But this is how a lot of your customers and prospects search for information on Google. They don’t use grammatically correct syntax. Their queries are often little more than a jumble of words relevant to the information they want to find (e.g. “dog professional los angeles trainer”). Assuming those phrases receive traffic, your job is to rank for them. And that means finding a way to make them fit.

That’s the topic of today’s post. We’ll explain how to work in awkward keywords into your content, providing several ideas to get your creative juices flowing. For the following discussion, forget about silliness like keyword stuffing or hitting a 2.3657% density. If recent algorithm updates have taught us anything, it’s that reader engagement trumps all.

Ignore Rules Of Punctuation (To A Point)

First, don’t misunderstand. Punctuation is definitely important. Not only is it difficult to appear professional without it, but it makes your content easier to read. Having said that, Google all but ignores punctuation when its spiders crawl through your pages to identify context. This gives you a great opportunity to work in clumsy keywords. A period or comma in the middle of your keyword phrase has no effect on its ranking power.

For example, you could write, “Most dog owners find there is enormous value in hiring a professional dog trainer. Los Angeles is home to numerous trainers with years of experience working with a wide range of breeds.”

Mix The Positions And Variations Of The Words

Sometimes, you need to mix up your keywords. Either change the order in which the individual words appear, or use different forms of the words. You can even inject an “a” or “an” or “in” into the phrase. Google’s algo is smart enough to figure out the context in which you’re using it. If word order matters, its influence on ranking is minimal. It’s also worth noting that Google will display some word variations in bold; a search for “dog trainer” will show bolded results for both “trainer” and “training”.

To work in your phrase, you could write, “There are a lot of local regulations involving dog ownership in Los Angeles. A professional dog trainer can help minimize the odds you’ll run afoul of them.”

Subheadings: Let Your Keyword Lead The Section

This is an easy way to work awkward keywords into your page without disrupting the flow of your body content. It will also give your page an extra boost in Google’s algorithm since subheads are given ranking weight when wrapped in H tags.

Your subhead could appear as follows: “Finding A Professional Dog Trainer In Los Angeles.” It’s simple and gets the job done. Note, the word “in” is a filler word often disregarded by Google.

Learn To Leverage LSI To Your Advantage

LSI stands for latent semantic indexing. It’s a fancy phrase that refers to the relationships of various words shared by similar documents. It is used by Google (to an extent) to figure out what pages mean. For example, if a page mentions “apple,” along with the words “screen” and “keyboard,” Google assumes the content is referring to the technology company and not the fruit. LSI is not an exact science, but can make the search engine appear very intuitive.

You can use LSI to help rank your pages for clumsy keywords. For example, you might write, “L.A. is a great place to find a professional trainer for your German Shepard. Given the breed’s temperament, most pro trainers will blend positive reinforcement with strict leash training.” The words we’ve italicized help Google to figure out context, according to their latent semantic analysis.

Again, it’s not an exact science. But it can be a great way to work in awkward keywords, especially if you’ve placed the exact phrases elsewhere – for example, a subhead – on your page.

It’s important to balance keyword optimization with creating content that engages your readers. Content that leaves people unsatisfied won’t generate leads or sales. Worse, when enough folks hit the back button on their browsers, Google will notice your page isn’t giving them what they want. The result? Lower rankings.

Bottom line: optimize your content for your keywords, even the awkward ones. But prioritize reader engagement.

Your Turn!

There are lots of ways to work in clumsy keywords that we didn’t have the space to cover. What are some of the crafty tactics you’ve used to make them fit into your content? Let us know in the comments below!

(Awesome photo provided by sfslim)

The best part? Top-notch, community-focused content – the type Fisher creates for his business – is perfectly aligned with Google’s mission to provide its users with the information they want. There is no better way to insulate yourself from your competitors.

Today, we’ll reveal the platforms Fisher uses to distribute his content to his target audience. You’ll learn the benefits of each approach as well as how they dovetail with one another to expand his reach. Along the way, you’ll notice how simple it is to accomplish the exact same thing.

On-Page SEO: Overlooked, Disregarded, And Extremely Powerful

The first step to boosting your search rankings is to make sure your site’s on-page factors have been optimized. In the past, this meant placing your primary keywords in your titles and headlines. Those things are still important, but you should also include your keywords near the beginning of your copy, and if possible, in your URLs.

Also, keep in mind that Google has become far more efficient at reading your content. They’ve gotten much better at knowing the difference between high-quality material and stuff that is “not so great.” Avoid stuffing keywords into your body copy.

Optimizing on-page factors has helped Fisher claim higher search positions for the deep pages of his sites. It will do the same for you.

