by Tom Shivers
With more complex algorithms that factor in local, personal and universal search features, search rankings are not always consistent. Today’s results often depend on a user’s location, their search history and their behavior with the search results – sometimes you can see different search results for the same search terms, even on two different computers in the same location.
One question many businesses have when hunting for a search engine optimization (SEO) company is, “Will this company know us and our audience well enough to turn our web business into something profitable, worthy of our investment?” Unfortunately, it’s not easy to discern the answer before you are three months into an agreement.
Web Traffic vs. Engagement
Is the goal of SEO to get as much traffic as possible to a website? Many SEO companies will lead you to believe that more traffic is all there is to it. Granted, getting more traffic is a part of it, but more eyeballs on a web page do not necessarily mean achieving your business goals.
Look at your web analytics – specifically the keywords that brought in the majority of traffic – then evaluate the quality of this traffic over the past month or quarter. A high bounce rate and low average time on site for visits from a particular keyword can indicate one or all of these:
> Searcher cannot find anything relevant to her keyword and bounces.
> Searcher may find something relevant, but the page does not communicate directly with her intent… so she bounces.
> The keyword is not relevant for the site.
Let me suggest that the focus of SEO should be audience engagement, rather than traffic. According to Eric T. Peterson of Web Analytics Demystified, “Engagement is an estimate of the depth of visitor interaction against a clearly defined set of goals.” That’s pretty clear: Without specific goals, driving more traffic to your website sounds like a good option.
But if a visitor hits your site and bounces, your depth of visitor interaction is null. To truly engage a visitor requires relevance and targeted communication. So what is best for your business? I offer a different approach: using SEO to build audience engagement.
Steps to audience engagement via SEO:
1. Define the business goal/s
“Getting on the first page of Google” or “Getting more traffic” are usually not much more than the hopes of individuals who have not defined strategic business goals. Instead, a targeted goal might be, “To generate quality leads from the website that result in 20% of annual business.”
2. Prioritize keywords according to relevant intent, rather than potential traffic volume
It’s always interesting to see keyword research sorted to show the most popular to the least popular search terms. But could the real valuable search terms be those that are less popular, but rich with intent?
Most searchers can be divided into one of two camps: the researcher (who doesn’t yet know what he wants) and the purchaser (who has already done the research and knows exactly what she wants).
In some cases it makes sense to target both groups; you can sometimes see the intent with the search phrase. Now with your short list of researcher and purchaser search terms, can you confidently say that 90% of these searchers, if they clicked through to your site, would find something relevant, useful and of value? If you can’t, then your keyword is probably not rich with intent.
3. Prepare content that speaks directly to each motivation behind the searcher’s intent
Researchers want product/service info, comparisons, evaluation criteria and RFP info. Purchasers want the best corporate fit, customer service, implementation and procurement info.
Let’s consider a sales training business as an example. Their most desired keyword is sales training, but it’s easy to see that the search term sales training is general, not descriptive. A person using that phrase is really not in purchase mode at the moment. The researcher’s motivation (sometimes known as “tire kickers”) is probably to get free tips, to compare sales training services and specifics so she can learn something and perhaps make a decision later.
Now consider a more descriptive keyword for this business: sales training consultant. Can you see the motivation behind this search? SEO providers with a “get more traffic” mentality side-step this issue. But to achieve audience engagement, you need guidance in the motivations behind the keywords you select. This drives content development that fits your audience and your site, as well as avoiding awkward or confusing phrasing.
4. Define the unique value proposition (UVP)
Businesses that have invested in uncovering this piece of the puzzle are light-years ahead of their competition in all aspects of marketing. When it comes to SEO, the UVP has to be interpreted and applied to the searcher’s intent. It’s not necessary for an SEO consultant to understand the principles of semantics, but the right interpretation of the UVP can go a long way to achieving audience engagement.
5. Deliver on (and exceed) the UVP to create loyalty
Do what you say you will do. Deliver on the promises you make. Do what is right from your new customer’s perspective, and go beyond their expectations to forge a lasting relationship. These are common sense, good business practices that bring future rewards.
“But,” you ask, “what does that have to do with SEO?” Everything, if you want long-term customer loyalty rather than more, sort-of-qualified traffic. Loyalty is a measurable metric and often comes with SEO rewards like fabulous testimonials and links from customer sites.
At the end of the day, businesses want SEO consultants who tailor their Internet marketing directly to the bottom line by bringing valuable traffic from multiple sources, optimized conversion rates and returning customers – rather than simply getting more traffic to the site.
Tom Shivers is a SEO consultant and president of Capture Commerce, Inc., which he founded in 2000 to help business owners leverage the Internet for growth and profit.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
How To Use Twitter And Social Media Marketing To Explode Your Online Profits
by Jeremy Gislason
It’s not surprising that social media has become so popular in so short a time. Not only is it a source of entertainment for most people, it is also the newest strategy for acquiring customers for businesses. And with hot new tools like Twitter, social media marketing has only become more progressive and popular!
What Is Twitter?
In case you’re not familiar with Twitter, it is a social media tool that allows people to know what their fellow twitterers (people using twitter) are doing at this very moment.
Are you getting ready for bed? Put that on Twitter! Are you buying a new couch or writing a report on the effects of social media marketing? Put that on Twitter! Are you throwing a birthday party for your golden retriever? Well, you can put that on Twitter as well. There are no boundaries as to what you can put on Twitter. In Twitter, even the most mundane updates about your life can be pretty liberating.
Sounds simple, right? Perhaps, it is this simplicity that has made Twitter quite a sensation on the Internet. There’s also something amusing about knowing what other people are doing and letting them know your own business as well. This combination of fun and simplicity is what ultimately appeals to Twitter fans.
