The Process of Outranking Your Online Competition
Outranking The Competition
I like results. Results serve as a sense of accomplishment for the task at hand, especially when they fulfill the process of outranking the competition. The overall sense of accomplishment ascends beyond my expectations on more occasions than I can keep track of, and the best thing is that I implement legitimate — albeit painstaking and onerous — web marketing methods that work. I have to admit that in some cases the end results take time, but as long as the goal is reached, time is a minimal factor in the equation.
I don’t want this message to come across as bragging, but rather as an example of how perseverance and patience pays off in the long run. In this case “long run” means a period of approximately nine months. Some people may judge that as long, while the circle of internet marketers that I associate with view it as a relatively short cycle in the overall “Big Picture”. What is the Big Picture, you ask? Ranking my website in the top three slots on the first page of Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. The number of results for this search term range anywhere from one-half million, to two and one-half million, so I set my goal at twelve months. However, it turns out that I accomplished my goal in just under nine months. Trust me when I say that earlier than anticipated results are humbly accepted.
As most of us know through life experiences, if you want to accomplish a goal it is going to take work, patience, and more patience and work. This life principle holds especially true in art of internet marketing. I’ll honestly admit that I like to see some type of immediate results, but in this trade I’ve learned that immediate results are usually short lived. As such, I set out to make the results more permanent and long-lasting, because that is what really matters. Just about anyone can get their website in the top five in the three major search engines, but not everyone can get a site there and keep it there. Just a few short years ago I struggled with maintaining first page permanency, but today I understand the fundamentals of how to attain practically permanent rankings and not on key words and long tails that are unpopular either.
Although I don’t often share my secrets of this trade (some readers will already know a majority of these resources) I believe that sharing what works for me and helping others is vital to the internet marketing community as a whole.
Content
The content of your website should signify the distinctive brand of your business or niche. Most importantly the content should be unique, original, and personable.
I know that many businesses have static websites with pages that only contain limited text because there are only so many ways to describe specific items and services. Just because you only have limited products or services that mirror other businesses or products, such as an electrician or plumber, does not mean that you cannot be creative in describing your specific products and services. Personalize them by explaining why and how your products and services are better than the next business who offers the same products and services, and write these attributes with the passion that prompted you to start your business.
As I noted, many sites are static and do not contain a blog or live feed that can be updated on a normal basis. I cannot express strongly enough the importance of having a blog that features your latest products, specials, or even news items that are relevant to the niche your business occupies. Not only does a blog enable your website to expand on a particular product or service that you offer by adding more details or definition, but you can direct specific links from blog posts to your product and service pages, which helps to gain them recognition apart from the common static sites that serve your business competition. I understand that some people may not be real good at writing these blog posts; however, it only costs a few dollars to hire someone to write some decent content for your blog.
Business Listings
I think it’s safe to say that no matter what region you live in there are many opportunities to list your business or services in a free business listing. Here in the Waukesha Milwaukee metro area there are literally dozens of them available, and most of them impute a certain trust and reputation to your business via the trust attained by these resources from the search engines. Business listings display vital branding components to your business, such as your physical address and phone number. Remember, although you may offer a similar product or service, your business is unique in that it has a different location and phone number. Try this out once. Go in your browser search engine and type in your business address or phone number. Does your business appear in the first spot? If not, then your business has not yet acquired its unique brand, and this can be achieved through free business listings.
Backlinks
Simply stated, there is no better way to rank well in the search engines – even with the latest Panda monium of Google’s algorithm update – than through attaining backlinks to your website from other credible websites. You may or may not have heard about Google’s Panda update and the havoc it has wreaked on many websites, even very credible websites. The fact remains that as long as you utilize legitimate and sound backlink and internet marketing practices there is nothing to worry about, despite the hypothesis of so called SEO experts who do nothing more than speculate on Panda and lead you to believe that they actually know something. They’re selling dreams on the premise of doing things faster, and that is where the problems arise. To do things fast you have to cheat, and when you cheat you get caught.
Quite frankly, I have not changed a single thing that I do to successfully rank a website on the first page. Further, I have not suffered any negative consequences of Google’s attempt to eliminate certain websites from their search index. I don’t cut corners or implement techniques that are potentially risky. I keep things simple by portraying my unique brand, at my unique location, with my unique phone number. It works, it has always worked this way, and it will always prove to be successful.
When you keep things simple and brand your business with unique and fresh content, there is no reason that you should not be successful in the process of outranking the competition in your area.
The Art of Website Development
On my daily travels of the world-wide-web I face a constant anomaly as I view and navigate the litany of websites that exist. Some sites are breathtaking, while others are simply okay… For me the art of website development is more than a graphics display or informative content that attracts many readers. It takes a special mindset and passion to develop a website because you have to step outside yourself and examine your work objectively. You have to see things from the minds eye of the whole world and balance appeal with functionality, and of course common sense.
Website development is more than the looks of a given website. It involves the structural integrity from an invisible perspective that only the search engines see. (and people such as myself who analyze HTML markup from behind the scenes) Structure, especially the linking structure of a website, is probably one of the most critical elements that I see lacking in most sites. When properly applied the linking structure has a flow about it that makes navigation swift, practical, and never leaving anyone hung out on a page with no way out other that the “backwards” browser navigation button.
Effectively Marketing Your Business
Sell Your Business Brand
When you decided to start your business, was it because you offered unique services or products?
What was it that inspired you and set your business apart from existing businesses that offered the same products or services?
Is this the message that you are sending to consumers?
Perhaps the local market lacks a specific retailer who implements strong business values, and you offer the same products with better services, or you know that you can offer better services and products for less than your competitors? Whatever the case may be, now that you have envisioned this image for your business it is essential to market this brand and create it in the mind of consumers.
The primary purpose of web marketing goes far deeper than simply generating traffic to your business web site. It is all about building your brand — your unique services and products. Your main branding goal should be to get your business name on the forefront of every one’s mind, and on the tip of their tongue when they think of the products and services that you offer. Business branding is considered to be one of the most important marketing objectives. Often times a brand name is the primary factor for a consumer who is uncertain as to which company or product they are going to choose. That is why it is essential to demonstrate a clear and convincing brand image that appeals to consumers. A brand instills confidence, creates loyalty, and many times can command a premium price. But most of all a great brand reduces a buyer’s perception of risk and makes the purchase choice easy. Once you accomplish this and convince consumers that your brand is the best choice, they are more likely to remember you and do business with you in the future. Your brand should be something unique, and from the very first moment a consumer arrives on your website they should know what that is.
This can be accomplished through the use of your business logo, newsletters, and social networking to present a strong, well-executed persona. It’s this brand that will set you apart from the competition, and it will resonate with the right customers to create loyalty and long-term relationships. By marketing your brand and adding a brand to your website, you’ll be establishing yourself as more than just another typical stop on the Internet.
Are you marketing your brand?
At Liberty Web Marketing we implement strategic and unique branding concepts as one of the many business marketing services that we offer.
By effectively marketing your brand we elevate your business above your competitors so your brand is the first thing consumer’s think of.