Wouldn’t it be good if you could get 20% – 70% more leads from your site? Many companies do. What about increases of 200% – 400%? It’s possible. I’ll tell you how. And, we’ll see if the “description” tags most of us use to craft copy for search returns are outdated, plus we’ll consider an important new Twitter service… it’s commerce time for tweeters.

Conversion Alert: Are there ways to squeeze more ROI out of your website? Definitely, and recent studies show the pay-off can be very big. I attended a webinar this week by a company specializing in squeezing more results — conversions (like when a visitor “converts” to a prospect, etc.) — out of landing pages and direct emails. So far every single company that applies a certain conversion success formula has seen increases… and some of them are huge — over 200%. To prove it to yourself, all you need is a free Google analytics account set-up properly to track goals, conversions and related ROI numbers. Then you use another free tool — the Google “Optimizer” to test for winning combinations of headlines, graphics, and calls to action. We can make this happen with a Landing Page Optimization Campaign – contact me for a quote.

Google Evolution: Have you squinted at the Google search results page lately? If you do, you’ll see a “show options” link  at top left, which when clicked reveals a sidebar of search refinements like related videos, forums, past week returns and more. Nice. But for SEO professionals and “Content Masters,” still another Google development adds a new twist on ways to succeed in search ranking, attracting visitors and inspiring conversions: “Rich Snippets.” Now Google is encouraging webmasters to mark-up content so that Google will find and return more meaningful excerpts than what is commonly delivered in search returns. Watch for plugins to facilitate this work.

Above, watch video presentation by Google experts on new Rich Snippets tactics

Twitter Update: It’s commerce time on Twitter folks. You knew it had to happen. Check out Twitpay’s new RT2Buy service . So now for all those who ask just what is the ROI for twittering? You can have a direct answer in the form of revenue via your twitter followers. We have a great program — our Social Media-MAX Package – to build a focused, targeted list of followers efficiently — contact me today.

So… how are your landing pages… and now, your growing Twitter list(s) converting? Time to call an Optimizer – reach me at (360) 566-2451.

Playing Ball: Innovation, change, and Social Media Marketing growth… it’s happening rapidly each week.  Last week, Twitter reported astronomic growth — up 422% in 12 months. WordPress reported 2 million business blog and CMS installations in 2008.  Wow.  Talk about “playing ball on running water.”  How do you grab a hold of this tiger and make efficient and effective use of it in Business?  I’ll give you some pointers on how to stay optimized.

CMS Thought of the Week: The *whole web* is your Content Management System.  Today, I was checking my LinkedIN homepage, and reviewed a number of blog posts — there — from friends and colleagues.  The same posts often show up in my twitter stream (shortened into 140 characters with links back to posts). And, Google lets you create a sort of “mash-up” via Google reader (for RSS feeds) where you can share your posts and those of others — see: my Google Reader Public Mashup.  Are you optimized to take advantage of these key web CMS techniques?  Contact me and we’ll work on it together.

Twitter Tips of the Week: If you’re looking for a job, check this link to an excellent Mashable article (a great web publication, using a CMS developed in WordPress) will help you learn how — on Twitter.  That’s right!  I’ve found and worked with two clients there in two weeks.  Plus… even if you’re not looking now… consider the article carefully and you’ll understand some key Twitter Social Media Marketing strategies and Tactics.

Next, look carefully at the “Five Phases of Social Media Marketing” — Social Marketing is not “free”, but it will pay off when you tie it into Analytics… and — analyze for conversions (that’s the R.O.I. secret).  One great question from the article:  “Will your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system interface with your social media tools?”  Watch for good CRM’s to start adding in Twitter functionality.

WordPress Eding Tips on Video: WordPress is a great CMS solution — we develop exclusively with it.  As you learn WordPress, and start managing the admin. area, you may like to review these short (approx. 2 min.) videos.  There are more available at WordPress.tv, but these are my “A-List” to help your work be optimized… in WordPress:

Posts:

• writing-and-publishing-a-post
• using-quick-edit-and-bulk-edit-to-manage-your-posts-in-half-the-time
• saving-and-returning-to-draft-posts-pages
• publishing-your-post-at-a-later-date

Add Categories & Tags to Your Posts (always do this — good for both SEO, and helpful site navigation):

• adding-categories-and-tags-to-your-posts

Pages:

• creating-a-post-excerpt-using-the-more-tag

Sidebar:

• adding-a-widget-to-your-sidebar

There you go.  That should help you optimize your WordPress and Social Media work.  Now… about those conversions? Have you optimized your landing pages so you can increase your conversion rates?  Contact me.

by Scott Frangos, Managing Director — WebFadds.com

I have been having a conversation with a friend and colleague who specializes in Adwords campaigns (mostly on Google, but other search systems as well), around the general question of what is the best formula to maximize your SEO for your WordPress Content Management System.

SEO is an important focus, but I have to add that if you’re in business, you also need to factor in “conversions” — converting site visitors to leads, newsletter readers, paying customers.  SEO is talked about quite loudly in the blog buzz, but what good is it to drive visitors to your site if they don’t then convert to help you reach your business goals?

So… here’s my formula — call it “Scott’s 12-step Program for SEO and Conversion Success”:

1. A good permalinks strategy – user friendly and SEO friendly.  Permalinks are the way you set your URL suffixes using the admin. area of your WordPress Content Management System.
2. A good meta tag and description plugin, smartly configured, like Headspace (more actively managed) or All in One SEO (set it and forget it).  We do this for you in our Max-SEO service.
3. A social bookmarking plugin like Yoast’s “sociable” — this is also part of our Max-SEO Service.  Note that this plugin also offers a “send this post to a friend” button.
4. Maximize your ping list with the recommended WP Codex list.  WordPress will automatically notify important directories when you make a post — but it only comes with one service loaded.  We load around 50 for you as part of our Max-SEO service.
5. Content, Content, Content. Everything else on this list is irrelevant if you do not post regular and useful content.
6. Both a Google Sitemap generator (for robots) and an indexing plugin (for humans and robots) — these are included in our Max-SEO service and we configure them to your particular CMS and business missions.
7. Good categorization and use of keywords when writing posts.  Do you categorize your posts?  Do you use the “tags” function to add keywords to help people (with a tag cloud, etc.), or robots (Google, etc.) find and rank your content?
8. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Redirect plugin if you notice problems in your stats logs, etc.
9. Off Site Organic SEO work:  Back links, commenting, etc. Contact me if you would like a quote for a social media campaign.
10. Join social sites like LinkedIn, and place your Blog feed onto your page at those sites
11. IMPORTANT (when you’re in business):  Be a “conversion blogger.”  Designate conversion goals, landing pages for optimization (to improve conversions), and use Google analytics and Google Optimizer tests to improve conversions of site visitors to leads, newsletter readers, and paying customers.  We have a service to bring you up to speed on Google Analytics — Analytics-MAX, Site Goal Service — and will be pleased to quote you on an optimization campaign for your landing pages.
12. Use adwords to drive targeted customers to your optimized landing pages.  Contact me for a quote on a good adwords campaign.