Promotions | Colorado Marketing and Promotions

5Aug

What is the Google “+1 button”?

If you have a Gmail account or a Google Webmasters account, you’re probably seeing these icons over the web, particularly in Google search. More websites are starting to add these icons, but do you know why?

Click here to learn about what the +1 button is all about, or watch the video below.

So just when you thought you had your site promoted well on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter…Google, now wants to get in to the social networking game as well by letting visitors recommend your site by “+1” it. Where does it all end? In my personal opinion, Google’s +1 is certainly one to consider. They are likely going to give the best run at the social media “Beast” in a place and at a time where most of us are becoming “settled in” to and comfortable with what we are already dealing with. So, to get started, you will need to create a Google profile or account if you want have the ability to +1 your site or other sites on the web.

Want to add the +1 button to your site? Click here to get the code. This link will also explain how the +1 button will affect or your search results and site’s performance in Google searches.

Once you get the code, you can paste it into a Written Content area on your website where you want to the button to appear. Make sure that the Web Editor Preference for the Written Content area is set as “Basic HTML/Text”.

Once published you’ll then see the button on your site, where visitors can “+” if they think your site is cool.

Click here to learn more about the Google+project, or watch the video below.

All You Can Eat Apps Too Much for Facebook Fans

Tags: Applications, Colorado, Facebook, Marketing

Man v. Food, Adam Richman

Like anything that involves communication, the more layers you add, the harder it is for the receiving party to follow along. This can create a major problem for brands trying to maximize their social presence on Facebook in particular.

Facebook is a medium that just begs for simplicity. The super stacked All-in-One Facebook tabs DO NOT inspire action… they actually stunt conversion rates! We’ve seen them built, launched, and watched them underwhelm clients over and over again.

So, if you’re running a sweepstakes, your goal should be to get the visitor to enter (and hopefully share); NOT to watch a video, scroll through photos, vote, read your real time Tweets, and make you an afternoon latte with extra foam.

Before you even consider letting someone (even us) wireframe out one of these Swiss Army knife-like applications, ask yourself, “Is this strategic”?

When you add too many options to a tab, it’s like a Man vs. Food menu item that creates a giant mess and is impossible to consume.

Top 10 Search Engine Optimization Strategies For Your Website!

Tags: Colorado, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO

By Michael Fleischner | Marketing Expert, Internet Marketing Secrets*

Although the concept of search engine optimization can be somewhat complex, there are a number of basic search engine optimization techniques you can use to improve your organic search results. Keep the following in mind when trying to achieve top rankings for your website.

1. Meta Tags.

Meta tags are simple lines of code at the top of your web page programming that tell search engines about your page. Include the title tag, keyword stag, description tag, and robots tag on each page.

2. Create and update your site map.

Developing a site map is a simple way of giving search engines the information they need to crawl your entire website. There are plenty of free software packages on the web that can help you generate a sitemap. Once you create a site map, submit it to Google and Yahoo.

3. Ensure that all navigation is in HTML.

All too often, navigational items are in the form of java script. Even though navigation technically still works in this format, it’s not optimized. Create your navigation in HTML to enhance internal links throughout your website.

4. Check that all images include ALT text.

Your image’s alt text is spidered by search engines. If you’re not including your keywords in alt text, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity for improved search engine result placements. Label all of your images properly.

5. Use Flash content sparingly.

Content generated through java script or flash is a big no-no. Some webmasters like to use flash because of the presentation. If you must, use it sparingly, but only after your site has been properly optimized with basic search engine optimization in mind.

6. Make sure that your website code is clean.

Keep in mind when optimizing a web page crawlers are basically only looking at your source code. When programming your web pages, having W3C compliant code can make all the difference. Run your code through a W3C validator before promoting.

7. Place keywords in your page content.

Search engines scan your website and web pages for keywords. Shoot for a keyword density of between two and eight percent. Google likes your page to be at the lower end of this scale and Yahoo at the upper end.

8. Submit your website to search engine directories.It’s always a good idea to let large search engine directories know that you’re out there. Submit your website URL to directories like Google, Yahoo, and DMOZ.

9. Build links to your website.

Consider building a link exchange program or create one-way links to your site using articles or forum posts. All major search engines value the importance of your website based on how many others websites are linking to it.

10. Stay the course.

Good optimization takes time. People expect to see results immediately. You may very well see improvements in a short period, but reaching the number one position takes time. Be patient.

Learning to optimize your website for search engines takes time and patience. Start by applying basic search engine optimization principles. If you’re new to website optimization, or even a well seasoned veteran, begin by prioritizing which pages are most important to you and go from there. Soon you’ll find yourself moving up the rankings.

Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert with more than 12 years of marketing experience. To discover how to improve search engine rankings on Google and other major search engines visit http://www.webmastersbookofsecrets.com.