Dave Keys Photography On The Web

Orange County SEO Expert | Search Engine Marketing

I recently wrote a post about Orange County SEO on Activerain. I wrote a very short post, barely long enough for Google to index. SEO is such a competitive field in itself that I expected no visible result from one article- only some link value, but I followed the rules for a post. Rules endorsed by Orange County SEO expert, Steve Wiideman. Steve is actually recognized as the top expert in SEO- any general SEO related Google queries will quickly reveal that. One thing that upset the status quo a few weeks ago was the little post I wrote, that for a while, appeared ahead of Steve’s number one spot. Actually, Steve had slipped to number 3 if I remember correctly and I was number 2. The number 1 website may have been one of his other websites. Like any serious Web marketer and strategist, he has more than one. I ran the query a few times on Google because the term, SEO expert is Steve’s territory. Before long the glory of that ranking for my post faded and it retreated to the bottom of the page.

After that it stayed there for several days, moved to page two and sometimes re-appears on page one.

But it started something new. It started a friendly challenge by Steve. You can see his challenge on my original Orange County SEO post, in the comments.

When Steve comments or posts, pay attention because he’s a force to be reckoned with in the SEO world.

One SEO phenomenon which I’ve been following and about which I’ve been postulating a theory, is Google’s recent real time search, which I believe is a sea-change in the Google search algorithm.

This recent observation started something for Steve and I both. I’m taking a different approach to Steve’s Challenge. Steve plans to go the traditional route of posting content to his blog (already done), placing back-links on Twitter, Digg, Stumbleupon, etc. while I’m going to pursue my theory that Google likes fresh content and add to my blogs on the topic of Orange County SEO expert, and SEO in general, every day and see whether Google prefers continuous fresh content over older content with back-links. A little time will tell what’s going on with the Google algorithms and the effect of real time search.

Why does all this matter to you, the small business owner or entrepreneur? Because, in the end, what counts is not your SEO effort, but how you turn that SEO into SEM. Results driven Search Engine Marketing. That’s what really counts- how well your web presence converts into sales.

Orange County Web Design and SEO

Bluehost | Best Cheap Web Hosting

There are a few outfits that charge less than Bluehost- and offer far less.

What’s the deal with Bluehost that makes them such a great deal?

1. Bluehost has 24/7 live tech support. When you have a problem, they have someone there to help you. In my experience, it has always taken just a few minutes to get on a live-chat online (my favorite method so I can type or paste in issues that may arise online) You can call them too, but that’s such a cumbersome way to solve technical issues.
2. Unlimited bandwidth, domains and lots of generous supply of things like SQL databases. Bluehost makes it clear that bandwidth abuse like the kind associated with spamming is not allowed but normal web traffic, even if it surges exponentially due to an increase in the popularity of your website with the only living proof video of Bigfoot, is no problem- they don’t have bandwidth tiers in pricing. Your price is your price, no matter what.
3. More in-house installs than I’ve seen anywhere else, including Wordpress, Joomla, Email lists, Social network platforms that rival Twitter and Facebook (for your own private or specialty social network), DIY website builders, CMS- the list is almost endless.
4. Domain registration and management- sooner or later, you may grow tired of Godaddy’s constant barrage of up-sells and marketing that confront you every time you venture into their website to make any change to your domain or hosted site- when you do, you can transfer your domain to Bluehost and the only thing you’ll hear from them is when you need to renew or fix some info regarding your Whois identity. Their domain management tools are excellent and uncluttered- you won’t have the Godaddy experience of a sales pitch at every increment of registration or renewal.

Ready to buy? Bluehost plans are as low as $6.95 a month (three year commitment) a little more with shorter commitments.

Orange County SEO and Web Marketing Expert – Second Guessing Google’s Real Time Search?

The top brass at Google may alone know exactly what the impact of real time search is having on the overall Google experience. Perhaps that’s not even entirely true. Google seems almost to have a mind of its own. I’ve watched search results change with the tide on a daily and even hourly basis for my own websites. Sometimes a cached version will show up in results, and then after I’ve added content to a site, a newer, current version of my titles and descriptions appear, only to disappear and revert to older cached versions a few hours later. It all seems to have coincided with the ramp-up and release of real time search, which looks to be nothing less than a complete game changer for SEO and SEM.

Orange County Web Design For Small Business

The typical small business can do well with relative simplicity in their web design– if they can be found on the web. The purpose of a website for most small business owners revolves around the idea– and the hope, that potential customers will find their products and services on the web and purchase from them.

This means that web design isn’t nearly as important as web exposure. Not only that, but overreaching web design, especially the very crowded arena of Orange County web design, can actually work against the small business owner’s effort to be discovered on the internet by customers. A great looking website that is not oriented toward acquiring new business is about as useful as a Van Gogh on a street corner.

