If you want to be able to get free traffic without having to continually work for it day after day then seo maybe something you need to look into. Seo allows you to gain traffic from the major search engines like Google, Yahoo and many of the smaller search engine. Plus to clear this up now the other search engines are pretty much worthless because no one searches those so don’t look to get traffic from those.

So you can be getting tons of traffic from these search engines if you choose the rights keywords and optimize them to rank in the top 5. I say the top 5 because if you can get there then you can still get good quality of traffic. But the problem is that seo isn’t easy to do and if your one of those people who need results today then I got something for.

The top 5 things I hate about seo marketing and how I over came them..

• Writing Content – No one wants to be writing until their fingers fall off just to get a little traffic. This is by far one of the most discouraging things people go through when trying to build up content for seo. I hated doing this because its boring and very time consuming. But I over came it by setting up a time schedule to write new content which helped at least keeping me motivated knowing I could get things done but not in a rushing manner.

• The Setup – Before you can even think about getting traffic to your website, you need to first setup shop. This comes from adding the right seo plugins which can help setup your pages to be seo friendly. Plus you need to integrate things like auto bookmarking to highly social sites to gain auto backlinks. These things took forever when I first started so I know it will for you also but there are solutions. So I say its best to take a day out and spend all your time getting that task done because once its done then the rest is history.

• Research, Research, Research – If your one of those people who hate crunching numbers then seo marketing is not for you. I hated looking up keywords and analyzing them against other websites to see if there was anymore room for my website. This is a painstaking process that can take days or even worse weeks if your targeting a tough market.

• Delay Results – In the real world if you do something now like wash the car you’re able to see the results when you finish. Seo marketing is not like that because what you do today ,might not take affect until a week later or even longer. This is something I struggled with alot in the past because I was working hard but not seeing any results. Us as people are us to seeing things happen in front of our eyes at that moment and when that doesn’t happen then most of us will quit.

• Simply Understanding The Process – In my seo marketing series I try to lay out a foundation of learning seo so you can maximize it to your fullest. This is something I had problems with back in the day of really grasping what all this stuff meant. Why is this site ranked higher then that one when the top site has less links? This is what makes the world of seo so hard to understand when first starting and one of the reasons why I hated doing it. But once you learn it then the gates of heave will open up for you, and the traffic angel will start sending great volumes of traffic your way.

I listed only five things I use to hate about seo but there are many more but these will be the ones that will upset you the most. My goal is to always answer as many questions as I can in my seo FAQ’s page where you can really start to learn the concept of using seo over any other form of marketing.

Seo is just that stepping stone in you becoming a great traffic forcer online but the truth of the matter it takes time and motivation. So make today one of those days you start that journey into making seo marketing one of your chosen traffic sources.

“Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”

5 Things I Extremely Hate About Seo Marketing And You Will, Too is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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Become a Better Blogger

The work life of a professional blogger is certainly a bit skewed from reality – as it is with any profession, or at least that’s what we’ve found from those “What People Think I Do” memes that went viral back in February. When people learn I write blog posts for a living, they probably think I’m at home in my pajamas all day, playing on the Internet.

That’s not true … for the most part.

No, I’m not in my pajamas right now. But I’d be lying if I said I don’t use sites like Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook on a daily basis to research, generate topics and network within the blogging community. I wouldn’t call that playing, though.

The truth is that blogging for a living takes a lot of work, just like any other writing profession.

Here’s what we really do:

Write

Yes, obviously. However, most professional bloggers aren’t only getting paid to write blog posts. For example, a blog might just be one component of a spray dryer company’s SEO campaign. Besides regularly updating the spray drying blog with industry news, company events and equipment overviews, I may also be writing optimized content for its website. Other types of content include press releases, landing pages, email blasts, Facebook and Twitter posts, meta descriptions, white papers, brochures, Power Point presentations – the list goes on.

Brainstorm

I wish blog topics grew on trees. Unfortunately, they don’t; they grow from bloggers’ heads. Brainstorming topics requires understanding the target audience, such as what they’re reading, what they’re commenting on, what new trends are sparking their interest, what topics they want to know more about. Reading other blogs helps, as sometimes the best ideas stem from the conversation that follows a blog post in the comments section. Networking is also a great way to come up with new ideas.

