If your small business is not active in social networking, consider it before you get left in the dust. This oldie-but-goodie video shares why.

Cyber Monday is just around the corner and a few amazing deals are available–so I thought I would share a few of those deals as holiday gift ideas for bloggers and any of your tech oriented pals.

I happen to have affiliate relationships with these companies, this means that if you buy the product using my links, it earns this blog a small commission. These tools are useful for bloggers and online businesses and are some of the best available–which is why I recommend them and why I established an affiliate relationship to promote the products or services.

Best Blog Themes & Framework: Genesis

Although I still am in the process of converting all my web properties over to Genesis, I have to say that after a frustrating start over on my main blog, I think the Genesis framework is among the best. Next year all my blogs should be completely converted over to this framework.

I bought into the Studio Press products early, and encourage you to go take a look and if you decide it is for you or one of your tech oriented pals, enter the code THANKS at checkout to save 25% off of anything you’d like at the WordPress design shop, StudioPress.

For short time, you can get the Genesis Framework for only $45 or pick up Genesis design combos at unbelievable deals. You can also invest in the StudioPress Pro Plus All-Theme Package.

My web designer and I  both own every Genesis design they’ve made–and access to every design they make in the future. You can too! If you buy now you can save more than $74 off the regular price and over $875 off the retail price–which is an amazing deal for the 43 designs currently in the queue.

Don’t forget, all you need to do is use the code THANKS when you check out to save 25% on anything and everything at StudioPress.com. Do it now, the deal starts today and ends promptly at 7:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, November 28, 2011. Hurry up and claim your new WordPress theme before the code expires!

31 Days to Build a Better Blog

Once a website has the right framework and theme, it is time to also overhaul the actual blog.

Over the past few years I’ve been fortunate to have studied with a lot of the big names in the blogging and online marketing space. Of those, it seems that I have a love for the Australians who have been some of the nicest and most authentic people I have interacted with online.

Since I’ve been right there in the beta stages of development with most of them, when Darren Rowse (ProBlogger) launched his beta program for improving a blog–I was a participant.

Fast forward to today and you’ll see that he has developed a solid guide book to help bloggers make any online real estate better.

It isn’t just for beginners but is also for those who simply want to make their blogs (or websites) better.

Following the directions, readers will discover areas that perhaps need improvement and will also be able to enjoy some “ah-hah!” moments as the progression builds during work through this valuable guide.

The good news is that this book has recently been revamped and the 2nd Edition of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog is currently on sale as well until the end of the month.

So, if you want a great resource or gift, I can recommend you buy 31 Days to Build a Better Blog

Market Samurai

Over time I’ve found that one of my best investments was in Market Samurai. In fact, I’ve reviewed Market Samurai a couple of times.

The Noble Samurai team keeps adding new features to their software, making it a valuable time saver and useful piece of software for keyword research, competition analysis, and article posting.

Today getting to the first page of any search engine depends on your domain, how long it has been around plus on page and off page influences. In November, Google once again had a major algorithmic change which makes the use of good tools even more vital.

It used to be that Internet marketing research for the right keywords (or phrases) took ages, but with Market Samurai, this task is greatly reduced and the software is constantly upgraded and improved.

Another bonus is that it doesn’t matter what type of computer you own (PC or MAC) the Noble Samurai software works equally well on either since it uses Adobe AIR. In addition, it has an auto update feature that is convenient and easy.

This makes it the perfect gift for any online business or blogging enthusiast. If you or a friend wants to take your website to a higher level, I can recommend that you buy Market Samurai now. Get it before the price increases.

Greenhosting

One of the big mistakes beginning website or blog owners make is to host their blog on a site they don’t own. This poses a lot of different problems and so it is best to get your own domain and have it hosted on a reputable hosting service.

Although there are quite a few options available out in cyberspace, I recommend Dreamhost or Hostgator.

Both hosting companies offer green hosting options and are popular choices among my online friends and colleagues. Hostgator is offering a 50% discount on hosting services on Cyber Monday and you don’t need a special code.

Any of these products or services are great gifts and you can purchase them alone or create an amazing package with everything needed to get yourself or a friend on the road to becoming a blogger or website owner.

I am sure you have some ideas of your own, so feel free to share them in the comments below. Especially any specials you know will be offered on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

And finally, happy holidays!

I’ve been sharing my mobile phone journey online as I move into technology that will help me better understand and use mobile marketing. Catch up by reading Moving into Mobile & Mobile Exploration.

