Colorado Springs SEO Tactics

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Colorado Springs SEO, and local SEO

Every city has slightly different SEO cultures. One of the mistakes national firms (that you might find using pay per click advertising for SEO ) make is not understanding, or at least not utilizing the local city landscape for SEO.

This is true in Denver, Colorado Springs, or any metro area. The first step any SEO company might take in developing a local SEO campaign in a city is checking if the client has a Google places listing, a Yahoo local listing and a Bing local business listing. Without these the local client isn’t going to get the rankings that Local searches provide, and I am amazed how often national SEO firms ignore the importance of the Search local directories. You don’t need a SEO company to list your company. If you are a business owner, go to www.getlisted.org It’s a great service (and free) to make sure you are listed.

Another big part is obtaining links in the local area. National SEO’s just don’t have the experience in specific markets. A firm that specializes in local SEO already knows the local territory,  and what sites and tactics will work best to promote your company and bring traffic to your site.

Being part of a community is also a big advantage when providing SEO services.  Many of our clients came to us based on the fact that we would be available for face to face meetings.

So when selecting a Colorado Springs SEO firm, or for any local program, I would suggest you look for the firms that know and already preform SEO  in your city.  Make sure to ask for 3 solid recent references.  It’s not hard to check how good a SEO company is, they should have well ranked clients just a keyword search away!


 

More about our Colorado Springs SEO and Local SEO on our site

 

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Replacement Windows Denver and SEO

Replacement Windows Denver

One of our new clients sells replacement windows in Denver. The interesting part is they also do Solar, Insulation, Roofing,  Electrical, And soon HVAC. So the concept is to be Denver’s Energy Contractors, and that’s the name of the site www.energy-contractors.com  You can see it under replacement Windows Denver

One of there challenges is that as a highly professional company, selling Solar installation,  which takes a true consultative sales style, and then selling replacement windows, which the competition is very hard sell,  is a cultural challenge

I believe they should stay with their professional consultative style for sells of replacement windows in Denver, and in the long run it will pay off.

I like the idea that one company with great references, and a BBB member, can provide most of the energy services your home will ever need.  Even with the new changes to the rebates offered by Excel Energy for Solar installation (which has many Solar installers getting out of the business)  Stellar is staying the course based on their strong belief that Solar is SOlarPanels a big part of our country’s future.

 


Social Media Search Engine Optimization Page

So here is the concept. One page on a site that your clients, prospects and friends can find all the places you are on the Internet.

Yes, I know they can see all your Icons on your site. But here is the difference, with a Social Media page, dedicated on a site with nothing but Social media pages, you and other business owners can return the favor by getting an email that they have liked, followed , or reviewed your company and going and doing the same for them.

Here is a concept page. What do you think?

SEO and Twitter in Denver

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SEO in Denver:

A client recently posted a blog on Denver data backup services, and that was the title.  It landed on the first page of Google that day, in the 7th position.

Today that same blog is in the first position, and the only difference I can see, is two people have used the url in a tweet. hmmmm.

So,  does using the url and basic title in a tweet really jump start your individual blogs ranking on Google? Is this something new with the new Google social media changes a few weeks ago?

I’ll let you know what I find, and let us know what you know.

 

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If Google Was an Air Traffic Controller

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If Google was an airline traffic controller, and your site was a plane trying to land, the communication might start like and sound like this.

Stactic…..

(Your Site) Good day  Google master controller, this is site IP 123,76.900  requesting landing on your front page under vector keyword category of “travel to Europe”  over

LONG PAUSE……

(GC) Static:  ummm IP 123,76.900, this is Google master controller……. Static….  umm we can not understand your request, can you change your meta data so we can understand you? . IP 123,76.900  recontact after changes if you like.  Good day over   static

Long pause

Static….  Okay dokie Google master controller,  have corrected the data, and all should be well. Request landing on your front page,  vector keyword “travel”  Over.

Long  Long pause

(GC) Static…….  Umm IP 123,76.900  please stay in holding pattern, we will get back to you as soon as possible.  In the mean time you may want to view our help forums, Over

Static…  Google master control, this is IP 123,76.900,  have check the other frequency and found some help.  Am making additional data changes to the site,  and will be requesting landing once completed.  …  should note  that I am running slightly low on traffic to the site and will need some visibility soon.  Good day  Over.

Static…

(Your site) Google master control, this is me, IP 123,76.900.  Data changes made, can you check for clearance onto your front page under Travel?  over.

Long silence…..

Static  .

(Your site): Google master control.  this is IP 123,76.900. I am begging.  Over

(GC):  Static…….. IP 123,76.900,  we have reviewed your data, and are having difficulties approval landing.  Have a nice day.  Over .

static

(YS) Google master controller for the love of gawd, we are dieing here. I told my boss we would have good traffic weeks ago….just give me a hint.!   good day  Over.

Silence

Your Site:  umm Google master Controller, boss just mentioned PPC would be cheaper than me.  I have check with more of your “help” forums, run a report and adjusted what I believe may have been the problem with abundant stuffing of certain words  ( 19% was a little high?). Please check and approve my request to land on your front page… vector… ummmm  traveling to Europe from Chicago?….  over.

(GC) IP 123,76.900,  We are now reading your data.  But because no one else is, we can not approve your landing at this time.  Thank you, and PPC is always a good option…. over.

Static

(Your Site): Google master controller, this is the new pilot of IP 123,76.900.  Please accept my apologizes oh great and mighty Indexer of all knowledge. We have started a PPC campaign, and are now sending your family $7000. a month.  I have also added significant content to the site, hoping to attract attention.  Requesting clearance to land on your front page under vector,     ummmm  ….   Static… Travel to Europe from…ummm… Paducah Kentucky? ? Over.

