If there's one thing that people love it is a web site that has plenty of automated features. Sites that are highly interactive tend to get the most traffic and generate the most business for the companies that run them. Automated features can also play a "behind the scenes" role, making your site easier to use, run smoothly and allow for things like online sales and password protection. There are many ways to get this type of automation into your site, but all involve either client side or server side scripting.
Scripts are written in programming languages specially designed for the web, and there are several languages that are commonly used. Most client side scripts are written in Java which is still one of the best web programming languages around. Some functions of a web site must be completed via server side scripting, however, and the most commonly used languages for server side scripting are PHP, PERL, and CGI. PHP and PERL are newer languages and are gaining a lot of popularity, but there are still plenty of features that can be scripted in the granddaddy of web scripting languages, CGI.
Shopping Carts
No online sales site would be complete without a functioning shopping cart and most of the best ones have been written in CGI script. CGI web hosting is great for shopping cart scripts because it interfaces well with most databases, including the popular MYSQL and MS Access databases, it can be utilized on Windows, UNIX, LINUX, and MACOS servers with equal ease, and can be easily configured for sales tax and shipping cost calculations. Some newer shopping cart scripts are being written in PHP and PERL, but most of the functioning carts on the web are in good old CGI web hosting scripts.
Password Protection
Many web sites require some sort of registration and entry of a password for the user to access the site's features. This is done for a number of reasons from simply a desire to track visitors for marketing purposes to allowing postings on message boards and ensuring that users have paid any required fees associated with use of the site. The automated registration process and user name/password issuance can be written with CGI scripts and many of them have been.
Form Managers
Have you ever wondered how the forms you fill out online are handled? In most cases, they're handled by CGI web hosting. When a user fills in that form and hits the "submit" button, a CGI script takes over and sends the data in email or writes it to a database where it can be accessed later by the site's administrators.
These are just a few of the uses for CGI scripts on today's web sites. There are literally hundreds of others and if there's something that can be done on a web site, it is something that can be done with CGI. PHP and PERL may be gaining a lot of popularity for various reasons, but CGI was with us first and it isn't going anywhere. As long as there are web sites, CGI web hosting will remain king.
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CGI Web Hosting - 3 Essential Scripts for your Business
Posted by Bisnis gaul Labels: Web and Hostingstarted daily - how your web hosting business can cash in
Posted by Bisnis gaul Labels: Web and HostingThe fact that an estimated 40,000 new blogs are being started daily should be of great interest to anybody already in the web hosting business or intending to go into it. Especially those planning to go into the business as affiliates or as resellers because this group of online entrepreneurs are in a very good position to cash in quickly on this amazing growth rate of blogs with hardly any investment necessary.
While it is true that a vast majority of blogs are hosted free, it is also true that many blogs are gaining high traffic so quickly that they are forced to quickly find paid web hosting as they exceed their allocated bandwidth.
The other fact to bear in mind is that virtually all successful bloggers own several blogs. This is significant because it is not easy to own several websites since lots of technical know-how and time are required to maintain a single website, let alone several. This is not the case with a blog that mainly requires content and very little technical knowledge to run very successfully. In terms of business volumes this simply means that a web hosting business that targets blogs is bound to grow a lot faster than the one that only seeks clients from the ranks of traditional websites.
The other significant factor in blogs that should be of great benefit to any web hosting business is the huge traffic that blogs seem to enjoy almost effortlessly.
All a web host entrepreneur needs to do, is to find a way to advertise their web hosting services to this blog traffic. There are several ways of doing this. You can for example look for acceptable ways of creating as many links from the blogs to your web hosting sites as possible. You can even start your very own blog on the subject.
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Choosing to make a web site is a very big decision. However, even more important than deciding to make the website itself, is choosing your web host. There are many web hosts out there, and so it is very difficult to find the web host that’s right for you. In order to find the best web host, it is important to find as many options as possible, and have a clear idea of what you want out of your web host. Following these four tips will make your search for a solid web host a lot easier.
1. Use search engines. Search on Google and Yahoo using keywords such as “web host.” Carefully going through the results will give you an accurate idea of the web hosting options available. Some may say that the web hosts ranked the highest are clearly the best, but this is not always true. Taking the time to look at a large number of the results will give you an ample group of web hosts to compare.
2. Know how your site is going to work. This tip may sound confusing, but it is important to know what your goals will be for your web site. If you plan to have a great number of large files hosted on your site, then you want a web host that gives you ample amounts of space. Bandwidth should also be taken into consideration. Is the site a personal site, or a commercial site? If you plan on making money with your website, than a larger investment for more storage space and bandwidth is justifiable. If you are making your site a blog and hosting it with a service such as TypePad, you want a web host that allows domain mapping.
