Toronto Search Engine Optimization Services

One of the questions we get asked often at Silentblast Interactive is for a businesses ability to get found on the internet through the search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo which are the more popular search engines on the internet.

There are primarily two methods of SEO; one being the PPC (Pay Per Click) model whereby you set up an account with one of the search engines such as Google with their Google AdWords program.

The other method is through organic or natural ranking based on specific keywords, terms or phrases similar in method to Google AdWords program but your not paying to compete for specific words on a set budget amount and for users when they click on your specific ad, it costs you.

While there is debate about what a user tends to click on after performing a specific search as to whether they click on a PPC ad or a natural organic ranked website for specific terms, phrases or keywords; there can be no denial of the benefit of ranking for specific terms as it pertains to your business in a natural search friendly manner.

The challenges of organic search are that unlike the PPC model, there are no instant results. Natural search engine optimization is part of a strategy that is more long term and with the combined efforts of both the website development company, an SEO specialist or consultant either outsourced or within and the business that wishes to implement an SEO strategy.

One of the challenges to natural search engine optimization is there is not the control nor can there be true predictions to the ranking. While ultimately the goal is to be on page 1 and number 1 for specific keywords or terms, it takes time to achieve that end goal. This is more determined by factors such as the age of the domain, its content that speaks to the key words or phrases. The content being added on a regular basis to refresh and bring relevancy to those keywords and phrases on a regular schedule that is in effect continually building upon your site.

It takes time to become an authority and there are no short cuts when it comes to natural or organic search engine optimization. It is part of short term and long term strategies for business success on the internet.

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

When you or a business are looking for website design companies in Toronto it is easy to just look at the only the design factor of the website without not putting a lot of thought into what type of business or customer you are looking to appeal to or target.

A cool looking website is often just that, a cool looking website. Lots of “stuff� happening potentially like Flash integration, maybe some music, cool mouse over effects that maybe even execute more cool sounds.

Meanwhile you are trying or thought you were marketing your business and all those cool distractions have probably swayed the business or customer to look elsewhere.

How did this happen? Well, a combination of a web design company that has gone into “let me take your pizza order� mode and a client who unless they are a web designer and have a portfolio to show for; has turned into a web designer.

While there is nothing wrong with web design input from a client; it can often lead to the recreation of something they may already have that was not working out. The appeal of the website design is focused on the likes/dislikes of an individual and not based on user interface, usability, and web design concepts that should appeal to a greater audience.

There should be stated goals or expectations of the website design and overall strategy of the website, from brand, the structure of the navigation, the content which includes marketing focus points and design to name a few things to consider in overall website design.

It is very crucial that businesses look at the website almost from the perspective of the outside looking in; and think potentially like a customer or a client they wish to appeal to. That kind of perspective separates the habit of personal “wants� within the website design and focuses on the “needs� or “goals�.

Here are some basic questions as a business to consider regarding online goals or expected achievements that can be discussed with your website design and development company.

• Which services, products or business verticals contribute positively to your bottom line?
• Is there other services, products or business verticals you have an expertise in or supply that you want to capitalize on?
• What is your market area? Are you local, national or global.
• Your online goals, what are they?
• What is your plan to deal with the calls to action, such as phone calls, inquiry forms, contact us forms, or emails?
• Do you have an SEO, Search Engine Optimization strategy?

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

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Search Engine Optimization SEO - Google Instant

Google Instant is continuing to roll out and if you have for example a Google account such as a Gmail address in Canada you can see that Google Instant has already started to roll out at least within Canada. It has not rolled out in all countries as of yet.

What is Google Instant? Essentially it is a new search methodology enhancement that shows results as you type in the search bar. Results begin to appear as you type. Google is doing this to speed up web searches. Google believes that seeing changing search terms as you type will provide for more meaningful and instant feedback in helping you find what you are search for.

Is there going to be concerns with respect to SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? There potentially will be changes in searches from the local perspective; such as typing in “mortgage broker Toronto� or “Toronto mortgage broker� where if a site has been SEO’d on those search terms there should also be relevant content speaking to mortgages, brokers and within that context as well locality.

A lot of SEO consultants and firms still believe and rightfully so with the local organic search model in that for the most part; people either type in a service, or product as an example and then a location; or vice versa.

Google has suggested that Google Instant will potentially change how people do search. There are differences of opinion in the blogosphere on that issue that will take some time to note if there is a significant impact as it relates to SEO.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Search Engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing employ technologies that index websites and their associated content across the internet. SEO is the combination of many things, from the strategy of the website, the content that is within it and traditional SEO efforts such as meta strategies to name a few.

