Search engine optimization in its most basic format can be separated into four areas; keyword research, on-page optimization, content development, and link building.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is a fundamental part of SEO, but it is often a process that people spend less than an hour doing. In my experience, investing time and energy at this stage will pay dividends at a later stage in your campaign.

What you don’t want to do is select keywords based solely on the search volume. These are usually broad terms which are highly competitive, and you are not targeting your goal client base. For example someone living in USA typing in “Plumber” and it returning a plumber located in Adelaide is no good for anyone, not the searcher or the business!

A couple of key facts when determining your Keywords are…

Relevant
Identify keywords that are suited to your business. It sounds so straightforward but it can be easy to get carried away with keywords that look attractive, but if they aren’t relevant, then targeting them effectively is going to be challenging.

Conversion friendly
Identify keywords that your prospective customers are going to use to look for your services.

Be clear which pages are going to be targeted.

On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization is essentially the behind the scenes code which is taken care of by your web developer (hopefully us!). This ensures that the website code is generally search engine and user friendly. Some of the essentials that we do optimize as part of your webs design service are:-

Clean code
Ensure that our code is lean and not bloated with unnecessary characters. Our sites do not use flash which is detrimental to your SEO efforts.

Meta titles and descriptions
Craft unique meta titles and descriptions for each of the pages on your website. These have become less important in terms of rankings, yet they still act as your ‘advert’ in the search results, (this is what your user see’s in google) and can encourage people to click-through to your website, so make sure each title and description is relevant and enticing.

Title tags
Make sure each page has no more than one ‘h1′ tag, which should wherever possible include a natural use of the target keyword (as determined above).

Keyword use
Use the keyword you are seeking to target naturally throughout the content on each page.

Address, privacy policy and terms
Google likes genuine, reputable businesses, therefore you should always list a physical address on your website, and wherever necessary a privacy policy and terms of service. These act as a signal to Google that you are a real-life, authentic business, worthy of appearing in search results. Make sure that wherever your business is cited around the web, the address and phone number match up, as Google references many data sources for local listings and outdated contact info could cause confusion.

XML sitemap
Your website should generate an XML sitemap to help Google find all the pages on your website. There are quite a few plugins and gadgets out there that help you do this.

SEO friendly URLs
Always ensure every page has its own SEO friendly URLS (i.e. yoursite.com/web-deign rather than yoursite.com/c-45678/p-126478/).

Speed up your website
This can be acheived by optimizing images to make them smaller filesizes, combining css and javascript files together, ensuring your host is local and providing quality connection.

Internal Links
Having a footer that contains the main menu links is good SEO practice.

Content

Content is arguably the most important aspect of the 4 pronged SEO attack! Content is King! Especially when it comes to search engines! Always make sure your keywords are used as often as you can throughout your site but do not overuse these to the point where it is obvious you are just shoving keywords in. Google looks down upon this method and can actually punish your ranking instead of improve if it suspects you are abusing your keywords.

Another important factor is to keep content regularly updated. Some clients may not see any value in a blog or may not have the time. But a blog is one of the best ways to improve your SEO. Google visits your website periodically looking for updates, if it cannot find any updates to your site, it may take even longer to come back and crawl your site again as it is under the impression that “nothing is happening here”. A blog will constantly keep your sites content new and your blog topics will be also bumping more and more keywords into your site! For example this blog i’m writing now has loads of Search Engine Ranking keywords that have now been added to the site just by typing this!

Try making your content as informative as possible. If a user see’s value in your post they may link to it on their website, or their social media accounts, which in turn is benefiting your site two ways, 1) another network of real people are now seeing your blog, and 2) another link has been given to your website which leads me to the next single most important aspect of SEO….

Link-Building

Google says you should encourage links to your website, rather than build them, and if you are looking to establish a long term web presence then this really is the best way to go about it.

So the best way to build incoming links is to write informative, quality content. If you can do this, the links will take care of themselves! Users will be happy to share your articles in their networks.

