SEO vs. SEM

There is a Big Difference in SEO vs. SEM

SEO and SEM are for Improving Website Rankings
SEO and SEM are for Improving Website Rankings

The first thing to consider about SEO vs. SEM is that you can have SEM (Search Engine Marketing) without Search Engine Optimization. However, your SEM won’t be as effective without SEO. Search Engines are the single greatest Return On Investment for a company. The people that use them are already looking for a specific product or information.

SEO is the process of utilizing on-site and off-site tactics to make sure what you have to offer through your website can be understood by the search engines like Google. SEM is a broader form of online marketing that utilizes SEO, social media, and mobile marketing to have your website show up in front of customers looking for your goods or services.

SEO vs. SEM: What They Have in Common

The Same Goal

Most companies have a website.  They want to make sure that their website is found by the people that are needing their good or services. In order to do this, their website needs to rank on the first page of the Search Engine Results Page, or SERP. If you are new to online marketing, then you should know now that if you are not on the first page of the search engine results you might as well not have a website.

The goal of SEO and SEM is to boost the ranking of a website on a Search Engine Results Page. By properly utilizing SEO and SEM tactics your website can be identified by Google, Bing, or Yahoo and those algorithms will make sure that your website is placed in front of the people looking for what you have to offer.

Keyword Driven

SEO and SEM are both driven by keywords. The search engines take a person’s request and boil it down to the most relevant keywords in their query. It will take a question like “What is the best Italian restaurant in Reno?” and begin looking for “Italian restaurants reno” or “best Italian restaurants reno”. When implementing SEO or SEM tactics you want to try and think of all the relevant keywords associated with your business or variations of those keywords. This will require a little bit of research and there are several online tools that can help you with this process. Next, make sure those keywords are a part of the website copy or advertisement.  By doing this, you are informing the search engines what you are about in the fewest words possible and they will make sure your website is visible to the people looking for you.

SEO vs. SEM: The Difference (And They are Big)

The Focus

PPC is a Form of SEM
PPC is a Form of SEM

SEO focuses strictly on your website to improve search engine ranking. It is focused on keyword placement, backlinks from other websites, blog posts, web page load times, and much more. SEO is in a constant state of flux due to the constant updates that search engines make to their algorithms.

SEM is a little more constant. It utilized PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, services such as Google Adwords. SEM also includes ads on social media channels. The focus is on the actual advertisement for the website and not the website itself. You still want to use the same keywords you have discovered for SEM that you use in SEO, but you get far less space to use them.  The placement also isn’t as important. PPC ads are not a webpage. They are a link to your website.

Money

SEO is potentially free if you are building your own website. It will cost you time though. There several online guides available to help you understand keyword placement and build backlinks. If you don’t have the time to do this then there are several agencies available to help you out. Usually, it is a one-time fee for a full website optimization.  The only continuing fees that come into play is if you want someone to write your blogs for you.

SEM costs money.  You are paying Google, Bing, Facebook, or Twitter to place your ads in front of targeted demographics. It is called Pay-Per-Click because you are paying anywhere from ten cents to two dollars for every person that clicks on the link you have posted as part of your advertisement. The more people that click, the more you pay. However, you can set a daily, weekly, or monthly limit. So, once it is reached your ad will be taken down until the next ad cycle.

Time

SEO is a long-term investment. It can take months of regular blogging after a full website optimization before you will begin to see an increase in foot traffic. However, once you have climbed your way to the top of the SERP you will generally stay there. SEM has a much more immediate effect as you are paying to have your advertisement to be placed at the top of the SERP. You will see a very sharp increase in your foot traffic very quickly, but once you stop paying for your ad it will fall off the first page of the SERP. Your website might still be there, but only if you have optimized it correctly.

Is SEO Better Than SEM?

The answer is up for debate.  Google does give higher ranking to SEM ads that are linked to well SEO-ed websites. So, if you are using the same keywords and messaging on your website as you are in your PPC ad you will rank higher.  If your advertisement is for sponge cakes and your website is written for gym socks, then the search engines will identify a disconnect and rank you lower. Search Engines are in the business of connecting people to what they are looking for.

Organic SEO Solutions is available to help with Search Engine Optimization

Organic SEO Solutions specializes in keyword research, blogs, web content, and copywriting focused on Search Engine Optimization. We have written for multiple industries including wealth management, construction, and house cleaning. Our keyword focused web content has boosted the ranking of websites on search engine results pages and increased monthly foot traffic dramatically. More customers looking at your website always equates to more money for your business.

