Archive for April, 2008

Keyword Marketing

admin Popularity: 48% [?] April 30th, 2008

Let me get straight to the point. If you are using keyword marketing to attract visitors and optimize your SEO effort, then you probably have your “favorite” keyword search engine, or keyword generation tool?

There are plenty around - keyword country, wordtracker and some free versions that are pretty decent as well.

This article is centered primarily on the Google Keyword Tool. It houses some real firing power if you are trying to quickly work out which keywords to center your articles on, or which keywords are best to use.

Whilst it does not give a definitive number of searches, it does give you are relative idea of which keywords generate more interest. If you also use the drop down box to add views, you can get an idea of the cost per click (cpc) that certain words are attracting and the relative competition for each.

I use a combined formula when looking for which keywords might do better. For instance if I’m looking at running an Adwords campaign then I might be more interested in finding the most searches for the least amount of competition (and therefore most of the time, but not always, low cpc rates). On the other hand if I am running adsense on a site and want to attract the highest advertising dollars, the I run the reverse and sort the columns by highest cpc with sufficient search volume.

From there I look at producing relevant and informative articles or products that use those keywords. It’s not rocket science and it’s not that time consuming, but if you do it diligently and professionally, you will increase your overall return on investment.

I am consistently amazed that some keywords I thought were OK, have no search value, yet others are through the roof. Pays to experiment and do your homework.

I have no issue with using the paid keyword search tools either, but I like the simplicity and access of the Google Keyword Tool as a quick reference. If you can have more tools in the kit bag, and call on them when you need them, then you won’t be looking for a silver bullet when things go off the rails!

All the best!

Popularity: 48% [?]

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SEO: 3 Basic Steps

admin Popularity: 51% [?] April 21st, 2008

As it has been repeated ad-nauseum: the key to good Internet ranking is SEO or search engine optimization. Your website should be well organized and designed to bring in web crawlers. T he better optimized the website, the higher the ranking in the search engine and the more traffic that your website has and theoretically the more profit your website generates. It’s a very simple and logical process. Follow your common sense and do the “write” thing.

Users rarely go beyond the second page when they search. There is a great difference between the first and second pages and after that, the traffic falls off dramatically. It is therefore very important to be ranked high in search engines, unless you feel compelled to make up the gap by spending more advertising money to get the crowd in. It is analogous to having a retail shop in “main street” versus “plain street.”

SEO is a world full of jargon like web crawlers, Meta tags, PageRanks and algorithms. It’s language sounds more like a pest control operator than the leading edge theories on digital marketing. Don’t sweat the terms - sweat your content. Its much simpler than you imagined. I liken it to the youthful parody called “finders keepers - losers weepers.” The chances of staying on the top are much greater if you are found……..

Algorithms are a finite and complex set of carefully defined instructions or rules for determining the relevancy of words/information (hence the term “search engine”). Most computer programs are designed with strict algorithms. Page Rank is a derivative of a link analysis algorithm. It is Google’s program which searches, indexes and ranks its registered web pages in relation to other pieces of information.

Meta tags are HTML tags that give you information about a web page. They are written directly into the title tag and they are only visible to the search engine. There importance is debatable, however if the rule on clarity is true, it costs you nothing to include meta information.

Web crawlers (spiders, bots etc) are the tools search engines use to browse the web methodically. What they look for in websites is determined by the algorithms - or equations that determine the “relevancy” of information in relation to other pieces of information.

The great thing about SEO is that you can optimize your website without really knowing how all these complex mechanisms work. Content is “King.” When I look at the internet, I imagine that I’m standing out the front of the largest and greatest library in the world. I can’t possibly look through all the books in a small library, so what do I do to research and find my target books? I narrow the search down to usable and familiar parcels of information. I hone the search down to the most logical area to find the information.

If I’m looking for information on marketing and business, there is no point spending time in the fine arts section (unless of course I’m looking for inspiration and creative elements). Take this analogy and look at your websites and your target audience. What do they see when they show up at your door step. Did the arrive and go - “ah ha! - finally” or did they arrive and go “WTF is this” and leave in as much time as it takes to close the browser.

More information is not always good policy. Relevant, accurate and original information is. People would rather read 2 sentences of something original and insightful, than 20 paragraphs of absolute garbage or information that is not structured for web use.

Web use information is defined as the most amount of information you can give a person in a few seconds and have them immediately understand the purpose and goal of your site and that it is congruent with the search they had conducted to get them to you sight in the first place.

All traffic is not equal…………… Write from the heart, write from knowledge and write often. Stay on topic and relevancy for your niche/site. Be original. SEO could stand for “Site Earning Optimization.” If you have the right goods - word of mouth will carry you forward.