Another good way to build links is using Social Bookmarking. There are literally hundreds of social bookmarking sites out there, Reddit, Delicious, Digg are just a few of the big ones. By posting links to your articles on these sites are are encouraging the people that use those sites to also view your article and if they like it they can also re-post it.

Conclusion

As you can see there are many different factors at work to determine your rank in a google search. Of which Argon Design provide On-Page Optimization as standard with all website builds. For any help with the other aspects please mention this to us and we can put you on the right track to further optimizing your website!

After making this awesome website for a holiday home on KI: www.kangarooislandstar.com.au, we were asked to pop over for a free stay and to take some pics of the property and the local attractions.

We left work early (hehehe) and packed our fishing rods, food and other manly items. The ferry ride over was quite choppy and we had to battle some annoying school kids but we made it in one piece. It was dark when we got there and we managed to see a Kangaroo within 30mins of arrival.

The property that we stayed at (Kangaroo Island Star) was really really good and it had a great view of the ocean and vegetation that resides between the property and where the beach. For dinner we cooked up some Wiech’s pasta (the best pasta I have ever tasted – this is not a joke).

Next day, after a solid breakfast, we got our driving on and the made for Vivonne Bay, Seal Bay and the Remarkable Rocks. We caught a squid up at Penneshaw and promptly ate it 1 hour later.

We’re looking forward to heading back to Kangaroo Island Star next month to grab some more pics and enjoy the music festival which includes Eskimo Joe and other acts.

A few other things to keep in mind are as follows:

Card Size and Shape: It is imporant to have your business card no larger than 90mm x 55mm, anything larger than this will not fit in wallets or most business card holders. Many effective cards have had slightly smaller specifications and individual shapes but it is important not to go too crazy with altered business card sizes as you do not want to card rattling around in a holder.

Card Quality: Is your business card stock of professional quality or is it flimsy with perforated edges? If so, you definitely need a change for the more professional. You need to have good stock paper and the card should feel substantial and pleasing to the touch, we can talk you through what card stock is best for your brand.

Card Message: Your business card should clearly tell people what you do, both visually and informatively. A lack of message adds confusion and if a prospective client does not know which industry you ply your trade in you’re less likely to receive calls or referrals. However, as previously mentioned, too much emphasis on services, rather than message, can often do more harm than good.

You only have one chance to make a great first impression. Make sure you invest in the best business card design you can afford. Your business card is your introduction to a client and we can help you make this introduction in the most effective way.

The reason for the ridiculously long car ride was because of an annual music festival, Splendour in the Grass, that was being held at the magically dwelling of Woodfordia. 30,000 eager music and art lovers packed the grounds during the 3-day long festival to catch their beloved and talented artists.

My own appreciation of the music and the atmosphere grew greatly throughout the four days camped amongst thousands of pyjama-wearing, quote yelling, dusty, dirty and muddy concert-goers. As a long time design and music follower as well as loving the audio these bands pump out I am also very engaged in the artwork and video clips they also produce for their music. Below are some of my favourite visual treats that a handful of the artists from Splendour in the Grass are represented by:

Album: Architecture In Helsinki – Places Like This (2007)

Album: Bluejuice – Head of the Hawk (2009)

Album: Cut Copy – Zonoscope (2011)

Album: Foster The People – Torches (2011)

Album: James Blake – Self Titled (2011)

I was thinking of moving to Adelaide therefore I was in need of a job and thought these guys at Argon Design looks nice, so I thought I’d send an email to see if they were looking to hire. This is how I initially made a contact with Argon Design when I was still working in Tokyo several months ago. Now I have moved to Adelaide and started to work at Argon this week. I do web design, development and some graphic work too.

It has been great working here during my first week, there is a good work environment and nice people who are very patient to listen to my odd English! So far I’ve worked on a menu design for Vino Ristorante and a website design for a wall building company. Hopefully, I can continue to contribute and bring a fresh, new flair to the company.

I am very excited to be a part of Argon Design and looking forward to working on a variety of new projects from now on in.