So far you’ve learned about my experiences and challenges living in a rural, mountain town and how I want to find something that I can use, will be affordable, and work on the local networks.

In my areas there are two options–the Verizon network (which I want to avoid based on my past experiences with them) and the Sprint network. This makes choosing a bit easier right off the bat. But, since I don’t want to invest a lot of money into a mobile phone and think that a two-year contract is an undesirable ball and chain–that limits my options further.

But change is in the air in 2011 since in May both Sprint and Verizon Wireless scored 72 for customer satisfaction. Sprint scored 56 just three years ago but Verizon’s score has been steady.

Sprint’s score includes Boost Mobile (brand of wireless prepay service owned by Sprint Nextel), Virgin Mobile USA, and Assurance Wireless.

Cellco Partnership (dba Verizon Wireless) is currently the largest mobile network and wireless phone provider in the United States but a couple of months ago AT&T Inc. began acquistion of T-Mobile USA which, after approval (expected to be finalized in March of 2012) will make it the largest.

Lock Out?!
Since I want to buy a phone outside of a contract, I had to research if that would work or not. Basically, any cell phone purchase from a network provider (Sprint, Verizon, etc) is locked onto their network which makes it unusable on another provider’s network.

However, by unlocking it that restriction no longer exists. It is a good idea to check with the provider to make sure the phone is compatable and supported on their system befor you buy it.

In general, an unlocked GSM phone will work on the AT&T Wireless or T-Mobile networks in the United States, while others require that you just plug in the appropriate SIM card. (A world phone supports all four GSM frequencies and can be used virtually anywhere.)

After visiting two physical locations to explore phones and service options, I started chatting with some of my cohorts–other online business people who use the net for business on a daily basis.

The first thing I learned what that a lot of people have been jailbreaking or rooting their phones to avoid the additional data plan fees usually required as an add-on above and beyond the monthly fees covered in a phone plan.

I was a bit naiive when I first began looking at the plans offered since I assumed that was included, but found that it isn’t always.

Also, I learned that using a phone for wi-fi or as a hot spot, and for different online tasks varies greatly between phones.

So, it required some addtional research. But since I always snoop at the local wi-fi gathering place in my area and already knew enough about it to know it was an important consideration in my quest for a phone and service

Jailbreaking and rooting were the terms I did not know at first. Both refer to hacking a phone to allow it to operate in ways not normally allowed by all service providers.

This can be in relation to having it work with other applications (aka apps) that act like additional software for useful activities or for access to the world-wide web. Tethering applications allow users to use phones like a wireless modem but are being thwarted by some services now.

There are pros and cons to rooting or jailbreaking a phone and I suspect those activities are probably going to be forcing some of the service providers to change what they offer customers.

For instance, Verizon recently accounced that it was considering offering data plans that will be shared between different devices by members sharing a plan.

Now a lot of people share family calling plans that that allow people on the same contract to share a pool of minutes. It works like a bulk rate, so that a member who rarely uses the phone doesn’t pay the required minimum allotment if he or she doesn’t need it but since I am solo–forget about it.

I also learned about cell service shrinkage. Offered by select carriers, if you make on-time, regular payments, your monthly rate shrinks gradually goes down after different milestones. This can reduce our monthly service fees.

Next, useful mobile forums and websites…

Photo Credit: Xraijs

Moving into mobile was part one of this series which you might want to read first.

My next mobile phone exploration took me over to see the helpful manager at The Shack (Radio Shack) because I was interested in talking to the guy who listened to me when I went in to change my cell phone provider away from Verizon some time back.

This manager was the guy who got me into Virgin Mobile. One of the things I liked about him was that he encouraged me to consider something else, but unlike the other sales people I encountered, listened to me closely, learned about my needs and then directed me to my options.

A big fan of Sprint, he made sure to share those options and encouraged me to ponder that option when I was ready to make a change. Since Virgin Mobile operates on the Sprint network, and since that network happens to be the other mobile service provider that works in the area–it was a good choice.

Virgin Mobile offers a prepaid cell that you can re-load every 90 days for as little as $20. Since I rarely used those minutes, it has worked out well for me up to this point. (In 2010 I purchased an updated little phone, loaded some minutes and was on my way.)

Anyway, Mr. Manager showed me a Sprint contract option that he thought might work for me. I am still reluctant to get into something that costs $80 per month but allowed him to run a credit check. At this time he bonused me with 300 extra minutes a month for the same rate, signed me up for a 10% discount through my credit union, and locked in the deal in for me since he knew I was not deciding that day.

