Author: centexitguy Page 103 of 142

Responsive Web Design And SEO

On November 23, 2013

November 23, 2013

Mobile websites have gone on to become an indispensable part of SEO, which makes it essential for business owners to have a mobile version of their websites, specially adapted for small screens, and with fast load times. Responsive web design offers business owners the advantage of having a website that is tailored to small screens, without actually having to create a separate website.

The first question that arises when business owners consider responsive web design is what exactly it is and how it differs from a mobile site. Responsive web design simply means a web design that works totally fine whether you load it on a desktop or through a mobile browser. With responsive web design, your website automatically rescales as per the required page size. A mobile website on the other hand, despite being a lightweight version of the site does not have most of the elements included on the actual web page.

Another common doubt is whether opting for responsive web design over a traditional mobile site leverages a high SEO value in the eyes of Google. When both these options are compared from an SEO point of view, responsive web design scores above a mobile website. This is primarily because of the multiple issues that can possibly arise in the SEO strategies of your website when creating a mobile version of the page. This could happen if you do not apply the rel=canonical and other such technical aspects on your mobile website correctly.

On the other hand, when it comes to a website that adopts responsive design, you have a lot less to worry about from the SEO perspective, since the website retains the same URL on all devices. This is contrary to a mobile website which has a different URL, such as mobile.example.com or m.example.com, which increases the chances of the PageRank getting divided between those two URLs. With responsive web design, you are working with the same URL all through, eliminating the possibility of the PageRank getting divided.

As a conclusion, it is evident that there are fewer chances of having to face SEO-related issues when adopting responsive web design, as compared to opting for a lightweight mobile version of the site. However, having said that, a website’s mobile version can work just as well, without impacting the SEO strategies of the business, as long as the webmaster applies the tools provided by Google for mobile websites, to ensure that they are safeguarded from issues like duplicate content and split PageRank.

Google Hummingbird And Website Content

By centexitguy

On November 18, 2013

In Internet marketing, SEO Marketing

November 18, 2013

The Google Hummingbird update has made people rethink about the authority of content, and redefine strategies for keyword relevance and link building. The basis of this update is that Google wants to produce more relevant and informative results to its users, which makes it obvious that the emphasis for high SERP ratings on Google is content that is relevant and informative. The following tips guide you on how to create new website content, or modify your existing content after the hummingbird update:

The first step is to peruse your current content, keeping in mind what your target audience is likely to be searching for and thinking of. As opposed to thinking in keyword phrases, start thinking in conversational phrases. See if using complete titles instead of keyword-rich ones can improve traffic to your website. Also, emphasize on long-tail keywords with a key understanding of your target users’ search patterns.

Create standalone content. Make sure that each article has its own central concept, and has something unique to share. This is opposed to the conventional SEO technique of creating multiple articles with the same theme and then linking them to a tent pole article.

Lay special emphasis on headlines. Ideally, you should name all the digital content on your website, right from blog posts and videos to info-graphics. Use numbers whenever possible. For instance “11 great ways to…” Also, try using action words over nouns. The focus should be on the action resulted from the content, instead of merely describing what it is about.

The key to creating successful website content from a Google Hummingbird standpoint is making sure that every piece of content is a well-balanced mixture of sales, customer support, company information, and education.

Links remain the consistent SEO authority signals amidst all of Google’s updates, which emphasizes on the need to have a natural link-building program in place. Working on building a strong social media presence through your website content is a good way to do this. Even though this is not likely to generate links directly, but it can go a long way in building an audience for your brand, which can in turn help to generate high-quality links through relationship building and asking.

Follow this content marketing plan consistently, and make sure that all the content you update on your website is fresh and relevant.

How To Get High Online Sales During Christmas Season

By centexitguy

On November 13, 2013

In Internet marketing

November 8, 2013

A large percentage of annual retail revenue is earned during the holiday shopping season, making it important for online retailers to up their game during this pivotal period. The process of getting high sales conversions involves short-term strategies, which can lead to an immediate boost of sales, as well as all-year round efforts that can help maximize conversions and boost revenue. Here’s a look at some efficient steps you can take to make the most of the online discount period.

Use real-time dynamic offers to prevent cart abandonment: With users making huge purchases during the discount period, cart abandonment is a highly common occurrence. This happens when a user selects items to add to their cart, but takes longer than usual to complete the purchase. Real-time dynamic offers like free shipping, an additional discount, or product scarcity could serve as the final nudge that they need to seal the deal.

Adopt active up-selling methods: Up-selling refers to the process of offering a customer to buy an additional product once they have completed adding items to their cart and are ready to complete the order. There are several ways to do this, such as cross selling, in which you can market related items to the ones purchased by the customer. You can also offer free shipping or a discount upon purchases of a certain value. Another method is volume pricing, which refers to offering a third item free upon the purchase of two similar items, or offering special prices for certain quantities.

