6 Tips To Improve Keyword Research for SEO Content
Guest Post by Sam Mauzy.
Keyword content creation is one of the best ways for people to increase their search engine rankings. However, it is important that you chose the right keywords to focus on for the best ranking results. Here are some tips for determining which keywords you should use as a part of your SEO strategy.
Long Tail Keywords
Instead of focusing on direct keywords, like “cars” or “cats,” websites are far better able to get traction with long tail keyword searches. To begin with, most people are more likely to search specifically than broadly, so it makes more sense to create content for phrases like “cheap used cars” or “long-haired cats.” To find the most popular terms related to keyword bases, simply type in a keyword and Google will provide a drop-down list of the most popular long tail searches.
Localize Your Keywords
One of Google’s recent updates was to prioritize local search results. This means that if you have a physical storefront, you will want to create keyword content that includes your location. This also ensures that you are getting your target demographic to your website. If you sell used cars in California, visitors from New York are likely to be simply taking up your bandwidth.
Focus on Keywords that Improve Your Conversion Rate
Related to localized content, you want to try to hone in on keywords that will not only increase the number of visitors to your website but keywords that will improve your conversion rate as well. Creating keyword content for things that have little to nothing to do with your site will not improve your conversion rate and could hurt you in the long run as it increases your bounce rate.
Take Advantage of Analytics
One of the best ways to do keyword research and track your progress is to look at analytic data. The information provided by Google Analytics alone is both extensive and valuable. Some of the things that you should be looking at specifically are your pages with high bounce rates and your pages with high conversion rates. High bounce rates mean that people aren’t finding what they are looking for, meaning keywords used on these pages are probably not your best bet. Conversely, landing pages with the highest conversion rates are those that you should use as a base for additional content.
Use PPC Data
PPC ads are a great way to do a test run on a keyword selection. Since keyword content can take weeks or even months to turn into search engine ranking improvement, PPC ads are a quick way to see if new keyword content will improve your conversion rate. Used correctly, PPC ads are a great source of inexpensive and real-time market research.
Make Your Keyword Goals Attainable
Finally, make sure that you are choosing keywords you can realistically achieve high search engine rankings with. It is better to achieve a high ranking with a few long tail keywords than spend months achieving little progress with a highly competitive keyword. That is not to say that you cannot ever achieve top rankings with a particular keyword, but you should consider it a long term goal and put your effort into several keywords at the same time.
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Sam is a blogger with a background in SEO. His latest challenge has been learning how to make iPhone apps which he has found to be a great new marketable skill to have.
Read MoreHow to use Twitter to Effectively Market Your Blog
Guest Post by Sam Mauzy.
Today, just about everybody you talk to has a blog. The best bloggers will keep their site updated by posting regularly, from several times a week to even several times a day. Bloggers use several different tactics to get people to find their little corner of the Internet. SEO keywords and tags are a common way to make sure that web surfers find a blog post. However, so many bloggers put up the posts, add the keywords and leave it at that. They’re missing a huge part of marketing tactics for their blog, particularly Twitter.
Twitter is a fantastic way to get your blog’s name and recent posts out and about. However, every single Tweet will only capture some people’s attention, and only for a split second. The key ingredient to marketing successfully is repetition. This is the only way to ensure that your message will stick and that a large number of people will hear it.
Unless you’re glued to your cell phone even when you sleep, you can’t exactly update your Twitter every few hours of every single day. However, you do want to be bringing readers to your blog around-the-clock. The best way to deal with this is to sign up for a program that you can use to schedule your Tweets. TweetDeck and HootSuite are two programs that people can use to schedule Tweets for any hour of the day, up to several weeks in advance. You want to be reaching your Twitter audience as new people are signing on and as others are signing off. Schedule posts for every few hours during the day for several days in advance.
Make sure to rotate the times of your Tweets, too. For example, you may want to schedule links to your newest blog post for the next three days, but don’t schedule each one for 4 p.m. every day. Your fans who are browsing the Internet as they’re waiting for their work day to end will see your same post three days in a row. Next time you have something on Twitter, they’re going to ignore it because they’ll figure they’ve seen it before. If you post on even hours one day, post on odd hours the next. Also, HootSuite lets you choose five-minute intervals, allowing for even more flexibility.
Don’t overlook the importance of promoting older blog posts. As you gain new followers, they may want to read what you had to say this time last year. Obviously, this tactic will only work if you have several blog posts to choose from. Even if you’re a new blogger, however, you can start recycling old posts once you get on a regular, frequent blogging schedule.
Avoid posting the same exact thing over and over. Choose different excerpts from your blog to catch the interest of varying audiences. Repeating the exact same message multiple times is boring and akin to traditional marketing and sales methods, which people really don’t respond to anymore. Think about what your audience will find interesting and then present that information in multiple ways, even if you’re always linking back to the same blog post.
One thing that even the most frequent Twitter users forget to do is to add pictures to their posts. Pictures are worth even more than a thousand words when it comes to social media marketing. Photos get just about everybody’s attention and are one of the main things to keep in mind when composing Tweets or scheduling future posts.