Web optimization is what is important. It’s a mix of formula and art. The formula is straightforward: Analyze, Optimize, Develop and Promote in the words of foremost SEO expert, Steve Wiideman (just type SEO expert into Google- he’s number one). The art is in determining during the analyze phase, just what your potential customers are typing into search engines as they’re trying to solve a problem. Sometimes this is not necessarily the words that describe your product, but rather, the words that describe their problem.

Example: A person is trying to figure out how to build a garden shed to hold his tools. He knows the materials are potentially expensive and he may not have all the tools he needs for the job. He may then type something like “tools for building sheds” into Google, still knowing he may or may not do it himself. A local business has determined that a high percentage of their customers come from the ranks of those who considered doing it themselves first but then decided they’d rather purchase a ready-made installed shed. This business then optimized their “Ready-Made” brand sheds website toward do-it-yourself types with keyword optimization for phrases that are tied down to specific article titles like “Anaheim Shed Building Supplies and Tools Too Costly? Our Ready-Made® Sheds Cost Far Less!” While that is a narrow range of searches, it will catch the eye of everyone who is looking for information on proper tools and supplies for building a shed, especially if they are looking for suppliers in Anaheim, but who may actually be making a decision about whether to build or buy.

Result: The 5 or 10 percent of web searchers on the topic of sheds that find this article are exactly the segment of consumers who are poised to purchase right now.

My specialty is providing this kind of optimization for your small business website in Orange County and elsewhere so that your website design is a design on maximizing profit.

Orange County Web Design and SEO – Low Cost Web Strategies

Low Cost and Web development are not terms that are always parallel in the minds of business owners seeking to leverage the Internet for their product or service, but they can be. If you follow the more traditional ideas about web design, you hire a firm and spend thousands on a website that looks as good as you can afford. Then you realize that you also have to do SEO on the site to get it to rank in Google because it’s nowhere to be found.

That was strategy 2004.

Enter 2009 and 2010. Google’s algorithms have evolved and so has the nature of the Internet. Now it isn’t the look, it’s the relevance and social agility of a website that count toward rankings in Google.

Orange County Web Design

What’s AT&T’s Answer To Their Inferior Network? What Is Their Solution?

Nearly everyone is familiar with the Verizon Wireless TV Campaign, “There’s a Map For That.” AT&T’s paltry network is highlighted in blue with holes and gaps apparent floating above their phones as people can’t get data and elves joke “good luck connecting with that!” AT&T is mad too, mad enough to sue Verizon like ACORN is suing those who exposed their shenanigans.

Not only is AT&T mad enough to sue a superior competitor in the data arena but now they plan to take steps to target the real source of their woes- the customers they tried so hard to corral with exclusive agreements with Apple for iPhone contracts. According to WSJ online, the AT&T empire now may have plans to strike back at its customers by introducing a tiered pricing structure for its iPhone users. Additionally, as if their solicitations aren’t annoying enough, AT&T has been nagging its customers by sending them messages about their data use.

Meanwhile the nice face of AT&T has been touting its “fastest U.S. network” campaign as a reason to switch. Well, duh? Is it fast or is it overcrowded? What’s the point of you have 3 people on your network who have all been intimidated into reducing their data usage?

It’s time for the iPhone to escape the clutches of AT&T and get picked up by Verizon Wireless.

Still has better coverage- and plenty fast!

Orange County Photography by Dave Keys

Small business web design, SEO and photography

Why Are Those Orange County Homes So Popular Anyway?

Could it be the weather? I don’t just mean the warm temperatures year round. It isn’t always “warm” by the talk of some Orange County residents. They’ll tell you unabashedly, “It’s FREEZING!” but the rest of the country from the eastern seaboard to montana and parts between are, of course, laughing at us.

The real reason, however you define the weather could be the contrast. Nowhere else in the country, except the big Island of Hawaii can you surf and snow-ski on the same day. What is it in Orange County Homes that has over 1% of the entire country’s population living in our borders, and many more wanting to? What drives up the prices of real estate in the OC? I think this kind of morning is one reason.

Orange County Photography by Dave Keys

Fullerton Homes for Sale
Brea Homes for Sale

Where Else Can You See So Much Contrast In One Day? | Orange County Photography

Where else can you see snow and palm trees in our country except perhaps in Hawaii? To top it off, the half moon was still straight overhead on this fine morning with fresh snowfall on the San Gabriel Mountains.

Orange County is one of the few areas in the US where you can surf and snow ski on the same day. OC Photographers love it!

Should You Take Your Children On A Maui Vacation?

Well, the answer appears to be yes, of course!

We actually celebrated Christmas with the entire family in Maui in 2002. What a great Christmas that was!

Orange County Web Design and photography by Dave Keys

Maui Child In Kaanapali – Last Day Of Maui Vacation

I took some family photos on the beach for a very fun group in 2007. They were on their last full day in Maui and wanted some pictures together as a family. Their youngest daughter was a natural for the camera. I caught this pose which was very brief. The photo is far from technically perfect, with a little motion blur due to the low light conditions, but it’s still one of my favorites.