We use a variety of search engine optimization tactics to ensure top exposure.
The internet can be the best marketing tool your company has to offer, or it can be the worst. With all of the competition flooding the web, it is easy to get lost in the mix.
Apex Production will take the necessary steps to ensure that our SEO services will bring you above the competition.
Apex Production provides a full range of comprehensive Search Engine Marketing services that utilize both natural and paid-listing strategies to maximize search engine visibility for your website. Our offerings include: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-For-Placement (P4P), Competitive Analysis, Strategy Development, Search Engine Submissions, Secondary Domains, Link Development and Analytics & Reporting services.
Apex Production approaches Search Engine Marketing projects via a proven, safe methodology that utilizes search engine-approved techniques to improve website positioning. Our mission is to enable you to cost-effectively achieve your online marketing goals and objectives.
The Need for Search Engine Marketing
Search engines and directories have become the most popular method of finding products and services while online. According to Forrester Research, over 80% of Internet users rely on search engines and directories to find the information they need. A Statistical Research, Inc. study reveals that 57% of online users search the web every day. Another recent report by Forrester Research further advises “search engines reach valuable, motivated and ready customers. To capitalize on search as a marketing tool, marketers should shift acquisition email and ad dollars to search…”
Despite the proven benefits, many marketers fail to address the importance of search engine marketing techniques toward achieving their goals.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the process of increasing a website’s ranking in major search engines and directories for a given list of relevant keyword phrases. This is accomplished by identifying the keyword phrases that are most beneficial to the website; optimizing the website’s meta-tags and page content; and removing barriers to search engine crawlers.
Apex Production utilizes only ethical SEO techniques that strictly adhere to published search engine standards and recommendations. Once optimized, we submit your website to the most popular search engines and directories. The result is that the overall quality and quantity of website traffic is greatly improved.
Our SEO process is comprised of 4 major steps: Analysis, SEO Strategy Development, Optimization and Submission. Each step is detailed below.
Remember the Long phrase keywords!
Most SEO programs target a limited number of broad keywords, such as “web design” or “web design firms” in the case of an online shoe store. What some companies tend to forget is that search engines are used by various types of individuals who often have unique ways of describing what they’re looking for. Our company receives traffic from hundreds of keyword combinations called “long phrase” keywords that even the most well-planned SEO strategy could not anticipate. For example, while we may love the phrase “web design firm,” it will never account for the thousands of word combinations such as “web design and marketing firm” or “website agencies in Boston.”
The SEO project begins with you completing a SEO Worksheet. The SEO Worksheet provides Apex Production with information about the business and its products and services; geographic considerations; the target audience profile; current marketing activities; your goals and objectives; competitor information; and a beginning list of keyword phrases.
The Analysis step then continues through four tasks: Competitive Research, Keyword Analysis, Website Analysis and Baseline Search Engine Rankings.
Competitive Research
During this task, in-depth research is conducted to determine the SEO strategies of each primary competitor. Competitive strategy research includes keyword selection, meta-tag contents, page contents, link popularity and search engine ranking. In short, we determine what is working and what is not working for each of your major competitors.
Keyword Analysis
Next, we work with you to define the keyword phrases that are relevant to your target audiences. We begin the process with an initial keyword list that is comprised of your current keywords and the keywords that are being promoted by your competitors. From that list, we begin researching alternate keyword phrases to determine the optimum set of keywords that a web searcher would use to find your company, products and services, industry and, geography. Our keyword research is based upon statistics developed from over 360 million web searches performed within the last 60 days.
Based upon the competitive and keyword analysis results, we create a keyword recommendation list that includes monthly search estimates. This list is then reviewed, edited and finalized by you.
Website Analysis
During this task, we study your website structure; loading speed; meta-tags; navigational elements; page content; search engine friendliness; and in-bound, outbound and broken links. Next, your website code is validated against the latest standards as specified by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
The goal of this task is to identify the necessary changes to improve overall visibility in crawler-based search engines and to remove any website indexing barriers. Improving certain elements of your website’s architecture and design can increase the number of pages that are indexed and will increase the likelihood that your pages will rank higher.
Baseline Search Engine Ranking
Finally, baseline search engine rankings are recorded to measure how deeply a website is indexed within the major search engine databases prior to the optimization and submission steps. Later, additional Search Engine Ranking reports can be recorded for comparison.
SEO Strategy Development
A SEO strategy is then developed with the goal of outperforming the highest-ranking competitors in each of the major search engines.
The SEO strategy includes comprehensive competitive analysis; the finalized target keyword phrase list; structural recommendations; optimized meta-tag content; optimized page content that reflects the relevant keyword selections while still portraying the proper messages; link development recommendations; and the baseline search engine index report.
Optimization
During this step, recommendations from the Analysis step are incorporated into your website. This task is required for the effective conduct of the Submission step and may be performed by Apex Production or by you.
Submission
After the Optimization step is complete, Apex Production will submit your website to the top search engines and directories. Note that it can take up to 90 days for inclusion into the major search engines. Due to the volume of submissions received by the major search engines, repeated submissions may be necessary.
SEO Benefits & Deliverables
* SEO Strategy Document
* Comprehensive Analysis of each Major Competitor’s SEO Strategies
* Finalized Target Keyword Phrase List
* Recommendations for Structural and Navigation Changes
* Creation of Optimized Meta-tag Content
* Creation of Optimized Page Content
* Link Popularity Development Recommendations
* Benchmark of Current Rankings
* Website Optimizations Implemented by Apex Production or You
* Submission to the Most Popular Search Engines and Directories
* Increased Rankings
Additional Services
Secondary Domain Website Development
Secondary Domain Websites are typically a one-page website created and named for a single search term and optimized for placement at or near the top of the major search engine results pages. Secondary Domain Websites are usually designed to provide a prominent link back to the main web site.
Link Development
Link popularity has become increasingly valuable in boosting search engine rankings. Apex Production will contact websites that complement the client’s company and offerings to request inbound links to the website. Apex Production will screen the prospective link sites to ensure that the inbound links originate from quality, non-competing websites that are likely to provide a positive effect on search engine rankings. Referral web traffic and increased brand awareness are spin-off benefits for this activity. As with search engine submissions, measurable results can take several weeks.
Analytics and Reporting
Search engine ranking results can change from week-to-week due to competition and modifications to search engine algorithms. Maintaining a top ranking requires constant monitoring and rework. Through this service, Apex Production works to maintain search engine ranking gains while providing you access to near real-time website statistical tracking and analysis data.
Combining this service with our P4P program creates a “closed loop” marketing system that allows for the efficient use of your campaign budget. Apex Production can optimize your P4P campaign by correlating relevant data from Overture, Google and third-party web tracking services to determine the performance of each keyword phrase by search engine. With this knowledge, we can react quickly to ensure your campaign is delivering the highest value by excluding keywords that aren’t performing and expanding keywords that are.
All reports are formatted for business and marketing managers. They are not the cryptic log files that are typically used by IT managers. The data that we provide to you includes:
* Page Views (by Hour, Day, Week, Month and Year)
* Unique Visitors (by Hour, Day, Week, Month and Year)
* Traffic Origination
* Keywords Used by Search Engine
* Frequented Pages
* Visitor Information (Including Web Browser, Operating System, Country and Language)
* Traffic by Time of Day
* Navigation Paths
* Defined Events (Orders, Registrations, Password Changes, Your Custom Event)