STAY AWAY FROM SEO "VOODOO-SPEAK"

Those who are billing top dollar to get your website noticed on Google, are constantly releasing self-promoting how-to articles and videos.  Once you have consumed even a small amount of their of content it is quite natural to conclude that search engine optimization is "scary, mysterious business".  Many folks just give up attempting to pull it off on their own.

After stumbling upon a few remarkable tools and easily bringing many client sites to rank: I finally realized that a lot of SEO "voodoo-speak" is nothing more than hype to scare you off.  The reality is: creating authority on Google is a LOT more straight-forward than we are normally led to believe.

In this tutorial I'm going to lay out a simplified road map for ranking in Google and discuss a few of the tools you will want to use.

BACKLINKS

The only way Google can tell if your content matters, is based on what other websites say about you.  The assumption is that other websites will voluntarily link to your website if you have something worthwhile to offer.  Theoretically: the more links you have coming to your website: the more value it has.

Because of this fact Search Engine Experts make a big deal about "back-links". Most tutorials stress the difficulty and importance of creating many one-way incoming links.  However in my real-world experience it is often a function of quality more than quantity.  

While having many links is always nice: it really boils down to the authority of the website that is linking to you.  In researching top ranking sites – I have found that a single link from a high-authority web site such as EHow.com can pull a website straight to the top of the results.

HOW GOOGLE DETERMINES AUTHORITY 

Why does Google consider these sites to be so valuable?  Because the content is being evaluated by a real human being rather than a "bot".  

Important web directories such as DMOZ.org and Yahoo also carry credibility for the same reason. To get listed: an editor must visit your website and check it out.

Getting ReTweeted on Twitter is extremely notable to Google because a real human being had to agree with you that your content was worth passing on.

WHAT KINDS OF LINKS HELP MOST?

A key success-factor involves the structure of the links.  If possible the clickable text for the incoming links should contain the keyword content that you want to rank under. The target page on your website should also be strong in relevant the keywords. 

USE A FREE BACKLINK CHECKING TOOL

SEOpen is a free addon for Mozilla Firefox that lets you see which websites are backlinking to your top competitors.  Those same sites may be worth focusing on when  it comes time to request your own backlinks.

ARTICLE KEYWORD DENSITY MYTHS

Forget about the good-old-days of search engine optimization when people thought you had to repeat those keywords over and over.  Google has gotten much smarter than that. Their bot will see that type of behavior as abuse.  Simply write a great article that is fit for human consumption and be sure your key words are mentioned at least once in the title and once in the first paragraph.  

Try to also have a link containing those same keywords pointed at a relevant offsite resource and include at least one image with a keyword-sensitive alt tag.

CATEGORIES: YOUR SECRET WEAPON

There is another POWERFUL tool which is overlooked in most SEO tutorials.  This is the fact that major web directories are such as DMOZ.org and Yahoo Directory are set up with categories: just like a good university library.  By organizing your content in appropriate categories – you make it very easy for Google to figure out what your material is all about.  

Having your article information organized in the blogging format – due to the fact that this means real human beings have the opportunity to comment on the content.

Simply go to DMOZ.org and type in your keywords: take a look at the results and find the closest match to your subject matter.  Then take a look at the categories DMOZ is using.  These are the categories YOU should also use on your own site. You can omit the more general levels because Google prefers a maximum of four category layers.

BUILD YOUR WEBSITE ON A CMS

Popular CMS (Content Management System) platforms, not only make it easy for you to change the material on your website without learning to code – they also come with built-in category features.  Stay away from old fashioned hardcoding when it comes to building your website.  Depending on your needs select a platform such as WordPress, Drupal or Joomla.  

The most userfriendly for non-programmers is by far: WordPress with its point-and-click functionality.  However: in it's native state, WordPress is unfriendly for search engine categories.  Thousands of plugins exist that easily extend its capability's with features such as shopping carts and visitor statistics.  Search Engine plugins are available which "tweak" the WordPress program to support the ideal category structure.

When hiring a web developer ask how the CMS is used to handle search engine optimization.  If they know little or nothing about the role of categories in SEO, make sure that you your self will be effectively empowered to control the categories being used.

KEYWORD RESEARCH & COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

The most important aspect of SEO comes down to keyword research and competitive reconnaissance. Don't just try to guess which words your clients will be searching for.  

The best tool for keyword research is called SpyFu.com   Simply run a search in Google for your niche and grab the URL of the top ranking sites and head over to SpyFu.com   Put those URLs into the search window and you can see which words they are spending the most money on.  You can bet these are some of the most profitable terms to go after when you are writing articles and arranging links.

