May 02
Daily Search Forum Recap: May 2, 2008
in Search Engine Roundtable
Comments Off

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.

May 02
Highlights from the SEW Blog: April 7-11, 2008
in Search Engine Watch
Comments Off

Featured posts to the Search Engine Watch blog in the past week.

May 02
Search Engine Forums Spotlight: April 11, 2008
in Search Engine Watch
Comments Off

Found in the search marketing forums: AdWords Live on Yahoo; Can a Web Site Compete; Is PPC Irrelevant; and more.

May 02
SearchCap: The Day In Search, May 2, 2008
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on
Search Engine Land and from other
places across the web

From Search Engine Land:


  • WSJ: Microsoft, Yahoo Talking To Avoid Hostile Proxy Fight
    The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Microsoft and Yahoo are holding talks to try and avoid the promised proxy battle/hostile takeover effort that is certain to be wearying for both sides. According to the paper: “Talks between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. intensified Friday as the two sides…

  • Local Internet Marketing Firm Spams Google Maps Bigtime
    In another case of major mapspam (discovered first by Imnotadoctor), a SMB-local internet market firm, Big Local, has captured many of the top positions in the Google Maps “onebox” for the category “internet consulting.” Below are some examples from various cities….

  • Thanks For Taking Our Survey; And The SMX Ticket Winner Is…
    A big “thank you” to all 375 of you who completed our Search Engine Land audience survey. We won’t ask again for another year. Promise. You’re a very impressive group in terms of seniority and buying power. Here are a couple of the survey results:…

  • Search In Pictures: Yahoo Baby, Google Megaphone, Alanis Morissette
    In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled from the web, showing what people eat at the search engine companies, how they play, who they meet, where they speak, what toys they have, and more….

  • Indiana Jones Search: Indy Meets Microsoft Live Search
    For over a year, Microsoft has been experimenting with games to help build its search marketshare. Yesterday, I learned of one that certainly caught my eye: Indiana Jones Search….

  • Google News Comes To iPhone, Plus Goes Global With Interface
    The Google News Blog announced that they have launched a special interface for the iPhone. To access it, all you need to do is go to Google.com on your iPhone or iPod Touch and navigate to the news section via the “more” link at the top right or you can…

  • Microsoft Releases “Renaissance” Version of Live Search QnA
    The Live Search QnA Blog announced a new release of Live Search QnA. Live Search QnA is Microsoft’s question and answer engine, similar to Yahoo Answers. This new release was coined the “Renaissance release,” and includes the following enhancements….

  • SEM News, The Single Best SEM Report & Nielson’s BlogPulse Trend Search
    In The Trenches is a weekly spotlight of tips, tricks, and news about the tools search engine marketing professionals use to give them a leg up on the competition. Today: News from the search engines, today’s in-depth look, “The Single Best Report in SEM” and this week’s free tips…

  • Human Hardware: You’re Looking, but are You Seeing?
    So far in the Human Hardware series, we’ve dealt with working memory (a just released study confirms the limitations of this. See my note at the end of this column), differences between sexes and Dunbar’s number (Parts One and Two). Today, I want to explore how we can look…

  • WSJ: Yahoo Poised To Announce Google Ads Deal; Ballmer Says Microsoft Could Go It Alone
    According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo is ready to formally announce a deal to incorporate Google AdWords into its search results — potentially within a week. The deal could be part of a larger “open” system in which Yahoo serves the most lucrative ad in search results from its…

Search News From Around The Web:

Applications & Portal Features

Business Issues

Local, Maps & Mobile

Link Building

Microhoo

Paid Search & Contextual

Searching

SEM Industry

SEO & SEM

Social Media

Video, Music & Image Search

Other Items

Recent Hot Items From Sphinn, Our Social News Sharing Site:

May 02
WSJ: Microsoft, Yahoo Talking To Avoid Hostile Proxy Fight
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Microsoft and Yahoo are holding talks to try and avoid the promised proxy battle/hostile takeover effort that is certain to be wearying for both sides. According to the paper: “Talks between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. intensified Friday as the two sides explored the possibility of a last-ditch friendly deal, according to people familiar with the matter.”