Last, but not least, use hashtags wisely. Don’t overload your Tweets with them and always use hashtags that actually have to do with your Tweet. Otherwise, Twitter could prevent you from posting altogether.
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Sam is a blogger who specializes in website conversion rate optimization and other online sales conversion services.
Read MoreGetting a Job is As Easy As 1, 2, 3
Guest Post by Emmy Wilford
I am looking for a recent college graduate with a degree in Marketing. I have a good job. Of course, any job is a good job in this economy. I have some advice and, since I am the one hiring, it is probably a good idea to pay attention.
Lesson 1
It is easier to get a job when you have a job. Just ask someone who has been unemployed for more than one year. Chances are, your employer knew you would be leaving when you graduated and was glad to have you as a part-time employee while you were in college. If you stay on the job and, especially, if your supervisors will provide a reference, that is a real plus. If you are returning to your home and cannot keep that job, see if you can get a transfer. They will not pay relocation expenses, but that probably does not matter. If the company allows you to transfer, that says a lot about your value as an employee.
If you decide to keep your part-time job, that will give you a little income. That takes a bit of the pressure off. The next thing you have to do is accept your first marketing assignment – yourself.
Lesson 2
You are the first product you must market. If you envision job hunting this way, you should slip comfortably into the marketing techniques you have spent the last four years learning. What better way to demonstrate your competency? Identify your strengths. Create a resume that concentrates on them and presents them in the best light. Your resume is the place to shine. It will be speaking for you, so make sure it has nice things to say. Your cover letter is important, too. Do not be too friendly. We do not know each other, but do not be aloof, either. Instead, focus on convincing me I want to get to know you. That gets you to the interview, and that is critical. Once there, you will have the opportunity to speak for yourself.
Apply for every job that seems reasonable which brings us to the third lesson. In this economy, the value of this approach cannot be underestimated.
Lesson 3
If you cannot get in the front door, try the back. For instance, while I am looking for a new member of my marketing team, I am also looking for a mailroom clerk, secretary, and janitor. Those might all seem beneath you, but they are not. First of all, the people who do those jobs are important. With your background, it is not difficult to imagine that any one of these jobs could lead to a future marketing job with my company. Remember to do your homework before trying the back door. Make sure it is a company that encourages internal upward mobility. Otherwise, it is a waste of your time.
The back door can lead to a dead end, as well. Think carefully before pursuing any of these kinds of jobs. For instance, if it is a nighttime janitor, there is little chance you will ever see anyone on the dayshift. A mailroom clerk stuck in the mailroom all day will probably never get out, but one who makes the rounds might get to know the right people. Think, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. As a secretary for the right person, you might meet me, the one who can be so impressed with your skills and attitude that a marketing job might be in your future.
Creativity is the key to standing out. These three lessons should help. There are jobs out there. You want to position yourself to be the best candidate. That is the secret to good marketing.
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Emmy Wilford works with The College City as an online instructor. Marketing is her passion, and it shows.
Read MoreHow to Determine if Your Business Needs a Social Media Manager
Guest Post by Melanie Slaugh.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, your business has probably made the wise decision to incorporate social media into its marketing scheme. Social media and the Internet give you a chance to reach thousands of new customers on a regular basis and who wouldn’t want to leverage that to their benefit? Of course, it only works if you’re doing it right. If you’ve been on the fence about hiring a social media manager or not, here are five signs that it’s time to do so.
You don’t know the first thing about social media and you have no desire to learn
Easy. Hire someone to do it for you. It’s not worth the back and forth or the stress over if you should learn how everything works or not, nor the worry about if you have the time to learn the tricks of the trade or not. You would be better off hiring someone with the technical know-how so that you can focus on what it is you do best for the business.
You’re spending more time trying to figure out how to tweet than is monetarily feasible
If you’ve made the leap into social media marketing but you’re going into it blind then it can go one of two ways: either you’ll pick it up quickly or you will spend countless hours trying to learn to the point that it’s not worth it. When attempting to learn social media starts cutting into your productivity (and subsequently, company money) then it’s probably time to put that money to better use and to hire someone that knows what they’re doing.
Your automated messages aren’t generating the buzz you wanted
Successful social media is so much more than just scheduling automated tweets or Facebook posts, and if you go into it thinking that all you need to do is send out automated posts you’re going into it destined to fail. The reason social media is so successful is because of the personal interaction that it allows members to feel. Having a social media manager means you have someone who is capable of developing these relationships and building your brand.
You don’t have time to maintain the accounts
Social media success is a direct result of the time that is spent being active online and maintaining the accounts. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to the different social media then you’re better off hiring someone whose sole job is to promote and engage with customers via those accounts.
Not everyone needs to hire a social media manager, and many businesses do just fine passing off those responsibilities to employees who can pick up the slack. However successful social media does require being savvy enough with it to not only keep the accounts alive, but also to grow them. If you’re finding your businesses’ social media is lacking, it might be time to hire a professional to take it over.