Applying Twitter In Business
If you’re business-minded, then you probably already have more than a few ideas on how to make this social media marketing tool work for you. Having a Twitter account allows you to inform your clients and would-be clients the progress in your company. You’re not putting up an ad every week (because that tends to be annoying). However, you get the chance to share with them what’s happening to your company’s products, people, tools, etc. right now.
Twitter, unlike MySpace and Facebook, poses an advantage for new and advanced marketers. As an efficient social media marketing tool, Twitter allows you to build a giant list of followers. It allows your clients and subscribers to see what you’re doing right now. It gives them access to your immediate profile and permits you to share your ideas with other twitterers. All free of charge.
How Twitter Can Explode Your Profits
While many people have other purposes and values for the use of the free service, the marketer can use Twitter to jumpstart a list of followers that can grow into thousands.
If you’re someone who sells used cars, you can use Twitter to attract members who are interested in automobiles. When a new shipment comes in, you can use Twitter to announce that the latest Ford model has arrived. Or if you’re having a sale, you can use Twitter to let everybody know about it.
These followers are the next best thing to customers. If they haven’t bought anything from you yet, then you can rest assured that they will be buying something soon. As long as you keep providing them something nice to look forward to, they will always be enticed to purchase something from your company.
Think of it as fishing. You already have the fish interested in your bait. All you have to do is wait for the fish to bite. According to quantcast.com, Twitter reaches about 6.1 million U.S. people every month. This social media tool has also reached other countries and is hugely popular in Japan. In fact, there are other Twitter-like applications that have popped up due to its insane fame!
Despite the huge popularity of Twitter, it is not a disorganized system that doesn’t have any limits. For example, you can only send 1,000 updates, 100 API requests and send 250 direct messages each day. And while there is no limit to the people who can follow you, the same freedom doesn’t apply vice-versa.
The maximum number of people you can follow is limited to 2,000. In Twitter-speak, to follow means to receive Twitter updates. This limit will only be lifted if you manage to attract more than 2,000 followers to your account.
According to Twitter, this is done to prevent SPAM users from adding up into their system and to prevent abuse from all current members.
It’s not that difficult to attract more followers into your account. In the long run, this will only make your Twitter account more meaningful because of the effort you’ve put into it.
The beauty at this stage is that once you are at such a level, it’s easier to attract new followers into your account. The benefits from taking such steps are acquiring your own list of eager followers (in which you can pitch your own products and services); and more importantly, gaining new business contacts.
Other Social Media Marketing Methods
There are other methods of social media marketing available for your use. Twitter isn’t the only way to enhance your business and get a constant flow of leads.
Other methods you can explore include:
1) Blogs
2) Community forums
3) Social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and LinkedIn.
4) Video-sharing sites such as Youtube, Metacafe, Google videos, Yahoo videos, and AOL videos.
5) Content sharing sites such as Squidoo, Hubpages, Wetpaint, Qassia, and Google Knol.
These days, you shouldn’t just limit yourself to one thing. With the Internet as vast as it is, you should use every opportunity to make new contacts and establish yourself. Besides, think of all the new things you can learn from interacting with other people online!
Leave comments on your choice blogs and participate in forum discussions that allow for signature files after every post. Make informative videos and upload them to video-sharing sites. Explode your list of contacts through social networking sites. Share your knowledge and be recognized as an authority by submitting your content to content-sharing sites.
Not only will these help you establish credibility, you probably won’t even have to worry or stress about making money in the future. Remember that social media marketing, like any other marketing methods, works if you work it! Now like many of our mentors say – get to work!
Jeremy Gislason is co-founder of the world's leading client and content management system, the professional's choice all-in-one "create and manage your own membership sites" e-commerce solution: http://www.memberspeed.com
It’s not surprising that social media has become so popular in so short a time. Not only is it a source of entertainment for most people, it is also the newest strategy for acquiring customers for businesses. And with hot new tools like Twitter, social media marketing has only become more progressive and popular!
What Is Twitter?
In case you’re not familiar with Twitter, it is a social media tool that allows people to know what their fellow twitterers (people using twitter) are doing at this very moment.
Are you getting ready for bed? Put that on Twitter! Are you buying a new couch or writing a report on the effects of social media marketing? Put that on Twitter! Are you throwing a birthday party for your golden retriever? Well, you can put that on Twitter as well. There are no boundaries as to what you can put on Twitter. In Twitter, even the most mundane updates about your life can be pretty liberating.
Sounds simple, right? Perhaps, it is this simplicity that has made Twitter quite a sensation on the Internet. There’s also something amusing about knowing what other people are doing and letting them know your own business as well. This combination of fun and simplicity is what ultimately appeals to Twitter fans.
Applying Twitter In Business
If you’re business-minded, then you probably already have more than a few ideas on how to make this social media marketing tool work for you. Having a Twitter account allows you to inform your clients and would-be clients the progress in your company. You’re not putting up an ad every week (because that tends to be annoying). However, you get the chance to share with them what’s happening to your company’s products, people, tools, etc. right now.
Twitter, unlike MySpace and Facebook, poses an advantage for new and advanced marketers. As an efficient social media marketing tool, Twitter allows you to build a giant list of followers. It allows your clients and subscribers to see what you’re doing right now. It gives them access to your immediate profile and permits you to share your ideas with other twitterers. All free of charge.
How Twitter Can Explode Your Profits
While many people have other purposes and values for the use of the free service, the marketer can use Twitter to jumpstart a list of followers that can grow into thousands.
If you’re someone who sells used cars, you can use Twitter to attract members who are interested in automobiles. When a new shipment comes in, you can use Twitter to announce that the latest Ford model has arrived. Or if you’re having a sale, you can use Twitter to let everybody know about it.