Network

This is where social media comes into play. Sites like Twitter and Facebook can work as an extension of a blog that adds more depth and perspective to the conversation. I use Twitter to stay connected with other bloggers, and to identify the types of content that they are sharing and retweeting. It’s also important for professional bloggers to make friends. Strong relationships with other leading bloggers help to promote content, and that relationship starts with something as simple as commenting on a blog post or replying to a tweet.

Research

There’s always a lot to learn before writing any piece of content, especially when a clients include specialists in industries like external manufacturing and video broadcast equipment. Successful bloggers will spend a good amount of time researching their topic – whether they’re writing a blog post about a client’s new product or a post about improving SEO.

Manage

A blogger with multiple clients and blogs to maintain on a regular basis must be organized. That means developing editorial calendars, communicating with clients, publishers and guest bloggers, scheduling posts, and meeting deadlines for numerous assignments. Translation: Stare at spreadsheets and get headaches.

At the end of the day, after all that researching and brainstorming and networking and blogging and managing, a professional blogger is a writer. Whether or not that involves working from home and wearing pajamas doesn’t change the fact that it’s hard – and fun – work.

Do you blog for a living and, if so, what do you really do?

The Truth Behind Professional Blogging is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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Become a Better Blogger

There is no need for spectacular know-how or incredible skills when trying to open up to the world. Having great content and keeping it simple will bring you all the followers you need and keep your blog on top for a long time.

Blogging has become one of the most common and pleasant activities in a modern individual`s routine. If you are a passionate writer or just think you have something to share with the world, look no further and set up a blog. 

Express Yourself

Writing is an excellent way of expressing one`s ideas and feelings.

This type of online activity can even bring you extra income if you know how to manage different opportunities.  Recognition and great audiences can`t be obtained overnight.

Ask any professional blogger and you will find that all the fancy elements and tricks in the world will not deliver better results than if following some basic simple patterns that have made some blogs what they are today.

Honest Opinions and Dedication Will Prevail

A blog is nothing without feeling. Online greatness is something you will not necessarily achieve by using top-of-the-line technology and complex coding. Take your time and learn about what a blogger really needs to know.

Don`t think that just because you don`t have loads of money to invest in your activity, others will prevail. The fact is that many imagine blogging as an easy thing to do but just a few keep their head up and make the most of this type of experience.

Take Things Seriously

After several years of blogging and thousands of such structures becoming a world-wide phenomenon, certain patterns seem to emerge when speaking only about the best and most successful blogs. Fully understand this activity and learn how much joy it can bring if done properly. Here are a set of rules that will get you started and keep you on top when you get there.

• The first thing you need to do when you plan on starting a blog is to get help. Yes, that`s right, if you are not a web-designer, find the resources to hire one. An impeccable aspect is what differentiates popular blogs from all the others. It will be the best couple of hundreds of dollars you will ever spend considering the first contact future visitors will have is with the design features. Do not go over the top with complex features. Keep things simple and easy to understand. No one wants to struggle finding posts or browsing through information. Sometimes less is more.
•  After creating the proper environment for your visitors, start by having a clear purpose when it comes to approaching subjects. Make sure you define yourself as a blogger and create a strong image that will remain embedded in the reader`s mind. Don`t lose your head and create clear text content that will touch people`s lives. When others characterize your blog regardless positive or negative opinions, they should perfectly understand what you`re all about. Use intelligent logos and welcome messages which clearly state the purpose of your activity as a blogger.

Get All the Help You Need From Others Willing To Provide It

Don`t think you are better than other more experience bloggers. Save some time and access successful writers such as:

• Darren Rowse and his problogger.net
• Steve Pavlina with his stevepavlina.com domain
• Jay White and his dumblittleman.com
• Leo Babauta and his zenhabits.net

If you are not an excellent writer, start learning from these people and their methods of attracting followers. Content is very important but several other elements can be just as influential. Contact them and you will get the same answer: keeping things simple will deliver the best results.

• Do not complicate things when it comes to blogging. Make sure the content you deliver constantly is perfect in every way. Always take note of feedback and outside opinions. Provide moving texts that are filled with meaning and use only correct information and professional language when describing products or other items. Even the most demanding of followers should be impressed by your commitment, making them become frequent visitors.
• Start building a network but don`t overdo it. Take it slow and keep things as simple as possible. Don’t start off with more than you can handle. Create real connections with the people you want spreading the word. This activity is based on human interaction and dedication not special plug-ins or scripts. Recognition is achieved through other people, not technology.
• One important aspect of blogging is to completely understand this activity. In order to be appreciated by others you should deliver a certain type of end result that is specific to the online environment. No one wants to scroll up and down or left and right to finish a phrase. Keep it simple and intriguing at the same time. Use several subheadings and clear adequate images if the case presents itself.

