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  • The History Of Search Engine Optimization and What The Future May Hold

    The History Of Search Engine Optimization and What The Future May Hold

    In the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has stood the test of time as a cornerstone of a successful online presence. From the early days of keyword stuffing to the sophisticated algorithms of today, SEO practices have transformed dramatically. At Web Force KC in Kansas City, we’ve navigated these changes alongside businesses striving to optimize their online footprint. Here, we delve into the history of SEO and its current state and speculate on the future.

    The Dawn of SEO

    SEO’s roots can be traced back to the early 1990s when search engines began cataloging the fledgling web. Initially, webmasters could submit a page to search engines to be indexed. Optimization was rudimentary, involving keyword stuffing and excessive tags to rank higher. This era was characterized by a lack of sophistication in search algorithms, making exploiting rankings with simple tactics easy.

    The Evolution of Algorithms

    As the internet grew, so did the need for more sophisticated search algorithms. Google’s introduction of PageRank in the late 1990s revolutionized SEO by considering a website’s backlink profile as an indicator of its authority and relevance. This era marked the beginning of ‘white hat’ versus ‘black hat’ SEO practices, leading to a more strategic approach to optimization. Content quality, keyword relevance, and link-building became crucial for success.

    The Modern Era of SEO

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    Photo by 1981 Digital on Unsplash

    The last decade has seen SEO evolve into a complex discipline that demands a multifaceted strategy. Updates like Google’s Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird emphasized the importance of quality content, penalized manipulative link practices, and improved the search engine’s understanding of user queries. Today, SEO is not just about keywords and links; it’s about providing a seamless user experience, from mobile optimization to fast loading speeds and engaging content.

    Quality, Creative, and Helpful Content

    Content remains king in the realm of SEO. High-quality, engaging, and informative content that meets the users’ needs can dramatically improve a website’s rankings. At Web Force KC, we emphasize the creation of structured pages and blog posts with clear titles, descriptions, and meta keywords. This not only helps search engines understand and index content but also enhances user engagement.

    Optimized Images and Backend Information

    Optimizing images is crucial for both page load speed and search visibility. This involves compressing images without sacrificing quality and using relevant file names, alt tags, and captions. Such practices ensure that images contribute positively to SEO while enhancing the user experience.

    Structured Website Menus and Conversion Goals

    A logical and intuitive menu structure is vital for both SEO and user navigation. A well-organized website makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages and for users to find the necessary information. Clear conversion paths must be established to guide visitors towards desired actions, be it making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting customer service.

    The Laundry Principle: Update Often, Always

    In the digital world, your website is never truly ‘finished.’ Regular updates are essential for maintaining and improving search engine rankings. This could mean refreshing old content, adding new pages, or implementing technical SEO improvements. Think of your website like laundry – it’s a continuous cycle of washing, drying, and folding to keep everything fresh and functional.

    The Future of SEO

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    Photo by Melanie Deziel on Unsplash

    Looking ahead, we can anticipate further advancements in AI and machine learning algorithms, making search engines even more adept at understanding and satisfying user intent. Voice and visual search are likely to become more prominent, requiring new optimization strategies. The integration of SEO with other digital marketing disciplines, such as social media and content marketing, will become increasingly seamless.

    At Web Force KC, we remain committed to navigating these changes, ensuring that our strategies respond to the current landscape and are poised to adapt to future developments. The journey of SEO is far from over, and we’re excited to see where it leads.

    The history of SEO is a testament to the rapid evolution of digital marketing. As we look to the future, the only certainty is change, and more often than ever before. Businesses that stay informed and adaptable will continue to thrive in the search rankings, driving visibility, engagement, and conversions in an increasingly competitive online world.

