Image Optimization

We all know that search engines can’t read or understand images. So to rank images, they scout around for clues: text in critical locations tied to the image file and surrounding the picture on the page. To get the image search rankings you desire, be sure to include keywords in these important spots: Image file name For example, if your image is a photo of an oscillating fan, the file name oscillating-fan.jpg says it all!

Captions directly beneath or above images For example, “Our 6-inch oscillating fan fits perfectly in a kitchen window” makes a clear and keyword-rich caption. ALT and TITLE tags Use them both, and it’s OK if you use an identical ALT and TITLE tag on the same image. Don’t stuff them with keywords, though one keyword is the max for these tags.

Text links pointing to the image For example, “click for larger picture” contains no keywords, but “Oscillating Fan View Larger Photo” provides keyword-rich, and descriptive, clickable text.

Text on the same page as the image When a caption isn’t enough, you can always add a longer description of the photo in the body of the page.

SEO with Flickr

Yahoo!-owned Flickr is a photo-sharing site and Web 2.0 phenomenon.This site allows anyone to create a profile and upload photos for sharing. Besides being a well-trafficked site, Flickr sometimes displays in standard search results with particular prominence on Yahoo!, of course.We spoke with small-business SEO expert Matt McGee about strategies for business marketing on Flickr. Commercial promotion on Flickr goes against its terms of service (here are the exact words on the website:“Flickr is for personal use only. If we find you selling products, services, or yourself through your photostream,we will terminate your account.”), so just like other social media sites we’ve discussed, it’s wise to tread carefully.“My advice is always to focus first on contributing to the community,” says Matt,“and that applies to whatever social media you’re using. Flickr obviously wants the community to grow, and if you’re becoming a valued member of your groups, the other members will want you around, too.”

Look to Flickr for a participation and engagement style of marketing, not a hard sell. Here are some of the ways to optimize your Flickr presence for search:

• Become an active participant in the Flickr community. Join groups, create favorites, and comment on photos.“There are groups for just about everything under the sun: boating enthusiasts, pet lovers, tech geeks, architecture mavens…you name it.”

• Keep the sales text to a minimum: This is a place to share photos, and any marketing should be a fringe benefit.“Market without making it look like you’re marketing, by focusing on giving to the community, not trying to get stuff from it.”

• Tag your photos with target keywords, and use the Flickr geotag tool if your photos are location specific.

• Write a keyword-rich description for each photo.You may also wish to include links within your photo descriptions. If this brand of participatory self-promotion sounds like your cup of tea, Flickr might be just the venue for you.You can find many more Flickr tips on Matt’s website at smallbusinesssem.com.

Getting well-placed keywords around your images is a great start. Here are a few additional steps you can take to maximize your image search presence:

• Check and see how your images look when they’re reduced to thumbnail size. Readable? If not, consider recropping or upping the contrast for a better presentation in image search results.

• Verify with your webmaster that your server settings allow image search engines to display your pics. And make sure that he or she didn’t do something silly, like exclude the /images/ folder using the robots.txt file.

• For those of you with a verified Google Webmaster Tools account, take an extra minute to check the “Yes” box under Tools > Enable enhanced image search. This will throw your site’s images in the mix for tagging by actual humans. (Does labeling images sound like your idea of fun? Join the party and see Google’s ingenious game designed to improve its image search relevancy at http://images.google.com/imagelabeler.)

Your site has the primo images, and now you know how to flaunt them! Next stop, local search, where you can target a hometown audience for conversions.

Local Search

We talked a bit about the wonders of local search. Been waiting in line for coffee too long? Pull out your wireless PDA and search for another café in the vicinity. Sitting at home on a Saturday night? Order pizza and a video directly through the Web (and while you’re there, join a local interest group on Facebook!). What’s good for the searcher is even better for the search-savvy local business owner. Even if your organization doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar component, if there’s any local component to your business, you want to tackle local search today.

You’ll focus today on the major search engines. Google, Yahoo!, and MSN all show local search results within standard listings for certain searches. For example, type boston bakery into Yahoo!, and at the top of the screen, you’ll see prominently featured local results.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be listed there, maybe even with some sizzling five-star reviews next to your company name? Here’s how to get started: Make your own listing. Surf the major search engines’ local sites Yahoo! Local, Google Maps, and MSN Live Local to see if your business already has a listing. If no listing exists, or yours needs an update, it’s free for you to make the submittal. Check yourseoplan.com for submittal URLs.

We’d like to see you get the most bang for your buck, so to speak, on these free local search listings. Fill in all the extra information you can: hours of operation, languages spoken, and so on.

Beautify your listing. Your listing needs some bling! It’s easy to upload photos on Google, Yahoo!, or MSN, so why not give your local search surfers one more reason to visit your business? (Square photos work best upload one today!) Then, remind one of your adoring customers how much you’d love a review.

Integrate location info on your site. If your website’s main job is to drive walk-in traffic, be sure to include your business address and phone number on all pages of the site. This is easy to accomplish using a footer or template, and sends the search engines a strong message about your whereabouts. Include variations of your locality keywords (such as “WA” and “Washington”), and don’t forget the importance of neighborhood names. If your business operates out of several locations, create a separate landing page for each spot.

There is a special address format called hCard that might help search engines recognize your contact info. Explore localization in paid search. It’s easy to test-drive a local paid search campaign. Just follow your paid search service’s instructions for selecting your targeted geographical areas, and assign a budget for testing. Keep in mind, though, that if your local competitors include national retail chains, at least one PPC expert, Kevin Lee of the search marketing firm Didit, believes local PPC could be an uphill battle. When we asked Kevin what’s coming up in local search, he shared these insights:

“My opinion is that for many sectors, the national players will be the dominant players in the local search marketplace. They have brand names, and this gives them an advantage in the hybrid PPC auctions. Dominos and Pizza Hut can coordinate locally targeted campaigns and have significant resources. The local pizza place may also advertise, but there is only room for half a dozen pizzerias in the search result. So, the number of local players involved in an area doesn’t increase revenue to an engine. Kinkos, Sir Speedy, and AlphaGraphics can also coordinate aggressive localized campaigns, making it difficult for the local business owner to break into the results profitably.

“For professional services, there are not many national companies, so local players will be active. However, once again, there will only be two or three Atlanta divorce attorneys who pay enough to be at the top and get most of the clicks.”

See yellow. According to an industry press release, online yellow pages usage is growing with each year. Better yet, the majority of yellow pages searchers are reported to actually follow through with an in-store visit! Most online yellow pages sites have some form of free business listing available. Here are some to try:

• YELLOWPAGES.COM

• Yellow Book

• Superpages

• R.H. Donnelley