The MarCom Strategist: A Free B2B Marketing E-Newsletter

June, 2009
Published by Dianna Huff
Volume 10, Number 06

Welcome!

I look at a lot of Websites and despite the wealth of information available, am still surprised to see companies large and small making the same errors with regard to search engine optimization (SEO).

In this month’s issue, I give you three of the mistakes I see frequently.

I’ve also been working hard to kick my “must check email 20 hundred times a day” habit. One thing I’ve found that works: making it a goal to check only twice a day. When I stick to it, I’m really productive!

For those of you who want real tips on kicking the email habit, check out the book, The Power of Less, by Leo Babauta. He also writes a blog, Zen Habits. Great stuff, people!

Regards,

Dianna Huff

Are You Making These Three Common SEO Errors?

By Dianna Huff

I don’t have to tell you that getting your company’s Website to rank well in Google and other search engines is key to increasing traffic, conversions, and inquiries.

Yet many B2B Websites fail to make the grade when it comes to SEO. What follows are three common errors I see with many sites.

1. Page Descriptors for Title Tags – Go to my site, www.dhcommunications.com, and look at the very top of the browser where you’ll see: B2B Marketing Communications (MarCom) Consultants | DH Communications.

This is my Home page Title tag that’s been optimized for various keywords. Optimizing Title tags is an SEO "best practice."  

However, I still see many sites with Title tags that read this way: ACME Widgets: Home or ACME Widgets: Services.

The problem with this? A Title tag written this way includes only the company name and zero keywords – meaning it’s not optimized for search. Search engines need keywords in order to properly index Web pages – and then serve them up when someone enters a search phrase.

Hence, traffic for the ACME Widgets Home page will mainly come from searches based on the company name – versus products, solutions, etc.

2. Over emphasis on meta tags – For some reason the myth still exists that putting keywords in the meta keyword tag will help a site rank well.

Here is the plain truth: neither the meta description nor the meta keyword tag have any bearing on how a site ranks, and in fact, Google completely ignores the keyword tag.

Adding keywords to these tags and then calling a site “optimized” is a complete waste of time. A better bet is to optimize each page on the site for a set of keywords and ensuring these words appear in the Title tag, headline, subheads, body copy and anchor text links.

3. Using generic keywords – Another huge mistake is optimizing a site for generic versus targeted keywords. A generic keyword phrase is something like, “laboratory equipment.”

Not only is it incredibly difficult to rank well for a phrase like this, if the site does rank, it ends up pulling in all kinds of untargeted traffic.

Instead of using a generic keyword, consider keywords that describe just exactly what kind of laboratory equipment you’re offering. The Google AdWord Keyword Tool is a great aid for this exercise.

An optimized Website is essential in ensuring B2B buyers are finding your site when doing a search. If you don’t understand SEO or don’t have the time to figure it out yourself, hire a *reputable* SEO firm who can help you achieve the results you desire.

Resources:

2009 Economic Outlook Survey: How Industrial Companies Can Succeed in the Current Economy – A white paper by GlobalSpec

How B2B Purchasers Buy – Enquiro research paper

Aligning Your Online Marketing Strategy with Your Business Plan – A white paper by ThomasNet

Frequently Asked Questions About SEO – A list of questions I hear frequently.

Turning Clicks into Leads Through SEO – An e-book written by me that explains SEO in simple language. If you have no clue about SEO, this e-book is for you.

Call Me First Before You Re-Design Your Website

Before you spend a boatload of money on a fancy Website – only to find that it does nothing for you – call DH Communications, first. I'll analyze your Website to determine what needs fixing (if anything) and will detail my findings in a written report.

You'll walk away with a targeted plan of action – saving you considerable time and money. If you do end up needing a Web designer, I can recommend one who understands the importance of SEO.

My comprehensive Website Analysis Package includes:

• Complete analysis of your site with regard to SEO (keywords, title and meta tags, and source code).
• Analysis of your Web analytics reports (if available).
• List of inbound links plus recommendations for building additional links.
• Conversion analysis – Is your site generating leads? Why or why not? Recommendations for increasing conversion rates.
• Analysis of on-page copy and marketing messages plus recommendations for additional content and/or revision of existing content.
• Usability and/or design fix recommendations.
• Complete report delivered via PDF plus a 30-minute phone call to discuss findings and recommendations.

To learn more about my services, take a look at my B2B Website Consulting Services to see how you can put my award-winning expertise to work for you -- or call 603-382-8093.

Contact DH Communications

Telephone: 603-382-8093
Email: info@dhcommunications.com

Keep up with the latest MarCom news at The MarCom Writer Blog.