SearchEngineOptimization.co.uk, a leading SEO firm based in the North West of England, have just launched a range of free SEO tools on their website which are available for any interested internet user. One of which is their free Alexa Rank Checker.

Alexa is a website which helps to collect traffic information from users who install the Alexa toolbar onto their browser. A division of Amazon.com, Alexa is a key figure in helping to analyse web traffic behaviour and denotes an Alexa rank to websites accordingly based on user popularity and visits. Alexa only ranks top level domains and is an indicator of page popularity similar to that of Google’s PageRank ratings.

Alexa rankings can be useful in a search engine optimization campaign and help to denote how popular a client’s site is to its specific target market. For those looking to find out what their current Alexa rank is without downloading the Alexa toolbar, they can visit SearchEngineOptimization.co.uk and enter their details into the free Alexa Site Rank Checker SEO tool. The Alexa rank will appear accordingly and can be a useful SEO stat to help direct any future campaign.

“We have a large number of free SEO tools available on our website which can help potential clients to analyse their website in its present form and show how effective their website is in the current market,” commented a spokesperson for SearchEngineOptimization.co.uk. “Your Alexa page rank can be just as important in a search engine optimization campaign as Google PageRank but people may not want to commit to download the Alexa toolbar just to get access to their current information. We can supply this information in a condensed, easy-to-use manner, free of charge at SearchEngineOptimization.co.uk.”

To discover more about SearchEngineOptimization and to view their range of search engine optimization services, visit http://www.searchengineoptimization.co.uk/ or telephone 08459 736 736 during office hours.

SEO Consult, leading Search Engine Optimisation agency and TopSEOs number 1 UK SEO agency, have commented upon the importance of having quality content prioritised over quantity in order to promote businesses and organisations on the Internet as part of a successful website optimization campaign.

SEO Consult believe that even with the more technical aspects of SEO such as linking, traffic and ranking aside, quality content is still a necessity to undergo successful search engine optimisation. In terms of content, SEO Consult urges that quality undoubtedly carries more importance than quantity, as poor quality content can at best put potential customers off and at worst cause lasting damage to your online reputation.

For those embarking upon search engine optimisation, SEO Consult believe it is important to remember that the content on a website is mainly for the perusal of visitors, as these are the potential clients that will be investing time and money into any organisation’s services. Writing content solely for good search engine results causes a dilution of quality, thus making web copy, blogs and other website content solely quantity-based; particularly considering factors such as having a specific amount of keywords, and a desirable Google PageRank.

SEO Consult believe that this dangerous territory makes content become unreadable. Grammar and spelling no longer take priority, and content will become impossible for human readers to engage with. This kind of copywriting can even cause black-hat techniques to unwittingly emerge, such as keyword stuffing. For this reason, SEO Consult suggest that DIY search engine optimization copywriting is avoided.

“The purpose of content on a website is to engage readers, conveying a professional image of your company whilst passing on valuable information to existing customers and potential clients. We feel that this shouldn’t change just because you want to attract search engines too,” comments Matt Bullas, Managing Director of SEO Consult. “We recommend professional SEO Copywriting Services because it takes someone with specialist knowledge to find the right balance when creating compelling web copy which needs to appeal to internet users and search engines. Here at SEO Consult, our copywriting team are dedicated to providing content which can assist with gaining our clients wider online visibility whilst remaining grounded to the essentials needed for quality writing.”

For more information about SEO Consult’s advice regarding Copywriting or any of their other website optimisation services, visit http://www.seoconsult.co.uk.

Bigmouthmedia is to warn online retailers that they must prepare to meet the challenge of the most competitive market conditions the sector has ever faced.

Bigmouthmedia senior retail strategist Finlay Clark will tell an invited audience of senior executives at the 2nd Annual bigmouthmedia Retail Summit this month that UK retailers are set to face fresh challenges as ecommerce consumer habits keep evolving rapidly. According to Clark, retailers face multiple opportunities and challenges posed by a shifting approach to the market, a raft of new technological developments and the entry of new players from overseas will have a major impact upon the sector in the coming months.

"With increased competition coming from various angles, retailers are about to face some of the biggest challenges in their history. Big overseas competitors are coming to the UK knowing consumers are sophisticated online shoppers, and the likes of Best Buy will be aiming to make its mark on an increasingly competitive consumer electronics market in 2010. Similarly, in fashion we have seen a shift with the likes of Ebay become clothes shopping destinations in their own right, whilst Amazon has allowed big high street brands to retail on their own platform," said Clark.

"Nowadays independent fashion designers are launching exclusive collections on Ebay - far removed from the second hand and grey market sales that they made their name on - and in many ways they’re now a direct competitor to the retailers themselves."

Clark will be joined by a panel of industry-leading online retail experts speaking on a range of themes including current consumer trends, cross channel shopping habits, the shape of UK internet advertising and the impact of social technologies upon web retailing.

Taking the podium at the Bigmouthmedia Retail Summit will be Benjamin Ensor, VP research director at Forrester Research, Google Retail Industry Leader Peter Fitzgerald and Tony Stockil, CEO of Javelin Group. Hitwise research director Robin Goad and Enders Analysis Founder Claire Enders will also join Clark on the rostrum.

In a presentation designed to identify the 10 key events set to hit Ecommerce over the course of the next two years, Clark will also highlight the challenge presented by the growth of online applications. Although a relatively new phenomenon, he predicts that retailers will be forced to place increasing focus upon keeping up with rapidly developing new marketing technologies.

"Some of the best content in the future will be delivered through applications like those found in Apple's iPhone Apps Store. Retailers are only beginning to get to grips with the value of applications at the moment, and ensuring that theirs stands out and can be found easily by consumers will be a crucial challenge over the next few years," said Clark.

"We'll also see a lot more made of mobile marketing, which is only just beginning to make an impact upon retail, and expect there to be much greater correlation with the way retailers are able to market to consumers based on location-aware technology. Operators like Debenhams are already experimenting with such systems, but we are likely to see rapid developments in the field over the next 24 months."

The bigmouthmedia Retail Summit takes place in London on March 25th and is a free event aimed at senior marketing and ecommerce executives. Places are limited, but those wishing to attend can register at http://www.bigmouthmedia.com/signup for an invitation.

Hallam Communications today announced that The Internet Conference will take place in Nottingham on 14 May 2010. The one day Internet marketing conference and exhibition will be held at the East Midlands Conference Centre.

The Internet Conference offers business owners and marketing professionals a packed agenda covering the latest tools and techniques for harnessing the power of Internet marketing. It will also provide delegate with a unique forum for networking with other businesses and to rub shoulders with and gain tips and strategies from expert practitioners in the web marketing industry.

The conference features a number of workshops designed for delegates at all levels, whether new to web marketing or skilled Internet marketers with years of experience. The agenda is organised to give delegates the option to attend either Essentials workshops covering the fundamentals, or the Leadership sessions covering more advanced topics.

Conference host Susan Hallam has handpicked some of the UK's leading Internet Marketing experts to deliver sessions covering Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media Marketing, Google Analytics, Ecommerce User Experience, and Internet Copywriting.

Susan Hallam, Managing Director of Hallam Communications said "I'm delighted to be hosting this new conference. Hallam has been providing Internet marketing training and consultancy services for more than 10 years, and this conference is an innovative way of sharing our knowledge and experience with businesses across the UK.

"The explosive growth of the Internet as a marketing channel is having a massive impact on businesses of all shapes and sizes. I'm looking forward to this educational and networking event as an innovative way of helping businesses to gain competitive advantage by harnessing the latest Internet marketing tools and techniques."