Comments on: How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot with Search Engine Optimization http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/ Marketing blog focused on marketing optimization, improving website conversion rates, search engine marketing, web analytics, word of mouth, etc. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:49:30 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Barcelona SEO http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-1114922 Barcelona SEO Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:36:38 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-1114922 Most clients assume that just having a top 10 ranking will solve thier problems, when the sales strategy needs to go hand in hand with any kind of SEO, and this is one of the main problems. You're very right about the rest of the comments about spamming the SE's too however, and it's often a fine line. Most clients assume that just having a top 10 ranking will solve thier problems, when the sales strategy needs to go hand in hand with any kind of SEO, and this is one of the main problems.
You’re very right about the rest of the comments about spamming the SE’s too however, and it’s often a fine line.

]]> By: Internet Marketing Joy http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-664514 Internet Marketing Joy Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:15:15 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-664514 It is true Melissa..what you've mentioned here are so true..^^ It is rather better to do SEO one at a time so that your site won't get banned from Google..and also make sure to write contents that are original and informative on your site so that you won't just get a one time traffic but also a recurring traffic. It is true Melissa..what you’ve mentioned here are so true..^^ It is rather better to do SEO one at a time so that your site won’t get banned from Google..and also make sure to write contents that are original and informative on your site so that you won’t just get a one time traffic but also a recurring traffic.

]]> By: craig mclaughlan http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-529 craig mclaughlan Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:49:25 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-529 Part of the problem is that there is only so much criticism a client will acept of their website. I specialize in seo for small to medium-sized commercial websites, and 9 times out of 10 the owner has had hands-on control over the website design, architecture, texts, etc. I can either go to battle over dodgy text and wobbly sales texts, or go for the low hanging fruit first, get the site seo'd, and once we're getting results and I've established my credibility, then look at improving the website. Part of the problem is that there is only so much criticism a client will acept of their website. I specialize in seo for small to medium-sized commercial websites, and 9 times out of 10 the owner has had hands-on control over the website design, architecture, texts, etc.

I can either go to battle over dodgy text and wobbly sales texts, or go for the low hanging fruit first, get the site seo’d, and once we’re getting results and I’ve established my credibility, then look at improving the website.

]]> By: Rakesh Ojha http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-388 Rakesh Ojha Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:49:15 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-388 I have always thought of this while doing seo for any of my client. More so after reading the "Persuasion Architecture" article. It has really helped me a lot. Opened up a new world I was never aware of. Thanks a lot for your article. I have always thought of this while doing seo for any of my client. More so after reading the “Persuasion Architecture” article. It has really helped me a lot.

Opened up a new world I was never aware of. Thanks a lot for your article.

]]> By: Marshall Sponder http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-386 Marshall Sponder Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:01:05 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-386 I agree with you and have been writing about this for a while on webmetricsguru.com. Along with Web Analytics I've also done SEO and some SEM for several sites; usually the conversion rate is well under 1% (not even the industry average 2%...!). If some of my clients, current and former had 2% conversion rates - they'd be raking in money by the barrel. The truth is, many sites I deal with have conversion rates in the tenths of a percent - and they look at their problem as not getting enough of the right traffic - if they got a ton of traffic (IE: being #1 of most of their main keywords) there problems would be solved. But it's never true and almost never happens that way. In fact, for my clients who are architects (current and former) it was almost always their BRAND that sold; they could get all the traffic up the Kazoo for styles of house plans, but almost always, people came DIRECT and bought, and most of the time when they came via a search engine and bought a plan - they used the search engine as a navigation tool (typed in the name of the architect or some variation of it). Will Search Engines help clients like this that much? Even if a client is #1 for all their keywords - could Search Engines possible send enough traffic when their conversion rate is a tenth of a percent? I don't think so. Why not improve the site - get the conversion rate up past 2% and forget about SEO and SEM....you'll still come out with a lot more sales. I agree with you and have been writing about this for a while on webmetricsguru.com. Along with Web Analytics I’ve also done SEO and some SEM for several sites; usually the conversion rate is well under 1% (not even the industry average 2%…!). If some of my clients, current and former had 2% conversion rates – they’d be raking in money by the barrel.

The truth is, many sites I deal with have conversion rates in the tenths of a percent – and they look at their problem as not getting enough of the right traffic – if they got a ton of traffic (IE: being #1 of most of their main keywords) there problems would be solved. But it’s never true and almost never happens that way.

In fact, for my clients who are architects (current and former) it was almost always their BRAND that sold; they could get all the traffic up the Kazoo for styles of house plans, but almost always, people came DIRECT and bought, and most of the time when they came via a search engine and bought a plan – they used the search engine as a navigation tool (typed in the name of the architect or some variation of it).