Click to continue reading…

May 02
Local Internet Marketing Firm Spams Google Maps Bigtime
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

In another case of major mapspam (discovered first by Imnotadoctor), a SMB-local internet market firm, Big Local, has captured many of the top positions in the Google Maps “onebox” for the category “internet consulting.” Below are some examples from various cities.

Click to continue reading…

May 02
Targeting Conversions and Traffic with Long Tail Writing
in Search Engine Guide
Comments Off

by Jennifer Laycock

As personalized search and universal search continue shaking up an industry that used to be dominated by “top ten results,” more and more small businesses are learning the value of focusing on the keyword long tail. While there’s no doubting the value of bringing in highly targeted traffic, many companies still don’t quite get how to target the long tail in their copy. They also don’t know that long tail friendly copy is also user friendly copy.

What is the Long Tail?

If you aren’t familiar with the idea behind the keyword long tail, that’s ok. It’s actually quite simple. In his article on targeting the keyword long tail, Matt Bailey described it this way:

In most cases, the top 10 terms provide a lot of traffic, but not nearly as much as the total terms after the top 10 or 20 most popular. Add up the terms that refer 1-3 visits during the month, and chances are, they will add up to more total visitors than the top terms. On closer examination, most sites will have the majority of their business (sales and leads) generated from these terms that are rarely tracked. This is the heart of the long tail - that the length, or total number of low-number referred terms outnumbers the height, or the total of top 10 terms.

In other words, the terms that are most popular, most managed by site owners, are rarely those that provide the most business. In most studies, the success of the site was from the hundreds or thousands of referrals outside of the most popular terms.

In practical terms, targeting the long tail is about adding descriptive words to your content. If you’re targeting widgets, you already know you want to work the word widgets into your content. But have you thought about making sure you are adding words to describe things like size, color and price or actions like buy, review and sample? Good SEO writing is no longer just about creatively and subtly working keywords into your content. Now it’s about targeting the long tail by adding less-searched for, yet still important qualifiers to your content.

Targeting the Long Tail Means Better Copy

The great thing about writing for the long tail is the freedom it gives you in terms of writing enticing copy. Natural and descriptive language is an important part of the long tail. With that in mind, let’s take a few quick looks at how some simple copy changes make for a better web site AND a better shot at targeting the long tail. I’ll put the possible keywords in bold in each instance.

Example: Classic Car Dealership

Original text:

“Joe’s Vintage Autos has your dream car! We carry hard to find American cars from the 60’s and 70’s. Visit our online database and photo gallery to view our latest inventory.

Long tail targeted text:

“Joe’s classic car dealership specializes in rare corvette convertibles and muscle cars that harken back to the glory days of American made hot rods. Imagine yourself driving down the highway in a bright yellow 1972 corvette convertible while the wind blows through your hair. That’s the dream that we deliver here at Joe’s classic car dealership.” Search our extensive online database of classic cars, or visit the showroom and take one for a test drive.”

Now, you may be thinking “how in the world does she expect to target all those keywords on one page?” The answer is, I don’t. In the little snippet above, I’d be actively targeting the phrases “classic car dealership” and “corvette convertibles.” But thanks to the use of descriptive words like “rare,” “American made,” “hot rods,” “bright yellow,” and “1972″ the site would also have a great shot at drawing traffic from really specific keyword searches.

Let’s say someone was searching for “1972 corvette convertible car dealer” or “bright yellow classic hot rod.” There’s a good chance that person would find Joe’s Classic Car Dealership in the search results because there won’t be very many sites using each and every one of those words on the same page. Since the search term is extremely specific, there’s also a good chance Joe’s dealership will be getting a highly qualified visitor who may well turn into a buyer.

Example: Local bakery, About us Page

Original text:

Specializing in weddings, our unique creations set us apart from other cake shops. Our staff works with each bride to create the wedding cake of her dreams. We use only the highest quality ingredients and materials, which brides are free to sample!

Long tail targeted text:

The Crumb Shop is located in Hubbard, Ohio and has been creating unique and inspired wedding cakes for Northeast Ohio weddings for more than a decade. Our skilled cake designers spend time working with each bride to create the wedding cake of her dreams. We have existing relationships with banquet halls in Hubbard, Brookfield, Youngstown, Girard and Austintown. We also deliver anywhere in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. We’re happy to offer a free tasting and design consultation for local brides in our shop on Main Street in downtown Hubbard. Call 330-555-CAKE to schedule your appointment.

