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  1. 5 Reasons Why You Should Use Social Media to Promote Your Business

    Reasons to Use Social Media for Business, Part 1

    As few as 3 years ago, the use of social media sites and their relevance to business was unheard of. Today, however, savvy businesses are approaching their advertising and marketing resources with a bend toward social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Buzz and others. In fact, according to the observations by the Center for Marketing Research, the Inc. 500 companies are outperforming Fortune companies largely due to the use of social media. In addition, Facebook recently topped Google as the most visited website on the internet. If you are not using a social media website, then you are missing out on a large customer base-and who wants to do that?

    Social Media

    If you still aren’t convinced of the value of social media websites, consider these recent five facts:

      1. There are more than 350 million active users on Facebook with 1.6 million active pages.
      2. 50% of active Facebook users log in on a daily basis, spend a minimum of 55 minutes per day and are posting 700 items per second
      3. Digg has 1 million users
      4. Twitter has over 18 million users posting an average of 600 tweets per second
      5. There are 55 Google Buzz comments per second

              To put these numbers into perspective, consider these comparisons. According to a February 2010 report:

              • Google has 34,000 searches per second; 2 million per minute; 121 million per hour, 3 billion per day and 88 billion per month.
              • Yahoo has 3,200 searches per second; 194 per million; 12 million per hour; 280 million per day and 8.4 billion per month
              • Bing has 927 searches a second; 56,000 per minute; 3 million per hour; 80 million per day and 2.4 billion per month
              • Twitter reports 50 million tweets daily and Facebook shows 60 million per day.

              In addition to these numbers, it should also be noted that in January 2010, Facebook passed Yahoo to be second only to Google. Then, during the week of March 7-13, 2010 visits to Facebook increased by 185% and Google by only 9% over the same week of 2009.   

              With these numbers in mind, utilizing the selling power of social media in business marketing is a must. After all, using social media sites is cost effective (usually free) and the ability to build one’s customer base is exponential. However, there is more to social media than merely setting up an account. To be effective, businesses need to combine SEO practices and customer interaction options in order to build trust and respect with their audience. This social media interaction has been shown to increase retail and e-commerce significantly. Many companies have recognized the correlation between social media and sales. According to a February 2010 Marketing Sherpa poll of 2,300 communication experts, "79% of experts of retail/e-commerce plan to increase their social media interaction in 2010" Simply put, if you are looking for a cost effective and efficient was to promote your business, social media is the way to go. 

              Uses of Social Media to Businesses

              Because search engines are now using "Real Time" search results as well as crawling social media sites, business owners can promote their services in a variety of ways. Also some sites, like Facebook, allow you to target your advertising based on gender, relationship status, age, location, etc… so you are able to focus your efforts on those who are most likely to be interested in your services. Consider including any (or all) of the following as part of your business social media page.

              • Post questions that encourage fan response
              • Post a poll to garner customer feedback
              • Integrate apps like games or quizzes to encourage guests to spend more time on your page
              • Repost information from other  users that is relevant and interesting
              • Promote your business through promos only available on your page (free shipping for fans only, exclusive product discounts, specials, etc…)

              Social media is likely here to stay. Regardless of whether you are a small business owner or President Obama, choosing to use the tools available on sites like Facebook or Twitter, can be a big business benefit.  Why not use it to your advantage and promote your business where you will be seen by the largest customer base available? You can do it yourself or hire the professionals at Page Progressive to do it for you. The sooner you do, the quicker your business can increase. Contact us today!

            • Tips to Test and Measure Your Site’s SEO

              If you’ve been following our last few posts, you now have spent a fair amount of time making your site search engine optimized. And, chances are, you are already seeing a bit more web traffic. However, your website SEO is not complete, nor will it ever be 100%. This is due to step four of the SEO process.

            • 4 Areas of SEO Content Optimization that You Don’t Want to Miss!

              Last post we discussed keyword research. Now that you have your keyword list and have tested them for effectiveness, now you are ready for step 3 of improving your website’s SEO.

              3. Implement Content Optimization and Submission

              Perhaps the most important aspect of improving your site’s SEO, content optimization and submission can also be quite time consuming and somewhat frustrating. There are 4 primary parts of optimizing your website for SEO (This list of 4 is certainly not exhaustive, but they are the key ones to focus on):

              1. using keywords in your title tags
              2. using keywords in the H1 tag
              3. using keywords throughout the body copy
              4. using keyword phrases as anchor text of links on other sites that point back to your website’s pages

              Keywords in Title Tags

              Title tags should tell both users and the search engine what a page is about. You will want to have a well written title that is both brief and descriptive for each page of your website so that they show up in the search results of search engines and can increase clicks from targeted searchers. Do not write title tags that have vague titles like "homepage" or "page 3." Titles that are stuffed with keywords and are longer than 60 characters will look spammy and also won’t help, so keep it concise 😉

              Keywords in H1 Tags

              Using keywords in your heading tags is also very important. There are six sizes of heading tags (H1 to H6) and they work as clues for readers to know what information is to follow. These assorted title tags should be used sparingly, generally no more than one H1 tag to a page. Also, be sure that the H1 tag represents the thesis of the page and is as close to the main targeted phrase as possible.  Title tag faux pas are inconsistency in tag size, putting all the information in a title and using heading tags for styling text rather than content structure.

