SANTA MONICA, CA – The Master Google team is proud to announce another Top of Google Places announcement. The foam insulation company Retrofoam of Arizona has reached #1 on Google Places for “Phoenix Insulation.” Having an active SEO strategy is a vital part of the equation in the formula for business success, according to Retrofoam of Arizona Co-Owner Paul Kariniemi.

“SEO is something I always want to have. We also do radio and TV advertising [and other forms of advertising], and I will always have SEO running in the background,” Kariniemi said.

After all, it takes an active campaign effort to get results. Citing the sometimes maddening truth that there is no way to know exactly which part of your SEO efforts will take you to the top and exactly how long it will take, Kariniemi shared his humorous equation for Internet success:

A strong Internet presence is 1+1=3.

This joke is a great example of why it is so important to understand that Kariniemi’s success didn’t happen overnight. As with past clients, SEO results  took time, and were a part of an intricate plan by Master Google CEO Ali Husayni and the Master Google team. Still, the results happened relatively quickly, and Kariniemi’s comments echoed those of Doug Cooper, the VP of marketing for CariniAir.com, when their site hit #1 on Google Places.

“In a matter of about one to one-and-a-half months, Master Google helped us reach the top spot in the Google Places listing for the air conditioning keywords, while still retaining our #2 spot for heating,” Cooper said.

Reaching the top spot in Google Places is a good example as to why it is important to consider the full SEO picture to evaluate the return on investment, according to Husayni.

“We can precisely measure the increase in site traffic within the time the client signs up for SEO,” Husayni said. “The bottom line is higher ranks on Google result in more targeted traffic, which translates to more sales.”

Husayni continues to enjoy seeing these tangible results for each one of his clients. He advised Kariniemi to continue to work on his Google Places reviews, as the number and quality of the reviews matters for SEO efforts, according to Husayni.

Comic Courtesy of Kayzoe.com.

To learn how to list your business on Google Places, watch this video for instructions. Once you’re listed, ask your returning customers to write a positive review for your business as Husayni advised Kariniemi to do. After all, the more your listing is rated, the higher your business will place in Google Places rankings. When done well, the combined efforts of an ambitious SEO team and the patience and trust of the client is what makes all the difference, according to Husayni.

“SEO takes the following three things: expertise, hard work, and patience. On average, our clients see the best results within six months to a year after we start a project. When we see results, it proves to us the fact that what we do actually works,” Husayni said.

Having an SEO company on your side that you can trust has been a refreshing experience for Kariniemi, who shared: “With all the used car sales types out there pushing SEO on business owners, I must say it’s been refreshing to deal with true SEO professionals who deliver real, quantifiable results.”

Contact Us to see if your site qualifies, and we look forward to continuing to work with Kariniemi and our other clients.

NASHVILLE, TN – It’s hypothesized that the term “Search Engine Optimization” was first documented by John Audette and Bruce Clay in 1997. When search engine algorithms were simpler, webmasters could saturate a page with keywords, ensuring a higher rank in search engine results. Ultimately, as users really want the most relevant data, search engines worked to make their algorithms stronger to avoid “Keyword Stuffing”.

In an article by SEO expert Jill Whalen, she comments on the minor changes that helped SEO evolve from 2000 to 2008. In an outline she found from 2000, her introduction stated that Google had 1.3 billion pages indexed. When the article was written in 2008, Whalen, CEO and founder of High Rankings, estimated that Google had nearly 10 billion pages indexed. As all of these small changes and unexplained algorithms rock our SEO boats, Whalen comments on what stays the same: “The one element that will never change is the same one that I’ve been advocating forever—whatever SEO methods or strategies you use, the thing that will get you the furthest is creating an awesome website!”

More Competition
The easier it is to make a website, the more people sign up for personal blogs or websites that can potentially distract users from the relevant information they’re searching for. Services such as WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and Weebly make web development a breeze. As these sites have gained popularity in the past few years, more people have dumped their information onto the web.

Five years ago, if you had a serious niche, it’s possible that you could be one of several websites, or even (gasp!) the only website, discussing a subject. Now that it’s so easy to make a website, i.e., you don’t need to know how to code it, you don’t need to purchase a domain name, new sites spring up daily. In the wake of this over-saturated market, ensuring that your website has up-to-date, relevant information is crucial.

More Social
Twitter launched in July of 2006, and since then, its users have grown to giant proportions. An article from Time Techland dated September 2011 revealed that Twitter has 100 million active users. Facebook launched in February 2004, and as of January 2012, there are 800 billion users. Now Google announced that search results are getting more personal, as users will see Google+ results as well as normal search results in the “everything” category.

