How SEO Is Like An Old Phone Book

December 2, 2010

Search engine optimization is much like an old phone book

Ahhh, phone books. You do remember phone books, don’t you? You know, those big fat books with super thin pages bound in torn and tattered yellow covers.

They got used for pretty much everything including booster seats, door stops, and as proof by body builders that they were strong. I still don’t know how they tore them up into pieces. Oh yeah, and people used them (regularly) to look up phone numbers to contact you or your business. Inside those well worn yellow covers you could find anything or anyone.

Phone books were pretty useful. It was how people and business got found. Everyone used them and even if you didn’t want to advertise, you still had to be listed. It was the price of doing business.

Well, today’s Search Engine Optimization is kind of like an old phone book. You may not like the idea of having to go through the trouble of optimizing your website, but it is today’s cost of doing business, and it’s what you have to do to ‘get listed’ on search engines.

Just like the yellow pages though, you have to optimize your site, and then keep doing it again at regular intervals to stay current. You couldn’t just pay for a yellow pages advertisement once and then get it listed forever, right?

If you’re just starting out with search engine optimization, think of it like the yellow pages in those old phone books. You weren’t listed under every category out there, just the ones that best described your company in general. For instance Al’s Masonry would be listed under Masonry. That same approach works for search engine optimization.

General phrases can work best for the home page. For the interior pages, use product lines or service categories to help people find the things you carry, or what you do. That’s the equivalent of paying for extra listings to be printed under multiple categories.

Although it sounds a bit more complicated than the old phone books, it’s worth it. Find and work with an SEO consultant that you know and trust. They’ll use the right SEO tools and offer a number of different SEO packages to suit your needs.

After all, if you’re not listed, you can’t be found.

5 Good Reasons To Hire a Copywriter and Kiss Your Mullet Head Goodbye

November 23, 2010

Billy Ray Cyrus sporting an 80's style mullet. Photo from http://ispymullet.com

If you own or manage a small business, you’re probably used to bootstrapping to save a few bucks.  And since you most likely passed your high school English class with flying colors, writing may seem like something you can do yourself, so what’s the big whoop about hiring a copywriter?

Despite your clever composition skills or lack thereof, there are still some perfectly practical reasons to hire a professional when it comes to representing your company in word.  Here are just a few.

1. Fresh Perspective. Have you been saying the same thing about your company forever?  Maybe there is a better way to convey it to your target audience.  Languages and writing syntax are like haircuts, they can go out of style.  Case in point – the ‘mullet’.

Ten years ago, the words podcast and webinar weren’t even in our daily lexicon. Today, everyone knows them. Using the right word, phrase or perspective can help your message be heard.

2. Objective viewpoints. You may be too close to your own subject matter to be able to adequately describe it. Maybe you’re so far into it that you can’t see the basic benefits anymore. Read more »

ActiveEdge helps Nashua Businesses Become Social Media Savvy

November 18, 2010

Deepak Gurshaney of ActivEdge fielding a question about useful social media tactics and tools.

A panel full of Social Media pros drew a sold out crowd at the IUGO event on Wednesday, November 17^th held at the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce in downtown Nashua, NH.

On the agenda: Becoming A Social Media Star in the “Real World”.

Tim McMahon, MCM Social Media moderated a talented panel including:

• Jon Gaffney, Vibram FiveFingers
• Kyle Bishop, Fox 25 Boston
• Steve Spain, co-founder of Couptopia
• Shana Hoch of the Nashua Telegraph and NH.com
• And our own Deepak Gursahaney of ActiveEdge

Attendees got a chance to listen to some real life experiences, learn some new tools, and network with others using Mobinett Plug, a newly introduced mobile networking app now in Beta testing.

Lots of Social Media topics were discussed including the big three, Twitter, Facebook,and LinkedIn. Questions from the crowd kept the discussion flowing. When asked about a certain tactic or tool that has been successfully employed in Social Media, ActiveEdge’s Deepak Gursahaney fielded the response. He commented on how a blog can help improve search engine optimization, increase site traffic, and position a company as a knowledgeable resource.

What tools or tactics do you use in your Social Media marketing? We’d be interested to hear your success stories.