What’s an Algorithm Anyway?

An algorithm can be defined as a logical sequence of steps leading to the solution of a problem. For Google, an algorithm is best described as the way the search engine powerhouse measures the relevance of a website, blog post, video, or other online information for the purpose of ranking. The specific formula of algorithms are as closely guarded as the recipe for Coca-Cola and because Google is constantly changing, no one will ever have the exact formula. But if you are aware of the true purpose of Google’s algorithm, you can find your website on the winning side, instead of being left out in the cold.

Google’s Mission Statement

It’s easy to become so consumed with search engine rankings that we can start looking at the big picture entirely wrong. A bit of common sense is necessary, along with an understanding of Google’s true mission.

First of all, Google is not against websites or bloggers. Google’s changes to its algorithm are not made with the intention or purpose of confusing us so that we are unable to rank well. Google’s sole purpose and entire mission is to provide the best, most relevant and intelligent content to its users. Therefore, Google’s changes don’t have to affect us one bit. In fact, every change can benefit our rankings, just as long as we are playing on the same team as Google.

Is Google Trying to Get Rid of Me?

Of course, in the process of providing high quality search results to its users, some websites and blogs will end up being penalized. These sites may feel directly targeted by Google, and rightfully so. According to Google’s latest press release and statements by Matt Cutts (responsible for enforcing Google’s webmaster guidelines)  some sites will suffer. Will it be you? If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, you may be negatively affected by the changes:

• Do you use content scraping tools to pull relevant, yet duplicate content from other websites to your own?
• Do you use PLR (private label rights material) as content for your website or blog?
• Do you fill your SEO tools with keywords that aren’t actually found in your blog posts?
• Do you over-saturate your posts with keywords in an attempt to rank for a certain keyword or set of keywords without actually providing relative, quality content?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I want you to brace yourself for this next fact. Your website is spam. There, I said it. Not only is your website spam, but Google wants to get rid of you. Why? Because Google does not want a web searcher to type in a search phrase (or set of keywords) and receive the exact same sentences of duplicate content in the first five search results. Google is cracking down on this. Is it because they dislike you? No, it’s because the LIKE their users and want to keep them happy.

Become a Friend of Google

So, how do you get on the winning side and become a friend of Google? It’s certainly not by ignoring the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Targeting keywords, using linking strategies, and article marketing are all part of search engine optimization. If you are using these strategies, don’t stop! But just keep in mind that in order to rank with Google and KEEP your rankings, you need to use search engine optimization strategies with integrity.

Once again, the key to integrity SEO is to have the same mission as Google, to appeal to the intelligence of your readers. Article marketing should not consist of duplicate articles, PLR, or keyword filled, yet useless content.  Google wants original content, well researched information, thoughtful analysis, and in depth reports. If you provide this AND use proper keyword phrases, build backlinks, and employ other basics of SEO, I guarantee you have nothing to worry about, and you never will…no matter how many times Google changes its algorithm.

1. Who are your ideal clients? Most business professionals have a very vague or far too general idea of who their “best” clients really are. If you know where to “find” these clients and understand their characteristics (demographics, psychographics, affinities, etc.) then you can develop targeted programs which will increase sales more effectively.

2. How do your ideal clients respond to certain words, statements, or ideas? Doing a little research by spending time with your ideal clients, either online or in real life, will give you an idea of how to interact with them. Use this knowledge in your written materials, your presentations, and whenever you speak with them.

3. How much information will your prospects actually read? Some people prefer short articles with 5-10 tips and others prefer longer reports. It may depend on their level of education, job, and time constraints. Knowing this information will allow you to tailor your marketing materials to your ideal client’s specifications.

4. What are the biggest challenges faced by your clients and potential clients and do you have the solutions they need? You can’t connect with your prospects without knowing what they need and how you can help them. Make sure that you are addressing what they want and not what you think they want!

5 What is the best way to reach your ideal clients? If they belong to organizations you will want to join the same groups and use your mutual membership as the foundation for a relationship. Some clients may prefer to network online via social networking sites. If so, ensuring that you have a presence on these sites and that you are an active participant will be a better investment of time and energy.

Asking these 5 questions will provide important answers which will help you determine which marketing strategies are best for growing your business.

One of the problems we discussed is being too connected. Technology and information overload not only contribute to lost time but they also sap energy.

Have you ever spent a couple of hours surfing the net and checking email? How do you feel afterward? Ready to take on the world or mentally exhausted?

For many of us the desire to remain relevant in our careers leads us to sign up for every newsletter and read every magazine and blog. We spend hours on Twitter to see what our competitors are doing and learn more about our prospective clients.

