ORLANDO, FLORIDA—If you are just beginning to focus on your website and know that you want to use the principles of search engine optimization but aren’t sure where to start, you have come to the right place.

“The first step to a successful SEO campaign is to identify the kind of help you need and find an SEO veteran with a proven track record,” says Ali Husayni, who founded his SEO agency in 2004.

Each business is unique with varying levels of technical experience, budget and personnel, but Master Google has a solution compatible for each one. Some companies want the guaranteed results Husayni offers with a full-scale SEO campaign so they are free to focus on other aspects of their business, but other companies have a different vision for their SEO.

Master Google’s consulting services are a good option for clients who are looking for in-depth analysis of their site, rankings and an SEO team. It’s an ideal choice if they need search engine optimization tips and solutions for specific problems like finding out why rankings tanked after an update. Consulting services can also be used to help companies locate, hire and set up an in-house SEO team.

Coaching is for the businesses that want to be hands-on with SEO and have a working knowledge of HTML, but feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available and need help setting up a road map for an effective search engine optimization campaign. They want to avoid getting sidetracked by insignificant issues or techniques that will eat up a lot of energy and time.

“With so much wrong information out there on the Internet, I cannot stress to you enough how important it is to have an asset like Master Google on your side,” says Don Gerig Jr., a client who hired Husayni for SEO coaching services.

Gerig manages his family’s business American Dream Realty, a Santa Cruz company with a client base primarily from Internet traffic.He and his brother Matt Gerig, the marketing director, had studied HTML coding and SEO for a while but kept finding contradictory information on what worked with the search engines and what didn’t. When they moved their website to a new hosting platform, they knew they needed professional coaching to become more competitive in the market.

“I did a lot of research and, after a lot of frustration, I finally found Master Google. I knew I had to have the best, so I immediately hired Ali,” says Don Gerig.

Master Google spent about 20 hours working with the American Dream Realty team and after a few months of continued support, the hard work paid off. The site’s traffic soared to the highest levels in their market where they now rank at the top of Google for their main keyword: Santa Cruz Real Estate.

Husayni says companies that invest in SEO coaching gain these three benefits:

1.    Avoid Incorrect, Insufficient Or Outdated Information

SEO is constantly changing with algorithms being updated frequently and without notice as search engines work to improve results and fight spam techniques. That means good SEO must adapt to the changes, discarding obsolete practices, avoiding black hat techniques and implementing new strategies to stay on top.

“Using outdated information and techniques or making a simple mistake because of insufficient information can waste your time and worse, have a profoundly negative impact on a site,” says Husayni, an SEO expert.

A veteran SEO coach can show businesses what they need to do for success and then teach them how to find reputable sources to stay up-to-date about developments, technologies and strategies as well as how to implement the information on their own.
“Knowing how to stay current is crucial for the long-term success of a marketing campaign,” says Husayni.

2.    Get SEO Working Right Away

Learning SEO, like any new skill set, takes time and practice. But with Master Google, the process gets started right away. The websites’ SEO is working and the rankings are getting better while the business owners are learning how to use the techniques.

Some aspects of SEO are done once, like certain programming tasks and structuring the website so search engine spiders can easily crawl the content, but a lot of SEO is ongoing, such as link-building campaigns and writing press releases and articles. The SEO coach shows them how to do the one-time tasks, explaining what they are as they are done, and the ongoing tasks can be done together.

3.    Help Establish A Clear Strategy & Avoid SEO Distractions

Establishing where a business wants to go with their SEO campaign and the steps they need to take to get there can be difficult to do when they are still learning about the different techniques. A coach can help business owners set goals with a realistic timeline and equip them with focused techniques that will help their businesses achieve that.

“What a good SEO company does, whether they are doing all the SEO work or getting you set up, is start you out correctly by honing a clear strategy and then focusing on meeting authoritative guidelines with an emphasis on good content,” he says.