These sites are a destination, where people spend lots of time connecting with friends or acquaintances with common interests. While before, friends could share links fairly easily through email, now, these websites like Facebook and Twitter provide a common ground for link sharing. As Eric Hammer from Quantum SEO Labs writes, “[Social media] has really taken the concept of SEO and stood it on its ear because until now, you were trying to get Google to notice you. Now, for the first time, because of social media, you need to try to get human beings to notice you too and recommend you to their friends.”

Google Loves Change
To keep searches fresh and readily improving for users, Google is speculated to make changes almost daily to their search algorithms. Google introduced Panda (previously known as “Farmer”) to better their search results by weeding out duplicate content and lowering the prevalence of “content farms” in query results. Google launches Google Places to give businesses a place to be recognized.

Just as Google likes changing their own search algorithms, they also favor fresh content, as we recently reported in “The Google Freshness Update”.

While the SEO horizon changes daily like the phases of the moon, what stays the same is the importance of relevant, accurate, and fresh content.

Graphic Courtesy of TechTricksWorld.com.

SANTA MONICA, CA – The Master Google team is happy to announce the recent accomplishments of CariniAir.com. Doug Cooper, the VP of Marketing for CariniAir.com, has been working with Master Google for a relatively short period of time, and has already seen big results, both with the number of qualified leads and with his company’s Google rankings. Like most new clients to Master Google’s SEO services, Cooper was at first hesitant to hire a new Search Engine Optimization Company when he started in the middle of last year, but has seen a big spike in the number of qualified leads as a result.

“We get maybe 30 percent of our business from referrals, the other 70 percent is from Google Search Engine marketing. We’ve increased the number of qualified leads with Master Google about 50%,” Cooper says. “I wish we’d started a year ago, I am sure we’d be number one in everything.”

A simple Google search also reveals further success for Cooper, who readily shares his excitement about the recent accomplishments with Master Google.

“Master Google helped us reach the top spot in the Google Places listing for the air conditioning keywords, while still retaining our #2 spot for heating. We are very excited about becoming #1 in the Google Places listings, and expect this to result in another 100% – 200% increase in Google sales leads during the upcoming air conditioning season,” Cooper says.

But it’s important to note that these numbers didn’t appear right away. The SEO results took time, and were the product of hard work, as both Cooper and Master Google CEO Ali Husayni explain. Still, the results happened relatively quickly, as Cooper emphasizes.

“In a matter of about one to one-and-a-half months, Master Google helped us reach the top spot in the Google Places listing for the air conditioning keywords, while still retaining our #2 spot for heating,” Cooper says.

Husayni enjoys seeing these tangible results for his clients.

“When we see results like CariniAir.com, it proves to us the fact that what we do actually works. What’s needed is patience and perseverance,” Husayni says.

See Doug Cooper’s interview in our testimonials section. Contact Us to see if your site qualifies, and we look forward to continuing to work with Cooper and our other clients.

IMPORTANT RANKINGS UPDATE: As of Jan. 19, 2012, CariniAir.com took the #1 spot on Google Maps.

Cooper is thrilled about what this means for CariniAir.com.

“Finally achieving the top spot on Google Maps for our most important keywords is a dream come true. Everyone at Carini Heating and Air is very excited and grateful to Master Google for their continued hard work and persistence,” Cooper says.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA — Most people understand that in today’s market, a website has to rank near the top of Google to be competitive, but the fact that it is not an easy task to get there can escape many of them. The most common question when it comes to getting a top search result placement on Google is: “How can I get my website to the top ranking on Google with free SEO?”

Ali Husayni, the CEO of the SEO service company, Master Google, has an answer to this question.

“Search engine optimization is like any other demanding industry in business,” says Husayni. “You don’t do it part time if you want to be successful.”

After all, when it comes to SEO, there is a big learning curve while acquiring skills, and it is an ongoing process, a fight to stay current. There are thousands of sites on the internet with tips, lists and tutorials about SEO techniques, including the Master Google website and blog, but search engine algorithms get updated regularly and without warning.

“The only constant about SEO is that it will change,” Husayni says. “One update can turn everything you’ve been doing on its head.”

Learning the basic concepts of SEO might not cost money, but there is still a cost. When a company or individual is wondering about whether they can do SEO on their own, they should carefully consider these questions:

• Do I have the time to keep up with frequent updates to algorithms and new techniques by reading blogs, breaking news and articles online?
• Do I have the skill level to research and write quality content for my site, including press releases and articles?
• Do I know where to submit articles and press releases or how to share new content on social networking sites?
• Do I have a good working knowledge of computer coding languages to manage and update the code of my site in order to implement new techniques while staying within Google’s Quality Guidelines and Terms Of Service?
• Do I have the stamina to continue doing this these things on a consistent basis?

If the answer is ‘no’ to any of those, the company or individual should consider hiring an SEO professional instead. Husayni works with small businesses frequently. In fact, it was his desire to help small businesses be able to compete with their larger competitors that have bigger budgets that got him into SEO in the first place.

