SEO

Search engines use covert complex algorithms, which convert all the information collected from web pages into useful search results.  The key to ranking higher is making sure that your website has all the necessary components that search engines are looking for to determine its level of relevancy – this is called Search Engine Optimization or SEO.

There are many elements to consider when optimizing your website for search engines.  A key component to optimizing your website is finding the right words to use in your content.  Search engines account for every word on every page on the internet, this way when someone searches for a specific word or phrase, for instance Ottawa SEO, search engines can narrow results to only the pages that are about those words or phrases – so before you even begin to write copy for your website you should consider the SEO element.  Your copy should include keywords and key phrases designed to help your website rank better in search engines. SEO strategists know what specific content to place on a website for search terms they want to target. This is why it is important to consider having an SEO Copywriter help you with your keywords and strategically place them in each web page for the required result.

Page titles are also very important, as search engines determine the topic of the page by its title.  Every page on the web has a title, which is not always visible because it’s usually written in the code.  Search engines dedicate a lot of attention to page titles because it is, or should be, a summary of the content on the page.  When creating page titles it is important to maintain an accurate correlation between the page title and the information contained on that page, as search engines penalize websites for deceptive page titles.

Backlinking is another very important component to search engine optimization.  They’re inbound links or incoming links to your website.  The number of links coming in to your website tell Google and other search engines how popular and relevant your site is – if you have two websites on a similar topic, search engines will rank the one with more quality links higher than the other.  The more popular search engines believe your site to be, the higher page rank you’ll receive.  But backlinking is not just about having many pages randomly linking back to your website, it’s about having credible links.  So how do you get backlinks?  One way is by commenting on blogs and articles of other related websites, but this can be a very time-consuming process as you have to read these blogs and articles thoroughly in order to be able to leave an informed comment so that your comment can be approved.  The practice of commenting and participating on blogs solely for the purpose of gaining links back to your website is frowned upon by search engines, especially if your website is in no way related to the site you’re hoping to solicit a link from.  For example, let’s say your website is about needle point, it would be quite suspicious to try and link to a website about racing cars – so don’t be tempted to engage in this type of practice as Google and other search engines pay very close attention to this and will penalize you for it.  You’re much better off slowly and methodically linking to quality and relevant websites and building up your reputation over time than to create false or questionable backlinks.  Some people will also try to fool search engines by creating or buying spurious links that point to their website – search engines can also detect this.  SEO Professionals know what search engines are looking for and the dos and don’ts of Search Engine Optimization – they have the art of page rank down to a science.  Strategic SEO techniques should be utilized when considering backlinking as part of your SEO strategy.  It’s no secret that websites that are search engine optimized have a much greater advantage over those that are not. Investing in SEO can have an enormous impact and an outstanding rate of return.

Always keep in mind that no reputable SEO Service Provider can absolutely guarantee that they can immediately get your website ranked on the first page of Google or any major search engine, however, if they implement most of the necessary strategic SEO components, your chances of being ranked higher is much greater than that of the websites that are not optimized.

SEO is an ongoing process and a very integral part of an Internet Marketing Strategy when optimizing your website for organic, relevant search engine results.  If you are asking yourself why your website is not showing up on Google, you need to consider the SEO factor and its importance.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the many services that the Ottawa marketing agency – Imagine Sales and Marketing provides, and is a great resource for all of your Internet Marketing needs.

To get started with a full site evaluation you can check out our Essential SEO Package.

Referral marketing, or Business networking is essential for most businesses, especially start-ups and small to medium-sized businesses.  Besides being an excellent way to promote your products, services and exchange referrals, it’s a way to develop and maintain equally advantageous relationships that can be great resources for expanding your business.  It’s about connecting with other business owners for the purpose of supporting each other, sharing leads, ideas and information, which ultimately creates opportunities that help grow your market.  Essentially it’s leveraging the potential of your network or contacts to generate more business.

Back in the day they called it rubbing elbows or schmoozing.  Business owners attended networking events a few times a year, threw their business cards into a big fish bowl, listened to a few speeches, shook a few hands and hoped for the best.

Today, we can be sure that this is no longer the case.  Business owners now find it absolutely necessary to be more proactive in their approach to networking.  The Internet has significantly transformed the way we network. It has multiplied the competition for business owners, thus forcing them to find more creative ways to connect and stay connected.