Encourage visitors to subscribe: Being able to convert visitors into subscribers is half the battle won. Even though the visitor might not want to make a purchase the first time they visit your website, being able to establish a link of communication with them can help to boost revenues during the discount period. A few ways to encourage users to subscribe include offering them a special coupon code, newsletter, free e-book, etc. in exchange for their email address.

Test your smart offers: Begin a smart offer campaign well before Cyber Monday, starting off with two offers, say 10 percent off and free shipping, and analyzing user metrics to see which is more popular. Over the following week, pit the more popular of the two, say 10 percent off, against, another offer, like say, a free gift. Following this analysis will help you have a hierarchy of offer results just in time for the online discount period.

For Online Marketing of your store, call us at Centex Technologies – (855) 375-9654

How To Protect Your Computer From Viruses Or Other Security Issues While Traveling

By centexitguy

On October 29, 2013

In IT Support

October 29, 2013

A vast majority of virus attacks on personal computers happen while traveling, which emphasizes the need to adopt security measures while using your computer on the go. Thankfully, it just takes a few simple steps to significantly increase your computer’s protection, and keep it safeguarded from viruses and other internet bots. Here’s a look at some of the best ways to keep your computer safe from viruses and other security issues while traveling:

Do not update software on public Wi-Fi systems: Before setting out on your trip, make sure that you have updated the operating system and software on your computer. Do not carry out any updates while accessing the internet through a public Wi-Fi hotspot, such as that in a hotel room. This could lead to cyber criminals installing malware that grants them access to all the data on your computer. Some of these programs can even enable the hacker to turn on the webcam on your computer and monitor all your activities.

Make sure you have an antivirus system intact: As obvious as it might seem, a large number of people tend to overlook the need for installing antivirus software on the computers. While this is important for your computer’s security in general as well, it is especially important for the increased protection you need while traveling.

Have a data backup: It is always a good idea to ensure that you have a backup for all the important data you need, before travelling with your computer. This data can be stored on the cloud or in a hard drive, and can be easily retrieved in case your computer gets stolen or gets infected with a virus.

Only use WPA2-encrypted networks: Before using a hotel network, make sure that it is encrypted with WPA2. You can easily tell whether a network is WPA2-encrypted or not, while adding the password for the network in your wireless settings. WEP and WPA networks are best avoided, and should be used only if you have no other option and desperately need to access the internet.

Use VPN to access your company’s network: If you need to access your company’s network while travelling, it is a good idea to do so through the VPN, or Virtual Public Network. Since VPNs only allow authenticated remote access, this will keep your private information protected.

For planning your office network and to know more about how to keep your computer secure, call us at – (855) 375-9654

Google Mugshot Update

By centexitguy

On October 24, 2013

In Tech Buzz

October 24, 2013

The NY times article titled “Why Google Should Crack Down Harder On The Mugshot Extortion Racket” by Jonathan Hochman served as a “major spark” for Google’s latest update, the Mugshot update, according to Google’s head of search spam, Matt Cutts. The algorithm, which was released on Thursday, is Google’s attempt to take action against rampant mugshot sites, which are structured in a way that made them rank at the first position for search results of the names of people whose mugshots have landed on these sites.

These websites work by gathering information of convicted individuals from law enforcement websites and government databases, and publishing these arrest details and photographs on their landing pages. In most cases, the arrests do not lead to guilty charges or trials, but this information is not included on the mugshot sites. This leads to a paid unpublishing scam, since when the individuals in question search for their names on Google, and see these results coming up, they are often ready to pay huge amounts to bring them down. This procedure involves paying multiple “mugshot removing” websites amounts ranging from $30-$400 to have the information removed, which is a clear violation of the personality rights of these individuals.

The update is causing these mugshot sites to lose a huge amount of their traffic, and search results for names of affected individuals no longer include the mugshot sites. This comes as a huge relief for people who have their mugshots online, since this came in the way of everything, right from getting a job to renting an apartment. What was worse was that several people reported that their mugshots became available on several other mugshot sites after they paid to get them removed from one.

Google’s mugshot update will go a long way in giving these people, many of whom were found innocent, had charges dismissed, had committed a minor crime, or had their record expunged on completing a treatment program, a second chance at a normal life. Before the update, people had to worry about being tainted online long after they were declared clean by the law. Even though several states including Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Utah have been trying to pass laws against what is rightly described as the “Mugshot Extortion Racket”, most of these laws are still hanging midway, awaiting court rulings. Google has successfully managed to bring an end to the long wait, solving the problem in a single sweep.