These followers are the next best thing to customers. If they haven’t bought anything from you yet, then you can rest assured that they will be buying something soon. As long as you keep providing them something nice to look forward to, they will always be enticed to purchase something from your company.
Think of it as fishing. You already have the fish interested in your bait. All you have to do is wait for the fish to bite. According to quantcast.com, Twitter reaches about 6.1 million U.S. people every month. This social media tool has also reached other countries and is hugely popular in Japan. In fact, there are other Twitter-like applications that have popped up due to its insane fame!
Despite the huge popularity of Twitter, it is not a disorganized system that doesn’t have any limits. For example, you can only send 1,000 updates, 100 API requests and send 250 direct messages each day. And while there is no limit to the people who can follow you, the same freedom doesn’t apply vice-versa.
The maximum number of people you can follow is limited to 2,000. In Twitter-speak, to follow means to receive Twitter updates. This limit will only be lifted if you manage to attract more than 2,000 followers to your account.
According to Twitter, this is done to prevent SPAM users from adding up into their system and to prevent abuse from all current members.
It’s not that difficult to attract more followers into your account. In the long run, this will only make your Twitter account more meaningful because of the effort you’ve put into it.
The beauty at this stage is that once you are at such a level, it’s easier to attract new followers into your account. The benefits from taking such steps are acquiring your own list of eager followers (in which you can pitch your own products and services); and more importantly, gaining new business contacts.
Other Social Media Marketing Methods
There are other methods of social media marketing available for your use. Twitter isn’t the only way to enhance your business and get a constant flow of leads.
Other methods you can explore include:
1) Blogs
2) Community forums
3) Social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and LinkedIn.
4) Video-sharing sites such as Youtube, Metacafe, Google videos, Yahoo videos, and AOL videos.
5) Content sharing sites such as Squidoo, Hubpages, Wetpaint, Qassia, and Google Knol.
These days, you shouldn’t just limit yourself to one thing. With the Internet as vast as it is, you should use every opportunity to make new contacts and establish yourself. Besides, think of all the new things you can learn from interacting with other people online!
Leave comments on your choice blogs and participate in forum discussions that allow for signature files after every post. Make informative videos and upload them to video-sharing sites. Explode your list of contacts through social networking sites. Share your knowledge and be recognized as an authority by submitting your content to content-sharing sites.
Not only will these help you establish credibility, you probably won’t even have to worry or stress about making money in the future. Remember that social media marketing, like any other marketing methods, works if you work it! Now like many of our mentors say – get to work!
Jeremy Gislason is co-founder of the world's leading client and content management system, the professional's choice all-in-one "create and manage your own membership sites" e-commerce solution: http://www.memberspeed.com
Copywriting Tips - 9 Powerful Ways to Grab and Hold Your Prospects' Attention
by Jeremy Gislason
One of the most important copywriting tips is to immediately grab your target prospects’ attention. Once you’ve captured their interest, you have to keep them glued to your message.
All your efforts in creating the sales letter will go to waste if people will not even begin to read it. Once your prospects read the first 25% of the entire sales message, there’s a good chance they’ll continue reading.
That’s why it’s vital that the first few parts of the sales letter grab their eyeballs or arouse their curiosity so much that they can’t stop reading.
Here are some vital copywriting tips to grab your prospects’ attention and keep it longer.
1) The most important part of your sales letter is your headline. This is the first part of the sales copy that people will read. Reading the rest of the message depends on whether the headline has captured their interest enough to make them read further.
The headline should be the most persuasive part of your entire sales letter. To grab attention, some copywriters devise headlines that relate to a massive controversy or astounding claim, which might make it sound too good to be true.
Therefore, it’s also important to immediately show proof if the headline sounds a little too “hypey” for the normal person to believe. You can provide a visual image, statistical figures or case studies immediately after the headline to support the incredible claim.
2) Keep your sentences as short and as simple as possible. Write down your copy in such a way that a 10-year old can understand it.
Eliminate unnecessary fillers and state your message in the fewest possible words. Long sentences and unnecessary words might create confusion (or even irritation). When people are confused, they leave your message and don’t buy anything.
3) Arouse interest with a story. People are naturally drawn to stories. Stories lower people’s resistance to accept your ideas, make things easier to understand, and affect emotions like no other method. Stories allow you to easily slide in your “sales message” in an undetected manner.
4) If you don’t have a great story to tell, or in addition to your story, you may also use amazing facts or information to get them to stay interested. One site where you can find true and extraordinary facts is www.thisistrue.com.
5) As you’re writing your sales copy, you must continuously anticipate any questions or objections that the readers may have, and address them right on the spot. Be sensitive to any possible doubts and concerns that might come across their minds, and clearly answer them in your sales message. This is one of the most profitable copywriting tips you can apply.
6) Tell the readers that you’re revealing something very important, or something that will have a dramatic impact to their lives, within the sales copy. This stimulates their curiosity and will motivate them to continue reading until they’ve found that one special aspect you’ve mentioned.
7) Talk directly to the reader in normal everyday conversation style. Don’t use formal words like “Please be known...” or “It has come to my attention...” Write like you would speak to a close friend.
Use “you,” not “one” or “a person.” If you’re telling a story, it’s fine to use “I” often but still get the readers involved if possible. For example, in your story, you may say, “I went from being poor to being homeless and hungry. I’m sure you’ll feel as devastated as I was if you’re in my position.”
8) Put plenty of white spaces to make your sales copy inviting to read. Strive to have 3 sentences or less per paragraph. Long paragraphs look intimidating. You don’t want them to exert any extra effort in reading your copy. Your aim is to set up an ideal and comfortable buying environment where they can go through the purchase process with the greatest of ease.
9) Write subheadlines so that those readers who are simply scanning your sales letter could immediately find the topic they’re searching for. Subheadlines may include topics such as your background, your bullet points, your list of bonuses, your offer, or your guarantee statement.
