http://www.marybowling.com search engine optimization by mary bowling Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:48:55 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I don't want to make anyone paranoid, but there are more internet marketing companies than you probably imagine who are what I call "SEO spoilers". That is, providers who want to inflict as much pain as possible on any client who leaves them. If a client discontinues their relationship with them, ... http://www.marybowling.com/uncategorized/beware-of-seo-spoilers/ Not long ago, an ad in the local Yellow Pages and word of mouth advertising spread by satisfied customers was all many small enterprises needed to attract enough business to keep them going in good times and bad. But now, things have changed - really changed! As people move to the ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/local-university-makes-inaugural-stop-in-spokane/ In creating a website, there's a real danger of building web pages that are not useful to either the Search Engines or the searchers who might land on them. Content is king! You've heard that over and over again and it is most definitely true. Content is what makes your pages: ... http://www.marybowling.com/on-page-optimization/building-web-pages-is-not-for-lazy-people/ In October 2009, Google issued their new Business Listing Quality Guidelines for Google Maps. The changes address a lot of the questions we have all been asking about what is and isn't okay.  Here's Mike Blumenthal's very thorough  point-by-point breakdown of the new Maps guidelines and my own thoughts on ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/google-maps-is-warning-us-with-new-lbl-guidelines/ Google is currently testing a new type of ad for local businesses in the West Coast markets of San Francisco and San Diego. Unlike the auction bidding of Adwords, these Local Listing ads are sold at a flat monthly rate. The rate, which is determined by the niche and market ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/googles-new-flat-rate-local-listing-ads/ It was probably a relief for many businesses to see their phone numbers back in their 7 Pack local listings in the Google search results. What is Google up to now? Here are a few possibilities: Google may be testing click through rates to both Maps listings and websites from the 7 ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/phone-numbers-back-in-the-google-7-pack/ The Google 7 Pack, which was a 10 Pack until about a month ago, has undergone another change. There are no longer any phone numbers displayed next to the businesses listed there. There's no telling if this is just a glitch that Google will soon correct, if it is a ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/yowza-no-phone-numbers-in-the-google-7-pack/ More are more of the searches that previously displayed the Google 10 Pack of local results above the organic search results are now showing only 7 business listings, instead. This was at first something that was being tested in just few West Coast markets as a way to make room for ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/the-google-10-packs-shrinking/ SMX East 2009 in New York City is coming up October 5 through 7 and I'll be speaking on my favorite topic, Local Search. I'll be joining fellow Local Search Ranking Factors Survey participants to discuss the survey and give tips on ranking better in Local Search. My presentation will be ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/smx-east-2009-im-speaking-on-local-search/ These days, nearly every website has some kind of form on it. Many sites have multiple forms meeting different requirements for gathering and managing information online. Why Online Forms? Some of the functions for which you may want a form on your site include: signing up for email newsletters, subscribing to ... http://www.marybowling.com/useability/online-forms-part-1-contact-forms/ I recently had the pleasure of attending a 2 day Google AdWords seminar conducted by master marketer Brad Geddes of bg Theory. The advanced Google sponsored workshops were part of the Seminars for Success series. It's so nice to have one of these in Denver. Apparently a lot of other ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/advanced-google-adwords-training-in-denver/ Recently, my colleague, Mike Belasco, and I conducted a webinar on Local Search hosted by our good friends at SEMpdx (Search Engine Marketing Portand) and moderated by Portland internet marketer Hallie Janssen of Anvil Media. I discussed Google's new emphasis on Local Search, the increasing appearance of the Google 10 pack ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/local-search-sizzle-whats-hot-in-local-search/ It's obviously been way too long since I posted here. So, here's a quick run down of what's been keeping me so busy lately: My Job Everyone's asking about my job, so here's the short story: The SEM company I worked for for 5 years got themselves in deep financial doo ... http://www.marybowling.com/uncategorized/wheres-mary-bowling/ Download our free white paper here:  SEO for WordPress Blogs - A Non-Techie's Guide It's an updated version of the popular layman's guide to optimizing WordPress blogs by Carrie Hill and Mary Bowling. So if you want to set up a blog in a search engine friendly way, but don't ... http://www.marybowling.com/blogs/seo-for-wordpress/ Successful SEO is achieved by giving the Search Engines what they want. That sounds simple and it is, but to satisfy them, we must first identify what exactly it is that the Search Engines do want. The Search Engines want to return the most relevant results for every search query. This ... http://www.marybowling.com/on-page-optimization/back-to-seo-basics-what-do-the-search-engines-want/ The most basic question about SEO is what is it? Here are a few answers that I found on the web: from Legal Internet Marketing "Creating and improving a website so that it will rank high in the search engines and help potential customers and clients find the website." from Search Engine ... http://www.marybowling.com/on-page-optimization/back-to-seo-basics-what-is-seo/ The recent buzz in Local Search is a new display feature in Google Maps that is rapidly becoming known in the search world as the K pack. Now, in addition to the lettered map points you see for the top ranking businesses in Google's Local Search, you'll also see map ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/businesses-get-a-boost-in-google-maps/ David Mihm and Patrick Sexton recently released a new free online tool to help local businesses and those who market them online. Just enter your business name and zip code. GetListed.org then searches the local business directories of Google Maps, Yahoo Local, MSN Live Local and Best of the Web Local ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/getlistedorg-a-new-tool-for-local-businesses/ Successful SEO is providing relevance on a particular topic to the Search Engines, communicating that relevance and then making certain there are no obstacles to impede that process. So, how do you demonstrate that relevance? By what you tell the Search Engines about your pages: Page titles, meta descriptions and meta ... http://www.marybowling.com/on-page-optimization/back-to-seo-basics-demonstrating-relevance/ I'm thrilled to have been invited to speak on Local Search at the SEMpdx's own conference on March 10th, 2009. If you aren't already aware of it, Portland is a hotbed of SEOs and this group is a really savvy bunch of hardworking search marketers who tend to be pretty cutting ... http://www.marybowling.com/local-search-optimization/searchfest-2009/