SEOMOZ just had a HUGE study of the future of SEO and here are the findings:

SEO strategies on the decline:

• exact match domain names
• effectiveness of paid links
• anchor text in external links

WebBizIdeas.com summary:  basically building crappy links in article directories & paid links are coming to an end

SEO strategies on the increase:

• content readability / usability / design
• usage dat (CTR, bounce reate, etc…) (big increase)
• social signals at domain level (will increase the largest)
• analysis of perceived value to users (will increase the largest)
• social signals at a page level (will increase the largest)

WebBizIdeas summary: If people actually want to find, read, and use your website it is going to rank #1.

Here is SEOMOZ Full Report:

You may want to have the Facebook like / recommend button on every page of your website. The standard code works great unless some of your pages are secure, using the https:// protocol. Ecommerce websites are the most common example.

This is an easy fix for domains, such as Facebook that support SSL. To avoid browsers SSL warnings that create high anxiety for your website visitors, don’t specify the transport protocol.

In plain English: instead of using http:// or https:// in the code that Facebook gives you, use // instead.

I was consulting with a client on the best way to launch a new website.  They want to be #1 in the search engines for keywords that drive sales but also build an educational / informative resource center.  Many businesses have similar goals, they understand they need to educate their customers before the purchase.

I wanted to share with our readers how our company launches our own websites.  We need to educate our customers and at the same time want to be #1 for the services we sell.  I hope by seeing how our company would launch a new site you may see ideas on how you can launch your new website or micro-sites.

Case Study:  WebBizDesigns.com

We have helped many companies plan out their website by wireframing / prototyping for years.  We made the decision ion 2009 to create a website that sold just these services.  We decided the most effective & cost effective strategy would be a backwards marketing strategy; i.e. educate first, then sell

Even though our end goal is to sell website architecture / web prototyping services, in 2010 we threw up a quick blog on webbizdesigns.com.  We wrote 15 informational blog posts about website architecture, web prototyping, and other services we would eventually sell.

What have been the results?

We are on the 1st – 3rd page of Google for many highly searched keywords such as “Website architecture, web prototyping, web application architecture, website planning,” and rank for 1,500 others!

All of this from writing very targeted content organized in a way the search engines would love.  In 2011 all of this content is going to be just a simple “blog” link on WebBizDesigns.com.  But when we make the switch, we will be #1 for the exact keywords that will drive new business.

How does this benefit you?

You can do the same with a blog, resource center, or Question & Answer Software.  For example, if were going to build a website that sold nutrition books, videos, meal plans, etc… you could create a Question & Answer website, similar to answers.com or Yahoo Answers, that simple answered questions people had about nutrition.

You can create this resource center on the domain name that you plan to use to sell nutrition books, videos, meal plans, etc… in the future.  What will happen is your URL will rank for 1,000′s of keyword phrases / questions.  If you hire an internet marketing company for SEO Services, results will be greater.

Social Media Training and Workshops - Twin Cities and St Cloud, MN

If your in the Twin Cities or St Cloud area we have some great up and coming workshops.

Click the links below for more information and to register for these events.

Twin Cities Workshops

• Learn How to Market Your Business on Facebook (Workshop)
  Wednesday, September 29, 2010 from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM (CT)
  St Louis Park, MN | WebBizIdeas Training Room
• Twitter Level I (workshop)
  Thursday, September 30, 2010 from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM (CT)
  St Louis Park, MN | WebBizIdeas Training Room
• LinkedIn Level I (workshop)
  Wednesday, October 06, 2010 from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM (CT)
  St Louis Park, MN | WebBizIdeas Training Room
• Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies (workshop)
  Friday, October 08, 2010 from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM (CT)
  St Louis Park, MN | WebBizIdeas Training Room

St Cloud, MN Workshops

• Learn How to Market Your Business on Facebook (Workshop with Lunch Included)
  Tuesday, September 21, 2010 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (CT)
  Saint Cloud, MN | Mi Famiglia

When you think of public utilities, you think of things such as water, electricity, and telecommunications, right? Well, what if search were added to that list? How would you feel about that? We talk about that today plus I reference an interview from Kevin Ryan on WebProNews.

There’s no question of Facebook’s position at the top of the social networking space, and one thing that makes the site so powerful is that when it comes to social networking, a user’s friends must be users too. But among some teens, Facebook may be losing its stickiness. See study here >

The untapped potential of local online advertising just got tapped. Online ad network Chitika today revealed their newest property, LAX Local Advertising Exchange, which takes the fast-growing power of local advertising and applies it to the proven power of the ad exchange. One of Chitika’s cornerstone partners, online local pioneer Yellowbook, is among the first to take advantage of the opportunities presented by LAX. PR Release and Lax.Chitika.com.

The next time you’re standing in the coffee aisle at the grocery store and pick up one particular brand of joe over another, ask yourself why. The answer might be rooted in behavioral economics 101. view more.

Each year a trillion dollars is spent on communicating to and persuading the human brain, yet few understand how the brain really works—what’s attractive to it, how it decides what it likes and doesn’t like, and how it chooses to buy or not buy the infinite variety of products and services presented to it every day. Neuromarketing research is revealing a myriad of fascinating insights that help improve the effectiveness of every aspect of clients’ brands, products, packaging, in-store marketing, advertising, and entertainment content. view more.