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Archives for October 2008

Florists and SEO: Tips For Flower Shop Network Websites

Do you ever ask yourself “What is SEO”? You’ve heard the term, but you don’t understand what it means. SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization. Of course this really doesn’t explain what it is or how it relates to you.

According to Wikipedia, “Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search results, or the higher it “ranks,” the more searchers will visit that site. SEO can also target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.”

According to Jill Whalen of High Rankings ( an expert in SEO) the definition is “Search Engine Optimization – Making a website be the best it can be for the search engines as well as the site visitors.”

I tend to prefer the second definition. There are many techniques and components involved in SEO and this article by no means is the end all, be all of Search Engine Optimization. There are many reputable sources available that can give you in depth SEO information: High Rankings, Seomoz or Search Engine Land. It is however, an introduction and explanation of what Flower Shop Network does for its websites and what you can do to further the SEO that has been applied to all FSN websites. There are no shortcuts or magic bullets in SEO.

How Flower Shop Network Has Applied SEO To Your FSN Website
The search engines consider many components when determining the value and relevance of a page. The meta title, meta description, keywords and content are a few of the things that the search engines look for when ranking your website pages. Flower Shop Network applies several SEO techniques to each FSN website. We do keyword research to determine the words consumers use when searching for products. We write unique content for each page using the keywords. These keywords help the search engines determine what your page is about. Flower Shop Network also includes a unique meta title and meta description for each page. With this and other information, the search engines can then rank your pages in the organic results.

Examples of SEO Techniques

At the bottom of the Christmas page you will see the following content:
A Christmas gift of flowers from ADAMS FLORIST in Paragould, AR is sure to make any Christmas or Holiday celebration ‘merry and bright’! Along with our premium fresh flower choices, we offer decorative Christmas trees, Christmas gift items, and Christmas cards. Shop early for our best selection of beautiful holiday poinsettia plants with unique colors and sizes available.
Choose an eye-catching Christmas centerpiece, contemporary winter vase design, or a charming holiday basket of fragrant Christmas flowers and evergreens. Call ADAMS FLORIST in Paragould, Arkansas (AR) directly or send Christmas gifts of flowers online, along with your warmest holiday wishes for Christmas, December 25th.

The meta title for this page:
Christmas Flowers from ADAMS FLORIST – your local Paragould, AR Florist

The meta description for this page:
Christmas Flowers from ADAMS FLORIST – your local Paragould, AR Florist & Flower Shop. Order Christmas Flowers directly from ADAMS FLORIST – your local Paragould, AR florist and flower shop to save time and money.

The keywords for this page:
ADAMS FLORIST, ADAMS FLORIST Christmas flowers, ADAMS FLORIST Christmas flowers florist, ADAMS FLORIST Christmas flowers flower shop, Paragould AR Christmas flowers, Paragould AR Christmas flowers florist, Paragould AR Christmas flowers flower shop, Paragould Christmas flowers, Paragould Christmas flowers florist, Paragould Christmas flowers flower shop, AR Christmas flowers, AR Christmas flowers flowers, AR Christmas flowers florist, AR Christmas flowers flower shop, Paragould, AR, Paragould AR, Christmas flowers flowers, Christmas flowers, Christmas flowers florist, Christmas flowers flower shop

As you can see, Flower Shop Network has taken the time to create search engine friendly meta information and content for all of your website pages. You don’t have to do anything else.

However, the new customization feature on the FSN websites gives you the opportunity to enhance the SEO that we have already done for you. Content and relevancy are important elements to the search engines. Who knows your products and your customers better than you? Who can describe to your customers the benefit your product will give them better than you? Who can appeal to their emotional level better than you? You can create unique content based on your specific location and customer base which will make your pages. Search engines favor unique content that is relevant to visitors searching for products. You can compose a few paragraphs to replace or add to the content already on the page thus creating very unique content.

Unique Content Do:
Achieve the elegance of the Berry-Hill house from the Paragould Holiday Home Tour with your own Christmas decoration from Adams Florist. Choose from the spectacular selection of Christmas wreaths, holiday arrangements and centerpieces for your table. Christmas gift giving is easy when you send a poinsettia, fresh flower arrangement or fruit basket from Adams Florist. Red poinsettias are a traditional Christmas favorite and always a welcome gift. Put a twist on your Christmas celebration with one of Adams Florist’s purple novelty poinsettias.
Adams Florist wishes everyone in Paragould Arkansas a merry Christmas and a happy holiday.