The next step is creating targeted content for your audience.

The Case For Creating Community-Specific Content

One of the linchpins of Fisher’s SEO success has been to produce more community-specific content than other real estate agents. For example, many agents write blog posts and articles about the general housing market, how to flip properties, and tax considerations for mortgage borrowers. By contrast, Fisher creates content showcasing properties in the communities he serves.

His pages are more likely to rank higher in Google than other agents’ pages when prospects search for condos and homes in those communities. The words and phrases he uses are more relevant to prospects’ search queries.

The bottom line? Targeted blog posts and articles are more powerful than general material when your goal is to reach local prospects.

Can Article Marketing Boost Your Site’s Ranking Authority?

Article marketing has often been lambasted as a waste of time. In fact, as Ben Fisher might argue, nothing could be further from the truth. The tactic remains one of his main methods for achieving higher positions in the search engines.

Think about the gist of article marketing: other sites publish your content and link back to your site, ideally with the proper anchor text. The more authoritative the domains that link to you, the bigger the boost to your site’s rankings.

All of this remains true today. But making article marketing work for you requires using the right approach. Here’s how RE agent Fisher leverages it successfully:

• he creates high-quality content
• he publishes his articles on authoritative sites that offer do-follow links
• he publishes his community-specific content on niche real estate sites for thematic relevance
• he links from his articles to deep pages on his sites, not merely the home pages.
• he uses anchor text that varies to avoid over-optimization

Fisher’s approach works. The proof is in his higher search rankings and increasing search-driven traffic.

Guest Blogging For Exposure, Links, And Higher Search Rankings

By his own admission, the most effective content marketing tactic Fisher uses is guest blogging. By submitting blog posts to popular blogs in his industry, he has been able to build links back to his sites from a broad base of niche-focused domains. This has helped build his business in several ways.

First, he enjoys more exposure to his market. More people read his material, which reinforces his position as an authority in his field.

Second, he has been able to spread out his anchor text. Rather than focusing solely on two or three keywords, risking over-optimization, Fisher varies his anchors. In doing so, he increases the likelihood that prospects will find his pages for a greater variety of search queries.

Third, the links he builds to his sites expand his link profile. Links from a diverse population of authoritative, thematically-relevant sites give a powerful boost to search rankings.

Fourth, his higher positions in Google bring more targeted prospects to his sites. This has helped Fisher close millions of dollars in sales.

Tips For Finding And Leveraging Guest Blogging Opportunities

Hard-won experience has turned Fisher into a veritable expert on uncovering guest blogging opportunities. Prior to submitting posts, he reaches out to other professionals in his industry, establishing relationships. (He does so through multiple channels, such as forums and social media.) These relationships have proven to be instrumental toward bringing him key guest blogging gigs that place his content and links on high-PR sites.

Fisher also takes the time to create first-class material for his guest blog posts. Doing so further strengthens his position as an expert. It also sets him apart from others agents who exploit guest blogging as a way to spam links to their sites. Blog owners are more likely to bring him back as a guest.

The bottom line is that content marketing is one of the most potent tools you can use to increase your exposure, build links, and improve your search positions. Just ask Ben Fisher, who continues to receive thousands of targeted prospects to his sites each month from Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Your Turn!

The tactics that work for successful real estate agents like Ben Fisher will work in practically every imaginable niche. In what ways have you used your content to improve your rankings in Google? Guest blog posts? Online press releases? Article marketing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Connect With Ben Fisher

I’d like to thank Ben for sharing the story of his success so that others can learn and benefit. If you liked this article — thank him too on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter. Be sure to register for free information and access to luxury home tours on his site if you’re in the market for a home for sale in Deer Valley or Park City real estate.

Keyword-driven content marketing improves your search visibility and establishes you as a credible authority in your niche. But it is imperative that you focus your time and effort ranking for the right keywords. Today, we’ll give you five tips for building a keyword inventory that increases your visitors, leads, and sales.

#1 – Build Multiple Keyword Inventories Based On Sub-Niches

Most people compile a long list of keywords, intending to rank for each of them. A better approach is to organize your keywords by sub-niche. For example, suppose you run a large golf site that sells golf equipment, clothing, instructional videos, and offers course reviews. A keyword list that includes phrases from each section would be difficult to manage. Instead, break it down by section. Create a small list focused around each sub-niche. Your list for “golf instructional videos” might include the following phrases…

• golf video instruction beginners
• how to master golf swing video
• beginning golf lessons on video
• how to chip from tall grass golf video
• video improve power in golf swing

Notice how these phrases are more targeted than the general phrase “golf instructional videos”. Not only are they easier to rank for, but your content will draw more targeted visitors.