Hope these 9 copywriting tips to grab and hold your prospects’ attention bring you lots of sales for years to come.
Discover the most profitable ways to make money online and increase online traffic with the very techniques, knowledge and tools that have made the Dynamic 4 millions at http://www.dynamic4marketing.com
One of the most important copywriting tips is to immediately grab your target prospects’ attention. Once you’ve captured their interest, you have to keep them glued to your message.
All your efforts in creating the sales letter will go to waste if people will not even begin to read it. Once your prospects read the first 25% of the entire sales message, there’s a good chance they’ll continue reading.
That’s why it’s vital that the first few parts of the sales letter grab their eyeballs or arouse their curiosity so much that they can’t stop reading.
Here are some vital copywriting tips to grab your prospects’ attention and keep it longer.
1) The most important part of your sales letter is your headline. This is the first part of the sales copy that people will read. Reading the rest of the message depends on whether the headline has captured their interest enough to make them read further.
The headline should be the most persuasive part of your entire sales letter. To grab attention, some copywriters devise headlines that relate to a massive controversy or astounding claim, which might make it sound too good to be true.
Therefore, it’s also important to immediately show proof if the headline sounds a little too “hypey” for the normal person to believe. You can provide a visual image, statistical figures or case studies immediately after the headline to support the incredible claim.
2) Keep your sentences as short and as simple as possible. Write down your copy in such a way that a 10-year old can understand it.
Eliminate unnecessary fillers and state your message in the fewest possible words. Long sentences and unnecessary words might create confusion (or even irritation). When people are confused, they leave your message and don’t buy anything.
3) Arouse interest with a story. People are naturally drawn to stories. Stories lower people’s resistance to accept your ideas, make things easier to understand, and affect emotions like no other method. Stories allow you to easily slide in your “sales message” in an undetected manner.
4) If you don’t have a great story to tell, or in addition to your story, you may also use amazing facts or information to get them to stay interested. One site where you can find true and extraordinary facts is www.thisistrue.com.
5) As you’re writing your sales copy, you must continuously anticipate any questions or objections that the readers may have, and address them right on the spot. Be sensitive to any possible doubts and concerns that might come across their minds, and clearly answer them in your sales message. This is one of the most profitable copywriting tips you can apply.
6) Tell the readers that you’re revealing something very important, or something that will have a dramatic impact to their lives, within the sales copy. This stimulates their curiosity and will motivate them to continue reading until they’ve found that one special aspect you’ve mentioned.
7) Talk directly to the reader in normal everyday conversation style. Don’t use formal words like “Please be known...” or “It has come to my attention...” Write like you would speak to a close friend.
Use “you,” not “one” or “a person.” If you’re telling a story, it’s fine to use “I” often but still get the readers involved if possible. For example, in your story, you may say, “I went from being poor to being homeless and hungry. I’m sure you’ll feel as devastated as I was if you’re in my position.”
8) Put plenty of white spaces to make your sales copy inviting to read. Strive to have 3 sentences or less per paragraph. Long paragraphs look intimidating. You don’t want them to exert any extra effort in reading your copy. Your aim is to set up an ideal and comfortable buying environment where they can go through the purchase process with the greatest of ease.
9) Write subheadlines so that those readers who are simply scanning your sales letter could immediately find the topic they’re searching for. Subheadlines may include topics such as your background, your bullet points, your list of bonuses, your offer, or your guarantee statement.
Hope these 9 copywriting tips to grab and hold your prospects’ attention bring you lots of sales for years to come.
Discover the most profitable ways to make money online and increase online traffic with the very techniques, knowledge and tools that have made the Dynamic 4 millions at http://www.dynamic4marketing.com
Friday, April 10, 2009
10 SEO Tips for Weight Loss Sites
by www.moreniche.com
I have put together a list of my top 10 SEO tips for weight loss sites. If you are promoting UniqueHoodia and Proactol then you should make sure you are doing all of the points below. Some are more generic SEO tips that work on any type of site, others are more specific to weight loss sites.
1) Make all of your Meta Titles and Descriptions Unique
This is a pretty basic thing which most of you probably already do. However it's importance for any type of site cannot be underestimated. You should never repeat a meta title and description on more than one page so ensure they are all unique.
2) Target the latest craze products e.g. Acai Berry
Every now and again a new craze product arrives that draws massive attention. They are not usually hard to spot as you will suddenly see you inbox swell with spam emails about the product. Spam is actually a good thing for us because it creates a massive interest - hoodia would not be as well known as it is now if it wasn't for spammers!
So, make sure when something like Acai Berry comes along that you make pages/posts about it on your site and optimize it for the SERPS. Even if you do not directly promote the product, just pages with information about it and then a reason why they should consider your number 1 product will help you get traffic and conversions.
3) Target Highly Searched Competitors
In the weight loss industry there are some products that get a high number of searches, an example of this in weight loss is 'Pure Hoodia'. Like tip number 2, make sure you have optimized pages around that keyword even if you are not promoting the product itself.
4) Post on Weight Loss Forums
Weight loss is one of the niches where getting away with posting on forums is quite easy. You can register as someone who is just starting out with a weight loss plan and start asking questions about different products.
You need to find the forums that are not too strict on people posting URLs. Once you have made several posts and built up a good reputation, sneak your URL in to your signature.....then carry on making good posts on a regular basis.
5) Do Something Controversial
This goes for any niche but again is a little easier in the weight loss niche. Think of a hot topic and develop a controversial argument or opinion about it. Then post away on your site. To get the ball rolling you can post a link to this 'disgusting' post you have just found on a few forums and then watch the viral effect take a hold.
