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<title>Latest Articles by Lana Cartwright</title>
<link>http://www.articletrader.com/</link>
<description>Articles at ArticleTrader</description>
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<title>White Hat SEO vs. Black Hat SEO</title>
<link>http://www.articletrader.com/internet/seo/white-hat-seo-vs.-black-hat-seo.html</link>
<guid>http://www.articletrader.com/internet/seo/white-hat-seo-vs.-black-hat-seo.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The goal of any <a href="http://www.convonix.com/search-engine-optimization/">search engine optimization</a> (SEO) service is improved search engine placement for a website or blog, which in turn should generate more visits (hits). However, a constant worry to most online businesses is the confusion over the questionable techniques used by many SEO firms. There has been incessant talk of Black and White hat <a href="http://www.convonix.com/">SEO </a>practices – something we hope to demystify. The debate on the merits of White Hat and Black Hat SEO practices becomes increasingly significant as SEO becomes a near vital tool in the success and survival achieved by websites. <br /><br />The White hat techniques are called so, because they adhere to ethical practices which follow the general guidelines of search engines. White hat SEO are approved methods, which search engines support positively. Alternatively, black hat methodologies are generally short term tactics employed by web developers to trick search engine crawlers (spiders). The numerous “illegal” methods have a single goal - to make crawlers believe things that are not actually true of a website. The short term gains of these tactics must be weighed against the penalties that search engines continuously dole out to websites that employ them. In a worst case scenario, which may spell disaster for an e-commerce website, search engines have been known to black-list first and subsequently ban complete websites for black hat techniques used by their SEO management companies.<br /><br />A fundamental difference exists in the underlying principles of White hat and black hat SEO on carrying out effective search engine optimization. A white hat firm has the outlook that long term results of ‘play nice’ tactics, such as building site popularity, are essential to the optimization procedure. In contrast, a black hat SEO firm stresses on a quick boost to search engine rankings by compromising the readability and coherence of content on a managed website in order to push for higher place on the search engine.<br /><br />Here is a list of terms (and their descriptions) commonly used by black hat SEO firms. Let this be a rough guideline to help select a company that does not put your business at risk.<br /><br />1. Keyword stuffing – this commonly exploited technique adds large numbers of irrelevant keywords and phrases to web pages<br />2. Duplicate sites – some SEO firms create a duplicate site or web page from the original in the hope of it outranking the other<br />3. Hidden text – the use of font color that blends into the background<br />4. Doorway pages -  unethical backdoor ‘cloaking’ practice that results in black-listing<br /><br />Choose an experienced <a href="http://www.convonix.co.uk/">SEO</a> management company that can provide effective results which will not, above all, compromise the integrity of your company and jeopardize your earnings.<br /><br /><br />--<br />Convonix Inc. is a <a href="http://www.convonix.com/search-engine-optimization/">search engine optimization</a> firm providing organic <a href="http://www.convonix.co.uk/">SEO</a> services to help you improve search engine rankings and pay per click campaign management services that help you get the most traffic at the least cost resulting in improved ROI.<br><br>Source: <a href="http://www.articletrader.com/">http://www.articletrader.com</a> ]]></description>
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<title>Pay per click or SEO?</title>
<link>http://www.articletrader.com/internet/seo/pay-per-click-or-seo.html</link>
<guid>http://www.articletrader.com/internet/seo/pay-per-click-or-seo.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Directing traffic to your website on the ever-crowded World Wide Web is no mean feat. The search engine is the single most popular tool for channeling traffic and so, understanding how to use search engines for promotion is essential to any website. Whether it is promotions or simple e-commerce, the two giants of online marketing remain pay-per-click (<a href="http://www.convonix.com/pay-per-click.html">PPC</a>) and search engine optimization (<a href="http://www.convonix.com/search-engine-optimization/">SEO</a>). Making the choice between SEO and PPC is an essential part of an overall marketing strategy that will help boost traffic and in turn generate the revenue or the promotion that your campaign intends.<br /><br />The striking difference between SEO and PPC is the approach to each of these campaigns. <br />A PPC strategy demands for certain budget requirements that may be expensive to smaller businesses and individuals. Pay-per-click means exactly that. Every time a potential customer clicks on an ad, you are billed for it. However the exposure that PPC brings, especially through search engines like Google, Yahoo!, etc., is immense.<br />An SEO campaign management strategy involves a much slower process. It demands for incremental changes that will manifest themselves over the entire website - to change its appeal to both readers and search engine crawlers. These changes will, if correctly employed, enhance the organic listing of a web site.<br /><br />PPC garners instant exposure to a website. However, careful research is needed when selection of keywords are made. Prices of important phrases on large search engines will not come cheap, and there is constant worry of price increases which will severely dampen the ROI (return on investment). Another negative is that a PPC ad is not placed organically which significantly limits the click-through rate.<br /><br />The most recommended solution is to combine PPC and SEO strategies. An initial boost can be given to a website using PPC. Nevertheless, a well-designed SEO strategy, which places your website at the top of the search engine listings and keeps it there, is essential for any long term marketing plans. SEO stresses on relevant content creation, link building and general site optimization (via meta tags, CSS, etc.). All these tactics are important not just for search engine crawlers, but also for the actual traffic that reaches your web site.<br /><br />A well managed internet marketing campaign must not neglect SEO strategies, while adopting a PPC focus. Similarly, a site that chooses SEO cannot forget that advertising does give a monetary authentication to claims as well as improved exposure.<br /><br /><br />--<br />Convonix Inc. is a <a>search engine optimization</a> firm providing organic <a>SEO</a> services to help you improve search engine rankings and pay per click campaign management services that help you get the most traffic at the least cost resulting in improved ROI.<br><br>Source: <a href="http://www.articletrader.com/">http://www.articletrader.com</a> ]]></description>
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