Search Optimization

When SEO turns to Spam

When SEO turns to Spam

An SEO firm has opened a base in Shepparton (where I live), and has recently been optimising their website for search engines.
Their efforts included making some videos and linking back to their website.
Looks like they got a bit too eager and started posting links to it where they shouldn’t have, and now when people search [...]

Human Behaviour in Search – plural vs. singular matters

Human Behaviour in Search – plural vs. singular matters

I’m writing this post because I read a very interesting post on human behaviour in search at Vastplanet Blog by Michael Vorel, and wanted to add my 2c. When my 2c became 5c, I thought it best to write it here rather than in the comments over there.
In the post, Michael talks about whether people search [...]

Getting your business on the (Google) map

This article is taken from the second issue of the monthly VDP Websites newsletter. 
If you can be found on just one map, make it this one
A lot of effort goes into search engine optimisation. As you will have seen in my 3 part series “Reach the top in local search“, it’s a long process that takes [...]

Shoppers search online: Take advantage of emerging buying trends

This article is taken from the first issue of the monthly VDP Websites newsletter. 
Shoppers are increasingly using the internet to research, but still prefer face to face purchases
An article published in “Business Wire”, has shed some light on emerging buyer behaviour.
“According to a new study by Harris Interactive(R), a global leader in market research, shoppers [...]

How to reach the top in local search – Part 3

In part one of this series, we looked at keyword research, and in part two we looked at onsite optimisation. This article will deal with “offsite optimisation”. Offsite optimisation is the process of making your website an authority. The way to do this is to get other websites to link to your website. Google sees [...]

How to reach the top in local search – Part 2

This article is part two of a three part series. If you haven’t already, read part one: keyword research before reading this article. If you know about onsite optimisation and want to skip forward, you can go to part three: link building.
After reading part one, you should have a list of three or four keywords or [...]

How to reach the top in local search – Part 1

So you have a website. It’s a great looking website, it has relevant information set out in a clean manner that is easy to follow. It has calls to action and entices visitors to take action. But there is just one problem… It doesn’t get any traffic.
Such is the case for many small business websites. [...]


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