Not only is our nation’s weakening economy to blame for a record number of home foreclosures, declining retail sales, and a massive loss of jobs, but the impact of this downright bad economy has even started affecting the World Wide Web, as well. Online retailers are now reporting losses, and some are even closing down their sites for good. What this means for those who are trying to make a name for their own website through internet marketing is clear; you’ll need to utilize proper SEO (search engine optimization) techniques in order to survive in the 21st century. It’s time to take it seriously, if you haven’t already.

When the internet first hit the common households worldwide, the only thing that a webmaster had to do in order to get their webpage noticed was to submit the address and name of their site to the major search engines – their engineers would take care of the rest. As internet technology advanced and as more and more websites were created, this process was simply no longer a viable means for search engines to index web pages.

Then it took a rudimentary understanding of SEO to get your site to rank: keywords in content, and a good title tag and your site would rise again. But as more site owners and SEOs get savvy, and search engines algorithms tweaked and smarter, it now takes a professional. It’s a full time job just keeping up with the ever changing techniques.

Successful companies will adapt with the times, stay one step ahead, and make smart moves. Our clients are thriving still, even as the economy tightens. It is so very rewarding to hear from our clients that their traffic is increasing, and to watch them rise in search, when so many businesses are suffering. We are seeing a surge in interest in SEO, which we attribute to smart companies getting lean and mean.

]]> http://www.seomoves.com.au/blog/2009/02/surviving-this-economy-with-effective-seo/feed/ 1 http://www.seomoves.com.au/blog/2008/11/%e2%80%98tis-the-season-for-web-traffic-changes/ http://www.seomoves.com.au/blog/2008/11/%e2%80%98tis-the-season-for-web-traffic-changes/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:23:22 +0000 Julie http://www.seomoves.org/blog/?p=36

We’re coming up on holiday season in the United States, and for those of us in Internet-related fields that might take on a different meaning than for others. For online retailers like Amazon and Overstock, as well as for the online arms of brick & mortar giants like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, this is the most profitable time of the year by far. But for the many sites that make their money off another Internet business model – no charge for content, profit through advertising – the impact on the bottom line might be quite different.

The collection of holidays celebrated in America at the end of the year is impressive, from Thanksgiving to Hanukah to Christmas to New Year’s. These holidays mean more time spent way from work, more time spent traveling and vacationing, and less time on the computer. The real drag on web traffic, however, is the vacation-prone summer months. XiTi Monitor, a web survey institute, reports that between 2002 and 2007, the months of June through September all displayed negative seasonal effects on web traffic. August was the biggest culprit, with a seasonal drop in traffic of 14%.

How can your site avoid these drops in traffic? Stay away from content that is too season-specific, for one. Sparkplugging, a blog and community for Web 2.0 entrepreneurs, noted major changes in traffic to specific articles regarding tax write-offs and regarding keeping kids busy during the summer. The tax article saw a quick buildup until its apex on April 15, followed by a steep and permanent drop (until the next tax season). The second article, about how parents can keep kids busy, saw a decline after summer ended and kids started going back to school.

To a certain extent, these examples show the danger of existing completely within a niche. While niches can be profitable and often represent a smart strategy, it’s hard to build a successful revenue model around a site that only gets real traffic for two months out of the year. But on the other hand, if your content is diverse and you play your cards right, you can take advantage of each one of the various shifts in traffic. Although it sounds like common sense, it can still be done much better by many companies. Adapt your content to each season when the time calls for it, and then shift back when it’s no longer relevant.

Research the impact that summer and seasonal web traffic trends have on your website, and adapt your strategy accordingly.