SEO – NOT A FAD!

July 12, 2011 | by Dar Sojka | 1 comment

Okay by now you know SEO is here to stay.

It’s not a fad like leisure suits (never been a fan) or bell-bottoms (loved them!) of the 1970’s that disappear or take a long hiatus – (bell bottoms are back baby!).

So how and where do you begin your SEO journey?

I’m often asked this question and my answer is … by getting intimate. And 99.9% of the time I get the same response…’what do you mean by getting intimate?’

Get to know, in-depth, not only your company but also your:
• Customers, and
• Competitors

I cannot stress the importance of this step. And I’m not going to lie. This is a long process and you may not like some of the information uncovered. But if you do not know your company, your customers, and your competition, intimately, then how can you:
• Know what your company truly has to offer – products and services – and more importantly, what they do not offer…but should;
• Know who your customers are…and their needs; and
• Know what you do better than your competition…or do worse!

WHAT IS SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) according to Wikipedia is the process of improving the visibility of a website or web page in search engines via the ‘natural’ or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results.

So … what does that mean? It means getting a potential customer to your website via organic or unpaid means. If done correctly your website will receive a high ranking on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). A high ranking gives your company the exposure it needs to increase the amount of visitors to your website, therefore increasing your ROI.

An increase in your ROI could mean an increase in – sales, visitors to your website, visitors downloading white papers, etc. – there are many ways to measure your ROI.

For your site to receive a high ranking from search engines (major players are Google, Bing and Yahoo) it must have pertinent keywords/phrases placed throughout the website, META tags, links and other social media avenues.

How do you know which search terms/phrases to use? Ah ha…that is where ‘getting intimate’ is so important!

Next blog I’ll go into more detail on how ‘getting intimate’ leads to targeted SEO.

In the meantime what were the fads when you were growing up? Any you really miss? Any you hope never return?

I’m out to get a new pair of bell-bottoms before they go on hiatus again!

Take care, be happy and stay tuned!

This Is Smart Marketing

April 20, 2011 | by Dar Sojka | 3 comments

Honestly when I was told Exsel was starting a blog as part of their new website and we would all be participating I thought to myself “THIS IS SMART MARKETING!”

I’m Dar and have been with Exsel for over five years. I consider myself one of the lucky ones because I truly like what I do! Daily I interact with phenomenal clients, outstanding vendors, and our spectacular Exsel Team. I’m certified in SEO and truly intrigued with the whole concept. It’s cool because I get to use my creative and analytic skills concurrently to give rise to a more search engine friendly final product. Of course SEO is an on-going learning experience and in coming months I will share some of my thoughts with you.

As an agency, working hand in hand with a company to create their brand is genuinely exhilarating and fulfilling. There are so many variables involved and the process can be an eye opening experience to the client. As I was pondering this process it dawned on me that everyone starts branding themselves at a very young age.

Everything you do is part of your brand – this is true no matter if the brand is for a company or if the brand is for you personally. Thinking about it I realize when I was three or four years of age I already knew if I wanted long or short hair…if I preferred to wear dresses or pants…and if I enjoyed playing with dolls or trucks. No doubt there were certain colors, books and food that I was drawn to. All those ‘choices’ became part of who I am – yours become part of who you are…they say to the world this is who I am or this is what my company stands for – and this is how I/we should be perceived!

Before working in advertising and marketing I never thought of branding or the fact that everyone does it…I did it. And just like a company over the years will change who they are…we all change who we are. When I was five I was different than I was at 15…. at 25…and again at 40 (but hey let’s stop here with my age reference!!), you all get the point. We live in an ever-changing world and we should embrace it…who you are today most likely will not be who you are in ten years. That people is powerful!

Consider your brand and who you are. How do your family, friends and co-workers see you? Is this who you want to be? If it is congratulations! If it’s not…change it…reinvent.

I recently read a story about a little girl with Down Syndrome. Her mother asked her how she stays so happy and she said, “I just do…if you want to be happy just choose to be happy,” so simplistic – yet so smart. Just choose to be how and who you want to be…enjoy your life.

I welcome any comments to this little Dar “insight.” Take care, be happy and stay tuned!