Search Engine Optimization is important because without it, your website may never get in front of the people who need to see it.  However, understanding search engine optimization can be convoluted and many companies make promises they cannot keep.  Here are some common questions about SEO, answered.

Q: How do I know where to go for SEO?

A: There are a couple of red flags to watch for in a marketing company:

• A company that gives strict limits on what they will do.  If you are limited in terms of paragraphs, number of pages or search terms they will optimize for, watch out!  Optimization is a continual and total overhaul – it is impossible to optimize just one page or one key term, to have a successful website.
• A company that promises ranking.  Ever seen this:

GUARANTEED #1 on Google!!!!

Search engines are changing their algorithms all the time which in turn changes ranking.  If a company promises they can get you to #1 on Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP), question it.

• A short-term commitment.  SEO is not just “once and done.”  It’s complicated and ever-evolving.  If a company provides SEO but there is no long term commitment, they are only worried about their own success.  Search engines constantly change, so should your website.  A good SEO company will be in it for the long-haul.
• A company that doesn’t do their research.  A company that has not taken the time to learn about your “target” customers is not truly invested in your businesses growth.  Good SEO companies do research about how your customers are searching for your products or services, and take the time to implement results into your website.

Q: What is SEO?

A: Getting back to the basics, let’s quickly take a look at SEO and what exactly it is.

In order to fully understand SEO, learning how a search engine works is imperative.  Search engines use “crawlers” or “spiders” to search through the web and find information.  Once a crawler has found a website it must then dissect the code and store selected information.

Search engines then use algorithms to decide what the most relevant and popular content is to the information seeker (you) and these algorithms are changed constantly.  A website might appear in a SERP based on a hundreds of factors (Google actually has over 200 factors that it takes into account when identifying the pertinence of a website).  Some factors include:

• The number of sites linking to it
• The content on the pages (is what you are saying easy to read and relevant?)
• Accurate Title elements, and ALT tags (image and navigation descriptors so a Search Engine “knows” what is there)
• Page load time (does it take a long time for the page to load?)

Search engine optimization is the process of getting website traffic by ranking high on key terms on the search engines.

Q: So why do I even need an internet marketing expert to help me with SEO?

A: Poorly optimized sites may have great information but have limiting factors.  For example, poor linking structures might lead a search engine to determine that there is no good content, and ranks the site lower because of this.

SEO is a full-time job.  Because search engines are always changing, keeping track of the implications on changes for a website can be a daunting task.  A marketing expert pays close attention to when and how search engines modify the way they rank sites.  Recently Google announced their Penguin update, which dramatically changed the landscape of search.

Internet marketers understand the factors involved in search engine optimization and will stick with and understand your company to the fullest extent in order to optimize it.  There are limitations on what a search engine can and cannot “understand.”  A search engine has no way to determine whether something is important or has superior content, which is why marketing experts are still necessary.  It’s a lot like a band: they might have an awesome sound or powerful lyrics, but if they are not marketed, they will never get a record deal.  Good products need good marketing.

Small businesses have huge potential for growth and development online, however, it is hard to know how exactly to get customers knocking on your door. Is your website producing results and generating revenue? How do you know if your website is doing the best job possible? This article explains the 5 characteristics of successful websites.

1. They are optimized: Simply put, optimization is the process of getting website traffic by ranking high on key terms within the search engine results pages. Google actually uses over 200 factors in in ranking sites and what these factors include and how many are used is updated all the time.

SEO is extremely important because a website is essentially useless if no one can find it. An optimized site can mean the difference between getting 200 visitors a month and 200 visitors a day and yet it is one of the most dismissed aspects of website development. With a professional and well optimized site it is possible to compete with “the big guys.” Your services may be more conducive to someone’s project than the competition, but without this key piece potential customers have no idea your business even exists.

2. They are social: If a business is engaged online via blogging, social media or connecting, people are likely to think you are serious about your customers. These associations tell potential customers you are committed and care about forming customer relationships. The internet is a great no-pressure zone for people who are interested but hesitant to take action. Not to mention, networking through social media gets you “out there,” and is a great way to build brand awareness with relatively low cost.

3. They are updating regularly: A website that is merely present online, it is not doing a whole lot of good, and possibly doing a lot of bad, especially if there is no new information or worse, contains incorrect information. When people log on they are fundamentally searching for information. If a website is constantly updated with relevant information people come to it. Unique and fresh content delivers results.

4. They are tracking and analyzing: Analytics is a great way to understand the needs of the people coming to your site. Knowing how they found your site, where they went, how long they spent and what pages they clicked on is incredibly useful in building a site that serves the needs of your customers. If you find, for example, your about us page is clicked on the most, you might consider expanding it and updating it, ultimately improving the quality of your site. Knowing your customers is extremely useful information and a business that tracks its site is undeniably ahead of the curve.