Networking is not just about occasionally attending meet-and-greet events and exchanging business cards, but it’s reaching out and building relationships every day of your business life. Remember, networking is a two way street – the relationships you cultivate with other business people should be mutually beneficial.  In order to get what you want, you must reciprocate.

Social Networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have made the business world a much smaller, more diverse and inclusive arena.  As important and essential as attending networking events is, it’s equally important, if not more so, to be able to connect with like-minded business people that are far-reaching.  The Internet has made it possible to form relationships and alliances with people outside of your immediate demographic.

As business owners and entrepreneurs we are no longer limited by location.  With the Internet we now have the ability to tap into networks beyond what we once thought was possible.

There are many different types of networking groups with different rules and standards, and choosing one can be a chore for many busy business owners.  Some are more structured and organized than others.  Many of them require that members pay an annual fee to join.  These fees can range anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or more.  Many of these groups meet on a regular basis (once a week, or once a month).  Usually they meet the same people and there may be guests occasionally.  Some of these organizations are structured so that member attendance is mandatory.  Members’ attendance to meetings, referral practices and interaction with other members are strictly monitored.  They have strict guidelines for who can or cannot be a member and they only allow one person from each business classification or industry to join any group or chapter.  Some groups only do networking events where anyone can attend with the hopes of acquiring new paying members.

It is not uncommon for business owners and entrepreneurs to be members of several different types of networking organizations at the same time – this expands their network and referral possibilities.

All networking organizations are not created equal, and no one is necessarily better than the other, however, they all have the same objective and that is to build new business relationships and generate business opportunities through referrals.

Before joining a business networking group, one should compare the benefits of several different organizations, as well as consider the cost-benefit ratio.  Also, keep in mind that there are free networking organizations that offer the same benefits as paid organizations.  Your choice of networking group or organization depends on your individual personality.  Some people need the structure of knowing that attending regular meetings and events is mandatory and need to be part of a group with this type of framework in order to succeed, while others are more self-motivated and don’t necessarily need the “nudge”, and would prefer to self-determine how they use their networks.

Online business networking is changing the way we connect.  Business owners are beginning to see the benefits of using the Internet to widen their contact base and expand their markets.  With this new way of networking, business owners now have the ability to interact with networks well beyond their local chapter.  They now have access to potential customers, competitors and suppliers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Successful networking for business is all about building relationships with the right people.  A good place to start when looking to join a network is ISM Business Network.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, ISM Business Network combines traditional referral networking with the Internet, creating the potential of increasing your network of contacts exponentially.  Membership to the network is FREE, and members enjoy a variety of benefits including building strategic alliances, listing in the ISM Business Network Directory, opportunities to be featured in the ISM Business Network newsletter, discounts and special promotions exclusive to ISM Network Members, access to business networking events, training and seminars.

ISM Business Network members will be connected to a community of outstanding businesses, acclaimed for their ability to deliver superior products and services, adherence to good business practices and positive standing in the community in which they operate.

ISM Business Network will be launching soon and is offering free advertising opportunities on the website to those who participate in early registration. You may use the following link to register: http://ismbusinessnetwork.com.

*ISM Business Network is a division of Imagine Sales and Marketing.

Google Analytics can be customized to track geographical data, meaning, you can see the exact location of your visitors, including city and country and the fluctuation of their use of your website.  For example, you can track what percentage of traffic came from a certain location last month and if those numbers increased or decreased a day, a week or a month later.  This of course is very useful information because let’s say you’re targeting Chicago for a specific campaign, but most of your visitors are coming from Ottawa, you can then adjust your marketing and advertising strategy to affect this discrepancy.

You can also setup conversion goals within the program to see how well your website is doing in certain locations.  Conversion is a term used to tell how many visitors to your site actually buy your products and services.  For many businesses this feature is extremely valuable because it means that you can adjust your promotions based on how they are performing geographically.

Another great feature of Google Analytics is the bounce rate.  This tells you the percentage of visitors that come to your website and leave without visiting another page or going any deeper into your site.  A high bounce rate tells you that the person visiting your website does not find the entrance page particularly relevant. Your website’s bounce rate should be closely monitored and kept as low as possible.

We’ve only discussed a few of the very powerful features Google Analytics has to offer and how it can improve your website.  We will elaborate more on this subject in future blogs.