SEO for a Longer Lasting Effect for Your Web Presence
CLICK HERE to contact us online or
email frederickwood@organicseosolutions.com or
Call 864-905-8132

5 Ways to Generate Original Blog Ideas: Tips For Small Business Owners

Let the Blog Ideas Flow!!!

 

Blog Ideas Come from an Open Mind
Blog Ideas Come from an Open Mind

Blog Ideas. If you advertise online or you run an online business, then you have to have them. Once fleshed out into blogs, they keep the search engines happy. More importantly, blogs keep the consumers happy in this modern age of content creation and consumption.

Blogs are important for each customer’s path on the buying cycle. Blogs serve to inform, inspire, and ultimately persuade consumers to spend their hard-earned dollar with you and not your competitor. But did you know they also serve an alternate SEO purpose as well?

You are going need to blog as long as you are using the internet for any part of your business. You can’t just throw up a website and expect people to come clicking over to it. You need to update your website regularly to earn any kind of authority with the search engines. Blogs help the search engines identify what your website is about. You also need blogs to share on social media and establish authority with your customers.  So, where does this seemingly endless supply of blog ideas need to come from? Just keep reading.

Top 5 Places To Look for Blog Ideas

1.Local Events

Blog Ideas Aid with Good SEO
Blog Ideas Aid with Good SEO

If there is any event that pertains to your business then this is one of best blog ideas to capture. Blogs give you an opportunity to share your opinion as an expert. Even if there isn’t anything that doesn’t pertain to your business then you should still blog on local events, or even sports (It is okay to root for your favorite team).  Just by mentioning local events, and the city or area they are located, you will be taking advantage of the local optimization search engines have built into their algorithm

For example, If you promote events from Miami, Florida, then the search engines are going to assume that your business is located near that area. They will then promote it to people that live in that area and type in keywords pertaining to your business.

2. The Competition

Keeping up with the competition should be something you already do. Reading what they are blogging about will give you quite a few ideas in the direction you should be driving your own blog. You are not going to want to copy their ideas exactly, but you can take advantage of the same keywords they are using and put your own spin on them.

3. Social Media

Twitter Is Great for Sourcing Blog Ideas
Twitter Is Great for Sourcing Blog Ideas

You will not always be able to interact with your customers face to face. Social media is the next best thing. You can carry on multiple conversations with customers earning their trust and garnering their opinions. Post questions openly. Ask if they have any problems, concerns, or feedback that they would like to share via the social media channel. Whether they are happy or upset customers enjoy sharing their thoughts.

 

4. Customer Survey

If you have any sales people in your employ, or you are on the front line sales then there is no better feedback for blog ideas then customers. Take the time to ask them what questions they have about your product or services. Their feedback is invaluable. By writing the content they are looking for, you can also turn your customers into advocates and give them something to share on social media.

5. Online Ideas

It has to be mentioned. Just by typing in “ blog ideas “ you get more than 32 million hits on the subject. This is not my first choice by any stretch of the imagination. You’ll find that many of the ideas are just reciting the same thing over and over, but there are some genuine gems. Just make sure you can capture the right keywords with them.

Need Even More Help With Your Blog Ideas

There are many more places that blog ideas can come from. Once you’ve compiled enough research from these areas you may have more blogs then you have time to write them.  Then it’s time to bring in a little extra help.

Organic SEO Solutions is a provider of keyword focused blogs and web copy. Our written content gets your website recognized by search engines with relevant topics for your customer base. Take advantage of our Search Engine Optimization knowledge to drive more traffic and bolster your online authority.

Blog Ideas for Today, Tomorrow, and the Next Five Years
Call 864-905-8132 for a Free Consultation, or
CLICK HERE to contact us online.

 

Can a Blog Be Too Long? Website Word Count Tips for Small Business Owners

Word Count Matters A Lot in Your Blogs

 

Keywords Matter When Your Blog
Keywords Matter When Your Blog

Blogging is essential to an effective online marketing campaign. Not only does it boost your authority with your clients, but it shows the search engines out there that you are actively updating your website. Search Engines hate stagnant websites. They snub any website that just sits around with old content.

If you are familiar with the backend of your website this marketing technique requires only your time.  But time is the one thing that small business owners struggle to find. And when you do find it, you want to make sure you’re making the most of it. Why write a novel-length blog if you don’t have to?

