If you rely on local web visitors for your business, Google has made a significant change in it’s search results that you need to know about.

People searching for products and services that you offer can now customize their search to return only geographically targeted resutls.  If your SEO company is on top of the continual changes that Google makes to its algorythms, you’re likley in a good SEO position and will benefit from this change.  If not, you’ll want to ensure that your website is ready.

Google has added a new tool in the Search Options panel called “Nearby” So far it’s only available on Google.com in English.

How does it work?

• Type in a search, let’s use the example that Google uses, “things to do on st. patrick’s day”.
• Now look at the left sidebar panel for a tool called “Nearby”.
• When you click on it other custom search options will open allowing you to enter in a city, region, or state.

As Google continues to focus on perfecting local search options, local businesses will continue to be presented with tremendous opportunities to be found in the search engine results ahead of the larger, national, competition.

Make sure your SEO understands this stuff and is working on your website to get you top listings in Google local search.

Here’s the article on the Google blog.

Let me list some of the reasons to answer all your inquiries. You will see your answer in one or all the reasons that will remove the furrowing brows:

1. I need to be able to connect with as many people as possible for the sake of my business as an attorney.

2. The competition in the field is so fierce that without the help of attorney video marketing, I would be quite lost, because there would be very few people making an attempt to take my professional help.

3. Using a video that is made in a professional way gives the potential client a good idea of what my areas of expertise are.

4. As an attorney, I need to have some of the successful communication skills in the world. A video is voted the best way to make myself heard.

5. By being the focus of the video, I am able to judge for myself. As I watch the video, I learn of whether or not I am a powerful public speaker, who could win cases for clients or just one of those wannabes who don’t still know what they are capable of.

After thinking of all these things, I thought the best thing to do was to go in for a professional who would ensure that the attorney video marketing that was being done with me as a subject turned out just the way I wanted it to. The problem was to be able to identify the best person who could make me look like the glam lawyer that I thought I should be. I had the good luck of being in touch with some of my photographer friends who knew just what they had to do to make me look not just good, but sexy too.

I am happy to tell you that the ten minutes of attorney video marketing that I got recorded and posted on the internet has become one of the most powerful advertising tools in the history of legal practice. Today, there are quite a few others like me, who want to follow in my footsteps and are trying to get to the same photographers. They are doing this because they are quite impressed with the quality of the videos and also the presentation of the entire shoot. This is probably the best thing to do.

Attorney video marketing can make an attorney increase their volume of clientele. I must inform you, it took much thought but after my first video I had viewers calling in. I am very happy with the professional person who did my video and my photographer who made me look super sexy. Attorney video marketing is definitely a useful and powerful advertising tools in legal practice.

It’s important to plan your site and how you will build your website, right down to the finest detail.  You’ll want your lawyer website to be professional and attractive, but you’ll also want it to be practical and optimized properly for the search engines.

So the first thing you’ll want to do is determine what exactly you want your website to do for your law firm.  Will it just be used for branding?  Or do you want a legal client generating machine?  Either way you’ll need to find a web design company that will work with you to produce just the right lawyer website for your firm.

A good web design company will counsel you on the best practices of web design. How to get traffic to your website, and several other up-to-date marketing strategies.  There will be lots of questions that need to be answered, such as;

• Who will provide the content for each page?
• Who will provide images?
• Will there be video included?
• Will live video shooting sessions be required?
• How many pages will be required to provide the website you need?

Then there will be questions about the web designer;

• When can you expect completion of the project?
• What kind of support will you get after the website has launched?
• Who will keep the website up to date?
• Will the designer be available for consultation  on a regular basis during the development period?

It’s wise to take your time to make sure you’re making the right decisions.  Many web designers will have portfolios you can inspect.  Although they may not be lawyer websites you’ll be able to get a feel for the type of work the designer can produce.

As the designer for referrals.  It’s one thing to show you websites they claim to have worked on, but it’s much more valuable if you can speak to the client and get some first hand information and advice in working with the prospective web designer.

When searching for the right web designer to work on your lawyer website, you can consider hiring a freelance web designer.  Some of these folks are very talented and can often save you some money.  The key of course is to find the right one that will not only provide you with the lawyer web design you’re looking for, but will make it do what you want your website to do for your law firm.  A little due diligence is in order here.

