Ahoy Friends — it’s been a while but I have NOT forgotten about your gorgeous selves!

Perusing one of my fave sources (SEOMoz) for all things SEO, and stumbled on this nugget:

“What is the single best piece of SEO advice?” from The Moz Top 10 – September 2012, Issue 1 - article is actually from Quora and sums up a lot of what I practice and believe about doing business — online and offline.

I get this question all the time — and it’s a great one. But most people aren’t ready for they answer. They expect I’ll tell them to stuff keywords, obsess about search engine rankings, page rank and links — I don’t. This article (and the excellent sources who contributed) validate what I believe and how I practice “SEO”.

Most of the advice revolves around creating valuable content that’s relevant and shareable. Then engaging, sharing and building relationships online. YEAH!!!! Couldn’t have said it better myself.

What does this mean for you?

The Sassy Assassin of SEO Says:

* Your site and your business needs to build trust – how can you show and prove you are trustworthy?

* Please your customers and prospects first — search engines next. If you are doing the first, the second will be fine.

* Understand your passion for your business — let it come out in your branding / position — find your niche.

* Ensure your site reflects your passion / products and the customer experience journey is simple and leads to purchase / engage.

* Once you have the above clear, create a simple ongoing content plan revolving around your products / services (demos, product spotlights, how-tos) and your customers (thru testimonials, Q&A’s, reviews).

* SHARE – make your content sharable thru Facebook, Google+, etc.

* ENGAGE – respond to customers  and prospects. Take care of them better than your competitors.

* REPEAT – marketing your business is ongoing and never ending, yet if you engage your customers and prospects, they’ll do some of that work for you. Yeah for Word of Mouth!

***And a warning — one the best parts from the article — BE CAREFUL. There are many people who will tell you how to do SEO, what works and what doesn’t. It would be surprising to know that a lot of the information out there either gives you absolutely no results or puts your website at risk.

Wow, take a break for a few months and seems I have a lot to share. But seriously, find someone who cares about you and your business and ask their advice.

If you need help creating easy ongoing content plans or engaging with your community, give me a call on 310-292-3026 (US) or 0427 326 023 (AUS). I love to help. I’m also Kristin@SassySEO.com.

Happy Creating & Socializing (my favorite bit)!

The Sassy Assassin of SEO is not surprised to see personalized search added to Google results. Social interactions have become more and more important — I believe because the search engines are trying to mimic more human interactions and “word-of-mouth” marketing will always be most effective.

The article “Google Hopes to Make Friends with a More Social Search” from Technology Review explains that Google + interactions are now included at the top of organic results.

What does this mean for you?

The Sassy Assassin of SEO Says:

1 – If you are on Google + be sure you follow, friend and interact with people you know, trust and get value from their posts.

2 – Share valuable and relevant information related to your business, your passion & your interests.

3 – If you are not on Google +, don’t sweat it, it’s not for everyone. It is one more channel to participate in and monitor. Focus on where you can interact and participate.

4 – Social media is about being social — don’t force it and interact where it is natural and where your community is.

That’s it for me today…it is #ChampagneFridays & #SassyHappyHour is almost here!

Cheers & Happy Socializing!

That’s right, the Sassy Assassin of SEO is back (now settled in lovely California — what a crazy 6 months)! Happy New Year everyone…I’m back and excited to help you optimize!

I love SEOMoz. They are a wealth of information. I especially enjoyed the SEOMoz Top 10 – December 2011 Issue. A lot of great articles that I’ll be sharing in the coming weeks (I promise not to abandon you for so long again!).

One of the more strategic articles (and I LOVE strategy) was “The Most Powerful Social Media Measurement Tool Money Can Buy” from Amber Naslund at Brass Tack Thinking. She’s a smartie!

Ms. Naslund says the best tool you can have is your brain. Using critical thinking when looking over data in reports and interpreting the information so a business can make meaningful decisions. No tools can do what a sharp brain can do. Well done, Amber!

What does this mean to you and your business?

The Sassy Assassin of SEO Says:
1 – Don’t obsess about all the data you can get about your site, your presence, your influence, etc. More data isn’t better.
2 – Understand and decide what metrics will help you make smart business decisions.
3 – Use measurement and reports to discover what is and isn’t working and make changes to better suit your visitors, prospects and customers — not the search engines.
4 – Don’t rely on rough data — investigate and decide if data is meaningful and useful to you and your business.
5 – Share the findings & decisions with your team — let everyone help improve the business.

Well, more than 3 points but all important for a well-performing site.