Conclusion

A successful blog can be put together by anyone dedicated and willing enough to go the extra mile when it comes to research. Time has taught people that there is nothing in the world that others have not dealt with before.

Learn from them and understand that although permanently upgrading and improving when it comes to technology, blogging has reached it high point with the help of people and their simple ideas. The most important elements needed to become a respected member of the blogosphere are not embedded in gadgets and strategies as much as in basic features such as the ones mentioned before, features that will probably never change.

Editor’s Note: I definitely agree with Tammy’s advice here.  Keeping it simple will definitely help you create a successful blog, but the point that’s most overlooked is that when you keep it simple, you can get so much more accomplished in less time.  It doesn’t matter what kind of blog you have – it could be a fun arts and crafts blog where people come to find inspiration or a more serious website where people search for options to buy to let mortgages – the tips in this post are still applicable.

KISS: Keeping It Simple, Still – Rock-Bottom Blogging Basics is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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I'm also available for blog startup, content writing and consultation services.

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Become a Better Blogger

In today’s competitive world, many businesses and companies employ new tactics to garner more customers to their website or web portal. Therefore, it when the time comes to build a business blog, it becomes imperative for writers to be proficient and experienced when it comes to positioning and phrasing the right keywords. This is because SEO content writing looks for content relevance, significance and target audience group.

By following some basic knowledge you will be able to stand out in the search engines and enable you to get the required consumer traffic.

When your writing has quality in its content, readers will come back again and maybe even encourage others to do so. SEO searches out those writers whose contents are well written in an interesting and unique way. It also looks for updated content which will stay for at least a month and links which point the searcher to other parts of the site.

Right content with brevity is very important

Content reaches out to so many people and therefore, it is of strategic importance irrespective of the subject matter. By thinking out of the box and looking at a wider picture can help you to expand your thought process, rather than weighing only for the benefits of SEO. If your content is good you can connect to a bigger audience by being recognized as a credible business writer.

These benefits are not limited only to the SEO domain but poised for being recognized by many people. However, you need to understand that writing long contents which resemble a dissertation will put people off. Since people do not have the time to read lengthy content their attention span will not last. Therefore, express yourself in a concise manner without missing out on any key details which are important.

Appropriate keyword phrases which are placed strategically

Whether you write for someone or your own website, start by using the most strategic keyword phrases by looking at the theme and keywords which relates to it. With a large array of keyword phrases you will be able to write well and make it possible for your article to be easily picked up by others. The key word phrase has to be catchy and instantaneously appealing to the readers.

You must compete in order to make your keyword appear more than once. If you are using the right keyword, it might show up in the first 90 characters of the article and that should be good news for you. Even if this means that your article may appear mundane, repetitive and boring it will help you to achieve the desired goal.

If you try to candy floss your article then it could be taken very lightly by others and will not benefit you. Therefore, you need to be very strategic in the way you make your article to stand out in an appealing way.

Use captivating headings in a structured manner with hierarchical tags

By making the title of your article as the first and lasting impression can really ace the domain for you. Your title has to captivate the reader’s interest for which, it really needs to stand out in a distinctive way. By using titles which are captivating and inspiring you can attract readers and retain them. Just go ahead and grab the attention of the reader like in a newspaper heading.

Try to sensationalize without overdoing it. Structure your content in a professional way so Google and SEO can easily detect your article. By plugging in the right tags according to the requirement you will be able to put your most compelling ideas first on the hierarchical list.

The ideal keyword without piling up

The ideal word limit for copy content and articles should not exceed 300 to 1000 words or can be shorter for blog posts. The number of keywords you have used will determine the length of your article. In this case, you need to use a keyword after every 50 to 100 words of your article.

However, trying to stuff as many keywords as possible in your article can make it look very unprofessional and will not make a good impression. Try to create a natural flow of keywords which are spread out evenly in your article for the best result. You can even go a step further by adding a keyword in your biographical information as it can make your presence felt.

Hyperlink your text and stick to the topic

Try to add a hyperlink somewhere in the middle of your text as people tend to follow a link which is within the text. While so, add some other external sites which might need to be mentioned and this will give your readers an idea of how sound your relationship is with those others.

