The Invisibility Cloak of Corporate Websites
Corporations and large businesses invest hundreds of thousands of dollars on their websites, yet smaller competitors and review sites – even sole traders – are dominating the search engine results in their niches.
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 Read the rest of this entry »
Award Of Diamond Account Status By ezinearticles.com – How You Benefit
In addressing Google’s algorithm changes at the end of February 2011, which saw its site’s ranking devalued, ezinearticles.com took some immediate steps to re-establish its status.
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Used and Abused: Copyright, Ethics and the Online World
I’ve got a feeling that this post will probably prick the conscience of some readers, and hopefully may educate others.
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Why Kyle Tully Is My Client
Over the last few years I have had the good fortune to meet and work with some of the most exciting internet marketers. Exciting? Yes, because when I met them they were just starting out on their IM journey, and today they are some of the most highly regarded internet marketers in the world. They are the people who are setting a new standards, raising the benchmark when it comes to new product innovation.
One of these is Australian, Kyle Tully, who through his Consulting Tycoon program, is teaching hundreds of smart people how to become consultants to offline businesses. Kyle has learned the value of article marketing and is one of my ongoing clients for SEO Content. It is sometimes difficult to explain to (particularly new) internet marketers why they should invest in quality content, when they can by cheapie articles elsewhere. Here is Kyle’s take on this:
SEO Content Coach
You know, it doesn’t matter whether you are going to create your own content, if you are going to outsource it, or if you want to create a business out of being an SEO content creator, you need to know what is involved.
Why Do Internet Marketers Need To Know This?
Many successful internet marketers do outsource their content creation – SEO articles, blog posts, Squidoo lenses, transcriptions, video, audio (the types of content that can be used on websites continues to grow). But the ones who do this successfully, do not blindly throw work at outsourcers and accept what is returned. They KNOW what is good SEO content, and what is not worth publishing in any form.
They know what makes a great SEO article, and they know how to ask for exactly what they need – content that has been assembled correctly, with keyword placement that will endear them to the search engines. They have learned the value of good, well-written, quality articles. Take one and rework it for many different applications.
The Birth of SEO Content Coach
It is this that I teach in SEO Content Coach. I find that many of the newer internet marketers for whom I provide content, are missing the ‘need to know’ stuff about SEO Content creation. They rely on me to know what they need. Now that’s fine for as long as they are my clients. But for those whom I have to waitlist or turn away (e.g. I rarely accept two clients within a competitive niche), they really need to know what they need to ask of outsourcers.
I explain what article marketing is, and how it can be one of the cheapest forms of SEO marketing – if you start off with quality material.
I show you how to:
- create an optimized article
- post it to an article directory for best results
- convert that one article into a Squidoo lens, eHow article, MP3 and more
- rewrite the article for submission to an article distribution services – really powerful stuff if it is backlinks you want, and YOU DO!
For Writers
If you are a SEO content writer, or an aspiring one, then you will find SEO Content Coach an invaluable guide to how best create worthwhile content that your clients, and the search engines, will value.
But especially for you, I have included a section on running your business -
- Where to find work
- How to bid on projects
- A copy of my Brief
- Setting up your business website…… and loads more,
- Including links to all the resources you will need.
I’ve been sharing my SEO content creation knowledge for sometime now, and am sure that both internet marketers and writers will benefit from purchasing my SEO Content Coach program.
Learning About Content Writing
If you enjoy writing, then learning how to write SEO content is a great career move – every website needs fresh, original content if it is to rank well with the search engines. AND if you are an internet marketer, but content creation is not your think – you also need to know how to create it – if only to be able to brief your outsourcer! My 3-Part SEO Content Coach program has been created to help you get the most from every piece of content you create.
>> Discover how to write for your internet marketing project at SEO Content Coach
Sharing The Love
Standing in front of 220 super-motivated internet marketing stars in the making was electric! Those attending James Schramko’s Fast Web Formula internet marketing training workshop were treated to three days of comprehensive instruction on the latest strategies, techniques, tips and tools from a variety of speakers.
Guest Speakers
Breaking with his previous formula, for this event James invited some guest presenters – experts in their field – to share their knowledge with participants. The speakers also made themselves available for chats during the breaks and some great bonds were formed.
Speakers included:
Dean Hunt from the UK, a real Buzz Marketer who had the audience tittering over his ‘package’
“SEO” Steve Ovens, a home-grown Aussie SEO expert, who injected a little ‘geek’ into the mix
Affiliate marketing wiz, Peter Parks, flew in from Canada to whisper his secrets into any ears that turned his way
The unassuming Sydney-sider Kyle Tully, had the audience captivated as he described the opportunities available for consulting to offline businesses
And then there was me…..
