Of all the parts of search engine optimization that give headaches to SEO professionals and clients alike, few are as frustrating as link-building. That's because, to get it right, you have to not only secure links from other sites and pages, but make sure that the ones that are coming in are high quality. And usually, that means doing it one e-mail or phone call at a time.
With that in mind, we'd like to offer a tip that can help you out, regardless of whether you're doing the work yourself or working with a search engine optimization partner: do the math and see the big picture.
Here's what we mean: when you first start looking for links, you'll probably feel an overwhelming temptation to contact anyone and everyone and ask them to partner with your site. You might even think about sending a mass e-mail, or looking for "link farms" that promise thousands of inbound links for just a few dollars. Sadly, those tactics don't work anymore, and could even irreparably harm your search engine position.
A better tactic is to look for good, high-quality links one at a time. This can come from having your search engine professional contact others, from writing articles and guest blog posts, or from reaching out to other webmasters yourself. Whichever way you're going, however, pace yourself a little bit. Think back to math class; if you can manage to contact just five people a day, that will work out to roughly 1,250 per year. Not all of them are going to link back to your site, but enough of them could agree to it to make a dramatic impact in your long-term search engine positioning.
It's easy, in search engine optimization and other forms of online marketing, to want to do everything right now. But exercise a little patience, remember the way the real world math works, and you'll be at the top of Google, Yahoo, and Bing in no time.
KINETIK NOTE: Don't just take the word of an SEO company. Get your info directly from the source: Matt Cutts, head of Google Spam Team and know what bad link building practices are. You might be surprised to find that many SEO companies use these practices and you can learn avoid them.
As you have (hopefully) heard by now, Google announced a new
algorithm update which, beginning April 21, factors mobile compatibility
heavily into search results. In other words, websites that are optimized for
viewing on smartphones and tablets will now outrank similar non-mobile-friendly
websites, all things being equal.
What’s interesting about this change to Google strategy is
that, unlike past algorithm updates, it was announced and outlined well ahead
of time. Instead of dropping hints, Google’s engineers told us exactly what was
going to happen… and yet, there are countless businesses still trying to figure
out what happened to their search traffic.
What are the short- and long-term consequences of Google’s
new mobile-friendly preference? And more importantly, does it mean your
non-mobile-friendly website is now invisible to the world’s largest search
engine?
Let’s take a look at a few of the things you need to know:
Google Made This Change for a Good Reason
Although some business owners and marketers will undoubtedly
react as if Google is targeting them individually, the fact of the matter is
it’s just good business from the search engine’s point of view. With 64% of adults in the US owning smartphones, mobile web
users are now in the majority; they want search results that show cleanly and
correctly on smartphones and tablets. By updating its search algorithms, Google
is just giving its audience what it wants.
With that in mind, there isn’t any reason to think they’ll
backtrack on their new mobile-compatible stance. In fact, you should probably
prepare for just the opposite…
Expect More Focus on Mobile in the Future
Google states that 94% of people with smart phones use their phones for local search and 77% of local searches happen at home and work, even with a desktop computer available. That means that the standard, non-responsive websites are going to become increasingly rare as time goes on, and web users
are going to take mobile compatibility as a given.
Think about that for a moment, and you come to an
inescapable conclusion…
Websites That Aren’t Mobile-Friendly Are Falling Behind
Take the mobile-friendly test here and then give Kinetik IT a call. We'll make sure your website doesn't fall behind.
In our experience, search engine optimization is wildly popular with small business owners because of the potential to bring in thousands of new potential customers from Google, Yahoo, and Bing every day.
However, you can't miss the forest for the trees. As great as SEO is, there are still some pitfalls to avoid. Clients tend to think that it's all about getting to the top spot on Google, but there's a little more to it than that. Here are two things you absolutely can't overlook when it comes to search engine optimization:
You have to start with the right research. Being on the first page for a keyword is great, but only if it's one that can ultimately bring you customers. We see far too many online marketers concentrate on words and phrases they think will bring lots of traffic, when what they should be focused on is finding the right set of visitors who are likely to buy.
Your landing pages still need to be persuasive for buyers. Just as bringing the wrong sets of visitors to your site will not help you sell anything, neither will bringing the right ones if you can't give them compelling reasons to do what you want them to. Search engine optimization is valuable only if it leads to action. Don't forget that and fall into the trap of thinking that a whole lot of traffic will automatically translate into an unimaginable number of sales… it doesn't always happen that way, especially if your web pages aren't well-written and designed.
In any field, there are characteristics that inevitably determine which companies will last and those whose tenure will be short-lived. One of these characteristics is having well-defined guiding principles. Serving as a guidepost in making decisions both big and small, these principles, or core values, are not simply chosen like a wish list of company traits might be, but rather cherry-picked from that organization’s existing culture and highest virtues.
Generally defined as “principles that guides an organization's internal conduct as well as its relationship with the external world,” core values can also be defined as unchanging, while being timeless and to sustainable long term, as they were in the book, “Startup Culture: Values vs. Vibe” by Chris Moody,
At Kinetik Information Technology, we provide website design, SEO internet marketing, software development and computer network services and solutions that move our clients forward. We accomplish this through uncompromising dedication to our own well-defined core values and principles, including:
- Integrity
- Service
- Loyalty
- Value
- Excellence
- Dedication
Of course, our principles will only be meaningful, if each of us at Kinetik IT consistently strives to excel in everything we do, surpassing our set standards. After all, an organization can only expand and achieve greatness through the pursuit of excellence and growth of each individual team member.
To learn more about services and products, and to stay up to date with Kinetik IT, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik on Facebook, LinkedInor Twitter.