This means that if you don’t have some basic understanding of how search engines work you’re missing out on a HUGE potential audience, and more importantly, album sales.

But not all keywords are created equally

I can’t tell you how many times I meet an artist who tells me that he/she has a great search engine ranking. I’ll then ask what keywords he/she ranks for. It seems that nine out of ten times the answer is his or her own band name.

I hate to break it to you, folks, but for the most part this is irrelevant. While it’s certainly important to rank well for your own band name, in doing so, you are essentially just preaching to the choir.

What you ACTUALLY want to do is rank for a completely different keyword (better yet, many of them) which matches the search queries of your potential fans.

For example, if you were an alt-country band you’d do far better to rank for keywords like “rockabilly” and “Americana” then you would to simply rank for your own band name.

To that end, I’ve put together a simple break down of how search engine optimization (SEO) works. When you get into some of the advanced aspects of SEO it can become an art-form in it’s own right. However the fundamentals are fairly straightforward. Hopefully you’ll be able to apply some of this to your website and start exposing your music to a whole new audience.

Search Engine Optimization 101 – Here’s What You Need To Know

• The search engines (SERPS) see a link from one site to another as a “vote.” In the simplest terms, the site with the most “votes” wins.

• The search engines look at the quality of the site that is linking to your site and gives additional value to higher quality “votes.”

• The search engines look at the language that is used in the link itself (this is called anchor text), and assign relevance to your site based on what that language is. For example, search the word “click here” in Google. Adobe comes up as #1 purely because so many sites say “click here to download adobe,” regardless of the fact that the term is not present on the home page.

• Then the search engines look at the pattern in which links are built to your site. If it looks unnatural, the links may be disqualified or even penalized. The SERPS don’t like you trying to game their algorithm, so it’s important to be cautious and mimic natural link building patterns.

• The search engines are looking at other factors as well, such as domain age, time spent on your site, etc. In short, if you’ve been delivering consistent quality content, it helps a lot.

• They are also looking at page factors such as keyword placement, relevance, and density.

To build backlinks you can simply create content on any number free sites (blogger, Squidoo, via blog comments, etc.), that allow you to include a link back to your own website.

In an ideal world people will begin to naturally link to your site due to the strength of your content, though typically a little intervention is necessary to rank for a competitive term. And while Google frowns upon it, there are also many paid services that can help build backlinks for you.

By applying these simple rules, you can start to see improve your ranking for your target keywords. Land a #1 placement in Google for the right term and you might get thousands of new visitors landing on your home page every single day.

To learn more music marketing tips from Mike Toner and to get more at Renot Records:

Online marketing expert, Mike Toner is an in-demand consultant and speaker at seminars world wide. Toner speaks about the new music business, on and off-line marketing strategies for musicians, social media, performing, songwriting, recording, and the new frontiers of independent music made possible by the internet.

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From initial market research and strategic planning to editorial services, media relations, blog consulting, social media strategy & execution, event planning and PR metrics, our comprehensive public relations services can be tailored to fit any PR situation.

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All our public relations programs are backed by decades of experience with emerging and established companies in a variety of markets, with deep experience in the technology and consumer industries. We can help you drive bottom-line results from your critical business assignments, including:

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Music is one of the best ways to express your love for something.

Twitter Songs is THE Best way to discover new music.

We listen to what people are saying about artists and their music on blogs, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, message boards and forums, Twitter and P2P networks to discover the top songs online everyday.

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In today’s search engine centric culture – if your product or service didn’t show up on the first or second page of Google or Yahoo!, it may as well not exist. Recent research found that 90% of all Internet users never view sites listed below the 20th postion on the Search Engine Rankings.

Through standard SEO program, Renot Records can help optimize communications materials and content for search engine effectiveness. We can help you optimize press releases and evaluate key word strategy for maximum Google-Juice. Renot Records can also conduct advanced SEO management programs to manage your entire website, all your content and micro-sites – by meta coding content, headers and URL tagging for optimal SEO effectiveness. All Advanced SEO programs will have a dedicated team of SEO experts – providing regular trend and Google analysis on a weekly or daily basis.The team can also manage any pay-per-click programs – providing strategic insight on key word selection that best optimizes your ranking and findability you can measure.

When it comes to SEO & Pay-Per-Click, too many companies have fall victim to the “Set it and forget it” methodology used by many SEO practitioners. That’s not how the online world works, and it’s not how Renot Records works. Think fluidity.

Through Renot Records’s SEO Services – we can help provide SEO and PPC strategies that will save you money and increase your Google Rankings.

Key Questions to consider when evaluating your SEO program and its effectiveness Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Google is continually changing its search algorithms – Does your website reflect these changes to take full advantage of these changes?
• Is your content matched to the key words and phrases you are trying to maximize?
• Are you actively submitting new content to directory services?
• Are you actively creating backend links.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

• Lower your cost, increase conversions
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• Are you using the latest animated Gif and JPG ads?
• Are you ads limited to just a few key words and phrases?
• Do you know what your competition is doing?

Every year, the importance of your website’s role in grows. No longer can musicians get by with a simple one-page site built by an intern. Musicians are increasingly turning to professional web designers to achieve their goals online. Renot Records web designers can bring this level of excellence to your website that can produce your entire branding iniative. Our designers will capture your music’s distinct personality and character while creating a design that delivers the message you strive to promote.

The design of your website is the digital face for your music. Your website frequently is the first impression your fans have of you.

• Does your website make a good impression?
• Does it reflect your personality?
• Does your website achieve your marketing and sales goals?

These goals should be the driving force behind your web design, as customers by the thousands migrate to the web. Renot Records can help you engage your fans through effective design that memorably reflects your commitment to your customers by clearly describing the services that you provide. Renot Records will ensure that your website conveys the right messages, works seamlessly with your marketing efforts and ultimately increases your fan base. Our website design team understands that truly effective web design must communicate a clear message that engages the consumer. Anchored by our underlying marketing expertise, Renot Records delivers design solutions that meet both strategic and aesthetic standards.

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As blog readership continues to explode, savvy companies are capitalizing on the PR opportunities that social media and the blogosphere offer. Increasingly, blogging and other key social media elements are an integral part of our clients’ overall public relations strategy.

Renot Records offers a full range of social media, blogging relations and blog monitoring services.

From helping to define your social media strategy, to generating online buzz, to monitoring and shaping what is said about your company in the blogosphere, Renot Records will help you optimize the PR opportunities of blogs and social media, while minimizing the risks.

Online Media Relations

Our deep media relationships extend to the blogosphere, where Renot Records’s online media relations experts will identify and help you to build relationships with the most influential online voices in your industry. We also work at the grassroots level to spark conversations and positively influence what is said. We also work within social media applications such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to garner coverage and foster relationships.

Blog Monitoring

Our communications professionals are experienced in blog monitoring; listening to and reporting on the most influential voices. Not only will Renot Records help you monitor the most meaningful online discussions, we will collect the facts, correct misperceptions and help control harmful rumors.

Lastly, in line with our commitment to delivering measurable public relations, Renot Records can provide you with monthly business blog consulting reports that analyze your company’s online visibility in the blogosphere. Ditto for Twitter and Facebook.