Finding keys to the Web

Years ago, businesses often created names beginning with the letter A to be listed first in the telephone book. In today's high-tech world, they're vying to be noticed first on the Internet.

That's where Ashland resident Jill Whalen comes in.

Whalen has been helping firms meet that need for over a decade, delving into the world of search engine formulas and Internet keywords. She said her venture began with an online parent chat room in the 1990s and has evolved into a Framingham-based business that earns six figures a year in revenue.

Whalen is the CEO of High Rankings, a company that specializes in search engine optimization - methods used to increase website traffic from search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.

The company has two employees and is usually working with 10 to 15 clients at any given time, according to Whalen. She said that her client register has hit around 400 and includes companies such as J.J. Keller & Associates Inc., a Wisconsin firm that offers ways to monitor compliance with government safety regulations, and DogWatch Inc., of Natick, which sells and installs invisible fences for pets.

"Jill worked closely with us to define our goals and ultimately help us make key improvements to our site to improve our natural search results," said Adrienne Hartman, corporate E-commerce marketing manager of J.J. Keller & Associates.

And Colleen Neutra, marketing communications manager of DogWatch Inc., said Whalen researched key words that would lead Internet users to the company's site.

"We're now at the point where she is copy-editing our existing text to make sure the best phrases are on the right pages," said Neutra.

Whalen, 45, grew up in Framingham and attended UMass-Amherst with the hope of finding a husband. "I'm one of the only few who will still admit that these days," she said. She graduated with a degree in sociology and an engagement ring.

Her foray into search engine optimization began in the early 1990s when she was a stay-at-home mom with three children and started an online parenting chat room. It became so popular that the members, who lived across the nation, wanted a website to house their forums.

"I had to learn how to get the website found with search engines like Lycos and InfoSeek," said Whalen. She began by examining listings that came up when entering a phrase such as "parenting chat," and then made sure those words were incorporated into her page. From there, she learned how to program and began experimenting.

Today, one of Whalen's biggest-selling services is an audit report review where her company dissects a client's website looking at the copy, code, structure, navigation, and usability. The fee is $5,000.

Since search engines use formulas to rank the relevance of a Web page, Whalen must always be on top of the latest strategies. One formula, she says, analyzes the "popularity component," which searches to see whether people like a particular site, judging by the number of visitors or referrals.

"Google was the first one to make this a huge part of the [search engine] algorithm," says Whalen. "Anyone who has a website can link theirs to another site, and those who have the most links are deemed the most popular." But Whalen warns that even that is changing as spammers (those folks who stop at nothing to trick the system) now make "link farms."

As with most Internet services, competition among search engine optimization firms is intense. Whalen said that her biggest competitors are larger companies such as iProspect and BruceClay.com.

In such an environment, one would imagine that each new tactic that Whalen discovers would become another secret in the vault of one-upmanship. But she said that for her, that's not the case. In fact, giving away her secrets has brought in a lot of business.

"There are always going to be people out there who want to do the work themselves and are never going to hire anyone," said Whalen. "I don't mind telling them all the secrets." What she does mind are companies that give her industry a bad name by supplying clients with myths like: Your site will lose all its rankings with the search engines if you don't continue to employ us.

"That's simply not true," says Whalen. "If your website was put up properly to begin with, it's going to stay there."

One of the most important things that someone can do to improve their website ranking, said Whalen, is keyword research, which shows what people are looking for on different search engines. Then the keyword should be implemented into the person's website. She recommends the tools Keyword Discovery and Wordtracker.

"It's very time-consuming, and there is a learning curve, but it's definitely not rocket science," says Whalen. "Most companies don't have someone available to dedicate to that."

For Whalen, finding the right combination of words and phrases to unlock a client's potential is a passion that occupies a good deal of time and attention.

Since 2002 she has produced a free online newsletter called High Rankings Advisor (HighRankings.com/advisor), which boasts 25,000 subscribers. She also operates a free online forum (highrankings.com/forum/) that is voluntarily moderated by others who share in her philosophy.

Whalen admits to being so connected to her computer that her social life has suffered.

"I'm so bad at making plans that when my kids were young they never had birthday parties or play dates unless they planned it for themselves," she said.

Before opening her office in Framingham last February, Whalen worked out of her home and she said that she often wouldn't get dressed for days. There were times when her husband, Don, a lawyer, would come home from work and want to go out, but Whalen would give him the brush-off, explaining that it would take her too long to get ready.

"It wasn't that bad," said Don, recalling the tougher years. "I used to try to have us go down the street for a beer - even if it was just for a half an hour - as the computer could be a vortex."

Their daughter Corie, a junior at Simmons College, recalled growing up with her mom's computer addiction.

"She was always the last mom to pick us up from school and was on the computer until 1 or 2 in the morning," said Corie. "But I've always been on the forefront of how to find information!"

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