Can DIY SEO Work For Your Business?

By Carl Weiss & Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

If you own a small business and have a website, or plan to launch a basic business website in order to get more visibility, no doubt you’ve heard about the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website. This is especially important if you plan on selling goods directly on your site.  The rub is that many times web designers spend more time fretting on form rather than function.  As a result, many websites we’ve surveyed don’t have many of the On-Page SEO elements that are needed to get properly indexed by the search engines. 

Has Google Given Everyone the Bird with its Pigeon Update?

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of www.dailymail.co.uk

Many website owners were startled in late July when their page rankings on Google suddenly flew the coop.  When the dust and feathers had cleared, it was apparent that the world's most popular search engine was once more tinkering with its algorithm.  However, it wasn't until quite recently that Google not only admitted that they had once again thrown a monkey wrench into the works, but they had also given it a name: Pigeon.  In this article, we'll discuss what "the flock" this means to businesses hoping to achieve Page One ranking on Google.  We'll also let you know how this algorithm change now affects local businesses, who previously ranked organically, may now be forced to pony up money for pay-per-click campaigns.  And that's not chicken feed.

The Hack Attack Is Back

By Hector Cisneros

Courtesy of Flickr

I’ve have been working in the computer industry since 1981, and clearly remember the very first computer virus that appeared soon after the personal computer age began. Mind you, this pre-dates the beginning of the Internet by 12 or so years. Computer viruses and hacking are nothing new. However, our dependency on a worldwide network to conduct business, (the internet) and the pervasiveness and frequency of massive hack attacks is new. So, if you want to learn who the hackers are, who's being hacked, and most importantly, how to protect yourself and your financial assets from these criminals, then read on and learn the answers to these and other questions in this week’s Working the Web to Win article, "The Hack Attack is Back.”

Six Things That Turn PPC Ads Into Advertising That Pays

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of www.networksolutions.com

When you think about it, it’s amazing that the bulk of Google’s revenue is derived from Pay-Per-

Click (PPC) advertising. I say that because many small business owners whom I speak to, who have used PPC ads, are dissatisfied with their results.  It’s not that they aren’t appreciative of the fact that PPC can generate a Page One position for their business.  It’s more that using PPC does just that and little else.  Generating a click doesn’t mean generating a lead or a sale.  It simply means generating a click, every one of which erodes your ad budget.  While some clicks will generate leads, others are spurious at best and some are just your competition spending your money. We aren't anti-PPC. In fact, we've provided many clients with successful PPC campaigns that resulted in excellent ROI. So, before you decide to declare your PPC ads DOA, there are six things you should consider. Let's start with the Ads you create.

How to Triple Your Blogs Views in 60 Days or Less

By Hector (the Connector) Cisneros

Working the Web To Win's blog Stats

So, you have a blog and you’re publishing articles on a regular basis, but you’re following and page views are growing at a snail’s pace. What do you need to do to get to the next level? Wouldn’t it be great if you could find some proven method that produced a quantum leap in growth? Would learning how to maximize your postings really help? Would learning how to use the right schedule, frequency, and time of day actually make a difference for your blog? Does sharing your posts with the right people in a coordinated manner make a difference?

How to Stop Sir Spamalot

By Carl Weiss

Courtesy of Pixabay

Do you remember Monty Python's 2005 musical comedy "Spamalot," along with its irreverent send up of the Arthurian legend?  Directed by Mike Nichols, the Broadway production garnered three Tony Awards and grossed more than $175 million..  Fast forward: Nearly ten years and that term is being applied a lot, only this time without actors clapping coconut shells, substituting for horses or the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.  What I am referring to is online spam.

The Piracy of Privacy - The Looting of Privacy in America

Privacy Lost (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Hector Cisneros

In case you haven't noticed, personal privacy, for the most part, does not exist anymore. Most large retail businesses have full surveillance systems. The highways and roads are replete with traffic cameras. Satellites watch all of our streets; our government is recording and storing our emails, texts, and phone conversations; and criminals are having a hack-a-thon on our computers and smart devices for fun and ill-gotten gains. Heck, if you have a smart watch on, Google knows when you go to the bathroom! In the book, and then movie, “Minority Report.” by Philip K. Dick and the popular science fiction TV show, “Continuum,” created by Simon Barry both forecast a world where government and business combine to produce a society where many freedoms and privacy issues are expensed in the name of the greater good. Unfortunately, the greater good is defined by a union of few powerful government officials, politicians and rich corporate executives.

Are You Ready for the BIG Game?

By Carl Weiss

When fall is just around the corner and anyone mentions “the BIG Game,” most people immediately think of   And why not?  With a viewing audience of over a hundred million people, for a sporting event that commands nearly $4 million dollars for a 30-second TV ad, this is one game that’s hard to beat.  Well, at least it is on TV.  When it comes to that other BIG Game, the online marketing game, we’re talking about a whole other arena.

the Super Bowl.