Moe Tamani's Internet Marketing and SEO Blog, Articles and Search Engine Optimization Tips » search engine optimization

Search Engine Optimization and Keyword Research: 5 Steps to Get You Started

Seomul Evans — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:24:45 +0000

Search Engine Optimization and Keyword Research: 5 Steps to Get You Started

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

Keyword research is one of the most important aspects of search engine optimization, but if you’re new to SEO then you may not even know where to start to figure out which words you should optimize your pages for. Here are 5 steps to get you started in keyword research.

1. Use the Right Tools. There are plenty of free keyword research tools available; so many, in fact, that you’ll likely not have to pay any money to do your research. Many search engine optimization experts and internet marketers use Google’s Adwords tool to research keywords. But don’t completely write off the option of paying some money for keyword research. An advanced tool that might actually cost money can give you really helpful information that a free tool can’t, such as how many other websites in your niche are optimizing for the same keywords you’ve chosen.

2. Specificity is Key. Let’s say that you sell unicycles in Modesto, CA. Instead of trying to rank for the word “unicycles,” use the word “unicycles” as well as your specific location. Remember that the search engines reward websites that provide the most relevant information possible, so if you have a potential customer in Modesto looking for unicycles, and if she uses those search terms, she’s more likely to find you if she can find you by product and by location.

3. Attainable Goals. If you’re just starting out or if your industry is competitive, avoid the temptation to try to rank for keywords that are popular with searchers and those for which everyone else is trying to rank. Rather, you should try to rank for less popular keywords and those that not everyone is trying to rank for. It may seem counterintuitive but it works if you keep at it long enough. Also remember that many users will misspell keywords so try to rank for common misspellings of your keywords too.

4. Use PPC to Test. Once you’ve chosen keywords, make a landing page optimized for those keywords and create a PPC campaign. This will tell you how many people came to your page and which search terms they used to get there. You can also find out how long they stayed on your page and if there were any conversions. This information can help you choose only the most effective keywords before you actually complete your total search engine optimization campaign.

5. Latent Semantic Indexing. Latent Semantic Indexing, or LSI, tools can help you find keywords related to the keywords you’d like to rank for. Search engines will see not only that your website is optimized for your chosen keywords, but that you also include terms and phrases that are related to your chosen keywords. This increases your website’s relevance in the eyes of the search engine and increases the likelihood of higher rankings and increased traffic to your website.

If you’re unsure about keyword research or feel like you need some professional help when it comes to this endeavor, consider finding a local search engine optimization expert to help you out. Not only can he or she guide your keyword research, but he or she can also point you to the best tools and help you become as specific as possible as you come up with your keywords. An SEO professional can help you test your keywords and help you use other analytics that will help your overall search engine optimization efforts. So if you’re new to SEO or just feel like you need some expert guidance, contact other businesses in your area for recommendations of local SEO experts or internet marketers. Their help can make a huge difference in the success of your business and you ultimately can’t afford to make a go of it without them.

Search Engine Optimization and New Websites: 10 Things to Remember

Seomul Evans — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:18:02 +0000

Search Engine Optimization and New Websites: 10 Things to Remember

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

Creating a new website can be exciting and fun. Just remember that it can also be challenging as it takes time for your search engine optimization efforts to get results. Here are ten things to remember as you promote your website.

1.Keywords. Make sure your keywords are in all the appropriate places on your website. This means that they’re included in your content and in your meta tags. Along with keywords, ensure that your site architecture is search engine friendly as well. If you don’t have a site map then add one right away and make sure search engines are blocked from indexing your site by Flash or by navigation that uses only images.

2.Press Releases. One great way to get the word out about your website is sending press releases. There are several aggregators to which you can send your release, one of which is PRWeb. Your press release should include a link to your website, and your target phrase should also be hyperlinked.

3.Submit to Search Engines. Search engines have evolved enormously since the days when submitting your website to a search engine made a difference in the amount of time it took a search engine to find your website. If it gives you some peace of mind then by all means submit your site to the search engine, but only do it once. What you should submit, however, is an XML sitemap. If you’re not sure how to create an XML sitemap, there are plenty of tools available online.