Just be careful not to be too offensive, you dont want to give you site a bad name! A good time to do something like this is April Fools day....ok you have missed it this year but one for the future, create an unbelievable story and then post about it on forms. People love trying to catch each other out with April Fools.
6) Create a Funny or Informative Video
Preferably you should create your own unique video, however if you dont have the skillset or equipment you can edit an existing video using Windows Movie Maker (free) or similar software.
Find an angle that people will find funny or very useful as these will get passed on. Then post on video sites like YouTube and ensure you include a link to your site. Then do some SEO on the video by building some links. Sites like YouTube have very high authority which makes it easier to get them listed high in Google.
7) Latch on to the Latest Celebrity Diets
Seen a story about a celebrity who has lost or put on weight? Make sure you create a post or page about that celebrity story. When these things appear in the media people go in to Google and search for things like 'Jennifer Lopez Diet'. If you get listed high for terms like this then you will see a nice boost in traffic.
8) Target Negative Search Terms
A lot of people will avoid targeting search terms which go against what they are promoting. For example 'Weight Loss Dangers' gets a few hundred searches a month but has much lower competition than 'Weight Loss'. Because they are lower competition you should find it easier to get ranked and your post can still be positive so you re-assure the surfer. Target enough of these well and increase your traffic successfully.
9) Offer Articles to Top Authority Sites
There are many top authority sites for weight loss, why not offer to write them an exclusive and unique article in exchange for a link back to your site from the article?
10) Submit Press Releases
Press Releases are a great way to increase the quality of inbound links you have coming to your site. One of the best PR portals is PRWeb which you can submit a release to from $80. Obviously this isn't free but submitting once a month or every 2 months will help you to build up a good base of inbound links.
You can utilize the latest feature you have added, or even the latest story in the news and give your take on it in the press release.
Follow these tips and you should be able to give your site a good SEO boost and start generating more traffic and more sales!
I have put together a list of my top 10 SEO tips for weight loss sites. If you are promoting UniqueHoodia and Proactol then you should make sure you are doing all of the points below. Some are more generic SEO tips that work on any type of site, others are more specific to weight loss sites.
1) Make all of your Meta Titles and Descriptions Unique
This is a pretty basic thing which most of you probably already do. However it's importance for any type of site cannot be underestimated. You should never repeat a meta title and description on more than one page so ensure they are all unique.
2) Target the latest craze products e.g. Acai Berry
Every now and again a new craze product arrives that draws massive attention. They are not usually hard to spot as you will suddenly see you inbox swell with spam emails about the product. Spam is actually a good thing for us because it creates a massive interest - hoodia would not be as well known as it is now if it wasn't for spammers!
So, make sure when something like Acai Berry comes along that you make pages/posts about it on your site and optimize it for the SERPS. Even if you do not directly promote the product, just pages with information about it and then a reason why they should consider your number 1 product will help you get traffic and conversions.
3) Target Highly Searched Competitors
In the weight loss industry there are some products that get a high number of searches, an example of this in weight loss is 'Pure Hoodia'. Like tip number 2, make sure you have optimized pages around that keyword even if you are not promoting the product itself.
4) Post on Weight Loss Forums
Weight loss is one of the niches where getting away with posting on forums is quite easy. You can register as someone who is just starting out with a weight loss plan and start asking questions about different products.
You need to find the forums that are not too strict on people posting URLs. Once you have made several posts and built up a good reputation, sneak your URL in to your signature.....then carry on making good posts on a regular basis.
5) Do Something Controversial
This goes for any niche but again is a little easier in the weight loss niche. Think of a hot topic and develop a controversial argument or opinion about it. Then post away on your site. To get the ball rolling you can post a link to this 'disgusting' post you have just found on a few forums and then watch the viral effect take a hold.
Just be careful not to be too offensive, you dont want to give you site a bad name! A good time to do something like this is April Fools day....ok you have missed it this year but one for the future, create an unbelievable story and then post about it on forms. People love trying to catch each other out with April Fools.
6) Create a Funny or Informative Video
Preferably you should create your own unique video, however if you dont have the skillset or equipment you can edit an existing video using Windows Movie Maker (free) or similar software.
Find an angle that people will find funny or very useful as these will get passed on. Then post on video sites like YouTube and ensure you include a link to your site. Then do some SEO on the video by building some links. Sites like YouTube have very high authority which makes it easier to get them listed high in Google.
7) Latch on to the Latest Celebrity Diets
Seen a story about a celebrity who has lost or put on weight? Make sure you create a post or page about that celebrity story. When these things appear in the media people go in to Google and search for things like 'Jennifer Lopez Diet'. If you get listed high for terms like this then you will see a nice boost in traffic.
8) Target Negative Search Terms
A lot of people will avoid targeting search terms which go against what they are promoting. For example 'Weight Loss Dangers' gets a few hundred searches a month but has much lower competition than 'Weight Loss'. Because they are lower competition you should find it easier to get ranked and your post can still be positive so you re-assure the surfer. Target enough of these well and increase your traffic successfully.
9) Offer Articles to Top Authority Sites
There are many top authority sites for weight loss, why not offer to write them an exclusive and unique article in exchange for a link back to your site from the article?
10) Submit Press Releases
Press Releases are a great way to increase the quality of inbound links you have coming to your site. One of the best PR portals is PRWeb which you can submit a release to from $80. Obviously this isn't free but submitting once a month or every 2 months will help you to build up a good base of inbound links.
You can utilize the latest feature you have added, or even the latest story in the news and give your take on it in the press release.
Follow these tips and you should be able to give your site a good SEO boost and start generating more traffic and more sales!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
How To Use Facebook To Build Up Your Business
by Jeremy Gislason
Facebook is one of the most popular social networking mediums, and their membership numbers are increasing quickly. It is a great tool for networking; but like many tools available for networking on the web, promotional or marketing activities are frowned upon.
