Search Engine Optimization...and other meaningless and waste of time topics...

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Of course...I'm just kidding about the "meaningless and "waste of time" comments. SEO is an art I am slowly learning about. Directories, Social Sites, Comments on Blogs and Forums....what a chore!

Ok...here's my question.

Assuming you have a website, and we'll use the state of Kentucky for no particular reason.

What are the two or three search terms that you want to focus on the most? That is, I guess, the most used?

Kentucky Health Insurance, I assume would be the top pick.

But what is next?

Kentucky Health Insurance Quotes?
Kentucky Health Insurance?
Kentucky Health Quote?

I'm curious to hear from the SEO guys here.

 

[dgoldenz]

On the same topic, what is a rough estimate of cost to have the work done for you by a good company?

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Finding a "good" company is difficult. Oh...they're out there, but there's a lot of huffing and puffing as well.

There are great sources of information from this Forum as well as some SEO Forums. I check the SEO Forums EVERY night. I have downloaded some free software that has been very helpful.

 

[TXINSURANCE]

Every PPC engine , Yahoo, Google, MSN have keyword tools to use which will show you search volume, competitiveness, etc., etc.,

There are also a 1000 websites that talk of SEO, some are good some are not. Try Bruce Clay for some free tools.

bruceclay.com - Internet Marketing: Search Engine Optimization SEO Services, PPC, Web Design and Tools

 

[mariemerganser]

Kentucky Health Insurance
Affordable Kentucky Health Insurance
Kentucky Health Insurance Quotes

Those are the top 3

 

[valdet]

Hello Chumps,

The holy grail of all SEO 'gurus' out there is to be ranked highest in Google SERP's.

There are so many factors that help you get higher up there, but first you need to check what people are searching for.

Google knows best

Google AdWords:Traffic Estimator


Enter your desired keywords and leave other fields blank, except for countries enter USA and Lebanon, of course


Cheers,
Val.

 

[The New Guy]

On the same topic, what is a rough estimate of cost to have the work done for you by a good company?

I do all my own SEO.

When I looked into having it done for me, the costs ran from $150 a month to $500 plus a month. I've even seen some charging in excess of $10,000 a month for international clients.

The problem with paying for it, it you have to trust the person doing the SEO.

All Off-Page SEO is done behind the scenes, and may not even produce visible results for months.

That's also how many people get scammed from these companies. They just keep telling you it takes time and to be patient. Before you know it, you've paid them $1000 or more with no results.

They have what's called "Black Hat Tactics", and "White Hat Tactics".

Black Hat may produce quick results, but it is done at the expense of long term traffic, and will get your site banned, or black listed from many of today's search engines.

That is a tactic used by some in the PPC business, and the Adsense Business. They produce a site, and hope it makes a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, before it gets discovered.

White Hat takes longer to produce results, but is played by the "rules" of search engine optimization. White Hat is a continual process, and not an event.

It starts with good On-Page SEO, and continues with an Off-Page strategy. There is no one single magic bullet.

Some of the more popular White Hat Tactic are: Revelant Content, Blogs, Link Directories, Article Directories, and Forum Postings.

Many use Blogs both posting on them, and hosting one on their site. Some use an Article directory in place of a blog. The idea here is a relevant constant flow of new content.

If you host a blog, or post on a blog, make sure you use some keyword rich content when you do post. If you have an insurance blog, and post nothing but hunting and fishing stories, eventually the search engines will begin to crawl your blog less and less. Also, if you don't have the ability to add a backlink to your website on posts you make on somebodys blog, then your just having fun, as you will not gain any search engine traction from those posts.

Link Directories are used to provide informational resources for your user. They are mainly used to link back and forth to relevant content sites, creating a web of information flow.

If you don't have a back links page on your site, that is the first, and probably the most important thing you could do to increase your search engine exposure. Most companies will not link to your web site, if they can't get a back link from yours. Just makes sense.

Finally, what we are all doing here, posting on forums.

We should all keep in mind, that whatever we post on a blog or forum, is free game to be read by all, and in many cases will leave a legacy for years to come. I'm not saying you need to be professional at all times, but need to keep in mind the consequences of your words.

I have probably deleted more posts on this forum then I have posted. Thought better of hitting the post button after I have read what I was going to say.

The key to posting on forums, is not so much what you say, but the ability to post a backlink to your website in the process. If you have 500 posts on a forum, you now will have 500 potential back links to your website from those postings.

Sam has been kind enough to allow us to our signature line to place a link to our websites without using a "no-follow tag," which instructs the search engines "not" to follow that link. Thanks Sam

So, your first step towards SEO dominance, should begin with you adding your website link to your signature line of this forum, if you haven't already done so.

Then when you build your backlinks page, make sure you add a backlink to this forum in return.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Val...my estimated cost for "Ohio Health Insurance" is $9.21 I guess if I can turn 1 out of 10 into sales....not bad.

Guy...I just sent you an email.


Putin...Get the Hell out of Georgia.

 

[dmiller90]

Val...my estimated cost for "Ohio Health Insurance" is $9.21 I guess if I can turn 1 out of 10 into sales....not bad.

Guy...I just sent you an email.


Putin...Get the Hell out of Georgia.

Wish it would result in those results, will cost you much more, unless you really understand PPC campaigns.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

I know a little about PC, but not much. I guess the "big boys" are paying the big bucks for those search terms...whoever the "big boys" are.