Gaining rank position to the first page of search results is a priority for any website no matter its intended purpose. Often businesses desire for immediate results on the search engines and often this means employing tactics that within the respectable SEO community are not endorsed.

The dangers of employing any form of search engine trickery is that the possibility of your website being penalized are greater. Your site may lose its initial ranking and in a worse case scenario can even be banned.

Duplicate Content – this is the most common form of trickery and is often associated with landing pages that are trying to focus on a particular local market area. As an example, if your business is located in Toronto your entire site may be focused from an SEO perspective on the Toronto area. But you also want to market to the other areas that surround Toronto. So you create landing pages associated to Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill and other surrounding communities with narrative that is similar in fashion to that which is across your main website. But rather than create unique content specific to those landing pages all you have done is copied the exact same narrative and changed the title tags of the page, the headers and obviously the location.

Eventually not only will your users who have found you figure out your not really creating dynamic and unique content, the search engines will eventually figure out you have created duplicate content and thusly the penalty will be lowered rankings on the search engines.

Stuffing Keywords – simply making a list of the keywords you think you should be found on the search engines and placing them on the website either as a massive internal linking list or not is still keyword stuffing. This is like making a virtual party pizza of all of the toppings you could ever imagine on a pizza and throwing them on thinking you have created something awesome. Same applies to keywords. While you would like to be found on the search engines for all possible keywords associated to your website; it is not going to happen ever.

Invisible Text – there are still websites that do this. Some sites don’t even care if the keywords are invisible. They are normally buried down at the footer (bottom) of a particular web page. The search engines have long figured out this tactic and is not normally employed by those who are trying to circumvent good SEO techniques and strategy.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Welcome back readers to the Silentblast blog. In this blog entry we are going to discuss the more introductory basics of search engine optimization or SEO. We will also add more blog articles specific to search engine optimization over the next while, as the realm of SEO is quite extensive.

At Silentblast we receive a lot of requests from potential clients regarding SEO but normally it is phrased as “getting found on the internet.�

A lot of times when our potential clients come to us, there is no strategy for the website they currently have or wish to have. All they know in layman’s terms is the site is not doing much if anything and the belief that if like a house; they throw up a fresh coat of paint, it will cure their websites issues. Not so.

Like the website itself, there has to be a strategy behind the search engine optimization plan. If you have not planned or discussed this with your web design and development company your website strategy; than your search engine optimization hopes will not really come to light. You can of course PPC (Pay Per Click) but if the basis again of your search engine optimization strategy or plan is not well thought out, even PPC can have mixed results.

Remember that the ultimate goal of both your web design and development and search engine optimization strategy is to bring potential clients to your website. What they do once they have arrived on your website will be based upon the goals of the website based on the strategy behind the goals of the website itself. Will your site be informational based, provide leads, act as a service and support mechanism to your current service and products verticals. Will it be some elements of that or all? Is there physical support mechanisms in place to support the goals of the website?

A good search engine optimization plan needs to address many factors. What are your products and services? Who is your current competition? Do they market the same brands or products as you do? Is their geographical area they market to the same as yours? What is good about their online presence; what is not so likeable about their website. Are they present on social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook? Do they contribute to their continued search engine optimization efforts with such media as News and Events, Blogs, Video or Photo galleries on a regular basis. What are the keyword phrases your competition is currently being found on the search engines with? Are they the same potentially as you wish to use?

A lot of factors to consider. Search Engine Optimization is not as simple as a check-box that you want to throw into the web design and development of your website. Like the website; you have to have some form of strategy or business case for search engine optimization as there is going to be a cost in doing so.

At Silentblast Interactive we meet our clients to discuss their Internet business strategy from all elements. A website and elements such as search engine optimization is a business strategy that requires thoughtful planning.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Ask A Mortgage Pro - Mississauga Ontario

Hello and welcome back to the Silentblast blog. Recently launched from the Silentblast Interactive team was Ask A Mortgage Pro’s website. This project was an outstanding project to work on with the team at Ask A Mortgage Pro who are located in Mississauga Ontario but are launching a mortgage and financing strategy that will be Canada wide. When Silentblast met with them; there was already a significant investment in a previous website that was not thoroughly designed with the strategy and vision they had hoped to achieve. The business strategy to a degree also had to be refined and with the combined efforts of the Ask A Mortgage Team and Silentblast Interactive the decision to redesign and development the website from the ground up was decided.