The bakery example has been rewritten with the local long tail in mind. While the majority of people still tend to search on a broader geographic scale (say “Ohio weddings” or “Columbus wedding cake”) there are long tail phrases that focus in on specific towns and cities. If you are a local business and you aren’t addressing long tail locations in your site copy, you may be passing up potential business. The example above not only targets “wedding cakes” but also targets one state, two counties and five specific cities.

More Traffic and Better Conversions

While it’s easy to see how writing for the long tail can ultimately lead to more rankings and highly targeted traffic, it’s also important to point out the potential for higher conversions. While it’s true that long-tail searchers convert better, it’s also true that long-tail optimized copy converts better. All you need to do is go back and review the before and after for Joe’s car dealership and you can quickly feel the difference in emotion evoked by each set of copy.

There’s a reason marketing agencies employee copywriters. They know good copy draws people in and makes them more likely to buy. A little thought and creativity can make your existing traffic more likely to buy AND can deliver new traffic. What’s not to love about that?

Want more from your web site?
Search Influence can help! Targeted Traffic. Increased Revenue. Results Guaranteed. Customized Internet Marketing you can afford.

May 02
Target the Long Tail with Better Writing
in Search Engine Guide
Comments Off

by Jennifer Laycock

As personalized search and universal search continue shaking up an industry that used to be dominated by “top ten results,” more and more small businesses are learning the valuing of focusing on the keyword long tail. While there’s no doubting the value of bringing in highly targeted traffic, many companies still don’t quite get how to target the long tail in their copy. They also don’t know that long tail friendly copy is also user friendly copy.

What is the Long Tail?

If you aren’t familiar with the idea behind the keyword long tail, that’s ok. It’s actually quite simple. In his article on targeting the keyword long tail, Matt Bailey described it this way:

In most cases, the top 10 terms provide a lot of traffic, but not nearly as much as the total terms after the top 10 or 20 most popular. Add up the terms that refer 1-3 visits during the month, and chances are, they will add up to more total visitors than the top terms. On closer examination, most sites will have the majority of their business (sales and leads) generated from these terms that are rarely tracked. This is the heart of the long tail - that the length, or total number of low-number referred terms outnumbers the height, or the total of top 10 terms.

In other words, the terms that are most popular, most managed by site owners, are rarely those that provide the most business. In most studies, the success of the site was from the hundreds or thousands of referrals outside of the most popular terms.

In practical terms, targeting the long tail is about adding descriptive words to your content. If you’re targeting widgets, you already know you want to work the word widgets into your content. But have you thought about making sure you are adding words to describe things like size, color and price or actions like buy, review and sample? Good SEO writing is no longer just about creatively and subtly working keywords into your content. Now it’s about targeting the long tail by adding less-searched for, yet still important qualifiers to your content.

Targeting the Long Tail Means Better Copy

The great thing about writing for the long tail is the freedom it gives you in terms of writing enticing copy. Natural and descriptive language is an important part of the long tail. With that in mind, let’s take a few quick looks at how some simple copy changes make for a better web site AND a better shot at targeting the long tail. I’ll put the possible keywords in bold in each instance.

Example: Classic Car Dealership

Original text:

“Joe’s Vintage Autos has your dream car! We carry hard to find American cars from the 60’s and 70’s. Visit our online database and photo gallery to view our latest inventory.

Long tail targeted text:

“Joe’s classic car dealership specializes in rare corvette convertibles and muscle cars that harken back to the glory days of American made hot rods. Imagine yourself driving down the highway in a bright yellow 1972 corvette convertible while the wind blows through your hair. That’s the dream that we deliver here at Joe’s classic car dealership.” Search our extensive online database of classic cars, or visit the showroom and take one for a test drive.”

Now, you may be thinking “how in the world does she expect to target all those keywords on one page?” The answer is, I don’t. In the little snippet above, I’d be actively targeting the phrases “classic car dealership” and “corvette convertibles.” But thanks to the use of descriptive words like “rare,” “American made,” “hot rods,” “bright yellow,” and “1972″ the site would also have a great shot at drawing traffic from really specific keyword searches.