“You may not have the budget for a full-scale SEO campaign if you’re just starting out, but some time with an SEO consultant to get you started may be within your budget and well worth the expense,” says Husayni. “Call the office for a free consultation to find out.” Click here to contact us about our services.

SANTA MONICA, CA – What do Facebook and Justin Bieber have in common? They are both at the top of their categories for the number of search inquiries directed at them in 2011. The categories are part of an in-depth analysis of the top search terms of 2011, published by Experian Hitwise, a part of Experian Marketing Services.

The biggest search engine victory, though, was achieved by a search engine itself. According to Experian Hitwise, Google properties made for 11.98 percent of all U.S. visits, which is a 22 percent increase from 2010. Facebook properties accounted for 8.93 percent, and Yahoo! properties accounted for 6.81 percent.

As a stand-alone, the fastest-moving search terms of the year mainly focused on big events, disasters, and changes that happened on that specific day. The terms included: Hurricane Irene, Les Paul, Nick Ashford dies, Apophis Asteroid, Sheen dumped, Hurricane Irene path and Amber Cole. Looking at the top public figures and the top five searches in the movie category is equally as amusing (and maybe even a little scary to some degree, in some cases).

Top public figure searches:

1. Justin Bieber
2. Casey Anthony
3. Kim Kardashian
4. Nicki Minaj
5. Selena Gomez
6. Charlie Sheen

Top five movie titles:

1. Star Wars
2. Transformers 3
3. (Twilight) Breaking Dawn
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
5. Fast Five

Looking at the top hits for 2011 is fun and provides some insight, but the analysis goes much deeper when comparing the results of 2011 with 2010. A few important differences, as noted by the Experian Hitwise study: Facebook was the top-visited website for the second year, making up 10.29 percent of all U.S. visits between January and November 2011, which is a whopping 15 percent increase from 2010. Google.com ranked second, with 7.70 percent of visits, which is a 7 percent increase for them, trailed by YouTube with 3.17 percent, and Yahoo! Mail at 2.95 percent with Yahoo! at 2.47 percent.

Check out the Top 10 most-visited websites for 2010 vs. 2011:

Top 10 in 2010:

1. Facebook.com
2. Google.com
3. Mail.Yahoo.com
4. Yahoo.com
5. YouTube.com
6. Msn.com
7. MySpace.com
8. Mail.Live.com
9. Search.Yahoo.com
10. Bing.com

Top 10 in 2011:

1. Facebook.com
2. Google.com
3. YouTube.com
4. Mail.Yahoo.com
5. Yahoo.com
6. Bing.com
7. Search.Yahoo.com
8. Gmail.com
9. Mail.Live.com
10. Msn.com

Taking a critical look at both the 2010 and 2011 search terms, especially in relation to search engine optimization, makes for an important task for 2012, and that is meeting the challenge of knowing what’s current and anticipating what is on the horizon, according to Ali Husayni, the CEO of the SEO service company, Master Google.

After all, SEO helps a website’s visibility by making sure that the site’s language gives an optimal chance for it to be found when a web surfer performs a search.

“The key is to recognize your key audience and think like them,” Husayni says. “For instance, if Sinai is working on dental website marketing for a client, we have to think in terms of what words people use when they search for a dentist. Then we build the client’s entire Google marketing efforts around those 100-200 words.”

© 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.

ORANGE, CA—Search engine optimization is an often confusing, constantly changing science but, at the same time, an absolutely essential part of marketing your business on the Internet. So what’s an overwhelmed newcomer to do?

According to Ali Husayni—industry expert and founder of SEO company Master Google—a newbie should do anything but give up.

“Without a strong SEO campaign, it is very difficult to compete in today’s market,” he said. “With the economy down, people spend their money wisely. Potential customers research anything and everything on the Internet before they contact any retailer or decide on services. If your site is not easily found, you are not able to compete effectively.”

I know what you’re thinking. “Okay, so it’s essential, but what is SEO, exactly?”

Husayni explained that SEO is “the art of changing sites and their popularity on the Internet so that search engines perceive them as highly valuable, thereby placing them at the top of their search results.”

What search engine should my SEO campaign focus on?

Now that we have established what SEO is and why it’s so important, it’s time to decide which search engine you should focus your campaign on. Husayni said that, while Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing do get some traffic, those search numbers are nothing compared to Google.

“Google receives more than 75 percent of the global search market and about 65 percent of the domestic market,” Husayni said. “Google is the giant of search engines. If you are visible on Google, you’ll be attracting customers.”

How do I go about initiating my SEO work?

This should all be becoming a bit clearer, but we still need a plan of action. Husayni advised that there are multiple ways to go about SEO, such as hiring a company to do the work for you, employing an in-house SEO professional or working with an experienced SEO consultant.