The Ask a Mortgage Pro website features several CMS Content Management System modules that allow brokers and agents to register and create a profile for themselves. This CMS facilitates the requirement based on Ask A Mortgage Pro’s vision for coast to coast representation of mortgage professionals on their website. A CMS was also structured that facilitated the addition of Lawyers profiles to the website. Legal partners of Ask A Mortgage Pro can now register and sign into the system and can create a profile for end users; website visitors, to see.

A major grouping of partners are the lenders that are featured on the Ask A Mortgage Pro website. As lenders form strategic partnerships with Ask A Mortgage Pro, they will be added to the system to be displayed on featured profiles.

A News and Events CMS (Content Management System) was also designed and developed for the team at Ask A Mortgage Pro’s and this facilitates them to add mortgage and financial news and headlines that can help those seeking a mortgage or mortgage financing within Canada. Also added within the CMS that facilitates the entry of articles of interest within the mortgage and mortgage financing industry is their Mortgage Blog.

Since launch the team at Ask A Mortgage Pro’s have been adding News and Blog articles to their website and this will help in their SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy which Silentblast Interactive has also been commissioned to develop.

To visit the Ask A Mortgage Pro team please go to www.askamortgagepro.com

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Website Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Hello readers and welcome back to the Silentblast Blog. Today I am going to discuss your continual on-site web development for those that want simple steps to increasing their website content either through developing their own form of content with what they may already have in place on their website or with website development verticals that are relatively inexpensive yet can present significant long term ROI.

Content Management System

Today content managements systems are not as complex for the end user as they may have been in the past. The vast majority of content management systems are developed in a WYSIWYG input format. If your website is currently just static pages and beginning to look stale in terms of its time-line freshness; it might be time to greatly consider a Content Management System CMS to breathe new life into your website. Try something simple like adding a News and Events CMS module for example where you can add timely content as it happens in your company.

Graphics

Even art galleries move their pictures around and bring out different collections to freshen up their art display. Your website should be no different. Using royalty free graphics is a good idea to avoid copyright issues. Use graphics that speak to the topic and to the content if you are associating a graphic with a particular area. Build up a stable of graphics that you can do at least a switch out of graphics every 6 months to a year. Remember that your graphic selection can have an impact on your overall web design so it would probably be advisable to discuss this with your website development consultant.

Streaming Video

Did you know that YouTube is currently the 2^nd most popular search engine on the internet behind Google. Video is huge in today’s world. Case in point; everyone wants to know what companies are going to have those precious 30 second spots and what the message is going to be for the NFL Super Bowl games. A well planned, thought out, professionally done video can be greatly beneficial to your audience. But also, implementing a content management system module that handles video streaming can be done by you as well. The entrepreneurial video is highly popular; especially on YouTube where literally hundreds of thousands of people are just grabbing their video cameras or web-cams and making video.

Blogs

Firstly; the search engines love blogs. If you can write about a topic that speaks about your company, products and services; you can and should have a blog. Blogs are becoming very sophisticated. In fact some blogs are the primary website presence for a lot of people. You can add text, graphics, videos, links for example into a blog. It can be part of your website development and search engine optimization SEO strategy.

That is it for the time being Silentblast Blog readers. I will be back soon with more blog articles on how you can further enhance your website development process.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

Hello readers and welcome back to the Silentblast Blog. This entry is going to be somewhat shorter than my normal postings of late. It is more focused actually on a specific question I was asked by an associate of mine. Will blogging affect a websites search engine rankings?

Well in my research across various websites, other blogs and in fact performing a Google search on the topic itself the shortest answer is yes a blog can assist your business for example in ranking in the search engines. The caveat on the matter and I am no particular expert on search engine optimization but know enough that I can say if you provide reasonably significant and relevant content that pertains to the overall context of your website with content and specifically key wording, increasing your ranking status is very possible.

For example, if your blog is part of an actual overall web site strategy it is the avenue by which you can relate as I do for Silentblast product and services that are readily available. This is done by providing linking within the site to other web pages that should have content that is also relevant. However if I was to write about only topics pertaining to racecar driving for example there is very little if nothing relevant to Silentblast in that context.