Let’s say someone was searching for “1972 corvette convertible car dealer” or “bright yellow classic hot rod.” There’s a good chance that person would find Joe’s Classic Car Dealership in the search results because there won’t be very many sites using each and every one of those words on the same page. Since the search term is extremely specific, there’s also a good chance Joe’s dealership will be getting a highly qualified visitor who may well turn into a buyer.

Example: Local bakery, About us Page

Original text:

Specializing in weddings, our unique creations set us apart from other cake shops. Our staff works with each bride to create the wedding cake of her dreams. We use only the highest quality ingredients and materials, which brides are free to sample!

Edited text:

The Crumb Shop is located in Hubbard, Ohio and has been creating unique and inspired wedding cakes for Northeast Ohio weddings for more than a decade. Our skilled cake designers spend time working with each bride to create the wedding cake of her dreams. We have existing relationships with banquet halls in Hubbard, Brookfield, Youngstown, Girard and Austintown. We also deliver anywhere in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. We’re happy to offer a free tasting and design consultation for local brides in our shop on Main Street in downtown Hubbard. Call 330-555-CAKE to schedule your appointment.

The bakery example has been rewritten with the local long tail in mind. While the majority of people still tend to search on a broader geographic scale (say “Ohio weddings” or “Columbus wedding cake”) there are long tail phrases that focus in on specific towns and cities. If you are a local business and you aren’t addressing long tail locations in your site copy, you may be passing up potential business. The example above not only targets “wedding cakes” but also targets one state, two counties and five specific cities.

More Traffic and Better Conversions

While it’s easy to see how writing for the long tail can ultimately lead to more rankings and highly targeted traffic, it’s also important to point out the potential for higher conversions. While it’s true that long-tail searchers convert better, it’s also true that long-tail optimized copy converts better. All you need to do is go back and review the before and after for Joe’s car dealership and you can quickly feel the difference in emotion evoked by each set of copy.

There’s a reason marketing agencies employee copywriters. They know good copy draws people in and makes them more likely to buy. A little thought and creativity can make your existing traffic more likely to buy AND can deliver new traffic. What’s not to love about that?

Want more from your web site?
Search Influence can help! Targeted Traffic. Increased Revenue. Results Guaranteed. Customized Internet Marketing you can afford.

May 02
Site Clinic: Content Is Key To Attracting Customers
in Search Engine Guide
Comments Off

by Jackie Baker

Today we begin the first installment of a weekly site clinic column, where small businesses are invited to submit their websites for review. Can’t beat a little free advice, right? I’ll be looking at the design, copy, usability, SEO, marketing, and any technical issues that may prevent websites from drawing loyal, active visitors and meeting goals. Each week, I’ll give the top five issues the website owner/manager can address to significantly improve performance.

south-jersey-caterer.jpgThis week I’m looking at the website for First Class Affairs, a banquet facility and caterer in Southern New Jersey. With a very limited budget and not a lot of technical experience, the owner created this site in Yahoo Site Builder and has recently been learning all about search marketing. I promised to keep the technical limitations in mind, and I’m convinced there are some basic improvements that will make a world of difference for the website without setting her head to spinning.

To get started, I asked a few questions that give necessary background for the marketing goals of the website:

  1. Target market? Anyone planning a wedding, event, or party in South Jersey who needs catering
  2. Unique selling proposition? Ability to create an elegant affair on any budget with a little creativity.
  3. Website goal? Contact.

1. Content: Does it address all of your potential customer’s needs?
The first vital step for this site is to expand the content and organize it into multiple pages.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked on a web development project where the sole focus was the design, and no one was paying any attention to the content. Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth just to get the basic information, let alone turn it into compelling copy. And while a professional look is necessary in today’s web savvy world, giving visitors all the information they want is even more important.

The First Class Affairs website has a good start in providing the necessary information. But it needs much more content–and needs to move it off the homepage. At the recent Small Business Marketing Unleashed conference, Heather Lloyd-Martin said that “your homepage is like the back cover of a book.” In other words, it should only give the highlights of your company and website.

