Steve Roper's Blog

Search Results Rankings.

2009-09-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

Here's what it's all about people. Type in Creative Direction to Google and see if your business appears on the first page of the results like my web site does. If it does not, then chances are people are not finding you online and your web site is underperforming.

If this is the case with your web site, visit our web site and contact us to see how we can help you succeed.

The Steve Roper Group launches a new web site...

2009-08-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

It is with pleasure that I am launching a new web site for The Steve Roper Group with a greater focus on search engine optimization and web 2.0 tactics. Check it out...

What is Internet Marketing ?

2009-08-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

The more people I talk to, the more often I hear the question, 'What is internet marketing ?'

Internet marketing is the act of applying strategies and techniques on the Internet to support an organization's overall marketing objectives. The primary goal is to bring more marketing exposure to a website.

Web Internet marketing may include the following:

- keyword and meta tag strategies
- search engine optimization
- web optimization
- paid advertising
- blogs
- newsgroup and mailing list postings
- banner advertising
- reciprocal links
- online promotions
- content positioning
- online image development
- email strategies

We can help with all of these strategies. Contact us...

The Value of Blogs for your web site...

2009-07-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

I've been building several Blogs this year and often get asked, 'Why should I have a Blog?'.

Well, the fact is, fresh content attracts more attention from search engines. Search engines love fresh content and there is no EASIER way to create relevant regular content than a blog.

Search engines crawl websites with fresh content more regularly. Although search engines will come past your site frequently, daily or even weekly visits are limited to sites that are more popular and more importantly, those with regularly changing content.

If you've been wondering if your company should have a Blog, contact me and I'll help you set one up in a way that suits your company.

If the meantime, check out the Partymart Blog here >

Terrestrial Parks of Vancouver Island...

2009-07-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Victoria is located within the Coastal Douglas Fir Biogeoclimatic Zone, which is only found on the southern and southeastern fringes of Vancouver Island and to most of the southern Gulf Islands.

The Coastal Douglas Fir Zone is home to a unique and sensitive group of ecosystems that includes seaside parkland, dry forest, rock outcrop, and wetland habitats and contains many rare plants.

One of the best places to see a remnant old-growth Douglas Fir ecosystem is on the grounds of Royal Roads University, in Colwood. Some Douglas Fir trees at this site are over 800 years old.

East Sooke Park is an excellent place to see Arbutus trees, second-growth Douglas Fir, and coastal bluffs, along the oceanside trail.

Check out a larger image here >

Marine Ecosystems...

2009-07-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

A multitude of marine ecosystems together characterize the ocean. The ocean is the largest aquatic system on the planet,
covering over seventy percent of the Earth’s surface. The habitats that make up this system range from very productive
nearshore and shallow water regions to dark abyssal regions more than 4000 metres below the ocean’s surface.

British Columbia’s Pacific coast is a biologically diverse and productive temperate marine environment. Island archipelagos, deep fjords, shallow mudflats and estuaries, kelp and eelgrass beds, strong tidal currents and massive upwellings all contribute to extra-ordinarily high biodiversity. The abundance of coastal marine life not only contributes to the complexity and total biomass of the marine food web but also provides food for terrestrial animals such as otters, eagles, ospreys, bears, raccoons, mink and humans.

See the larger pop-up panel here >

Marine Parks of Vancouver Island...

2009-06-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Marine Parks are coastal areas that have been given park designation to protect them from development and to ensure that the public has ongoing long-term recreational access. Of the marine parks in the Victoria area, the largest and newest is the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Each of these parks has been established to protect specific ecosystems, species or heritage resources. When visiting these parks, it is important to abide by all of the posted signs and warnings, and not to remove or disturb any of the natural or heritage features.

Marine Parks are coastal areas that have been given park designation to protect them from development and to ensure that the public has ongoing long-term recreational access.

Of the marine parks in the Victoria area, the largest and newest is the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Each of these parks has been established to protect specific ecosystems, species or heritage resources. When visiting these parks, it is important to abide by all of the posted signs and warnings, and not to remove or disturb any of the natural or heritage features.

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

Established in 2003, the park protects a large portion of British Columbia’s beautiful southern Gulf Islands - a landscape of rocky headlands, forested hills, and shores studded with colourful tidal pools. The park resembles a patchwork quilt of protected lands interspersed among farms and residential areas and is scattered over 15 larger islands and many smaller islets and reefs. Several former provincial parks have been incorporated into the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

Established in 2003, the park protects a large portion of British Columbia’s beautiful southern Gulf Islands - a landscape of rocky headlands, forested hills, and shores studded with colourful tidal pools. The park resembles a patchwork quilt of protected lands interspersed among farms and residential areas and is scattered over 15 larger islands and many smaller islets and reefs. Several former provincial parks have been incorporated into the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

To see a larger image of this panel, click here >

The Ogden Point Interpretive Kiosk...

2009-06-19T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Kiosk I have been working on for the past year is finally installed and dedicated.

Marine Protected Areas...

2009-06-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

Marine protected areas are regions of the ocean and its bed that have been set aside to preserve representative and special ecosystems, plant and animal species, or unique features.

There are different types of marine protected areas of either provincial or federal designation including marine conservation areas, marine sanctuaries, marine exclusion zones and marine ecological reserves. They also include formal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as designated under Canada’s Oceans Act.

The common feature for all types of marine protected areas is that the activities allowed within the protected area boundaries, including access, development and resource extraction, are restricted to some degree for protective purposes. Unlike marine parks and recreation areas, marine protected areas are not created for recreational purposes, and access is often restricted.

To see a larger image of this panel, click here >

Lighthouses and Navigational Aids

2009-06-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Island has 3,400 kilometres of rugged coast, much of it unpopulated. Lighthouses and other navigational aids are necessary to guide and keep all vessels, from large ships to small pleasure craft, safe.

In November 1859, Captain Nagle, Victoria’s Harbourmaster paid one hundred dollars for a lantern and placed it on MacLaughlin Point at the entrance to Victoria Harbour. By October 1860, legislation had been passed to begin construction of the Fisgard Island and Race Rock Lighthouses.

The Fisgard and Race Rocks lighthouses were both built in 1860. They were designed to work together to safely guide ships from the Juan de Fuca Strait into Victoria Harbour.

Today, the British Columbia coast has about forty lighthouses, many of them staffed by with light keepers. Four of these lighthouses, and a variety of navigational aids, located in the Greater Victoria area, are featured here.

Check out the panels here >

Nearshore and Shallow Water Species...

2009-06-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

Tide pools are unique habitats found on rocky areas of the coast. Rocky depressions on the coast are flooded with water at high tide, which brings fresh oxygen and food to the pools twice a day. Between tides, the pools are exposed to the sun, wind and rain, which cause changes in water level, temperature, salinity and oxygen content. On hot summer days, tide pools can completely dry up between tides.

Organisms that live in tide pools must avoid being washed away by tidal waves, keep from drying out in the sunlight of low tide, and avoid being eaten.

Typical inhabitants of tide pools include sea anemones, barnacles, chitons, crabs, isopods, limpets, mussels, starfish, snails, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and whelks.

All organisms that live in tide pools have adaptations that allow them to survive the fluctuating habitat of the tide pool.

Disturbing a tide pool can be hazardous to the organisms living there. Moving a piece of seaweed can expose organisms to the direct sun, and prying organisms that are held fast to the rocks is almost always fatal to the animal.

To see our work on the recent panel for the Ogden Point Enhancement Society, click here >

Marine Mammals panel...

2009-06-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

This panel developed by the Ogden Point Enhancement Society focuses on some of the marine life surrounding Vancouver Island with details on their habits.

Killer Whale or Orca (Orcinus orca)

Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family, and are easily recognized by their large dorsal fin and distinctive black and white pattern.

There are three sub-species of Orcas:

Residents, Transients and Offshore. There are two populations of resident Orcas in British Columbia; the southern and northern residents. The southern population’s range is from Campbell River south to Puget Sound. Resident Orcas travel and live together in matrilineal pods of 4 – 12 whales. They are generally very vocal, with each group has distinctive calls. They feed primarily on fish, especially salmon.

Transient Orcas do not have established territories, and they feed primarily on marine mammals. They travel in silence, small groups of two to six, so they can hunt their prey. The name “Killer Whale” comes from this type of Orca, which is the only species of whale that kills other whales.

Offshore Orcas spend most of their time along the continental shelf west of Vancouver Island, and it is thought that they eat large ocean fish such as shark and halibut.

Also featured on this panel are Stellar Sea Lions, Grey Whales and Humpbacks, which Yim and I have been fortunate enough to be in the water not 100 feet away as they passed us by.

Check put the panel in a larger size here >

Craigdarroch Castle DVD Package...

2009-05-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

This year we created an historical DVD for Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria which also featured a 24 page booklet on this world famous icon.

Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society is a non-profit charitable organization and admission fees and gift shop purchases go toward the ongoing restoration of this designated National Historic Site.

For more information, visit their web site here >

Stinging Celled Animals of Ogden Point.

2009-05-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

This third panel developed by the Ogden Point Enhancement Society features Stinging Celled Animals.

These exquisitely graceful animals belong to a group called Cnidarians. Based on a radial body plan with mouth and tentacles and possessing only rudimentary tissues, these flower-like creatures have successfully survived for millions of years.

They show a startling range of behaviour and adaptation for such a simple design. Their success is due to the toxic stinging cells which they use to capture their prey, and the alternation during their life between a free swimming jellyfish (medusa) and a fixed bottom dwelling sea anemone-like stage (polyp).

The Breakwater provides habitat for a number of interesting fishes, making it a popular spot for fishing and for diving.

Rockfish are abundant along the breakwater. These fish are recognizable by their large heads, wide mouths and spiny dorsal fins. Rockfish are ovoviviparous, which means that they give birth to free-swimming young. They range in size from 10 to 40 centimetres, and most rockfish feed on squid, crustaceans and small fish.

Divers may also see large schools of the sleek, silvery Pacific Herring (Clupea harengus pallasi) flash by, or unusual-looking fish like the Grunt Sculpin (Rhamphocottus richardsonii), a small fish that swims with its head pointing upwards, or the Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus), which has a long dorsal fin that curves up over its head.

The panels are in final production and will be dedicated officially June 19th, 2009.

The Ecology of Ogden Point...

2009-05-24T22:39:00.001-07:00

This second panel of the series of twelve panels created for the Ogden Point Enhancement Society for the Ogden Point Cruise Ship Terminal.

These panels are due to be dedicated June 19th, 2009 so stop by and see them in person.

The Shimmering Shoals...

2009-05-18T20:54:00.001-07:00

This first panel of the series of twelve panels I have created over the past eight months or so features images which flourish within the first two sections of the Ogden Point Breakwater.

These panels are due to be dedicated June 19th, 2009 so stop by and see them in person.

The Sidney Pier...

2009-05-10T20:04:00.001-07:00

We are very proud to call The Sidney Pier a client now.

Nestled on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula, a scenic 30-minute drive from beautiful downtown Victoria, The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa anchors the coastal community of Sidney-by-the-Sea.

Check out their web site here >

Search Engine Optimization & Internet Marketing Services

2009-05-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

Our search engine marketing services are customized to meet your goals and objectives. There are several factors that will influence the cost and time required to market your site in the search engines. These factors include your competition, how much marketing you have already done for your site, your website’s content and theme, your business objectives, and of course, your search engine marketing budget.