The Perfect Length of a Blog Boosts Your Organic Traffic

Some SEO specialists will say the best results come from longer blog posts (1000+ words). Others will tell you that this approach has a tendency to alienate your audience and you should keep your word count to 500-750. However, all online marketers can agree that this maximum number has been a moving target for the last twenty years.

We’ll get back to the maximum in a minute. First, let’s establish a minimum. Your blogs and landing pages should be at least 300 words in length. Any shorter than this and it will be extremely difficult for the search engines to establish what your blog or landing page is about. This, in turn, will cause the search engines to direct the wrong foot traffic to your website, or none at all.

To Blog Forever or Not Blog Forever?

SEO Loves Keywords But It Won't Pay Your Bills
SEO Loves Keywords But It Won’t Pay Your Bills

When you take the time to write a 1000 word blog you are taking advantage of a whole list of keywords and you are doing it organically. This gives the search engines a better idea of what your website is about.  This creates authority with the search engines and they will reward your efforts by ranking your website higher on the results page. Longer copy also ensures that you will rank for multiple long tail variant keywords.

This approach does wonders for SEO and results page ranking. However, neither one of these entities will give you any money for your products or services. They don’t have any to give. In our modern day world of memes and billboards, many consumers don’t want to take the time to read a blog or landing page of 1000+ words. Most readers won’t read any more than the headlines before moving onto another webpage.

The Blogging Sweet Spot

The sweet spot for a blog-length depends entirely on your customers. If you are a law firm or psychologist, then your customers would expect blog posts in excess of 1000 words.  These kinds of consumers are looking to be informed thoroughly and shorter blogs just can’t satiate their desire for knowledge.

If your business is for air tours of Southern California or baseball equipment then your blogs would need to be shorter.  These shorter blogs would attract and inform customers in the amount of time available to them.

Organic SEO Solutions provides keyword focused blogs and landing pages for small business owners. Our skilled writing team crafts content that speaks to your customers in a language they can appreciate. Unlock the potential of your website and watch your conversion rate skyrocket.

Blogging That Generates Foot Traffic For Your Small Business
Let us take care of your web copy and blogs.
CLICK HERE to contact us online or
email frederickwood@organicseosolutions.com or
Call 864-905-8132
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4 Tips for Copywriting for House Cleaning Services: Small Business Hacks

Clean Up Your Copywriting for House Cleaning Services

Keeping Your Copy writing for House Cleaning Interesting is Easy.
Keeping Your Copywriting for House Cleaning Interesting is Easy.

Most of you probably think that House Cleaning is tedious. And the thought of having to write about house cleaning probably makes you want to burn all of the pens in your house. The tasks of sweeping, disinfecting, and mopping are so commonplace. How are you supposed to make copywriting for house cleaning services on your website sound interesting?

Cleaning of some kind is something just about every American has performed at least once in their lifetime. So, when it comes to this kind of copy you already have a leg up because you have something in common with every American. It’s not difficult to talk to someone about cleaning. The trick to this business is convincing them that they don’t want to clean their house anymore.

Here Are 5 Tips for Copywriting for House Cleaning Services To Clean Up Your Website

  1. Sell the Smell in Your House Cleaning Copywriting.
    Sell the Smell in Your House Cleaning Copywriting.

    Make it Relate-able – Everyone knows what you’ll be cleaning and most likely how as well. They don’t want to think about those steps and will most likely be at work while you’re performing them. Your copywriting for house cleaning services needs to remind your prospective clients about how good a clean house feels. They need to be reminded of what they can accomplish now that they are not cleaning their house. Tell them about the things that can happen in a clean house like entertaining company.

  2. Focus on Your Unique Selling Proposition – If you are green certified house cleaning service that only uses environmentally friendly cleaners and techniques, then it should be mentioned on each service page, your home page, and in every blog. Maybe you are a small three woman/man operation that focuses on one-to-one cleaning services. Perhaps speed is your unique angle. Cleaning teams can get a lot done in two hours. Can your cleaning team do more? Whatever it is that makes you special make sure your clients know it too.
  3. Talk about Your Cleaning Tools in Your Copy.
    Talk about Your Cleaning Tools in Your Copy.

    Talk about your Process and Tools – Now, I know I mentioned that you don’t want to focus too heavily on this aspect of your copywriting for house cleaning services. However, you do want to answer any questions potential clients may have on your web page. One of the first questions after “Are you trustworthy?” is “What do you use to clean my house?” Obviously, they know you are going to be using sponges, cleaners, and vacuums, but are you using a unique cleaning tool? Micro-fiber rags are known for providing a better clean. Some clients prefer green certified cleaners, and others have sensitive allergies and will require a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner. These are just a few possibilities that you may want to consider when focusing on this section of the copywriting. Just don’t devote the whole page to it. You want to keep it to a paragraph, or a set of bullet points.