#2 – Use High-ROI Keywords From Your Google Adwords Campaigns

This is a simple method for jumpstarting your keyword lists. If you’re using Google Adwords to promote your products or services, you should have a good idea which phrases are producing a high ROI. Focus your content marketing around those keywords.

Although there are several variables involved with converting a prospect to a customer, much of the heavy lifting is done by attracting motivated prospects. That comes down to selecting good keywords. For example, the person who types “buy discount Callaway golf driver” is closer to making a purchase than someone who types “golf club reviews.” Look through your Adwords account, and cherry-pick the best phrases.

#3 – Monitor Social Media To Uncover New Keyword Opportunities

The words we use to describe things change over time. What was once a “weblog” is now called simply a “blog.” Also, different phrases are used in conversation than those you’ll find in books, magazines, and even online. For instance, hitting a golf ball with a half-swing is technically called a “punch shot”. But in conversation, golfers might refer to it as a “half shot.”Create content that focuses on both phrases.

Social media sites are treasure troves for conversational language people use to find information. From Twitter and Facebook to Yahoo Answers and YouTube, these sites can give you a glimpse into keyword territory that would otherwise go undetected. Keep in mind, most of your competitors are missing this strategy.

#4 – “Tighten” Your Keyword Lists

Unless you have a staff of content creators churning out dozens of pages a day, it’s a good idea to concentrate your efforts on short keyword lists. If any of your sub-niche lists contains over 100 keywords, it’s probably too long. Trying to rank for each phrase will prevent you from spending the necessary time to rank for the keywords that matter.

Keep your lists short, and closely track your results for each keyword.

Which leads us to our final tip…

#5 – Prune Your Keyword Lists On A Regular Basis

Part of your content marketing strategy should include auditing your keyword lists. As you know, some keywords will perform much better than others. Others will fail from the outset. There’s no reason to continue sinking time, effort, and money into ranking for phrases that produce poor results.

First, you need a way to track the performance of your keywords. Google Analytics is a good option, but there are several free alternatives that can do the job well. Second, as Jack Welch of GE fame was known to do, lop off the worst-performing 10 percent of each list following each audit. That will allow you to devote more attention to cementing your rankings for the higher-ROI phrases.

As you prune keywords, add new ones to test. There’s a good chance you’ll stumble across a few that become top performers.

In a future post, we’ll talk about how to use specific sites to collect keywords for your content marketing campaigns. But don’t wait. The sooner you get started, the better. Use the five tips above to compile your keyword lists today.

Your Turn!

What strategies do you use to find keywords for your content marketing campaigns? Do you do anything to keep your lists fresh? Share your thoughts in the comments!

If you’re just beginning your article marketing efforts, you might be shocked to realize that these articles aren’t supposed to be written directly about your company (save that for your SEO press releases!). From keywords, to article marketing topic ideas, here’s a quick, guide to getting those backlinks and results you’re looking for.

Know How Your Target Audience Searches

The best article marketing topic ideas should be centered on keyword phrases that reflect the problems your target audience is facing and the solutions you provide. An article used in article marketing is not a blatant ad. Instead, it’s a way for you to prove your expertise on a certain topic by providing answers to questions and solutions to problems.

Choosing a topic that is useful and beneficial to your target audience is critical! The goal is for your article to be found when people are searching for answers and ideas online. One of the best ways to find out what your target audience wants to know is to listen to their questions! You can find an endless supply of topics by reading questions people are asking on forums, Yahoo Answers, and Answers.com. A useful topic means that people will link to, bookmark, and share your articles, maximizing your visibility and backlinks.

Once you have an idea of what questions people are asking, you’ll need a way to format the information into an article. Here are some ways to present your information that have proven successful time and time again.

Article Marketing Topic Ideas

Keep this post handy for when need an article writing jumpstart:

1. The “How To” Article

An informative, how to guide is almost always a success. It may seem “wrong” to teach people how to do what you do… isn’t that taking business away from yourself? Your target audience is often looking for solutions on how they can solve the problem themselves. If they really want to do it themselves, they will find a way. Then there are others who will see what is involved in doing it themselves and decide they need help. You’ve already proven that you’re an expert and your contact info is in the bio of the article… why wouldn’t they contact you? One article that I wrote titled “SEO Press Releases, How to Write Them and Where to Submit Them” basically tells people EXACTLY how to do something that we offer as a service. It has been viewed 38,676 times and has hundreds of comments and shares. That’s the power of a good, solid article that doesn’t hold back on information! Some examples of “how to” headlines include “5 Essential Steps to Sales Success” and “How I Made $15,874 in One Day (Tips Revealed)” and “A Guide To Paying For Retirement Communities.”

