Marketing Tips
 October 2008
Is Your Website a Field of Dreams?
The First Easy Step to Boost Your Site’s Credibility, Google Ranking, and Traffic
Too many times, I have heard clients sigh, “I’ve set up my website – but I don’t think anyone’s visiting it!” And they begin sharing the tricks they’ve tried to jump-start their hit counter, ranging from pricey site add-ons to dubiously ethical wizards who try to outwit the search engine requirements.
Traffic generation can get complicated, there’s no doubt about it…but the underlying concepts are really quite simple. And while this isn’t exactly about copywriting, it’s an important part of the marketing consulting work that I do.
So….first of all, Google is notoriously slow to notice new sites, even after they’re submitted for indexing. It can take three months or more for a newly launched site to show up in searches! So your first job is simply to get noticed.
As a wise Internet marketing guru once told me: Google is rather like New York’s A-list Runway nightclub. If you try to get in on your own, you’re not likely to pass the bouncer. If you show up hobnobbing with Angelina Jolie, however, you’ll probably be ushered right in and treated like royalty. On the other hand, if you arrive with troubled supermodel Naomi Campbell, you may get in, but find yourself treated rather differently.
In other words, on the Internet as in life, you’re judged by the company you keep! You can affect your Google ranking by the quality of your “incoming links” (that is, the sites that link to your site).
High-ranking professional organizations’ sites and networking sites in your industry are good, and incoming links from these will earn you a higher Google ranking. High-ranking local Chamber of Commerce sites are good…and these are just a few examples. On the other hand, “free-for-all” link farms and free link exchange sites (also called banner exchanges) are bad, and Google will penalize your site with a low ranking – or worse - if you participate in these.
What do I mean by high-ranking sites? These meet Google’s standards for content and credibility. They show up at or near the top of the screen when you run a search for one of the logical keywords that identifies the organization. So, for example, if you enter “green business” as a Google search, GreenBusiness.net shows up second and CoOpAmerica.org shows up seventh from the top on the first page. Listing your site on these could boost your own Google ranking.
Just as an aside, when you enter “Catonsville” as a Google search, the newly launched Chamber site is listed in the Number Two position!
How can you get listed on these sites? Posting your company information and URL (Web address) in their member directories is one way. Purchasing an ad gives you an additional Google boost. And most of these sites offer ways for you to link to them in return, by placing their logo graphic or widget on your site.
Why would you want to post a reciprocal link on your site? First, it’s a mark of credibility. If you’re a green business with a Co-op America seal on your site, for example, you win a level of instant respect from green prospects. Posting other logos, such as the Buy Local Baltimore seal, quietly tells visitors that you offer special values to qualifying customers.
And by posting some logos, such as that of the Catonsville Chamber of Commerce, you can earn not only credibility as a member of a respected organization, but also enhanced membership values for your own business.
In fact, to give your site an extra Google boost, the Chamber Communications Committee is planning to offer an advertising discount to members who post the Chamber logo on their site. I can’t give any details now, as this is still in development and will be announced with the new advertising rates for 2009, but I can tell you – both your budget and your site traffic will profit!
How can you post the Chamber logo on your site? For full instructions check the For Members page. And if you have any questions, contact our web designer, Meghan Carpenter, at (410) 239-4362 or meghan@dragonfly-design.com.
Obviously, this is just one small element of a very large topic. We’ll be looking at other elements of search engine optimization and traffic generation in future columns …stay tuned!
Phila Hoopes
The Tree-Huggin’ Copywriter
Giving Your Vision Your Voice
http://www.your-words-worth.com
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