MyWebGal's Blog: internet marketing

Hello Again BraveHeart Women! I hope you're making it a great day.

Today I thought I'd write about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) because it's another great way to get more traffic to your website.

You want your site to show up in the natural results on the first page of Google, Yahoo and MSN, which will result in bringing quality traffic to your site at no cost!

I say "natural" results because you can also get on the first page of the top search engines through Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC). With PPC you can get on the first page today, depending on the competition for the keywords. With SEO it takes some time, but it can happen fast if you work at it.

As mentioned in my previous post about getting more traffic to your website, building one way back links to your site from a variety of Web 2.0 methods will gain "attention and respect" from search engines.

Keywords play a big factor in this and I started talking about that in my last post about Domain Names. I talked about "drilling down" to find great "narrow" or "niche" keywords so you'd have a better chance to rank for them.

Competition for keywords is what you need to be aware of when choosing yours. Google even helps in this area by providing a keyword tool. It's extremely helpful and it's free. Try it out here >>

Type in a broad match keyword, type the letters in the "capcha" field and peruse the results that Google serves you.

There will be a list of suggested keywords, the competition for them, and the search volume. What you're looking for, obviously, are keywords with lower competition and a good amount of search volume (people using the keywords to search for something they want).

The keywords you decide to target then need to be used on your web pages in a number of ways.

1. The keywords and derivatives need to be in the copy on your page. Be sure to use them in the first paragraph and in the headlines and subheads. Use some in bullet points, some bolded, some underlined. These things add "weight" to the keyword.

2. Keywords should be used as anchor text, meaning they are hyperlinked to go to another page or site.

3. Meta tags: While major search engines don't pay attention to Meta Tag Keywords, smaller search engines still do in many cases. However, keywords in the title of your page and in the description is an excellent strategy. For instance Google uses your Meta tag title and description in the search results! Make it read like an ad because it is!

4. Alt tags: While you don't ever want to "stuff keywords" into your pages, when appropriate you can add a keyword or two in the image alt tags.

I'll talk more about meta tags in a later post but if you have any questions, leave a comment below and I'll address it then.

I hope this helps get you thinking about how to optimize your site for search engines, and increase your traffic to your site.

Until next time!

Deb

If you follow any of the "Internet Marketing Gurus" I'm absolutely positive that you've heard them say, "The Money is in the List".

However, let me explain briefly for those not familiar with the concept of a list...

Nearly every time a person visits your website for the first time, they leave without buying anything from you. It's actually quite rare for someone to buy the first time they land on your site. They don't know you. They aren't sure you can be trusted. They are probably searching for solutions to their needs and that means they are visiting dozens of sites that offer something similar to what you have to offer. The competition is fierce. Therefore, they have a lot to consider before making a purchase. And most times, that person will never return to your site even if they mean to.

However, if you build a list, meaning you collect names and email addresses by having an "opt in" on your pages, you have a chance to build a relationship with your visitors and have them return to your site, and eventually buy from you.

It's called "Permission Marketing."

Now, getting a visitor to put his or her name and email address in your opt in form takes finesse. They won't do it voluntarily just because you want them to. You have to offer them something of value in exchange. For instance a free report, short consultation, teleseminar, audio or video recording, or the like. It's called a "value trade" or "ethical bribe".

The more perceived value of your offer, the better chance you have of obtaining the name and email, so make it good!

Of course, to have an opt in on your site, it's necessary to have a backend database and autoresponse system. You can do it if you know programming, but a much easier way is to get a third party service. I personally use 1Shoppingcart and highly recommend it. For as low as $29 per month, you can have the database, autoresponder service, broadcast capability (for newsletters, special offers, etc.) and even track your offers so you know how many people clicked on your link, and even if the offer resulted in sales. Also, with just a few clicks you can have the opt in form created for you within moments. Then just paste it into your web page and you can start building your list.

There's a lot to this service. It's excellent! Perhaps I'll write a more detailed blog post about it in the future. Especially if you let me know you're interested in learning more.

Once you have the opt in form on your site and an enticing offer, your list will start growing. This list IS where your money is, literally! Build a relationship. Let them know who you are and why you are the choice they should make. Start slow, don't push. Think of it as "courting" your prospect. Slow and steady. Confident and generous. Reliable and trustworthy.

Create an "autoresponder series" that introduces you to them over the course of a couple of weeks. Not everyday, but generally the first day, third, fifth, seventh, tenth, and so on. Skip days so as not to inundate them.

Also send out a newsletter or tips on a regular basis. Weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Offer something of value that has no strings attached. Think about "winning them over" via email.

You will, no doubt, lose some "subscribers" but you will also always be gaining them. Don't worry about the ones that unsubscribe! It's nothing personal! However, if you notice a lot of unsubscribes after one particular broadcast, reflect on what might be wrong with it and change it.

This is the first step in turning visitors into friends, and friends into customers. I highly recommend that you start implementing Permission Marketing as soon as possible!

To Your Success,

Deb

Since "Getting More Traffic to Your Website" has been the most viewed blog post of mine, I thought I'd add to the list of ways to accomplish that goal.

Article Marketing. No, it's not dead. Far from it. Article marketing is one of the best ways to accomplish a number of critical tasks:

1. Helps you establish yourself as an expert in your field.

2. Provides backlinks to your site from the many article directories that you submit the article to AND all of the websites that pick up your article to post on their site or blog.

3. Keeps you thinking about your market and up to date with their interests.

There are a few things to keep in mind that are important when distributing articles for marketing purposes.

1. Your article should have several slightly varied versions for distribution. This helps greatly in the area of testing titles, headlines, and content arrangement. Of course, the popularity of the article distribution site also will play into this.

2. Your article should be posted FIRST on your own website or blog and in the best format with the most information. The search engines "care" where the article is originally published. You are the author and creator of the article. Putting it on your own web property first will establish that the article "belongs" to you and that your site has the most thorough content.

3. Your "Resource box" at the end of your article should also be varied. Here's where you can tell people what you want them to know about you -- in brief. Also be sure to use anchor text in your links to your site. Meaning, use keywords, not simply the URL.

Article marketing is a great way to move up the search engine results as well as expose your message to a much larger audience. Use it and you'll see results.

Of course, using multiple avenues of marketing will give you greater results. Refer back to my blog post "Getting More Traffic to Your Website" for more ideas.

To Your Success!