Unique Content Don’t:
Christmas flowers, buy Christmas flowers, Poinsettias,wreaths,flowers,send flowers,red poinsettias,poinsettias,white poinsettias,Christmas flower arrangement (or worse) flowers, flower, flowers, flower, flowers.

The difference is the search engines have the ability to detect strings of incoherent words and will eventually penalize this type of content. Not only will the search engines prefer the good example but so will your customers. The good example gives them a reason to buy from you. This type of content achieves two purposes: it provides the search engines with a reason to see your page as relevant and unique and it gives you a way to promote your products to the customers.

Optimizing Your Product Descriptions
With the consumer in mind, Flower Shop Network has provided a search engine friendly product description for every standard product on the website. Now that you have the option of loading your own arrangements, you will need a product description for each one of them. You will use the same basic SEO principles for the product as you did for the page. Create a search engine friendly product description based on words that site visitors would use to search for your product.
Incorporate your keywords into your page description using terms your customers would use.

Product Description Do:
Ignite passion with the Red Hot Love Bouquet. These ruby red roses will set her heart a glow this Valentine’s Day. Sending flowers is an elegant way to show your love. But, this romantic bouquet presented in a keepsake crystal vase will remind her of your passion for years to come.

Product Description Don’t
Red Hot Love Bouquet for Valentine’s Day. Send Flowers on Valentine’s Day. Order Flower Valentine’s Day.

Above all write your copy for the consumer coming to your site and not just for the search engines. If you write beneficial keyword rich content that appeals to the consumer, you will create copy that others will potential share. People sharing your content can result in links to your page which is a component of what the search engines look for when ranking your page. Hopefully with these SEO tips you can easily and effectively take part in optimizing your site for the search engines.

Happy Halloween 2008 From Flower Shop Network!

Happy Halloween From Flower Shop Network!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM FSN

Flower Shop Network employees, including myself, recently enjoyed a small Halloween celebration while we were working through the holiday. Many of us chose to come to work in our costumes, snacked on festive goodies, and enjoyed a day of jovial jabs.

From a giant Lego man to a small hillbilly woman, we had a wide range of costumed friends roaming around the halls. Being in the festive mood, I’ve decided to post some of the pictures in hopes that it would inspire you to equally wonderful moods this holiday season. Who knows? This may even be what sways you toward throwing that fun holiday office party for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Frightfully Good Customer Service

Frightfully Good Customer Service

Clowning Around With The Indians

Clowning Around With The Indians

(Left) Anita Perkins of FGmarket.com dresses as a cute little clown; the pretty Indian maiden, Wedding and Party Network’s Lacey Willie, poses alongside.

(Right) It’s hard to tell who is a super villain and who is a super heroine in this photo. Samantha Reavis scares up a good time as an FSN Relay Coordinator. Brynn Jackson (me!!) tries to be inconspicuous as Super Girlfriend by night and FSN Copywriter and Brilliant Blogger by day. Not exactly Clark Kent, but it works. Kristin Evans, another FSN Relay Coordinator, is a frightful sight for sore eyes on the far right.

 

 

Thats One Giant Lego

Thats One Giant Lego

An Angel of Mercy

Angel of Mercy

(Left) Kier Heyl of Technologies poses as a giant Lego™. For those of us who know Kier best, there is no doubt that this is the most perfect costume for him ever. Ever.

(Right) Gena Parrish, a wonderful Relay Coordinator for Flower Shop Network, comes as an angel of mercy. After all, it is breast cancer awareness month! Gena’s recent bout with cancer herself has been an inspiration to us all. We always knew she had a halo somewhere!

 

 

 

Wilma-Billy

Wilma-Billy

Super Girlfriend By Night

Super Girlfriend By Night

(Left) Wilma Baney of Wedding and Party Network looks like she could make a mean smoked opossum! Underneath that gruff exterior is one of the sweetest people around though. I’m suddenly tempted to buy barbecue sauce and corn cobs.

(Right) Brynn Jackson by day, Super Girlfriend by merit…er…night. Pay close attention. You never know what superpowers your friendly copywriter may possess. I stand for all that is good, romantic, and entirely devoted in the world.

 

 

Kristin As Cruella Deville

Kristin As Cruella Deville

Lacey Summons Rain

Lacey Summons Rain

(Left) Lacey Willie summons rain, or so we think, during a temporary break from pictures and fun on the phone. It’s hard to type the sound that is made when someone pats their hand to their mouth and mimics an Indian so I’m going to suggest taking a moment to figure it out for yourself. *moment*

(Right) Kristin Evans, though disguised as Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmatians, secretly loves dogs. We’re now all hoping that her hair naturally grays in this way. Seriously.

