Writing content for search engine optimisation

Posted on January 25, 2011 by admin

Here are some tips for SEO content.

When it comes to writing for search engine optimisation for websites, what helps me is that I always think about what people might type in Google and other search engines before I start forming structured content on the site. I often look up what people have typed in using the tools available in Google and I also look at websites that are currently in place for search phrases and review the content on their pages.

Once I decide the phrases that I want to be found for, I mix those words with the content supplied by my copywriters or given to me by the customer who owns the site. Here are a few other tips:

  1. Try using bold content to emphasis the search phrases
  2. Use italics to emphasise words or phrases
  3. Add blocks of content with links to other pages within your site to create some links for search engine to follow.

Dave Lemmon
Business Development Director
Redcow Marketing
Phone: 04 2935846
Mobile: 021 425 692

Posted in: SEO Website Architecture Website Design Website Optimisation

SEO tips

Posted on January 25, 2011 by admin

How to name your pages for optimum search engine optimisation purposes.

Much has been said about optimal ways to name your pages. Having experimented with many conventions over the past few years there doesn’t appear to me to be real standout performance rule for doing so. In fact, its easier to advise you on a few rules to use instead:

    1. Don’t use id’s or self- generated names
    2. Try to avoid the use of underscores (it decreases your page readability)
    3. If you use more than one directory in your website, ensure you use a phrase or search name inside that structure to assist your pages with name relevancy
    4. Make sure your page names are as closely related as possible based on the makeup of the page content (eg websitename.com/productname/product-page-name).

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: SEO

      The importance of credibility

      Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin

      Attaining testimonials

      Good testimonials can make or break a deal. If a visitor to your site is interested in your product, chances are that before purchasing that person will read the testimonials page to see what others say. The more positive testimonials you have on your website the better.

      Testimonials from others create a lot of creditability and offer your site more value than just bleating on about how great you are.

      It’s not only important for visitors to your website, but also for your own information. Testimonials can show you both how you can improve your business and what you are already doing right.

      After a customer has purchased from you, follow up with them and ask for their honest feedback. See if they are happy to put it in writing to go on your website, and watch your credibility grow. Easy as 123!

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Website Design Website Sales Website Usability

      The importance of good copywriting

      Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin

      Good copywriting is essential to increasing the conversion rate on your website.

      The text on your website should be appealing and relevant to the visitor, and at the same time include as many key words and keyword phrases as possible to help the search engines find your site.

      It doesn’t have to be difficult to achieve. Remember though that you don’t have to start writing the information on your existing website from scratch!  Tweak and reword your existing text to include phrases and words that you think people will be searching for to find your site.

      One tip I have used in the past is to gather all the phrases you would like to be found for in Google and then do the same exercise for what your product or service offers. Once you have the two lists, combine them both to create a powerful, compelling story for your website.

      Have fun!

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: SEO Website Design Website Usability

      Are you failing to start a conversation?

      Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin

      Are you starting a conversation?

      Did you know that people come to your website because they have a problem, or a need or want to narrow down a solution? Make sure you guide them towards your value statement, engage them where you can, take their hand and help them solve their problem…. Seek to remove any frictional points that stop visitors from making contact with you. Meet, connect and direct the visitors where at all possible…

      You only get one chance with visitors so think about your home page….is it engaging or just overwhelming?

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Website Design Website Sales Website Usability

      Home page mistakes

      Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin

      Some tips to help you avoid pitfalls on your home page

      • Don’t try to achieve too many objectives on your home page
      • Make sure you start up a conversation with the visitor
      • Don’t depend so much on multimedia to convey your message to the visitor
      • Don’t turn that home page into a landing page. Your home page after all is there as a doorway into your house – use it to welcome people in and then tell them where they can find items within your home. The intent of the home page… is to get through to your other pages and not necessarily to sell them right there right now
      • Don’t assume that best practices will work for your website. Look to test versions to see which home page brings in more value. If your website has enough traffic look to using the tools available to track where people are clicking and then determine what other items either might be of use or can be removed from the page.
      • Last but not least… keep testing!