Our desire is commendable but not practical. As painful as it may be, we have to accept the fact that we aren’t going to know everything!

Strive to be as knowledgeable as possible within reason. You can always call on experts or do your own research if you hit a spot where you feel less than comfortable. Here are some ways you can stay smart AND sane:

1.   Learn to Manage Your Email

• Email is an incredible tool if handled correctly but an incredible time waster if not.  Don’t check your email more than 3 times a day:  morning, mid-day and before ending your workday. 
• Answer your email as soon as you read it. Apply  the “handle it once” advice that organizers recommend for paper clutter to your email. Don’t put it off until later unless you need additional information before you can respond.
• Keep your emails short but cutting out unnecessary words or phrases. Stay on point and succinct.

2.  Unsubscribe (or cut the cord)

• Start unsubscribing from newsletters and offers NOW. Be ruthless!  Find two or three experts that offer good, actionable information for your business and follow them for awhile. If you feel ready to switch out, then replace one newsletter with another in a topic that interests you.  Ensure the content is quality and the promos are in congruence with the subject matter of the publication. Some publishers sell ads or join affiliate programs which is great as long as they are selling products that are of use to you.  
• If you sign up for a free report or other “enticement”, don’t feel guilty if you unsubscribe from the newsletter. Give the newsletter a chance but if it isn’t providing useful content then opt-out. In fact, publishers don’t want a huge list of subscribers that never even look at their newsletters so  you’re doing them a favor!

3.  Keep a list of your favorite experts and check in regularly

• You don’t have to feel “left out” when you clear your opt-in cluttter! For example, there are are several blogs which I enjoy reading. They are well-written and provide quality content. They also allow me to  keep informed about what competitors, and complementary professionals are doing in the marketplace.  I keep them in my “favorites” or “bookmarks” and set aside one day a week to check in with them.
• There are 2 or 3  blogs that I enjoy reading daily so I sign up for their RSS feed which delivers their content directly to my inbox.  If I become overwhelmed with email, I just unsubscribe to the feed and go back to checking in once a week.

I’d love to hear your tips for handling email clutter!

The physical act of removing clutter from my workspace left me free to focus on what remained. Much of what’s left is not physical, however. Like me, many online business owners have more electronic items in their business than physical ones. This is the point where many independent service professionals get stuck — trying to organize and take inventory of all those electronic assets and determine how to best utilize them in the coming year.

How can you track these electronic pieces of your business?  By taking an inventory. You can take this inventory on paper, on a white board, on your computer, or wherever works for you. Or, you can add it all to your procedures manual like my Online Business Dashboard  where you can keep all the info streamlined.

Here are 17 points to include in your online business inventory:

1. Target Market.  Describe the market(s) you serve and how you serve it/them.  This will help you streamline other assets you find in your business to help you evaluate whether certain projects are right for your business.

2. Domains and hosting. Track down all the domains you own and where they are registered and where they are hosted. Note which domains are attached to web sites or are in use some way (even those that are forwarded to other sites). Which ones are not being used at all? What fees are you paying annually to renew these domains and hosting accounts?

3. Web sites. List all the web sites that you are currently using, including where they are hosted, the username and password to access the hosting control panel, FTP information, and emails associated with the site. Note how much traffic each web site has received over the past few months and estimate how much revenue the site is producing. Then, make a second list of all the web sites you own that are currently under development or are currently working on.

4. Blogs.  List all the blogs you use, separating those that are inactive from the ones that are active. Note where they are hosted or the service hosting them, the username and password to access the hosting control panel, and login information.  Note how much traffic each blog has received over the past few months, the number of subscribers you have to the blog, and estimate how much revenue the blog is producing, if you can.

5. Email marketing. List every mailing list, including your newsletters, autoresponders, customer lists, affiliate lists, prospect lists, etc. Note the purpose of the list, number of subscribers for each, and estimate how much revenue that list is producing.

6. Products.  If you sell information products, make a note of both those that have been completed and are for sale and those in development. Also note any products that you give away for bonuses or give away on your site. If you sell physical products for which you keep an inventory, write them all down.  Record how many you’ve sold of each product in the past year.

7.  Paid Memberships. Inventory all the paid memberships you have in paid forums, PLR sites, professional associations, membership sites, and other memberships you pay for that are directly related to your business, along with their URLs, usernames and passwords. Take note of how much you pay for this membership and how often and how you use it.