2. The Comparison Article:

When doing a comparison article, try to compare at least three different options — especially if you’re comparing companies or products. For example, “A Comparison of the top 5 Shopping Websites” will be more unbiased than an article such as “Amazon or Barnes and Nobel — which is better?” If you only use two options, it’s seems more like two competing options being pitted against each other than a true comparison.

3. The Contrast Article:

Just like comparisons, a contrast article is a great choice. A contrasting article will highlight the differences between three or more options. A title for a contrast article could be ‘Retirement Communities: The Difference Between Assisted Living, Senior Living And More.’

4. The “X Things To Consider Before…” Article:

Are there things in your industry that people aren’t even aware to ask about? Perhaps you offer a credit repair service and it drives you NUTS to see your competitors getting all of the fanfare and customers when their business practices leave a lot to be desired. This kind of article can bring those dirty little practices to light. Some examples of these types of headlines include “3 Things To Consider Before Choosing A Retirement Community” or “5 Critical Things You MUST Ask Before Hiring a Credit Repair Agency.” You’ll be able to position your business in the best possible light, without ever mentioning yourself by name.

5. The “How To Know When It’s Time To…” Article

We all struggle with making big decisions. Are we prepared? Is it the right time? A guide that provides a profile of the type of person that makes a decision can be very useful in these situations. Some examples of these types of headlines include “Is He Marriage Material? How to Tell if He’s ‘The One’,” and “Are Your Parent’s Safe At Home Alone? How to Know When It’s Time for a Retirement Home.”

6. The “Three Reasons Why” Article

An article that addresses the reasons why readers should do something is another excellent starting off point if you’re struggling with article marketing topic ideas. A headline such as “Three Reasons Why 90% of First Dates Fail,” or “The Three Reasons Dogs Bite People: And How To Nip That Behavior in the Bud” piques interest and promises some gain of knowledge.

7. The “What So and So Doesn’t Want You To Know About” Article

These are always fun spicy topics that allow you to reveal information in a fun way. Titles like “The Sports Betting System Vegas Doesn’t Want You To know About” and “Five Things Your Car Insurance Company Doesn’t Want You To Know” frame what could be a standard “how to” or “7 facts about” article in a fun way.

CRITICAL!! Convert Readers Into Fans, Into Customers, in Your Author Bio

Now that you’ve answered the questions that your target audience was looking for, it’s time to tout your credentials. Craft an author bio that shares why you’re qualified to speak on the subject and that links back to your site and/or your social media profiles where you can convert readers into subscribers and eventually customers.

Here’s an example of an article marketing author bio:

Christine O’Kelly is the cofounder of Online PR Media, the press release distribution site that supercharges traditional media press releases with multimedia, social media, and SEO. Claim your free copy of “The Results-Driven Press Release Formula” written by SEO copywriting experts and learn how to write press releases that generate publicity and visibility.

Your Turn!

These are general article marketing topic ideas that can work for any industry. What article marketing topic ideas have worked for your business? Have you found success with any particular types of articles? If you have ideas for our next SEO Copywriting Step-by-Step mini-class, we’d love to hear from you!

 Opt-In Offer Idea #1: Offer A Free E-Book Or Whitepaper

If you’re intimidated by the thought of creating an e-book or a whitepaper download, don’t be! An e-book can be as short as 8-10 pages so you don’t need to spend weeks writing and editing. Use plenty of relevant photos and graphics to make the design really pop and don’t forget to make an eye-catching cover (while we all know you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, the truth is that we all do it).

If you feel like a whitepaper is the better option for your industry, make sure you’re helping to solve or prevent a problem. The difference between a whitepaper and an e-book is that a whitepaper is supposed to be primarily factual, while an e-book allows authors a little more creativity.

Opt-In Offer Idea #2: Provide Special Services Or Discounts For Your List Members

You want your mailing list to make members feel special, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to offer them discounts or other services that are only available to members. Your discount offer doesn’t have to be big — something as small at 5-10% off standard prices or even free shipping on a physical product can be enough of an enticement. The point is to make them feel as though they are part of an exclusive group. 

Opt-In Offer Idea #3: Provide A Free Course

Information is power, so provide your customers with the chance to learn valuable information. However, don’t just give it away! Ask for something in return — that is, an email address.

