JUMP Internet Marketing

For Small Business Owners: Are You REALLY Sure About Your Website Content?

For small businesses, juggling website content management and tracking search engine positioning as well as overseeing operations and accounting can be an overwhelming task.  Over the years we've spoken with many small business owners who had made a good first phase effort in building a website. However, when looking at their target customers as they are represented by keyword phrases in search, we often find a HUGE disconnect between the small business owner's assumption and the reality of his site content.

Most often, the keyword phrases simply aren't there.  There may even be several pages of topically similar content on the site but the words contained in the phrase aren't there.  No matter how you slice it, if the message isn't there then you're getting nowhere with that target.

Here's a worthwhile exercise for small business owners to assess how well their content is aligned with their goals:

Take your top ten keyword phrases (highly targeted phrases that actually represent a buyer) and go to Google.  Type in your domain in quotes "www.[name of your domain].com" and then type in one of the phrases.  Google will tell you whether or not it finds that phrase on your site.  If you want to know if the exact phrase appears on the site enclose the phrase in quotes as well.

This exercise assumes your site is indexed in Google to begin with.  (If Google doesn't see your entire domain then you have a bigger problem.)

The results of this assessment will probably surprise you.  Most of the time we find big gaps and missing content.  

Through September 30, 2009: Be sure to click the free download link on this page.  This download is from one of our most popular seminars.  It addresses key concepts and disconnects that lead to missing website content.

Worried about Google Caffeine?

If you know anything about search engine marketing you know search engine algorithms are like Oklahoma weather...both are constantly changing.  But this is a good thing.  Well at least progress in technology is. (I'm not sure 35 degree temperature swings in Oklahoma are a good thing.)

How is the change going to affect us?  The update rumors to rank "real time" information (like Tweets) higher than older content using the assumption that newer is more relevant.  Perhaps it is  The change may be good news for marketers who keep their content fresh.

What we have always said is that Google is committed to providing the most relevant results.  So, if you're an online marketer offering great content, and you understand WHO this content is for and WHERE it must be published for your target audience to find it, you'll probably be just fine.

In the end, if you'll focus on good technology, good content, and compelling offers, you can probably just let Google be Google (with Caffeine or without).

If you want to check out the Google Caffeine Update, go to http://www2.sandbox.google.com.

P.S. Please don't spam us for devaluing SEO ;-).  I'm simply reinforcing a holistic approach to online marketing.

SEO for Public Outreach Programs

According to a recent PEW study, people generally turn to the Internet as a source of information more than any other source. The same study also suggested that most Americans expect to be able to obtain information about government services through the Internet. (Estabrook, Witt, Rainie) However, website owners continue to make mistakes that cause their websites to be virtually invisible. Unfortunately, simply posting information on the internet does not automatically connect consumers with content.

 

JUMP Technology Services is a pioneering company in public sector search engine optimizations.  Working with the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative since 2002, JUMP has applied innovation to traditional SEO strategy to create an approach specifically for public outreach.

 

While government agencies are easily able to implement web technologies, they aren't immune to making errors when it comes to websites and Internet self-service applications. Unfortunately, for public programs, technical structure and 508 compliance are too frequently the primary concern in creating new web applications and content while ignoring the many search engine optimization design and review points that must be considered BEFORE the site is constructed.

 

The instincts driving program administrators towards web enabled self service technologies are good instincts.  How much efficiency is gained by allowing consumers to access applications online?  Using e-metrics, online marketing strategists can provide very good estimates using counts of keyword phrases actually typed by consumers in the search engines every day.   Return on investment is easy to determine, but often a gap in the project strategy leads to an implementation that misses the mark in connecting with consumers so the anticipated ROI is never achieved.

 

Where is the gap and how do we fill it?

 

Quite frankly it's a gap seen in private sector web initiatives as well.  The assumption that a web developer knows how to implement search engine optimizations is a faulty one.  "Yeah, it's all just meta tags.  I can put those in." 

 

The solution is to describe consumers in terms of how they will interact with the content on the website understanding that they will not all arrive at the home page.  To do this requires adequate research and planning at the very outset of the project.  Next, this research drives the technical structure of the site in planning for how each type of consumer will navigate through the site. Finally, this research will govern how the content is created for the website.

 

As the most experienced public sector SEO consultants, JUMP Technology Services can provide many different avenues of assistance for government agencies.  JUMP provides SEO consulting services, website audits, and SEO Workshops to assist agency staff.  Workshops are held regularly in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.  Some workshops are offered on-site for a minimum number of participants.