If you’re small, chances are that you don’t have a ton of resources to focus solely on SEO. But neglecting it can be even more costly. Here are a few tips to make your small business visible in the search engines and stay there for the long haul.
When you create your website you will want people to be able to find your term online. To do this, you have to put content onto your site that is relevant to what you want to be found for. So for example, if you are making a website about gun control, then have those words in your website “i.e.: The best tips on gun control are as follows…”
Google more and more so is caring about not just content, but a users experience. Many elements of their algorithm now focus on not just having the right information, but how easy is it to get to the right information. Have your most important things quickly accessible, use headings (h1, h2 tags). Simply include the elements of good website design.
This does not mean that you need to make changes to content already created, it simply means to add more content on a regular basis. Give visitors a reason to come back, and it will also give the search engines a reason to entice users to come back by bumping you up in the rankings. Blog regularly.
Run your website like a business, not an SEO tool. If you overoptimize, that can actually work against you – it will raise red flags to Google saying “These guys are trying to manimpulate us!” So even if your site is “quality” they’ll punish you for your over-attempts. Search engines want the best sites to show up by virtue of them being the best sites, not because you tricked them into thinking so. Google can pull the rug from under your feet in a second – they did it to me.
With Google’s latest update, this is a touchy subject. You want incoming links to your website with good text as the link (anchor text). This will tell Google what your site is all about. But they don’t want you to make the links, they want to make viewers create the links. A typical viewer will not create a link which is related to your “money term” they’ll make a random looking link. So if you want to duplicate what your random viewers will do, you must also be random.
If you’re not going to be social on your social media, don’t bother. But it is my oppinion that search engines are going to continually glean more and more social information about the quality of a website. The social aspect brings an element in which their robots are not able to duplicate – and that’s the human element. So have your social profiles only if you are going to be social – otherwise your actual audience will get tired of you. By social, I mean interactive and engaging. Have a conversation
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In answer to the article header, the answer is right now. May 3, 2012, the exact moment in which I write this, rock bottom just happened. Here are the reasons.
#1) Arguably the most important reason, or the least important – because with a positive attitude come positive things. By letting the world know that this is the end of the bottom, it is. Simple as that. Now for those who don’t follow, let’s get to next reason – some of the statistically sound reasons.
#2) In areas such as Phoenix, where it seemed the end was not going to be in sight – it is in sight. Home prices increased by 8% in one month alone. This is in an area where over 50% of home listings were foreclosures, and it almost seemed that the city was going to be vacant if this continued for a few more years. Now people are buying up properties by either taking advantage of the opportunity to invest or by purchasing homes for themselves.
#3) Home prices are now on the same track as inflation. Just a few years ago, home prices inflated much more quickly than the national rate of inflation. This was what was called “the bubble,” it was false inflation of home values. Once that popped, home values have been rapidly declining, and inflation has finally caught back up to where home values should be. That’s right home values are finally where they should be. This means that consumer confidence in purchasing will pick back up, and homes will now be purchased at their current asking prices.
Because this is the bottom of the real estate bust, does that mean people are going to go bananas in purchasing homes? They should. Home prices are going to go up, and interest also have nowhere to go but up. But people won’t go bananas, damaged credit has impaired the buying ability of much of America, so hopefully over the next seven years as individual credit gradually restores, we will see a steady climb of the real estate industry – as long as it is on course with the rate of inflation, we are seeing an America which is gaining a steady and strong pulse once again.
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In 1989 I went as a four year old to Disney Land with my family, and Space Mountain had just opened – it was a ride from what felt like the future (ask my siblings… because I honestly can’t recall it). Chicago, Phil Collins, and Madonna were all that played on the radio. Ghostbusters 2, The Little Mermaid, Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Back to the Future 2 were the Blockbusters of the year.
It was during this time of my life that I learned a great lesson – if I picked up all of the loose change from the ground, I could become wealthy quickly. What could I do with this wealth? For every twenty five cents I gathered I could purchase two fruit pies, or a pack of six donuts Hostess powdered donuts. That was the good life.
Today, that same pack of Hostess Donuts is over a dollar. A loaf of bread is nearly four times as expensive, gasoline is also four times as expensive, cars are over twice as expensive, and so on, and so on. As we can see, inflation has left most goods at about two to four times higher on most goods. Let’s average it out, and say the cost of living is about three times more for basic goods today, than it was just 13 years ago.
Let’s talk about huge purchases. In 1989, the median cost of a home was $110,750 dollars. In 2011, the median cost of a home was $223,300 dollars (2012 data is not available… because 2012 is not finished). This means the face value of a home has increased just barely over twice as much today. The inflation rate of homes is well below most products which we consume (except for, of course, if we went back to 2007).
In 1989, mortgage interest rates were 10%. Source: See 1989 rates here. In 2012, they are at 4%. Let me crunch these numbers with a mortgage calculator.
Crunching…. Crunching… Alright, here we go:
Click Image to Enlarge
Now I’m not a realtor, but I’d suggest to go buy a home – today. If you need help with a good website to help you find a home, call me up. I’ve made dozens of them which nearly ten of thousand of people use daily.
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I’ve been checking out a ton of real estate around the country because of my job, and I love the United States of America! There are beautiful places from coast to coast. Northern California is a gorgeous area with rolling hills, large lots and beautiful vineyards. Charleston South Carolina is also beautiful with its magical historic feel.
