To start 2009 off right, we’re having a
Happy New Year SPECIAL!

From now until the end of January 2009, the first year* of new domains** registered through Maine Hosting Solutions is 50% OFF the standard price! Simply search for a desired domain and use our special promotion code when you check out. There has never been a better time to register that domain you’ve been thinking about!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER A NEW DOMAIN

50% Discount

When prompted, use the promo code: HappyNewYear

* Offer applies to fist year only of multiply year registration.
** 50% off excludes .ws, .cc, .tv and .nu domains which are discounted at the flat rate of $17.50 off.

This month, the Google Webmaster blog published an article in which Google’s Maile Ohye officially explained what it takes to get a high ranking in Google’s search result pages.

The blog article confirms that the methods that are used by IBP to get high rankings are correct. But read it for yourself:

Inbound links are important but content is even more important

Google’s Maile Ohye writes the following about inbound links in his article:

“Inbound links are links from pages on external sites linking back to your site. Inbound links can bring new users to your site, and when the links are merit-based and freely-volunteered as an editorial choice, they’re also one of the positive signals to Google about your site’s importance.”

Nothing new here. If many related websites link to your site, and if these links look natural, this will help you rankings on Google a lot.

However, links are not the most important ranking factor. Maile Ohye gives a concrete example:

“Let’s say I have a site, example.com, that offers users a variety of unique website templates and design tips. One of the strongest ranking factors is my site’s content. Additionally, perhaps my site is also linked from three sources — however, one inbound link is from a spammy site.

As far as Google is concerned, we want only the two quality inbound links to contribute to the PageRank signal in our ranking. “

The website’s content is mentioned as one of the strongest ranking factors. The inbound links are additional. That makes sense. The content of your website tells Google what your website is about.

If you want to get a high ranking for the keyword “used cars in dallas” but your web pages are about microwave ovens then you won’t get high rankings for that keyword.

For that reason, it is very important that you optimize your web pages for the keywords for which you want to get high rankings before you try to get links from other sites.

Google analyzes over 200 ranking factors

According to the article in Google’s blog, Google analyzes more than 200 signals (we call them ‘ranking factors’) to specify the position of a web page in the search results:

“Given the user’s query, over 200 signals (including the analysis of the site’s content and inbound links as mentioned above) are applied to return the most relevant results to the user.”

If you want to know if the ranking factors of your web pages are correct then you should analyze your site with The MHS Top 10 Optimizer. The MHS Top 10 Optimizer analyzes all elements of your web pages and all off-site factors that influence the rankings of your website.

The report will tell you what exactly you have to change on your web pages so that all ranking factors on your site lead to a top 10 ranking on Google.

It’s a simple two-step process

Getting high rankings on Google is a simple two-step process:

1. You must optimize your web page contents so that Google can find out what your website is about. Optimize your web pages for your keywords so that Google knows that your website is relevant to these keywords and your topic.
   
2. Other websites must confirm that your website is about that topic. That’s what inbound links are for.
   

It’s as simple as that. If your website passes Google’s analysis of all ranking factors, it will get a top 10 ranking.

The article in Google’s blog confirms that you will do the right things if you optimize your web pages yourself or by using the MHS Platinum Promotion Plan.

The MHS Platinum Promotion Plan is a search engine optimization tool that really works. That’s why we can offer a top 10 rankings or your money back!

Maine Hosting Solutions proudly presents our annual eCommerce Website Wrapup. Each one of these sites were created in part or entirely by the MHS Design Team. If you are looking for that unique Christmas gift for that special someone, give these sites a visit. We are sure you won’t be disappointed!

Pro Knee Custom Made, Custom Fit Kneepads	Chomp Innovative Pet Products
Central Maine Wreath Beautiful Wreaths and Maine Made Gifts	Sunset Farms Beautiful Wreaths and Trees
Traction Aids Never be stuck in the snow or mud again!	Prince Specialty Seafood Fresh Maine Seafood
Mister Chain Lube Auto Chain Lubricator For Dirt Bikes, Motorcycles, ATV’s or Bicycles	Holly’s Tasty Treats Natural, Healthy Dog Treats. Baked fresh with Natural Ingredients
Good Jake FF Gear Large Selection of Firefighters Apparel and Gear	Haley Hats Unique, Hand Made Crocheted Hats made with Natural, Eco-Friendly Fibers
BuyRibsNow.com Incredible Barbeque Ribs, Sauces and Apparel	Brenda Erickson’s Recipe Paintings Beautiful Original Watercolors, Prints, Posters and Calendars
Dyers Cove Lobster The Freshest live Maine Lobster, straight from the boat to your plate	Hoof and Woof Equestrian Team Apparel and Accessories Specialists
The Shelter Man Portable Shelters, Garages, Pop-Up Canopies and More!	Power Shift Stock Trading A Revolutionary Training Program for Trading Stocks

Take a moment to think about the text on your website….