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  • Community Over Convenience

    Community Over Convenience

    Local SEO and Web Design in Kansas City, MO

    COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on small businesses not only in the Kanas City area but across the entire United States which is hopefully no surprise to anyone reading this. Between shutdowns, occupancy restrictions, and the online overlords of shopping like Amazon seeing massive surges in orders, small businesses in your area still need your help. But with the fear of catching COVID and the armies of idiots that refuse to wear a mask or get vaccinated, many regular customers for small, local businesses are nowhere to be found. I am by no means recommending we all race out to your favorite local restaurant or retail shop and pretend like there isn’t a global pandemic going on because there is however there are some little things you can do online to help support and promote your local business owners.

    Shop Local When You Can

    I heard someone say the other day “community over convenience” and it stuck with me. I know it’s hard to do but think about it like this: these business owners have their entire lives invested in their business and they aren’t really getting much help from local, state, and federal government. If you know you can buy something locally sourced from a small business, do it because they badly need your help. Sure it may cost a little more but your money is going directly back into the community and not into the hands of billion-dollar global corporations.

    Help Them Out Online

    I can’t think of any local business (at least in the Kansas City area) that doesn’t have at least some form of online presence or avenue to reach their customers and if they don’t, they are sadly missing out. Whether it’s a Facebook business page, a Google business listing, Yelp, Instagram, or just a business’ website, your interaction with these will help small businesses in a small way. Write a review for local businesses you buy from, like or follow them on social media, and even share their business on your own personal social media feeds. Anything you can do to bring attention to a small business is good for them and this year they still need it badly.

    As a small business owner myself, it has been an exceptional year for Web Force KC and we appreciate the clients we have that continue to partner and grow with us. Thank you. We don’t need reviews or social media shares at Web Force KC but I’m sure that anyone reading this knows a small business that could use a little online love. Like, share, write a review, and definitely shop local this summer because your community depends on it. Cheers!

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

     

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  • Marketing In The Age Of COVID-19

    Marketing In The Age Of COVID-19

    Photo Credit: CDC

    It’s been a bit since I’ve published a blog for Web Force KC, and with the dramatic changes we’ve all had to adjust to in the last month or so, I thought I would share some insight as to what we’ve been seeing with our clients. There’s no getting around it: COVID-19 has and will forever change the way our city, country, and world operates and how we use online marketing is certainly no exception. Here are a few of the things we’ve seen and helped our clients implement over the last few weeks to help them adjust to the new normal:

    Be Upfront

    There’s no tip toeing around the fact the COVID-19 is having an effect on businesses and individuals so approach it head on. We’ve likely all seen companies continuing to market with tone deaf messages that are oddly outdated and hearken back to a time that is no longer present or relevant (at least for the foreseeable future). Rather than dance around the fact that there is an elevated amount of fear, stress and in some cases, panic, let your customers know that you and your business are not immune to what’s going on but you’re still there and ready to serve them while putting their safety at the forefront. Obviously most businesses are no longer “business as usual” in any way, shape, or form but explaining how your business specifically is adjusting to the COVID-19 crisis will help your customers understand that their health and safety will not be in jeopardy when they do business with you.

    Be Honest

    Every business owner thinks that their business is essential and they are not wrong as it puts food on their table and pays the bills. However, most cities and states clearly spell out which industries are essential and which ones are not. While it may be tempting (and probably pretty easy) to keep a non-essential business open during a stay at home order as there really is not any clear enforcement that we’ve seen thus far, it could backfire badly. As stay at home orders get extended until who knows when, people are probably going to start getting pissed off from being cooped up and seeing a non-essential business that is blatantly open and doing business is an really easy target.  We are by no means experts on law but from what the city of Kansas City (where Web Force KC is located) has stated that they are not playing games with non-essential business violating the order. If you get caught, you might get closed down for who knows how long. Maybe even beyond the city or state’s stay at home order which will be great for your competitors but not so great for you or your business.