8. Free Memberships.  Note all the free memberships you have in various groups, forums, social networks, etc.  Outline why these memberships are valuable to you and how much time you spend on each of them on a daily/weekly basis.

9. Software. Record all the software you have on your computer that is related to your business, including license/registration info, purchase price, and date purchased. Make a note of how frequently you use this software.

10. Outsourcing Team. Write down who works with you, what they do, how much you pay them per hour or per job, and their average monthly payment.

11.  Affiliate links.  Regularly recommending products and services for which you are an affiliate is a great way to add another stream of income in your business. Make a list of the products and services for which you are an affiliate, including your affiliate URL, affiliate account URL and username and password, and how much you have made in sales from each affiliate relationship.

12.  Master password list. Incorporate all the passwords you have collected thus far into a master list, along with others you use regularly.

13. Speaking topics. Note the title, description, learning points, and interview questions of talks that you give regularly both face-to-face or virtually as a presentation or an interview.

14. Articles. Note the titles of all of the articles you have authored, along with a summary description of each. If you use an article distribution service (http://www.getmoreclientsarticles.com), you may find your article index there. Move all of your articles under one folder on your computer so that you can easily access them in the future.

15. Recordings. Note the titles of all of the audio and video recordings you have made, including those where you were someone else’s guest, along with a summary description of each.  Write down how the recordings are being used — for sale as an info product, as a bonus for one of your products or someone else’s product, or as a free giveaway.

16. Services. Note the nature of all services you currently provide, and those you plan to offer in the coming year, as well as your current pricing plans, future pricing plans, and how much money you made from each service in the past year.

17.  Clean it up.  Now it’s time for serious evaluation and to make some difficult choices.  Remember, these will be some of the most important business decisions you’ll make to help you refocus for a highly productive and profitable business.  There are just two rules to follow here:

• If it doesn’t fit in with your chosen target market and business plan – GET RID OF IT!
• If you still decide to hang on to it anyway, but it weighs on you in any way – GET RID OF IT!

This business inventory and cleanup may take a week or more, but once it’s completed, you’ll have a visual accounting of all of your business assets, which will help you plan for a profitable year in your business.

Internet Marketing Automation Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals create prosperous online businesses that make more profit in less time by teaching them how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise, and get found online.  Would you like to learn the specific Internet marketing strategies that get results? Discover how to increase your visibility and get found online by claiming your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, at ==> http://www.TurbochargeYourOnlineMarketing.com

According to research by John Norcross at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, only about 19% of     people who make resolutions actually keep them for two years.  Here are 10 ways to help you stay on course and keep those promises.

1.  Don’t share your resolutions with others

Believe it or not, recent research shows that talking about your resolutions makes it less likely that you’ll achieve them. Apparently, talking about what you plan to do activates the same part of the brain as achieving your goals. Wait until you’ve successfully made progress towards your resolution before sharing with others.

2.  Make just one resolution

Focus on one goal at a time and you’ll increase your chances of success. We all have a limited amount of will-power so tackling more than one “big” resolution can sabotage your progress.

3.  Pray for success

Studies show that people who tap into their spirituality by either traditional prayer, meditation or visualization are more likely to stick to, and reach, their goals.

4.  Expect setbacks

You’ve started a diet and on day 3, you cheat. Instead of getting discouraged and giving up, take it easy on yourself and stay the course. Instead of thinking of success as a linear path, consider that you may zig and zag until you reach your destination.  For a great article on this topic,  check out Rachel Lavern’s blog post, “How to Fail Your Way to Success”.

5.  Don’t go it alone

Losing weight or quitting smoking involves major changes to behaviors that may be several years old. In these situations, you can benefit from expert advice by joining a support group or working with a counselor or therapist.

6.  Make SMART resolutions

Resolutions that are SMART ( specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) have greater odds of success. You want to be as detailed as possible in order to be able to measure your progress. I wrote article about setting SMART goals which you can read here.

7.  Write them down

A study conducted at Dominican University determined hat there is empirical evidence to support the positive effect of writing down goals. Participants who wrote their goals down achieved significantly more than those who didn’t.

8.   Make a list of action steps

Brainstorm and create a detailed list of the steps necessary for you to reach your goal. Turning a big resolution into a series of manageable actions will help avoid overwhelm and maintain steady progress.

9.  Schedule your action steps

Once you have a list of actions add them to daily schedule. This reinforces that your goal is a priority and prevents you from “forgetting” what you need to do to get closer to success.  It takes between 21-30 days to develop a new habit so if you keep at it, certain actions will become almost second nature. This is ideal for resolutions such as getting into better shape, quitting smoking, or eating better.