 

Azaleas Should They Flee To A Warmer Climate?

Ask the expert: I purchased two small azalea bushes this past Spring and they are doing well.  We live in Zone 8, but travel South for three months during winter (Zone 9 ? ).  Can I put my azaleas in pots and take them with us to a warmer climate where I can care for them?  There is no one to care for them if I leave them home (Zone 8).  Thank you for any assistance you can give me. Gerry

Chrysanthemum’s The Word For November!

The word is out about the birth month flower for November.

Corny puns aside, the Chrysanthemum is the official birth month flower of November. Chrysanthemums are a wonderful gift because the flower meanings of Chrysanthemum are love and cheerfulness. Who wouldn’t want to wish someone a happy birthday with such positive greetings?

I remember sitting around the yard after a Thanksgiving dinner with my family. Just before sunset but before the turkey coma, most of the children and a few of the adults would gather in our front yard to work off the large meal. We could always count on my mother to have lavish fall decorations adorning our yard. Pumpkins, bales of hay, oddly cheery scarecrows, and a heaping helping of chrysanthemums flowed about the yard such that it always seemed like the place to be during harvest time. [Read more…]

Chilli Pod Looking Red Flower is an Anthurium

Ask the Expert: Do you know what the plant I describe is?

Have a small plant that was originally part of an arrangement.  Has been replanted into its own pot.  Grows slowly.  Had for a few years. This year October it started to grow a few (3 or 4 so far) red pod like “flowers” for lack of a better word.  The leaves are grass green and large. It looks like each one is on a separate stem like a shrub. The pods looks like a rolled up bigger flower more than like a chili pod, but are bright red. Kinda open in the back of each pod. Stems are thick.   What do I have? Joanne

Anthurium

Anthurium

Need A Flower Decorating Tip For Halloween?

When spooky frights and ghastly sights have your head all in a tizzy over Halloween decorations, put your weary mind at ease with these great decorating tips!

  • Quirky jack-o-lanterns become the life of the party when used as a creative vase for fresh fall flowers. This idea is also great for pumpkin decorating parties, Halloween party ideas, or for fun daytime autumn decor without hassle. Another great perk is that flowers are much safer for children than candles.
  • Pumpkins, gourds, and squash come in a variety of colors making them perfect for lining along a walkway, adorning a stairway, decorating a mantlepiece, or as festive minis inside colorful fall flower centerpieces and arrangements.
  • Whisper a sweet hello to candy corn! The sugary confection is always one of the first signs that fall has arrived. Small containers or glasses filled with candy corn make excellent placecard holders for Halloween parties. If sending flowers for Halloween, ask your local florist to attach a small bag of candy corn to the arrangement with orange and black ribbon. Sending a gift basket? Don’t forget this unforgettable item!
  • Christmas has mistletoe; Halloween has mums. Another way to decorate for your Halloween party is by carefully placing potted chrysanthemum blooming plants around the home and garden. Chrysanthemums are easily decorated with small plastic spiders and scary toys. When lining walkways or adding color to a porch, mums scream “frighteningly fun” — and isn’t that what you’re going for?

Finding Poinsettias for Fundraising in Indiana

Ask the Expert: poinsettia
can you help me find a distributor for fundraising in north central Indiana  Susan  fundraising

Mystery Pod Stumped The Expert – Till Now

Ask the Expert: some type of pod plant
i have 2 of these pod type plants with 3 “blooms” total in my front yard but i have no idea what they are or how they got there, any idea of what it is?  It was closed for the longest time but today it opened up, coincidentally this is our first cold day of the year but i dont know if that has anything to do with the timing.  I have never seen it before in any garden in the area and my place seems to be a haven for anything that can bloom.  Kari

See Attached Photos

Possible Milkweed Pod

Possible Milkweed Pod

Possible Asclepias Pod

Possible Asclepias Pod

What are the Prickly Pods in My Flower Arrangement?

Ask the Expert: Identify plant with prickly seed pods?
Thanks.  Bob

See Attached Photo

Green Lanterns Asclepia Pods

Green Lanterns Asclepia Pods

Photo of a Tree Philodendron Plant

Ask the Expert: what is this plant?
this plant is unknown to me. any ideas of what it is? large green leaves with white flowers that look like a banana? very odd but pretty. see photos. Joe
Attached Photos

Philodendron bipinnatifidum

Philodendron bipinnatifidum

Split-Leaf Philodendron

Split-Leaf Philodendron

Tree Philodendron

Tree Philodendron