This was great but this option was a bit of a decision for me since I’ve not used a credit card since the early 1990s and am a cash only kind of person. Plus, I didn’t really want to get into a contract. It is a personal quirk but one I had to ponder.

I came home with the feeling that I really want to give the Radio Shack manager my business but still wanted to explore options. He said to drop back by so I could experience some of the phones in action and I so I took him up on the offer.

So, although I came home with literature on the plan pricing and some of the phones from Verizon and Sprint, one of the reasons I love the Internet is that it allows you to research from the comfort of your own home and get answers that you are not getting in the stores.

Bit**, Bit**, Bit**
So why was I exploring online? Because I wanted more information. I am a mobile novice and (in general) I find that many staff members at these businesses are uninterested, short handed, or too busy to give me good service or the complete information I need.

Many just plain fail to listen to what you are telling them. In the past, I not only trained animals but sales people, so I find this especially annoying since I tell them what I want and my objections up front and give them the opportunity to address my specific needs and concerns.

Many businesses now lose their sales to online sources for the same reason I buy online–there isn’t any reason for me to want to give them my business based on the lousy service and little interest in me as the customer. This doesn’t make me loyal or willing to give up a better deal I can get online versus from them.

BUT, based on my experiences with the local manager at The Shack, it may be that he gets my business in one way or another.

Next…mobile phone journey & small business

Photo Credit: Evelyn Giggles

My mobile journey began a month ago. I thought I would share my experience and decisions with you and share some astounding statistics.

• 84% of the US population expects mobile version access
• 90% of US population uses mobile
• 98% of mobile search is via Google Mobile

Even though it isn’t the 4th of July yet, if that doesn’t make fireworks go off in your head, I don’t know what will!

Last year I had a big, “Oh no!” moment when I realized that it was time for me to get with it and join the mobile phone world.

The “Oh no!” comes from the fact that I live in the woods–in a rural area that has large expanses of no service and only a couple of cell phone providers that provide coverage.

My neighbor, and fellow business owner, who is always looking for an angle, did everyone a favor here by allowing Sprint to errect a tower just down the street from me.

It looks like a tree but doesn’t fool anyone around there parts.

Now my pals, who think of me as the tech gal (aka geek grrrl), were highly amused as I moved down this road to selecting a mobile phone and plan.

The big entertaining moment occured when my pal handed me her Droid and asked me to do something with it.

To her amusement I think I stammered something like, “uh….uh…” and was really out of sorts–and so started my learning curve.

Part of the issue is that my work online has changed my vision so I need “cheaters” to see anything on the small phones. So, when she handed me the phone I didn’t have them on.

Happily, by the next time she handed me the phone, I was navigating on it and exploring with more comfort…because I am really fascinated by technology.

My Mobile Phone Experience
I remember some of the first cell phones I used back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were pretty clunky but nice to have around.

Up here my business had live operators and pages that had voice messaging. However, I left the mountain for a bit and that is when I made some changes.

For instance, I was gifted with personal cell phone in 2004 when I was on book tour.

We signed up with Verizon since I was going to be on the road so much. At that time you could get a specific amount of minutes and they would roll over until you used them.

Believe it or not I still have this prepaid Verizon phone! LOL

However, my experience with Verizon went from good to “OMG are you kidding me?!”

First, I moved back to the mountains where coverage was super limited.

Then they changed my plan without notifying me (a couple of times).

When I finally called to organize a different plan, they changed my account phone number to one out of the area. This doesn’t matter to a lot of people but my region is snobby about doing business with locals–and so, although this slowly changing, they are more likely to call a local than someone out of the area.

My Verizon experience found them to be lacking on the customer friendly end and more interested in selling me what they want rather than what I need.

Anyway, they finally pissed me off enough that I jumped over to Virgin Mobile.

But now that I am looking at options…and Android, I had to go explore and so found myself in a V company store. The guy seemed like he was going to be helpful but quickly failed in that respect.

The first thing I told him was that I currently spend about $80 per year (yep, per YEAR) on my mobile phone.

That is mostly because I only use it for travel since I work from home and so use Skype, Google and an actual landline for conversations.

I didn’t really want a contract that locked me in either–and that is what I explained. In addition, I also told him I was going into mobile with my business and so needed something that would allow me to be cutting edge and competitive.

He pulled out three phones and then only showed me one. Then he only told me about the 2 year contract option. Period.