What data is important to improving your business?

If you need help looking at your analytics and interpreting data to improve your business, give me a call on 310-292-3026 (US) or 0427 326 023 (AUS). I love to help. I’m also Kristin@SassySEO.com.

Happy 2012 & Happy Optimizing!

TheSassySEO saw this article on Sphinn & wanted to share:

Using Google Analytics to prove the SEO Long tail theory by Neil Walker.

A long tail keyword is a phrase 3 – 5 words that really focuses on your business — services or products. They are becoming more important as  there a lot more pages being created and a lot more competition for general terms. Walker gives a super detailed look at how longer focused phrases yield less searches but more qualified buyers – better conversion rates.

TheSassySEO Says: This relates to your business because you want to bring people to your site which will result in quality engagement– and hopefully a sale. It’s not about huge numbers of traffic, but about QUALITY traffic – plus with long-tail keyterms you have a better chance at ranking.

Look at your Google Analytics and see what terms are driving traffic to your site – if they are relevant to your business – believe me sometimes you’ll get some weird phrases – work them into your meta data and content – in a natural way.

For a good overview of long tail vs. short tail keywords, here’s another great one from Marketing Hub: Long Tail Versus Short Tail Keywords.

SassySEO can help you define your top keywords – Call us at 0427 326 013 or email me at Kristin@SassySEO.com. I’ll help you focus your content on the pertinent keywords that 1- are being searched and 2- are relevant to your business.

Another Issue of SassySEO Insights – horray!

A good linking strategy is important to every website. Right now, the search engines consider it beneficial to have links on your site — as long as they are valuable and relevant to the message and offerings of your site.

There are several different types of links, various pages you can place them and many sites, lists and directories you can acquire them. Do not pay for a content network linking strategy. You cannot ensure every directory that links to you is relevant to your business. Don’t water down your value & relevance with network directories.

Be aware of programs that promise a certain amount of links a month – depending on your industry, there may not be endless places to share links. Plus, link networks may not always be in existence or focused on your business. Know exactly where you are getting links and to which sites you are linking.

How can you find out who’s linking to you? I like http://backlinkwatch.com.

When considering placing or asking for a link, ask yourself:
1 – Will this link help strengthen and build my relevancy and reputation?
2 – Does this link support my business or industry?
3 – Does this link direct visitors and potential customers to a strong page that helps sells my services or products?

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Quick Note: There’s a belief that Link Diversity is important. This means you are getting many links from many different sites instead of many links from a single site. Websites and web pages are rated differently – you want links from highly rated sites. How do you know if a page is well rated? .Gov and .Edu sites are well-rated. Sites that have good reputations and high-profiles are well-rated.

Remember – it’s Quality over Quantity. Think of you site as a destination. Make your visitor’s stay on your site pleasant, educational, and exciting!

Here is a brief checklist to get you started on your Linking Strategy. (I’ve linked to a few of my clients below in case you are wondering…)

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Links on Site:
First of all, let me mention:
* Anchor Text: Ensure anchor text includes your business name and/or keyterms. So good anchor text would be “SassySEO Insights Here” not “Click Here”.

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Places to Link Internally on your Site:
* Link to applicable Blog Posts for in-depth information
* Deep Link from Splash Pages or main section pages – have your links occur naturally on your site, don’t rely on blogrolls, top navigations or lists of links. Try to include in relevant content.
* Links to Products
* Links to videos, podcasts, pdf’s
* Link to Newsletter Content

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Links Out to Relevant Resources Show You Engage with Your Community:
* Articles about Company/News – Link to any articles, posts or news stories that mention your company. Use a live link to the site & post the content on your site, if appropriate & possible. Be sure to give proper retribution. Don’t post a pdf – post the content.
* Relevant Resources: What partners, vendors, complimentary & useful businesses would enhance your business. If you are a Food Photographer (FoodPixels.com is one of my clients), list nice camera shops, photography supplies, etc.
* Valuable Industry News: What sources are talking about your industry – link to them
* Partners
* Sponsors
* Relevant Bloggers: Who are the bloggers covering your business & industry. BrasserieBread.com.au (another great client) links to the food bloggers. So valuable!
* Experts in Field
* Customers: link to your customers if they write reviews. If they don’t, ask them
* Contributors (Users): Ask participants, fans or users to guest post. Another fab client, InspiredAdventures.com.au, has their participants blog while they are on a charity challenge.