10.  Have fun

There is no room for the “no pain, no gain” attitude in keeping your resolutions. If you aren’t having fun, the n you will lose interest and motivation. Find ways to reward yourself along the way as you reach milestons towards a new you.

There are 10 books which I consider my “Top 10″ must have’s for business success. My list isn’t comprised exclusively by traditional business books but include those that have helped me in several key areas .  I’ve included the first five here and next week  I’ll cover the other five books which have become important parts of my business toolkit.

Personal Development

1.  The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt

The book covers 10 “focusing” strategies which are instrumental to personal and professional success. Some of the  ideas covered include the importance of habits (good or bad), focusing on strengths, and the value of mentors and mastermind groups.

2.  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

The seminal work on personal change which emphasizes an internal (personal) approach to effectiveness that is centered on principles and character. This book will help you determine your real priorities and teach you how to put “first things, first”.

3.  Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

One of the biggest obstacles to success is fear. It can be related to being afraid of making the wrong decision or confronting uncomfortable situations but it can become crippling and prevents us from taking action.

Susan Jeffers addresses this problem and offers several solutions to overcoming fears. My favorite chapter is on the fear of making the wrong decision. She has created a “no-lose” decision making model which has really helped me lessen the stress of making decisions. 

General Business

4.  The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most  Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do about It
by Michael E. Gerber

Working on your business, not in it, is the main message of this book. Sounds easy, but as Michael Gerber esplains, too many business owners are still trapped in the mindset of working for someone else. This is a must read if you’re thinking about starting your own business.

Marketing and Sales

5.  All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin

I could  include any of Seth Godin’s books to this list because they are all extremely relevant to today’s busin ess climate specifically in the area of entrepreneurship.  The title of this book is misleading  (which is why the most recent edition has “are liars” crossed out and includes the words “tell stories” because it’s not an indictment of marketers. Instead it focuses on the importance of telling good stories about our products, services, and brands and how these stories can influence our customers in powerful ways.

What about  YOU?

Which books have had the greatest impact on you, your thinking, your actions, your business, your marketing?

It’s that time of the year, when armed with the best intentions (and often little preparation), millions set out to change their lives. By the end of the year, they are going to be rich, skinny, “in-love”, and things are going to be better in every way.

Unfortunately, real and lasting change is very difficult and we need all the help we can get. “Becoming Unstoppable” is a report by Paul Myers which he has graciously allowed me to offer to you.

This 15-page report discusses how to tap into “unstoppable motivation” and how to shift your paradigm from relying on willpower and focusing on “wantpower”.

To receive the report, just right-click on the link below and save-as

BecomingUnstoppable-Merlyn

Have a wonderful 2011!

I want every word to  be a pearl of wisdom, and for my post to  be  informative AND  interesting.  I want to be unique and not just rehash someone else’s material

So every time I sit down to write, it becomes a long, drawn out project!

However, blogging frequency is one of the keys to increasing traffic. Search engines love new content and, perhaps just as important, new content keeps your existing reader base coming back for more.

Denise Wakeman of The Blog  Squad and Build a Better Blog answered this question on her blog:

“…how often should I post, I’ll say: the more often the better. Yet, I know that freaks some people out so I typically advise posting on your blog a minimum of two to three times per week. Remember, it’s all about getting found by the search engines and the more keyword-rich content you have, the better chance you have of your blog posts coming up in the search results for the keywords you’re using. experience.”

The bottom line is that  perfection is less important than good quality content delivered consistently.  So, onward and upward as I unleash my blogging into the world!

I used a lot of different tactics to motivate myself but I always felt that cold calling was not the most effective way to gain business. At least not when you are selling services or the intangible such as an experience. I preferred “warm” calls and that’s what I encourage my clients to do. In fact, it’s the cornerstone of my marketing program: become an expert, reach people in a non-sales setting, and share your solution with them. Then one of two things happens: 1. Prospects call  you or 2. You call them and receive a much more favorable reception.

Consider this: your potential pool of clients is comprised of strangers (I’ve  added the Marketing Ball diagram below and to learn more about please read my post at: Marketing Is A Game)

and your goal is to “qualify” these strangers (or better yet have them qualify themselves). Meaning you want to devote your time and energy to an audience of  ideal clients. If you present yourself authentically, then only those people attracted to you and  your message will stay with you and want to learn more.