For a customized quote on Internet marketing services for your website, request a proposal.

We provide expert consultation on the following areas of search engine optimization and internet marketing;

- Keyword Research
- Competitive Analysis
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search-Friendly Web Design
- Local Search Optimization
- Social Media Optimization
- Website Analytics
- Link Building
- Content Development/Copywriting
- Blog Marketing
- Online Public Relations/Press Release Optimization

Green Building Practices

2009-04-26T14:18:00.001-07:00

We've completed a small web site for a new service here in Victoria Called Green Building Practices.

Phyllis Godfrey can help your business to:

Promote green building practices and recruit clients. Develop awareness and facilitate new competency development. Assemble and maintain necessary records that meet regulatory requirements. Identify green materials, products and services. Connect project teams via information sharing networks. Support community engagement and encourage healthy communities and deliver quality cost effective sustainable projects that meet project requirements and budget. In short, a wide variety of necessary services for Green Building Practices.

Check out their web site here >

Search Engine Optimization

2009-04-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN now account for more than 95% of how new customers find your website. It's the most active, qualified, and purchase motivated segment of your online market. As a result, search engine optimization (SEO) has become a marketing fundamental for any modern business.

The Steve Roper Group has been doing SEO for almost a decade and have become very good at it.

For many of our customers, we provide search engine consulting services and are your best partner for capitalizing on the search engine opportunity by delivering search engine optimization, marketing & promotion strategies for your website.

We are dedicated to providing you with step by step consulting on everything from natural searches to measuring critical metrics. We provide technical evaluations of your web site and determine your SEO needs. We then make recommendations concerning necessary adjustments and analyze site traffic in an effort to optimize your results. By working together, we will explain and demonstrate how a few strategic changes can achieve site rankings that are dramatically improved.

We have the depth of experience required to complement your own management and planning efforts.

Zenn

2009-03-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

The next generation in Canadian Motor Vehicles...

Campbell River Cruise Ship Terminal Web Site

2009-03-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

The only First Nations theme port in the world, disembarking visitors head through a beautiful Canada Customs building designed like a traditional big house. Totem poles, a covered walkway, traditional landscaping as well as tents decorated in aboriginal artwork and housing arts, crafts and traditional food will greet them. Visitors can watch artists at work in a carving shed.

It is a beautiful terminal and I am pleased to be developing this first stage of their web site >

Fernwood Living on Vancouver Island...

2009-03-07T21:14:00.001-08:00

Vancouver Island has been named the "Best North American Island " for the past 8 consecutive years by Condé Nast Traveler. Nestled along the lower south-western coast of British Columbia, Canada, it is rich in history and ripe with opportunities for outdoor adventure and home to the historic capital city of Victoria, famous for both its historic buildings and bustling inner harbour. Victoria is truly one of the world's most liveable cities, where each weekend can bring you as much adventure or culture as you could desire.

This beautiful home, nestled away on a beautiful quiet street just minutes from downtown Victoria, is truly a jewel in the Fernwood community. Built in 2004, it features mature trees surrounding the property including bountiful fruit trees and a sense of privacy just minutes away from one of the world’s most sought after cities.

The garden has been carefully cultivated and features Japanese Maples, a variety of bamboo and lovely stone features.

Take a tour of the web site and then make an appointment to visit. For details on the house, click here >

The first series of Ogden Point Interpretive Signage

2009-03-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

After almost a year of work, the interpretive panels are ready to be installed at Ogden Point June 19, 2009. We are proud to have been involved in this initiative to increase awareness of the ecology of the Ogden Point Breakwater. This is a preview of the first series...

Partymart's first newsletter...

2009-02-23T22:03:00.000-08:00

We've recently completed the PartyMart Newsletter, which has been released last week for intial testing to 3,000 recipients and has received an open rate of over 20% in three days, which has increased visitation to the web site by 30%.

Now, we see if that translates into sales. I'm thinking it will...