A great blog entry from "Lazy Marketer" Chris Rempel today on the state of search engine optimization (SEO) in 2012. It's called, "Here's What's Actually Dead in 2012." It covers the Google updates from last year as well as comments on Clickbank, online sales taxes, the open market for Kindle books and certain kinds of apps, etc.
Having studied 400+ sites with SEO tools, Chris has come to some conclusions about what works today at least on Google. I wanted to quote some of it, but before I do ... What I've Said for Years: Develop quality, unique content. Don't hire people for $5 to write articles that represent your business. And don't just swipe someone else's content. Keep someone on staff who writes well or hire a real writer whose native language is English (or whatever the language of your audience). Remember that you're not just trying to score a search engine presence. Your content has to win over human prospects as well. It needs to establish trust, entice desires, and convince the mind. Keep the content fresh. I believe in static articles for key information that people need to access. You can build to your list of articles over time. But just as important is a more frequently updated blog that keeps people up to date on what your business is doing and educates them about your field of business ... and why you bring them value. Of course you can add a social component to this to keep it even fresher. Build quality incoming links. Oops -- there's that "quality" word again. I'm not a big fan of "more." I'm a fan of "better." Experts have shown for a few years now that high-quality links do more for you than scores of low-quality links. Really get people talking about you by offering value. Of course that can include asking friends or friendly businesses to say a few nice things about you in their social networks (links), blogs, etc. I've promoted quality for several years because remember that there are only three certain things in life: death, taxes, and changing search engine algorithms. (I think that's how it goes.) The purpose of search engines though (even if we think like Chris does that Google missed the mark on this last year) is to connect people to valuable content. Anything that tries to shortcut this is going to suffer at some point. So if you want to build for long-term success, quality matters. This isn't to say that the process of building with quality can't change with time. Today we have video options that we didn't have in the early days of the internet. And now social buttons and social links have an impact on search engine rankings that they didn't have fairly recently. But my bottom line has always been fresh, quality content with quality referrals to your site. So now let's look at ... What Chris is Saying: Among other things, Chris points to a few elements that you might have very recently read. Such as ... 1) Every page you want indexed needs to be 100% unique and long-content. Maybe it’s a bit excessive, but for my largest authority site yet (which I’ve been building for over a year now), my minimum word count per page is 550 words, and usually 600+. And we’re talking top-shelf content. This is definitely NOT $5/article drivel. 2) Freshness Factors Actually Matter Now. I still hate blogs (ironically), but ... these days, more than ever, the “newness” factor based on things like POST DATE and RSS FEEDS (your site’s) is directly contributing to SERP placement. Most of you have probably already noticed this. 3) “Social Media” is (Unfortunately) Now a Part of Essential Linkbuilding. Getting “likes”, “tweets” and all the rest of it is now a very real ranking factor. Additionally, so is your author tag (rel=”author” and rel=”me”). We knew this day was coming, and its arrival has been tumultuous, simply because it’s far from being a refined science like traditional backlinking (and it’s easier to exploit). If you want to see more about what he wrote, check out his actual blog entry. I just thought it useful to show the credibility of 400+ site tests to confirm my push for quality and regular content. Partly because ME saying you need quality writing is awfully biased. (Don't you want to hire mccardellwrite?) But then ... I've said it for the reason that it seems to be awfully true. Over the last couple years, I've had a firsthand look at people selling a particular brand worth millions in profits each year. A relatively small group of people was selling this brand online, and there was a ton of demand for it nationwide.
So it's surprising to me that while countless dollars were spent on paid ads to drive site traffic, very little was put into developing valuable online content that would help the consumer make a wise purchasing decision. And to make that purchase through the content provider's website of course. Some highly searched keywords related to this brand went unpurchased as URLs, where reviews or articles on the brand could have been posted. And the online stores selling the brand never developed active sites with blogs, social network pages, etc. Some online competition just can't be won in organic search results without a major investment of time and money. "Real estate" for example. That's a given. But when you are selling a specific brand against a relatively small number of competitors ... and that brand could be worth millions to you ... it's time to develop content and from that, FREE TRAFFIC. (An awfully delicious business term when you can convert it into sales.) Whether you do it yourself or hire it out, remember that quality matters, and that what people really want is to make smart choices with their money. If you're out there to throw the usual sales pitch at them, they'll move on. They want information. It should also come across as professional because this is your moment to establish credibility and trust. If you don't do this, why would someone hand you there money and trust you to send a good product? So see what you can offer that helps customers do the right thing for themselves, and see that translate into sales from people far more likely to be happy with their purchases and to give your business the right kind of "word of mouth." I've introduced a new business to focus on super low-cost business cards and postcards. It's aptly called Business Cards Wholesale, where you can get 1000 1-sided business cards designed, printed, and delivered (continental U.S.) for just $65. Similar great deals for double-sided cards, postcards, etc. Not something you'll easily beat elsewhere, and you'll get MY smiling face helping you out.
