oxygen domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /var/www/vhosts/thorschrock.com/test/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131I received a request for an interview today from the Midlands Business Journal regarding the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I staunchly believe that SEO is a must-have tool in any small or medium size businesses' marketing toolbox, and after the 45 minute interview and numerous real-time examples of our current efforts and results, the interviewer had what she needed for her story.
The Midlands Business Journal is a weekly business newspaper that has been circulating state-wide for more than 75 years in Nebraska. Jill Hanson was the interviewer and we started our conversation speaking about how Google rates websites where it does. I explained that there are black-hat (bad) and white hat (good) methods that can be used to "encourage" Google to rank a website near the top of its results for a given search term. The good methods are above board and accepted by Google, while the bad methods are far easier to implement but will eventually get your website de-indexed (removed from all Google search results).
I used our newest client, Phil Walker as an example of the dramatic improvements that can be made in a website's ranking with the smallest of changes. Phil Walker produces the Visions Along the Platte river Valley CD Series, and has sold more than 10,000 copies of his Nebraska History CDs since he started the series.
Phil's website is www.plattevisions.com and after listening to my speech on the importance of SEO at the last LIBA luncheon, he took me up on my offer of a free website review. A quick Google search revealed Phil's website did not place in even the top 10,000 results for the search terms Phil Walker or Nebraska History. After only 5 minutes I found four critical problems with his website that contributed to his lack of a search result position.
After a brief discussion, Phil decided to keep his existing website, but switch his hosting to Schrock. We always provide free SEO work to our clients for to help promote the sites they host with us, so we started working on Phil's website. In only 10 days, we had placed him on the map at a Google search engine result of 49. We expect to have him in the top 10 results within the month.
It is always a pleasure to have an opportunity to educate business owners to the value of generating traffic for their website. Keep your eye out for the next issue of the Midland Business Journal. I have no idea how large of an article it will be, but they did request a photo.
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