The internet is continuously changing. This means that your website will require frequent updates to keep your visitors and the search engines interested.  Usually the best person to work with you on the updates is the person who created the site.  They will understand the culture of your law firm and the marketing message you want to project.

The basic principles of a lawyer web design are pretty much the same as in all other websites.  If you take the time to find the right web designer they’ll be able to guide you through all of the confusing stuff and make your lawyer website come together smoothly and quickly.  You’ll not only end up with a lawyer website you wanted, but one that will produce actual business for your law firm.

If you’d like to know more about our lawyer web design options, you’re welcome to contact me anytime.

…it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on in the Search Engine Results Pages.

I use a lot of video for my clients and if you read my recent post: “Web Video Marketing: Easy To Do, and It Works!”
you will understand why I might be a little concerned when I heard that Google isn’t ranking video like they were.  There’s been a lot of controversy over how Google ranks video with lots of people complaining about an unfair advantage to video.  In my view there’s no unfair advantage…just use it too!

So to put any doubt to bed (at least for now), that video is still getting great rankings in the search results, here are a couple of examples that I loaded for one of my clients just last night.  As you can see we occupy most or all of the top 4 listings for each of the search terms.

What I have noticed is that there are no pictures of the videos in the results, just the text listings.  I’ve also noticed that YouTube isn’t getting the rankings.  Consistently I’m finding these sites to rank well; Dailymotion, Metacafe, and Kendin Coş video search engine, and Veoh.  You’ll also notice in the examples that Digg ranked well.

As always you’re welome to contact me with questions about this or any SEO strategy or technique noted on my site.

If you’re a client of Web Traffic Solutions then you likely understand the value of web video and have your own highly optimized YouTube channel and some other video sharing site accounts. You don’t have to be another Steven Spielberg to make video work for you.

Why It Works
There are several reasons why video is so effective but let’s start with the basic fact that people love watching online video.  If they weren’t watching it wouldn’t work.  Because people like video, Google ranks video results with priority in their search results.  So what that means is that  a properly optimized video, (keyword rich title, keyword tags, keyword description), can fairly easily out rank some pretty hefty sights in the search engines.

As an added bonus, several of the video sharing sites, including YouTube, will allow a direct link to your website from your video description, just place your hyperlink in the description like this; http://webtrafficsolutions.ca/web-video

So what do you make a video about?
Let your imagination loose.  Do a little research and find out what your customers are interested in.

Here are some thought starters;

• Product advertisement
• Welcome to My Website Video
• Product usage instructions.
• Purchase advice.
• Product comparisons.

You can make videos from live recording, compiling still shot images into a slideshow with background music and perhaps narration, or even a Powerpoint presentation.

Here are the tools I use;

Camera; Sony mini DV. Any model that uses Mini DV tapes will work just fine.  You don’t need HD however the mini HD cameras like the Flip digital  work quite well.

Editing Software; Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9

Video Converter; IM Too FLV Converter

Video Storage; Amazon S3

It takes a little time to get used to making online video but it’s fun and definitely worth the investment.

Have Fun with this!
Murray

I have the unfortunate pleasure of fixing my client’s websites.  Websites that they paid good money for, or attempted to build themselves with quick web design solutions.  Websites that are pretty much useless in terms of generating new business.

I guess I shouldn’t complain since if everyone built great websites that actually generates business, I wouldn’t have a job.  Still it hurts everytime I have to tell a client that what they’ve paid for is unlikely to produce any kind of ROI in their lifetime.

Before you make some of the same deadly mistakes, you might enjoy; “Web Design - Don’t Make These Critical Mistakes”.

I hope this article saves you some money and frustration in the web design of your new website.

Good Luck!
P.S. You really don’t need luck.  Just check out our web design solutions and give us a call.

Here are some ideas that are sure to advance your online activities, and your business in 2010.

1. Become a “Blogger”.
Your business blog must be vibrant, alive and must be updated frequently. Essentially, your blog either works or it doesn’t and there is no in between. If you are going to take advantage of this great medium and build up an avid list of followers, and potential customers, you have to produce great content - and regularly. Aim to compose a blog post every day and allocate time to interact with those who comment, as well.