Does it convey what you want it to?

Certainly.

Does it attract the attention of search engines?

Maybe.

Although there are differing thoughts on SEO strategies, a comprehensive strategy contains numerous essential components; all of which need attention. Last month we posted tips on Internal Linking Strategies. This month we will focus on site content, specifically text phrasing.

Site text should be designed with two important considerations in mind. First, your visitors must be drawn in by the information presented and second, the search engine algorithms must be able to identify with the site’s keywords and text structure.

The phrasing of text on a website can be just as important as the content itself. Drafting the right balance of content which gives your visitors the information they need and also contains the phrases and keywords that attract search engines is crucial. The following tips should help increase your site’s traffic:

• Stay Relevant.  Keep the content of your text on subject. Ask simple questions about your content like “What value does this sentence add” and “How can I make the point more clearly”. The answers just may lead you to fine adjustments, improving your site’s overall efficiency.

• Repeat, Rinse, Repeat. Use your keywords often, but avoid being overtly redundant. Attempt to use subsequent instances of the same keyword without the glaring appearance of overuse. If a viewer can tell what your keywords are just by glancing at a single page, you’ve probably overdone it.

• Summarize at the beginning. A conclusion is designed to give the reader a final, targeted takeaway from an article. However, crafting your text to provide as much focus on your keywords at the very beginning will not only entice your readers to continue on, but will help catch the attention of search engines.

• Proof read and then proof read again. If your keywords are misspelled, you’re missing an opportunity. Any spelling or grammar errors also make your site seen less than professional.

• Solicit objectivity. Enlist the opinion of family and friends. We tend to get “reader’s haze” after staring at our own work over and over. Unbiased feedback from a fresh set of eyes can really help.

SEO is one of the most important tools for getting your website noticed, but never sacrifice good writing for SEO. Applying these simple tips to your individual writing style can help give your site a bit of an edge, and can go a long way in letting the world know you are open for business!

Don’t have time to do the writing yourself?

Contact our Sales Staff for a FREE quote on our Copy Editing Services.

The job of any web browser is to view web site content. Since the end of the original “Browser Wars”, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has dominated the web but there are quite a few available alternatives. As not all browsers are created equally, finding a browser that is perfect for you is a matter of trial and error and ultimately personal preference. Here is a brief review of a few available browsers the we use and recommend (clicking on the icon will take you to the developer’s website):

Internet Explorer (Microsoft):

Hands down, IE is the most used browser on the market. Internet Explorer 7 provides improved navigation through tabbed browsing, web search right from the toolbar, advanced printing, easy discovery, reading and subscription to RSS feeds, and much more. If you haven’t upgraded to IE 7, you should. There is also an IE 8 beta release available for download.

 Firefox (Mozilla):

Firefox has been the most successful alternative web browser since the “browser wars” ended. The flagship product of the Mozilla Foundation traces its lineage back to the original Netscape. Firefox was designed for simplicity, security, and extensibility, with hundreds of extensions available. The Mozilla Thunderbird mail & news client is a perfect companion. Both applications are open-source.

Safari (Apple Computer):

Apple stunned the world in 2003 when they announced this browser for Mac OS X. It became so popular with Mac users that Microsoft stopped developing IE for the Mac! Safari is a rock solid, fast browser that has integrated functionality with Mac OS X no other browser has. Designed for elegance and speed, it is now the most popular browser on the Mac. Starting with version 3, Safari is also available for Windows. We are starting to see it more and more on the Windows platform as Windows users are searching for alternatives to IE.

Bottom Line: Sometimes we need something a little different and it’s nice to know there are some options. Although there are hundreds of available browsers out there, other than Internet Explorer we really like Safari and Firefox for their standards compliance, stability, and security; whether you’re on a Mac or a PC.

Have fun experimenting with a couple of these free alternatives. You might just find one that suits your needs better than your current choice.