Wednesday, 20 May 2009

Google Analytics Blog: Web Analytics Tips & Tricks: How to Setup Goals in Google Analytics

Google Analytics Blog: Web Analytics Tips & Tricks: How to Setup Goals in Google Analytics

Just for all you budding Google Analytics buffs here is some relatively simple information to set up a Goal in Google Analytics.

Don't forget we can set up your analytics for you and send daily/weekly and monthly reports tailored to your specification and keep you on top of your game. Contact us for more information or visit our DIY SEO section for other useful reports on offer.


Quartet Virtual Assistance Ltd was founded by Emma Ewers and is a virtual assistant company in Essex, UK. This article may be freely distributed provided this footer remains in place.

Friday, 24 April 2009

SEO isn't just about your index page

I would like to dispell a common myth throughout the small business community.

Yesterday I was asked about keywords and how many I would target for a companies website. My answer was "one to two keywords/phrases per page" the reply was how much will you charge for more keywords?" "No extra and I do not recommend anymore than that" was my reply - silence ensued.

The reasons for my answer is simple;

1. Too many targeted phrases per page dilutes your chances of being ranked well.

2. Your index page is your top priority but you have other pages in your site that are just as important and carry a message/product that you want to get across to your potential customer.

3. Each page should be treated individually and targeted for different keywords and phrases to ensure multiple listings for your site.

4. Deep linking - not just building links in to your home page - is essential and helps your internal pages to be ranked well. For example type SEO packages into google.co.uk and you will see that an internal page of our site is on page one for this term, this wasn't pot luck and is part of a strategic and ongoing SEO process. (Last checked 24APR09).

5. Don't leave your keyword research to chance or use one SEO tool to find out about searches, common sense should prevail and lots of hard work and research - particularly into your compeitors high rankings.

And my final tip? Research, research, research - well you can never have too much ;)

Ask about our DIY SEO Services - we'll do the donkey work, so you don't have to!

Quartet Virtual Assistance Ltd was founded by Emma Ewers and is a virtual assistant company in Essex, UK. This article may be freely distributed provided this footer remains in place.

Friday, 3 April 2009

Why optimising your own site is much cheaper than using a directory service!

I spoke with a client today re the SEO work we have recently done for one of their sites. Whilst doing the research I had come across a .co.uk version of their company that linked to a local directory site (name withheld!) which they had forgotten about.

I enquired as to when it was purchased and how much it cost. Apparently it is costing £30 a month and they are signed up for a year, it actually has been of no benefit at all so far and I think I can explain why:

1. The directory purchased the .co.uk extension in order to put up the site, so first mistake is a new domain name with no Search Engine history.
2. The website is a 2 page site - quite heavily stuffed with keywords for one particular town (not even the town where the company is based I might add!)
3. The targetted keywords for the site (from the meta tags) are all longtail 3 and 4 keywords and again focus on one town (not the town of the business!)
4. Looking at the keyword phrases I determined that the site ranks on page 1 for 22 of the 30 phrases - Great!! you'd think, sadly very little or no potential customers search for these phrases. Although the directory will use these results to hook you up for another year.

In conclusion the charges of approximately £360 a year could have been better spent on the Client having their site optimised in the first instance. It is not a large site and there are plenty of free direcotry listings that will bring in qualified and useful traffic from potential customers. We are confident that within the next few months the site will rank for some of the more generic terms that will result in sales and referrals. From £39 a month we can optimise your site, track and change keywords, monitor bounce rates and make changes as and when required.

Don't fall for the directories clever salesmen who prey on the ignorance of small business owners. The majority of the time they don't even know what they are talking about and are reading from a script. Our service is bespoke and designed to help YOU and not to line our pockets. Our SEO is affordable because it is about small business owners like you and we aim to keep it that way.

For more information contact me, Emma Ewers on 01621 869979 or enquiry@qvaltd.com, you can also visit our website and check out our SEO Packages and services.

Quartet Virtual Assistance Ltd was founded by Emma Ewers and is a virtual assistant company in Essex, UK. This article may be freely distributed provided this footer remains in place.

Friday, 27 March 2009

Social Media Marketing v SEO

Is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) enough these days? Social Media Marketing is fast becoming a way to market your website on the Internet.

Establishing connections with thousands of new people and businesses via sites like Twitter, Digg and Facebook is proving to be beneficial for hundreds of small businesses. It enables you to reach out to new prospects, advertise your wares, promote your blogs and generate interest in not only your company but you as a person.

Social Media Experts will help you promote your business and will be a "ghost writer" or mentor you on how to use and manipulate social media to your advantage.

Artilce writing and submission to article distribution websites is another way of not only promoting yourself as an "expert" in your field, but cleverly includes link baiting by way of linked anchor text within your articles and footers. When someone uses your article on their blog or website links normally stay in place and will get picked up by Search Engines when spidering.

For more information about our SEO Packages and Social Media assistance visit our website or contact us on 01621 869979 or e-mail enquiry@qvaltd.com

Quartet Virtual Assistance Ltd was founded by Emma Ewers and is a virtual assistant company in Essex, UK. This article may be freely distributed provided this footer remains in place.