              Keywords in Content 

              As you write the content for each of your site’s pages, it is important to incorporate your keywords throughout the body copy. You should use bold and italics whenever possible, without being overdone, as well as have a list (numbers, bullets, check boxes, etc.) that includes your keywords. Keep in mind that according to Jon Wuebbon, author of Content Rich: Writing Your Way to Wealth on the Web, key phrase use should make up 3-8% of an article or page, but at the same time, don’t get too concerned with the numbers when it comes to keyword density. Just make sure you are aware of the key phrases you are going after and  that your text reads logically and doesn’t sound like you are stuffing in as many key phrases as you can. As you create your web page content, be sure that it is easy to read, has a unique approach, focuses on the subject, showcases your services or products and is written with people, not search engines in mind. You should not have duplicated material – even if it is original work – on your site. In addition, your webpage(s) should not have poorly written material with grammatical errors, extensive misspellings (intentional misspellings not withstanding) or excessive amounts of writing on a wide range of topics without using paragraphs, headings or subheadings.

              Keywords in Anchor Text

              Using keywords and phrases as anchor text on other sites is a great way to direct people to your webpage. Submit articles that contain anchor text links back to your site on sites such as Ezinearticles.com, Buzzle.com, Ehow.com and others. Be sure the text is descriptive yet short and is easily spotted. When using anchor text, do not use long text (e.g. whole sentences), overloaded keyword articles, unneeded links that detract from a site’s usefulness or use generic terms like "page" or "click here".

              Ezine Screenshot

                  Once you have implemented content optimization and submission as part of improving your site’s SEO, you are nearly "finished." As you will find in step four, found in our next post, there is no such thing as being completely finished with SEO, but knowing the steps to bettering your site’s SEO is one of the best things you can do to increase business.

                • Critical SEO Tips for Keyword Research

                  When building or redesigning your website, it is vital to do everything possible to make it rank high in a web search.  After all, a website that is only visited by friends and family is not helping you increase your customer base. To help your site rank high in web searches, one of the most efficient methods is the effective use of SEO.

                  Coined in 1997, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of making one’s website more accessible and visible to search engines via natural or unpaid (aka- organic or algorithmic) search results rather than through SEM (search engine marketing) which is paid inclusion. When SEO is correctly employed, search engines will crawl your site and find relevance to a search term and the site will rank high at the top of search engine results. The higher your website ranks, the greater potential for business. It should be noted that writing for SEO should be done with social media groups such as Twitter, Facebook and others in mind as Google announced in December 2009 that it would be using the web histories of all its users to populate search results.

                  SEO is, however, more than stuffing your website with keywords. Paradoxically, too frequently using a keyword or phrase can work against you. To improve your website’s SEO, take these 4 steps (Steps 3 & 4 will be covered in subsequent articles).

                  1. Develop a list of keywords used to search for your webpage, products or services. As you begin creating a keyword list, be thorough but be sure not to only include your brand or company names. You may want to talk to friends and family for keyword ideas. Other ways to develop a keyword list is the use of synonyms (mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, etc.). Also, keywords don’t have to be single words; phrases with 3 or more words are known as long tail words or niche words and can bring more search engine hits than individual words.
                  2. Keyword Research and Development- After creating a list of keywords, you are ready to begin keyword research and development through the use of keyword research tools. You can use sites like Word Tracker, Google AdWords, Spy Fu and SEO Digger. These tools range in cost from free to a monthly or annual charge, but are well worth the time (and money) it takes to use them. The keyword research and development tools will show you the most popular search terms for your product or service and how often they are used. With these words and phrases identified you are ready to begin making changes to your website.

                      Intentionally misspelled words may seem an odd approach, but according to Gyutae Park of Winning the Web , there are 10 million misspelled search queries every day. To find high potential keyword misspellings check out Keyword Typo Generator. No, you don’t want to produce copy that is rife with errors, but including a statement like "Common misspellings are…" or turning a common misspelling into a brand name can make a difference.

                    3. It is also critical to look at web analytics such as Click Tracks, Key Word Discovery or Keyword Spy. Web analytics will show you how many times related words are used to find specific information.  