This is a way of promoting each other and can only benefit both partners in the long run. However, remember to stick to the topic and do not digress from the point. A little bit of personal touch is alright to keep the reader’s interest but you must not confuse business writing with personal writing.

Finally, choose relevant images which can captivate the attention of the readers. As long as these come from the common search tools without copyright problems, you can use images which relate to your content. Above all, keep your content original and new without copy pasting from elsewhere.

Content Writing: Think Out of the Box is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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Become a Better Blogger

When most bloggers begin, they have passion. They have a passion about their subject and have loads of topics that want to write about and are in a hurry to get published. This is natural and the best blogs tend to be by people who have this passion that drives them to the keyboard in order to share with others. You know it. You feel it!

In the old days of blogging, that was all that mattered. New bloggers today quickly discover, though, that banging out blog posts on their PC is now only part of the blogging brief. Now the world (as well as search engines) expects some finesse. Design is important these days. What about images, functionality, SEO, a logo for the header and, when the creative juices have taken a brief holiday, continuity of content?

Bloggers can start to learn all of these things, of course, and today’s blogger has more easy-to-use tools at their fingertips than we had a few years ago. For those with time constraints or an aversion to ‘geekery’, however, there is help at hand. The secret of a stress-free blogging career is to get good at outsourcing. There are now many sites offering a vast array of services. These are not like traditional agencies, however. They are what have become known as ‘crowdsourcing’ sites. These sites bring together clients (you) and contactors who have the skill sets that the client needs.

Here is a list of five crowdsourcing sites where you can outsource small jobs for little outlay.

1. ODesk. This site is one of the best places to look for content writers. When you just need a break from writing and don’t fancy throwing open the doors to guest posters with all of their links leading out of your site, take a look here for writers. You will need to carefully vet the applicants to your job, of course and you will quickly learn that you do get what you pay for but you may well find a writer with whom you can develop an on-going relationship.
Odesk is not just about writers, though. You can find contractors in the fields of translation services, web development skills and programming too. You can look here if you want a custom plug-in creating for the WordPress platform, for example.

2. Picky Domains. Businesses realise that the name and slogan for their business is important in attracting their target audience. This is also true of modern blogs. Why not get some ideas for a domain name and a slogan risk free at PickyDomains? The way this works is simple. You set out your brief free of charge. Then contributors will start suggesting domain names or slogans for your blog. You only have to pay if you like one enough to run with it. Prices are between $50 and $75 which is small beer compared to what a professional agency would charge. Often the best suggestions come from ‘outsiders’ so you have nothing to lose by giving it a go.

3. Fiverr. A lot has been written about this site, both good and bad. The way it works is that people can add a ‘gig’ on the Fiverr site which can be anything within reason but they can only charge $5 for it. So you get serious stuff like simple graphics creation, SEO services, writing, audio and video creation alongside some quite bizarre and wacky stuff. Whatever people say, it’s great fun and, if you do your due diligence, you can find amazing bargains on there.

4. MicroWorkers. As the name suggests this is where you go to get small but tiresome jobs done. Creating accounts, perhaps for PingFM, is a popular request on here. Also you can ‘buy’ Facebook likes for a few pennies a time if that is an important part of your traffic strategy. One interesting development which this site may be useful for is to find people to ‘pin’ your blog post images on Pinterest as this is a great way to breathe new life into older posts.

5. iStockPhoto. This is the ‘go-to’ site for to find highly professional images for your blog posts. Images are important for SEO and to engage the reader in the post. Contributors upload their work into the galleries and you can buy the rights to use the image using an internal credit system. This ensures that you will never get a nasty letter from a lawyer accusing you of having images on your blogs without permissions. The site has also moved into audio and video clips. All in all, this site is a very useful resource.

Keeping a blog visually interesting, current and engaging takes some work. Thankfully, there are places you can go for some help without spending a fortune.

Outsourcing to Improve Your Blog is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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Become a Better Blogger

When I started blogging three years ago, I had no idea how many amazing opportunities would come my way or how many incredible people I would meet.  I seriously had no clue how diverse blogging really was.  Eventually, it all blossomed into a career of consulting, freelancing and basically filling whatever gaps a client required.

I spent most of my days working in my pajamas from home in my office/dining room.  Frequently, I’d venture out to meet potential clients and advertisers at Barnes & Noble, Star Bucks and other convenient coffee shops.  This worked okay for me for the most part, but there were times when I wished I had a real office in a professional setting that I could feel confident bringing clients to.