3. Have a price range in mind. Knowing the general amount of money you are willing to spend will save you a great amount of time. If a certain web host is simply too expensive, then you move on to the next one with no issues. Additionally, if you set a specific price range, you can search for the best offer within that price range. Some web hosts may offer more space for $20 than others do for the same price.
4. Finally, make sure that you have web host support based on your needs. If it is your first web site, then you might want a web host that is willing to give advice on building new sites. Some web hosts offer a very “hands on” approach to new users. Other web hosts simply let users do whatever they want and no help is offered.
The most important thing when finding a web host is knowing exactly what you want. Your search for a web host will be a lot easier if you search for hosts using Search Engines like Google and Yahoo, and you know what you are looking for. Every web host offers something a little different than others. Simplicity and customer service should be high priorities when searching for a web host. Remember, the most expensive, and highest ranked web host may not always be the best web host for your needs. Beginning your web host search with a clear, informed mind is the perfect way to assure a successful venture.
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Pregnancy is a time of celebration, love, and unwanted but necessary weight gain. However, being pregnant doesn’t mean that your health and figure has to suffer permanent damage. You can gain weight in a healthy fashion while doing some very easy and safe heart healthy pregnancy exercise routines.
One of the simplest and most effective pregnancy exercises you can do is walking. Not only is walking one of the best cardiovascular exercises, it is also one of the safest pregnancy exercises you can engage in. Walking is one of the few pregnancy exercises that you can do for the complete duration of your pregnancy.
Another extremely beneficial heart healthy pregnancy exercise is swimming. Countless doctors and pregnant women have attested to the wonderful benefits of swimming during pregnancy. A weekly pregnancy exercise routine of swimming gives both the arms and legs a great workout while promoting cardiovascular health. Because of the nature of being subdued in water, swimming will also remind expectant mothers what it felt like before the pounds were added on. This is definitely a welcome change every now and then.
The third pregnancy exercise routine you can start doing to keep your body healthy is enrolling in an aerobics class. Many fitness centers and community centers offer low impact aerobics classes for pregnant women. One of the nicer benefits of this pregnancy exercise is that it is done in the company of other pregnant women under the watchful eye of a professional aerobics instructor. This means you are going to get a safe workout catered to the special needs of pregnancy.
Weight training is also a very beneficial pregnancy routine to keep your body healthy. Although you must only use very light weights when engaging in this pregnancy exercise, weight training is an excellent way of toning your body and increasing muscular strength.
The last heart healthy pregnancy exercise you can do to stay fit is Pilates/yoga. Both of these body conditioning exercises promote stretching and flexibility within the muscles. Yoga is also a nice accompaniment to walking. By doing a combination of these pregnancy exercises, you can have a healthy balanced cardiovascular routine.
Being pregnant doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice exercise and health. By walking, swimming, doing aerobics, weight training, and engaging in a Pilates/yoga routine, you can have a healthy and fit pregnancy.
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You must write a hypnotic persuasion letter to help you achieve all your goals! Get the boss to give your a raise, induce that beautiful blue-eyed girl to be your lover and persuade your mother to buy a BMW Z3 for you this summer.
Give me twenty minutes and I'll teach you step-by-step my secret writing your own success system. If you follow this 5 steps formula of writing, you'll never fail in this age of persuasion. Keep reading!
My 5-step formula consists of
1. Find Your Goal and Purpose for Writing
2. Write Down Your Goal
3. Visualization
4. Write Like You Talk (KISS rule)
5. Make It Perfect
Let me explain it to you step by step!
1. Find Your Goal and Purpose for Writing
Every success begins with a simple goal which includes hypnotic writing. You should come up with your main goal for writing. SUCCESS=GOAL+DEADLINE. Once you set your writing goal in your mind, you'll know the path to success. You must hold that point when you want to really achieve something valuable. Please see the example below.
Bad: I just write.
Good: I want to write this letter to persuade Joe to give me a book for free!
Better: I certainly CAN write a hypnotic letter to persuade Joe to give me a book for free before 01 July 2001.
2. Write Your Goal Down
Have you ever read the story of John in Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original Chicken Soup for the Soul? On one rainy day, when it was too wet outside to play, he decided to write a list of goals. John continued writing until he had 127 goals. These goals included exploring the Nile River, climbing high mountain peaks around the world and learning 3 foreign languages. Do you know the result?