(GC):  Static …IP 123,76.900.  Sorry,  Your load times are to high to give permission at this time..  Over
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is this how it feels to some of us?  Feel free to add to the landing dialog in the comments!

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Social Media Search Optimization in Denver

eSocialMediaShop Top Keywords 2010

Social Media Search Optimization

The new field of social media search optimization is as of yet, still very undefined.  I think it’s the continued merging of your web site and your social media properties.

In the beginning you used your web site to drive people to your face book.  Now most social media uses their Social media (Twitter, Linked in, and Face book) to move people to one of their web properties depending on the message they are trying to deliver.

I think SEO (search Engine Optimization) ties into the overall strategy. Having your web site highly ranked and more visible (more targeted traffic) will bring more people or prospects to your Face book.  I think you should see a somewhat equal flow between the two.  In addition to that, if you add your blog into the social media mix, its success will have a lot to do with your web sites ranking as well.

So, I see the world of Social media promotion and SEO becoming very much partners in Marketing a business.

Any one using SEO to boast their Social Media?  Remember Google has started adding some Social media mentions in your search results.

 

 

 

 



 

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Importance of Google Places Reviews

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Google Places Reviews:

If I could only give one piece of advice for a local business owner about getting good exposure on Google, it would be:

Get as many reviews as possible for your Google places listing. It does so much good in so many ways.

First it’s going to help your rankings. Second its going to help your reputation, and those two things will lead to more sales.

Send each client or customer an email which includes your Google places URL. Give basic instructions on how they write a review once they get to your Google listing. Thins like where to click, and how to set up a Google account if they don’t have one.

You can also suggest they review you on other sites using the same methodology. Yahoo, Insider Pages, and yelp are all great sites to get reviews on, and Google places may pick them up.

Make a plane today. Ask for one review a day. Get ranked!

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Search Engine Optimization in Denver

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Search Engine Optimization in Denver:

Here are a couple of things you can do for your rankings today if your interested in doing some of your own search engine optimization in Denver.

One of the better “links”  you can have to your site is from the Better Business Bureau. If you are a member, call them

today and make sure your listing has you web address, not the BBB site address for your company.  I have seen pretty big ranking gains just based on this. Will it put you on the first page? Doubt it, but its a good start.

Now, check with all the other associations, lead groups, business associations you belong to, and do the same thing.

More to follow about search engine optimization in Denver.  Until then feel free to check out our site for sales and seo information.


 

 

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Generate More Leads

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Generate More Leads

The fastest way to generate leads is to improve your closing percentage (conversion rate) on the leads you get now.

The reason?  The amount of marketing dollars you have depends on the number of leads you close. If you close 50% more (moving your closing percentage from 25% to 50% as an example) you will be able to afford twice as many leads.

See the steps on our Lead generation page

Best leads sources?  Depends on what you sell, who you sell to, and your margins on your product.  The larger the market the more options you have to reach it.  The larger the margin, the more money you have to reach it.  The better your conversion rate, the more leads you can generate.  That’s why we start with conversion rates when working with a sales client on lead generation.

The number one return on investment in advertising for lead generation is SEO services. Thats why we provide them to clients.

The number one return on investment tactic in sales is relationship building.  But, as with all tactics and lead generation it is limited.

You need at least 10 different lead generation tactics going at all times to insure you have lot’s of new customers, or returning customers.  I will go into more detail on what those could be (specific to the Denver market, but gennerally effective nationwide)  in my next few blogs.

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Google Geo-Targeting Problems

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Google Geo Targeting is tricky, here is why.

If you are using Geo-Targeting on a Pay per click campaign, and have a very specific part of a metro area you want you ads to run in you assume the geo-targeting will show your ads for the searchers from that area.  Well, maybe, and maybe not.

In our experience, (mostly my own), Google decides where the searcher is based on the searched ISP’s point of presence., or node, or what ever you want to call it.  So when I search from my home in Lafayette Colorado, Google thinks I am in Sherrelwood Colorado, which I have never heard of, but according to the map Google serves up, is about 8 miles south west of my actual location. As a crow flies, you would need to fly over two cities before you landed in Sherrelwood.

So… I assume that this is true for most searches, and that most seachers are getting results based on not their local information, but thier ISPs nodes (or wire centers or ???) location.

That also has BIG implications for Local SEO.

Now I use comcast as my ISP.  Comcast is the largest ISP so I can assume that lot’s of potential prospects have the same issue. If I want my business or client to show up in Lafayette CO.  on the maps, I need to get a Sherrelwwod address?

You can see how messy this is. Might have been one of the reasons Google decided to combine organic and Google places results back in October.

So my long winded point is, if you are doing PPC,  don’t be too precise with your google geo-targeting or you may miss your entire market, and end up selling in Sherrelwood, a nice place I am sure, even if as a native of Denver I have never heard of it.

 

Anyone with any more information please let me know!

 

Here is some info from Google help on setting your location:

Automatically detected location

To provide you with the most relevant results, Google attempts to automatically detect your location and customize results based on that detected location. A location that’s labeled “Auto-detected” is chosen based on the following factors:

  • Your IP address .
  • Google Toolbar’s My Location feature. If you have Google Toolbar installed and have the My Location feature enabled, your approximate location (if detected) will be used to customize your search results. If you don’t want Toolbar to attempt to determine your approximate location, you can turn off My Location

 

 

 

 

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