FAIL!

Hint to Verizon sales people–LISTEN to the customer and meet their needs not yours or your sales quota.

Also, after his coworkers arrived he quickly began chatting with them and ignored me.

Since I know a friendly Verizon store in Yucca Valley and if I decided on Verizon, I’d have headed over there to buy instead of giving these locals my commissions.

Next…Mobile Exploration at The Shack

Photo Credit: Floating Eyeball

SEO is the acronym for Search Engine Optimization and it is a dynamic process because it isn’t just dependent on any one tactic or strategy since things change out in cyberspace rather quickly.

But one thing is for sure, it is misunderstood by a whole lot of people.

The Good

Back in the day, and no, I am not telling you how long ago that was, there wasn’t as much competition.

But today that has changed which means that ranking for a term takes a lot more work and depends on a lot more elements than it used to.

The upside is that a lot of people understand that search engine optimization (SEO) is just as important as good design structure and code.

They know that they need SEO but what exactly does that mean?

The Bad

Many clients simply think that it means keywords. Others believe it means the terms that they think people will use, or that are popular within the particular industry (or niche) offline.

The reason this is bad is because they are wrong.

They have a little information and that is a bad, bad thing.

Now they might know their business but most have no idea how things work out in cyberspace.

So they might insist on terms that don’t get searched or that have so much competition by established domains so that they will never outrank them.

This means that they will fall for about anything and pay people to do bad things that will ultimately hurt them.

The problem is that many end up hooking up with those who do questionable work—referred to by other pros as black hat.

When Google changed algorithms in early 2011, quite a few sites plummeted in ranking and traffic because they didn’t have solid SEO practices in place.

SEO Stuff

So, what is really involved in SEO?

Obviously, there is too much to cover in just one little blog post–but to give you an idea, I’d like to touch quickly on a few things.

SEO Research
Researching the market and just what the terms people are searching for in relation to the business and the business location is one aspect.

For example, I was optimizing a site for one of my favorite website designers and found that the client’s company name was owned by two international corporations who were going to be difficult, if not impossible, to outrank.

I was excited to find two key terms that would work and drive the correct traffic to the site with phrases people were searching on in the local market.

It took time and research to identify the hurdles and the right market.

Right SEO Phrases
Once the right phrases or key terms are identified, the work begins.

People mistakenly think that they can pick a bunch of terms and rank for each one they want.

When I do small business SEO I pick a main term and then strategically plan which terms I will use to support the main phrase.

My goal is to rank for the main phrase and then include a couple of others that support it.

Right Placement & Architecture
Constructing a site so it has the right architecture to support the SEO is just as important as identifying the right terms–the two work hand-in-hand.

Some designers use menus that actually dilute the SEO. This is why team work is essential to make sure that this does not happen.

The title tags, meta tags, description, navigation menu, URls (permalinks), alt tags, names of the graphics, headers, link names, and SEO writing are all important if you are going to compete in a super competitive environment.

Plus, what a lot of people don’t realize is that where those terms are placed on the page can drastically alter the SEO.

For example, when Google makes changes, BAM! Many people will see a dip in site ranking that might have been climbing steadily.

This requires some reworking to regain the momentum.

Of course there is a lot more than on-page strategies.

SEO Strategy
In addition to on-site factors, there are also off-site influences that have to be taken into account.

Competition can be stiff, so creating quality back links is essential along with making sure the website has a page rank that increases over time.

Not too long ago I took a look at the back links for a site that was passing to a web design firm that I had been subcontracted to do the job under.

Imagine my dismay when I saw that all the back links were created from a particular website and some were from highly questionable content that I am sure he would not want to be associated with. It would have been disastrous to his practice if any of his clients discovered them!

Ranking & Traffic Doesn’t Happen Overnight
A lot of people believe that their SEO will suddenly catapult them into the first position of the search engines.

I’ve been able to get good ranking quickly but the reality is that it takes a while to climb up and to maintain a good position.

It might look good if you get first position but if you don’t get any traffic because there isn’t enough searches for the term, it is worthless.

Any online business presence needs to be found in the right location and for the right terms.

The OMG!

So are you saying, “OMG, I had no idea so much was involved?”

I certainly hope so and I hate to tell you that there is a lot more that I didn’t touch on!

It takes time to build a good, solid web presence and establish the correct SEO for your business.

Hopefully by understanding a bit more about this process you’ll be able to assist your web team in getting you to where you want to be.