The newer guy (Yusuke)

My background is from the Barossa Valley – about an hour’s drive north of Adelaide – where growing up my family stoked my creative design and illustrative flames. However other than my families commitment to elevate my creative skillset I was not exposed to a great deal of creative, modern pieces of art or design around the valley. The only readily available creative pieces were wine labels and landscapes paintings of vineyards that dotted the local libraries, council offices and exhibition spaces.

So when I moved down to Adelaide to go to University (to follow the Graphic Design dream) it is fair to say I had a slight culture and creative shock to see local art and design plastered all over the city. Throughout my time at Uni I met several fledgling street artists and exhibitionists that are now plying their trade in the real world.

While exploring the streets of Adelaide for my own creative purposes I ran into an old friend from Uni days working on a council commissioned piece on the east side of the Montefiore Road Bridge near my old stomping ground, the University of South Australia. There were several artists working on this quite large piece and hired a project manager from the US to oversee the task. I can fully recommend checking this piece out if you’re ever down the west end of Hindley Street enjoying a yiros.

I have also kept in touch with several of my Illustrative Uni mates who are now exhibiting their own work in Adelaide. In fact they have the opening to their show ‘Sweet Nostalgia’ on tonight (Friday). The exhibition will feature original illustrative works; photography and jewellery inspired by memories old and new and is being held at 284 Rundle Street Red Cross between 6:30-8:30.

I implore everyone out there to take in Adelaide’s creative offerings whether inside or out.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is essentially a public instant messaging service. These messages are referred to as ‘tweets’. Each tweet can only be up to 140 characters long. This makes the messages short and straight to the point. Users who are overwhelmed and unlikely to read large blocks of text often embrace the shorter forms as they can be quickly read over.

How can Twitter help my Business?

Twitter allows businesses to interact with their customers by broadcasting information and/or updates and address comments or concerns about their products or services. This keeps your customers informed. It can direct traffic to your site by listing website updates, new products, competitions, or a call of action that would have otherwise gone unnoticed without a twitter update.

For example, suppose you owned a restaurant, you could send tweets to your followers/customers about new menu changes, the daily specials, upcoming events etc. As a result, customers stay engaged in your business.

The real pulling power of Twitter though is often exposed through “Re-Tweets”. Re-Tweets are essentially a repeat of your tweet by another twitter user. In most cases these relate to a tweet the user has found interesting or engaging, therefore they would like to share it within their circle of followers. Say for example you tweeted about a product special, all your followers will get this tweet, however one of your followers has found this special quite impressive and has “re-Tweeted” the tweet to their followers. Then one of their followers may also do the same. Instead of the tweet only been seen by your own user base it is now seen on three peoples followers list! It’s this exponential exposer that can really increase brand awareness.

Keep your brand in mind!

Always remember that your followers CHOOSE to follow you! They have decided they would like to keep in touch with your updates and news. Therefore your tweets must be informative and interesting! Keep them quite personal. Users are very easily turned off and if your account comes across as a constant sales pitch users are most likely to Unfollow you and your twitter image can do more harm to your brand then good!

It is also worth the effort to brand your twitter page! Create a custom background that fits into your branding! This way followers will relate to your business instantly.

Well ask yourself this, How many times would your potential and current clients visit your website? once a month? once a year? only when they are looking to engage in business?… Now ask yourself how often do you think your current/potential clients would check their personal Facebook accounts? Once a day? multiple times a day? are the most likely answers!

By having a Facebook page you can make sure your news and updates do not go unnoticed! Simply post status updates on your Business page and those that “like” your page will have your post appearing in their news feed. Facebook provides an easy way to connect with these customers and, at the same time, gives you a platform for viral marketing.

How does viral marketing work?

You post something of interest on your business page, which then appears on the news feed for everyone who “likes” your page. If these people interact with your post, then your post appears on their friends’ news feeds. With interesting and engaging content, you can quickly reach hundreds or thousands of people.

Update your page with timely, useful and relevant information. Give people something of value, and they will share this information with their friends. Before you know it, your business will go viral.

This is a great way to stay in touch with your clients and get your business noticed. The higher the number of “likes” you have the more potential reach each one of your updates has! Try and encourage users to “like” your page. You can offer Facebook users exclusive specials or content that others do not receive.