                    Keyword Spy

                    Once you have your keyword research finished you will be ready to proceed to step 3…covered next post 🙂

                • How to Seal the Deal with Internet Marketing

                  Most successful businesses, regardless of their
                  product, number of employees or physical location, all have at least one
                  commonality. No, it’s not necessarily winning personalities or state of
                  the art facilities; rather, it is profitable internet marketing. Also
                  known as web marketing, online marketing, I-marketing, or E-marketing,
                  internet marketing strategies use website optimization to increase the
                  number of consumer visits to a website. Online marketing offers you the
                  opportunity to measure statistics easily and inexpensively using tools
                  such as Google Analytics.

                  Types
                  of Internet Marketing

                  While
                  effective internet marketing does not require an MBA or a degree in
                  advertising, having a general understanding of the types of internet
                  marketing strategies will be a definite asset. The main forms of web
                  marketing are link building, search engine optimization (SEO) and
                  sponsored (Such as Pay-per-click) advertising.

                  Tips for
                  Effective Internet Marketing Optimization

                  In order to run a
                  successful business, making the
                  most of online marketing strategy is a necessity. If you are new to
                  internet marketing strategies, or merely wish to increase and improve your
                  current website, consider implementing the following techniques:

                  • Don’t
                    procrastinate! If you are considering
                    online marketing, there is no time like the present.
                  • If you
                    don’t have time to focus on internet
                    marketing, you may want to outsource the work. After all, it’s better to
                    invest your money in having someone to manage your online marketing,
                    than to lose the money you could make by overlooking its potential.
                  • Use social
                    media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to promote your
                    product or services.
                  • Put
                    information on your site that begs people to check it out. For example,
                    try using polls, contests, give aways, etc. to get people to come to
                    your page.
                  • Promote your
                    product by using e-mail marketing in conjunction with online marketing.
                  • Be
                    focused. Choose 1-2 main
                    goals, marketing groups or services and put all your energy there. For
                    example, there are a TON of social media services out there. Pick one
                    that you are interested in and become comfortable with that one before
                    trying another.
                  • If
                    you have an ecommerce site, have the ability
                    to track customer orders, maintain order history, and offer related or
                    suggested items based on their purchases. This is an online marketing
                    strategy that is effectively employed by sites such as Overstock, Amazon
                    and E-Bay.
                  • Consider
                    upgrading your online marketing site to be optimized for the mobile
                    customer.
                  • Become n expert in your field. Publish articles online about your expertise on sites that you feel will see a decent amount of traffic.

                  Sealing the Deal with
                  Internet Marketing

                  Beginning your venture in internet
                  marketing
                  means you will be increasing the success potential of your business. Of
                  course, you don’t have to take these steps alone. Companies like Page
                  Progressive                   are there to help you seal the deal through the use
                  effective search engine optimization, link building through social
                  media, press releases, article syndication, blogging, and directories,
                  as well as pay-per-click/sponsored advertising.

                  When using these strategies along with your website, an increase in site traffic
                  and revenue is sure to be sooner rather than later. An effective, well-designed and easy to use website is a must if you wish to be successful
                  in today’s business world.

                • Link Building: What Websites and Cities Have in Common

                  Every city is different.  Some have multiple
                  opportunities for adventure, others are known for a certain culture,
                  and some are known for particular types of commerce, but they all have
                  one commonality – numerous streets, highways and interstates bringing
                  traffic in and out of them. A well-marketed website has a lot of similarities
                  with a city. The roads leading into and out of the city are comparable
                  to links on a website. And just as having more roads facilitates more
                  traffic for a city, the more links to your website, the greater the
                  traffic as well, resulting in greater revenue for you.

                  Implementing Link Building

                  A web link is a connection from one web
                  site to another, or even another place in the same website. Link building
                  is the process of building a large quantity of incoming links. "Incoming"
                  means that another website links to your website, and not the other
                  way around. Effective link building is best done by using the following
                  approach:

                  1. Set aside a regular block
                    of time to dedicate to link building.                     Although link building is
                    not tremendously complicated, it does take time. In addition, it is
                    critical to consistently review your link building and actively seek
                    more links on a regular basis. Unfortunately, link building is never
                    "done" as there are always more things you can do to build
                    links, so setting up a regular time devoted to link building will enable
                    you to avoid getting complacent with your link building efforts.
                  2. Evaluate link building
                    partners.                      Use tools like the Google Toolbar (with page rank enabled) which identifies what
                    search engines think of a sites quality/reputation. The higher the page
                    ranks (from 0-10) the more a link from that site to yours is worth in
                    boosting your search engine ranking. Just like a positive referral from
                    a previous employer would be more valuable to your resume than a referral
                    from your mom, websites also have varying levels of value.