The average website owner may only utilizes certain aspects of Google Analytics, but if you want to maximize the benefits of this program you may want to consider hiring an SEO expert.  An SEO professional can help you setup goals within Google Analytics to track and properly focus your marketing to ensure conversion.

There are so many aspects of running a business to focus on, therefore, it’s recommended that small businesses and entrepreneurs consider outsourcing this particular aspect to maximize their efforts and leverage their time.

Ottawa Marketing Agency Imagine Sales and Marketing can help you implement an online marketing strategy, which includes interpreting results to increase conversion.

To add Google Analytics to your site, check out this Essential SEO Package.

How are you using your Google Analytics?  Let us know.

Having a website does not mean you have to spend a lot of money, in most cases, for a small business or an entrepreneur, it’s as simple as just putting up a one, two or three page website simply to let consumers know that you are open for business.  Let’s put it this way, if potential customers cannot find you when they search the Internet, they will never find you, and will undoubtedly find your competitors.  There is a misconception that websites have to be expensive, extensive and elaborate in order to be effective, not true.  You can easily have a website that is relevant, appealing and affordable without compromising quality.  Your website is simply an advertising and marketing tool that gets potential customers interested in what you have to offer.  Therefore, in most cases if you are just a small business or an entrepreneur that annually subscribes to the Yellow Pages and or place ads in local newspapers to promote your business, this is good news.   Having a website will give you the ability to update information about your business on the fly, advertise special promotions and interact with customers in real time at no additional cost.  The bottom line is that not having online presence is no longer a viable option if there is any chance of competing in today’s business environment.  Having online presence gives businesses, no matter how large or small, the opportunity to engage, participate and compete, not only locally, but globally.

To get your business online, please check out our web design packages.

Branding is when that name, logo or image is strategically marketed so that it is identifiable to more people than that of other companies or products.  Branding generates awareness and excitement of a brand in the minds of consumers and it is what makes your company unique and recognizable.  Successful branding imparts the impression of a superior product by clearly highlighting the distinction between a company and its competitors.  A great example of highly successful branding is when your brand becomes synonymous with a product, for example most of us say Kleenex when referring to tissue.  Another great example of successful branding is the term “Google it” being used instead of  “search for it”.  Effectiive branding is telling consumers who you are without having to show them your mission statement. Your brand is your business and effective branding is a key component in determining its success.

Imagine Sales and Marketing would be happy to work with you in devising a Brand Implementation Program to promote your company or product.

This graphic will be the face of your company, let it be one that tells a visual story and makes you instantly recognizable to consumers.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, Imagine Sales and Marketing has affordable logo design packages for businesses of any size.  Let us create your logo today.

How important is SEO?  Very.  It’s no secret that the first place people go when looking for a product or service is the Internet.  The most popular sites visited by far on the Internet are Search Engines.  SEO is a system which helps search engines like Google and Yahoo find and rank your website in search queries.  SEO helps bring traffic to your website by getting your site to rank well in these search results lists.   The higher you are ranked means more visibility.   The more visible you are means more traffic to your website, which translates into more business.

Our Google certified SEO experts will devise a package tailor-made specifically for your website, which puts your products and services directly in front of potential buyers.

For prices on our SEO packages, visit our SEO page.

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Online or digital marketing is the easiest and most cost-effective mode of disseminating information about your company to a global audience. Although having internet presence like putting up a website for your business is useful and highly recommended, there are other ways in which you can promote your business online such as purchasing advertising space on highly trafficked websites that are relevant to your business; or utilizing social media like Facebook and Twitter. Unlike traditional marketing methods like placing ads in the Yellow pages or direct-mail marketing, businesses now have the capacity to appeal to a significantly larger consumer base and reach an infinite number of potential customers worldwide. Using the services of a marketing company like Imagine Sales and Marketing (ISM) to promote your business online gives you the advantage of having search engines find and rank your website higher than millions of other sites through Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which we will discuss in a later blog. You will be able to track the results of your marketing efforts almost instantaneously and have the flexibility to change your message on the fly.
So whether you are a company of one, or one thousand, marketing your business online is the most practical and cost-effective way to participate and compete in today’s rapidly evolving business climate.

Ottawa Marketing Agency Imagine Sales and Marketing offers a wide range of affordable internet marketing solutions to help you succeed online.