STILL INTIMIDATED?

For those who are already familiar with the lingo of Search Engine Optimization, this article should be a breath of fresh air.  However for those who are new: a slight sense of feeling overwhelmed might be normal.  I can assure you that you simply have to learn by doing.

It's possible to take any of these concepts and find articles that elaborate even further in order to achieve greater clarification.  For example: Google – "How to get your website listed in DMOZ".  Try "Search Engine Categories in WordPress."

CashBoxHosting is a web design partner who can walk you through the process.  By simply doing it a couple of times you will start to approach your writing in the right way to get the desired visitors to your website.

Let's say your dot com business name comes up in a conversation.   The people who hear that name should be able to go to their favorite search engine and type it in to pull you up.

Once they arrive at your site – you have an opportunity to start building a relationship with that person.   Simply providing valuable information and putting your best foot forward in terms of your image begins to shape their perceptions and build your identity in their mind.

Converting your name into a logo creates a visual statement that sums up the energy of your endeavor in a single glance.   Using this logo on your web site, business cards and other media is like a bank account that continues to acrue interest over the long term.   It sticks in their mind and allows them to recognize you again later.  

Products and services which are represented by a strong, coherent identity – begin to take on a familiar feeling to the potential customer.   If someone saw your logo only one time – they will be more likely to select YOUR offers in the future. – even though they have consciously forgotten about it.

Free Article.  Learn about how to create a name that sticks in your customer's mind.

You don't have to win the whole world: you just have to become huge in your own niche.  It all comes down to branding.  

What would a person be without a name?  Forgettable! 

They say that 85 percent of small businesses fail: what are some of the reasons?

• Inadequate ongoing training for employees – therefore: inconsistent results.
• Inadequate funding – IE the money was spent on the wrong things.
• Inadequate Branding & Marketing – Insufficient demand was generated before the money ran out.
• Charging too little for goods & services – Lack of Confidence.  With the right marketing you can get what its really worth!

Humans are herd animals.  Whenever you deliver the goods to your customers: they naturally start talking about their good experience.  But what if they have their conversation and can't remember the name of your company?  Or: a listener goes later to look for you on the web: but can't find you in Google?  Or: you have a weird spelling that no-one would get?

We have a great article on creating a total recall name at http://www.RealDreamBrands.com/

This name should be turned into a visual statement: a clean powerful logo that focuses on your dot com name.  Just one glance can create a lifetime impression.  Just seeing your dot com name on the back of your car will enable people to find you: even if they don't have time to write down your number.

If people have seen your logo just once: even if they are not conscious that they saw it: the brain still makes a record.  In the future they are far more likely to select your offer over others due to internal familiarity.

There are casual logo programs that build an attractive design for next to nothing.  And this is not a total waste.  However: it pays to get into the motivations of your market – and visually capture some of that energy and meaning in your logo design.

A great logo-design can be embroidered on shirts, placed in Yellow pages ads, on business cards, back window vehicle decals, trade-show graphics, eBay listings, Craigslist ads etc.

This is the beginning of building your brand on a shoe-string.

When starting business: why blow money on anything that isn't central to the process of making money?   You need a location: but with powerful marketing – your website COULD become your store front.   Even a local business could substitute a convenience-oriented web shopping experience for prime real estate.  The physical location could be a little bit off the beaten track: if 90% of the shopping process happens online.

Powerful marketing can include targeted color post card mailings: which drives the customer to a multimedia webmercial.  Create an emotional connection for your Church,  Custom Gift Baskets, Childcare Center, your Home Improvement Services or a Cosmetic Surgery Practice.

Show case what is DIFFERENT about your product or service.

But for those with highly specialized markets: the web offers unparalleled ability to help your exact target markets find you in the search engines & social media sites.

Let's say you are an author or a product manager.  You are releasing a new book or product.   By pre-positioning on your website: you can already have a built-in market for your release.

Custom Social Media Website features offered by CashBoxoptional Hosting.com enable you to build authority & credibility in your niche.  Create and maintain a following through our Web 2.0 blogging, forum and newsletter features.

Save money & build customer relationships with online customer support.   Don't force your customers to pick up the phone!   Once questions have been asked and answered in your forum: many users prefer to check there first!

As you grow beyond the bounds of your starting position in your home office, basement or garage you may decide to outsource telephones and order fulfillment to specialty houses.