I offer the same great design rates without printing right here on mccardellwrite. But I packaged everything for a tremendous deal on the other site. However, one extra benefit at the other site will be having your card featured along with a link to your site if you want. Incoming links to your site are always a good thing to have, and having your business card posted with the link helps to market your business. We're trying out something new here at mccardellwrite. There's a new service called PromoPit, where you can compete (for free) to grab free products while also purchasing discounted products and services. Some of these are also regularly put on promos, where you can buy things at super deep discounts.
Right now, most of the products are for helping promote your business -- ad impressions, visits to your website, how to do SEO, and so on. More products in more topics should appear over time, as they just opened the marketplace 10 days ago. But I've started adding some of our services as well. So you can get discounts on business card design or a new website, for instance. And I plan to add more of our services as well. The great thing is, if you like our services and the value we offer, you can refer others to PromoPit (totally FREE -- it's just a marketplace) and they can enjoy our discounted rates. And YOU? You can receive a whopping 25% referral fee on anything they buy, including our services. So for instance, you'd earn more than $150 for referring our website building service to someone! There's no cost to join, so if this interests you, join PromoPit today! We know that the word FREE is one of the most attractive words we can use in marketing, but consumers are rightly wary of the word because we're told that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Are you really giving me something free just to get my attention, or am I going to pay for it somehow in the end? Is there a trap?
Free can be used in positive and negative ways. There's always a catch, but many times this isn't a problem. A catch can mean "I got you into my store to look around." And that's all there is to it. On the other hand, the catch can be a terrible trap. For instance, if I get a free sample but I have to give you my credit card number for shipping and then I'm stuck on a monthly program that's almost impossible to cancel ... well that's a really nasty form of "free" that isn't free at all. If you offer a free eye exam but I'm obligated to buy overpriced glasses or contacts, then the cost of the eye exam was built in and then some. If you offer me a free vacation but then hound me about a time share ... well, you get the point. What are some of the positive uses of "FREE"? The nice thing is that, living in the internet age, we've discovered that digital "stuff" -- which can be highly valuable as information or software -- costs a business nearly nothing once it's developed. So they really can offer us something for free, without any trap, simply to get our attention. The catch is just to have us learn more about them or actively use their business at no cost (building a relationship) with the potential for upgrades down the road. Free reports are one example. Free online courses. Free e-mail. Free video calls. Just to name a few. Sometimes free can be a worthwhile "give and take" as well. I'll give you something for free if you'll do a little something for me as well. This might take the form of bartering. Or you see how VistaPrint has become a billion dollar printing company by offering "FREE BUSINESS CARDS" that are one-sided only, because on the back side of the card is small promo for VistaPrint. In other words, you get free cards (you pay for shipping) in exchange for promoting them. [Interestingly, their free business cards are NOT made through offset printing, but through digital printing. So they're very low quality, and I would never recommend them for a business. And VistaPrint uses these low-quality cards to promote itself. Not the best way to build an image, but there you go.] In a similar but I like to think more progressive fashion, I've started offering free business card design. One-sided, just like VistaPrint. The back side is also reserved for a small promo, but here's the difference: the promo actually builds a second stream of income for my business card client. How it works: they get their card designed and use it as usual. Then they get it printed by ViralPrint (wholesale design and printing) which they've joined through me, and I include their ViralPrint referral code on the back of the card. Anyone they give their card to who wants low-cost design and printing uses their code to join. Now my business card client is making money every time that person prints something. So do I, so it's a win-win scenario, and it allows me to offer this professional service at no cost to them. How could you use FREE in your business without a trap? Are you using free already? If so, does it help or hurt your business? It's one thing to attract people. It's another to lose your shirt by doing so. Magically, we're just about to reach 2012 -- end of the world by some estimates. (Mayan Calendar and all.) But maybe, as some people suggest ... it's just the end of the world as we know it. And as the entire business world goes online and we turn from "real" to "digital," maybe they're right.