SEO Do It Yourself Guide?
SEO is not usually a cheap proposition. I got into SEO quite by accident since health challenges put a crimp in my style and I started working on learning and applying SEO as a sideline.

Several years later, I find that I enjoy the process and the challenge because it is never dull and never the same.

Now you can hire me to work with your web designer or to help you–just contact me for a quote.

However, there are also a lot of tools out there that can help you do it yourself–but it isn’t for the faint of heart and takes a lot of time.

For SEO research, and to fine tune any efforts in creating search engine optimized content, I want to mention two tools that I happen to like and use.

SEO Resources

Market Samurai and Scribe SEO are two tools I recommend  and I began using both when they were in Beta.

Over time Market Samurai it has become a more sophisticated and diverse application and is ideal for anyone who is a do-it-yourself type or someone that intends to run a number of websites.

You can read my review of Market Samurai and make a decision as to whether or not it might be right for you by signing up for a trial or to buy Market Samurai.

Scribe SEO is a subscription service that can be integrated right into your content management system, such as Word Press, and is a reminder to be consistent, refrain from getting sloppy and it helps tighten up your copy for SEO.

I still have to write my review for this subscription service but do recommend that you check out Scribe SEO.

Of course there are a number of websites and other tools out there to help with SEO. The web resources I enjoy most include SEOMoz and SEOBook. Both offer free membership options and paid upgrades that can meet many different needs.

SEOMoz is currently offering a special 30-Day trial. You can run reports on your site and see where it fails and what you can improve. You can also use a variety of tools to do self-assessments, check on links, and a whole lot more. If you decide to continue, the investment starts at about $99 per month and up. Check out SEOMoz.

SEOBook offers two monthly options with access to tools and other information as well as a regular newsletter. The basic seo training program starts at the monthly rate of $69.00 while the all access is $300.00 per month. Check out SEOBook.

They have an amazing amount of information, tools, and other SEOs you can network with when you join these types of communities. .

Finally, Danny Dover’s new book, SEO Secrets is for those who really want to go beyond basic SEO. I am currently reading it and recommend it highly!

You might already have your favorites but now you know mine.

Please give me a jingle if I can help you and be sure to follow Guerrero Ink on Facebook for more discussions and activity.

Photo Credit: Jason Escapist

Do you have a small business email account?

By small business email, I mean your private domain name email.

In many cases it might be something such as “info@yourdomainname.com” or something similar.

I thought I would cover a few mistakes small businesses make with email because they really do matter.

They are really small business email disasters.

Non-domain Email Limitations

One of the biggest mistakes I see small businesses making is that they fail to have a domain specific email.

Or perhaps they have one but they refuse to use it.

Email services such as AOL, Prodigy, Earthlink, NetZero and ‘insert your email service provider here’ pose problems for your business.

The first is that when you use specific services, they tend to keep you in their system and so don’t make it easy to manage your email.

If you decided to outsource and hire a virtual assistant, it makes it difficult (if not downright impossible) for that person to manage it.

Many are also dinosaurs when it comes to all things Internet.

Amateur
The next issue with an email that is not specific to your business is that it makes you look very amateur and makes people wonder just how professional you are.

Maybe your friends send you email from Yahoo, Hotmail, and other services but it isn’t a good idea to use those for your business.

However, where they can come in handy is for when you are active online and are not sure about posting your business email address.

For instance, I tend to use those types of email addresses for accounts I set up, alerts, blog comments, and other uses out in public where spammer or spam bots might pick them up.

It keeps by business box clean and clear for business and all my distracting and non-important email elsewhere for when I actually have a moment.

Sending or Forwarding Email Without Permission
In today’s world, it is unlawful to send business messages to groups of people unless you have permission.

I wrote about this before in, Is Your Small Business Spamming?, but I bring it up again to touch on a couple of other notes.

You should never Forward emails without permission and never CC a large list of people.

Taking such actions is poor netiquette and also exposes the emails of all those people to others.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to change my domain email address simply because people have forwarded it to others or have posted it without my permission.

If you do need to copy someone on an email, the best way to do so is to use the BC option—this sends it but “blind copies” of the email so nobody else can see the email address or snag it for questionable purposes.

Also, avoid replying to all when you click to reply to someone–otherwise you broadcast your message to a whole lot of people who also got that email.

Believe me, there are some very entertaining stories that are floating around the Internet about such mistakes.

Email Options
Now don’t freak out if you are using old school services for email.

