#24 - 25 Things Your Webmaster Will Not Tell You

#24 - Don't Confuse Search Engine Optimization With Search Engine Marketing - You Need To Do Both

Search engine optimization is different from search engine marketing.

Optimization is the process of planning and modifying your website programming and page content to achieve organic or "free" top positions in the search engines on a search engine results page (SERP).

Search engine marketing is using "sponsored" links or paid advertising, in most cases pay-per-click advertising, to target and drive additional qualified traffic to your website.

What most webmasters fail to clearly communicate is the difference between search engine optimization and search engine marketing, the importance of each, and their role in the development of a solid, long-term, traffic-building strategy.

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#23 - 25 Things Your Webmaster Will Not Tell You

#23 - Search Engine Optimization Involves A Lot More Than Just Adjusting A Few Page Title Tags And Meta-Tags

I wish more webmasters would talk about all of the different variables related to search engine optimization, including: meta-tags, keywords in your page copy, content placement, content length (number of words per page), streamlined programming and coding, inbound links, outbound linking, deep linking into your sub-pages, and spider crawlability.

These are just a few of the other variables in the mix. Each one of these variables has multiple variables of its own.

Search engine optimization is very different from a year ago. Only when everything is correctly planned and everything is correctly executed, will you see results and your search engine positioning improve.

Marketing to brides online will become tougher in 2009. Don't let the competition eat-your-lunch, join my ADVANTAGE program today. Looking for the latest wedding industry statistics? Sign-up for my free Internet Marketing Tips for Wedding Professionals and learn how to DOUBLE your traffic and TRIPLE your inquiries.

Marketing To Brides - Internet Marketing Tips for Wedding Professionals

Why is it some people are having their best year ever while others are struggling?

The answer is simple: they have harnessed the power of the Internet to drive down their costs while increasing their brand name and overall visibility.

As a result, they get more inquiries, they book more weddings.

Subscribe to my free Internet Marketing for Wedding Professionals newsletter and learn how you can book more weddings, cut your advertising costs, and get better results from your website.

If you are serious about marketing to brides subscribe today. There is no cost, no obligation, and you won't get a sales call.

Internet Marketing for Wedding Professionals is published every Monday. Subscriptions to my newsletter are free. None of the information subscribers provide is ever sold, exchanged, or otherwise distributed. A one-click unsubscribe option can be found in each issue.

Webmaster "Code" Words

I always get a kick when I hear people throwing out acronyms like everyone in the room will know what they're talking about. Here are a few I heard at a meeting the other night. By the end of the meeting I was saying OMG! GMOOH!

Here are a handful of common search engine optimization related terms. Now, next time you're at a party you can really impress your friends - maybe even win a door prize! LOL

CPC – Cost-per-click
CSS – Cascading Style Sheet
DMOZ – The Mozilla Directory, same as Open Directory Project
ODP – Open Directory Project
PPC – Pay-per-click
PPA – Pay-per-action
PR – Page Rank
RI – Regular Index (Google)
SEO – Search engine optimization
SEM – Search engine marketing
SERP – Search engine result page(s)
SI – Supplemental Index (Google)
TR – Trust rank


OMG - Oh my gosh
GMOOH - Get me out of here
LOL - Laugh out loud

Google Blog Directory

Did you know Google had a separate directory, or search engine, specifically for blogs?

Yes it does.

Finding it is interestingly difficult.

Here it is: http://blogsearch.google.com/

Blogging is smart. It's an effective way to generate more online visibility for your business and it plays a role in your overall search engine optimization strategy.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Marketing To Brides Online With Video

YouTube had more than 9.8 billion video views in January.

That's B - BILLION.

More than 75% of the US population that used the Internet in January viewed a video! YouTube served up 96% of them. Wow!

More than 139 million U.S. Internet users spent an average of 206 minutes per person viewing online video in January. Google Sites pulled in the most viewers (80 Million), where they spent an average of 110 minutes watching video. Fox Interactive attracted the second most viewers (53.9 million), followed by Yahoo Sites (36.3 million) and AOL (21.9 million).

Video is certainly one of the most under-utilized online media tools used by Wedding Professionals. Be sure to add it into your online marketing mix in 2008 and you'll be happy you did.

More Sales

Everyone wants more sales.

That's what marketing to brides is all about, right?

One way to get more sales is to get more inquiries. That's what websites are supposed to do - generate inquiries from brides.

One way to get more inquiries is to make it easier for brides to make inquiries.

I know... that sounds so obvious, but I visit too many websites that make it too difficult to find the contact option or a phone number?

One of my client's recently thought it was a good idea to remove their phone number from the top of her website (we had to have a little talk...).

Why in the world are you making brides LOOK FOR your phone number or even click a link (or button) to find your contact form?

Want more sales?

Then focus on getting more inquiries!

Here are a few ideas:

(1) Add your phone number to the top and bottom of every page. I like to see a phone number at the top right of a page - that's where I think most people's eyes go. I've seen this simple change increase inquiries 30%.

(2) Add your inquiry form to the bottom of your home page. If people aren't ready to make an inquiry after reading your home page you've got a problem. I'm not saying they all will, but I'm saying they should be ready to make an inquiry. 95% of the people who visit your home page should want to, and be ready to, make an inquiry after reading it.

(3) Add a "Bookmark This Site" option to your home page. Not every bride will be ready to make an inquiry on her first visit to your website. Her boss is probably coming back from lunch any minute now and... she'll have to visit later! Adding a simple "Bookmark" this site option is a simple and effective way to build repeat traffic and get more inquiries.

Simple stuff here folks... that can make a big difference.

Here's another way to increase your company's exposure, get more inquiries, and book more weddings!