What’s What with SEO?

By Hector Cisneros

Image courtesy Pixabay

Having been an online marketer since the early 1990’s I know a thing or two about Search Engine Optimization, otherwise known as SEO.  I know that it’s important to being found on the search engines.  I know that it’s a time-consuming task to keep all your online asset’s SEO up to date.  I also know that companies spend a lot of money needlessly with so called “SEO Experts” who pocket client’s money while doing little or nothing to improve the optimization of client sites.  The problem is that SEO has changed so radically during the past decade that it’s hardly recognizable anymore.  The real question that all business owners should ask any SEO guru before they shell out one red cent is, “What do I get for my money.”

The Tao of SEO Revisited and Revised.

Courtesy of Pixabay

By Hector Cisneros

Six years ago, my business partner wrote an excellent article about how back in 2012, most SEO experts claimed, (what seemed to the average businessman) supernatural knowledge of what worked in search engine optimization. They almost always spoke in the cryptic vocabulary of their industry, making it difficult for any businessperson to understand what they were doing. To make matters worse, it was common at that time to gain search ranking through the use of so-called black hat trickery. This is something that is still used occasionally today. It used to be widespread. In fact, SEO has evolved into a multifaceted marketing endeavor with many moving parts. Any expert who tells you they know exactly how it all works is at best stretching the truth. There is a Taoist saying that goes, “Those who know do not say, and those who say do not know. In this episode of Working the Web to Win, we will explore what has evolved from what once worked in SEO marketing to what works today. My business partner’s article written in 2012 was ahead of its time since it foresaw many of the things that are required for success today. So, get ready to delve into search engine marketing from a whole new perspective as we explore “The Tao of SEO Revisited and Revised”.

Free Cool Google Tools to Raise Your Ranking

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Pixabay

If you ask about the cost of doing SEO work, most businesses will tell you that outsourcing your SEO work is costly and time-consuming. You don’t normally hear people say, “yeah, it’s easy to do, and I use these free tools.”  Well, what if I told you Google provides a number of software tools to improve visitor experience, make your website convert better and raise your search engine ranking. Would you use them? In this episode of Working the Web to Win we will highlight and explore more than a dozen online software tools. Google provides these tools free for any would-be internet marketers. So, fire up another browser tab and get your mouse ready to click on some cool tools as we explore Google’s free SEO tools and apps to raise your ranking.

The Zen of Search Marketing

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

Around 2010 internet marketing had reached a crossroads where what had once worked for getting found in Search had reached a tipping point. A perfect storm if you will. If you did your research, you’d know that Google had reached Search Engine dominance by partnering with Yahoo in 2000, acquiring key web properties like Blogger (2003) and YouTube (2006) and launching its AdSense platform. Google also fortified its position by acquiring many other useful web properties, tools, and add-ons. Google topped this off by winning the latest browser wars with Chrome, which finally displaced the internet Explorer after it had held the dominant position for over 14 years. This was the coup de gras for its competitors, and today its search dominance is so strong that it is almost impossible to displace. However, the internet has evolved into a multi-segmented arena. Fast forward to 2017, and you have the search engine market, The social Arena, the video arena, the news arena, the blogging market, email marketing, digital press releases and much more. Today’s Search Marketing has evolved way past on-page search engine optimization. It now requires a lot of off web page work to build a brand, drive traffic, create buzz, build credibility and make sales. Google has stated publicly that you must provide the best user experience for the visitor. This is also true in the social arenas in blogging and any other venue you're engaged in when marketing. In this episode of Working the Web to Win we will dissect the current state of Search Marketing, discuss it’s must-have elements, its segmented arenas and provide the reader with tips and techniques to achieve search marketing success. So, get into your Zen posture, and get ready to start taking notes as we study the Zen of Search Marketing.