Of course, renting office space was out of the question.  I didn’t have the budget to lease space that I would only use occasionally.  I wouldn’t have been able to justify the expense.

Recently, I’ve discovered ServCorp, a business that leases virtual offices, serviced office spaces and meeting rooms to meet short-term needs.  I find the virtual office to be the most interesting concept – it allows you to conduct business virtually anywhere in the world without actually having to live there.  For example, you could live in the US, yet have fully operational Canberra Virtual Offices – you could even have a receptionist to greet your guests as they make inquiries.

Right now, I don’t need that level of service, but I could definitely see myself renting a meeting room for a few hours.

Of course, every blogger’s experience and needs are different, but I thought it would be a good idea to give you a heads up on a few of the things ServCorp has to offer.  So stop by the site to see if they have services available in your area.

So what do you think – at this point in your blogging career, could you use some professional office space?

Does a Blogger Need a Virtual Office? is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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I'm also available for blog startup, content writing and consultation services.

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Become a Better Blogger

Architects design buildings, from the most basic structure down to the tiniest details.

Information architects, on the other hand, design websites: from the site’s overreaching goals down to the tiniest navigation details.

We’re not talking basic web design here: we’re talking information hierarchies, navigational flow, user experience and hours of research.

The Information Architecture Institute defines IA as “the art and science of organizing and labeling websites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability.”

Others (Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville, for example) define it as the space where users, content and context of use meet.

We could spend all day trying to find a comprehensive answer to the question What is Information Architecture? Or we could focus on what’s really important: how and why it’s essential for your site.

The Six-Step Process of Information Architecture

Don’t worry if you’re not sure what information architecture is. This six-stage process attempts to explain how the complicated IA process works along with why you need an information architect on your team in the first place. Here’s the basic, stripped-down process for a typical IA project:

1. Research, Research, Research

Perhaps the single most important (and definitely the most time-consuming) step is research. Whether information architects are analyzing competitors, reading academic papers and books or testing their designs on real users, research provides the groundwork for the entire process. Without a good research-based foundation, information architecture will fail.

2. Set Those Goals

Now that you’ve built your foundation, it’s time to set your goals and develop a strategy. What mode of interaction will you choose? What are the main goals of the site? Here’s where you start laying the skeleton for the rest of your project. Keep in mind that the display of architecture will look different depending on the device used: sites on mobile phones look different than the same sites on desktops, tablets or laptops.

3. Fill in the Long-Term Details

You have the skeleton, now it’s time to fill in the flesh. How will your project be maintained? How is your site performing? Does your plan include for future growth?

4. Hammer Out Your Relationships

Where should your site design connect? Blog posts should lead to RSS or newsletter subscriptions, right? E-commerce pages should naturally lead to the site’s shopping cart. This stage hammers out the links in your chain by asking which sections need to be connected? What page naturally leads to a further page?

 5. Drawing the Map

How should you organize your site’s information? How many categories do you need to house all your data? Where does each piece most logically fit?

6. Navigating the Finished Product

Navigation is one of the most important parts of IA. If a customer gets frustrated with your layout, he or she will leave. If a customer can’t find what he/she is looking for, he/she will leave. An information architect will tweak the layout and experiment with live users until he finds a streamlined navigation system that works for every visitor.

So How Do I Get Started?

You can hire an architect, learn it yourself, or shop around at the companies you already utilize — oftentimes; an online marketing service company will stock a full-time web development and design team.

The Six-Step Process of Information Architecture is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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Become a Better Blogger

Online marketing is a fairly simple realm of work … but if you’re like most publishers online, you probably feel your marketing could improve.

But where to start?

I’ve been helping MagicYellow resurrect their online marketing and overall brand this past month, and wanted to share a few mistakes I’ve noticed not only from MagicYellow, but also from the brands in their yellow pages directory.

We’re still working on addressing these common mistakes on our end, but just wanted to share what we’re doing to improve so you could follow along and learn with us.

The billboard approach

You’ve heard it before — you need to be everywhere with your brand.

The idea behind the billboard approach has to do with numbers … the more places you are with your brand, the more avenues you have leading to your website, and thus the more traffic you’ll attract from around the web.

Sounds good, but it doesn’t work for most brands because in order for most avenues to work, with the exception of listing based pages found with yellow pages like MagicYellow, you need to keep your content updated and interact with the community.

