Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Call-to-Action-Reader-Response-and-Conversion.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Call-to-Action-Reader-Response-and-Conversion.html There is a fine line that separates those who continually dial in the pulse of an industry and can summarize and provide value and pique the curiosity of their readers vs. someone who for lack of better terms fails to hit their target. If you are clueless about the pages with the highest traffic and reader retention in your site, it may be time to parse your server logs or take the time to set up analytics software to glean the needs of your audience and get the gist of what they enjoy about your content. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Small-Business-SEO.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Small-Business-SEO.html Do you have a small business that has to compete with larger corporate conglomerates vying for market share on a daily basis? If you said no, then you may need to reconsider your niche. If you said yes, then search engine optimization is something worth investigating. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Survival-in-the-SERPs-Search-Engine-Result-Pages.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Survival-in-the-SERPs-Search-Engine-Result-Pages.html There is something about using distinct visual analogies to illustrate parallels between search engines (the jungle), traffic (information foragers), competition (predators) and survival in the algorithmic food chain. Just like a jungle, survival in the SERPs (search engine results pages) can be tricky. The uncertainty of search engine algorithms, the survival based impulses that by default comprise 97% of the web pages at large (like playing capture the flag) or a boobie-trap where one step on the wrong twig and you could be consumed, penalized, suppressed, catapulted or removed from the top 10 based on your SEO survival skills, your resourcefulness or your experience in the jungle. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/User-Engagement--the-Most-Important-Metric.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/User-Engagement--the-Most-Important-Metric.html As a result of the information age reaching unprecedented levels of exchange, creating a comfortable user experience is worth more exponentially in contrast to the means used to initially develop the traffic. With so many options and users suffering from information overload, user engagement is the cornerstone of developing a successful online brand. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Link-Building-and-Link-Development.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Link-Building-and-Link-Development.html Depending on your link building and development strategy, finding the right link velocity (the rate in which you acquire or lose links) can determine how your pages rank respectively in search engines. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Selecting-the-Right-Keywords-for-Battle.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Selecting-the-Right-Keywords-for-Battle.html Before you scream “charge” and run into battle without a game plan, you need to know what you are up against. Sites that occupy the top 10 spots in Google, Yahoo and MSN have one thing in common, lots of links, the proper mixture of on-page and off-page SEO and an added element of trust & authority (such as a Noble Knight, a Duke or a Sir) allowing them to outrank millions of competing pages with ease. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Using-SEO-to-Create-an-800-Pound-Gorilla.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Using-SEO-to-Create-an-800-Pound-Gorilla.html It doesn’t matter if you are a fortune 500, fortune 100 or mom and pop shop, the results are the same if you apply the fundamentals of Basic SEO to garner the interest of search engine spiders for your content. Granted the resources are in favor of the company with deep pockets (as they can dedicate more man or woman power to the promotion process), but the underlying message is, not to be discouraged by those who may have got the jump on you and started months or years in advance. It is possible to catch up or surpass those who rest on their laurels in the search engine index, it is just a matter of content quality, the frequency of adding new content or resources and traffic. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Search-Engine-Marketing--Attention-and-Visitor-Retention.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Search-Engine-Marketing--Attention-and-Visitor-Retention.html With consumer attention receding and search engines and search engine marketing evolving, finding the right the balance for visitors who are constantly bombarded by advertisements, offers, incentives, deals and brand exposure has made prospects less responsive to traditional marketing ploys. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/ClickTriggers-Content-and-Appealing-to-Emotional-Impulse.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/ClickTriggers-Content-and-Appealing-to-Emotional-Impulse.html Emotional triggers are the source of conversion, there is a person behind each computer monitor and mouse (aside from spiders, bots and scripts) which essentially perform three mental decisions when introduced to an ad, link or search result (1) Evaluate and Assess the Value (2) Act on the Proposed Impulse and Click it or (3) Ignore the Stimuli and Move Along. http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Combining-SEO-and-Usability-for-Holistic-Search-Marketing.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/SEO/1284/Combining-SEO-and-Usability-for-Holistic-Search-Marketing.html Some things just work better together, SEO and (user centered design) otherwise known as UX or usability are two of them. It is only a matter of time before search engine optimization evolves to encompass usability standards and practices for on page optimization to engage the target audience and increase user engagement and retention.