© 2012 Master Google. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Master Google is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this press release is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

TAMPA, FLORIDA- There’s something going on in social media that really bugs me. Too many companies claim to participate in social media simply because they have a Facebook Page or a Twitter account.

But you must do more than simply “be present” to win the social media game. You have to actually be social.

By being social, you can use Twitter to help improve your website’s appearance on Google. Google Search engine ranking and Bing is influenced by social networking websites, according to Pingler.com.

I’m a firm believer in using every tool in the SEO toolbox. We use guaranteed SEO techniques to help our clients appear in the top spots on organic search results, but the good news is that there is no finite number of techniques. Social media continues to create additional opportunities for those who use those outlets properly.

Here’s what several experts say about achieving better search rankings through Twitter and other social media.

1. Be Social
Kevin Gibbons over at Search Engine Land says it well when he explains that your SEO strategies have to include more than tweeting links to your own website if you want it to help improve your ranking.

“You need to enter conversations, respond to questions and queries, talk to customers who mention your brand, and interact,” Kevin says according to searchengineland.com.

2. Write Great Content
Here’s what makes me admire Kevin the most: like me, he’s a firm believer that creating quality content will help improve your ranking.

“This is the simplest rule for most SEO strategies, but it’s also one of the hardest to pull off,” he says. “If you want people to retweet your content and enhance your importance in Google’s eyes, then create valuable articles and tools that will make them want to link to it and share it with their own followers.”

Once you have great content, you need an attention-grabbing tweet to get people to click through. And remember, you only have 140 characters to grab their attention.

3. Optimize
Kevin also recommends optimizing your Twitter account by including keywords that you want associated with your business. Include them in your bio and in your tweets, he says. And don’t forget to make your tweets retweetable by leaving enough characters for them to add their own comment if they wish.

4. Quality Trumps Hype
Duane Forrester of Bing participated in a search engine roundtable at SXSW in March and he confirmed the need for businesses to be active in social media. He indicated that small businesses in particular can benefit from it, because if they have a product or service that has true quality, people are bound to talk about it in social media. And anything mentioned in social media that points to relevancy is given a “big thumbs up,” Forrester says. “Does the rest of the world think you have a great product? If so, and they amplify this on your behalf, we’ll pick up on those signals.”

Forrester went on to say that if you’re not engaged socially as part of your Internet marketing strategy, “you’re missing the boat,” because the conversation is happening socially about you and about your content, whether you’re involved or not.

So get on Twitter. When you post something on your blog that is useful, unique and beneficial to others, post it to Twitter as well. Start conversations, reply to what others are saying about the post, and notice the conversation it generates. The number of retweets generated can be a good indicator of how well you’re addressing users’ search for information. Provide information that others deem useful, and chances are you’ll advance your website exponentially in the SEO game.

© 2012 Master Google. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Master Google is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this press release is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

TAMPA, FLORIDA- In a bid to turn around the company, Yahoo! CEO Scott Thompson has announced it will lay off 2,000 workers, or about 14 percent of its workforce.

What this means for search engine optimization remains to be seen. According to Search Engine Journal, the latest market shares (March 2012) for the top three- Google, Yahoo! and Bing- total more than 98 percent of the total search engine market, with Google far outpacing the other two with 77.02 percent. Yahoo! remains in second place with 11.56 percent compared to Bing’s 9.59 percent.

Ali Husayni, Master Google’s CEO, says the changes at Yahoo! shouldn’t affect the search engine optimization business “because Yahoo! is using Bing’s search results and if/when you rank well with Google, you also rank well with Bing, and consequently Yahoo!”

This is the fourth time in six years that Yahoo, Inc. has conducted mass layoffs. Thompson says the move will save the ailing company about $375 million dollars per year. The layoffs are the largest in the company’s 17-year history. The changes also include a reshaping of the board of directors. Thompson is Yahoo’s fourth full-time CEO in less than five years, a period marked by steady declines in revenue.

