Google loves SPEED, great FREE tool to shake the dust off your website.

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Paul AKA Philadelphia Sales Guru

So I enjoy being a fly on the wall at times in meetings and conferences and just soak up knowledge that is floating around.

One thing with SEO, search engine optimization, is it is CONSTANT. Google changes monthly, weekly and at time daily. Not only that others are fighting for your market space or your keywords. So re-run all your tools you have collected, like Batman, have a belt of tools. Sidenote, ever see the Batman movie from the 60′s when Batman is punching a plastic shark dangling from helicopter and pulls out shark repellant? C’mon, really….he carries that? Okay, back to the point.

Google loves speed, the faster you are the better it is for everyone. Listening to someone, Chris from a local SEO company, and he reminded us Google results need processing powering and the less time they have to churn out the results the better. Google in case studies will reward faster sites in the head to head battles for keywords.

What slows down a site? Chunky coding, off-site requests like different data sources but the big slap in the face…..GRAPHIC images.

Reminded of a tool that is free, http://www.webpagetest.org/

I ran the free test on my client’s site and got 4.433s load time.

Okay, what next? I do not need to be a heavy duty coder to see some top results that I could understand, google and addthis were sucking up some time. Then some large times were used up like hogs, what were they? IMAGES.

I saw three files that were taking their sweet time to load. I checked my server and saw the three files were kinda of “meaty” and the past website designer just did not compress the raw files. Total size 151kb for all three, in life no big deal but for Google….well you will see the results.

So I locally took the files into Adobe Photoshop, but any free graphic program even Paint can work, and cut and compressed them. File sizes now? 20kb. Images were not too shabby and just eye candy for the website anyway.

I uploaded the images on-site and then fired up Expressions to change the coding of the website to reflect the new images, I took it a step further and rename for some keywords I’m gaining traffic for.

So the files are done and I have a new fresh cup of coffee…most important.

Reran the scan on my client’s site now….. 2.467s. Nice, shaved off 2 seconds on my load time and I’m under the goal of everyone’s load time of 3 seconds or faster. True I can work on the site more and gain even more time off but for now this is a great tool and method that EVERYONE can do.

Here is the snapshot of the new scan, I wished I had the old one….I just attacked first and solve problems….always forgetting those case studies :)

 

Google loves a fast loading website

Waterfall test, remember TLC's song?

 

Enjoy and do this now! Record your load times and comment on the blog with your changes! Let’s see if anyone can meet me? A friendly challenge!

 

Best rankings!

 Paul

Posted in SEO & Internet Marketing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

#1 Spot on GOOGLE – Plus a Free Set of Steak Knives, but wait there’s more.

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Paul AKA Philadelphia Sales Guru

I have been in internet marketing for over a decade now. I started way when keyword stuffing was the “hot” thing to do, great, tons of non-targeted target. I guess I was the reason Google was made?

Anyway, almost every day in email or LinkedIn I get the usual claims of for $200 I can be King of internet world. Wow, how can I pass that up?! I mean I do not have to change my coding on my website, produce exciting content or work with obtaining links anymore? Yup, I can be #1 tomorrow for a keyword longer then my college essay.

Folks, if you build it they will come right? Not really but if you provide a GREAT service or product and post it then most of the time they will come. Build CONTENT. I just produce a video series with a client and before we really launched it the traffic was hitting the landing pages we included on the series. Why? It’s stellar content and provides some great information. Plus I used my past knowledge for some killer marketing built-in, insert praise here.

The main problem is doing everything right, making sure your content is SEEN and in some cases HEARD.

Working with a SEO agency like mine we take the time to show your “the ropes”.  This is not a plug nor do I mention our company. I am just informing you the reader of what really matters, a MESSAGE. Once you have the message is it being circulated on the internet properly? Is your blog setup? Right code or headers on your pages? Links with the right anchor tags?

more crazy seo claims

As Seen On TV SEO Services?

I really believe most businesses starting up with learning SEO or internet marketing should hire someone to set up their advertising avenues CORRECTLY. If I had a nickel for every client or prospect that I have encountered that has been down the wrong path…..well, I can buy more ICED Coffees!

Top Points :

1 – WRITE / Produce Unique CONTENT.

2 – Circulate the content the RIGHT WAY.

3 – Stop with the shortcuts, LEARN SEO/Internet marketing or partner with a company that shows you.

I would love to hear the most blatant claims with a SEO or rankings that you have heard, please comment below.

Best rankings my friends.…send me some steak knives when you reach the top!

Paul

Posted in SEO & Internet Marketing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The boss or work is awful, YOU CHOOSE IT, What about HOPE in the workplace?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Paul AKA Philadelphia Sales Guru

I pause tonight to reflect on one message of HOPE I would like to share.

My last message about YouTube or video placement for your business reached a audience of 1,305 visitors according to Google. I will resume my best business practices on the next post.

I hope this touches a handful or even the 1 reader that might take meaning from this post.

The boss shut the door on my face and shut his blinds on his windows. My manager barely acknowledges me in the hall and rather pretend to be reading his blackberry even while I was the top salesman for the month. The Human Resources department is aloof and always unavailable. My sales manager constantly belittles me while I show the company nothing but hard work and long work. The person that interviewed or I report too has one tenth of my knowledge.

STOP IT.

YOU CHOOSE THIS.

Benjamin Haines coined this powerful phrase. Top notch car salesman I had the pleasure of working with and one heck of a shoe collection.

What can you learn at work?

I hope you pass this message along!

