Online Marketing Tips
Win a $2,000 Website for As Low As $600
March 19, 2012 | Author Michael Cornett
Yes, you read that correctly! Right now you can win one of our two fully customized $2,000 websites for as low as $600 through Pine Belt Deals. Click Here to place your bid!
Posted in Internet Marketing Hattiesburg, Internet Marketing Jackson MS, Internet Marketing MS Gulf Coast, Online Marketing Tips, SEO in Jackson, SEO in Mississippi, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Design Jackson MS, Web Design MS Gulf Coast | 
Tags: Social Media Marketing in Mississippi, Social Media Marketing Jackson MS, Social Media Marketing MS Gulf Coast, Web Design Jackson MS, Web Design MS Gulf Coast | 
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10 Free Citations for Local SEO
December 12, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
Just how many people using search engines are looking to buy in an offline store? 43% according to comScore Networks. In a previous post, we talked about the importance of local seo. Building citations is one of the most important factors in local search optimization. Today I am going to present a list of 10 free citations for local seo that every small business should have.
2) Bing Local
3) Super Pages
4) Yelp
6) Yahoo
7) Yellow Bot
8) Citysearch
9) YellowBook
10) Mapquest
While it may take some time to visit each of these sites to input your information, the local seo benefits will be well worth the time. If you are already listed in these sites, be sure that your information including your address, phone number, and website are all listed correctly. Also, claim your listing if you have not done so.
At Shine Online Marketing we work with small businesses to develop internet marketing strategies that help your business Shine! If you would like to receive a free quote, email us at info@shineonlinemarketing.com, or call us at 601-336-3001. Also be sure to visit our site at shineonlinemarketing.com and subscribe to our RSS feed for all the latest updates.
Shine Online Marketing | 72 N OF FLDS, Hattiesburg, MS 39402 | 601-336-3001 | info@shineonlinemarketing.com
Local SEO or Bust
November 7, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
Have you googled any products and services lately? If you have then undoubtedly you have noticed the increased emphasis on local businesses. In fact, in many searches local results consume the entire space “above the fold.”
New Google SERP
Google is now giving additional information and pictures on the right hand column for many local places. As an example if I was looking for somewhere to eat on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and a friend mentions a great place called Mary Mahoney’s. Since I’m not very familiar with too many restaurants on the coast I Google Mary Mahoney’s Biloxi and wham, I get a new look from Google. Now not only do I see many organic results, but to the right I see a map, photos, details about the restaurants, and reviews from several other websites such as yahoo, tripadvisor, urbanspoon, and more. See a picture of my SERP below:
So what does this mean for your local business?
If you’re the owner or manager of a local business you need to check to make sure your Google Places Page is owner verified and optimized. Last week we put together a Google Places Prezi presentation walking you through the steps of creating, verifying, and optimizing your Google Places Page. If your places page is already up to par, consider adding new photos showing off the best products and services that your business has to offer. Since Google is now displaying this information in the actual SERP, many more people may determine whether to use your business or your competition simply by what they see when they Google you.
What types of businesses will this change affect?
According to Google, the change will affect a wide range of real-world places from restaurants, hotels, local businesses, landmarks, museums, and more. If you read that the way I do, I would assume most everything you would want to find locally will be affected.
How can Shine Online Marketing Help?
We offer Local Search Engine Optimization and can help your business rank well for keywords that are vital to your business. Not only can we create a Google Places page for you, but we can optimize your business for local search to capture those customers searching for your products and services. Ex: You own a local plumbing company. Potential customers are searching for plumbers daily by typing in keywords related to your business such as “plumbers, plumbing, plumbing company, and local plumber.” We help to put your business right in front of those people searching for your products or services. Call us today at 601-336-3001 or email us at info@shineonlinemarketing.com.
Is your business performing well in Local Searches? Have you optimized your business listing? Do you want to gain leads from people searching for your products and services?
Shine Online Marketing | 72 N OF FLDS, Hattiesburg, MS 39402 | 601-336-3001 | info@shineonlinemarketing.com
Posted in Local SEO Mississippi, Online Marketing Tips, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Hattiesburg, Small Business Marketing, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, Internet Marketing Mississippi, Local SEO Hattiesburg, Search Engine Optimization Hattiesburg, SEO Hattiesburg, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development Hattiesburg | 3 Comments »
Google Places Optimization
November 1, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
Today we’ll be looking into what exactly is Google Places, why it is important, and how to optimize your listing. Instead of our typical text blog format today’s blog will be presented via a Prezi. If you’re not familiar with Prezi, it’s the new and improved way to do a typical power point presentation.
Please be sure to leave a comment below not only about our Google Places Optimization presentation, but about whether or not you liked the Prezi format. If you have questions after the presentation itself please leave those below.
Shine Online Marketing also does Local SEO for a very reasonable fee. If you would like your business to start showing up higher in Local Rankings call us today at 601-336-3001 or email us at info@shineonlinemarketing.com.