2. Promote, promote, promote…
Have you ever thought about an online press release? Did you know that Google loves press releases and you’re likely to get a good ranking for your important key phrase? Why not allocate time to do one of these every month. If your business is as dynamic as it needs to be, you will have something tangible to say at least once per month and can create a press release accordingly. There are many distribution vehicles available to you, a number of which have no cost attached. We can help you with the distribution of these on a regular basis.

3. Become a Radio Star.
Have you thought about going on the radio? This is becoming a popular medium as well and you should get involved, seeking to become the voice of your particular business. As conventional radio stations are also often looking for expert guests, consider approaching a station or two. You might also consider your own online radio show. It’s easy, and very effective. Check out www.blogtalkradio.com.

4. Video is the HOTTEST!
Video marketing continues to be the hot trend. As a client of Web Traffic Solutions, you already have your own YouTube channel and video marketing distribution sites. You don’t have to be another Steven Spielberg to create a video around your subject matter. You could use a product such as PowerPoint to create a slideshow-based presentation of interest to prospects. Better still, step out in front of the camera and start talking to your potential customers. You’ll be amazed at the results.

5. Socialize. Learn Social Networking.
You surely realize by now that you must have a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account and must again allocate time to interact regularly. Research individuals, companies, groups or pages where those interested in your product or service could gather. Start interacting with those sites, their friends and followers. Many struggle with how to make Facebook and Twitter pay off in business. The secret is simple… just give your customer some information that they’ll be interested in, and let them respond to you, and discuss the topics of your business. In 2009 consumers paid more attention to advice they received from their online “friends” than their real friends and neighbours. This trend is very likely to continue in 2010.

6. Gather intelligence.
Find experts in your business!  Search for blogs to subscribe to and RSS feeds to read on a regular basis.  Find people online who can help your particular business and learn from them.  Fill up your inbox with information that will help you turn a profit.

7. You are “the man!”
You have to try and own your niche. This means that you should try and become a perceived expert. This may require you to devote time to creating targeted and educational content - articles and blog posts. Consider writing regular articles on topical subjects and distributing them to the main directory sites. Most of my clients don’t have time to sit and write. If this idea makes sense to you, send me a note and ask how we can help.

8. Be alert.
Google has a great service called, simply, “Google Alerts” You can sign up to receive daily or archived alerts about almost anything under the sun.” Whenever the keywords you specify come up within news items or blog posts online, Google will send you an e-mail to tell you.

9. Build your list.
Are you keeping up with your e-mail subscriptions? Do you have email subscribers?  Did you know that email marketing is the most effective way of direct marketing that we know of?  You need to get a means to gather email addresses and begin to offer up good information to those who are interested in your business.   Create a regularly scheduled newsletter will help to keep your name in their radar and over a period of time you will start to convert e-mail subscribers to clients.

10. Aim to make a difference.
Considering everything, 2009 was not too bad a year for Internet marketing and it appears that 2010 will be a year full of prospects. Make it the year when you finally break through and make a difference to your business online,

May you have a very Happy New Year!

Murray.

Dmoz means Directory Mozilla. It is run by a volunteer group across the globe and is one of the most important directories that you should consider when you want your web site to be listed in. It uses a variety of tools that can simplify tasks such as updating of links and editing.

Dmoz is an open directory project designed to answer the increasing demand for optimal use and advantage of the internet. It is very true that for just a couple of years, the internet has continued to grow at such a fast pace that automated search engines sometimes cannot keep up with the task of providing useful search results to the increasing number of citizens in the world wide web. Most search engines are run by commercial staffs which are limited in number as compared to the increasing number of citizens in the internet. The net result is that they cannot keep up with the submissions and provide quality and comprehensiveness all the time. The booming industry in the internet cannot be controlled; hence, Dmoz was organized to optimize, organize and provide better solutions to expected problems in the future. It is being developed by contributors and it is projected to become the ultimate and definite catalog of the web.

Dmoz is the only major directory that is free. There will never be a cost if you will get listed. This is because it was made to be free for anyone who will be agreeable to its license
and conditions.

