Speaking at Content Marketing World 2013

I’m excited about being selected to speak on search engine optimization (SEO) at Content Marketing World 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The conference spans four days, including a day for specialized workshops, two days of sessions and a final day with a series of summits on health care, manufacturing and other topics.

I’m scheduled to speak on “45 SEO Tips and Tools for Content Marketing” on September 11.

Register today and be sure to use this promo code: MurrayCMW for a discount.

Save $50 on Our Navigator Online Marketing Plan for Small Business Owners

Today we’re introducing a $50 discount for the Navigator Online Marketing Plan designed for small businesses that want a custom audit and not just an automated report.

If you’re interested in small business marketing, just mention Promo Code OMP2013 when we call you to get started.

You can learn about the plan and contact us with a short form (not one of those endless forms that ask you everything). We will honor the code until May 31, 2013.  Or, call me directly at 216-533-0933.

Small businesses often find themselves at a crossroads. They’ve tried some online marketing strategies, but they’ve never been satisfied with the results. The Navigator Online Marketing Plan provides the perspective they need to get their bearings and make the next move.

The Internet is jam-packed with free reports that companies crank out in seconds, but small businesses need personalized guidance. With the assessment, we help a small business owner size up his company’s strengths and weaknesses and recommend the best ways to generate more leads and sales.

With the one-time plan, small businesses get:

- Target market analysis
- Competitor analysis
- Keyword research
- Baseline keyword ranking report
- Assessment of web site design (calls to action and conversion potential)
- Technical SEO audit
- Analysis of web site visitor trends
- Evaluation of existing online marketing efforts
- Specific recommendations based on the company’s web site, budget, goals and team

The Navigator Online Marketing Plan allows a small business executive to understand:

- What he (or his team) can do
- When training may be needed
- When it makes sense to bring on a consultant

Small businesses sometimes don’t do anything because they fear they won’t get a good ROI. When they consider getting some direction, small business owners get sticker shock when they find out how much agencies charge.

It doesn’t do any good to just get a quick report with bunch of numbers and grades like A or F and no guidance. Recommendations should be based on what a small business really needs to be more competitive.

Don’t just speculate on what might work. Create a plan that outlines the most practical opportunities.

Great Collection of SEO Tools – Online Marketing Experts

Powered By Search created an excellent post by getting 17 experts in the SEO arena to share their favorite SEO tools.

I weighed in as well (I appreciate being included). See “3 Must-Have SEO Tools: 17 SEO Experts Weigh In.”

As expected, some of the tools were repeated, but the post did a good job of citing enough online marketing experts to get varied opinions about the same SEO tools and include a wide range of free and paid resources worth exploring.

I love tools and check out many. Some unfortunately sit on the “to do” pile. I have organized hundreds of them in an Excel and will share them at times with my blog and in my new book, “Stop Wishing. Start Winning. How Small Businesses Can Win Big with Online Marketing.” It should be out soon.

I have heard of the Screaming Frog SEO Spider Tool (mentioned by others). I will check it out.

Really? Keyword Spam Makes a Splash

I look at hundreds of web sites every week and I’m not surprised by much. Usually it’s a creative domain name or graphic that catches my attention.

A couple years ago, one spa web site included an animated graphic with a cat giving another happy cat a massage. It was freakishly odd, especially the yellow towel on one of the cat’s heads.

What I saw today wasn’t as peculiar as much as it was senseless.

It was keyword spam city on a splash page for SEO. I hate splash pages, but this one took it to a new level. I’ll spare the web site by showing you only part of the page (a very small part of this mess). After a few seconds, the page redirects to the “real” home page for what appears to be a very established assisted living center.

Why would a web marketer risk having the site delisted just to throw in a bunch of redundant keywords?

OK, so maybe they rank well – for now – because search engines don’t automatically size up these tactics and kick them out.

But this is the first impression? Really?

The facility shows a visitor absolutely nothing except a bunch of words you don’t want to read and “Skip Intro” text that shouts: “Ignore This Web Site Because We Just Annoyed You.”

Maybe competitors have already gone to the Webmaster Tools Google Spam Report.

I’m left wondering why a company president or marketer would let this splash “tactic” persist for SEO. I guess they figure that it’s only a few seconds and impatient Internet searchers will miraculously become patient and look forward to what lies behind this first page.

I still insist that no web site can be perfect – there will always be flaws. But some decisions need to be challenged and fixed.

How often do you encounter keyword spam?