Posted in Internet Marketing, Mobile Marketing Hattiesburg, Online Marketing Tips, Search Engine Optimization, SEO Hattiesburg, Small Business Marketing, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, Search Engine Optimization Hattiesburg, SEO Hattiesburg, social media marketing hattiesburg ms, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development Hattiesburg | Comments Closed
Permission Marketing VS Interruption Marketing
October 17, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
Interruption Marketing
When you are watching your favorite television show and a commercial comes on what do you do? If you’re like me you run to the kitchen grab a drink, let the dogs out, or maybe even run to the restroom. If your favorite song is on the radio but suddenly you’re hearing about a new xyz business, do you change the station? Chances are many of us go to the next radio station (or XM Radio channel) to find another good song. So why am I asking all these questions? Both of the situations above are moments when we have become so immune to interruption marketing that we don’t even notice our brain tuning them out.
Permission Marketing
Let’s look at another scenario. This time your commode just won’t stop running, so your first reaction is to call a plumber. What do you do? These days most of us open up our laptop, grab our iPad, or pull our smart phone out of our pocket and search for a local plumber. What if you are really interested in internet marketing for your small business? Maybe you sign in to your Facebook account and “like” Shine Online Marketing’s Facebook page so you can get their latest updates. Both of the situations above are considered permission marketing. You are actively requesting information or services that you need.
The fact is we as Americans are bombarded everywhere we go with advertising, from TV ads to billboards on highways. Without even realizing it, our minds block out a lot of this information because we are so used to the constant advertising of the next big thing (see: buying gold). I do want to be clear that I am not saying that traditional marketing or advertising is ineffective or a thing of the past. What I am saying is that if you are not advertising to customers that are wanting and needing your goods and services, you are missing out on countless leads.
Shine Online Marketing, LLC. 72 N OF FLDS Hattiesburg, MS 39402. 601-336-3001.
Posted in Facebook, Internet Marketing, Online Marketing Tips, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business Marketing, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Internet Marketing, Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, Online Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Optimization Hattiesburg, SEO, SEO Hattiesburg, web design, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | 8 Comments »
What Affects Your Rank in Google?
October 10, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
If you have ever wondered what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) factors go into Google’s algorithm, look no further. Every year SEOmoz releases their annual Search Engine Ranking Factors data and analysis. These findings, although not exact, give us great insight into how Google determines where your website will appear in search results. Without any further ado:
- 21% – Page level link metrics
- 21% – Domain level link authority
- 15% – Page level keyword usage
- 11% – Domain level keyword usage
- 7% – Page level social metrics
- 7% – Domain level brand metrics
- 7% – Page level keyword agnostic features
- 6% – Page level traffic/query data
- 5% – Domain level keyword agnostic features
They also forecasted the future by gathering industry opinions.
Top 3 Most Likely to Increase in Importance
- Analysis of a site/page’s perceived value to users
- Social signals at a page level
- Social signals at a domain level
Top 3 Most Likely to Decrease in Importance
- Exact keyword match domains
- The effectiveness of paid links
- Anchor text in external links
If your small business is struggling to understand how to rank better in search engine results Shine Online Marketing can help. Give us a call today at 601-336-3001 or email us at info@shineonlinemarketing.com. We also offer a free online business assessment to give you a better understanding of how your business is doing with internet marketing.
This is a lot of data to consume with some very interesting predictions. So what do you think? Does this change the way you look at SEO? What are your predictions for the future of search engine algorithms?
Shine Online Marketing, LLC. 72 N OF FLDS Hattiesburg, MS 39402. 601-336-3001
Posted in Google Algorithm, Internet Marketing, On Site SEO, Online Marketing Tips, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Google Algorithm, Internet Marketing, Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, Online Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Ranking Factors, SEO, Social Media Marketing, web design, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | 20 Comments »
Creating Search Engine Friendly Websites
October 4, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
We all love when we click that little blue link and are amazed by a visually stunning website. Graphic and web designers can create beautifully designed sites. The picture below is an example of a website that looks incredible.
But just like many other things, looks are not everything. Now I want to be clear, I am not speaking about the website shown above. My point is this: if you design a site that is visually stunning but not Search Engine Friendly (SEF), you may miss out on potential traffic to your website. So what are a few things to avoid when designing your website?
1) Flash-If you are using Flash sparingly to help make your website more interactive, flashy, and visually appealing that is ok. What you want to avoid is creating an entire site in Flash, putting your navigation bar in Flash, or having the majority of your actual content in Flash. The reasoning here is simple, Google and other search engines still can’t reliably “read” flash.
2) Ignore Usability-Ever been to a website that is difficult to navigate? Most people simply hit the back button if they become confused with your website. Morale of the story is: design your website with usability in mind.
3) Images as text-If you can’t highlight the text, search engines won’t be able to “read” the information in that image.
4) Keyword Stuff-For those of you not familiar with keyword stuffing, it is using keyword(s) excessively in content in an attempt to gain higher search engine rankings. Search engines may actually penalize your site if it contains an unnaturally high amount of one keyword.