Before creating your course, ask your customers what type of information they wish they had access to. Using videos, PDFs and text, create a virtual classroom. Offer classes at regular intervals and send out the course link to everyone whenever there’s a new class. One of the best things about a free course is that it can be started at any time and once you’ve designed it, it takes minimal work to keep it going. Just send your visitors the link and you’ll be able to reap the benefits.

Opt-In Offer Idea #5: Contests!

Contests are fun ways to get someone to opt-in to your list. A contest entry can be something as simple as just signing up for your mailing list. However, if you’re trying to make the contest seem a little exclusive, consider requiring readers to answer a quiz question that’s related to your business or your industry. Contests can run as frequently as once a week, but if you’re running one that often, consider providing a gift certificate that covers just a portion of your most popular product. You want to give contest entrants an incentive to actually buy something, as well as opt in to your mailing list.

Opt-In Offer Idea #4: Newsletters

Opting into a newsletter is probably the best way to get someone to opt in to your mailing list. Use your (free!) newsletters to educate customers on a relevant issue that people in your industry face. Don’t let it become an advertisement for your company or a dull how-to week after week — there’s no faster way to get readers to opt out!  By providing regular, informative content with the occasional discount or contest, you’ll gradually build up a solid following.

Your Turn!

What opt-in offer ideas have worked for your company? Do you see a benefit of one over another? If you have ideas for our next SEO Copywriting Step-by-Step mini-class, we’d love to hear from you!

** Image courtesy of Brendan C.

SEO Press Releases About Your Products and Services

Your current customers probably know all about your products or services, but what about the customers who haven’t taken advantage of your services yet? Take a moment to see if any of these events are happening in your company and then use SEO press releases to announce it:

• New information published by your company such as informational blog posts, e-books, training guides, YouTube tutorials, etc.
• A new product or service. Innovation and new products are always a part of a business so let your customers know when you’ve come up with something new.
• A limited time sale. If you have certain products that you discount each month, announcing them with SEO press releases is a good part of any marketing strategy.

SEO Press Releases About Company Events

Got news that you want others to know about your business? Your SEO press releases don’t need to be related to people or products. Other topic include:

• Charity donations. Customers like to do business with companies that are socially responsible so consider announcing charitable donations on a local or national level.
• An event that your company will be attending. Is your team headed to the big industry trade show? Announce where your booth will be and what exciting things people can expect when they visit.
• A contest! Contests can get a lot of great coverage. Once your release is published, send a link to your PR to bloggers and websites that provide lists of current contests to their readers.

SEO Press Releases About Your Staff

SEO press releases are the places to brag about your people. If you have one of these events in your company, now’s the time to shout it from the rooftops. Some announcements about personnel can include:

• Key new hires. Include information on his or her experience and how that experience will bring value to your customers.
• An employee’s award. Has one of your employees won an award? Show it off! It should be somehow related to the nature of your work. The purpose of this type of announcement is to not only humanize your company, but to showcase the fact that it is made up of people that are skilled in their trade.
• A speaking engagement or training that your company is presenting. Is one of your executives speaking at a community or industry event? This type of release can be written before to publicize the event or afterwards and announce its success.
• New certifications or training. Has your company or key individuals within your company acquired specialized training to better serve customers?

Your Turn!

These are generalized announcement types — each niche will have it’s own unique announcement types such as open houses for real estate agents. What additional topic ideas can you add to this list? Have you published any SEO press releases that you consider a great success? If you have ideas for our next SEO Copywriting Step-by-Step mini-class, we’d love to hear from you!

If you’re stumped for ideas, this second edition of SEO Copywriting Step-by-Step is for you. These ideas are only a few of the many ideas that our SEO copywriters use to highlight our client’s business. Get your team together and brainstorm how you can use each of these ideas on your own page. Within a single brainstorming session, you can jot down a month’s worth of posts to keep you engaged with your customers.

Tips and Information

One of the biggest reasons people will like your page is to learn about your business and how it can benefit them. Topics for these company-related posts could be:

• Link to a new blog post, press release, video or article that you’ve produced — or one from a non-competing business. (Whenever you post a link to an article or other resource, be sure to intro the link with a bit of commentary sharing how and why it is relevant to your audience!)
• Industry specific news or events (Subscribe to Google Alerts to be automatically emailed when new news is published around keywords of your choice).
• A useful tip that others can use to save time, money, or improve the quality of their lives Keep it within your niche. For example, if you sell real estate, share a real estate buying tip. If you sell Indian spices, share a recipe.
• Q & A with your most commonly asked questions — You’ve probably already got this written! Look through your email to find a question you were asked and post it and your response.

Getting Personal About Your Business

Customers love to work with people! Instead of staying nameless on your Facebook page, make it personal. Let your customers know there’s a real person behind each and every post and you’ll see that customers are more likely to interact on your page. If you’re not sure what to include, here are just a few ideas:

• Photos from company events — trade shows, retreats, team building exercises, open houses, etc.
• Employee milestones and celebrations — if Joe in marketing just earned is Distinguished Toastmasters status, share his success!
• Introduce new hires with a photo and a little background info.
• Give some backstory behind how some of your products or services were thought-up or created.
• Get excited about awards your company has won or mentions in the media or on other websites and blogs.
• Share info about any non-profits, charities, or community events your company supports or volunteers for.

Highlight Your Customers Or Fans

Just like they love to learn personal details about businesses, customers love to talk about themselves! Asking questions can be a great way to encourage participation, but it’s not the only way.

• Post a customer success story — and even though they had success with your product or service, make your customer the hero!
• Pick a “Fan of the Month” and shine the spotlight on them with a bio that showcases him or her.
• Share an excerpt from a customer email that made you smile (keep details confidential).

Contests Or Giveaways

Everyone loves a contest and there’s no better way to get fans to flock to your Facebook page. Contests don’t have to run you a lot of money though. You can do a quick one-day contest that rewards a winner with a free or discounted product or service. Some ideas for contests include:

• Share a link to a product page and ask people to comment with their favorite feature.
• Post a brainteaser or riddle and ask people to email with the answer and comment with how long it took them to figure it out.
• Post a link to a new blog post/video/article and ask people to comment with one thing they learned.

Get Interactive!

It’s human nature that people like to hear what others think. Use the following tactics to get the conversation flowing on your wall:

• Create a multiple-choice survey — ask something casual like “How are you doing at sticking to your New Year’s goals?” or more personal about your specific products and services “What’s your favorite feature of our new widget?” We suggest leaving the ” Allow anyone to add options” choice checked so that people can respond with their own answers instead of only selecting from the ones you created.
• Ask a fill in the blank question — it could be something conversation such as “It drives me crazy when my kids _____.” Or it could be business related such as “One feature that I wish xyz widget had is _____.”
• Ask fans to share their Twitter handle so that other like-minded fans in the community can follow them.
• Do a “Let’s get to know each other” post where you ask fans to share a link to their website and write a 1-sentence pitch for their business.
• Ask people to share their favorite thing about your service or products.
• Invite customers to post their QR codes.
• Ask fans to share a favorite quote or song lyric that represents what they stand for.
• Invite fans to share their favorite photos of them interacting with your business.
• Play a trivia game where fans answer and then post their own question for another person to answer. Here’s a fun example of a Facebook trivia game we created that people seemed to really enjoy.

General Tips for More Effective Facebooking

(That’s right… we just made Facebook a verb…)

• Respond to customers if they ask questions, whether in the comments or in a new post
• Visit and comment on posts on other pages, not just your own
• When you mention people or Pages in your posts, start typing their name with the “@” sign in order to turn the name into a linked mention. The post then appears on their page or profile as well depending on how they have their settings configured. (Note: In order for a page to link to a page, your page needs to have “liked” that page. In order for you to link to a person, that person has to have already “liked” your page.
• For more ideas, visit “Business Pages How To” on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/fbpages.

Your Turn!

What are some of the Facebook marketing strategies that you’ve tried with success? What types of posts do your favorite companies employ successfully? If you have ideas for the next SEO Copywriting Step-by-Step mini-class, we’d love to hear them!

One of the best ways to do this is with a regular newsletter, but coming up with topics can be difficult! In this first SEO Copywriting Step-by-Step mini-class, we’ll show you how to think up newsletter topics that will keep your customers interested and engaged.

Newsletter Topic #1: Solve A Common Problem 

Your customers are probably facing the same types of problems. If you’re not sure what these problems are, ask your customers to identify common issues they face on a day-to-day basis. Then spend some time brainstorming and come up with ways to help. It’s okay if each solution doesn’t have anything to do with your company or your services and actually, it’s better! Your newsletter should help customers first, not just be an advertising venue for your company.

Newsletter Topic #2: Tell A Horror Story

Customers don’t want to do business with a company, they want to do business with a person. There’s no better way to personalize your business than by telling a disaster story. Write about a problem your company faced and then tell how you bounced back and fixed it! Customers will be happy to learn about your resourcefulness and they’ll get to see how you can remain cool under pressure. Invite customers to write back and share their own horror stories too and feature these in an upcoming newsletter.

Newsletter Topic #3: Q And A

If you frequently receive questions from customers, use one of your newsletters to address these questions. Choose the most commonly asked questions and provide an answer for each. You might be surprised at how well received this kind of newsletter can be.

Newsletter Topic #4: Toot Your Own Horn

Many companies shy away from blatantly promoting their business in their newsletter. While it’s true that it can be a turn off if you’re constantly using your newsletter to tout how great you are, the newsletter is also the perfect place to announce if your company has won an award or received some other type of accolade.

Newsletter Topic #5: React To Industry News

Whenever there are changes and updates throughout your industry, don’t ignore them – react to them. Use your newsletter to explain what these changes mean and how they affect each company throughout your industry. Your clients will appreciate that you’ve taken the time to explain these changes.

Tip: Hire An SEO Copywriting Firm If You’re Short On Time

Busy companies can definitely benefit from hiring an SEO copywriting firm to handle their newsletters. Hiring SEO copywriters instead of handling this in house means that companies can be sure the project is getting done and an experienced SEO company can even help you come up with topics if you’re stuck.

If you’re concerned about handing the responsibility over to an outsourced SEO copywriting company, don’t be! SEO copywriters are trained in crafting content that’s meant to help convert potential customers into actual customers, as long as you choose the right SEO copywriting company. SEO Content Solutions is an SEO copywriting firm that welcomes your input and guarantees you’ll be pleased with the results.

Your Turn!

What are some newsletter topics that you’ve found to be successful? What are some of your favorite newsletters to receive and why? If you have an idea for the next SEO Copywriting Step-by-Step mini-class, we’d love to hear from you!

Consider using these ‘Top 10 Online Marketing Resolutions’ to boost your online presence throughout 2012:

1. Evaluate or Re-evaluate Your Keywords

Knowing your target keywords is the cornerstone of an online marketing campaign. If you have never done keyword research, stop the presses and do this first! If the last time you’ve done keyword research was over a year ago, it is probably time to dig in again and see if there are new opportunities that you are ignoring. Producing loads of online content geared towards the wrong keywords is a mistake you can avoid by doing your research upfront. Start the New Year fresh by re-examining your target keywords to ensure your audience is still searching for the key phrases you’re using in your online marketing initiatives. Get a baseline as to where you’re ranking now and set goals for where you’d like to be.

2. Build a List

Successful marketers will tell you that you list is your most important asset. Building a list is easier than it may seem. There are several ways to do this. With a mailing list service like Aweber, you can integrate an email parser into your checkout or registration process that will automatically send a confirmation email to get people to sign up for your list. This may require a bit of programming, but is so worth it and can be a way to quickly build your list. Another way is to offer a free download such as an ebook or a white paper on your site or on your Facebook page. In order for people to download the content, they need to enter their name and email and subscribe to your list. Our sister company Online PR Media has built a list of more than 16,000 subscribers in 8 months by implementing these two ideas.

3. Start or Step Up Your Blog

If you haven’t set up a business blog, now is the time to do so! Blogs are a great for both SEO and connecting with your customers. It’s a way to get your “voice” heard and a way to establish more of a brand for your business. More importantly, you need to consistently post timely information to engage readers. Having a ‘dead’ blog is sometimes worse than having no blog at all.

4. Regularly Publish SEO Press Releases

SEO press releases do triple duty when it comes to online marketing. One: They allow you a place to promote all of the new things happening within your company, such as new products, services, digital media, contributions, contests, and any other exciting things you are launching and implementing. Two: you can incorporate keyword anchor text links into your press releases that help boost the visibility of your site for your keywords. Three: Press releases serve as a fantastic reputation management tool. When a potential client does their due diligence on your company, they’ll find all kinds of positive information and realize that your company is an active industry leader.

5. Position Yourself as an Industry Thought Leader

Rather than following others’ blogs, and reading articles quoted by other ‘experts’ in your field, why not build your own following? Create content that positions you as a thought leader. Think of ways that you can contribute to established blogs, magazines and trade journals and launch some online publicity campaigns to them know you’re available for guest writing or interviewing. Set a goal to secure a speaking engagement in 2012 — whether at a local Chamber event or a national conference. Collect all of the valuable information you have contributed and create an online press kit that will position you as the ‘go to’ expert for media.

6. Provide ‘Shareable’ Content

Take advantage of the reach of online marketing by producing content that people want to share. Whether it’s a humorous and informative blog post, an infographic, a cartoon, or a valuable e-book with your secrets to success, strive to offer content that is not only going to be read by your followers, but will be passed along to their friends and family as well.