Of the 127 goals that he listed over 60 years ago, John has achieved 108.
Why?
Because he Wrote It Down!
You must write it down on your desk, your wallet, your bath room and even on the wall in your men's room. Every time you see that bold goal, you'll notice you must take action now. With many repetitions, the words themselves will send a mighty command to your subconscious mind to make your dream into reality. Try it today!
3. Visualization
In the Bible it is written "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4) Also it says to us "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee." (Proverbs 23:7)
You mind think uses images instead of words. Therefore, Imagination X Vividness = Reality.
Learn to meditate. Then do it. No miracle will ever happen if you neglect this step. You can practice writing and persuasion skills in your mind. Practice makes perfect!
4. Write Like You Talk (KISS rule)
You can't write one sentence, right?
But you CAN talk non-stop about anything for a whole day, right?
Put your talk in writing. That's your masterpiece.
Simple, right?
It works! Keep It Simple Stupid. Write like you talk. Wite to your best friend. Write to your dream lover! You aren't afraid where to start, go and stop. What you say to your listeners is hypnotic and magic in print.
5. Make It Perfect
You can't achieve your goal with just one word or an attractive headline, right?
You can persuade anybody with your whole message. The sentence, structure and word combination make you a winner. You must think about the organization of your material. Every word. Every sentence. Every punctuation mark. Remember everything has a common function for your result. You are not training a MVP of the year. You must own a Dream Team.
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Everyone who has kept a personal journal knows that writing is a therapeutic process that helps integrate seemingly unconnected life events. Some believe the process works because the physical act of writing (using your hand-eye coordination) occupies your left brain, leaving your right brain free to access emotions, intuit connections, and create new insights.
How else can journaling help?
1. Journaling reduces stress by getting “monkey mind” thoughts out of your head. Mind chatter is a powerful stressor, stressor is a powerful health-buster, and journaling the chatter is a proven chatter-buster.
2. Writing about problems gives your right brain food for creative problem-solving. It’s amazing what happens when the creative part of your nature starts working on a problem—you’ll soon find solutions bubbling up from your subconscious.
3. Keeping a daily diary is one of the best techniques for discovering patterns, particularly those that are self-defeating. For example, a diary kept over the course of several months will clearly show any reoccurring difficulties like overeating, stress eating, poor (but similar) choices in relationships.
4. Want to better know yourself? Journal. Writing can help clarify your thoughts, your emotions, and your reactions to certain people or situations. In addition, as you read back through past journals, you’ll have ample evidence of the things that make you happy and those that are distressful.
5. Journaling can help clarify events, problems, or options. When you’re beset with a mind full of fuzzy, disconnected thoughts flitting here and there, writing about the event or issue will help bring focus and clarity. It will also help you decide on which action to take, or option to choose.
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To make a six-figure income as a freelance writer, to need to be an expert. You need your name to jump to people's lips when a particular job or challenge comes up.
"Direct mail for software? You should get in touch with Bob. That's what he does." Insert your own name and specialty where appropriate.
You can't get that kind of awareness or referral if you're someone who just writes about anything in any medium. Nobody is going to believe that you are a trusted expert in absolutely everything.
So how do you determine a viable 'niche'? You have three choices...
1. Niche by industry...
That is to say, work within a particular industry. For years I worked with pharmaceutical clients. All my clients were drug companies. I wrote direct mail, brochures, sales aids, video scripts. I wrote anything, so long as it was about pharmaceuticals. That was my niche. And my clients knew that I was knowledgeable in that area. So they came to me.
2. Niche by medium...
In this scenario, you make a particular medium your specialty. After my years with the pharmaceutical industry, I decided to specialize as a direct mail copywriter. And for that period, about 15 years, I ONLY write direct mail and associated media...like inserts, fliers, postcards etc. I was a direct response specialist. And I wrote for all kinds of different industries - financial, cable TV, magazine publishers and more.
My specialty, my niche, was as a direct response copywriter. Other writers have built their careers around writing annual reports, radio scripts, white papers etc.
3. 'Double-Niche'
When you double-niche you are making a specialty of serving a single industry through a single medium. For instance, writing direct response for the financial industry. And ONLY writing direct response for the financial industry.
In conclusion...
As I said at the beginning, you can't be an expert at everything...not within every industry, not with every medium. So you need to take some steps to find your niche.
How do you choose? First, know yourself. Know what you are good at. Know what you like.
Also, be smart. Create your niche where the money is. Find your niche where there is a strong market.
And be smart about the size of your niche. Don't go so narrow that you're forever starved of work. Don't go so broad that people view you as a Jack or Jill of all trades, a generalist.