But when it all comes down to it, there is no place like home. Home is Logan, Utah. Here I can experience four beautifully diverse seasons each year. I get the beauty of the mountains, the joy of large open fields, and I have both fantastic summer and winter entertainment. The people here are easy to become life close friends with, and the activities are endless. So if I ever end up settling outside of Logan Utah, you can bet that one day I will be back searching Homes For Sale Logan Utah.
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Whether you have just moved in to a new place, or you have old countertops that you want to replace, here is your guide on how to remove the old ones, and put new ones in. This is a do-it-yourself guide, as this will ultimately save you hundreds and sometimes even over a thousand dollars. First, I’ll provide some bullet points and then expound.
This probably goes without saying as to why you’ll need to do this. But if you don’t measure out your old countertop, you are going to struggle to make the new one look right. This is actually a nice time to decide if you want to do any design changes, such as allow more of an overhang or less of one.
Sounds difficult, but depending on how it was installed, this probably won’t be to impossible. First of all, remove and drawers immediately underneath the countertop and see if there is anything securing the countertop from the bottom side both within the drawer space and on the exterior of the bottom cabinets. Chances are you may find something, if not, just start pulling straight up. Countertop is usually screwed into the particle board cabinets below. These screws will come straight up if you apply the correct force. Do not manhandle it to much, as you may actually cause damage to your countertop.
Now that you’ve removed the old ones, buy the wood for the new ones. This is typically 1/2″ particle board, 5/8″ or even 3/4″. When I did mine, I did both 3/4″ and 5/8″, making the countertops nice and thick with two layers of support.
While you are at the store, save yourself some time and select the material. This can take as long as a month to arrive, so you may actually be smart in making this your first step.
If it is possible, do not cut both the top and bottom pieces of wood out of the same template. It is best to have the complete cuts of the wood in different parts of your countertop, which makes them stronger.
Put the wood into place, and make sure that you’ve left enough space for important appliances such as your stove to fit. Once everything is in the correct position, drill a hole where you are going to insert your screw. If you do not drill a hole, when you insert your screw the wood will bubble up around it. Where it has bubbled will actually be noticeable even after you have installed your final laminate layer. Allow for anywhere between a 1/4 and an 1/8 of an inch gap between the wall and your countertop. This will give you some room for error when laying the Formica.
A jigsaw may do well for this, but that can be time consuming. Use a jigsaw for your rounded corners, and a circular saw for the long straight edges. Your new sink should have a template for you to use when cutting.
After you pick the laminate up from the store, you get to cut it. Try to be as accurate as possible when deciding where your cuts will be. When you decide where your cuts will go, use a scoring tool to make a deep grove into the top side of the countertop. To finish breaking, place a straight edge along one side of your groove and left the other. This will make a clean break which you will not have to do any additional doctoring to.
This is the hardest part of the entire process. You must be very careful when doing this, as to not destroy your laminate or place it incorrectly. There are special glues to purchase for countertops. Follow the instructions on the label. Glue both the countertop surface and the bottom of the laminate. Place wooden dowels onto your countertop, and then your laminate on top of the wooden dowels. Position exactly correct and remove the wooden dowels, making sure to start at one side and continue to the other as to prevent any air from being locked into the countertop.
Once you’ve done it, you’re probably going to notice some flaws. It’s okay, relax. You did your best and you are more critical of your work than anybody else. If you look at your neighbors who installed the countertops themselves, they probably have some flaws too. But remember, you just saved yourself a thousand dollars! Go get a burger.
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Kudos to my home town! Logan Utah is officially the most underrated college town in the country, according to nextgenjournal.com.
Big deal? Yes. When you take a look at some of the other heavyweights that rounded out the top 10, you realize that this was legitimate.
Here’s the irony. I hate that I’m blogging about this, because the very thing that keeps Logan such a great place is the fact that there aren’t many people who know about this fantastic city. Logan is a gem of a city that’s off the beaten tracks of the interstate, so unless you intend to travel straight to Logan, you aren’t going to end up here. That’s why it’s such a well kept secret.
Now to be fair, Logan is a place that does have its downsides. For example, if you are a student, parking is a nightmare. And USU is following the course of many universities, where you get the feeling that academics is beginning to fall second to athletics. In many departments, they are crippled by a lack of funding while the football team is granted funding for yet another practice building while their other two are still facilities which can be envied by just about any sports enthusiast. Yes, I understand that donors make these facilities possible, but it’s still a sad reality that sports get the money in a university that is suppose to be about learning.
To put a plug in for Logan regarding real estate (because that’s what I do, even though I’m no realtor). Logan is an area that will always have a steady demand for housing, especially investment properties, as there will always be a need for students. The value of real estate here has been steady, even through the housing crisis. While job opportunities are bleak here after graduation, many people are beginning to create jobs and industry in Logan. The city is one of the safest in America, year after year, and it is a wholesome environment to raise a family. Logan Utah is a great place to buy some real estate. Now I may be bias, because I’ve grown up here… but I’m also bias in thinking that Logan is the best college town, and look who was right according to this article! So check out some Logan Homes For Sale!
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My name is Kirk Salisbury, and welcome to my website kirksalisbury.com. I live in beautiful Logan, UT
and work as a web designer
SEO specialist and
internet marketer
at Boomerang Leads.