4.Submit to Directories. The key to submitting to directories is to ensure that you only submit to the most relevant categories. The idea behind submitting to a directory is that the search engines will give you credit for a backlink to your website, and the way to really add value to the backlink is to make sure it comes from a site that the search engine consider authoritative. DMOZ is still considered authoritative by many search engines.

5.Build Links. Backlinks are among the most valuable search engine optimization tools. Search engines view inbound links to your website as ‘votes’ for your site. The more votes you have, the more value the search engines assign to your website. There are multiple ways to building links to your site so do a little research and start building.

6.Market Your Articles. Article marketing is a great way to promote your business and get inbound links all at the same time. Article marketing allows you to establish yourself as an authority in your niche market and you get credit for an inbound link each time another person posts your article on his or her site.

7.Social Media. Social media is widely accepted as a great way to market online businesses even thought it is still very new as a marketing tool. Pick two or three popular social networking sites and create profiles. You could use Facebook to build a community of people interested in your product or service, or you could use YouTube to upload videos about what you have to offer. Not only do you get backlinks to your site from these profiles, but you also help get the word out about you and your business. Social media can seem daunting because it is more subjective than directory submission or keyword research, but it’s a great way to benefit from the online communities that are available.

If you’re looking for more ideas on how to promote your website, or if you need help creating an overall internet marketing strategy for your business, consult with an internet marketer or search engine optimization professional. They can help you promote your website and create a marketing plan that will get your name in front of your target audience, increase your search engine ranking, and drive traffic to your website.

Search Engine Optimization and Setting Yourself Apart: 6 Basics

Seomul Evans — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:13:48 +0000

Search Engine Optimization and Setting Yourself Apart: 6 Basics

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

If you’ve spent any time at all becoming familiar and search engine optimization and internet marketing strategies then you’ve probably heard how important it is to differentiate yourself from your competition. Never is that more important than during an economic recession when you and all of your competitors are vying for the business of those who are very picky about how and where they will spend their money. So how do you set yourself apart? Here are 6 basics.

1.Ask for opinions. Everyone loves to feel like what they have to say is important and valuable. Use testimonials and product reviews on your website. Not only will potential customers pay more attention to what current customers say, but those whom you ask to provide testimonials will feel as though you value their opinions. One great way to approach this is to use audio clips, which can be as simple as taping a conversation on the telephone.

2.Video. Videos that contain your call to action can be very compelling to potential customers for several reasons. First, videos contain a personal touch that the written word can’t always convey. Second, a well-done video makes you look technologically savvy and professional, which always makes a good impression on potential customers. Third, they allow you to demonstrate your products and service in ways that photographs can’t. After you post the videos to your website, upload them to YouTube as well.

3.Use Pictures. You can almost never do too much personalizing of your website. There is the possibility of going overboard, but you should also make sure that your website allows your potential customers to get to know you and your staff. Pictures included on your About Us page are a great way to do that, along with short biographies. Visitors will be more willing to trust you if you’re willing to show them some of yourself as well.

4.Social Media Marketing. Social Media is a great way to set yourself apart and make good on all of your search engine optimization efforts. Set up profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to start and engage in the communities present there. The point of using social media is to make connections, not to go for the hard sell, so set aside an hour or two each week simply to visit these sites and see what the conversation is all about. Add relevant information and helpful advice where appropriate and chances are that you’ll start attracting your social media connections to your website. This goes for blogs as well. Commenting on blogs is a great way to call positive attention to yourself if you do it respectfully and with a sense of collegiality instead of salesmanship.

5.Be Clear About Your Value-Added. Many times when I make a purchase I ask the salesperson, “Why should I go with you rather than your competitor?” Whether or not your potential customers ask that question directly or not, that’s what they’re thinking when they visit your website. Make sure your website answers that implicit question. Make it clear why your visitor should choose you and not the other guy. It doesn’t have to be explicit, but that question should be in the forefront of your mind as you design and write copy for your website.