This open directory powers major web search engines like Google, AOL Search, HotBot, Lycos, Netscape Search and others. This is because it is considered to be the most widely distributed data base of the web. It is run by editors and citizens of the net who have a better understanding of the needs of the growing population of the internet. The in-depth knowledge of these people will lead them to greater and new heights of discovery of solutions to problems expected in the future. If it is for everybody then everyone can contribute for its efficiency. You will get the benefits you ever wished for in an open directory.

Signing up is also very easy. It is not complicated. All you have to do is visit its website at http://www.dmoz.org. You can then select a category or subcategory for which your website is classified and then submit your URL. Instructions are carefully outlined. Just read and follow what is said. Sometimes it will take a few months before your web site will show up in the directory. Just be patient and there is no need to resubmit your website as this may just pose a delay in the overall process.

One thing to remember is that Dmoz is used by Google. Many other smaller search engines also use Dmoz. This means that major search engines will give popularity credit to your website if your site is already listed. Dmoz is an important link that should not be skipping. Dmoz has been around for some time and you can expect more and better results in the future.

High Pagerank Links - Link Building Consultants - Link Building Company

- Disk space will depend on what you want to put online, but normally, you will need to use less than 100M, disk space doesn’t cost you too much.
- For Email account, 100 email box will be enough and most of web hosting companies will give you it if their plan target at small business market.
- Use the basic e-commerce cart support, such as: Shopping Cart, Paypal, or SSL support.
- What about the web server location? Place the server close to your target visitor.
- Usually you’ll get a free domain in web hosting plan, and you may only want one web site.
- Support We would like to have 24/7 professional courteous support with toll free phone support to make sure the issue of your sites can be solved quickly.
- SEO Tools All web sites will need to use SEO tools to promote its site.
- Web Design Tools If you have basic knowledge about HTML, and know a tool like Frontpage, you won’t not need to have Web Design tools in your hosting plan.

Unlimited Features - The aim for your small business should be to grow, so ensure that you sign up with a hosting company that offers Unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth and unlimited domain names support.These unlimited features are not critical, but good to know that you won’t have to pay extra.

Extra Features - Look for unlimited support at no extra costs, especially if you are a beginner. Plus the ability to support various programming languages like PHP, CGI, etc. This is important and you can also be very convenient for your future. If you are planning on creating a website yourself then some companies may also offer you a free website builder software which is an excellent options for those on a tighter budget.

For many, that term conjures thoughts of websites or spamming or search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. For others, it’s all about graphical design, writing fancy code or even affiliate programs. All of those answers correct, but the essence of internet marketing is much simpler.

At its core, internet marketing is about these things:

* Understanding the target market to which the product/service/cause you’re marketing will appeal
* Determining exactly how your target market interacts with the internet
* Positioning your content on the internet to attract the attention of your target market
* Collecting information about your target market (also known as “leads”) for follow-up and conversion into sales
* Design of offers or incentives to induce the desired actions from your leads

Since there is insufficient space in this article to give all of these topics adequate attention, let’s focus on just one specific topic with the realm of internet marketing: Email Marketing.

My best payoff has always come by focusing on permission-based email marketing. Permission-based email marketing refers to the practice of collecting information (including email addresses) from website visitors and communicating with them via e-mail with their direct consent. The “permission” aspect of permission-based email marketing is what separates legitimate email marketers from the spammers that everyone despises.

My love of email marketing is strong for one reason: It works very well. Email marketing has been much like a never-ending goldmine: It enables us to produce income on demand simply by sending a good offer to our list. When you have thousands of loyal subscribers - as we do - and you put a strong and compatible offer in front of them, income becomes nearly automatic.

However, the key to successful email marketing is the development of a legitimate trust relationship with your subscribers. If you opt to send your subscribers a request for purchases every single day, they will likely tire of your badgering and cease reading your emails altogether.

Alternatively, if you take the time to provide good content to your readers on a regular and frequent basis, you’ll discover that your readers take all of your emails far more seriously, and as a result your emails will be opened, read and acted upon with greater frequency. Essentially, email marketing is really an exercise in trust.

Even though there are more sides to internet marketing than just email marketing (permission based), email has been the foundation that our business sits on.