Like all social media avenues though, keep your interaction personal and friendly, and don’t make it sound like a sales pitch. Users are likely to get annoyed and “unlike” your business if you are posting content that they do not find useful!

Still not convinced about Social Media? Check this video below!

There is no doubting that Social Media is here to stay, you can either embrace it as another marketing tool to connect with the more savvy internet generation, or ignorantly ignore it and get left behind by your competitors. One of the biggest players in the Social Media game is undoubtedly Foursquare.

What is Foursquare?

Foursquare is a location-based social application that combines local city mapping, social interaction, and gaming. Foursquare allows consumers to use their mobile phone to Check-In at retail businesses. Anyone and everyone can use Foursquare. Foursquare users check-in at local businesses that they frequent during their daily routine. For instance, you can check-in at your local Target, Woolworths, the local tailor, or even your local Deli. If you go to check-in at a certain place, and it’s not listed in foursquare, then go ahead and add it yourself. By checking-in, users unlock badges, accumulate points, and also claim Mayorship over certain businesses.

How can this help my Business?

Foursquare users like any social network have an inner circle of friends. When someone checks in all their friends get a notification that they have checked in at your store. Once checked in, users can add comments, photos and interact with their circle of friends about the check in. This can have a positive effect if the user posts a good experience at your store, or maybe they promote a special they picked up or a product they just purchased! Foursquare is also very easily integrated into Facebook, therefore not only do their Foursquare friends hear about your store but so do their Facebook friends as well!

The social interaction the user can engage in is not the only positive effect. Business owners may apply to on Foursquare to register themselves as the business owner. Once verified as the business owner you are able to set specials or incentives for people to Check-In to your store! Once registered you will also get an Official Foursquare location sticker to put on your door/window. This lets everyone know they can check in to receive specials!

Mayor Special
You may run a special that gives the mayor a discount or some sort of incentive that other users do not receive. If you run a Coffee store for example, you may offer the Mayor buy one coffee and receive a slice of cake for free per day. This has the potential to bring in many other customers to “compete” for the mayorship! So whilst you may be giving out a slice of Cake for free each day you would be generating more business through the door!

Every Check-In Special
You may simply wish to give every member that checks into your store a benefit as each check-in is basically free advertising for you to that users circle of friends! You could offer 10% off any purchase to anyone that Checks In.

Loyalty Check-In Special
You may wish to reward your frequent customers. For example, you may wish to offer $10 off any purchase on a customers 5th Check-In. Bare in mind the customer may very well not purchase anything in the first 4 check-in’s. But whether they are buying products or not, they are still advertising your business for free with each check in!

How will users know I have a special on Foursquare?

When a user checks in to any location, they will get a notification of how many specials there are close to their location. They can bring up a google map which pin points all the specials near them. This is especially great for those stores located in or near shopping centres. As there are so many businesses located so close to each other, each check-in at any store will result in the ability of your special being seen.

Foursquare was founded in March 2009 and currently has over 8.5 Million users. It is showing no sign of slowing down and is one of the big players in the Social Media world, so embrace this application as another means to generate business and awareness for your company!

One of the most difficult things about being a recently graduated University student is marketing your services properly and obtaining effective business opportunities. As a fledging professional Graphic Designer starting my own business I found it very difficult to find new substantial work.

Since joining up with Argon Design I have been introduced to the medium of Business Networking groups. I have now been to several different Networking groups all run with different methods with different levels of interest and success.

It has been a real eye-opener to experience how these work and I have learnt several things about advertising yourself and your business:

You have to be genuine
The whole ‘business spiel’ might make you nervous at first but building trust and relationships is a must at these meetings and you will start feeling comfortable once a conversation is struck up.

Make sure you know your business
It is important if you are asked a question you know the answer, or know a way of getting the answer, this shows you are a reliable source of information.

Follow up the people you speak to
Once you have left the meeting and reflected on the conversations you have had, it is important to follow up, by email or phone, the people you connected well with to further the relationship.

So if you need a cheap, effective way of marketing yourself I would recommend trying out a local Business Networking group, whether you are a Creative or not.