Would you rather have 1,000 new visitors that don’t convert into customers, or 10 new visitor that do turn into customers?

It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.

On top of that, the billboard approach inevitably leads to another problem …

Phantom profiles

The more profiles you create, the more time it takes to maintain your social activity … until, inevitably, older profiles are forgotten and left behind.

This creates what’s called phantom profiles.

A phantom profile reveals a lack of activity from the brand, which in turn creates a negative feeling for the customer. So even though the avenue was once a smooth road to your website, your focus on the billboard approach will ultimately leave the avenue broken and undesirable. This is something I’m tackling now for the MagicYellow Facebook page and MagicYellow twitter profile.

Focus instead on the few social outlets that provide the best referral and conversion traffic for your business. Use Google analytics or another tracking solution to test what’s working and what isn’t.

At the wrong lunch table

If you focus in on the few social outposts that work best for your brand, you won’t find your efforts going to waste. It’s important to align yourself with your target community, because otherwise you’re just hanging with a crowd that doesn’t care what you have to say.

This is probably one of the most common mistakes made by busienss owners, because it takes additional work finding out what the right crowd is exactly.

Again, you can acheive this by testing.

Explore new corners of the web … when you find a community that provides a strong response (track your traffic, page views, and goals met), stick with it. It’s kind of like geo-targeting, but for your community tied together by interest instead of location. For example, at MagicYellow.com, the team and I help businesses position their brand name in front of customers based on both the customer’s interest and location … in other words, we help them to the right lunch table.

You’re too quiet

Most small businesses out there join a social network, but fail to socialize with people … and then they wonder why they only have 4 followers.

They key to effective marketing is creating a consistent flow of communication and information between your customers. Note, this doesn’t mean create a stream of one-way communication to your customer … that’s push marketing, and it’s becoming less and less effective.

Reach out to your community and talk with them. Ask them questions, take a poll, publish helpful content, share a joke, or give them a glimpse of your personal life.

If you’re not communicating and connecting with people, then you’re not doing anything.

Socializing and publishing is marketing.

My name’s not important

If you’re constantly trying to push your services or products on the people around you, you’re not going to be very fun to hang out with … and that means people aren’t going to both networking with you online.

In other words, no one will want to hang out with you.

Instead of pushing your products and services onto people, consider focusing on them and building a layer of personal information into your online presence so people can learn more about you after your initial contact.

This help people understand who you are, what you’re about, and why you do what you do. If they’re interested, they know who you are so they’ll be more inclined to buy from you.

Create a layer of transparency for your interested network and focus on pull marketing tactics instead of push marketing.

Write a comment and make progress

Let’s tackle one of the most common problems together right NOW, and make progress by talking about these five common reasons why all of our marketing suuucks!

What else would you add to this list?

Do you have any experience with suuucky marketing for your own brand?

What do you plan on doing to improve this year?

What drives you crazy about other marketers?

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts below … let’s stick together and explore what works and what doesn’t. We know the basics and have the general guidelines, but what really works for your niche? I’ll be revealing more of what we’re trying at MagicYellow, and hope you share your own experiences.

Cheers!

5 Reasons Why your Marketing Suuucks! is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

Would you like to subscribe to my feed or subscribe to my newsletter? Or perhaps follow me on Twitter.

I'm also available for blog startup, content writing and consultation services.

Visit my other blog, Highly Favored for Christian inspiration and church newsletter tips.

Become a Better Blogger

As the web continues to grow, more and more people are finding ways to earn money online.  If advertising or affiliate marketing isn’t your cup of tea, you can still create earning opportunities for yourself by offering your services at a great site I just found.

SEOClerk is a site that connects freelancers with people who are in need of affordable SEO services.  Some of the services offered at the site include backlink building, marketing, site flipping, SEO, sponsored tweets, articles and others.

The site has an Alexa ranking of 9,224 and a Google PR of 3 – it’s a well-trafficked site, so you know that the gigs you advertise will get the right amount of exposure.

Even if you’re not interested in a providing services yourself, it’s still a great place to outsource some of those time consuming tasks that you just don’t have time to complete.  The site is updated frequently so you’re sure to find the right freelancer to help you.

There’s also an affiliate program that will pay 10% commissions on sales you refer to the site and apparently their cookies don’t expire so you’ll get paid for referrals no matter how long it takes them to finally make a purchase.

SEOClerk really is an interesting site and it’s fairly easy to navigate and you can get an account set up very quickly.

