Facebook Page or Website?

Question For Google Places

There are a bunch of websites and consultants advising that companies skip a website in favor of a Facebook Page. But it’s a really bad idea. You should have a Facebook Page, and a basic one can be put together in just a few minutes. But this can’t substitute for your real home on the […]

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Guide to Google Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools Logo

Google created Webmaster Tools to help you understand what Google knows about your website, and to help spot serious problems hurting your search rankings. Read on to learn how to setup Google Webmaster Tools and then get an overview of everything you can do with it. Signing Up To get started with Google Webmaster Tools, […]

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Small Businesses: Keep Thinking Small With Your Marketing Strategy

The Power of Small

The following is a guest post from Carol Wilson. Web 2.0 has enabled millions of consumers to communicate on a grassroots level that has helped small companies tremendously. At the same time, however, not enough small businesses leverage the power of being small. Here are a few tips: 1. Reach as many customers as you can through […]

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Google Analytics Adds Multi-Channel Funnels

Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnels

Google has some exciting news for Google Analytics users, as they have just introduced (active immediately – and filled with your existing data) multi-channel funnels. Traditionally, the only source which received credit for a sale was the last one through which a customer reached your site. If, for instance, a user first found you through […]

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Web.com: Right Strategy, But Wrong (Shady) Tactics?

Web-com-Shady

Web.com is a fast-growing (publicly traded:WWWW) behemoth in the small business web host/design/market space. About a year ago the company purchased Register.com (roughly doubling its size), and a few days ago it bought Network Solutions (tripling it on top of the previous acquisition). Coincidentally, a critical piece was written at Mike Blumenthal’s local search blog regarding a Register.com […]

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A Guide to Facebook’s Edgerank

Facebook Edge Logo

When you make an update to your Facebook Page, not all your fans will see it. For some pages, it can be so bad that less than 10% of your fans see the news. And it’s mostly because of Edgerank. What is Edgerank? Facebook users have many friends, and they may like numerous pages as […]

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Google Makes Places Recommendations Based On People Similar to You

Places Rated Highly by People Similar to You

Google has just announced, via their Places Blog, a new twist to online reviews. For some time now, Google has personalized Places by prominently displaying reviews from people in your social circle (that Google knows about). I’ve written about my belief that this will be very important in the future, as more people review businesses […]

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The One Feature Your Website Must Have

One Thing

Is the information on your website out of date? Are you unsure how to create a blog? Do you not display prices because they might change? Then you could probably benefit from one feature every website should have. You need a website that can be easily updated, even by someone with no technical skill. Why […]

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3 Key Steps Before Starting a New Website

Time for a first website, or a redesign? I hear far too many stories of website projects gone wrong – and even among those that finish, plenty of small business sites are lacking key features, such as good photos of their company. Sometimes the problem is just poor preparation. Take these three steps before seeking […]

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The Convergence of Local and Traditional SEO (A Quick History)

Convergence of Local and Traditional SEO

When you search on Google for something that may be local (a restaurant, dentist, or plumber, for instance), the search engine returns a combination of regular and local results. About a year ago, these were always clearly separate, but have since become less easily distinguished. What’s interesting is that it wasn’t just the display that […]

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