A little web knowledge for you to help grow your business! It has certainly helped ours!

Smart Search Engine Optimiation (SEO)

Boost Your Web Presence   The Internet is the fastest-growing, most exciting medium for expanding business today. But, to be successful on the Internet, you must use smart Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that will drive your site toward the top of search engine listings when prospects search keywords related to your products and services. The following ideas will improve your ability to drive business to your website: 1.  Research Keywords Start with a list of all keywords you think prospective customers might search if they were looking for your service on Google, Bing or Yahoo.  These words or phrases should be sprinkled throughout your site's content. For movers, we recommend a list of keywords including:  long distance moving, local moving, international moving, moving companies, movers, storage, etc.        2.  Content is Key Copy on your site should include your keywords and deliver a well-written, informative message that promotes the outcome you are seeking whether it's information delivery or sales. - Create a web page for each of your top keywords.  For example, "Long Distance Moving Services", "Local Moving Services", "Storage", "Free Moving Estimates", etc. - Title tags on every page in your site should be keyword focused.  This text is important to the search engines trying to figure out what your site offers visitors.  Each page should have a unique title. - Photo ALT tag should be named so that they clearly set the photo apart form the other tags in the coding.  Even though photos enhance the appearance of your site, search engines can't read them.  You need to include keywords in the photo ALT tag description in order for them to boost SEO.  Many search engines search for these keywords as part of the description to ID photos. - Avoid Adobe Flash on your site, or at most use it sparingly.  It does nothing for your SEO because search engines cannot read flash content. - Update your content regularly.  If you have a blog, try to post at least three times a week.  When content is fresh, search engines react favorably. 3.  Add a Site Map   The site map gives search engines a concise listing of your site's content.  Best of all, you don't have to know how to develop a map.  There are sites to help you do this.  (Try www.xml-sitemaps.com.) Be sure to also submit the site map to the search engines. (See #6 below.) 4.  Boost Rankings with Relevant Links  Search engines are becoming very sophisticated at telling if links are relevant to your industry.  - Find moving industry websites that support or enhance your services to link to your website.  Links from related industries will boost your ranking while unrelated links offer no help to SEO.  - Sites with a .edu suffix are given special consideration by search engines, so it may be worthwhile to search out links to related educational websites that will welcome the link.  - Post comments on blogs, forums, and discussion boards.  Add links back to your own website from the text. 5.  Submit your website information  Don't wait for search engines to find you!  - Submit to search engines, especially the most commonly used ones:  These links will help: www.google.com/addurl/ http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html www.bing.com/webmaster/submitsitepage.aspx  - Submit your site to www.dmoz.org/help/submit.html.  This independent, nonprofit web-directory site is checked by people, not machines.  6.  Most Important - Keep it Fresh Search Engine Optimization isn't something you finish and then move on.  You need to plan to work on your SEO daily to keep your site fresh and your Internet-generated business growing.