So be careful when using Facebook and do your online marketing activities under the radar, or you might miss out on a powerful tool to boost your business.
In this article, I’ll give you some vital pointers to maximize the power of Facebook.
1) Just like any other social site, be careful what you put in your profile.
You don’t want to be seen as a link spammer. And you don’t want to give away too much personal information either (unless you don't care that thousands of people may see your profile).
Just be careful with any personal details you put out there for others to see, such as where you live and pictures of your children. You do not want to pick up a stalker, especially when you are networking with strangers.
2) Don’t make the mistake of using your business name as your profile name, as this is against Facebook’s terms of service.
You are allowed to create other Facebook pages to brand your company, products or websites.
3) Respond to any friend requests and carefully send your own invitations. Make them personal and interesting.
Developing a great network is your long-term goal to generate a slow, but steady traffic stream to your websites. Use this tool to your advantage without being pushy or overbearing. Facebooks members hate spamming (who doesn’t?) and will carefully watch out for anything that violates their Terms of Service (TOS).
If you want to see profiles of those from another network, add them as your friends using the "Add to Friends" button. Follow the steps in the Edit tool to fill out any information you want others in your network, or others you accept as friends, to view.
4) Use various applications of Facebook.
Facebook has many applications which would make your networking experience easier or more enjoyable. Examples are applications for adding footage or photograph albums to your profile for others to see.
I’ll discuss two other powerful Facebook applications in a moment.
5) Use Facebook’s “My Questions” application to find out what people are exactly looking for concerning your niche.
This is where posters answer certain questions about themselves and what they are looking for on Facebook. They will also list their interests. Use this in your networking activities.
Unless they have expressed an interest in your field, do not invite them to join your friends list. Of course, you can still ask them if you genuinely want to be their friend.
But if you are there to network for your website business, then choose your friends wisely. This is how you are building your list and getting traffic to your website. So you have to manage your time well and eliminate non-productive activities.
Again, be very careful about Facebook’s TOS. Do not go against it because breaking the rules will get you banned.
6) Use “Facebook Discuss.”
It is Facebook's answer to instant messaging. Chatting, or IM'ing, on Facebook is truly quite easy when you use Facebook Discuss .
Just go to your Facebook page and you can start using Facebook Discuss immediately. At the base of each Facebook page, you may see your Facebook Discuss tools.
The first of the 3 Facebook Discuss tools is the online friends tool. This simply tells you which of your Facebook buddies is online at this time. The next Facebook Discuss tool is notifications that may let you know if you have any new Facebook notifications right from the tool. The 3rd tool in Facebook Discuss is the real discuss tool.
7) Create and join Facebook groups.
Just as they have subscribed to your blog, they're going to join your Facebook group. So people looking on Facebook for related groups would feel welcome to join.
Facebook groups are viral selling mechanisms. Search Facebook for groups on your topic and related ones. In each of these groups, you can post a message on the group Wall or debate board, or you may use the Post a Link feature to inform the group's members of your group and your blog.
By promoting your Facebook group at first, rather than promoting your blog, you decrease the chance the group director will remove your message. Any Facebook member can make a group and invite users on their pals list to join.
A form prompts you to give the group a name, passing outline and class. At the following stage, you can customize your group's available applications, upload a profile photograph and set privacy levels.
A secret group is fascinating for work-related activity, but it will not show up in search results. Choosing a closed group might be the best idea for you to protect your privacy. You will be inspired to choose members from your friends list to join the group.
When you start a group on Facebook, you can invite members to join the group and share their thoughts, viewpoints and consultations about your product, idea or start-up. Invitations to join a Facebook group can be through your Facebook buddies, your Yahoo contacts, etc.
8) Integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile.
A Facebook application can take on a lot of forms; but in order to entirely implement the selection of integration points and deliver a full user experience, it is advised that you integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile.
This permits millions of viewers to see your business everywhere on Facebook and attract potential patrons, who would naturally visit your start-up Internet site.
Remember to follow all Facebooks rules; otherwise, you’ll risk getting banned and your account deleted. This is not what you are looking for. Instead you want to use the group feature to promote your website within Facebooks rules. Do not overstep by thinking you can get around the rules. Use Facebook features to your advantage and you will see an increase in your website traffic.
Want to know proven ways to tremendously increase membership sales? Want to take http://www.membershipmillionaire.com]membership marketing to a whole new level of overflowing profits? Build high-earning membership sites like a pro by going to http://www.membershipmillionaire.com
Facebook is one of the most popular social networking mediums, and their membership numbers are increasing quickly. It is a great tool for networking; but like many tools available for networking on the web, promotional or marketing activities are frowned upon.
So be careful when using Facebook and do your online marketing activities under the radar, or you might miss out on a powerful tool to boost your business.
In this article, I’ll give you some vital pointers to maximize the power of Facebook.
1) Just like any other social site, be careful what you put in your profile.
You don’t want to be seen as a link spammer. And you don’t want to give away too much personal information either (unless you don't care that thousands of people may see your profile).
Just be careful with any personal details you put out there for others to see, such as where you live and pictures of your children. You do not want to pick up a stalker, especially when you are networking with strangers.
2) Don’t make the mistake of using your business name as your profile name, as this is against Facebook’s terms of service.
You are allowed to create other Facebook pages to brand your company, products or websites.
3) Respond to any friend requests and carefully send your own invitations. Make them personal and interesting.
Developing a great network is your long-term goal to generate a slow, but steady traffic stream to your websites. Use this tool to your advantage without being pushy or overbearing. Facebooks members hate spamming (who doesn’t?) and will carefully watch out for anything that violates their Terms of Service (TOS).
If you want to see profiles of those from another network, add them as your friends using the "Add to Friends" button. Follow the steps in the Edit tool to fill out any information you want others in your network, or others you accept as friends, to view.