6.Expanded Descriptions. Let people see multiple dimensions of your products. Provide pictures that offer several views and close-ups to help convince your customers that your product is the one they want.

If you’re still not sure how to stand out from the crowd, consult with an internet marketing professional or search engine optimization expert. They can help you create a overarching marketing strategy that will clearly differentiate you from your competition and increase your profits.

3 Search Engine Optimization Tips for High Search Engine Rankings

MoeTamani — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:51:51 +0000

3 Search Engine Optimization Tips for High Search Engine Rankings

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

Contrary to what you may have heard and assumed, search engine optimization really isn’t that difficult. In fact, it’s really only about three things: keywords, content, and linking. If you can get a grasp on those three things then you’ve come fairly close to mastering search engine optimization. Of course you’re safest best is always to use a professional, but if you’re interested in doing it yourself then here’s what you need to know.

1. Keywords: The Google Keyword Tool is your best friend when it comes to choosing keywords. Simply type in the words or terms you think your target audience will use when searching for products and services similar to yours. Trying using entire phrases instead of single words. Let’s say your company sells unicycles. Instead of simply optimization for the word ‘unicycles,’ try optimization for ‘buy a unicycle.’ The more specific your phrase is, the less competition you will have in optimizing for it. Write down the top three words that you want to optimize for as those will heavily influence your content.

2. Content. Content ranks right up there with links as the most important aspect of your search engine optimization efforts. Content is the key to optimization success. The business of search engines is to provide users with the information they’re looking for; otherwise those users will go somewhere else. In order to give users what they’re looking for, search engines have to give users webpages that are most relevant to the search terms that they entered. So search engines are looking for pages with the most relevant and helpful information for users. If your website has the most helpful and relevant information about unicycles, then your page will receive a high ranking from Google and will show up on the first page of search engine results, if not in the top spot. So instead of trying to trick the search engines by cramming a lot of keywords into content, simply provide content that will provide your target audience with the information they need about your product or service.

Before you write anything, call a friend or find a tape recorded and pretend to talk to a friend. Describe your product or service. When you’re through, write down everything you just said, word for word. Review what you’ve written and insert your first keyword near the beginning of the very first sentence. Put your second keyword in the first paragraph your third keyword somewhere in the second paragraph. Continue through your paragraphs and insert one keyword per paragraph. Don’t use any keyword more than four times total, and use your first keyword again in the last half of the last paragraph.

3. Links. Links are key to search engine optimization success. Search engines base their rankings on the number of inbound links to your site from other websites that they consider authoritative in your field. So make sure that your link-building campaign is ongoing. Revisit it every few weeks or so, remembering that you’re never done and that you have to keep building links even when you achieve a high search engine ranking. Your competitors are constantly building their links too. If you stop building yours then you risk losing your top spot.

These three key are a great jumping off point for your search engine optimization efforts, but if you find you could benefit from more guidance, contact an SEO expert or internet marketer. These professionals can help you create a complete SEO strategy that utilizes both on-page and off-page elements and that uses tricks that you may not be familiar with. Get the professional help you need so that you can quickly increase your search engine ranking and drive traffic to your website. You’ll be glad you made the call!

6 Reasons You Need SEO Services

MoeTamani — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:52:59 +0000

6 Reasons You Need SEO Services

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

If you’re a new business owner, you’re probably familiar with search engine optimization (SEO). But you may not yet be convinced that search engine optimization is critical to the success of your business, or that it’s in your best interest to hire an SEO professional to take care of the necessary search engine optimization tasks on your behalf. Here are six reasons you need SEO services:

1. Building a website is difficult. One of the most important aspects of SEO is site architecture. Your website should be built from the ground up by someone who knows exactly how to optimize elements of your webpage so that you receive top search engine results and thus increased traffic to your webpage. Even if you know the basics of website design, you can still greatly benefit from the services of an SEO professional who can create a webpage for you that is already optimized. Better to start with an optimized site structure than to have to change it later on.