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Links Into Your Site: Outside Links are Important. It proves to the Search Engines and your Community that you have a Valuable & Relevant Site. Don’t Buy Links – earn them!
* Anchor Texts: If a site is linking to you, ensure your Anchor Text is relevant
* Relevant Comments on Blogs: Engage in your Community, Comment on Blog Posts (adding valuable & passionate insight), and Link Back to your Site. If you’ve written a pertinent post, include the link.
* Social Bookmarks: Delicious, StumbleUpon & Digg are great places to post, bookmark & index your site.
(* Aggregate Sites: Are there sites
* News Sites: Sites that cover your business & industry
* Partners: Ask your Partners to Link to You. Link in Return.
* Sponsors: Same as Partners
* Listings & Directories: Are there relevant Listings & Directories that include your Competitors? Get Listed!
* Wikipedia: If your in an industry that is doing something exciting, helpful, educational, etc, get your Site included. Look on Wikipedia to find any comparison charts, data, etc. This is a tricky one and may take time.
* Users/Customers: Ask your Users/Customers to link to you. Create Badges that are easy to include on their sites/blogs.
* Twitter Posts: Include Links in Your Twitter Posts. Track if possible & appropriate. PeopleBrowsr (another client) has fabulous tools that do this.
* Facebook & LinkedIn: Any post you do to Facebook & LinkedIn should lead back to Your Site – your domain needs to own your best content – help YOUR site rank better and be seen as relevant & valuable!

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Whew – this is just a bit of advice (haha) – there’s plenty more but this should get you started. Don’t think you need to or can build a link program in a month. It’s a diligent effort that you chip away at each month.

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And now, because I LOVE my readers, here are some more ideas to find places for relevant & valuable Links:
* Put top key terms in search engines to find new directories, bloggers, news sites writing about your topics.
* Look up key words in SEOCentro Rank Checker to see who is ranking top for your key terms – look for opportunities there.
* Competitors
* Relevant Bloggers in Field
* Industry News
* Appropriate Verticals

I’ll quickly mention again… View your Site as a destination w/ resources, articles, research, stats, a calendar, events, etc. Slowly and ethically build your content – let your passion for what you do drive you to continue to deliver great info to your visitors.

Happy Linking!…which rhymes with “clinking” – I love Champagne!

Welcome to the latest insights from SassySEO.com!

This juicy tidbit has been on my mind for a while – the difference between “ethical” and “unethical” SEO practices.

I am not going to judge other people or point fingers, but I experience companies doing what I consider “unethical” practices frequently. This does not mean the whole company is bad nor do the people working there have no clue about SEO – in many cases, these companies have smart people who know a lot about SEO.

I am finally deciding to share my views because I come across companies who promise results and guarantee ranking – this is not possible. Nothing is guaranteed in SEO. It frustrates me that people spend heaps of money and don’t understand what they are getting. Reports are confusing, customer service is nill, and results are veiled and vague.

Again, this is my experience and my opinion with some companies – I know INCREDIBLE people doing ethical SEO and they should be commended. But for those who aren’t – shame on you.

Back to my point – I read this kickin’ article from SEO Anonymous: Advanced SEO Services Exposed – and they poignantly explain the difference between white hat (ethical) and black hat (not so ethical) SEO. I do not agree that only and all SEO companies in India are doing this – this happens everywhere.

I decided to do a little searching on “Ethical SEO” – came across Audette Media and their “Six Principles of Ethical SEO” - Horray! This is awesome reading. I encourage you to read and ensure these are being practiced by your SEO partners.

So what do I think? Glad you asked – here’s my version.

TheSassySEO Says: A Great SEO…

1 – Doesn’t deceive you. Know who is servicing your account and that they have experience in SEO, Marketing, and Strategy.

2 – Enjoys SEO and helping YOUR company, they answer your requests in a timely manner and explain your monthly reports.

3 – Thinks, talks and acts strategically – SEO is a strategy not a tactic using the latest tools. They should be a partner to you and your business.

4 – Listens to you – they learn about your business, your industry and competitors. This increases their value, their results and your relationship.

5 – Doesn’t guarantee or promise results – like being #1 in Google or getting a large amount of links/month to your site. There is only so long that practice can be maintained before the amount of relevant links diminishes. A good, valuable, relevant linking strategy is crucial – but should be realistic about what can be achieved in the long-term. Do not pay for links or an automated link builder.

6 – Talks about quality content, customer acquisition and customer communication plans (on site and in “social media”). That is the heart of SEO.