Will Search Engines help clients like this that much? Even if a client is #1 for all their keywords – could Search Engines possible send enough traffic when their conversion rate is a tenth of a percent? I don’t think so.

Why not improve the site – get the conversion rate up past 2% and forget about SEO and SEM….you’ll still come out with a lot more sales.

]]> By: Aim for something other than your foot at The Voiceover Boblog http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-298 Aim for something other than your foot at The Voiceover Boblog Fri, 09 Feb 2007 03:28:58 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-298 [...] Is it possible to hurt your your voiceover business by increasing traffic to your website? Check out the answer given by Melissa Burdon in this post at the Future Now site. [...] [...] Is it possible to hurt your your voiceover business by increasing traffic to your website? Check out the answer given by Melissa Burdon in this post at the Future Now site. [...]

]]> By: Carsten Cumbrowski http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-294 Carsten Cumbrowski Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:19:43 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-294 Same is true for Paid Search and even Display Advertising (if the Ad is over optimized for drawing attention while forgetting what is advertised) Without using any fishy SEO tactics is it possible to improve ranking, click through rate and conversion. The Description Meta Tag for example does not help you to rank better, but is used by several search engines for the snippet shown in the search results, if it is relevant to the page content. If normally the Meta Tag is used by the SE, but for some pages not (SE creates by itself a snippet based on the page content), check out the description and change it. Including in the description what the customer can expect if he clicks on the link to your site will help conversion and customer satisfaction. If you sell an item for example, use the word "Buy" in the meta description. If you provide product reviews as well, state it. Make it brief and precise. Together with a relevant Title and hopefully trustworthy looking URL are you producing a clear winner. Then you also better also deliver the promise, have a user friendly website, reassure the customer that he is in good hands and let the customer jump through as few hoops as possible. Some hoops like capture of address information and credit card data are still necessary today, but you should try to make the jumps as easy as possible for your customers. SEO is no good or bad thing on it's own. What you do with it is either good or bad. To make it work right, is it necessary to make it part of your overall Internet marketing strategy and don't treat it as something separate. It is not! Same is true for Paid Search and even Display Advertising (if the Ad is over optimized for drawing attention while forgetting what is advertised)

Without using any fishy SEO tactics is it possible to improve ranking, click through rate and conversion.

The Description Meta Tag for example does not help you to rank better, but is used by several search engines for the snippet shown in the search results, if it is relevant to the page content. If normally the Meta Tag is used by the SE, but for some pages not (SE creates by itself a snippet based on the page content), check out the description and change it.

Including in the description what the customer can expect if he clicks on the link to your site will help conversion and customer satisfaction. If you sell an item for example, use the word “Buy” in the meta description. If you provide product reviews as well, state it. Make it brief and precise. Together with a relevant Title and hopefully trustworthy looking URL are you producing a clear winner.

Then you also better also deliver the promise, have a user friendly website, reassure the customer that he is in good hands and let the customer jump through as few hoops as possible. Some hoops like capture of address information and credit card data are still necessary today, but you should try to make the jumps as easy as possible for your customers.

SEO is no good or bad thing on it’s own. What you do with it is either good or bad. To make it work right, is it necessary to make it part of your overall Internet marketing strategy and don’t treat it as something separate. It is not!

]]> By: Robert Gorell http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-290 Robert Gorell Thu, 08 Feb 2007 07:50:28 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-290 The above comment is a perfect example of "how to shoot yourself in the foot" with SEO. Clever, building a bot that links back to your keyword-driven "blog" (or list of related content, poached to get attention for his software). When the real Elliot has something to say, we'd love to hear from him. In the meantime, you're not inspiring much confidence. The above comment is a perfect example of “how to shoot yourself in the foot” with SEO. Clever, building a bot that links back to your keyword-driven “blog” (or list of related content, poached to get attention for his software). When the real Elliot has something to say, we’d love to hear from him. In the meantime, you’re not inspiring much confidence.

]]> By: How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot with Search Engine Optimization · Google-Eclass.com http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/comment-page-1/#comment-287 How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot with Search Engine Optimization · Google-Eclass.com Thu, 08 Feb 2007 06:30:22 +0000 http://www.grokdotcom.com/2007/02/08/how-to-shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-with-search-engine-optimization/#comment-287 [...] Original post by Melissa Burdon and software by Elliott Back Tags: adwords, online marketing, seo, google adwords [...] [...] Original post by Melissa Burdon and software by Elliott Back Tags: adwords, online marketing, seo, google adwords [...]

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