Okay, times in this economy are tough. Reports of “cattle car” interviews. Meetings with encouraging words like, “We have tons of people dying for your job”. I know we all have bills, families, dreams. The cost of gas, etc, etc. I know we are expecting a answer like I have a get rich system where you can work from home in your slippers.

YOU CHOOSE THE NEGATIVE OUTLOOK.

What do you have to be THANKFUL FOR?

The relationships with your co-workers? Relationships with your clients? The experience of what to do or what NOT TO DO. Even in the worse places or situations I have seen positive learning or people come forward. I personally have had NO’s thrown in my face in a sales role every single day but all it takes is a YES. What did I learn with all those NO’s? What not to say or offer.

My friends even as a young man standing in the hot sun at a recycling plant sorting metals from plastic and the swarms of flies attacking me I learned something. What I did not want to do for the rest of my life.

I challenge you to encourage others and reply back to this post with one example of how you choose to take something so negative but turned into either a learning experience or a positive one.

Remember, be thankful for each and every opportunity, it molds the beautiful person you CHOOSE to be.

Regards,

Paul

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The videos are awful and your customers can not find you, close the business up.

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Paul AKA Philadelphia Sales Guru

So I has talking to a old friend that runs the largest video production company in the Philadelphia, PA area the other day. Great guy and I live next door to him and hard working until all hours of the night. We were catching up and while we were talking I scanned his search results for some basic keywords and couldn’t find him at all. Okay, this is a video production group that serves countless business and local politicians, even Jerry Geator, Philly folks would know him. I searched video results and blended my search.

I found nothing.

Well, I did find others were posting his work and barely mentioned him or his company. So while he was the video king of Philadelphia he failed to have even branded videos online. So needless to say we are working on correcting this and here is some points to focus on your own video campaign and the benefits of actually doing seo marketing with video!

 

1 – Start a YouTube Channel – Tailor the background and add some basic, if not the whole kitchen sink, company information and more importantly the link back to your site. YouTube is a huge traffic source, want to pass up the link juice for SEO for that?

Open a YouTube Channel

Your own Branded Channel

2 – Produce a clear message for the video or each one you produce. If your competition has a video and you do not, you lose. This could be a college friend with a iMac shooting the video with a borrowed friend’s video camera in back of a conference closet or a full blown production suite. Just start with something.

3 – Length – please do not bore your audience with a sermon, it’s okay for me to say that, my father’s a pastor. I made the mistake of allowing a short prayer the other night with him and he sucker punched me with a ten minute prayer listing every family’s member name. Anyway, keep the video 30 seconds to 1 minute. Think of the length of a commercial on tv now.

4 – Message – Like avoid the long winded sales pitch. Folks are searching for a solution for a need or want. Offer some tip and then lead them back to your website.

5 – Image – I love being trendy with my mom jeans and all that but what image do you want your prospects to see? A guy pitching important information in a baseball cap might not be the best idea, unless you are selling cow manure or something. Picture your prospects and mirror them, save the hipster or too cool for you for the weekends.

Look your best on camera

Save cool for the weekend!

6 – Title and tagging your video – Make sure to include the keywords your customers might try to find you in the title, avoid stuffing company name until the end. The description field is wide open and try to include a brief notes of what the video or your company does. Include a hyperlink for your website in there as well.

 

I can go on for hours but do this and the following will happen.

1 – Customers can find you with increase search results with this added “real estate” online.

2 – Generate a buzz and raise your companies’ brand awareness.

3 – Get the opportunity to talk with prospects and have your message across various media, including smart phones, tablets, etc.

 

Sit down today and make it happen, get off the sidelines and into the game.

Call me directly as my company and myself would be glad to dive into conversions with this topic and help as well. Call anytime 215-301-6303

The best person part of YouTube? My personal treasure – Robyn’s Playlist. ENJOY!

Posted in SEO & Internet Marketing | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Spammy Facebook Likes will lead to BUYING CUSTOMERS, Eventually.

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Paul AKA Philadelphia Sales Guru

So you are starting up a new website or social media campaign, finally joined the online world eh?

Besides learning how to be effective who are your speaking too? Your company page has 5 Likes on Facebook and most are family members? You need a audience? You need your clients and most importantly PROSPECTS.

A real world example: Driving by a two restaurants, one with a packed parking lot and then other with 3 or 4 cars out front. New to the area and both places are unknown, human nature would lead you to choose a packed or “happening” eatery.

The same goes for your Facebook page for example. First of all I personally am more inclined to research that page more if there are a decent number of likes on it. I’m not going to pay attention to the content or message if a small amount only bother to glance at the page.

So it’s a numbers game? But wait, buy Likes or links? You tell me? Do you want a crowd around your restaurant or just a small number of loyal fans? Do not buy Likes or links, MARKET links!

Buy some friends for your social page

Market or your eating this the rest of your life.

True, your conversion rate on these spammy likes on Facebook will probably not equal money into your bank account but have a appearance that something is going on with your page or business will eventually land you a true prospect.

My barber used to give out free haircut coupons and lost so much money he banned coupons for life. In the end Alberto did say that due to the buzz or the crowded store on the front of a busy intersection the coupon caused enough true clients to stay with him. Just for fun some days I call him on a blocked number and tell him I have a van full of boy scouts and we all have a free coupon. During the coupon days he would scream as the panic took over him. Now he just laughs and excuses himself and get back to his real paying clients waiting for him.

 

Build the numbers my friends.

For any help with growing your numbers or real world examples please call me direct at 215-301-6303.

My one client had 5 Likes on Facebook in the morning today, currently after 8 hours they have 32 Likes, I did not pay for any of them. Back to marketing. Three Google +1 nods too, but that’s another post!

Posted in SEO & Internet Marketing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment