While I have less than 200 articles published at ezinearticles.com under my own name, I have in fact ghost written thousands that appear under my clients’ names on that site, and others.  So I was delighted when the EZA team asked to feature me as a Showcase author this month.

You can read the post here: Kerry Finch Expert Author Showcase

Thanks to Chris Knight and the team for this recognition.

The thing is though, often they don’t even realize this is the case because when they view their websites it is often the result of using a bookmark or entering the URL directly. They are looking at their websites through tunnel-vision.

This is rarely how their clients, prospects, customers, competitors, potential JV partners and consumers search for them.

Printers and Ice Cream

Here is an example. Today I searched for “best laser printer” expecting to see the major manufacturers appear on page one of the results in Google – each fighting for the coveted number one spot. What I found though were a lot of review sites, technology ezines, and online shops. It wasn’t until I got to the bottom of page 2 that I found Xerox Canada, and, like most people, I stopped searching at page 5 – with no other manufacturer in sight.

So I decided to look at “ice cream”, again expecting one of the multinationals in the market to be sitting at number one. Instead Wikipedia is there which many might accept as reasonable, but at number two is a men’s clothing line! Ben & Jerrys (a Unilever company) finally waves a corporate flag at number 3.

Is it that HP, Canon, Unilever and Haagen-Dazs – and so many other corporates – don’t see the need to rank number one in their niches? And is this the result of corporate arrogance, or ignorance?

Even at the local level, businesses need to be aware of how their clients and prospects are searching for them. When I searched for “xxx(my town) supermarket” I found directory listings in the first few pages – not one of the retail giants that have market share in this locality appeared.

In an area that relies heavily on the tourist dollar, it seems inconceivable that those retailers are not targeting such a simple keyword (and do the same for each of their locations nationally). Their failure to do so creates an amazing opportunity for a smaller store to target that keyword, to go through the relatively inexpensive exercise of dominating it – and bank those tourist dollars.

And with the growing number of savvy SEO (search engine optimization) consultants targeting clients with just this potential, it WILL happen.

The SEO Content Gap

What I’ve found, and helped many of my clients overcome, is that while corporate websites may look professional and comprehensive, when it comes to their key terms with the search engines, they are wearing an invisibility cloak.

Their websites often give great exposure for their business and product names, but by focusing on these alone, they are leaving the door open for those very savvy niche marketers to dominate the search engine results for niche terms.

The good news is that because their sites are sound, it may be only take a few months to turn the situation around.

Corporate SEO Content

Some of the strategies that I implement for my corporate clients include:

• The creation of keyword focused content, that is constructed in a way that search engines love, which they add to their websites, on a consistent, regular basis. This content should not be confused with the static websites pages though; they are specially crafted articles, which need not necessarily appear in the website menu, but exist in an ‘articles’ section.

They do not need to be created by public relations professionals or journalists – they DO need to be written by an SEO content specialist. Their purpose is to wave a virtual flag that says “look at me” at the search engines like Google

• Leveraging these articles in ways that improve the search engine optimization of their websites, including publishing these to article directories and networks and bookmarking them.

Very rarely are corporate marketing departments or website designers skilled in SEO content creation, which is one reason why the importance of ranking for niche keywords is falling through the cracks.

Developing a program of regular SEO content creation will go a long way to improving corporate online visibility in an era when online search has become the first option for consumers looking for goods and services.

Why not make a list of some of the terms that you believe people use to find your company, and enter these into a Google search box? If you don’t like the results that are returned, then the time to take action is yesterday.

>> Enquire about my corporate SEO content programs.

One of these was to establish a “Diamond Account”. In an email to authors on March 9, ezinearticles publisher Chris Knight explained:

“Over time, we’ve come to realize that we’ve outgrown our current membership level structure.

The trend we see is that Platinum-level members are grouped together unfairly. Our highest quality authors are mixed in with others who may be more concerned with generating high numbers versus creating great articles.

To recognize those “Best of the Best” Expert Authors, we are adding a Diamond level to the peak of our membership pyramid.

The Diamond level represents the ideal EzineArticles Expert Author to us. It represents someone who only writes original works, presents them in an easy-to-read format (bullets, numbered lists and only a hint of bold or italics styling), doesn’t generate user complaints, submits regularly and is a genuine expert in the topics he or she writes about (as evidenced by their website URLs and bio).”

It is important to know that Diamond Accounts cannot be purchased – they have to be earned. In allowing these account holders to publish articles of just 250 words speaks volumes. It acknowledges that even though their articles may not be the new standard 400 words, they will be well researched, readable articles – not keywords stuffed and spun material with poor English and grammar. They actually convey genuine information.

Faster article approvals by more experienced editors is offered to authors at this level.

I am pleased to announce that I have been one of the first ezinearticle authors to be awarded Diamond Level status. This is a real benefit to me and my clients, in that I can offer shorter premium articles at a lower price point than my standard 400 word articles, where appropriate.

Article directories were a huge force to reckon with in SEO due to the number of backlinks generated from their network of publishers that depend on them for regular content. Backlinks, or the links from other sites to specific web pages, are an important factor in search algorithms because these are largely out of a website owner’s control and are perceived to be clear indicators of content quality and relevance.

Google officials acknowledge that approximately 12% of Google’s search results were affected by the changes amid rumors that some article directories were blacklisted for being content farms. Content farms refer to the sites that churn out hundreds of articles and videos daily, most of which are deemed of low quality for being copies, irrelevant or shallow. Typically mass produced, these articles often outranked authoritative sites in Google search results pages.

While Google did not identify the targeted article directories, sites such as eHow, Ezine, Associated Content and Demand Media have reportedly experienced decline in search rankings. The algorithm modification, however, has some collateral damage as websites with original content but which were frequently copied by other websites experienced drastic falls in site traffic and revenues. In this aspect, Google admits that no algorithm can ever be 100% accurate in weeding out content rubbish and will continue to refine its formula to approximate 100% accuracy.

Survey of immediate effects of Google changes

Most of the major article directories were the hardest hit by the algorithm changes. In particular, Ezine, which ironically enforces one of the strictest editorial rules for publishing, reportedly experienced a 30% decline in site traffic just within a few days from Google’s implementation.

Other directories such as buzzle.com, hubpages.com, and squidoo.com also suffered traffic reduction. SubmitYourArticle.com discloses a 2.5% decline in its average daily traffic but is quick to add that the overall impact of the Google modifications is negligible as it cites already declining figures even months before the implementation.

Content quality directly affects the quality of its backlinks which have a bearing on Google search results. Thus, SYA believes that the steady decline in article directory search rankings is a consequence of the overpopulation in article directories where article spinners habitually tweak content without adding real value to them. And this trend will continue and may even lead to the demise of some article directories unless real changes in submission rules are effected immediately.

Solutions to the Google Content Farms Purge

High quality content: Fresh, original and useful content remains king in SEO. The genuine SEO content experts have always maintained that there is no magic pill for generating massive flows of Internet traffic. The problem and its solution boils down to the quality of content being published which involves time, effort and reader value.

Comprehensive SEO strategy: Search algorithms still value backlinks but instead of relying heavily on a handful of article distribution networks for these, websites must implement several techniques including direct publication in blogs, social proof, document sharing, and press releases.

The future of article directories are still unclear but industry observers believe that the ones which strive to provide real value to readers will survive the latest Google algorithm shift. In the meantime, blacklisted directories may still obtain some traffic from sources other than Google although it’s uncertain how they will fare in the long term.

>> Premium Content enquiry?  Contact Kerry Finch

Document sharing directories are websites primarily used for disseminating files of various types online. To start sharing documents, all you need to do is create a free account and upload files in popular formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF. Unlike traditional article distribution sites which can take some time to publish your articles due to strict editorial rules, content sharing sites make your documents available to the public immediately upon their upload.

Anyone can use content sharing sites but only those who follow document sharing strategies will reap the best results in SEO.

Use targeted keywords: Keywords remain vital in document sharing for SEO. Determine the best targeted keywords through intelligent research and use these phrases in the document’s title, filename and body. Make it a habit to save your documents in filenames containing targeted keywords because content sharing sites often adopt your filenames during upload.

Secure your links: Links included in articles shared at traditional article distribution websites are not always retained by the people sharing them elsewhere. At document sharing sites, original links of a document’s author may be secured by saving these in “read only” PDF format.

Build links: Link targeted keywords strategically placed throughout a document to your website. Link them as well to different pages on your website to obtain indented listings. Maximize the footer of all your document’s pages by including links to your website.

Observe document word count: For purposes of SEO, the standard document’s word count is between 400 to 600 words. This range is enough to provide helpful information while retaining a reader’s attention.

Leverage old documents: Article marketers often accumulate large volumes of articles that are useful to readers. These documents may still be used in content sharing sites with just a small amount of editing.

Visual design can also boost document sharing SEO strategies and it’s easy to use colours, varying font types and sizes and appropriate layouts because content sharing sites accept different file formats. Present informative articles in newsletter styles, use bold typeface as headlines, add images and use coordinating colours throughout your document for aesthetic appeal.

Businesses and professionals generally use document sharing sites for project management, online collaboration, cloud computing, document storage and other related activities. It allows members of a team, colleagues, co-workers, and clients to access documents anywhere in the world and at any time. When set for public viewing, these sites enable search engines to index and rank document URLs accordingly.

