Thanks to Ian at Portent (http://www.conversationmarketing.com) for this great post:  

A very short play. The setting: A dinner party about 1 year ago. The cast: Them: An advertising exec from a traditional agency. 15+ years’ experience.

Me: You know. Curtain  

Them: “So, Ian, what do you do?”

Me: “I run an internet marketing agency.”

Them: “Oh. What’s that?”

Me: “We help companies get more leads, sales, whatever through marketing on the internet.”

Them: “What’s marketing on the internet? Buying banner ads? We tried that a few years back. We made a sweet percentage on it.”

Me: “We focus more on the stuff that drives conversions or builds audience in a measurable way: Search engines, social media, site optimization, that kind of thing.”

Them: “So, you build websites! Hey, my friend is starting a new business and needs some help with their site. They don’t have much money, but I’m sure they could send more business your way. Can I have them give you a call?”

Me: “Um, we don’t really build many sites.

We help folks improve existing sites, by making them more visible in search results, growing their audience and fixing issues that might prevent visitors from becoming customers.” Them: “…”

Me: “I help people show up higher on Google.” Them: “Ohhhhhhhh. They were talking about that on Dexter last week.” Me: (head explodes)

On page optimization is a crucial aspect of SEO, yet usually overlooked. A well-optimized page can bring a significant increase in traffic. Search engines rank websites mainly dependent on two factors: search terms relevance and web authority. On page optimization helps you empower these two critical factors. Aaron Wall, founder of SEO Book states, on-page optimization is primarily concerned with:

• Choosing the best keywords available to base your pages.
• Convincing search engines that your page is related to your chosen keywords.

Traditional on page optimization techniques don’t work anymore (e.g. stuffing keywords anywhere possible) and it is time to consider new strategies that are applicable today or suffer the consequences.

1. Unique and accurate page titles Webmasters often ignore the value of page title. This is something you shouldn’t take for granted for it is the most important aspect of on-page SEO.  Every page must have unique and accurate page titles as Google lists identical titles as “duplicates”. Google will then index the duplicates as “supplemental results.”

2. “Description” meta tag Second to page titles, this SEO component also helps get traffic onto your site after you are appearing in the results. Google, for example, uses description Meta tag as a snipped for your page in the search results. Descriptions must summarize the content of the page accurately. Same as with writing titles, make sure that descriptions must speak of the content, but most of all make sure they sell the page to the viewer.

3. Search Friendly URLs For better crawling, search-friendly URLs are recommended. URLs must appear friendlier so that users who want to link to it won’t have  hard time memorizing the link. As much as possible, use words instead of numbers. URL's with session IDs and overly long URLs are not desirable.

The Northern Office helps you get ahead of the competition by utilizing up-to-date online marketing techniques that will help you get on Google’s first page in a timely fashion. TNO focuses on online marketing support which involves website hosting target particularly for corporate websites and e-commerce websites. For further details and inquiries, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Low conversion rates means you’re not closing on your leads. That’s bad for business. Maybe, the reason why your visitors refuse to buy your products is because they don’t trust you yet.

Proving your website as a trustworthy source is critical for any online business. Without trust, it’s hard to convert potential customers to positive leads. Visitors will just leave your site and not make a purchase if they feel like your products and your site is unreliable. Not to worry, there are proven ways to resolve these trust issues. Though, others may require a little more work, below are effective ways to help you build trust with your visitors.

1. Make your website attractive and engaging. Your website should display professionalism and detailed. If it looks like your website is rushed, then will view your site as amateurish and careless.

2. Create flawless navigation. Navigation should be simple. Avoid too many links or your visitors might get overwhelmed.  Use drop down lists, scroll bars and so on. Choose whatever is appropriate for your website. Don’t make it any harder for your visitors to see your products.

3. Add a bit of personality. Web visitors feel more comfortable with sites that have a human element to them. Add your own pictures, writing styles to add a personal touch. 4. Add new content regularly. Don’t make your readers find sources elsewhere. Update your website regularly with relevant, timely and informative content.

5. Build a community. Building your own community of loyal readers is the heart and core of your website. Your community helps you build trust and authority in your niche.

6. Add an About Us Page. Let your visitors know that you are a real human with real goals and philosophies. This will make them trust you more. Your About Us page does not need to be very detailed. You can tell a short a story of how you started and what you have achieved so far.

7. Create a Contact Us Page. Not only it is easy to create, a contact page allows you to receive feedback and promotional ideas.

8. Be honest. Lying is probably the worst thing you can do to your site. It’s an instant kill. Readers are smart enough to research your claims or ask people about you.

9. Include Creditable Certificates. This is critical for e-commerce websites. If you own one, adding BBB or McAfee hacker Safe will help your buyers feel more secure in purchasing.

10. Connect using social networking profiles. Let your visitors know more about you. Add social media buttons on your website and let users interact with you. This is also helpful in gaining more readers and retaining regular readers.

11. Comment on readers’ comments. Readers like to feel appreciated. Do this by commenting on their comments. Start fun and meaningful conversations to keep them engaged and wanting for more.

12. Include testimonials, case studies or reviews. Readers won’t trust you at first glance. Back your claims with customer testimonials or reviews to help potential customers decide to purchase your products or services. Is your website trustworthy enough? This comparison chart/checklist below will help you evaluate you trust scale.  

Source: SEOmoz Daily SEO Blog (www.seomoz.org)  

The Northern Office Innovative Marketing is an independent sales and marketing consultancy firm in the Philippines with clients based worldwide. TNO’s dynamic web development team can help improve your website trust by implementing appropriate and effective strategies. Services include sales support, online marketing, content design, social media management, content development, back office support, e-mail campaigns, and marketing consultancy. For inquiries, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..