The next time you need to advertise a service you’re offering, give it a try or check it out if you’re looking to outsource.  Either way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find there.

Earn Money Online Doing SEO Gigs or Outsource with SEOClerk is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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Become a Better Blogger

Have you been breaking your neck trying to adhere to all of the latest SEO guidelines?  Going out of your way to optimize content? Build links? Only to discover that you’re ranking hasn’t improved at all?

I’ve been there and still doing that – wondering what on earth I still could be doing wrong? 

At times, I’ve felt like the search engines are as hungry as Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors – no matter how much blood I give, it still wants more.  It still screams, “Feed me, Seymour!”

I keep feeding it more and more optimized content and yet nothing changes.  I keep building backlinks – nothing.  I avoid duplicate content – after over a year, I can’t get past a page rank of 4 – what gives? What exactly does Google want from me?

Out of all of the things I’ve done, I’ve never thought to conduct a check for broken links, both internal and external.  I guess I hadn’t really thought about it – I didn’t realize how much it mattered, but according to an old post I found over at DailySEOTip.com entitled, “Crawl Your Site for Broken Links, Errors, and Duplicate Content,” broken links and other various errors could signal to search engines that your site is still under construction and is therefore not as valuable.

I don’t know about you, but the thought of that made my eye twitch.  Out of all of the steps I’ve taken to build this blog, you mean to tell me Google still considers it a work in progress and not worth increasing the rank?

I decided that it was time to take action, so I stopped by Dr. Link Check to get a status on my links.  This site is free and scans up to 1000 links.  It checks for broken internal and external links and even checks for blacklisted links.  If you need to scan more than 1000 links, there are additional options to choose from.

After scanning WeBlogBetter.com, I cringed!  I had over 117 broken links and 2 blacklisted links.  Obviously, I’ve got some work to do!  I’m going to spend some time fixing up the problem and I’ll keep you posted on the results.

Have you had a similar experience with stagnant rankings?  Have you checked your links yet?

Are Your Broken Links Hurting Your Ranking? is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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I'm also available for blog startup, content writing and consultation services.

Visit my other blog, Highly Favored for Christian inspiration and church newsletter tips.

Become a Better Blogger

Most people are always in search of the new shinny object – the traffic strategy. But I see that too often people overlook fundamental traffic sources, which could be implemented right away.

Many traffic strategies require you to learn them, and it can take some time. Why not start with the ones which don’t necessarily demand you to put in time and effort to understand?

Therefore, I’m going to give you some traffic strategies today which can be implemented right away.

Also, they are completely free to use, yet are shown countless times to give great results – a boost of traffic.

Remember, to get greater results you need to repeat the process as many times as possible. But don’t forget about putting in value in your content for others. That’s what counts the most.

1. Slideshare

The first one we are going to look at is Slideshare. Some call it the YouTube of slides.

It is a site for the purpose of sharing different slide presentations with other people. The format of your presentation isn’t that important. You can share your PowerPoint documents as well as your PDF’s.

Your job is to put out good content on Slideshare. The better your content, the better your chances of getting more traffic.

I know that may not be easy to create valuable content for other people, but that’s what others expect and like to read. You wouldn’t want to read bad content, would you?

We all want to see first class information, and that’s how you get more visitors to your own website – valuable content.

Now, the next thing to really think about is how you format your document. People like beautiful content much better than ugly content. Well, I don’t mean the text as a content but you need to include some pictures in your content.

Pictures are eye grabbers and will remain such for a long time. Therefore, I strongly recommend you put in your documents some cool pics.

If you succeed in both areas – good information plus pictures – then you can expect to get new visitors, get your slides shared by others to their friends etc.

Traffic from Slideshare doesn’t come immediately. But, if your content is very good, then traffic will certainly come over to you within a few short weeks.

You can promote your slides yourself at Twitter and Facebook to gain more exposure and make the traffic process go faster.

2. Flickr

This is a massive site full of different photos people share with others. It’s very interesting to surf Flickr for the purpose of pleasure itself.

But the way how you can utilize Flickr is to use the comments section below each photo. People like to share their images but they also like to hear from other people what they think about their images.

This is a huge opportunities for you. You could use it for SEO purposes or drive direct traffic to your website.

The idea is to look at the images you particularly like but which are somehow connected to your own niche and your online business and then leave a comment which has a link in it. The link is leading back to your website.