2. Your website needs visitors. You can’t have a successful business without website visitors. SEO professionals know exactly the steps to take to increase traffic to your website and thus increase sales. Backlinks, on-site optimization, and content creation are just a few of the things that an SEO professional can help you with so that you attract visitors to your website and turn them into customers.

3. Affordability. While the idea of hiring a professional to handle your SEO services may sound cost-prohibitive, the services of a professional are actually more affordable in the long run. Once your website has been optimized, your content created, and your backlinks made, the real work is finished. Granted, you’ll have to continually create more backlinks and content, but those activities are free and can greatly impact the amount of traffic that comes to your site. So while your upfront costs may look high, you’ll get an enormous return on your investment in the long run.

4. Analytics. An SEO professional has the appropriate tools for determining the success of your online marketing campaign. He can analyze the results and suggest changes to make in the future that will increase your traffic and thus your sales. While you may be able to obtain analytics software, you may not be able to use it to your advantage. An SEO professional can do this for you.

5. Time management. If you’re just learning about SEO, it may take some time for you to get up to speed. An SEO professional, however, can get started right away to make needed improvements to your website and to your overall online marketing strategy. It can take several months for SEO services to affect your search engine results, so the sooner you hire an SEO professional to get started, the better.

6. Consultation. Even if you choose not to use a professional for all of your SEO services, you can at least consult with one on an as-needed basis. A consultant can help you analyze your current online marketing strategy and can help you make needed changes for success. And if you do choose to hire a professional, that person will always be around in the future when you expand, when you want to change your website, or when you have other questions and concerns. And since this professional is already intimately familiar with your website and your online marketing strategy, he will be able to answer your questions quickly and effectively.

There’s just no denying the importance of SEO services to the success of your business. Make the most of it by hiring an SEO professional to help you make your online business all it can be so that you can see results fast!

8 Keys to Successful SEO

Seomul Evans — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:37:51 +0000

8 Keys to Successful SEO

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

If you’re the owner of a company that does any business online, you should make search engine optimization (SEO) a top priority. After all, you can’t turn visitors into customers if you can’t get the visitors in the first place. SEO is simply a matter of optimizing your webpage so that interested parties can find you quickly and easily, and it is typically managed by ensuring that your website is at the top of the list when potential customers search for keywords relating to your business on a search engine.

While SEO professionals can help make the job quicker and easier for you, completing SEO on your own is not an altogether impossible task. In fact, simply using these 8 keys will help people find your website quickly and easily.

1. Keyword Research. This is probably the most important aspect of successful SEO. Think about what words your potential customers are typing into a search engine when they’re looking for a product or service like the one you offer. Then make sure your content and meta tags contain those words. Use can also use a tool that suggests appropriate keywords for your business.

2. Write Good Content. Update your content frequently, at least every few days, and make sure you’re sharing information that potential customers will find useful and relevant. Inbound links are pertinent for high search engine rankings, and the best way to get those inbound links is to write content that others will want to link to.

3. Avoid Flash. Search engines only read text, so using Flash is the equivalent of not having a webpage at all. Splash pages can also keep search engines from seeing your information. If you feel you simply must use images, make sure your alt descriptions are full of keywords.

4. Use a Clear Title. Your titles should relate to your content and contain your keywords. Search engines reward pages with titles that relate to content with higher search engine rankings. You should also include your title in your title tag and in your h1 tags.

5. Use Clean Code. Search engines have an easier time crawling code that is clean and clear. Connect your tags to the appropriate information, and transfer everything into a cascading style sheet (CSS) file. This will ensure that search engines have an easier time indexing your information.

6. Robots.txt. This is a file on your page that tells search engines what parts of your site to index. Read more about them online to find out how you can use them to your benefit when you’re optimizing your page.