      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Home Page Design Search Engine Marketing Website Design Website Optimisation Website Usability

      Designing Website Home Pages

      Posted on January 21, 2011 by admin

      What should my home page have on it?

      Here are some great considerations in regards to making sure your home page is designed correctly. First of all, determine what your objectives are and list them on a piece of paper. Once you have done this print out your home page and circle the areas of your website home page that match the objectives you have just listed. There are three different types of objectives:

      1. Primary
      2. Major
      3. Minor.

      Once you have established your objectives and arranged them into the three groups above you can then get a really good picture of where you can to improve or create your home page.

      If you want to know more about how to classify the objectives into the three groups above please contact me using the information below.

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Home Page Design Website Design

      Optimising Google Ads

      Posted on January 20, 2011 by admin

      Use these techniques to ensure that your Google AdWords are performing to the max!

      1. Include your unique proposition either in the headline or the first line of your ad
      2. Make sure you compare your ads against your major competitors and look for ways to make yours more enticing
      3. Keep your mind on the keyword phrases you are targeting clicks for and make sure you have those in the AdWords
      4. Include a ‘call to action’ to ensure people take action and click your ad
      5. Include your keyword in your display URL
      6. Always have two ads running so that you can test one against the other
      7. And last but not least….keep testing, testing, testing!

      Good luck!

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Google Advertising PPC Search Engine Marketing

      Websites that sell more

      Posted on January 19, 2011 by admin

      Get more sales from your website

      We have built many websites for our customers that sell like crazy. The difference from a traditional website is an interesting subject to write about. I wont go into the complete list of dos and don’ts in regards to increasing your saleability using websites but I thought I would share a few bits and bobs:

      1. Don’t use “Welcome To” as the main headline on your home page. Your main headline should be all about what’s in it for the customer
      2. Discuss the features and the benefits of using your products or services
      3. Guide the user to take action, how to go from visitor to customer
      4. Don’t try to sell more than one product from it
      5. Remove all navigation
      6. Keep the site to a maximum of three pages in total.

      For a complete guide on how I can help you sell more from your website please contact me. Until next time…

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Website Architecture Website Sales Website Usability

      Remember to make your website easy to use!

      Posted on January 19, 2011 by admin

      Usability is key to grow, grow, grow!

      Don’t make your website difficult for users to read, review and find out more about your amazing business.

      Learn to think about your website in regards to making sure it’s as painless as possible for customers to contact you or buy from your website without them having to guess their way through the sales process.

      Consider having a usability study of your website completed by outsourced users. If you can stand behind users while they visit your site and watch how they navigate around even better. There are automated tools that help you in analysing usability issues. Use these and watch your sales go up! Contact us today so that we can help you increase in sales!

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Website Optimisation Website Usability

      Split testing

      Posted on January 19, 2011 by admin

      Don’t make any thing ‘new’ live on your website without split testing against the original!

      Become a lover of split testing – test every little change you make to your website pages.

      Only once you have tested your new page against the original page and determined that one page converts higher than the other, should you make that page the version to have live on your site.

      Sometimes what you think is a good change may in fact negatively impact your sales and leads, or alternatively make no difference whatsoever. So track the results with care, this is your lifeline after all!

      Good luck.

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Split Testing Website Design Website Optimisation

      After better click-through-rates in your AdWords?

      Posted on January 19, 2011 by admin

      If you want to obtain more click through rates (CTR) in your AdWord account consider the following five quick actions:

      1. Limit the keywords you use in each adgroup to very small number of phrases
      2. Exclude your broad phrase usage (if the phrase is very competitive)
      3. Include the keyword phrase you are targeting in the headline of the AdWord
      4. Include the keyword phrase in the Display URL, eg: (.co.nz/keyword-phrase)
      5. When you begin advertising, go large with your cost per click budget limit to get the best position available and lower it once you have a good CTR.

      Good Luck.

      BTW: We are happy to review your current Google AdWords account and give you advice on ways to improve its structure to ensure your returns are maximised.

      Cheers for now…

      Dave Lemmon
      Business Development Director
      Redcow Marketing
      Phone: 04 2935846
      Mobile: 021 425 692

      Posted in: Google Advertising PPC Search Engine Marketing