4) Use various applications of Facebook.
Facebook has many applications which would make your networking experience easier or more enjoyable. Examples are applications for adding footage or photograph albums to your profile for others to see.
I’ll discuss two other powerful Facebook applications in a moment.
5) Use Facebook’s “My Questions” application to find out what people are exactly looking for concerning your niche.
This is where posters answer certain questions about themselves and what they are looking for on Facebook. They will also list their interests. Use this in your networking activities.
Unless they have expressed an interest in your field, do not invite them to join your friends list. Of course, you can still ask them if you genuinely want to be their friend.
But if you are there to network for your website business, then choose your friends wisely. This is how you are building your list and getting traffic to your website. So you have to manage your time well and eliminate non-productive activities.
Again, be very careful about Facebook’s TOS. Do not go against it because breaking the rules will get you banned.
6) Use “Facebook Discuss.”
It is Facebook's answer to instant messaging. Chatting, or IM'ing, on Facebook is truly quite easy when you use Facebook Discuss .
Just go to your Facebook page and you can start using Facebook Discuss immediately. At the base of each Facebook page, you may see your Facebook Discuss tools.
The first of the 3 Facebook Discuss tools is the online friends tool. This simply tells you which of your Facebook buddies is online at this time. The next Facebook Discuss tool is notifications that may let you know if you have any new Facebook notifications right from the tool. The 3rd tool in Facebook Discuss is the real discuss tool.
7) Create and join Facebook groups.
Just as they have subscribed to your blog, they're going to join your Facebook group. So people looking on Facebook for related groups would feel welcome to join.
Facebook groups are viral selling mechanisms. Search Facebook for groups on your topic and related ones. In each of these groups, you can post a message on the group Wall or debate board, or you may use the Post a Link feature to inform the group's members of your group and your blog.
By promoting your Facebook group at first, rather than promoting your blog, you decrease the chance the group director will remove your message. Any Facebook member can make a group and invite users on their pals list to join.
A form prompts you to give the group a name, passing outline and class. At the following stage, you can customize your group's available applications, upload a profile photograph and set privacy levels.
A secret group is fascinating for work-related activity, but it will not show up in search results. Choosing a closed group might be the best idea for you to protect your privacy. You will be inspired to choose members from your friends list to join the group.
When you start a group on Facebook, you can invite members to join the group and share their thoughts, viewpoints and consultations about your product, idea or start-up. Invitations to join a Facebook group can be through your Facebook buddies, your Yahoo contacts, etc.
8) Integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile.
A Facebook application can take on a lot of forms; but in order to entirely implement the selection of integration points and deliver a full user experience, it is advised that you integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile.
This permits millions of viewers to see your business everywhere on Facebook and attract potential patrons, who would naturally visit your start-up Internet site.
Remember to follow all Facebooks rules; otherwise, you’ll risk getting banned and your account deleted. This is not what you are looking for. Instead you want to use the group feature to promote your website within Facebooks rules. Do not overstep by thinking you can get around the rules. Use Facebook features to your advantage and you will see an increase in your website traffic.
Want to know proven ways to tremendously increase membership sales? Want to take http://www.membershipmillionaire.com]membership marketing to a whole new level of overflowing profits? Build high-earning membership sites like a pro by going to http://www.membershipmillionaire.com
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Great Advertising Headlines... Your Key To Blockbuster Sales
by Wayne Brown
With today's economy going to the pits, consumers' grip on their money is getting excruciatingly tight.
That's why you need to do everything you can to master the art and science of attracting and selling to customers. Otherwise known as marketing.
The first part of that equation is writing effective advertising material.
Today, I'm going to give you the golden key to writing effective, money-making ads, sales letters and other advertising media...
That golden key is....
A powerful, attention-getting headline.
Now what exactly is a headline?
The headline is the very first statement in your ad or sales letter that your customers will see. (It could also be the first statement in your sales pitch. The statement you use to get your foot in the door.)
The headline is in essence, the ad for your ad.
Why is the headline so important?
Scientific marketing tests reveal that the headline of any ad or sales letter is responsible for about 80% of your results.
In other words, when you spend $1,000 to run an ad, $800 will depend on your headlines ability to attract the attention of qualified prospects for your product or service. The remaining 95% of your ad only produces about 20% of the remaining results.
With so much on the line, why be so foolish as to use this valuable space for your company name and logo or any other self-serving message?
According to marketing and copywriting giant Ted Nicholas, the headline serves several important roles...
Attracts attention Communicates a strong benefit Appeals to the readers self-interest. Answers the question: "what's in it for me?" Sets the tone for the offer Selects the right audience
So let's take a look at a few successful headlines and see why they worked...
What Will You Do When All Your Personal Assets--Including Your House, Car and Cash--Are Seized to Satisfy a Judgment Against Your Corporation? This headline invokes the fear of loss as it states the disastrous results of the reader being without the product.
Corns Gone In 5 Days or Money Back This headline makes a bold claim and uses risk reversal to reassure the reader of its promise.
How to Form Your Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $50 This headlines shows the main benefit, removes the usual limitation (needing a lawyer to incorporate) and packages it into a low price.
How I Improved My Memory In One Evening This headline shows the main benefit and adds a time element
They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano--But When I Started To Play! This headline dramatizes the results of the product, and states it in the form of a story.
So how do you go about writing your next great headline?
Here are a few tips and guidelines...
Try starting your headline with the words "How to" Ex. How to Double Your Advertising Results In 30 Days or Less
Use the words "Announcing, Discover, Revealed, Introducing, New, Breakthrough..." or other variations of them. Ex. "Announcing, a new way to fight hearing loss!"
Describe the readers pain or problem(s) they will have without the product Ex. "Lack of Documentation could cost you your home, car, business and even your marriage."