It’s only been a few years since I was planning my own wedding. I did most of my catering research online initially, so I’ve had a good look at what brides and other party planners are looking for that isn’t currently found on your website:

  • Menu. Even if it isn’t comprehensive, give as many examples as you can of what you offer. I’d even include a list of the most highly recommended or popular items.
  • Services. What do you provide besides food? Do you serve on china or paper? If china, does it cost extra? What about linens, drinks, appetizers, set up, clean up, and cartons for leftovers? Be comprehensive, and tell visitors everything you can do.
  • Cost. In your unique selling proposition, you say that you can create an elegant affair on any budget. On the site, you give a price range of $59-99 per person, which leaves out a large section of the market. Let visitors know that you are willing to negotiate and be creative to come up with a menu that will fit in their budget.
  • About Us. Let your personality shine through here. Show why you’re an expert, why you are different, and why a bride (or other planner) should trust you with her special day.
  • Banquet Facilities. Talk about the size, the special features, the space, and what all they get if they use your banquet facility and your catering service. Give ideas of price. Is the room rental included in the per person catering fee, or is it separate?
  • Off-site Catering. Tell visitors what you can provide off-site, locations you’ve worked previously, what you require in the location (electric, refrigerator, etc). Do you provide linens, china, and set up off-site?

If you need more ideas for content to consider including on your site, spy on your competition! Look at websites selling a similar product or service, see what you like and don’t like, and use their good ideas (but not their copy, of course!).

2. Design: Don’t alienate subsections of your primary or secondary audiences.
The First Class Affairs website design screams “wedding.” In a way, that’s good as this is a primary target audience. Unfortunately, it still alienates a large section of the market looking for a more modern wedding. With the old-fashioned female portrait on every page, the scrolls, and the curly writing (script fonts are a big no-no on the web, by the way) the site implies a very frilly, Victorian feel.

But then, what about all those other party and event planners who need a caterer or banquet hall? You don’t want your design to be so focused on weddings that you completely leave out this huge market.

Ditch the script font, ditch the Victorian portrait, use more neutral colors. You have a beautiful facility and great pictures; sprinkle those throughout the site. Look at bridal magazines or websites to see what kinds of colors and invitations are in-style, and use those as your guide. Make sure it’s obvious that weddings are your primary target without excluding other events.

3. Marketing: Give a call to action on every page.
Nearly every time I audit a website, I find a lack of a call to action. Telling visitors what you want them to do on your website is so important that we tell our clients to put it on every single page! We’ve often found that using a three column format (navigation, content, right sidebar) and putting a call to action in the right hand column is very effective in driving visitors to your conversion point.

For First Class Affairs, the call to action is to “contact us.” You could even go more specific and say “contact us to discuss your event” or “contact us to schedule a visit.” If you offer a taste testing session (if you don’t, it’s a good idea!) that could be your main hook. Whichever you decide to use, make sure it is prominent on every page and links to your contact page. Your call to action should always be “above the fold” where visitors don’t have to scroll to see it.

Side note: Make sure all of your contact information is on the contact page. It’s on every page already, but visitors will still expect to see an address and phone number in the content area alongside the contact form.

4. Search Engine Optimization: Use the terms searchers are using.
southjerseycaterer-keywords.jpgIt’s great to see that you’ve already incorporated unique titles and descriptions on each of your pages. However, several of the key phrases you are targeting just aren’t getting very many searches. This is a relatively common problem for new sites, or even old ones just starting SEO. What businesses call their services or location just isn’t always what their customers call those things. That’s why using keyword software like Keyword Discovery or Wordtracker is so helpful. Even if a certain phrase or term is in your business model or marketing materials, you always need to go with your visitors.

After some basic keyword research for this website, I found that more people are using the following terms for location:

  • New Jersey
  • NJ
  • Philadelphia

Very few are using South Jersey or Philly for catering/wedding related services.

For services, consider using

  • Wedding
  • Banquet
  • Banquet hall
  • Reception

So few people are searching for any versions of the term “cater” that it’s not really worth optimizing your titles and descriptions for that term. However, that is an important explanation of what you provide so it is important to use it in content for after visitors get to your site.

5. Link Building: Get involved on related websites.
One major pitfall for search engine rankings and traffic is that the First Class Affairs website has incredibly few incoming links. And virtually every link it does have is from a blog or forum comment made on a legal website. Only a handful are wedding related comments.