7 – Believes SEO is ongoing – it’s not a 3 month process. The first few months are the most important, but the site needs to be evaluated and optimised via research and analytics to continue to find what is working and what opportunities there are for improvement.

Finally, I want to give a HUGE shout out to Mark Pollard and McCann Sydney for having the vision to find a senior and strategic SEO professional to join their crew. This is a dream job opportunity and whoever lands this epic job is one lucky duck. This is how SEO should be looked at in businesses. Seeking SEO Soulmate with Big Strategic Ambitions.

PS. As I was posting this article, I discovered (actually referred by my friends @Bradatslice and @GrahamLang) another sharp and ethical SEO & Web Developer – JustWeb (@JustWeb on Twitter). Here is the post on Guaranteed SEO – Can a Top Google Result be Guaranteed? HORRAY – this is exactly what I mean!

SEO Out!

Hello and welcome to the latest bite from SassySEO.com!

Great Survey and Results from TopRank Online Marketing with Survey Results: Impact of Blogging on Search Engine Optimization.

Here are the highlights:

*  Out of 326 respondents, 95% said corporate blogging is part of their SEO tactics.
*  About 275 of them indicated they blogged to create new optimized content.
*  And almost 200 said they blogged to generate traffic to their site.
*  Lastly, over 62% said issues around resources was the main objection for  implementing a blog.

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TheSassySEO Says: It’s wonderful that businesses recognise blogs are an important part of SEO efforts.

A blog is the best and easiest way to engage in your community and industry. New content proves you aren’t stale but I urge you to think long-term before you start one. It’s a responsibility and needs strategy.

If you’d like to blog once a week for the next year, are you willing to make that commitment to providing quality content to your community? How are you organising your content – it’s great to have categories, but you may need subcategories in case an area gets really popular and you need to break it out on it’s own.

Don’t double-categorise anything – keep the navigation and organisation simple so you aren’t creating so much content that people will get lost and can’t find the most valuable & relevant articles quickly.

Generating content to drive traffic to your site is fantastic but it’s not all about traffic – ensure your site has something valuable to offer when they land there. And remember, it’s not just numbers, it’s about quality and community.

Take the time now to create a long-term strategy, and make sure it’s realistic for you and your company.

Good luck and happy blogging!

The SassySEO

Welcome to another (and most important) SassySEO Insights.

If you’ve met TheSassySEO and we’ve chatted about SEO (I LOVE discussing SEO), you know my methodology is simple: Create relevant & valuable Content and have a strong Customer Acquisition/Communication Plan.

To help you in your quest for fabulous & quality content, here are some ideas – if you have any more you’d like to share, please email me at Kristin@SassySEO.com. I’ll update this post, include your name and a link to your site which I’m sure is full of valuable content!

This list is broken down by different categories to help you organise your hunt for inspiration.

1 – From Site Analytics:

*   Keyterms people use to get to your site
*   Most visited pages/longest visits(stickiest)– write more content around these topics
*   On Site Search – what terms people use to Search on your site
*   Referral Sites (other than search engines) – which sites link to you and found content valuable
*   Links from Newsletters – top clicked stories
*   Blog Topics – which posts have most visits/most comments

2 – From Your Competition:

*   Most commented blog posts
*   Top Keyterms on their sites (can use SeoQuake.com to see their keyword density)
*   Read Twitter to see what they are saying/sharing with followers

3 – From Relevant Bloggers:

*   Put a spin/opinion about a pertinent post &  how it relates to your business. Publish on site (ask permission to link to article/post and give credit)
*   See which topics receive most comments – write a post from your point of view
*   Read blogger’s tweets to see what they consider important topics

4 – Outside Sources:

*   Relevant Industry News or articles with lots of comments included
*   Interview key people in business/industry
*   Look at relevant conferences/events and see which topics are being presented
*   Search Top Key Terms to get topics – if a keyterm results in lots of pages in a Search Engine, it’s a popular topic – write about it if it will add value to your visitors when they come to your site

5 – Social Networking Sites:

*   Trending topics on Twitter
*   Search/Answer Questions on LinkedIn – publish to site and cross-reference

6 – Other Ideas to Build Value on your Site with Content:

*   Publish presentations or break up existing presentations and post
*   How to Videos/Documentation – how to use your products/services
*   If there is a need and opportunity, become an expert in your field and write about topics on a regular basis

7 – Get Customers/Vendors/Partners Involved, too:

*   Customer/Vendor Testimonials or Videos
*   Case Studies of Customers
*   Guest Bloggers/User Generated Content – make it easy for people to contribute.
*   Create Contests with Users sharing experiences/photos/making videos and post on your site, your Facebook Pages, etc.
*   Share favourite resources and experiences w/ vendors – reach out and connect with your customers & partners
*   Write content/testimonials for your vendors & partners and ask if they would post on their site/blog

This is just a quick list. Always be on the hunt for ways to strengthen your site and improve your visibility. You don’t have to conquer ALL of these – try a few and see how successful and enriched your site can become.