5.They Have Easy Navigation: Are pages easy to access and does the layout make sense for the user? Navigation should be consistent across the entire site and relevant content should be easy to find. It is also essential that the load time of the website stay low. If a site is laden with graphics and animation causing it to run or load slow, people will look elsewhere. The average American spends about 8 seconds on a website – that’s it! Consequently, a site needs to capture attention, and fast. At a glance people should know your unique value: what makes you different and why they should care. Uncomplicated navigation and clear messaging keeps people on your website.

Want a real-life example? Herm Harrison, Vice President of Foster Transformer Company, talks about the challenges of having a static website and the results of his successful website.

Ecoair is up and running!

Cazbah is proud to announce the recent launch of the Ecoair Corporation Website, one of our newest customers, using our new, high-functioning, and more sophisticated technology.

Peter Knudsen, President of Ecoair, came to Cazbah with a need for a more contemporary, sales oriented Website.  Founded in 1991, Ecoair develops and manufactures highly reliable, efficient and cost effective alternators and electric motors, for specialty applications.  Their Eco-Tech Alternators are designed to address the need for high energy output at low engine speed, a significant challenge in the industries that they serve.

Although Ecoair is an expert in their industry, their Website didn’t show it and it was not functioning as an effective sales tool.  Before switching to Cazbah, their site was more akin to an online brochure and Peter realized that just having a Website was not enough.

Ecoair needed a Total Internet Marketing Solution that would drive traffic to the site and turn that traffic into revenue.  With Cazbah’s Internet Marketing expertise, Ecoair is now able to manage their website in a much more efficient and sales driven manner.

Cazbah’s robust, high-functioning and easy to use technology provides Ecoair with the ability to perform sophisticated tasks simply:

• Getting interested potential customers to find them online and come to their new and improved Website through  SEO (search engine optimization)
• Enhanced design capabilities allowing for a more flexible and improved look and feel
• A new and improve user interface allowing for easier and more efficient changes to all aspects of the Website

Cazbah’s new dynamic platform can handle all aspects of Ecoair’s Website content management needs. As a result, Ecoair is now generating more qualified leads and new sales through Cazbah’s Total Internet Marketing Solution.

To receive a FREE Comprehensive Analysis of your business on the Internet and learn how you too can generate more income from your Website CLICK HERE.

10 years ago this month, the world seemed to be a very uncertain place.  The tech sector was watching the full-speed deflation of the Internet Bubble wreak havoc on the US Stock market.  Having burnt through their venture capital, small dot-com companies were folding without ever having made a net profit. The job market was glutted and venture capital monies had evaporated.  The 9/11 destruction of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers cast an icy pall of uncertainty and fear across the already struggling US economy.

It seemed a perfect time to me to start a business.

In September 2001, Cazbah was launched with a handful of people and a mission to make small business successful on the web.  Over these last 10 years we have increased in size seven fold, relocated our offices twice, cleared financial hurdles, migrated our technology platform,  celebrated 5 employee weddings and lots of births, and provided hundreds of small and mid-sized businesses with results-driven Internet marketing strategies and services.

A decade later and I find that we are still facing many of the same challenges and opportunities … the global economic instability, national debt, high unemployment and the nascent hint of a new Internet bubble.  And I am as convinced today as I was ten years ago that the answer to many of our problems lies in the hands of American small businesses.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners are America’s biggest job creators, generating an estimated 44% of total U.S. private payroll and creating more than half of the nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP).   At Cazbah, our passion is helping these companies succeed in the face of what sometimes seems like insurmountable odds. There is a tremendous need to support these small businesses, which are doubly challenged when it comes to using the Internet to find more, new customers. The significant amounts of money they’ve spent on a host of advertising and marketing options haven’t delivered on their promises and they don’t have the resources to hire qualified in-house talent.

The business model that Cazbah began with is still the model that we operate from to this day. We work with our commercial, industrial and retail small business customers, providing them with everything that they need to succeed on the web from web site design to ecommerce services, from SEO to PPC, from email marketing to social media.  The results of our efforts can be seen and heard in the candid testimonials our customers give us telling us how Cazbah has worked for them.

Looking down the line at the decade behind us and the one before us, I’m encouraged by all the things that we have overcome and am excited by what still waits to be accomplished.   We are committed to continue to be a company of passionate people, achieving radical results by making ordinary small businesses extraordinary.

Thank you!

Charles B. Broersma
Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Although CPR/AED Awareness Week is the first week of June, Cazbah in conjunction with its customer, Cardiac Life Products, is training and certifying its employees on CPR and AED.  Why have we decided to do this at Cazbah?  In October 2010 I participated in the Black Diamond Duathlon in Victor NY.  The Duathlon is a challenging race that requires participants to run 2 miles, bike 10 miles, and run 2 miles most of which is off road.  The events of this race led me on a path to seek training for CPR and to see how many others I could get to participate.  Here is my story:

On the day of this event I was standing at the starting line where the event coordinator announced that none of the participants were to have cell phones, ipods, or anything with headphones.  I quickly ripped off my headphones but decided to keep my iPhone with me.  I started the race strong with the two mile run but once I got on my bike things started to slow down for me.  I was not having a good ride.  It seemed like everyone was passing me.  Finally I got to the transition area for my final two mile run.  My legs felt like stone but I trudged on.  The last two miles took me down a narrow trail through some woods.  At this point there were runners passing me in the other direction on their way to the finish line.  About a ½ mile into my final two miles another runner and I came across a middle-aged man lying in the middle of the trail unconscious.