Surprisingly, though, a lot of small businesses still don't have a website. A website. Wow. It is 2012 after all. Or, you know ... their website is awful, and they probably know it. Now, if you have nothing online to sell yourself, are you really expecting future success? Or are you playing a lovely game of "passive-aggressive" with yourself? I don't know why I'm not succeeding. I'm trying so hard! I've done what I can to make it easy and affordable for you to get online if you're not already. Please consider this important update if it's needed. But now let's talk about social marketing. Are you on Linked In, Facebook, or Twitter with your business? Do you know that they are EASY to sign up for, and spending just a little time each week talking about something you know about -- your business -- is a free way to attract legitimate interest in your business. Are you making use of this? (Ok ... you're not just talking about YOUR BUSINESS. You're talking about things related to it. You build credibility in that field, and therefore attract the right kind of attention to your business.) There are ways to automate content on your social networks too. And this is useful for the consistency and quality it offers. But no one else has your unique perspective on your industry (even if it's just how to make a great pizza), and it's good to offer that from time to time. And certainly to engage in online conversation with anyone asking questions. Be there for them and start to build the trust and even the FRIENDSHIP that can yield long-term business. The more I observe the world, the more I feel that every bit of it is communication. So no wonder they say this is the crux of a good marriage. It's also the crux of any relationship, and that includes the relationship between your business and other businesses and clients or customers.
I often talk about how this is really all forms of communication, from the obvious -- commercials, display ads, direct mail, websites, etc. -- to the non-obvious like bills and phone messages and even business systems -- yeah, how you do things is like body language, and affects the customer experience. This is why I so urgently want to help small businesses get help when they need it: I see what they're doing; I know they can do better; and I know that it can help their bottom line. Of course it's important that communication be genuine, and what's appropriate for one business definitely isn't for another. How I dress every day as a writer -- jeans and a fleece or flannel in the winter -- just doesn't work for a corporate lawyer because how we dress is part of our communication. (One good reason for me to not be a corporate lawyer.) So you need to find the language that's right for your business. But when you know what your language is, make sure you don't slur. What I mean is, be genuine, but be easy to understand by your audience. Don't misspell unless that's part of the shtick. Having a "raw" video doesn't mean having terrible editing for the video. Running an expensive display ad that's jammed with text to the point that people can't read it ... well, what good is that doing you? You see, the whole world is communication. But communication is a two-way street. Remember your audience and how your message will be received. While I'll keep using this blog to share my own tools, tips, and insights to help your business thrive, I realized that the most valuable content I can give you just might be real-life, hands-on feedback about YOUR writing or design needs.
So I'm throwing the doors open here to a service on this blog that could be worth hundreds of dollars to you as an individual business -- send me a writing or design project you're working on, and if you give me permission to feature a "before and after" on the blog for others to benefit from, I'll offer personalized feedback. It can be anonymous, or we can showcase who you really are and perhaps attract others to your business through this blog. Maybe I take your current business card or display ad and show a new version you could consider; or part of your direct mail piece with headline and opening variations. Anything you need a hand on with specific thoughts for improvement that, in turn, will be useful for others to see as well. I'll look for a variety of business types to help as many people as possible through this blog. So please ... let's tackle something together and see what we can turn it into. Want us writing or designing your next ad for free? We will if your next ad is done via text message! Here's how it works:
We've joined a new mobile marketing program where advertisers can reach an audience targeted by location, age, gender, and interests. And you reach them by text message -- something people typically read immediately, and that reaches people about 3 times more than e-mails do. These people are paid to receive these text messages, so they're eager to hear from you! And because we earn a referral for introducing your business to the program, we can afford to write your text with you, or even design your MMS message so you're sending a graphic instead. You only pay for those you want to reach, targeted the way you like. So if you want to get started with mobile marketing today, this is a great approach. Join here and then talk to us about helping with your ad! We kind of like this one -- our new free blog writing service. You need content to help build your search engine rankings, and we love to provide custom, quality content. We'll put together a top-notch entry for your blog when you give us permission to include a link to one of our websites in the body text. It's a great win-win scenario!
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