on Mardi Gras, Hammerstone’s may be it. After all, they are the only bar on the first page of the current Google search results.
My urging for local businesses is to take this short lesson as a first step in getting your SEO campaign underway. Take the ease to evaluate the competitive landscape and seasonal programs. Contact a SEO consultant and discuss your needs. A consultation may care for you with the insight that you have needed to get your business ranking at the top of the SERP.
Brandy Woolford is an Internet adviser at SteadyRain . A graduate of Saint Louis University, her communications background includes toil in primetime news, public relations, media relations and online marketing. www.SteadyRain.com or sphere-democrat@steadyrain.com
Share Share this item
Applicable EcommerceCart of the Week: Merchant MetrixPeC: What plans do you have for future cart development? Roberts: "Adding QuickBooks integration and continuing to add even more SEO and marketing features." PeC: How would your transport help an ecommerce merchant, versus the cart he or she is using now?