    So, from an marketing standpoint, if you have to temporarily close or you are able to remain open, use the numerous online tools available to let your customers know what’s going on with your business. If you have to temporarily close, let them know that you may be down but you are certainly not out. If you’re luck enough to be open, let them know what, if anything, has changed for your business due to the COVID-19 crisis. Google My Business, Yelp, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and many other sites that are tools for businesses have quickly added new functionality allowing business owners to update the status of their business specifically as it pertains to the COVID-19 crisis. Add how your business has changed to your website and make it highly visible so that anyone visiting it knows what you and your business are doing to adjust to the age of COVID-19. Use your online tools to your advantage.

    Be Creative

    Amidst all of the bad news we’ve seen in the past few weeks there are some good things that have come out of all of this. In fact, some businesses that creatively adjusted successfully will not soon be forgotten. Take J. Reiger & Co. for instance. They are a local Kansas City distillery that has reinvented themselves from an old, long gone brand to a vibrant locally sourced product and must visit destination that is pretty damn cool. (Their whisky kicks ass, too, according to the author of this blog.) As the COVID-19 crisis began to take shape it the Kansas City area, they switched their operations from distilling and distributing spirits to making hand sanitizer and lots of it! People lined up around the block at their distillery to get a bottle or jug of their hand sanitizer and, of course, the media was there to report on the whole thing. What’s interesting about J. Reiger & Co. and how they completely switched up their business model is that their hand sanitizer continues to pop up all over social media and news reports even weeks after they made the initial switch. They have donated their hand sanitizer to first responders, medical professionals and others on the frontlines and they’ve reaped the rewards with seemingly endless social media shares while also selling their product through unlikely channels like Shatto Milk Company’s delivery service. Speaking of Shatto Milk, they, too, began to really push their delivery service in the Kansas City metro as COVID-19 became a household name and guess what? Their deliver service exploded! With so many people stuck at home and the chaos going on at any given grocery store, it’s no wonder that a delivery service from a company that was already known for a quality product would be enormously successful.

    The point is that you may be forced to reinvent how you do business to survive. Be creative with it and if how you adjust your business helps people, you’ll definitely get bonus points.

    Photo Credit: Erik Mclean

    Talk to your customers

    With access to the entire internet in the palm of our hands , there’s really no excuse why you can’t connect with your customers. If your business has never really tapped into marketing to the search engines or social media then you are way behind the curve but now is probably a great time to jump in. What’s always been interesting from a marketing standpoint is how businesses continually have to remind customers that behind their brand and business are actual people. I spend more time trying to figure out better and more effective ways on how to humanize a business that I work with because when done correctly can be a very powerful force.

    Talk to your customers in any way you can and in a way that they will understand. Whether you sit down and write a lengthy blog post like the one you’re currently reading or a quick social media post telling them you miss them, do something because chances are they are listening.

    Health and safety

    I spend a ENORMOUS amount of time online each day whether I’m working or not and I’m either lucky or unlucky enough to get to see both sides of any story, event, or topic. With that being said, this is not going to become a political or conspiracy theory post but the fact is that there are many people that believe the COVID-19 virus is a hoax. If they are right then I will stand corrected but as a business owner, your customers and staff are not just a means to profitability, they ARE your business and risking their health and safety is not only irresponsible but also a sure way to keep your business closed for good. During election season, I always like to remind my clients that posting political opinions or propaganda is essentially cutting yourself off from anyone with an opposing opinion. With the COVID-19 crisis in full swing, discrediting and/or ignoring it is essential the same thing as anyone that is fearful for their health isn’t going to do business with an anyone that blatantly ignores health warnings. Do the right thing for yourself, your staff, and your customers and alleviate any doubt or worry that doing business with you could effect their health and safety.

    Web Force KC doesn’t have all of the answers to every question as we are continually adjusting what we do and how to better do it daily. We continually look for new ways to help our clients continue to push forward using online marketing as an effective tool of communication. If your business needs help, let us know. We’d be happy to help! Stay safe KC!

     

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

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  • Why You Should Blog About Your Business

    Blogging For Businesses In Kansas City

    Web Force KC helps small businesses in Kansas City and surrounding areas develop solid and consistent online marketing strategies that are results driven and effective. One of the main ways we help the businesses we partner with is by blogging on behalf of their business. We typically are not using the blog to make social commentary, rant & rave, or create a social buzz. In fact most of the time our blogging is a direct assault on keywords and sets of keywords that generate traffic to websites that can then convert into potential customers for the businesses we work for. There is much more to it than just dropping a ton of keywords onto a blog and blasting it out onto the internet and we thought we would share some of the things we at Web Force do in blogs for the businesses we work with.

    Using Effective Titles In Your Blog

    Whether your business is seasonal or not, there is always something you could talking about for your business online. Web Force KC researchesweb-design-search-engine-optimization-Kansas-City-Lees-Summit what keyword(s) or keyword phrases are the most relevant to your business online and then we find ways to incorporate them into blog titles, page titles, and content with the blogs. The trick is to not duplicate the content while still utilizing the target keywords and keyword phrases which can be difficult which is never easy. As targeted keyword campaigns become more successful and effective, Web Force KC will broaden the keyword spectrum to include other relevant keywords to the business that are an expansion to the keyword sets that are the foundation of the campaign.  Using primary target keywords in blog titles along with location based verbiage usually makes the for the most effective blog titles that yield the best traffic but the curtains need to match the drapes in the content, categories, tags, H1, H2 H3 etc.

    Web Force KC uses knowledge of web design, search engine optimization (including blogging) and a little sales savvy to help grow small businesses via online marketing. If you own a small business and would like to see how Web Force KC can help your business’ marketing call (816) 462-9128 for a free consultation.

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

    Contact Web Force KC For Web Design and Online Marketing In Kansas City at (816) 462-9128

    Web Design    Search Engine Optimization     E-Commerce Web Design    Social Media Strategies

     

  • Consistency Counts In Your Online Marketing Efforts

    Web Design & Search Engine Optimization In Kansas City

    Just because you have a website and have claimed all of your online business directories doesn’t mean that you will have a flurry of potential customers visiting your website. As your website ages and content is not added to your site (blogging, additional pages, etc), it will more than likely begin to fall in search engine rank. If left alone over an extended period of time, your website will likely fall beneath your competitors websites on the search engine leaving your business with little to no website traffic and little to no online conversions from your website.

    Adding Constant Content To Your Website In Kansas City Works!

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    Is Your Web Design Effective?

    Assuming your business’ website has a blog and social media, you have an online avenue to continually add content to your business’ online presence. Structured and effective blog writing can take anywhere from 1 hour to several hours to write, categorize, tag, title, describe and finally add SEO keywords to your blog.  Using H1, H2, H3, etc tags within your content will help the search engines determine what your blog (and your website) is about and where it should show up as it pertains to a given search.  Assuming your blog is written and structured correctly, the search engines may add your blog post (as opposed to a specific web page on your website) to the search engine results creating an effective entry point into your website.  Continually thinking of blog topic ideas is where it tends to get difficult and Web Force KC are experts at creating relevant, effective blog posts and ideas that put your business into the search engine results for your product or industry in your area. Regardless of whether your business is focusing on attracting potential customers locally or nationally, adding relevant content constantly is an absolute must. 

    The problem with most web design is that web designers are typically not search engine optimization specialists and if your website was designed in such a way that it is not an effective website in Kansas City, Web Force KC would like to help you. Web Force KC does not keep our online marketing strategies and procedures a secret from our customers because we want them to understand what we are doing for their business, why we are doing it and how it helps their business grow.

    For a free estimate on what it would cost to build an affordable & effective website for your business in Kansas City call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128.

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

    Contact Web Force KC For Web Design and Online Marketing In Kansas City at (816) 462-9128

    Web Design    Search Engine Optimization     E-Commerce Web Design    Social Media Strategies

  • Mobile Friendly Web Design

    Mobile Friendly Web Design In Kansas City & Overland Park

    web-design-Kansas-City-Lees-Summit-Overland-ParkLook no further than while you are driving down street to see people literally glued to their phones and mobile devices.  It is sometimes scary how many people you might see during any given rush hour in Kansas City looking at their smartphones while driving or stuck in traffic.  Your potential customers could be looking for your type of business and the products/services your company offers from their mobile device. If your website is difficult to see, read or navigate you may be loosing out on potential customers as they will no doubt choose to view a website designed to fit whatever device they are using.

    Web Design For All Devices In Kansas City & Overland Park

    Web design by Web Force KC is done by first determining how to make your business’ website effective.  It does no good to simply create a website that is pleasing to the eye that will never be seen by anyone other than the web designer and the business owner(s).  Our web design is carefully calculated to maximize conversions of visitors to your website and effective at ranking high on the search engines to ensure a steady flow of traffic.  Web Force KC also approaches web design with the idea that your website should look and feel good to your potential customers regardless of how they enter into your site (blog, social media, etc) and regardless of which device they are using (laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet).  Our web design staff tests each website we design in Kansas City on all platforms and devices to ensure that however your potential customers choose to connect with your business’s website, they will have a clean, seamless experience with navigating through it.

    Having a mobile & tablet friendly website should not be unattainable in terms of cost for small businesses in Kansas City.  Web Force KC offers quality, affordable and most of all effective web design for Kansas City businesses and organizations. For a free estimate on what it would cost to build an affordable & effective website for your business in Kansas City call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128.

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

    Contact Web Force KC For Web Design and Online Marketing In Kansas City at (816) 462-9128

    Web Design    Search Engine Optimization     E-Commerce Web Design    Social Media Strategies

  • Affordable & Effective Web Design In Kansas City

    Web Design In Kansas City, Overland Park and Lees Summit

    Your business web site can do many things to help grow your business. But like everything else in life, you will only get out of your website what you put into it. Static web design that never changes probably do not get indexed often by the search engines leaving it less than effective because it is never seen by your potential customers.  Whether you are wanting your business’ first website built or needing to update your current website to better market your business, Web Force KC can help you with affordable and effective web design.

    Affordable Web Design In Kansas City & Lees Summit

    Websites and web design have become an absolutely necessary tool for businesses in the Kansas City area. With traditional marketing like print, direct mail, and other mediums that are costly with results that are difficult to track, online marketing via web design and search engine optimization enable potential customers that are looking for what your business offers find you. Like any type of marketing, time, effort and creativity are involved in web design and online marketing in Kansas City and many internet marketing companies have extremely high rate. At Web Force KC, we mostly work with small businesses in for website design and online marketing via search engine optimization. We understand that many business owners want to grow their businesses online but have been burned by national marketing companies in the past that charge an arm and 2 legs for little to no return on investment.  Web Force KC makes web design and search engine optimization affordable with results that can be tracked.  Web Force KC builds websites for small business owners in Kansas City & Lees Summit that reflect the businesses they represent and are effective beyond conventional expectations.

    Whether you are wanting your business’ first website or need to update your current website, Web Force KC can help you achieve your online goals.  Our web design for Kansas City businesses is simple, clean, affordable and effective making Web Force KC a valuable partner for your online marketing needs. 

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

    Contact Web Force KC For Web Design and Online Marketing In Kansas City at (816) 462-9128

    Web Design    Search Engine Optimization     E-Commerce Web Design    Social Media Strategies

  • Online Inventory Management With Your Website

    Website Design & Search Engine Optimization In Kansas City & Lees Summit

    Your business’ website in Kansas City can do much more than be an online billboard or a digital business card to attract potential customers. In fact, your website can help you keep track of your inventory online if you business sells physical products and/or has fluctuating inventory. Web Force KC has helped business owners and organizations manage and sell inventoried products online and develop inventory management systems that are integrated into web design.

    Integrating Inventory Management Into Web Design

    Keeping track of your business’ inventory can be a real pain for business owners particularly if you business’ inventory fluctuates daily or weekly. Since most inventory management is done with spreadsheets or some type of organized, structured medium, Web Force KC  has helped develop spreadsheet inventory management applications that automatically integrate into your website when updated.  The online inventory management system is designed to minimize the time necessary to update a “master inventory” sheet in addition to updating your website so as to showcase your business wares. Web Force KC will first integrate the inventory management system into your website and then teach and train your staff to manage your website’s inventory management system. Below is an example of a very simple inventory management system:

    [webkite_results id=263]

    Web Force KC provides effective web design solutions for businesses in the Kansas City area.  We are constantly improving our ability to not only help business owners with their website but also to develop effective and efficient solutions for them so that they can focus on running their business.

    Contact Web Force KC For Web Design and Online Marketing In Kansas City at (816) 462-9128

    Web Design    Search Engine Optimization     E-Commerce Web Design    Social Media Strategies

  • Web Design: Page Titles, Page Descriptions & Keywords

    Web Design & Search Engine Optimization In Kansas City, Overland Park & Lees Summit

    Your business’ website in Kansas City should have more than just relevant content and smooth navigation.  Effective websites will almost always have a well structured menu structure, dense keywords in the content and each page (and blog) should have appropriate page titles, page descriptions and search engine optimization keywords. For blog posts, categories and tags are recommended for maximum effectiveness in addition to page titles, page descriptions and SEO keywords.

    Why Add Page Titles, Page Descriptions and SEO Keywords To Each Page/Blog?

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    Page Titles & Descriptions Appear In Search Results.

    There are many benefits to adding page titles, page descriptions and keywords to your website’s pages and posts but probably the most important reason is that the search engines can more easily determine 1) what the page/post is about and 2) where the page/post should show up as it pertains to a search.  Like most content online, the page titles, page descriptions and keywords need to match the page/post actual content in terms of subject matter.  Keyword stuffing for potential search terms that truly have nothing to do with the page/post content is pointless and probably not very effective at all for online marketing purposes. In fact, in some cases it will be counterproductive.

    Web Force KC abides by the search engine optimization principles that, for the most part, are standard and will not change in the foreseeable future.  Web Force KC excels in the amount of content we create for and through your business website with strategic precision yielding above average results. Contact Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 if you are interested in seeing how much you could grow your business online.

    Contact Web Force KC For Web Design and Online Marketing In Kansas City at (816) 462-9128

    Web Design    Search Engine Optimization     E-Commerce Web Design    Social Media Strategies

     

  • Give Your Website An Engine

    Web Design & Search Engine Optimization In Kansas City & Lees Summit

    Your business website could be the best looking website in your industry but if your potential customers are not able to find it, your website is more like the body of a car without an engine. Making your website prominent and relevant on the search engines and to your potential customers takes more than just building a website and expecting people to be able to find it.  At Web Force KC, we not only design websites that are clean and effective at converting visitors, but we also help with creating marketing campaigns to make your website visible in any and every industry scenario your business serves.

    Making Your Website Effective

    Making your website effective is not simple but not rocket science either. When your website is build from its framework up on principles that not only make sense to the search engines but also to your potential customers, it will begin to become effective. The more content that you put into your website’s pages and blog, the more the search engines will index through it. There are basic things that are needed for the search engines to determine what to “file your website under.” Adding content often makes it more relevant to whatever industry you are involved in assuming that your website has content including strategically chosen keyword(s) that could be and are searched by your potential customers. Web Force KC does all of this and more for your business to ensure that your business’ website is seen on the search engines and grows.

    Web Force KC provides effective and affordable web design and search engine optimization services in Kansas City, Overland Park, Lees Summit and the entire Kansas City metro area. Call (816) 462-9128 for a free online marketing consultation for web design and search engine optimization.

    Contact Web Force KC For Web Design and Online Marketing In Kansas City at (816) 462-9128

    Web Design    Search Engine Optimization     E-Commerce Web Design    Social Media Strategies

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