It’s really that easy to get traffic with Flickr.

But remember that your comments cannot be simple spam. They need to add value to other people too. They must be somehow related to the pictures.

This is a really great opportunity for you to get some targeted traffic right away, like today. I suggest you try it out when you can.

3. Google Images

It’s funny that almost all people not knowing a great deal about SEO overlook this or simply ignore it.

Google images are used by many people to find the thing they are looking for in every search they make using Google. I myself use Google’s image search a lot. Do you use it too? Probably yes.

Now, this applies to Yahoo and Bing too. But Google gives you much more traffic than the other search engines.

So, although images are pleasing and a very important addition to blog posts and any great content on the net, there’s one thing most people forget and it is the alt text tag.

The alt text tag is the tag when you’re naming your pictures. It is important to not add a non-sense name to your image, and don’t leave it non-sense. By non-sense I mean symbolical names or random letters one after another joined together.

Give your images sense, and the search engines need it to place your image in the image search results for others to find your image.

3 (Too Often Ignored) Traffic Secrets is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

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I'm also available for blog startup, content writing and consultation services.

Visit my other blog, Highly Favored for Christian inspiration and church newsletter tips.

Become a Better Blogger

You’re staring down a deadline, and everyone and everything seems determined to keep you from finishing your assignment. Maybe your boss keeps stopping by to check on your progress, or perhaps you’re on Facebook to see how many people have wished you a happy birthday.

You’re a good writer, and you want to concentrate. But let’s face it. Writing about the benefits of nonprofit credit card processing or the services of Chicago electricians can leave you vulnerable to even the slightest distraction. Here are a few tips for keeping your mind on your writing.

Fill Your Ears with Sweet White Noise

Music is good, too, but all those lyrics? Come on. You know you want to sing along. Try dull white noise, at least until you’ve found your writing groove. Download a white noise app on your phone. Let the crashing waves or gentle barking tree frogs sharpen your writing senses. If that becomes too much of a distraction itself, you can try one of the dull humming options that can at least drown out the office chatter around you.

Set Rules

This is one of the looks-good-on-paper methods for limiting distractions, but it’s also the most challenging. You can’t control your coworkers, but you can attempt to set boundaries. This will get easier with time, as the offending distracters get used to the idea of you ignoring them. Be persistent and downright grouchy about it, if you have to.

Use an alarm clock or an egg timer. Set it for 25 minutes. Don’t take your eyes off of your computer until you hear the ding, and make it clear to the people around you that you are not to be disturbed in the meantime. It’s just as important to schedule breaks so that you don’t go nuts (and the guy one desk over has something really, really important to say, so you’d better give him a couple of seconds between writing blocks to get such important matters off his chest).

Give Twitter and Facebook the Cold Shoulder

This one can be tough. Facebook seems so warm and inviting compared with the blank Word document you’ve got open, doesn’t it? Whatever you do, resist. Social networks aren’t the only distracting culprits; if you leave Google chat open in its own window, now’s the time to (gulp) x out of it. You’ll notice right away how much easier it is to concentrate on your writing when you can’t see an open chat window blinking at you.

Here are a few ways you can block out online distractions:

• Go full-screen. Force that Word document to be the only thing you see.
• Turn off your iPhone. Or at least go “airplane” mode for a while. Some phones have the option of temporarily shutting off notifications, as well.
• Go “invisible.” If you have to keep your email open for work purposes, you can hide yourself from your online chat buddies. If you’re still too tempted, sign out of chat entirely.
• Go offline. This is something of a nuclear option. But if you’ve got all the materials you need for writing nearby, give it a shot. At least for a little while. Good luck with that.

Get Out of the House

If you write from home, you’re surrounded by distractions. The TV is just sitting there, begging to be turned on (and Gilligan’s Island comes on about 20 times a day on different channels!). Leave. Pack up and head to Caribou. You can eliminate the usual comforting distractions, and you might even feel better about yourself having made it out of the front door. (NOTE: Don’t go somewhere more distracting. We advise against relocating to this place.)

Now that you know the secrets, close this window. It’s distracting you. You’ve got writing to do!

How to Overcome Distractions While Writing is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2011. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.

Would you like to subscribe to my feed or subscribe to my newsletter? Or perhaps follow me on Twitter.

I'm also available for blog startup, content writing and consultation services.

Visit my other blog, Highly Favored for Christian inspiration and church newsletter tips.

Become a Better Blogger