SEO Benefits

Article sharing: People love to share interesting or helpful content in blogs and social networks. Sharing sites allow you to upload text files, PowerPoint presentations and PDF files for others to download and share. Most file sharing sites include buttons for sharing content in major social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Clickable links: Unlike most article distribution sites, file sharing websites allow you to create links to your website using words appearing throughout your document. For added SEO boost, consider linking appropriate text to different pages on your website. This method produces indented listings on search engine results pages.

Easy publication: Major article distribution sites impose stringent rules in the preparation, rewriting and submission of articles as pre-requisites for distribution. As a result, Internet marketers ordinarily spend some time tweaking content to suit the requirements of article distribution networks. On the other hand, file sharing sites do not exercise editorial control over the content you can upload. Sharing can begin within seconds from uploading your articles.

In addition to their impact on SEO, document sharing sites offer flexibility in the format and appearance of content. You can upload professional looking PowerPoint presentations, colorful and well designed newsletters, or use high impact fonts at various portions of your article. These possibilities allow your content to stand out and attract more viewers to your site.

Anecdotal evidence suggest that articles appearing on document sharing sites seem to rank better than those coming from traditional article distribution networks. The variety of file sharing sites that you can find online such as Scribd, Issuu and Yudu are usually free of charge. Try a couple of sites and compare results to determine which ones work for you.

You  can use reproduced/PLR or spun articles (what I consider ‘low grade’ articles) for submission to article and blog networks to improve you SEO by getting backlinks – no news there.

Most importantly, you know that by writing or having written, premium articles, you can establish authority and credibility in your particular niche/s.  You can  add these articles to you websites as valuable, relevant content, and then submit them to the better article directories as well. You can spin them, alter them, slice and dice them.

But here’s a scoop – you don’t have to leave it at that.  Here is yet another – extremely powerful – way to use that content.

Document Sharing

Document sharing allows you to add documents – word processing document, PDFs, slideshows, presentations to a host of high-ranking sites.

As long as you stay within their guidelines, your content is published immediately, with links – including affiliate links – intact, immediately.  No editorial approval, just load and it is published.

Once you have learned how to use these sites, you will find yourself going back through your archive of content, and reusing it for an SEO boost that you won’t believe.  If, like me, you have a mountain of content, you might like to set this as a task for an outsourcer.  It is very simple to implement when you know how, and best of all – it is free!

I have created a report, Document Sharing Strategies, to explain what these sites are about, where to find them, and how to use (and not abuse) them.

>> Grab a copy of Document Sharing Strategies now

There will, I have not doubt, be those who will shrug it off and continue to use the work of others for their own marketing purposes, with little or no respect for the effort that the originator of the work devoted to its creation.

This can often be the result of over-zealous affiliate marketers, who, in an attempt  to beat their competitors, will use whatever content they can find online to promote their affiliate sites.

It can be a fine line, and one that is often blurred – which even I admit to having crossed once when promoting a product for which I was an affiliate. In this particular case I used unchanged content from the merchant’s site, which, at the time, I thought was OK – it wasn’t!!  I guess I thought that if it was OK to iFrame the site, it would be acceptable to take the content and use it to promote the product.

The internet is constantly changing the way we do, and promote, business.  The rules of engagement can be open to interpretation, and confusion abounds.   As Michael Visontay, in his editorial in Australian Author (August 2010), said of the online publishing debate:

If you are in any doubt as to whether you can hand over resources to outsourcers, do the right thing and ASK!

Reseller Rights

As I mull over a solution to my problem, I return more and more to the creation of a Reseller Rights version of any lower-price product I create.  It will be made quite clear upon purchase, that people who wish to pass such an item on to others, including their outsourcers, will need to pay extra for this right.

I’d be really interested to hear your views.

In case it is difficult to read, the press release returned 210,000 results – and there are 3 links to my sales page in the release – you do the backlink math.  I have seen some very dramatic results from my press releases, and normally 2000-5000 results returned is a great outcome.  That the topic is an in-demand one always improves the stats, but this result saw me happy-dancing around the room.

Just as I am writing this, I decided to see what the results are, 24 hours later.  Knowledge of Google’s moodiness steeled me for a dramatic drop, but instead:

This release cost me 20 minutes in time, and zero in cash outlay – I placed it with one of the free services.   I don’t expect much in the way of traditional press coverage, not even pickup by Yahoo! or Google News – these will come when I write a release and distribute it using one of the premium paid services.

So, what do you think- how many articles, rewritten, outsourced, spun and butchered will it take you to get results like this?

Press releases are powerful for SEO, which is why I compiled my Powerful Press Releases report. Every internet marketer should have them as an integral component to their overall SEO strategy.