Here’s a really cool tool that I just learned about - quintura.com. It’s a search engine that also displays a keyword cloud right next to the results. This is a gret tool for digging into your keywords and finding new keywords and phrases to use on your site.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of those things that every website must pay attention to. However, it’s one of those tactics that requires time before the return manifests itself. You need a degree these days to completely understand the ins and outs of how to organically “manipulate” search engines like Google and others in order to impact your natural rankings. With other options at your disposal, it’s just no longer feasible to do so. So, what I recommend to my clients is that you put good SEO practices in place and move on, because it will pay off in the long run.

Here’s a great article at MarketingProfs.com that discusses the basics: Three SEO Issues New Web Sites Face (and Five Solutions). The thing I really like is that it’s geared to someone putting up a new site.

It’s an unfortunate fact: No matter how good your search engine optimization company or in-house talent is, brand new Web sites have a more difficult time achieving search engine success for competitive phrases than their older counterparts, particularly on Google.

However, the worst thing that a new site owner can possibly do is presume that they are “too late to the game” and decide not to pursue this marketing channel at all. A good search engine optimization company should be able to effectively work with a new Web site; setting the foundation for a remarkable success story while still achieving steadily increasing short-term benefit.

Check it out.

Danny Sullivan recently spoke at Jupitermedia’s Search Engine strategies show and outlined the state of the Search Engine Optimization industry. Here’s the article: Keynote: Don’t Forget SEO

Google, the Verb

If you’re worried about you as a brand, Googling yourself might not be a bad idea. Here’s a great article on the subject. In addition, it’s the world’s newest verb.

Have you been Googled lately?

At the end of 2003, I predicted that the search engine world was in for a major restructuring. Mostly, I believed that Google had shown it’s Achilles heel with the much debated Florida update. Now, others are beginning to see what I was talking about. DMNews.com is quoting Danny Sullivan, a leader in the search engine world, in this article: Google Search Monopoly Is Ending, SES Keynote Says.

In the last two weeks, Yahoo has dropped Google’s results and several other SE’s are making moves toward Google’s dominance. Stay tuned!

The public is getting better at finding the information they’re needing. This continues to be true with respect to the search engines. Here’s a great story about the latest research into how people use search engines: Most people use 2 word phrases in search engines according to OneStat.com.

Two and three word phrases account for 58.19% of all searches online. If you’re not sure how your keywords are affecting the traffic to your website - we can help.