After failing to get a response from the fallen man I handed my iPhone to the other runner and told him to call 911.  While 911 was triangulating our position through my phone a wave of despair hit me.  I was pretty sure this man had gone into Cardiac Arrest but I could do nothing about it because I had not been trained in CPR.  I could feel him fading and it seemed like he was about to die in my arms.  Then after what seemed like an eternity a cardiac nurse, who was running in the race, came upon us and immediately started CPR.  While she was administering CPR an Ontario County Sherriff who was directing traffic for the event showed up at the scene with an AED  (Automated External Defibrillator) and attached it to the victim.  The AED shocked the man and the AED unit told the nurse and two other runners, who were trained in CPR and had shown up on the scene, to continue administering CPR.  Shortly after this we were able to get the victim off the trail to an ambulance that was waiting to take the victim to the hospital.

“Cazbah had definitely made an investment in understanding every aspect of my business and they have definitely helped us to grow our business.

What’s most notable about that growth is that we had what we thought was a very limited geography within which we could operate because of the types of products that we manufacture and distribute.

Inquiries through the Web have proven to me that there are opportunities that are many miles away that I never would have even considered calling on until the Web.”

Andy Severson, Vice President & General Manager, Armstrong Brands

“I always tell people that it’s very nice when you come in to work on January 15th when there’s snow on the ground and its cold outside and no customers are coming in, to have a bunch of orders to process. It’s like making money while you sleep.

I get 30 to 40 customer phone per day and a dozen or so emails too. I would estimate that I convert most of them, about 80%, to sales. We have noticed that our average order size on our Website is significantly higher than our in-store purchases.

I absolutely would recommend Cazbah to other small businesses.”

Diane Cappel President, Owner Cappel’s, Inc

“Our business has changed dynamically since we got going on the Internet. In the past, we had 88 sales reps on the street. Those 88 reps never produced 1/10 of what our Website currently produces. The way we go to market has changed completely. We no longer use sales reps and now we do all of our marketing and selling online.”

Tom Rich, Director at CH Ellis, Inc.

I am in the process of preparing for potential new clients and presenting to them over the next few weeks. It can be a laborious act – reviewing what they want to do, comparing that to the existing market, coupling that with the current viability of what they are doing today, and vetting several other key factors for good measure.

It’s an exhausting process, but one I’ve come to realize is the most important part of my job.

All combined, I may decide they indeed are doing well given their particular market segment.. (and in those cases – Congrats to them!). They may also be doing poorly on several levels and really don’t expect to be doing any better. Further, they may be able to do so much better, but are not able to dedicate any resources to the effort.

Determining up front these factors and ultimately deciding if we are a good fit together is so important to the success of both companies – not just theirs and not just ours.

If the fit is not right we spend our internal resources trying like heck to make them successful, only to not succeed. At times they get frustrated (and disappointed) because their hopes are dashed as they fail to gain the return they expect from the relationship.

On many occasions, we have stepped away from a potential new client, because when it’s all totaled up, the likelihood of their success was remote, if not impossible. It hurts up front to not accept a new client, but it’s for the best all around.

On the converse of that, when the fit is right, we are in step with each other and we set both realistic goals and shared tasks to reach those objectives. Both companies are seeing the benefits and we are moving forward in the establishment of a true long term relationship.

Just about every fall for the past 10 years I’ve made a trip, with a close friend of mine, up to a very special place in the Great White North, otherwise known as Canada. That place is Algonquin Provincial Park. The Park is located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, at roughly the same latitude as Montreal.

It is the oldest and one of the largest provincial parks in Canada comprising almost 8,000 square kilometers of back country wilderness. For comparison purposes, it is about the size of the state of Delaware. There are over 2,400 lakes and 1,200 kilometers of streams and rivers throughout the park.

The natural unspoiled beauty of this part of the world cannot be fully appreciated in pictures or videos. In my humble opinion, it is best experienced in person. And that is precisely what we do every year. We appreciate the great outdoors while we canoe, portage and camp throughout the park for about a week in late September.

It’s a pretty rugged trip which takes preparation and months of (physical) training. We travel between 175 – 200 kilometers during our week in the park. 80% of the time we are on the water and 20% of the time we are (single) carrying our gear and canoes between waterways. We use solo canoes and we each carry about 120 lbs of gear and supplies, including the weight of the canoe, when we portage. Both my friend and I are former military and this is our annual opportunity to see if we’ve still got it. For lack of a better description, this is Extreme Canoeing.