In the past business was done on the golf course and people met each other in places like work, school, church, associations etc.    With virtual social networks you can make contacts and find opportunities without the traditional limitations.

Millions of dollars went into creating these mega online social networks:   However now it has come within reach of anyone to run a private social network on their own website.

Our social networking platform includes the ability to post an article or news item and instantly launch a forum discussion thread.   You can be the moderator or invite guest commentators.   Your visitors can sign up for an account and create a profile.   You select what information they can include – such as demographics, personal bio and even a user photo.

We offer the ability to feature a business directory, opt-in newsletter and even your own Craigslist-style classifieds.

Establish a private social network that is dedicated to your own niche or topic.  By doing so you become positioned as an authority in your market.  

The more often people come back to your web site, the more likely they are to trust you and buy what you recommend.  

Repeat visitors are at least 10 times more likely to do business with you than a first-time casual stop-in.   It's critical to your long-term to success to have features that motivate the user to bookmark your site.   By creating curiosity and engaging their long-term interest, you can create a permanent relationship.   Every dollar you spend on marketing your web site then begins to earn interest. 

Having a targetted social network provides benefits and opportunities for end-users.   Many times the bait is an opportunity to learn from each other and from you.   By offering valuable information as your "kicker",  you begin to establish your brand as an expert authority and resource in your market.

For those firms with a pre-established client base – this is a mission critical means of KEEPING your own people interested & engaged.   Otherwise they may ultimately be lured elsewhere.   It's also a huge customer service tool.

Whether or not you believe in evolution – the survivors were the ones who found opportunities that others missed: even in a bleak environment. These days there are many, many Real Estate Agents who will tell you that they USED TO BE Realtors – but times got too tough! Everyone sympathizes with them of course.

For all those who say it can't be done. There is that one-in-a-thousand agent who nods their head in mock agreement – but also has a sly smile! Somehow they ARE making money: even now! Maybe they are doing that in a different way. But they ARE making money.

What sets these Real Estate Winners apart??

Real Estate Skill Diversity

Add-ons such as loan brokering and property management have special value.

Times are tough. The previous homeowners who were foreclosed on now need to rent. Investors want to buy rental units: both single and multi-unit (at bottom dollar). They also need management. Bring all the parties together!

Vacant properties can be turned into short-term corporate or vacation housing – depending on the region. It's easy to market these properties online. We have succeeded in renting our beach property in the past using http://www.vrbo.com/ Just managing and marketing these vacant rentals for their owners can bring in great opportunities. Luxury properties are less sensitive to economic fluxes and many owners will entertain the dual opportunity of allowing you to rent their property to vacationers and also list it.

Niche Market Opportunities

What about economic proof segments such as health-care workers. Why not market to first-time buyers in the health-care market or veterans coming back from the middle east who are entitled to get VA loans? Become an expert on government programs designed to spur economic recovery and match them up with the intended recipients.

Hospital HR departments and Credit Unions are a great way to leverage co-marketing to offer any unique opportunity that upgrades the financial well-being of their constituency.

In military communities: advertising in the base newspaper shows your interest in the armed forces and starts that relationship with individuals and families who are leaving the service.
 

Branding & Name Recognition

Yes. Your name is your brand identity. Our partner RealDreamBrands.com offers a powerful mini-education on how to tap into human motivation with your marketing.

If people forget your name after seeing or hearing it – all your marketing efforts are ultimately like a cup with holes in it! For those with a strong brand identity – their name itself becomes a value proposition in the minds of the public. That name continues to accrue worth over the long-haul.

In real estate: networking and word-of-mouth are often critical.

If a customer with a great experience mentions your name in a locker room or at a PTA get-together – you need a name that creates Total Recall. Visit our "name web site" for a fascinating tutorial on creating a name that sticks forever: after just one verbal mention or view of your signs.

You also need that customer to be able to go to their favorite search engine, type it in, and pull you right up. CashBoxoptional Hosting.com also offers an introductory guide getting ranked in the Search Engines – check it out!

All your signs should have your name – in the dot com form: and it should be easy to spell.

What Sets You Apart from Run-of-the-Mill Real Estate Agents?

Too many Realtors are intimidated by the web and sign up for the same cookie-cutter web listings as everyone else. What makes you any better than the next guy or gal? …in the Customer's mind that is. Having a strong web presence is critical – especially when times are tough: because to actually MOVE your properties you might have to spread your net wider: a LOT wider. How about NATIONWIDE or greater???