7. No Fancy Stuff. There are plenty of ways to try to trick search engines into giving you higher rankings in the search engine results, but you should stay away from them. They may give you results at first, but it won’t take long for the search engines to figure out what you’re up to. When that happens, you risk being banned completely from the search engine results.

8. Don’t Forget Your Audience. It used to be that search engine optimization consisted primarily of loading up content with keywords and key phrases that would attract search engines. But search engines now read content just as humans do. They want to see clear, relevant, useful information, just like the human visitors that come across your website. So write for humans, not for robots. It might take some time before you see real results, but be patient.

If you find that you’re still having difficulty wrapping your head around SEO, don’t hesitate to call upon an SEO professional. These professionals have years of experience working with search engines and companies to make sure that online businesses get the rankings they need and deserve. You don’t have to go it alone, so get the help you need to make your business succeed!

8 SEO Mistakes to Avoid

admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:59:30 +0000

8 SEO Mistakes to Avoid

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

When it all comes down to it, SEO isn’t really that difficult. In fact, it ultimately all boils down to one thing: great content. If you intentionally write great content, paying attention to details and the words you use, you’re not going to have a problem doing SEO. But here are 8 mistakes you may be making, aside from publishing poor content, that will hurt your business.

Using Common Keywords. It’s unbelievably difficult to get high search engine rankings if you’re optimizing for the same keywords everyone else is optimizing for. If nothing else, common keywords are typically already dominated by Wikipedia.com and About.com, so find less common words to use.
Using Your Company Name in Every Title Tag. Your title tag is your primary on-site optimization element, so take advantage of it by using keyword phrases for which you hope to rank on search engines.
Images for Headings. Remember that search engines don’t read images, they read text. Sure, your heading looks prettier when your web designer uses images, but search engines won’t see them. And headings are a great way to optimize on site. Instead of using images to create the font you want for your heading, use a font that works on the web that still provides the “look” you’re going for.
Dynamic URLs. Always make sure that your URLS are legible by people, because search engines read text like humans read text. So avoid URLs that use strings of random letters and numbers. If you currently use a content management system that uses strings of numbers and letters in the URL, get another one that gives you control over your URLs. But make sure you’re using keywords in your URLs as search engines rank your website based on how relevant the URL is to the content on your site.
You’re Using Image Buttons. Chances are that you aren’t, but if you are, start using text for your links rather than images.
Making SEO an Afterthought. If you seriously consider your SEO before you design your website, your SEO will guide design, content, navigation, and all other aspects of your website. Not only that, but if you use a web designer who isn’t also well-verse in SEO, you’ll find yourself forking out big bucks later on to have that designer make changes to your site every time you want to publish new content optimized around your keywords. This doesn’t mean that your whole business has to be centered on a few keywords, but if you you’re losing out on potential customers if you don’t make SEO part of your website planning from the very beginning.
Deciding That You’re Finished. One of the most common misconceptions about SEO is that there’s some sort of stopping point. Too many business owners are quick to say that they’re “done” with SEO. In fact, SEO is an ongoing process. There are always new keywords to rank for. There are always ways to improve your rankings for the keywords you’re already using.
Using Flash. Search engines don’t see Flash. There’s no way to rank in search engines if you’re website is built with Flash. You might as well not bother using a website at all.

Remember that SEO is an all-encompassing process. It should guide the way you design your website, and it should guide the content you publish on your website. You should continue doing SEO for as along as your company exists. Otherwise, you will fall behind in search engine rankings and watch potential customers do business with your competitors. Don’t think of it as a simply one part of your internet marketing plan; think of it as the foundation of your internet marketing plan. And if all else fails, hire an SEO professional to help you out. Just make sure he doesn’t recommend that you use Flash!

The 4 Levels of Link Building

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:14:06 +0000

The 4 Levels of Link Building

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

SEO experts and internet marketing professionals know that the key to high search engine rankings is link building. They will also tell you that link building isn’t all that easy until you’ve done it for awhile, and that there are so many techniques for link building that it’s hard to sort them all out. Here are the 4 levels of link building to take you from novice to expert.