I enjoyed sharing what it takes to create a good article, and outlining how one well-written article can be morphed into many different incarnations – including video and audio. It was a real eye-opener, even for some of the more advanced internet marketers present.
SEO Content Coach
This was the perfect opportunity for me to launch my 3 Part Training Program, SEO Content Coach, and the response was overwhelming! I am so looking forward to working with my first 30 students and keeping them up to date on new opportunities for stretching their articles further!
>> Learn more about SEO Content Coach
KISS – Men and Article Writing
Keep It Simple Stupid!
Writing a good SEO article isn’t difficult if you follow basic steps – and that is perhaps why so many male internet marketers would rather outsource this task. This is not intended as a negatively sexist comment, but more an observation. Consider the following to see if you agree with me:
- When some men are give a new mechanical device, often their first urge is to take it apart to see how it works. The fact that their investigation leads to the items failure to perform in its intended way is irrelevant.
- When you bring ‘assemble yourself’ furniture home, the first thing a man reaches for is the screwdriver or allen key – the last resort is the instructions leaflet (which is invariable in dubiously translated English, granted).
- They will spend hours cleaning a barbeque and then get distracted during the 10 minute cooking process and burn the steak………..
Back to article writing
So, when I tell you that over 70% of my clients are male internet marketers, it is worthwhile to acknowledge that there are differences in the way men and women think. Obviously for me, that’s a very GOOD thing. It means that one of my major income streams, providing writing services for internet marketers, is doing nicely. I am constantly looking for new writers to join my team, and it doesn’t take long for me to see who ‘gets it’. And mostly it is women – although I have had one male writer for well over a year now (and you know who you are JC!) who is sensational!
KISS
Keeping it simple is one of the main things I look for in writers. That they can understand a sometimes complex topic and produce articles that, while interesting and informative, are able to be understood by the common man, is a gift. Convoluted sentence structure, overly technical terms, and flowery language are NOT required.
Outsourcing
So for all of those internet marketers out there, particular those who cannot or do not want to, write articles – outsource! There are people like me out there who would be glad to help you out – and in the process you allow us to set up own own businesses as service providers. There is plenty of work to go around, and some work can be done quite cheaply.
However, if it is quality, original, SEO content you need – you know where to find me!
Postscript:
In order to continue to deliver premium content to my current clients, I have closed my list to new clients for 2009. Please do contact me though if you would like to be contacted 2010.
Article Writing – Getting The Basics Right
Whether you are a beginner or have been writing internet marketing SEO content for some time, it is important to know that you are getting the basics right. Are you?
Keyword Placement
Are you placing your well-researched keyword properly? It should be in your article title, in the first and last paragraphs, and once or twice in the body of the article, depending on its length. Don’t use them gratuitously – if your article is well written they should appear organically anyway. Overuse of keywords will cause readers to click away – probably not what you had planned.
Interesting Headline
Make your headline as interesting as possible – but not at the expense of losing your keyword. “5 Ways to..”, “Top Seven Reasons Why…”, “The Truth Behind…” – all invoke curiosity.
Deliver Value
Don’t waste your readers’ time. Have something of value in the article, teach them something they might not already know. But don’t fall into the trap of telling them everything about the topic – they need to have a reason to visit your site to learn more.
Make Your Resource Box Work For You
If you are posting your article to a publishing site that provides a Resource Box, use it to its full potential. Don’t waste time telling the reader your life story (they don’t care, they just want to know what you can do for THEM). You can BRIEFLY position yourself as an expert, but more importantly you need to deliver a call to action – tell the reader what he or she needs to do next, i.e. find out more at http://www.yourwebsite.com. BIG HINT: Don’t use hypertext in your research box – the link may be lost when the article is reproduced elsewhere.
There are many other ways to tweak your articles for SEO and the associated traffic and links, but get these basics right, and you know you are on the right path.
And if article writing is not your forte, don’t agonize over it – outsourcing article writing is easy, and gives you the freedom to do the things you do enjoy and are good at!
New Service: Blog Post Comments
Posted on May 2011Few could argue that fledgling sites take time to gather followers, and blog post with out reader feedback can look very lonely. So in the time that it takes to establish a site and attract followers, my team and I will give your blog some SEO commenting love.
Don’t be mistaken though, I am not offering to post useless one-line irrelevant comments to your site. They will be unique, relevant and worthwhile, designed to stimulate responses and more conversation.
More information about this confidential service is available on the Blog Post Comments page