  4. Sell the Smell – The human nose is the most perceptive organ we own. Your nose can survey a room and determine how you should conduct yourself long before your eyes can take everything in. Everyone knows what a clean house smells like and how inviting it can be to family and friends. It relaxes people helping them to settle into the evening. You don’t want to come out and say, “You’ll love the way your house smells when we leave” in your copywriting for house cleaning. You want to gently nudge your clients reminding them that clean houses host fresher parties and retain more guests for longer periods of time. The smell of a clean house is genuinely relaxing as your clients don’t have to worry about exerting any extra energy domestically after a hard day’s work. This is where the old adage comes into play. Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

Organic SEO Solutions specializes in blogs, web content, and copywriting centered around the house. House Cleaning, Construction, and Child Care are the three areas we focus on. Our keyword focused web content has boosted the ranking of websites on search engine results pages and increased monthly foot traffic dramatically. More customers looking at your website always equates to more money for your house cleaning business.

It takes enough time to clean someone’s house.
Let us take care of your web copy and blogs.
CLICK HERE to contact us online or
email frederickwood@organicseosolutions.com or
Call 864-905-8132
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3 Ways to Earn Credible External Backlinks: SEO for Small Businesses

External Backlinks Build Credibility and Authority

The Right Back Links Build Web Authority
The Right Back Links Build Web Authority

Backlinks, both internal and external, have become one of the most crucial components to ranking in search engine results pages. When a website sets a link to your blog or your website, it’s like they are giving you an online endorsement. Google sees these and, if the website is credible, Google will reward you for earning them and rank your website higher.

Earning reputable backlinks is not an easy thing to do, and it can be very time consuming for small business owners. This is an optimization project you might have to pay someone else to perform or something you will have to tackle a little further down the road.

Put your research into Backlink building

It is absolutely critical that you recognize there are bad websites out there and you will be penalized if they link to your website. You may not have a fancy online SEO tool to tell you which websites you want giving you the thumbs up. So, here are a few tips to help figure out who you want to backlinking to your site.

You do not need SEO help from websites with little to no content. Make sure there is at least 300 words of quality content per web page. You, also, want to read this content to make sure it provides value to its readers. Google may not be able to write reports about a website’s content, but it does recognize keyword stuffing and broken sentences. If you’ve already accumulated some bad backlinks, check out this article on getting rid of bad backlinks.

Here are 3 Credible Ways to Build Quality External Backlinks for Your Website

  1. Guest Blogging for Places Like Zenlama Help Your Website with External Backlinks
    Guest Blogging for Places Like Zenlama Help Your Website

    Guest Blogging: This is a fantastic way to get your company name out there and establish good SEO. You will want to find credible websites similar to your niche. For example, if you are a house cleaning service then you could blog for a local moms and dads blog, or child care service explaining about eco-friendly cleaners. Be sure to email the owners directly and offer to blog more than once. Blogging more than once helps to build trust and brand authority within your community.

  2. Press Releases: You might say to yourself, “I’m just an auto mechanic. What news worthy stories do I have?” There a multitude of stories waiting to be written about your company. You could be celebrating your 10,000th fixed car. You could be celebrating 10 years of community service. You may have just donated money to a charity. The point is that all of this and more is news worthy, and there are outlets out there waiting for your local excitement. Some press release services do cost money, and you will have to find someone to write the story. However, it is a guaranteed external backlink from a very credible source.
  3. Open Solicitation: Some SEO Specialists will call this the Broken Link technique. After reviewing websites similar to your niche you may come across a broken link. You can contact the website, let them know you found it, and then casually offer to replace it with yours. Another technique is to openly ask this same website if they would backlink to your website, or a blog they might find interesting. You would want to let them know you would do the same for them. In either case, you are sending an email openly soliciting for help building external backlinks. This is the slowest of the three processes, but it requires no money, and you can use a form letter to solicit multiple websites simultaneously.

Building quality external backlinks will not happen overnight. It is a process that requires diligence and perseverance. Organic SEO Solutions has the tools to research, solicit, and build external backlinks that will build your website’s authority and raise your ranking on search engine results pages.

Begin Your Ascension Up the Google Search Engine Results Page!
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