It’s great to see a site owner so active in blogs and social media and contributing thoughtful, relevant comments. However, to get the most out of your time and drive high quality links to your site, spend more time on wedding and event related sites. (Hint: having someone else to link to your site in a forum is an even better way to drive traffic.)

In addition, make sure your site is submitted to directories including your local chambers of commerce and niche sites like theknot.com.

Submit Your Site For a Free Review
Small business owners: if you’d like to submit your website for a free review in this weekly column, contact me at jackie@sitelogic.com. Be sure to include your URL and answer these three questions:

  1. who are your primary and secondary target audience?
  2. what is your unique selling proposition (what makes you stand out)?
  3. what is your main goal for your website (sales, leads, page views)?

Want more from your web site?
Search Influence can help! Targeted Traffic. Increased Revenue. Results Guaranteed. Customized Internet Marketing you can afford.

May 02
Site Clinic: Content Is Key To Attracting Customers
in Search Engine Guide
Comments Off

by Jackie Baker

Today we begin the first installment of a weekly site clinic column, where small businesses are invited to submit their websites for review. Can’t beat a little free advice, right? I’ll be looking at the design, copy, usability, SEO, marketing, and any technical issues that may prevent websites from drawing loyal, active visitors and meeting goals. Each week, I’ll give the top five issues the website owner/manager can address to significantly improve performance.

south-jersey-caterer.jpgThis week I’m looking at the website for First Class Affairs, a banquet facility and caterer in Southern New Jersey. With a very limited budget and not a lot of technical experience, the owner created this site in Yahoo Site Builder and has recently been learning all about search marketing. I promised to keep the technical limitations in mind, and I’m convinced there are some basic improvements that will make a world of difference for the website without setting her head to spinning.

To get started, I asked a few questions that give necessary background for the marketing goals of the website:

  1. Target market? Anyone planning a wedding, event, or party in South Jersey who needs catering
  2. Unique selling proposition? Ability to create an elegant affair on any budget with a little creativity.
  3. Website goal? Contact.

1. Content: Does it address all of your potential customer’s needs?
The first vital step for this site is to expand the content and organize it into multiple pages.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked on a web development project where the sole focus was the design, and no one was paying any attention to the content. Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth just to get the basic information, let alone turn it into compelling copy. And while a professional look is necessary in today’s web savvy world, giving visitors all the information they want is even more important.

The First Class Affairs website has a good start in providing the necessary information. But it needs much more content–and needs to move it off the homepage. At the recent Small Business Marketing Unleashed conference, Heather Lloyd-Martin said that “your homepage is like the back cover of a book.” In other words, it should only give the highlights of your company and website.

It’s only been a few years since I was planning my own wedding. I did most of my catering research online initially, so I’ve had a good look at what brides and other party planners are looking for that isn’t currently found on your website:

  • Menu. Even if it isn’t comprehensive, give as many examples as you can of what you offer. I’d even include a list of the most highly recommended or popular items.
  • Services. What do you provide besides food? Do you serve on china or paper? If china, does it cost extra? What about linens, drinks, appetizers, set up, clean up, and cartons for leftovers? Be comprehensive, and tell visitors everything you can do.
  • Cost. In your unique selling proposition, you say that you can create an elegant affair on any budget. On the site, you give a price range of $59-99 per person, which leaves out a large section of the market. Let visitors know that you are willing to negotiate and be creative to come up with a menu that will fit in their budget.
  • About Us. Let your personality shine through here. Show why you’re an expert, why you are different, and why a bride (or other planner) should trust you with her special day.
  • Banquet Facilities. Talk about the size, the special features, the space, and what all they get if they use your banquet facility and your catering service. Give ideas of price. Is the room rental included in the per person catering fee, or is it separate?
  • Off-site Catering. Tell visitors what you can provide off-site, locations you’ve worked previously, what you require in the location (electric, refrigerator, etc). Do you provide linens, china, and set up off-site?

If you need more ideas for content to consider including on your site, spy on your competition! Look at websites selling a similar product or service, see what you like and don’t like, and use their good ideas (but not their copy, of course!).

2. Design: Don’t alienate subsections of your primary or secondary audiences.
The First Class Affairs website design screams “wedding.” In a way, that’s good as this is a primary target audience. Unfortunately, it still alienates a large section of the market looking for a more modern wedding. With the old-fashioned female portrait on every page, the scrolls, and the curly writing (script fonts are a big no-no on the web, by the way) the site implies a very frilly, Victorian feel.