Use the "They didn't think I could, but I did" formula... Ex. "They didn't think I could make over $100,000 a year without a college degree, but when they saw my new Mercedes!"
Tell the benefit in a first person story Ex. "How I became the highest paid salesman in the country in less than 2 years"
Offer a free report (The report you prepare and send out should contain at least Some useful information and not be all sales hype) Ex. "Free Report Reveals How To Settle Your IRS Debt For Pennies On The Dollar No Matter How Much You Owe"
Emphasize your guarantee to reverse the risk. Fresh, Hot Pizza in Thirty Minutes or Less or it's Free!
So how do you go about writing your next blockbuster headline?
Here's my process...
Make a list of ALL the benefits of your product or service. Pick out the most important benefit. Come up with at least 100 different headline variations of the most important benefit using the formulas and tips listed previously as well as others. Take the best 3-5 and test them against each other.
The very best copywriters in the world will usually write no less than 100 different headlines. Often times anywhere from 150 - 200 or more. Why?
Because they know that this is where the biggest return on your marketing dollar is so they spend days and weeks on writing the headline before settling on one.
A word of caution... don't be lazy and fall into the trap of most people and spending 5 minutes on the headline and days or weeks on the body copy. No matter how good your body copy is, with a bad headline nobody reads it.
With a great headline and average copy, you can still come away with an extremely lucrative ad or sales letter.
Good luck and headline success,
Wayne Brown is a marketing consultant and copywriter based in Marriottsville, Maryland and publisher of the "10 Part Super-charge Your Marketing and Advertising Course" available at Businessbuildingtechnician.com. He can be reached at Bizmarketing@businessbuildingtechnician.com
With today's economy going to the pits, consumers' grip on their money is getting excruciatingly tight.
That's why you need to do everything you can to master the art and science of attracting and selling to customers. Otherwise known as marketing.
The first part of that equation is writing effective advertising material.
Today, I'm going to give you the golden key to writing effective, money-making ads, sales letters and other advertising media...
That golden key is....
A powerful, attention-getting headline.
Now what exactly is a headline?
The headline is the very first statement in your ad or sales letter that your customers will see. (It could also be the first statement in your sales pitch. The statement you use to get your foot in the door.)
The headline is in essence, the ad for your ad.
Why is the headline so important?
Scientific marketing tests reveal that the headline of any ad or sales letter is responsible for about 80% of your results.
In other words, when you spend $1,000 to run an ad, $800 will depend on your headlines ability to attract the attention of qualified prospects for your product or service. The remaining 95% of your ad only produces about 20% of the remaining results.
With so much on the line, why be so foolish as to use this valuable space for your company name and logo or any other self-serving message?
According to marketing and copywriting giant Ted Nicholas, the headline serves several important roles...
Attracts attention Communicates a strong benefit Appeals to the readers self-interest. Answers the question: "what's in it for me?" Sets the tone for the offer Selects the right audience
So let's take a look at a few successful headlines and see why they worked...
What Will You Do When All Your Personal Assets--Including Your House, Car and Cash--Are Seized to Satisfy a Judgment Against Your Corporation? This headline invokes the fear of loss as it states the disastrous results of the reader being without the product.
Corns Gone In 5 Days or Money Back This headline makes a bold claim and uses risk reversal to reassure the reader of its promise.
How to Form Your Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $50 This headlines shows the main benefit, removes the usual limitation (needing a lawyer to incorporate) and packages it into a low price.
How I Improved My Memory In One Evening This headline shows the main benefit and adds a time element
They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano--But When I Started To Play! This headline dramatizes the results of the product, and states it in the form of a story.
So how do you go about writing your next great headline?
Here are a few tips and guidelines...
Try starting your headline with the words "How to" Ex. How to Double Your Advertising Results In 30 Days or Less
Use the words "Announcing, Discover, Revealed, Introducing, New, Breakthrough..." or other variations of them. Ex. "Announcing, a new way to fight hearing loss!"
Describe the readers pain or problem(s) they will have without the product Ex. "Lack of Documentation could cost you your home, car, business and even your marriage."
Use the "They didn't think I could, but I did" formula... Ex. "They didn't think I could make over $100,000 a year without a college degree, but when they saw my new Mercedes!"
Tell the benefit in a first person story Ex. "How I became the highest paid salesman in the country in less than 2 years"
Offer a free report (The report you prepare and send out should contain at least Some useful information and not be all sales hype) Ex. "Free Report Reveals How To Settle Your IRS Debt For Pennies On The Dollar No Matter How Much You Owe"
Emphasize your guarantee to reverse the risk. Fresh, Hot Pizza in Thirty Minutes or Less or it's Free!
So how do you go about writing your next blockbuster headline?
Here's my process...
Make a list of ALL the benefits of your product or service. Pick out the most important benefit. Come up with at least 100 different headline variations of the most important benefit using the formulas and tips listed previously as well as others. Take the best 3-5 and test them against each other.
The very best copywriters in the world will usually write no less than 100 different headlines. Often times anywhere from 150 - 200 or more. Why?
Because they know that this is where the biggest return on your marketing dollar is so they spend days and weeks on writing the headline before settling on one.
A word of caution... don't be lazy and fall into the trap of most people and spending 5 minutes on the headline and days or weeks on the body copy. No matter how good your body copy is, with a bad headline nobody reads it.
With a great headline and average copy, you can still come away with an extremely lucrative ad or sales letter.
Good luck and headline success,
Wayne Brown is a marketing consultant and copywriter based in Marriottsville, Maryland and publisher of the "10 Part Super-charge Your Marketing and Advertising Course" available at Businessbuildingtechnician.com. He can be reached at Bizmarketing@businessbuildingtechnician.com
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