“The path you choose to take depends on your market, your budget and your level of Internet savvy,” Husayni said.

Small companies, he said, are better off hiring a professional SEO company who can place them at the top of search engines at an affordable price. On the other hand, a larger firm working with a bigger budget could benefit from having an in-house SEO team, supplemented with coaching help from a reputable SEO company to keep them in check. And, of course, the more ambitious business owner with minimal time constraints could learn SEO practices himself, though Husayni recommends receiving some guidance from a seasoned professional.

What do I need to know about SEO before I begin?

Even if you choose to hire a SEO company to do your optimization work, it’s still important to know the main elements that will help you increase your site’s ranking. Husayni said that the three most crucial aspects of any Internet marketing campaign are optimization, lots of fresh content and popularity, also referred to as link building.

“The optimization gives Google the information it needs to understand the theme of each site,” he said. “Content gives Google the impression that the site is being updated with valuable information on a regular basis, thus providing useful information for its visitors.”

But remember, “Google is a machine with limitations and language barriers,” Husayni warned.

“The only two ways for Google crawlers to determine if your site is valuable are by measuring how often you update your content and by gauging whether or not you’ve copied your content from elsewhere, or written it yourself.”

Google’s algorithm is always changing, too. For example, Husayni said that, with the development of Google+, the search engine has “added the +1 button to further determine your site’s usefulness.”

I’ve started my SEO campaign, but how long will it take until I see results?

After learning the basics of SEO and how to get started, you still have a long, albeit rewarding, journey ahead.

“While changes to optimization are viewed by Google almost immediately—provided you have quality back links—other SEO components are built over time,” Husayni said. “So, initially, when we optimize a site, there is a jump in its ranking on Google. Then, slowly thereafter, the site gets ranked better and better.”

And it’s a journey you have to stick to in order to see lasting results.

“Google revamps its algorithm every few months, making it important to stay on top of new techniques,” Husayni said. “And your competition is not sitting idle. They’re also doing SEO and, depending on how many resources they allocate, they could replace your number one listing in a matter of months. So, take a deep breath and get ready for a long SEO battle.”

ORANGE, CA— Google’s U.S. market share increased from 64.8 percent in August to 65.3 percent in September, reaffirming that the search engine should be the main focus of business owners’ search engine optimization campaigns.

On October 11, comScore, Inc.—a global leader in digital business world analytics—released its monthly analysis of the nationwide search market, revealing that 65.3 percent of searchers typed their queries into Google’s search box. During the same month-long period, second place market shareholder Yahoo fell to 15.5 percent, trailed by Microsoft’s Bing that remained unchanged at 14.7 percent.

Ali Husayni, SEO expert and founder of Master Google, said that Google’s increase was predictable, considering the company’s history of technological innovation.

“With Google being the cutting edge provider of search, it’s only natural for their search market to grow,” he said.

Husayni said that Google’s recent raise in market shares validates Master Google’s concentration on the search engine giant.

“It reiterates our thought process in developing our SEO strategies to focus on Google alone,” Husayni said. “Ranking on Google is what generates new business, which is our goal for every one of our clients.”

Following the release of the comScore report, shares of Google increased by $22.05, amounting to $537.17, compared with Yahoo, which rose just 37 cents to $15.84 and Bing, which climbed 69 cents to reach $26.94.

“Business owners should be aware that, in order to stay in business and grow, they need to be found on Google search results,” Husayni added. “That is the bottom line. If your business is not on Google, your business is doomed.”

Google’s third quarter results, which were announced October 13, reported revenues of $9.72 billion. “We had a great quarter,” said Larry Page, CEO of Google, in a press release posted on Google Investor Relations. “Revenue was up 33 percent year on year and our quarterly revenue was just short of $10 billion. Google+ is now open to everyone and we just passed the 40 million user mark. People are flocking into Google+ at an incredible rate and we are just getting started!”

The wealth of new search features and social networking components is what sets Google apart from the competition, Husayni said.

“The search results are not diluted or full of spam,” he said. “They have a very sophisticated, fast-paced way of analyzing sites and their relevancy to a particular query. What’s more, their development of Google+ is a good alternative to Facebook and Twitter.”

Husayni said that, in light of Google’s imminent monopoly of the search market, the Master Google team will continue becoming better at optimization strategies specifically geared toward Google crawlers.

“Now there is going to be even more competition for Google placement,” Husayni said. “And Master Google will certainly rise to the challenge.”

BOULDER, CO — Despite the turbulent economic climate over the last few years, Google SEO marketing company Master Google has been able to expand and help its clientele find new consumers and discover new pools of revenue. The company attributes much of its success to reaching out and finding clients internationally.

Master Google’s clientele has grown exponentially to include companies in various industries from around the world. The company provides its services in search engine optimization (SEO) for businesses throughout India, China, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia, the United States, and more. Read more…