7. Refresh Website Content

The New Year is an excellent time to revamp your website content. Lose all of the stale, boring copy you’ve had for ages and refresh your site with engaging, informative and keyword-optimized content to ensure readers will come back for more (plus the added benefit that your fresh, new pages will likely be indexed higher in search results!).

8. Create Buzz with Contest Marketing

Kick start the year with a fun online contest that will get people talking about you and your company. Whether you’re giving away a free product or service you provide, the newest iPhone or other hot gadget, contests are a great way to stay visible and create buzz in your online community.

9. Step Up Your Social Media

Facebook, Twitter and other popular social media outlets have more power and reach than you can ever imagine. If you haven’t already, setup your business Facebook and Twitter account and start networking your way to higher exposure with your key prospects and clients. These platforms are only becoming more integral in online business — they are very influential when it comes to search, reach and visibility.

10. Become an Active Partner with Your Online Marketing Firm

The most successful businesses take an active role with their online marketing initiatives. Rather than handing the reigns 100% over to your online marketing team, consider working WITH them to develop strong content ideas that will get noticed. Remember that you know more about your own business than anyone else — and your team is only as powerful as the information you provide. By working with your marketing team regularly, you can ensure they have the latest information and tools relevant to your industry to maximize the online promotion of your firm.

Your Turn!

What are your business resolutions for 2012 — we’d love to hear them! Have questions about how to incorporate any or all of these 10 new year’s resolutions into a manageable marketing plan? We’re here to help!

Starting an article marketing campaign does not guarantee links. In fact, it is entirely possible to achieve absolutely no linking benefit to your website — and it is amazing how many people are doing just that. Here are some tips to optimize an article with “article marketing” as the topic for maximum SEO benefit:

Choose Keywords Wisely

Keywords are the search terms that your readers or customers use to find your website. Knowing which keywords you wish to target is one of the single most important components to your Internet marketing campaign. When done correctly, keyword research will be able to pinpoint which keywords your competitors are targeting and which keywords are more easily mastered than others.

Choose one primary keyword to target in your article, as well as 2-4 related keywords to sprinkle throughout. Using these related keywords helps the search engines get an even clearer idea about the topic of your article. Believe it or not, search engines can tell the difference between a keyword that appears on a page of many unrelated terms and one that appears with terms related to its topic.

Using Keywords In Your Title And Summary

Placing the keyword in the title of the article whenever possible is a great strategic tactic — trying to position the keyword toward the first part of the title. For example, a title that reads:

Article Marketing: 3 Things Strategies for Achieving More Visibility

Vs.

3 Things Strategies for Achieving More Visibility with Article Marketing

In the first instance, the phrase “article marketing” has a much stronger placement with regards to SEO. Using keywords in the title is important because the title often becomes the title tag and/or the URL of the web page. The title tag and URL are two of the most important pieces of a webpage that help search engines identify the topic of the content on that page. Not only does the title tag give the search engines a critical tip as to your topic, but the title tag usually becomes the dark blue title that appears in the search engines results page. This is why it is essential to create article titles that not only include keywords, but that also captivate readers! A good, solid, intriguing title can make the difference between your article being seen and being overlooked.

The summary of your article often becomes the Meta description for the page on which it’s published. The Meta description is usually the short summary that appears in the search engine results page beneath the title. The same logic that applies to writing captivating, keyword-rich titles also applies to writing summaries.

Using Keywords In The Body And Author Bio

When writing articles for article marketing, a good target keyword density is between 1.0% and 1.3%. Trying to “over optimize” by using keywords at a higher percent density can cause the article to be rejected by many publishers.

It is also very important to use your main keywords as anchor text whenever the online article distribution site will allow. Google uses anchor text as one way to determine page ranking. When you use your keyword as an anchor text, you are essentially telling Google (and the reader) what your website is all about.

Many article submission sites allow for anchor text in the ‘about the author’ bio – and taking this opportunity critical. When creating a bio with anchor text, it is beneficial to include two links: one to the homepage in a main keyword, and one to an internal page using the keyword the internal page is targeting.

We see many businesses make the mistake of only building links to their homepages. This is a missed opportunity! It’s important to build links to a site’s internal pages too — in fact we recommend that an article be written and distributed linking to any new pages created. The backlinks generated by that article will help establish the new page with the search engines.

By choosing to target the right keywords, using your main keyword in the titles and subheads of an article and of course linking to your website with anchor text keywords, you will effectively be using article marketing to build a backlink campaign for your website.

Your Turn!

How do you use article marketing to boost your online visibility? Any tips you’ve found to be helpful? We’d love to hear your experiences in our comments section!