1. Do It Yourself, Quick and Easy. The easiest links to build are those for which you don’t have to rely on anyone but yourself. The easiest way to do this is to submit your site to directories. Simply submit your URL, the name of your company, and a short description of your company. Know before you begin that directories are managed by humans, so you may not see results right away. Also know that some directories require a small fee for your listing.

You should also use social media as a way to get links to your page. SEO experts don’t find these crucial to success, but they’re still a pretty simple and cheap way to target an audience that’s going to be using the sites anyway.

2. Do It Yourself, Not So Quick and Easy. Before you start on Level 2, make sure you’ve started a business blog. This is crucial if you want to have good content to which others can link. And the way you’re going to get these links is through press release optimization and article marketing.

When you’re writing your articles and your press releases, always keep your keyword strategy at the front of your mind. Links should coincide with your strategy. Before you send your press releases and articles into the ether, use a press release grader to see if they pass muster.

3. Networking Plus Significant Time. Networking is by far the most effective way to get links to your site. It’s time consuming and it can be frustrating, but it can also get you results that you never dreamed of. There are many ways to go about this type of networking, but the key is putting yourself amongst those who are potentially interested in what you have to say.

The best way to do this is to establish yourself as an expert in your niche. But never make people feel like they would be lost without your presence. Engage them. Show compassion. Share your own opinions and ideas and vulnerabilities. Start by reading industry-related blogs and commenting on them. Eventually you’ll want to establish a one-on-one relationship with bloggers, probably by casually mentioning third-party content that they might find interesting.

Ideally you’ll soon be asked to be a guest blogger on blogs that are related to your niche. In the process, you can link to yourself and let others in your niche know that you know what you’re talking about. If all goes well, they’ll start following you as well, which leads to the final level…

4. Links Resulting From Good Content. Once you’ve reached this level, you have established yourself as a knowledgeable resource within your field. Although you can probably never afford to abandon the strategies mentioned above, you are now generating most of your links from people who respect you and enjoy reading your excellent content. This kind of success doesn’t happen immediately. It takes a lot of time and effort, including effort in providing your followers with an array of high-quality, interesting, and relevant content. You may do his through your blog, through hosting webinars, or through publishing white papers.

The key to keep in mind as you’re starting out is that, while content is crucial, you’re going to have to start out doing more than creating great content. You’re going to have to go out and find followers, and then give them a reason to stick around. It’s not easy, but it’ll pay off in the end.

3 SEO Considerations Before Changing Your Website

admin — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:32:00 +0000

3 SEO Considerations Before Changing Your Website

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

SEO experts and internet marketing professionals understand that changing and/or moving your website can result in positive outcomes regarding your search engine ranking. The most common changes that business owners make are changes to domain names, changes in web design, changes in content management systems, and changes in web hosts. All such changes can be beneficial, but they don’t come without risks. So before you make a move, consider how such a move might affect your business in particular.

1. A Change in Domain Name. Many business owners feel that a change of domain name is appropriate since a domain name relevant to website content can have a positive effect on search engine rankings. Some businesses change domain names because they’ve been acquired by other companies, and some businesses change domain name because the name of the company itself changed. So what should you do if you plan to change your domain name, for whatever reason? If you’re only changing your domain name, 301 redirects are a good start. Once those are place, contact the owners of all your top referring websites and ask them to update their links to reflect the change in your domain name.

Your primary concern in changing your domain name should be to communicate to other search engines that your change is permanent in order to retain as much “link equity” as you can.

2. A Change in Web Design and Content Management Systems. These are the two factors that can most dramatically effect your visibility. Before you undertake such a change, be sure you understand exactly how search engines will treat your website in the aftermath. When companies make a change to a website, their primary concern is making the transition smooth for potential customers who visit the site. What they often neglect to take into consideration is the effect that a change in URL syntax will have on search engines.

Create a map of old URLs to new URLs, and use 301 redirects as mentioned above. And just as you did when changing domain names, contact the owners of your top referring sites and request that they change the URLs to which they are linking.