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Melanie Slaugh is enthusiastic about the growing prospects and opportunities of various industries and writing articles on various consumer goods and services as a freelance writer. She writes extensively for internet service providers and also topics related to internet providers in my area for presenting the consumers, the information they need to choose the right Internet package for them. She can be emailed for follow up.
Read MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Having Your Own Photograph as Gravatar
Guest Post by Bashir Jutt.
Gravatar are the images that serve as your mask all over the Internet in general, and blogosphere to be more precise. However, while we see people paying a lot more attention to their Facebook profiles, they are quite careless towards Gravatar, which is equally (if not more) important than your social profiles. And while people will gladly put their own photographs at their FB page, they are often reluctant to use their own photographs in their Gravatar. Remember that the Gravatar will be accompanying everything you write on blogs including your posts, comments, or even guest posts, so you shouldn’t be taking it lightly if you are looking to make a mark in blogging community.
We can’t emphasize that using your own photograph is a must, because having your own image has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons to help you decide whether you should be using your own photograph or not.
Advantages
When you are using your own photograph in Gravatar, you will naturally be paying more attention to your writings, trying to be more grammatically and factually correct. Doing so will result in improved writing, as you will invest a little more time in researching and proofreading before you hit the publish, or submit button. Secondly, just like Social Networks, having your real photograph will make it easier for you to befriend with fellow bloggers, as people will be keener to communicate with someone with a real image instead of someone anonymous with a cartoon or blank image as their Gravatar. Coming back to the writing, while it wouldn’t make some poor writing appear good, but your comment or posts will be carrying a little more weight as compared to something coming from an anonymous user with no face. Lastly, having your own image will help you gain recognition and fame amongst your peers and you will end up making more friends at real life meet-ups and conferences.
Disadvantages
To start with, having your own photograph with everything you write will make you a little more conscious while writing and you might not be able to churn out posts like before, in short, you will be writing more quality stuff as compared to the quantity. At times, you might not be able to speak your heart out, since you will try to be more politically correct when posting with your real photograph, to make sure you are not infuriating people. Last but not the least, all the advantages of having your own photograph will turn into disadvantages if you aren’t using a good quality photograph with good background, since a fuzzy photograph will present you as someone who doesn’t take his/her cyber identity seriously, at all.
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Bashir is a full time blogger and an amateur photographer with a penchant for saving. That’s the reason he lists discount offers for Jupiter images promo code and photos.com promo codes at his website, that you can use to get some cool stock images from photos.com or Jupiter images, and perk up your Blog.
Read MoreUnderstanding What “Deep Link” Means And How To Get More For Your Site
Guest Post by Sam Mauzy.
Deep links lead clients to specific pages that they are looking for without having through the entire content. They are quick links to various areas of interest in your web page. To understand how to use these links for your benefit, you need to take some time to consider their advantages.
Increases relevancy of the website
By using chosen keywords as your anchor text, you enable users to directly access the relevant pages without bouncing around in your main page. It’s easier to rank the pages with the anchor text instead of the whole page. This makes your web page more relevant and highly ranked.
Ease of page navigation
Deep linking provides a simple way of navigating through pages and pages of content. By giving users means of going direct to what is relevant to them you make it a pleasant journey going through your webpage. It saves them time and the search engines will return better rankings for your pages. A good navigational structure for your webpage attracts traffic and makes your web pages trustworthy.
Search rankings
Use of deep links ‘tell’ the search engines that other people are interested on the pages of your website, not just the homepage. It goes to show that they regard the content of your website highly and go beyond looking at your attractive main page. Search engines will therefore rank your site and specific pages as important and put them high in their rankings of useful sites. Of course this translates to more traffic and business for you at the end of the day.
Increase in traffic inflow
Deep linking increases traffic flow to your pages and your website. This is because search engines will rank your page high as they take your site to be important depending on the number of deep links you have. Also, when clients get what they want with ease, they also rank your site as useful and pass the word around that your website contains specific content that they want. This automatically opens your site to more clients and more opportunities. Increased traffic for any website is good business.
Domain authority
External deep links coupled with internal ones make your webpage have authority over other pages. Remember the search engines highly regard sites that have a lot of back links and they rank them high up. When other highly ranked websites have your links, the search engines are convinced that your website has authority over the others and that your content is more important. For example, Wikipedia can be said to have authority over other similar sites and that’s why it’s ranked so highly by most search engines, all these thanks to deep linking.
You will boost your search engine ranking if you are able to get more for your site. Another thing that most website owners also do today embedding back links to other pages apart from the home page, and submitting those link pages to different directories. This is a great way of having your website to have more traffic through the search engines. You don’t even need to do the job yourself, as there are service providers that can do deep link submission for you, giving you an opportunity to take advantage of this important SEO marketing strategy. You only need to look for providers who can do it in a way that does not appear as spam to the search engines.
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Sam is a contributing blogger for a site that specializes in ecommerce conversion rate optimization.
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