Shine Online Marketing, LLC. 72 N OF FLDS Hattiesburg, MS 39402. 601-336-3001.
Posted in Online Marketing Tips, Web Design, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Flash, Internet Marketing, Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, search engine friendly, Search Engine Optimization Hattiesburg, SEF, SEO Hattiesburg, web design, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | 3 Comments »
10 Mind-Blowing Social Media Statistics
September 28, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
1) 43% of all online consumers are social media fans.
2) There are more than five billion photos on Flickr.
3) 1.4 billion new blog posts are created every day.
4) 35 hours of video footage is uploaded to YouTube every minute.
5) 3.08 billion dollars will be spent to advertise on social networking sites in 2011, up 55% from 2010.
6) Facebook is the most visited website on the internet.
7) 38 million people in the United States said their purchasing decisions are influenced by social media.
8) 46% of people globally access a social network every day.
9) There are over 110 million tweets every day.
10) If Facebook were a country, I would be the third largest country in the world.
If your small business hasn’t started using Social Media Marketing what are you waiting for?
Posted in Facebook, Internet Marketing, Online Marketing Tips, Social Media Tips, Twitter, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Internet Marketing, Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, Online Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, SEO Hattiesburg, Social Media Marketing, web design, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | 15 Comments »
What Can You Buy For A Nickel?
September 21, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
A business lead. That’s right; your business can get a new lead for $0.05. I know, some of you are out there saying yeah come on Michael, there is no way to buy a business lead for a nickel, but it’s true.
Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising can be as cheap a nickel per click. For those of you that are not familiar with PPC, it is a way of advertising on the internet in which you only pay when someone clicks on your link. The most common place for paid advertisements on the internet is search engines, specifically on Google. Below is an image of a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) which is separated into the paid, organic, and local search categories.
The paid advertisements are displayed in orange and as you can see in the image above, are typically displayed the top and right side of the search results. Your business can create ads that can target a specific audience, and pay only when someone clicks your ad.
Pay Per Click advertising is a great way for businesses to generate new leads in a cost-efficient way. You can select keywords that potential customers use to search for your products and services. You can also create a budget cap, allowing you to control how much money you spend each month. To get started, you can go to Google AdWords or email us for more information.
Are you currently using Pay Per Click advertising? Share your success stories with us below!
Shine Online Marketing, LLC. 72 N OF FLDS Hattiesburg, MS 39402. 601-336-3001.
Posted in Internet Marketing, Online Marketing Tips, Search Engine Marketing, SEM, SEO Hattiesburg, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Internet Marketing, Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, Online Marketing, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Optimization Hattiesburg, SEO, SEO Hattiesburg, web design, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | Comments Closed
4 Internet Marketing Tips For Small Business
September 21, 2011 | Author Michael Cornett
There are over 14 billion online searches every month, what an astounding number. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around numbers that big. In light of our really big number, what does that have to do with your small business? Those 14 billion searches can lead customers to your website; some of them can even be potential customers. Let’s talk about a few tips that your small business can use to help attract new customers.
1) Update your website-Your website shouldn’t be something that you create, and then just leave to sit like a book on a shelf. The content on your website should be updated on a regular basis, keeping your content relevant for users and search engines. Search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing look at how often your website is updated when deciding how relevant it is for users. Your costumers also need new content to keep their interest, have a reason to visit your website again, and know about your latest services and products.
2) View your website analytics- If you’re not familiar with the term website analytics, it simply means measuring, collecting, and analyzing your website data. Why is it important for you to view your website analytics on a regular basis? So you can know what pages people are visiting on your website, and which pages may need to be changed. You can also learn important factors such as how visitors got to your site. Did they click you paid advertisement; find you in a local directory, or through a search engine? If no one is clicking on your paid advertisement, then you need to discern why.
3) Build an email collection- Building an email collection is a great way to update your current customers, offer discounts, and more. How do you build an email collection? The easiest way build your email collection is to have a sign-up form on your website. Entice customers to sign-up by offering them a discount, a free one-time service, or helpful advice. One important factor to keep in mind when building an email collection is to ask for permission. Asking for permission is vital to the success of your email campaign.
4) Be social- I don’t mean call your friends and chat about the latest news, I mean interact with your customers online. Ask your customers questions on Twitter, respond to Facebook comments, join LinkedIn. Internet users are spending excess of 4.6 hours a week on social media, join the conversation.
What online marketing tips have been successful for your small business? Post a comment below and let us know!
Shine Online Marketing, LLC. 72 N OF FLDS Hattiesburg, MS 39402. 601-336-3001.
Posted in Internet Marketing, Internet Marketing Hattiesburg, Online Marketing Tips, Small Business Marketing, Web Design, Web Design Hattiesburg, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | Tags: Internet Marketing, Internet Marketing Hattiesburg MS, Online Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Optimization Hattiesburg, SEO, SEO Hattiesburg, web design, Web Design Hattiesburg MS, Web Development, Web Development Hattiesburg | 1 Comment »
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