After announcing the layoffs, Thompson promised to share more details about his plans April 17, when Yahoo Inc. is scheduled to release its quarterly earnings. Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ analyst Scott Kessler says Thompson “definitely seems to be taking a very broad and bold view of what needs to be done at Yahoo!. He seems to know it isn’t going to be easy and it isn’t going to be pleasant.”

A leader of the search engine pack once upon a time, Yahoo! has been overtaken by Google and Facebook in the race for online advertising. Yahoo!’s website remains a popular destination, tracking about 700 million visitors per month, but people have spent less time there and more on Google and Facebook.

On a related Facebook note, Thompson recently launched a series of lawsuits against Facebook. Facebook is firing back with its own counter-suits. Yahoo! claims that Facebook is infringing upon several patents owned by Yahoo!, including patents on methods for advertising online. Facebook’s counter says Yahoo! has violated its patents covering advertising, online recommendations and photo-tagging. Yahoo! has dismissed the new lawsuit, saying it’s without merit.

Thompson sent an email to employees covering the upcoming changes, which in part reads:

Today we are restructuring Yahoo! to give ourselves the opportunity to compete and win in our core business. The changes we’re announcing today will put our customers first, allow us to move fast, and to get stuff done. The outcome of these changes will be a smaller, nimbler, more profitable Yahoo! better equipped to innovate as fast as our customers and our industry require.

Change is never easy. But the time has come to move Yahoo! forward aggressively with increased focus and accountability. Our values have always been about treating all Yahoos with dignity and respect, and today is a day to embrace those values. This is an amazing company with exceptionally talented people and I know we will all do our best to encourage each other through this difficult period of transition.

Yahoo!’s future is uncertain but for now, the company remains a player in Web search, albeit a far distant second to Google.

NASHVILLE, TN – Search engine optimization is an ever-changing field, and SEO experts work tirelessly to roll with the punches. If you want to search Google and find your business at the top, SEO is essential to your success. At Master Google, we are constantly researching online SEO patterns and putting those findings into practice.

While SEO companies know the ins and outs of SEO, search engine optimizers are probably not experts in your specific field. For the most efficient search engine optimization, you can clue your SEO provider in to the latest trends in your industry, providing a great resource for content.

Here’s how to help your SEO expert help you:

Do Your Homework

Before selecting an SEO company, do some research. Different companies have different specialties, and you’re encouraged to shop around. Make sure your SEO company is honest and diligent. Be wary of firms that promise unrealistic outcomes. As we’ve said before, SEO takes time, and companies that guarantee overnight results are too good to be true or sometimes using black-hat techniques.

In a previous post, Master Google’s CEO Ali Husayni gives readers 10 common mistakes to avoid when choosing an SEO company, including not looking at ranking reports or examining proven results. Since you’re doing the hiring, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for references.

“Each SEO company should be able to show you at least ten local and international clients they have helped rank at the top of Google with the permission for you to contact them,” Husayni says. “The keywords they show you must be the most competitive for such clients (and not merely long-tailed keywords).”

Be Available

At Master Google, we care about your success, as your success is also our success. Life can be hectic, and if you’ve hired an SEO company, it means that you don’t have time to do your own optimization – it means you’re busy. At Master Google, we’re lucky to have clients who take the time to talk to us despite their full work schedules. Try to be prompt replying to phone calls or emails. In contrast, if you feel your SEO company is hard to touch base with, that’s a conversation you should have with your SEO expert.

Share Your Knowledge

Many Master Google clients are experts in their fields, and as lifetime scholars of their subjects, they’re continually learning. Sharing breaking industry news can save your search engine optimizer time in research, meaning you’ll have an extremely relevant topic while giving your optimizer more time to craft meaningful pieces.

Also keep your SEO company up to date with any changes happening within your company. If you’re introducing a new product line or hiring a new executive, your SEO firm may be interested in writing a press release on these changes.

Give Feedback

Your SEO company has a plan in place, and it’s important to take notice of the changes you see as a result of that plan. Has your business gained exposure? Have you had more inquiries than normal? Fewer than normal? Providing your SEO firm with your experienced results can be helpful for both parties.