From Stranger to Affiliation – Find Commonalities

Join and participate in associations, industry groups, charitable organizations and chambers of commerce. You are now moving from being a stranger to being someone with similar interests. Another even more powerful way  to move past the stranger phase, is to have your clients, friends or associates  introduce you to their contacts. This is not a referral or strategic introduction. The purpose is to increase your circle of contacts and develop relationships.

From Affiliation to Attention and Familiarity - Building  Relationships

Start building relationships with the people you’ve  met. Connect with  them on your social networking and engage them in conversation. Learn more about them and their business. This is your opportunity to find out how you can serve them, either personally or by referring them to a needed resource.

From Familiarity to Information -  Sharing Your Expertise

This is the point where your prospects want to learn more about you and your business. Provide them with valuable information such as white papers, newsletters, articles, and reports. There will be a certain amount of overlap with the next stage.

From Information to Experience

Invite prospects to introductory seminars,  teleclasses,  or speak at events that your target audience  attends. You will be able to share your knowledge  in a way that engages your audience.

However, with the advent of the internet we now have additional distribution channels.  Which means things can get confusing. That’s why I’m glad I found a wonderful article explaining the difference between online and offline public relations. It’s written by Elena Verlee and I encourage  you to read it (and the other articles on her blog). You can find it at:

http://prinyourpajamas.com/the-difference-between-offline-and-online-pr/

During this session, we worked at finding my unique talents or gifts. This discovery process is one that I  use with MY clients. However, I needed some distance and an outside perspective to get at this for myself. Helene asked me provocative questions which made me really think. And as I mulled things over, I asked myself:

“What Makes YOU So Special?”

If you only had one or two sentences to describe why people should do business with you, what would you say? These sentences are often referred to as a  USP (Unique Selling Proposition) or Value Proposition. You may also see it referred to as an elevator pitch. And every business should have one.

If you don’t articulate your uniqueness then you won’t stand out in the sea of competitors. Attracting clients becomes more difficult and the ones you do attract are probably not the right ones for you!

At this point you may be thinking that any client is the right  client. Not so. How would you feel if all your clients complained about your prices, or resisted your advice? Wouldn’t you rather work with someone who values you and  your time? Who feels lucky to have found you and will sing your praises to anyone willing to listen?

Well, the more time you spend serving “less than perfect” clients, the less time and energy you have to find your ideal clients.

I have determined that the following things define me and my business:

• I work with service oriented businesses, entrepreneurs, and independent professionals. This means that although they may sell  products in addition to offering services, the main emphasis is in providing services such as: coaching, consulting, administrative support, training, event and meeting planning, accounting, etc.
• My approach is “no-nonsense” but fun. That means that I straddle the fence between logical/rational and creative/light-hearted. If a client doesn’t want to think outside their comfort zone, or feel that having fun while working is inappropriate,then we’re not a good match.
  
• Collaboration is a cornerstone of my program. I encourage my clients to leverage their alliances, relationships, and resources to produce results.

Start asking yourself what sets you apart from your competitors and what gifts (or even quirks) you have that make you special or different. You will find that attracting clients will become easier and more rewarding.

I have a wonderful (free!) resource to share with you today!

Are you in a leadership position – business owner, manager, coach, parent? You NEED this ebook by Mark McGuinness! It’s a wonderfully insightful book about motivation and creativity. Whether you are trying to motivate your kids to do chores or your team members to think outside of the box, Mark’s information will make it easier for you to get the job done.

It will help you:

• Understand how motivation affects creativity
• Get better work out of creative people
• Avoid (inadvertently) crushing people’s motivation
• Use rewards effectively
• Understand and influence many different types of people.
• Facilitate creative collaboration

If you are a creative person, it will help you:

• Understand your creative process
• Develop your creative talent
• Find more satisfaction in your work
• Influence other people
• Develop your collaboration skills

Download it here:

How to Motivate Creative People Including Yourself

1.   Increases Your Name Recognition

A good public relations campaign can help you reach people in your local area, but can eventually reach national and international  readers. And once the media starts “talking” about you the momentum continues as more and more outlets pick up the story.

2.  It Boosts Your Marketing Efforts

Public relations campaigns do not replace your other marketing campaigns. However,they certainly enhance any image campaigns you are involved in. You move closer to the top of your target market’s mind and the next time they see your name,  they feel as if they “know” you.

3.  Improves Your Expert “Quotient”

People will associate you as an expert on the topics that the media quotes you on. This gives you a level of credibility that no amount of paid advertising can provide. Another benefit is that more media outlets will seek you out as an authority in  your field and can result in additional stories, interviews, and coverage.

These are just a few of the benefits of public relations. I encourage you to really consider adding this strategy to your marketing arsenal.