Happy Writing!

Big News In Search Land! On 4 December, Google announced they will now personalise search in EVERYONE’s results.

If you are not logged into Google, search results will take 180 previous days data and use it create better results for YOU (if you are logged in, the history & preferences will keep until deleted).

Here’s an excellent article from Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land “Google Now Personalises Everyone’s Search Results” that explains the scoop.

This is great for the user because they can now rate the results and take away any they consider irrelevant.  Google will also learn what they are doing & deliver better results.

This is not so great for businesses who only want #1 ranking. From now, everyone could see something different. So even if one computer ranks you number one, it doesn’t mean this is consistent across all searches.

Is this bad news for you? Should you sack your SEO company? NO WAY! This just means you need to concentrate even harder on ensuring your site is valuable and relevant – and VERY focused on what you do.

What does this mean for all the businesses and SEO companies fighting to be number 1 in Google? What about the  guarantee of high rankings?

1 – High rankings cannot be guaranteed – there are so many people fighting for the #1 spot with some keywords that it may be a futile fight – one that may lead to getting involved in not-so-ethical practices. Don’t get involved. It’s not a long-term solution.

2 – If you are more concerned with rankings and not with optimising your site or communicating with your customers, you are missing the point of having an online business. It IS about sales, but you need a valuable and relevant destination to have a long-term business.

3 – Let me say it again – the answer to better and improved rankings lies with your CONTENT. Visitors will continue to come to your site if you offer them something they like, they need or will help them. Take time to make your site a destination.

4 – Help guide people to your site with well-researched and focused key terms, helpful title & descriptions and smart copy. If you need a good copywriter, I know several. Email me at Kristin@SassySEO.com and I’ll hook you up with some of the sharpest people I know.

2010 will be a BIG year for SEO. Algorithms will change, tools will change, new analytics will be measured – the best thing to do is stay as informed as you can — and update & refresh your site content on a regular basis.

If you want to know my best SEO resources, let me know. I’m happy to share.

Cheers & happy 2010 – SEO for all, and all for SEO!

Welcome to Volume 3 of SassySEO Insights.

I’m sure you’ve been waiting at the edge of your seat for this. Thank you, I appreciate your enthusiasm. Here is my latest favourite article and how it relates to your own Sassy SEO.

This article from SearchEngineLand.com – Answers.com loses “Pole Position” to Google Dictionary by Greg Sterling reports Google now has a dictionary of its own – replacing the one from Answers.com.

This is intriguing & sparks a few questions:

1 – Will Google start add the dictionary to all words?

I searched for “CRM” and “Interoperability” and the dictionary results didn’t show. I searched for “flabbergasted”, & the dictionary option was there.

2 – If Google adds the dictionary to all words (especially highly searched words), will they start selling ads around the word results?

If this is the case, key terms will continue to be important. Just like the “searches related to” terms that come up at the bottom of results now (search for “beach boys” in Google and scroll to the bottom), key terms have not gone out of style. I read a lot about how keywords are not important. I don’t agree. A website needs to have a strong skeleton and key terms are part of that structure.

3 – Lastly, will people use this tool and the results to create less-than-quality content that links to their sites just to rank high in Google?

Demand Media seems to be doing this right now. They have an algorithm that figures out what popular searches exist, what the earning potential of the key terms, where the opportunity to create quick content is, and link the content to their own site and sell ads around that content. Is that bad? That’s for you to decide. I believe quality content will win in the end.

What does this have to do with your SEO and your site?

1 – Don’t compromise on your content. Keep it valuable & relevant. Continue to add good content and refresh your site.

2 – You may not rank number 1 now, but if you continue to produce good content, communicate with your customers and present them with valuable resources, it will serve you in the long-term.

3 – If you don’t have key terms, create them – use the Keyword Tool or this Keyword Tool from Google and research what people search for in your industry. What key terms are your competitors using? How much competition is there for your key terms? Look at your Analytics – if you don’t have Google Analytics on your site – add them today! Then, look at what key terms are people using to find your site.

Good luck and happy SEO-ing!