If you have pages that can’t be mapped, use user-friendly and search engine-friendly 404 error pages. Once you’ve finished the CMS and design changeover, beware of the need to constantly monitor broken links.

3. A Change in Web Host. The only real issue with changing web hosts is timing. If this is your plan, you should start by putting your site at its new location. Then make your DNS changes so that your domain names points to the new location. Make sure your new location has been crawled by the search engines before closing down your previous location.

If you’re considering a website change, your primary concern should be making a smooth transition both for your customers and visitors, and for search engines. Many companies are so concerned about making a seamless transition for users that they forget the impact a change can have on search engine rankings. Make it easy for search engines to understand what’s going on.

If you’re uncomfortable with making a website change, or if you’re not sure how to make it easy for search engines to translate your move, consider hiring an SEO expert or internet marketing professional to help. These individuals have years of experience in helping companies transition from one web location to another. They can help you communicate a domain name change to search engines. They can help you create maps and implement 301 redirects if you change your design and/or your content management system. And they can help you correctly time your transition if you change your web host.

7 Top Tips for Writing Blog Articles

admin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:12:22 +0000

7 Top Tips for Writing Blog Articles

internet marketing Articles from Moe Tamani, the SEO Services Consultant.

SEO experts know that one of the best ways to promote your business is to blog. Unfortunately, many business owners are under the impression that blogging takes a lot of time, or they have seen too many bloggers who start out with gusto only to abandon their blogs two or three months later. While both concerns are legitimate, there’s no reason to let them keep you from starting your own blog. After all, business blogging is a great way to build a following and shorten the sales process.

Rare is the sales blogger who settles in a quiet room with a pencil and a pad of paper to write down his most profound ideas. Instead, most bloggers spend their time reading other blogs and interacting with others within their market niche. All this interaction makes it easier, not harder, to blog. Once you’re in tune with what everyone else is thinking and writing, coming up with your own material is a breeze.

Here are 7 ways to quickly generate your own content.

1. Interviews. Find an expert in your market niche and see if she is willing to be interviewed via email. Read other interviews to glean interesting and timely questions, and then ask her those. Most experts are willing to be interviewed because they get some exposure out of the deal, too. And the whole process only takes about 15 minutes.

2. Guest Bloggers. Hunt down an expert in your field who has expertise in an area you lack and ask him to write an article for your blog. Not only will you increase your following by attracting your guest blogger’s base, but you’ll end up ranking higher for keywords that wouldn’t normally generate a lot of traffic for you.

3. Rewrite. Read some of your old blog posts and find one whose lesson remains applicable to your situation today. You probably have additional insight now, so share that with your readers. Link to the old post and add your new insights. Thirty minutes later you have a new article!

4. Have a Contest. This provides a bonus post because you not only have to post information about the contest, but you also have to tell everyone who the winner was.

5. Ask a Good Question. A good question can ignite great conversation. Use Twitter to help build a following for your blog if you don’t already have one. The great conversation generated by your question will ensure that your readers will stick around. Everyone likes to be asked for their opinion. Let your readers share theirs.

6. Use Lists. Lists are great article-writing tools because people are automatically attracted to bulleted or numbered content. Because it’s easier to read and digest, readers are more likely to slow down for listed material than they are for material that’s written in multiple paragraphs. If you’ve found a list that you like on someone else’s blog, repost it on your blog using only the bulleted phrases and add a link to the original. Change the title of your post, of course, but always link back to the source.

7. Aggregator Blogging. Scan blogs within your market niche to find articles that you think would interest your readers. Publish one or two paragraphs from each article, link to the original, and add a sentence or two of your own to tell readers what you did or didn’t find helpful about the article. This is also a great way to start good conversations and build networks with other bloggers.

Don’t forgo the opportunity to build links, network, and shorten the time it takes to make a sale simply because you think that business blogging is too time-consuming. Use what’s already around you to make the process quick and painless, and you’ll see what a difference it will make for your business.