But then, what about all those other party and event planners who need a caterer or banquet hall? You don’t want your design to be so focused on weddings that you completely leave out this huge market.

Ditch the script font, ditch the Victorian portrait, use more neutral colors. You have a beautiful facility and great pictures; sprinkle those throughout the site. Look at bridal magazines or websites to see what kinds of colors and invitations are in-style, and use those as your guide. Make sure it’s obvious that weddings are your primary target without excluding other events.

3. Marketing: Give a call to action on every page.
Nearly every time I audit a website, I find a lack of a call to action. Telling visitors what you want them to do on your website is so important that we tell our clients to put it on every single page! We’ve often found that using a three column format (navigation, content, right sidebar) and putting a call to action in the right hand column is very effective in driving visitors to your conversion point.

For First Class Affairs, the call to action is to “contact us.” You could even go more specific and say “contact us to discuss your event” or “contact us to schedule a visit.” If you offer a taste testing session (if you don’t, it’s a good idea!) that could be your main hook. Whichever you decide to use, make sure it is prominent on every page and links to your contact page. Your call to action should always be “above the fold” where visitors don’t have to scroll to see it.

Side note: Make sure all of your contact information is on the contact page. It’s on every page already, but visitors will still expect to see an address and phone number in the content area alongside the contact form.

4. Search Engine Optimization: Use the terms searchers are using.
southjerseycaterer-keywords.jpgIt’s great to see that you’ve already incorporated unique titles and descriptions on each of your pages. However, several of the key phrases you are targeting just aren’t getting very many searches. This is a relatively common problem for new sites, or even old ones just starting SEO. What businesses call their services or location just isn’t always what their customers call those things. That’s why using keyword software like Keyword Discovery or Wordtracker is so helpful. Even if a certain phrase or term is in your business model or marketing materials, you always need to go with your visitors.

After some basic keyword research for this website, I found that more people are using the following terms for location:

  • New Jersey
  • NJ
  • Philadelphia

Very few are using South Jersey or Philly for catering/wedding related services.

For services, consider using

  • Wedding
  • Banquet
  • Banquet hall
  • Reception

So few people are searching for any versions of the term “cater” that it’s not really worth optimizing your titles and descriptions for that term. However, that is an important explanation of what you provide so it is important to use it in content for after visitors get to your site.

5. Link Building: Get involved on related websites.
One major pitfall for search engine rankings and traffic is that the First Class Affairs website has incredibly few incoming links. And virtually every link it does have is from a blog or forum comment made on a legal website. Only a handful are wedding related comments.

It’s great to see a site owner so active in blogs and social media and contributing thoughtful, relevant comments. However, to get the most out of your time and drive high quality links to your site, spend more time on wedding and event related sites. (Hint: having someone else to link to your site in a forum is an even better way to drive traffic.)

In addition, make sure your site is submitted to directories including your local chambers of commerce and niche sites like theknot.com.

Submit Your Site For a Free Review
Small business owners: if you’d like to submit your website for a free review in this weekly column, contact me at jackie@sitelogic.com. Be sure to include your URL and answer these three questions:

  1. who are your primary and secondary target audience?
  2. what is your unique selling proposition (what makes you stand out)?
  3. what is your main goal for your website (sales, leads, page views)?

Want more from your web site?
Search Influence can help! Targeted Traffic. Increased Revenue. Results Guaranteed. Customized Internet Marketing you can afford.

May 02
Thanks For Taking Our Survey; And The SMX Ticket Winner Is…
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

A big “thank you” to all 375 of you who completed our Search Engine Land audience survey. We won’t ask again for another year. Promise.

You’re a very impressive group in terms of seniority and buying power. Here are a couple of the survey results:

Click to continue reading…

May 02
Thanks For Taking Our Survey; And The SMX Ticket Winner Is…
in Search Engine Land
Comments Off

A big “thank you” to all 375 of you who completed our Search Engine Land audience survey. We won’t ask again for another year. Promise.

You’re a very impressive group in terms of seniority and buying power. Here are a couple of the survey results:

Click to continue reading…

May 02<