                    Find potential link building partners
                    by searching for phrases that you would like to rank for. You want to
                    look for reputable sites, such as professional organizations that offer
                    articles and news posts on their site. Then write an article and submit
                    it to them to use. If they approve your article, they will most likely
                    be happy to credit you at the bottom with a link back to your website.

                  1. Use directory services
                    such as the                     DMOZ Open Directory Project and the Yahoo Directory. These sites feed thousands of other
                    directories, so being listed in them will result in building a mountain
                    of incoming links to your site over time.
                  2. Set up a blog. This
                    is one of the best ways to build traffic to your site. It is done by
                    creating a lot of good content that other people would want to link
                    to. A blog is a great way to informally build pages of content to your
                    site over time. Make sure to have your web developer install the blog
                    locally on your site if possible (i.e. website.com/blog), rather
                    than using a free external blog to get maximum results.
                  3. Post articles and press
                    releases.                     A great way to build links is by writing articles and
                    press releases then posting them on numerous article syndication or
                    press release websites.
                  4. Use social media. Social
                    media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn all can be used
                    to build more traffic to your site. Experiment with a few social media
                    sites, find one that you like and dive in. Become an active participant
                    – read posts, answer people’s questions, actively look for opportunities
                    to link to other people and for opportunities to promote your blog or
                    other articles. However, be careful not to come across as only caring
                    about promoting yourself as nothing will turn people off faster than
                    that.
                  5. Be patient!
                    Link building is an ongoing process and it can take time to reap the
                    benefits of your hard work, but rest assured that if you keep at it
                    you will find significant boosting for your site on search engines.
                    And the best part is that most of these things don’t cost you a penny.

                  Forms of Link Building:

                  There are several forms of link
                  building to consider.

                  • Contextual links– These are links that are found within large blocks of content. These types of links have high value to search engines.
                  • Cross linking – When 2 or more websites simply exchange links, but the sites do not have any relevance
                    to one another and is done only for the sake of building links;
                    although this used to be a valid and commonly used link building
                    practice year ago, this is not highly recommended anymore as the links
                    often cancel each other out as far as page rank is concerned.
                  • Deep linking– Deep links are links that go to a subpage within a site rather than the site’s home page. These are very valuable when link building.
                  • External links– External links simply mean they are linking to a website other than your own.
                  • Link bait- Targeting,
                    creating, and formatting content to encourage others to direct links to
                    that specific page. Often this is done with polls, contests, really
                    good content or other materials that other pople find valuable.

                  When you take the time to implement link
                  building, the roads into your city can become numerous. Yes, link building can be time consuming, but link building is one of
                  the keys to high page rankings. The key is to get started, jump in and manage your time wisely!

                • The Reason for the Season

                  It’s that time of the year again where we find ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. There’s decorations to hang, shopping to do, and a million other things on our plate and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it all. I regret that I have to remind myself why we celebrate at this time of the year…

                  ChristmasThe story of
                  Christmas is about more than presents, and shepherds and wise men and a manger. While spending time with family and friends is one of my favorite aspects of this season, it’s about more than even that.

                  We set aside December the 25th each year as a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago in a little town called Bethlehem. Historically speaking, there has not been another person to walk on this Earth to have such a great impact on our world. Spiritually speaking, this little baby Jesus began his journey here on Earth
                  as God in the flesh – A journey that would lead the creator of the universe to a
                  cross in Calvary to pay an awful price and die, despite no wrongdoing of his own.

                  Here is how it is recorded in the Bible in Luke chapter 2, versus 1-11:

                  Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph
                  also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the
                  city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house
                  and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

                  While they were there, the days were completed for her to give
                  birth. And
                  she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and
                  laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In
                  the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and
                  keeping watch over their flock by night. And
                  an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the
                  Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the
                  angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good
                  news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the
                  city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

                  This year, take a moment to contemplate what Christmas means for you. 

                  This holiday is about celebrating the one gift that we
                  all were given. A gift that was free, but was not
                  without cost. An innocent man, God’s one and only son, was put to
                  death as payment for the sins of the world. For your sin and for mine – so that we may not incur the punishment that we all rightly deserve. And that is certainly worthy of celebrating.

                  Merry Christmas, and may you be blessed during this holiday, and throughout 2010!

                • 3 Great Ways to Analyze Incoming Links to Your Site for SEO

                  One critical element of planning for a link building campaign or to do some competitive analysis is to find out how many incoming links you have to your (or a  competitor’s) website and what those links are. There are a ton of great resources out there that help you do this. Here are three free ones that we have found to be very useful.

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