Au Naturale...

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"SEO: the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the natural, un-paid, or organic search results"

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Back to the Basics

SEO combines the methods of how search engines work, what people search for, the actual terms or keywords entered into search engines, and which search engines are preferred by target audiences.

Optimizing a website for SEO involves editing the content, promoting that site around the web, and removing any barriers possible so that search engines can index the site.


No Cheaters Allowed

Don't cheat yourself out of something rewarding to get something easy. SEO can be thought of similarly to a relationship. Your site should be accessible, have goals set for the future, always know the right things to say, know the likes and dislikes of search engines, never come off as fake, automated, or a copy-cat, and never ever bore them. Never.


The Truth of the Matter

If you would prefer to find love by going on reality television, getting engaged after 1 week, and becoming married after 1 month, then I can already guess how long that marriage will last...

But if you prefer the tried and true way of meeting someone at your local coffee shop, getting to know that person over a few dates, then embarking on a lifelong journey of happiness, you're already one step closer to understanding SEO!


Making it Make Sense

They say love is fleeting. And search engines can be just as tricky. So if you haven't figured it out by now, you have the power to choose that regrettable rush of a drive-thru wedding in Vegas or holding on to the lasting satisfaction of a relationship sustained through the ups and downs. This is similar to Paid SEO tactics and Natural SEO tactics. You can pay to feel that instant, however short-lived rush, or you can grow naturally. The results will speak for themselves.

In dating and in SEO.

SEO: The Layered Strategy Approach?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a very complex concept.  However, it is important to realize that in spite of this fact, it should be considered as being a very important aspect of an overall interactive marketing initiative. Why? Quite simply because your prospective clients trust the search engine service providers like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

As a busy agent you may not be aware of the unprecedented paradigm shift that has been occurring in your industry. This paradigm shift is the ever growing transition of traditional marketing expenditures moved over to interactive marketing expenditures.

One dynamic of interactive marketing is SEO. A prudent surface level approach to SEO strategy needs to communicate the often complex dynamics in a way that provides clarity. One way to achieve this is by what I call the "Layered Approach".

So how does the Layered Approach work? Well the approach is broken down into logical dynamics that when put together are very easy to understand. Here is the approach:

Layer #1: Achieve maximum exposure. This means a goal of getting to the first page of the search engines. This is critical because if your listing is not on the first page you do not have the very best chance of being discovered. Research tells us that less than15% of searchers go past the 2nd page of results (source: Georgia Institute of Technology).  Therefore, getting to the 1st page is imperative.

Layer #2: Make your listing stand out. Now once you have achieved that coveted 1st page ranking, what is it about your snippet or listing that is likely to compel someone to click on yours instead of another listing? The answer lies in just exactly how well your title tag and meta tag has been designed. If your listing does not have a "call to action" and/or some sort of "hook", it is less likely to be chosen. Take time to really think about what it is that you bring to the table in terms of a unique value proposition in your market. Be sure to make it clear and concise. You only get a limited amount of space in this listing so make sure you are achieving the highest level of efficiency possible.

Layer #3: Provide an easy to acclimate environment. Now that your visitor has arrived, what is it that is going to make them stay a while and check out what you have to offer? This is difficult to control but there are some things you can do to raise your chances of keeping the visitor's attention and preventing a high bounce rate metric. Here are some questions to consider:

• Does your site offer a clear "call to action"?
• Is it professional?
• Is it easy to navigate?
• Does it provide "click efficiency"
• Does it effectively communicate your value proposition?
• Does it provide a logical navigation menu?
• Is the content practical and have the potential to satisfy your visitors "pain points"?
• How fast do your pages load?
• Does it provide dynamic up to date content?

The "Layered Approach" strategy enables you to be able to grasp the initiative in a way you can understand. If you are looking for just the right SEO marketing strategy for your agency, please feel free to call Mark Goldsberry for a FREE consultation at 1-800-383-3482 x-160.

Ever Googled your Insurance Agency Name?

Ever wonder what exactly makes up the pieces of the search results you see at Google? Before that question can be answered, the process of how Google delivers results must be understood. There are three key processes in delivering search engine results.

First, Google "crawls" the world wide web and accumulates information about websites and their content. The program Google uses to accomplish this task is referred to as Googelbot. Googlebot uses an algorithmic process to determine which sites to crawl, and how many pages to read from each site. Next Google compiles a massive index of all the words and locations of the sites it crawled.

When a Google user enters a query, Google returns a result they feel is most relevant. The results that are displayed are referred to as Snippets. In general, Google reserves the right to display what they feel is best for their users. However, you have a great deal of control about what is displayed about your agency on Google.

There are three primary components that make up a Snippet.

Title
The first line of the Snippet is the title. The title displayed comes from the title of your webpage. We have found many websites where the designer will overlook this very important step when designing websites for their customers. WebPages not titled will appear in search results with the title as "Untitled" or "Home Page" which does not encourage the consumer to click and learn more. Whereas a title listing your agency name and a slogan or short concise description of what your agency offers would encourage the consumer.

Description
The description listed by Google typically comes from one of three places.

• Open Directory - If for some reason, when Google attempts to "crawl" a site and they are unable to read it, Google will then sometimes rely on the Open Directory Project, which is listed at www.dmoz.org

• Within the Page - Sometimes, Google pulls the description from within the page. Google determines what part of the page it will use so the description gives some context as to what the page contains.

• Meta Description Tag - the most preferred method and where you have the most control of what description is displayed is the Meta Description Tag which is included in the code of your website. By including a Meta Description Tag, you have the ability to dictate what is displayed about your site.

Descriptive URLs
The last component displayed is the link to your website or the page on your website that meets the searchers' query. Providing a descriptive URL is another key aspect to converting a searcher. For instance, a URL such as www.sampleinsurancewebsite.com/page.php?id=5134, doesn't tell the searcher they have landed in the right spot, whereas a URL such as http://www.sampleinsurancewebsite.com/automobile/car_insurance_quote.aspx will.

Insurance Website Builder
Every website we design, we include a descriptive title, on-target description, and all of the URLS quickly identify to the searcher what they contain. In addition, through our admin console, our users can update their titles and descriptions at any time and is easy as using any word processor.

Get specific details on how to fill in the title, description and keywords for your website.