What you need most of all is a relevant, content-rich site. So put in as much information as you can and you can’t go wrong. And remember to put in those keywords. Once you’ve done that, submit it to the search engines and you’re on the road to success.

Popularity: 51% [?]

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How Article Marketing Works

admin Popularity: 54% [?] April 17th, 2008

Adzine Content DirectoryAs you probably already know, many internet entrepreneurs are successfully doing article marketing in a wide range of niche areas. However, for those who have not ventured into article marketing activities, it could appear very difficult or very time consuming. Where to begin?

To start with, write an article. If you like, you can take a short cut and get it ‘ghost-written’. For less than $10 you can get an article of 300 to 500 words ‘ghost written’ in your niche area. Ensure that it is informative and does not sound like a sales letter. This is your article now - you are the author even though it has been ghost-written. At the end of your article you put a ‘resource box’ which should contain information about you, the author, a link to your website, a link to subscribe for a newsletter and an email address where an interested reader could contact you. Underneath the resource box you put in a statement giving permission to others to reprint the article and distribute it, provided they do not change it and the resource box remains attached to it. This way your article gives you greater visibility.

Where to market your article? To give your article wider circulation and visibility distribute it to as many directories and ezine publishers as you can find (e.g. adzines.com). Whilst it is time consuming to manually do this (unless of course you have a personal assistant who is at your call!) it is well worth the effort. Do not succumb to the temptation of using article spinners and automatic article submission software - or you may find your efforts have been in vain! You may find companies willing to post your articles manually, however I would suggest you keep a close eye on where the articles are being posted. Remember, its quality - not quantity.

Stick to what you know and can be original in your writing. If you are not that great a writer, get a friend or family member to read it out loud and listen to how it sounds. You don’t have to be a scholar to be an effective article writer - but you do need to sound credible and legible enough to get your message across.

Popularity: 54% [?]

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Great News Information Site - Newseum.org

admin Popularity: 56% [?] April 12th, 2008

Newseum.org For anyone interested in news from around the globe, take a look at newseum.org. It is a great source of information - 544 front pages. I imagine it would be good to wander through news from different countries and research ideas and happenings.

Inspiration comes from stimulating our thinking to the point of wanting to do something about it. Personally, if I am struggling to break free of old concepts or looking for new ways to frame my thinking, then there is nothing better than looking at thought provoking writings and pictures.

We all have our own way of looking at problems and solving them (if only in our own minds). Finding variety and originality is an endless pursuit if your goal is quality content and information to enhance your online digital marketing efforts. Take a break, have a coffee and read through 544 front page news items - who knows what inspiration you may find!!

Popularity: 56% [?]

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Peel Away Ads

admin Popularity: 59% [?] April 6th, 2008

Peel Away Ad ScriptWhat is a peel away ad?   Peel away ads are not new, but it seems only recent that more and more sites are integrating the feature.    You have probably noticed the addition at Chipseo.com!

I was surprised at how quick it was to install and use.  It is particularly useful as a substitute for pop-up, pop-in, and pop-under type advertising.

Its appeal is really in the psychology of selling - we can’t help but want to know what is behind the gently swaying corner piece that resembles the dog ear you put in your favorite novel or reference book in order to find it at a later date.

The software took about 2 minutes to get working (not counting my poor attempt at producing two quick jpeg files in Adobe Illustrator - I was more keen to see it working than spending hours trying to create a masterpiece).

Suffice to say that now knowing how easy it was to install and use, it will be a regular feature on Chipseo.com and some other sites that I am working with.

Price? I have seen scripts selling for up to $100, and full service creations for as low as $35.00.

If your requirements are basic and you can use a standard image editing package to create two small jpeg files, then you are well able to do it all yourself and simply purchase the Peel Away Script (don’t pay more than $15.00 if you are simply purchasing the script).  

The script appears to run on any website - so far I have only tried it here. 

Popularity: 59% [?]

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SEO - David C. Dalton

admin Popularity: 55% [?] April 6th, 2008

 Search Engine Optimization by David C. DaltonDavid Dalton takes a fresh approach to explaining the basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).   He is an expert web developer with a history in technology going back to the late ’80’s.    What I like about David’s approach is that he gets straight to the point regarding many perceptions about website development and how to make quality code for your site.

With headings in the article that include Search Engine Optimization, Less Code Equals Better Rankings and Proper Tags, Used in the Proper Way, his website is a must read for anyone seriously trying to capitalize on search engine traffic without reverting or being tempted by “blackhat” techniques.It’s a cool site and I thought it deserved a bit of air time.

All the best!

Popularity: 55% [?]

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