Your own web site with MLS backend and custom videos for your clients might just be the ticket. Do a little research into feeder markets by talking to the local board, the newspaper, convention & visitors bureau, the local chamber or commerce. Find out which out-of-town markets people are coming from. Back up your custom web listings with Real Estate classifieds in these target feeder-markets. Drive visitors to enjoy a sumptuous multi-media preview from the comfort of their own home.

Many people will actually buy a plane ticket – just to meet with you and see your property.

Include key resources for people moving into town. Names and numbers for utilities and schools.

Here we are focusing on the basic marketing viewpoint that leads to long-term success for artists.

The basic key to Earning an Income in Art is having your own Brand Name identity that supports word-of-mouth advertising.  This name should be translated into an easy-to-remember dot com website – where people can find you.

Once you have a Great Name and a consistent "location" on the web – every showing becomes an opportunity for growth and recognition. Even a customer who bought your piece at a street show – might have a guest visiting their home or office who complements them.

If your web URL is on the back of your pieces – that guest might be inspired to seek you out and look at your other work. This advantage supports repeat business. Over time it is a sure way to build a following.

Whenever you visit an art district it's a nice idea to get the card of gallery owners – and email them a picture with a link to your online-gallery. If they like the sample that is included with your email – they will click on through to view the rest of your works. This also permits them to look at your material unrushed. It enables you to cover a lot more territory and avoid the personal impact of rejection: when scouting for gallery opportunities.

If you have the ability to create affordable reproductions from your work – it is also a great idea to open an online store. Someone may have purchased a piece and then want to give your work for gifts. This builds a solid long-term recurring revenue stream.

Our newsletter features enable you to build up an email list of your visitors and update them whenever you release a new work or have a showing.

As author Seth Godin proved: it doesn't have to cost a pretty penny.

Branding your self is only the beginning.  

Having your own custom social networking website enables you to publish material that targets your readership out on the web.  Proper search engine positioning of your content enables casual visitors to find you by searching for topics related to your subject matter.

Once they arrive at your site: you can interact with them in member forums.

Use our newsletter feature to insure that your guest appearances are well attended by local followers.

Create immediate cash flow by selling works-in-progress & completed works directly from your website: or by linking into the Amazon Market Place.

Consider these Important Points:

• Modern shoppers often begin with their favorite search engine BEFORE venturing to pick up the heavy phone book.   Effective use of modern search engine technology allows you to zero in on the exact customers who need what you sell.  Local Businesses: you may be the only one who made the effort to come up in Yahoo or Google for your region.  Be FIRST in line for those pocketbooks!

• Whether its on your vehicle-signs, classifieds, or simple word-of-mouth:  Having a strong DOT COM identity can permit customers to remember how to find you again later.

• By propelling your customers to your web site from your business card and print ads you create that crucial next point of contact.  Shape their perceptions of your enterprise and tell your story!  Permit them to develop a greater comfort factor by getting to know more about you before they choose to do business.

• Use your web site as a multimedia webmercial with audio and video features to create an emotional connection with your products or services.

• Provide valuable online information in your niche at no charge and establish your brand as an authority for your market.   Give the customer something to read and keep them coming back.

• Coordinate any group or simply dial in your customer base on a long-term basis.  Leverage Internet-based social networking features such as Electronic Newsletters, User Discussion Forums, Member Profiles, and Email contact lists.

• Open up an online storefront and deliver your product beyond normal geographic boundaries.  Spread your net a lot wider and reap the rewards!

CashBoxoptional Hosting specializes in helping all the pieces of your marketing puzzle come together centered around your dot com web site location.

Let's say you placed a low cost classified advertisement.   You could even place a free ad on website such as Craigslist.   As long as the ad includes your dot com name – the customer can progress from a low cost black and white text ad to visit your web site.   Once they have arrived at your online business location: you can shape their perceptions and create desire with a high-impact presentation.

Simply handing out business-cards, a small print ad in the Yellow-pages, or sending post-cards to targeted mailing list becomes far more powerful when they propel your potential customer to a media rich web page.  

Some businesses can be benefited by including a full-featured webmercial as part of their website.  Its like having a TV commercial with sights and sounds that create an EMOTIONAL connection with your product or service.

For local companies that take the effort to get noticed on Yahoo, Bing and Google – the pay-off can be big.   Regional search engine listings are much less competitive than global listings.   Your business might be the only one who took the time to get listed.   Many savvy consumers start searching on the Internet whenever they have a need.   They do this before they go and lift up the heavy yellow pages phone book.  It's easier because they can even start looking right from their desk at work.  These customers may also have bigger pocket books and spend the most money.