Providing real results can help you evaluate the right SEO company for your needs. Also feel free to ask any questions you might have, no matter how trivial they might seem.

The right SEO company will work hard to deliver results, but your small efforts to keep your SEO company informed about your industry will be beneficial to everyone. If you’re interested in learning more about how Master Google delivers results, contact us today.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA—Businesses want to know what red flags to look for during the initial consultation and sales pitch with an SEO agency, and who better to learn from than a professional SEO?

Vice President of Sales at Master Google Dan Manahan is revealing four common things that SEO salespeople will say and what those statements really mean.

1.  “We Offer Convenient, One-Stop Shopping”

Some companies try to net clients by offering a plethora of services, claiming expertise in all of them, and spinning it as convenience, but Manahan says beware of a jack-of-all-trades. There are hundreds of companies that tout expertise in services ranging from site design, search engine marketing and email marketing to social media marketing, conversion and pay per click.

While all those services fall under the umbrella of online marketing, the truth is that pay per click advertising is completely different from social media marketing which is completely different from search engine marketing. No one person or business is likely to be able to deliver quality results for all of them. Many companies do have experts on staff for multiple areas, so look into their claims before writing them off.

2. “We Can Cut Costs Once We Get To The Top”

Beating out competitors to get to the top of Google rankings is no easy task, and it takes time and a well-honed strategy with ongoing resources. Yet some SEO companies try to sell a potential client with the theory that once they get them to the desired ranking they can cut back on what their SEO costs.

Manahan says that a company telling a potential client that is not taking competitive backlash into account, making that SEO company’s line of thinking either short-sighted and ignorant or intentionally deceptive.

“An SEO company that doesn’t plan for a competitive backlash either hasn’t experienced it because they haven’t ranked anyone high enough or simply don’t care to exercise the foresight that is incumbent upon a company that hopes to retain clients for the long term,” Manahan says.

Displaced competition will make an assault to reclaim the lost position, and cutting costs right when the competition will come back swinging is just going to make it easier for them to do it.

“The cost reduces in the context that the site is generating more revenue relative to the SEO services price tag, but a flat price reduction is ludicrous,” the SEO expert says.

3. “We Have Set Pricing Plans”

This “set pricing plan” line is taking advantage of clients’ preference for fixed-rate pricing structure and ignoring the fact that fixed prices are not ideal for SEO. Manahan says there are too many variables in markets and websites to make it realistic.

“Real SEO targets the displacement of the competitors’ websites,” says Manahan. “Only after an analysis of a prospective client’s competitors’ websites can an SEO company calculate the resources required to beat them.”

The pricing structure works for certain online marketing services. For example, it works for email marketing because the demand on the company resources to facilitate a 10,000 per month email campaign versus a 1,000 per month email campaign can be anticipated.

However, an SEO campaign is full of variables like site size, starting rank, market factors, competitiveness and number of keywords that make that type of pricing impractical. Or it means the SEO company has compensated for it somehow, such as inflating prices or cutting corners on more time-intensive accounts.

4. “Let’s Draw Up A Contract, Then Put Down Objectives”

According to Manahan, an SEO company that is reluctant to commit to an objective, such as in the top five positions of Google within nine months, without a locked-in contract should raise a red flag.

They are probably more concerned about guaranteeing their income than delivering results for their clients. Quality SEO techniques do take time to work but that timeframe can easily be explained, discussed and agreed to on the front end without requiring a long term contract.

Master Google does not require long-term contracts, although they strongly recommend ongoing SEO campaigns for success. The difference between a long-term contract with other companies and a contract with Husayni is that he offers his clients a guarantee.

“We share the risk. If we don’t deliver, you get your money back—very simple,” says Manahan.

The Takeaway

If a business shopping for an SEO company notices the salesperson using one of these tactics during a consultation or negotiations, they should take a step back to ask some more questions or walk away.

© 2012 Master Google. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Master Google is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this press release is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.