Today you can use any mail service and simply “mask” it with your domain email address for delivery to and from the account of your choice.

For instance, many people are using Gmail by Google but set up their private domain email to arrive and depart from the panel but reads, myname@mydomain.com instead of the Gmail address.

However, if you have paid for a domain name and for hosting, you should have email capability.

Check with your service provider to see how it can be set up.

Signatures & Happy Endings
I have a number of domain email addresses and some that have been abandoned due to people abusing them or even using them illegally.

What I like about having my specific domain email addresses is that I can always customize them and direct them where ever I want—which makes email management a dream instead of a nightmare.

If you are serious about your small business, take some time to chat with your web team and get your unique domain emails set up and working.

You’ll be happier in the long run and find that this simple step will go a long way to helping your small business image and make your email management faster and easier.

Don’t forget to include your business signature at the bottom of the emails you do send out.

These can be used to help people get in touch with you, connect via social media, help share your website, or share some specials.

I’ll have to discuss this more in another post.

In the meantime, if you have a hint or tip to share, please do so in the comments!

Photo Credit: Horia Varlan

Not too long ago I had some of my sites customized. The hardest part about it was that I could not get my designer to understand that a large header didn’t work for me.

Sure, it looked good–but for me, I’d rather have it work and make do with a smaller header.

In fact, several of my websites don’t have a lot of what other people consider standard and they work better because they don’t.

As I’ve been meandering around cyberspace, I’ve notice a big gap between good looking design and good seo practices.

You see, designers design.

They like things to look good.

I get it, I do but I have to ask–don’t you also want it to work well?

Because a large header doesn’t help the client get traffic nor does it help a visitor immediately see what is on the site.

Not too long ago, I fired a client for not listening to me and for not letting me do my job.

It was similar to the situation I shared in the last post where the web design team fired a client because they were always getting advice from their friends instead of from their hired EXPERTS.

In my situation, the person kept telling what to do and so I asked her, “Do you want it to look good or want it to work?”

She wanted both. The problem was she was working on archaic information from about ten years ago and for some reason thought she knew better than I did.

*sigh*

The reason I asked her the question was to make a point, and although you can have both, her demands would not work to drive business her way.

Her ideas might have made it look nice and would appease her–but I doubted that would last.

In the future I was certain she was going to cry out i protest when the traffic did not magically appear.

Also, what she wanted to do would confuse site visitors with too many choices so that they simply clicked away.

So, I thought this would be a good time to mention two changes that can make a blog design stronger for small business seo.

Get rid of the big graphics and headers at the top of the page.

The upper portion of the screen on any website or blog is valuable real estate. If you research how people look and move through your site you will discover that the eye takes in what is on the left and top of the screen to the right.

If you don’t have your most important stuff up top, they will miss it.

How important is that picture or logo?

Not very–and if you look at the top blogs of the most successful bloggers or Internet marketers, you will discover that they seldom waste the space with large headers and graphics.

Get rid of those drop down java menus.

I’ve personally had to fight over this one because using a drop down menu is easy and so most people want to use them.

And yes, I’ve used them in the past but now that the web has changed–so have I!

During my last site makeover, I used two navigation bars at the top and neither were drop downs–they are there for SEO.

Why?

Because you lose SEO strength when you dilute the path.

What do I mean by this?

blog name URL >> category >> main topic page

is not as good as

blog name URL >> main topic page

If you get into it a little more it might look like this:

blog name URL >>keyword service >> keyword specialty

which is not as strong as

blog name URL >> keyword specialty

Perhaps you need a more specific example?

Let’s take office furniture as an example.

The name of the website is:

MyOfficeFurnitureBusiness.Com

Perhaps the business keyword selected is:

office furniture company

Then the focus is on the type of furniture:

new office furniture

If you used a drop-down menu with new office furniture as a listing, the total URL would be this:

MyOfficeFurnitureBusiness.Com/office furniture company/new office furniture/

You would have a nice drop down menu using the key terms but you would be diluting the SEO and also be a bit spammy.

A better URL would be:

MyOfficeFurnitureBusiness.Com/new office furniture/

When designing a site you can get creative by creating a navigation system that has the main pages on top and important topics in the top portion of the sidebar.

This helps the visitor and SEO.

Get it?

Hopefully you do.

So is your blog design helping or hindering your small business seo?

I’ve touched on a couple of points that could make a difference from a design perspective.

I won’t get into a lot more in this post but if you have a tip about small business SEO that came to mind, leave a comment!