The goal of course is to provide not only information that works for your website or blog in moving up the search engine ranks but also to provide information that a person can use. Consider also that each blog entry specifically is the equivalent of you adding another page to your website. If you have built your own website and constructed pages or had a web development company such as Silentblast build a website for you; each page takes time and obviously money. A blog once established within your website is something that you will be responsible to maintain. The continued cost more or less is you committing time to contribute to your blog.

A website overall is still obviously the way to highlight key specific aspects or facets of your company or organization in a more static approach unless you have something like CMS (Content Management Systems) in place that change specific aspects of a given web page or pages. A blog and its purpose in my opinion is to provide continual content from a personalized approach that complements an overall web presence.

As you provide blog entries over time they archive. So imagine for a moment if you had a business you could write something about at least once a week. Overall that is 52 articles; 52 pages of relevant content and key words with links that point within your website in a given year. Again the more you contribute the more content you are providing and it should not be hard because in reality you should have an opinion or viewpoint on your business and be knowledgeable of it. So as you are providing content the search engines are indexing not only your website but also your blog. If you are not doing a lot of changes with your core website doing something with a blog will be of benefit.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Website Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast

We all know the importance of a powerful headline. However, writing a great headline isn’t as easy as it sounds.
An effective headline will literally force your potential customers to learn more. It will instantly ignite a certain emotion and intrigue them to read on.

In order to write an effective headline, you must learn how to use specific words to achieve a specific reaction.

Before writing your headline, you must first learn a little bit about the basic human motivators. According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, human behavior is always the result of one or more of five basic needs. He listed these needs in a sequence that he refers to as “the hierarchy of human needs.”

He believes that until a less important need is met there won’t be any desire to pursue a more important need. Below are the five human motivators, beginning with the basic needs and continuing to the most important needs.

Physiological – Basic human needs include hunger, thirst, shelter, clothing and sex.
Safety (Security) – Human need for physical, emotional and financial security.
Social (Affiliation) – Human need for love, affection, companionship and acceptance.
Esteem (Self Esteem) – Human need for achievement, recognition, attention and respect.
Self-actualization – Human need to reach their full potential.

When you are aware of the basic human needs, you can incorporate these needs into your writing. A great headline will appeal to your potential customers’ emotions. You must feel their needs, wants and desires and write your headlines with passion and emotion.

When writing your headlines, keep in mind, you only have a few seconds to grab your potential customers’ attention. If your headline doesn’t immediately catch their attention, they’ll simply move on and never return. Below are several different formulas used by professional copywriters to write compelling headlines.

How to

“How to Increase Your Sales Up to 500% by Using This One Simple Strategy”

Headlines beginning with ‘how to’ are very successful, as the Internet is all about information. Internet users have a strong desire to learn. A headline beginning with ‘how to’ immediately grabs your potential customers’ attention and forces them to read on.

Question

“Are You Sick and Tired of Working For Someone Else?”

Headlines written in the form of a question are very effective, as they appeal to your potential customers’ emotions. When they read a headline written as a question, they’ll answer the question in their mind. If the question identifies a specific need, want or desire, they’ll read on.

Command

“Double Your Income Within the Next 12 months –Guaranteed!”

A command headline focuses on the most important benefit your product or service has to offer. It instantly demands your potential customers’ attention and intrigues them to read on.

News

“Announcing a Brand New Breakthrough in E-Publishing”

News headlines are very effective and used to announce new products and services. They are written in the form of an announcement or introduction and create curiosity.

Testimonials

“Internet Marketing Exclusive is Pure Genius — Our Sales Have Increased by 40%!”

Headlines written in the form of a testimonial are very effective, as they instantly begin building trust.

When writing your headlines, certain words, when combined together, will literally draw your readers’ attention to your ad. Below are of few of these “Power Words” that consistently work.

Breakthrough
Discover
Discovery
Easy
Free
Guaranteed
Hidden
Incredible
Love
Master
Money
New
Powerful
Profits
Proven
Results
Revealed
Scientific
Secret
Shocked
Shocking
Ultimate
Uncovered
You
Your

According to a Yale University study, the following words are the most powerful words in the English language.

Money
Discovery
Save
Easy
New
Love
Health
Proven
You
Results
Guaranteed
Safety

Just as certain words ignite different emotions, certain subjects have a broader interest than others do. Some of the most popular subjects include wealth, love, health and safety.

Take your time and try the different formulas according to your needs. Use a combination of the power words and write a headline that sells. By learning the art of writing headlines that focus on the basic human needs and emotions, you can increase your sales considerably.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com And, Ebook Starter – Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. http://www.ebookstarter.com

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Website Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast