Travel Blog post on the best Amsterdam Museum. Check out this Travel Blog post to learn more about the Amsterdam Museum network. http://ping.fm/GH99s

The Travel Blog post on Amsterdam Transit is about transportation. http://bit.ly/Koe1vK The Travel Blog says Amsterdam Transit is most efficient when...

HikeMySite.com's Travel Blog is the first post on a two week trip to Europe. http://bit.ly/JdM5L3 The Travel Blog will be a way to update family and friends.

SEO For You is about seo freelance and firms. http://bit.ly/KTRjwE SEO For you is whatever works best, either a seo freelancer or firm to optimize your site.

Karen Bass gives a TED Nature talk with new footage. http://bit.ly/K2ZwSm Karen Bass is a nature film maker doing a TED Nature talk.

Rory Sutherland offers a life perspective in this TED Talk. http://bit.ly/KKCcoM Rory Sutherland provides a life perspective to attain happiness.

Gary Kovacs talks about browser tracking in this video. By offering a Firefox add on, Gary Kovacs says we can limit browser tracking on us. http://bit.ly/KzCGi6

Amory Lovins talks about Energy Theory in this TED Talk. http://bit.ly/IUYq7Q Energy Theory involves conservation and innovation says Amory Lovins.

Nancy Lublin explains her text therapy for teens in this TED Talk. http://bit.ly/JaIaQN Text therapy opens teens up to talking about problems says Nancy Lublin.

Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio, gives this city infrastructure TED Talk. http://bit.ly/INJiKQ City infrastructure is the core of city growth says Eduardo Paes.

Dan Gilbert gives this TED Talk on the science of happiness. http://bit.ly/KjDpUp The science of happiness evokes human emotion in Dan Gilbert.

Tony Robbins explains human motivation in this TED Talk. http://bit.ly/IqqajB Tony Robbins tells us why we do what we do and how to improve human motivation.

Michael Norton gives this TED Talk on how to buy happiness. http://d8p.it/vVo Michael Norton says giving money to others is the way to buy happiness.

This Ancient Disease vid helps us understand Disease Plaque. http://d8p.it/vAI# Ancient Disease in tartar identify disease plaque in humans from any period.

Marcin Jakubowski gives this Open Source Tech talk. http://d8p.it/vh3# Marcin Jakubowski is devoted to open source tech and its opportunities for the future.

Laura Carstensen gives this Golden Years Video about the effects of aging. http://d8p.it/v5A Laura Carstensen argues for old age in this Golden Years Video.

Gary Vaynerchuk records this Entrepreneur Video on an airplane. http://d8p.it/uOx# Gary Vaynerchuk rants and teaches in this brief Entrepreneur Video.

Elizabeth Gilbert gives an Inspirational Creativity TED Talk. http://d8p.it/uAt# Elizabeth Gilbert talks about the history and evolution of Inspirational Creativity.

Susan Cain gives a TED talk on the Power of Introverts. http://d8p.it/usu The Power of Introverts is truly unleashed in this video by Susan Cain.

Download this Customer Retention ebook: http://d8p.it/ukE#. Learn how to keep your customers coming back, time and time again!

Abigail Washburn travels playing banjo to help Chinese American Relations. http://d8p.it/ugk# Improving Chinese American Relations via culture is the goal of Abigail Washburn.

Tal Golesworthy's heart lecture is about fixing his aorta. http://d8p.it/tX6# This heart lecture explains the whole process and resources needed.

Caine's Arcade is a child entrepreneur preparing for his future. http://d8p.it/tVK Watch this video to realize Caine's Arcade and this child entrepreneur's success.

Larry Lessig's Creativity Video is a TED Talk: http://d8p.it/tKm#. Watch this Creativity Video to learn about internet trespassing from Larry Lessig.

Fred Alan Wolf explains quantum physics in this video: http://d8p.it/tzj#. Learn more about consciousness and quantum physics from Fred Alan Wolf.

Check out Jonathan Haidt's Science of Morality video: http://d8p.it/tpn#. Science of Morality is eye opening and innovative.

Frank Warren's Psychology of Secrets TED Talk: http://d8p.it/thB#. Psychology of Secrets is a moving and interesting video.

Andrew Park's Curiosity Video is an educational TED Talk: http://d8p.it/te2#. Learn to deal with the big questions in this Curiosity Video by Andrew Park.

Check out Lucy McRae's body architect TED Talk video: http://d8p.it/t5f#. Lucy McRae integrates biology and technology into body architect studies.

Check out Sherry Turkle's Alone Together TED Talk about the psychology of mobile communication. http://d8p.it/sK2

Google's $400k to stop SOPA | SEO Development do-it-yourself blog

Google's help in stopping SOPA had the hefty price tag of $400k. Websites, including Wikipedia and Wordpress, made a stand against SOPA and had immediate effects. In minutes the media and public started more than a buzz. The reaction was so strong that the Obama administration detached itself from SOPA as well as most of Congress. This is an example of people not consenting to laws that do not serve the majority!
 Read more about Google's SOPA interaction here.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com
SEO Development and Web Development

11 tips for a better Facebook ad campaign | SEO do-it-yourself blog

Hello All!
The article I am linking to this morning provides 11 steps of how to improve your Facebook ad campaign. Facebook ads are a great way to market your business when your campaign hits a "plateau." Dynamic and changing marketing methods also greatly increase SEO Development (Search Engine Optimization.)
My advice: set a goal to achieve through Facebook ads and achieve it. It becomes a personal challenge to increase your business's exposure.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com
SEO Development and Web Development

Put your business on Yellow Pages! | SEO Development

This post's sole purpose is to urge you to put your business on Yellow Pages! You can sign up for a free, basic version that will still help your SEO Development. I signed up my business for a free subscription and received a call the next day. A personal representative was assigned to me.

Not only was he there for when I needed him, he also brought me to AT&T, Yellow Pages Pay Per Call Program. This program is free for businesses to sign up for, there is no paperwork to initiate it, and you only pay if Yellow Pages' ad for your business brings a call to you.

The cost for different terms varies. Web Design is $29 (ish) per call that Yellow Pages forwards to me personally. These callers are searching for these services on a local level and are ready to spend money. The free subscription also includes your business's submission into the Yellow Pages phone book for your area.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me personally at jahines.uh@gmail.com

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

SEO Development and Web Development

Pinterest Becomes Top Traffic Driver for Retailers [INFOGRAPHIC]

Check out the Pinterest infographics here!
Keeping Pinterest's effects on retailers is representative of the effect on consumers as well. Although Pinterest is more of a female-targetted site, it is still wildly popular. I hope you enjoy the graphics!

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com
SEO Development and Web Development

Customer Retention is a Shared Responsibility | SEO Development

This article is about the importance of customer retention. It addresses the common miscommunication that customer retention isn't everyone's job in a business. A truly customer-oriented business focuses on customer retention in most aspects. Even if the majority of new projects are not solely to improve customer retention, it is part of a business's culture.
New ideas and directions should always have the best for the business in action. These policies should reinforce customer satisfaction. It would also be a great idea to offer an extra incentive for current customers' purchases or referrals. Don't forget that your current customers provide the most reliable way to gain loyal customers. These customers come to your business out of their own will and are more willing to stay for the long-haul.
Read the article here.

For more information, feel free to contact me personally,
Jacob Hines -- HikeMySite.com
SEO Development and Web Development

10 Steps to Setting up in Web Design | SEO Development

The article that this post refers to gives a ten step breakdown of where to start in designing your own website. The steps are brief and clear. This article should really help you get the grasp of designing your own website.

It is also important to understand web design if you are paying for a web developer. You should be able to understand the basic elements of web development and seo development before you enter into a contract with a developer.

This said, in this day and age, it is a good idea to brush up on your web design outline.

Read the article here.

Thanks for reading, feel free to repost!

Jacob Hines -- HikeMySite.com

SEO Development and Web Development Services

Updated SEO Development Website -- HikeMySite.com

Our website is updated! HikeMySite.com has undergone extensive on-page SEO Development. The site is ready for high traffic, since it will be optimized. This means a lot of directory, article, and link submissions! This also means personally linking with potential customers via forums and blog comments.
If any readers are interested in doing guest blog posting on each other's blogs, feel free to contact me at jahines.uh@gmail.com.
Check out our changes and let us know what you think!

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com
Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

HikeMySite.com Articles! Read SEO Development Articles here!

HikeMySite.com added a SEO Development Article page!

Our articles cover SEO Development and Web Development topics in more depth. We will keep adding articles to this page, so check back often!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me personally: jahines.uh@gmail.com

**Please share and distribute our articles!

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

Nine Easy Backlinks from Social Media Profiles -- SEO Development blog

"Link building is perhaps the most important activity you can do for the SEO success of your Web site." Continue reading here.

This article has 9 suggestions in building back links through social media pages. This is practical for every business that is on social media sites--which should be most businesses.

These suggestions are very practical despite the industry.

Please comment and share this article!

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

How To Successfully Pitch A Blogger For A Guest Post -- HikeMySite.com

As always, I am on the search for the most useful content for our do-it-yourself SEO blog. I find the information linked to in our posts useful, so I hope y'all do too!

"One of the most important ways to enhance your link portfolio is through guest blog posts. Finding a relevant blog with an engaged audience can be a daunting task, but the return on investment is..." Continue reading here.

This post is about the potential return on having a guest blogger post for your site once in a  while. With a guest blogger, he/she will also post it on his/her blog. This opens your blog up to the readers of a completely different blog. Also, readers may find the additional perspective to your blog useful enough to subscribe!

As always, comment and let me know what you think of this do-it-yourself blog!

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

Interact With Small Business Owners Online -- HikeMySite.com

As mentioned in my post about getting website traffic from forums, forums are a great way to bring traffic to your site! HikeMySite.com’s recent discovery of connect.manta.com has helped us bring more traffic to our site by interacting with other small business owners.

Once you create a free username for this site, you can have personal interactions with others. This allows you to give personal replies to customers seeking services that your business provides. Another important use for Manta Connect is the opportunity for links in your posts. Unlike many SEO forums, Manta allows new users to post replies and posts with links. Helping your PageRank while exposing yourself to customers that ACTUALLY need your services is priceless.

If you’re interested in our do-it-yourself SEO blog, feel free to read our other posts!

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

The Uphill Battle Of Social Event Sharing -- HikeMySite.com

"Getting content into a social network is not enough to ensure its adequate value; there’s also an importance of preserving that content’s value over time, especially if it just trickles in." Continue reading here.

This article is a lengthy analysis on social event sharing. If your business/organization is in need of social media help, read this article! Of course you can always contact us for help as well.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

Online Ad Spending to Surpass Print in 2012 [STUDY] -- HikeMySite.com

"According to a study released Thursday by eMarketer, online advertising is expected to generate $39.5 billion in sales this year — a 23.3% increase from 2011 — compared to a sum of $33.8 billion on print." Continue reading here.

This article is huge news! In past times, traditional advertising methods have gone from the "staple" of business advertising to taking a backseat to online ads. Online ads are more easily distributed, more cost effective, and more visible to your target market. Whether your business does Pay-Per-Click advertising with Google, email marketing with Constant Contact, or search engine optimization, you're heading in the right direction.

*Analysis: If online advertising has finally proven itself more popular than the traditional, print ad, what does it mean for businesses' marketing strategies? If your business is at the point where it is time to add an advertising budget, it would be most sustainable to choose internet marketing:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will ensure your site's exposure for searches related to your industry: for example, "Kankakee social media."
• Email Marketing is most efficiently used when updating customers with your business's news or for summarizing your blog's posts every week for clients. (Blog newsletters are very convenient for the high percentage of internet users (especially older users) who check email but do not blog.
• Pay-Per-Click advertising is most effective in conjunction to search engine optimization. Having your business represented in the "ad section" of Google results and the organic search results greatly increases your exposure.
• Online Directories is a free (usually) supplementation to your marketing strategy. Your business showing up on Yellow Pages and similar local business directories will increase your SEO and will reach yet another separate demographic of internet users. (Contact us for more information about directory services.)
• **I am aware of more online advertising opportunities, but in my opinion, the above services are the most cost-effective for your business's marketing strategy. HikeMySite.com offers all of the above services and uses the most recent statistics and strategies available on the web.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

4 Tips for Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Posts -- HikeMySite.com

"When Google reads a website to index it, it reads the code directly, not the snazzy presentation that humans see. The way most blogging platforms are built, the headline or title of your blog post is among the first things Google sees, and Google generally assumes the words that appear earliest are the most important. That’s why the title is the most important part of your blog post when it comes to SEO." Continue reading here.

This article provides 4 easy to remember tips for SEO writing. This can be applied towards blogs, websites, articles, etc. I am confident that we all can take a couple things from this article.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

How to Build Backlinks -- HikeMySite.com

"It is out of question that quality backlinks are crucial to SEO success. More, the question is how to get them." Continue reading here.

This article is a great "one-pager" on building backlinks for your website. **It also offers more ethical SEO advice since it avoids backlink software. If you like this article, comment or contact us! If you don't like the article, comment a suggested post topic! Also, links are much appreciated!

Until next time,

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

87% Of Connected Consumers Prefer Websites & Mobile Sites Over Apps

"Welcome to the connected consumer. This person most likely has a tablet and smartphone, and is constantly connected to their friends via Facebook. Today, more than 60% of 25-34 year-olds (Gen-Y) own a smartphone. One in three online consumers will buy a tablet by 2014. " Continue reading here.

This article is about the trends of online consumers. It also reveals the high percentage of consumers who buy online. Understanding the behavior of online consumers is extremely important to your marketing strategy. I hope you find this article helpful.

***PLEASE comment and tell me how boring/useful each post is. I want to provide quality content for my awesome readers. Aka y'all.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

First Page or Bust: 95% Come From Page One

“The company I work for just released a study on SERP (search engine results pages) click rates, and found that the sites surveyed received more than 95% of all their non-branded natural search traffic from page-one results pages across all three major engines.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/122670/#ixzz1kIRKCQbD“

This article is about the importance for your website to be on the first page of results for your keywords. Being on second page of results means your site will be exposed to 95% less people than possible from the first page.

I hope this article helps your SEO efforts! If you have questions please contact us!

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

Newsletter!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter! No advertising, no spam, no obligations. Just receive a summary of each week's posts on HikeMySite.com's blog. Please subscribe here!

Our newsletter will provide additional industry-related information as well as discounts for HikeMySite.comservices.

As always, if you would like more information or would like to chat about search engine optimization, web development, and/or our services, please Contact Us.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

How To Blackout Your Site (For SOPA/PIPA) Without Hurting SEO

"You may be thinking about joining the website blackout movement, but yikes … what about the SEO implications? How do you take your site offline in protest without messing up your visibility in Google’s search results?" Continue reading here.

This article is once again related to the recent SOPA legislation. As you may have noticed, several websites "shut-down" to show opposition to the legislation. If you are considering joining the "next movement" against SOPA and PIPA, this article is for you. It provides interesting insights about the affects on your website.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design

How to get traffic using forums: -- HikeMySite.com

For the last several weeks I have been on a kick of linking to great articles that are already on the internet about search engine optimization and industry-related topics. This post is me, myself, and I. I think the SEO blogging community has not sufficiently praised the power of forum involvement to get traffic for your site.

Let me explain, if your site is submitted to all the top directories, you blog every day, and spend the time on quality content, it isn't enough. You'll have the infrastructure for a higher traffic site, without the traffic. Although there are many great ways to get traffic to your website, this post is solely about forum involvement.

Go to Google and search for your related industry forums. I'm willing to bet most industries have some sort of a forum-based organization to share ideas. Create an account with the forum(s). Make it your personal goal to interact with the forum and help as many people as possible. Your writing, research, or perspective will draw people's attention. If the first date goes well, they'll be viewing your website and blog. Boom, traffic!

Disclaimer: Don't try to build extra links while interacting on the forums. Most forums have strict policy on spamming and will often block your account.

Anywho, that's my two-cents on forum interaction for traffic. If y'all have any questions, please contact us.

Jacob Hines — HikeMySite.com

Online, Local Exposure for Small Businesses — SEO, Web Design