Archive for the ‘SEO’ Category

Working in a Cloud

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Google has revolutionized computing in the modern era and as it rolls out new and innovative products, it also allows others to build applications that work well with the programs that they have created. This collaborative computing is now known as cloud-computing and has become increasingly popular as more and more companies have begun to see the advantages of this form of communication. It is an easy way to get information and share it with many users at one time. It works well as it streamlines the process so that employees can access data about customers without having to open various software packages, which is great for small businesses as well as large ones. Previously, companies always seemed to turn to used Microsoft products that had limited compatibility, but when Google released its applications five years ago, users were able to share information among groups of users as well as with clients and suppliers when appropriate.

This year at Campfire One, a meeting held every so often to have developers out to the Google headquarters to discuss new products and initiatives, the company unveiled its Apps Market for developers to sell enterprise software. Enterprise software is an application developed to work with the current line of Google Apps including Google Calendar and Gmail, two of their more popular offerings, which will draw Google even more into the cloud-computing realm. This marketplace will allow third party developers to market and sell applications that work in conjunction with Google Apps and this process may lead to a developer explosion as well as huge profits for the companies as well as Google. There is a modest fee to setup a merchant account and you can sell as many applications as you wish. You also must pay a 20% charge on all profits after your costs are recouped.

One strong advantage is that these applications can be targeted to current Google users as a way to increase productivity without having to sacrifice efficiency. These new enterprise applications work seamlessly with any Google application and they can be manipulated through the same menus as other Google created applications, giving the user a very easy job of figuring out how to use the new third-party application. They also have included a way to incorporate access to the enterprise applications through the toolbar and you will not have to log in every time you use of the third-party programs as Google will use Open-ID, which allows the user to only have to log in once to use any of the applications associated with Google Apps.

8 Tactics for SEO in Your Online Business

1208424_woman_using_computerAn online business is one of the easiest types of businesses to begin.  There is very little that you need to actually have a successful internet company, and much of it will be free.  Often when starting up a brick and mortar business you have to seek out loans for business. If you have never owned a business before it can be difficult to get a loan. Furthermore, the bank will look at your personal history and credit scores to come to a decision regarding your loan.

For individuals who have struggled financially, this close examination of your personal history can make it almost impossible to begin a business.  Luckily the online world is a lot nicer to get started in for a new business.  This is not to say there are not struggles.  There certainly are issues with starting an online business due to the high amount of competition out there.  Everyone can start an online business, thus it requires a niche business to be truly successful.

An online business will require some start up capital.  The amount you need is significantly less, thus loans for business can be smaller and easier to obtain in most instances.  By the added benefit of using free services online you can market your website without a huge advertising budget.  Your website is going to be all about how well you market it for the consumer.  To make sales a potential buyer has to find you and then be converted into a buyer.  The 8 tactics in search engine optimization (SEO) we have here can help.

1. Content cannot be stressed enough.  Duplicate content is not a viable option for your site.  You have to provide original, meaningful content on your site and in other marketing places.  Any content you offer should be easy to read, helpful, and to the point.  It should also provide the “call to action.”  A call to action is a phrase or paragraph urging the potential buyer to make the purchase.  It should not be subtle but blaring in its design to get the potential buyer hooked.  Basically this section of your content tells the customer why they cannot pass up your deal.

2. Incoming Links will determine your placement in the page rankings. The more organic your links the better your rankings will be.  Also the more links you have the more often you will be crawled by the search bots.  Incoming links cannot be bought and they must be extremely relevant to the context of your site.

3. Heading Tags are different from website titles.  The heading tags are what you use for the article title, subheadings, and page headings. These tags should be a keyword.  You can have more than the keyword as the heading, but structurally the keyword should be in the first few words of the heading and be relevant to that specific page.  You should not mix your keywords on the pages.  In other words if a page is about cats then that should be reflected in the heading, and leave dogs out of it.

4. Website Domain will be about keywords. Your domain for the website should be your business name with the appropriate keyword.  In fact your business name should be the niche keyword or include it to help customers find your site.

5. Internal Linking is just as important as incoming links.  If your site pages do not link properly it will be hard for the search bots and the client to see what you have to offer. The bots can get lost and your clients will just leave.

6. Sitemaps will go a long way towards SEO.  With a sitemap you are showing the bot exactly how many pages you are, the links for the pages, and a navigation map to help them move through your site.

7. Meta Tags have a low impact on the actual ranking, but are nevertheless important.  While you are not awarded points for key tags you are going to appear in the search results in a higher position if you have the most relevant tags.  The meta tags are the best way for a person to search for a subject.

8. Density of Keywords helps determine where you are placed.  Too many keywords and your content will be considered spammy; not enough keywords and you could end up at the bottom for sheer irrelevance when a search is done.

These 8 tactics can help you minimize the loans for business you need since everything here is available for free.  You do not have to pay for the right density, content, etc. unless you want to.  Saving with SEO helps you promote your business.