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As an iconoclastic young developer, with ambitions of beating the "big boys" at their own game, more time than money or the connections to get it, I sought a less capital intensive methodology to achieve the same results. Years of study and rapt attention to the pertinent forums, trying everything that even seemed to make sense (making many mistakes along the way, and learning much from each one), then carefully monitoring the results, has lead to many highly workable tools in our SEO bag of tricks. The outcome of these trial and error methods, (lots of both) lays the foundation of our SEO services and the basis for the ongoing growth of traffic to your website and ours. The simple fact of the matter is this: Expertise in any other form of writing in no way qualifies one for the type of writing required to optimize a website for the Internet. There are many sites which have less than correct punctuation, grammar, and even spelling which rank #1 in their optimized search phrases. This is not to say that I don't think these things are important, only that to be found in the search engines, they are not the most important consideration.
The flip side of this argument is equally true. Just because someone knows all the ins and outs of all of the search engines, can write algorithms in their sleep, has lunches with Dr. Eric Schmidt and is on a first name basis with Larry Page and Sergey Brin, does not, in any way, make them a writer. All of the writing on this site was done as a collaborative venture between Susan K. Thompson, a professional writer with strong academic credentials and real world experience, in both business and marketing, and myself. Was there a lot of editing and re-write? Yes. Were there disagreements? You bet! Was it worth it? Look at the record.
Emerald Coast Entrepreneur was launched on May 1, 2005 with most site optimization in place and submission to the directories just beginning. With a total monetary investment of less than $100.00, and a time investment, I'd rather not think about, but which approached 300 hours, the site was given a PR5 ranking by Google on it's first update, less than 2 months after our launch.
Studies show that over 90% of all online users use search engines to find what they are looking for, whether products/services, or just plain old information.
The following twelve points will, I hope, summarize a philosophy, approach and methodology to the SEO question which is both sound and effective, along with giving some helpful insight into the industry itself.
1. Content. Content. Content.
Effective, professional, optimized Copywriting is the single, most important factor in any SEO campaign. Search engines index websites based on the content found on each page of the site. With a thorough understanding of the language and grammatical conventions combined with intensive research, to find and exploit the market focus, one can move a website to the upper echelon of the "SERP's" (Search Engine Results Page) in a methodical as well as ethical manner.
2. Analyze Web Logs.
Measure everything, at least twice, and then check again. While I would be the first to say that many of the procedures that make up website optimization are more art than science, one needs to take a very scientific approach to the results of the effort. This is done by methodically keeping a record of, and making an analysis of the sites web logs. There are a number of specialized software which make the job easier but at the bare minimum, one needs to keep a close eye on the site visitors and their activity while on the site. No matter how well planned the strategy, it is largely theoretical until proven by the results, which can only be measured by the logs, and a thorough analysis of their content.
3. No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, or any other search engine.
Those who promise such feats will either optimize for such vague search term phrases (such as, "green stunted widgets with purple Polka-dots and icing") that no one will ever likely look for, or they are making a false claim, which they have no intention of keeping, or they have an inside edge at Google, something which they will loose, quickly, when the honest folks at Google find out about it. The other option, that they will take the money and run, is worth mentioning here but I'll be polite.
4. Some things are just plain silly.
You don't need to submit your site to 50,000 search engines. Businesses which offer this service are suspect, at best. 85% of the search results on the Internet come from one search engine, which, if you have one link from an established website, or better yet, a directory, will find your site just fine, on it's own. Four (4) search engines account for over 90% of the traffic on the web. As for any supposed benefit which may accrue from being listed in an obscure search engine in Botswana which specializes in safaris to the Kalahari Desert and receives 7 hits per day; well, you figure it out.
5. SEO is not Pay-per-Click.
While no one would argue the effectiveness of getting increased traffic and sales, through a well planned, pay-per-click campaign, the fact remains that the conversion rates are generally low and they cease the moment the "pay" stops. With a well planned and executed SEO campaign, while results may take a bit longer, they continue to produce, and in fact grow, long after the work is done and paid for. Quite often we have found that after a thorough optimization of a site, only minor adjustments are needed on an ongoing basis, primarily related to new content and/or new items of sale or service.
6. SEO is not witchcraft, Druidism, shamanism.
Neither does it require any special chants, ceremonial fires, or vestments, though some of us do like to howl at the full moon, on occasion. There are no "Top Secret" practices which a reputable SEO can not tell a client, a judge, or his mother, for that matter. The very nature of the Internet has always been cooperative and there is nothing about SEO that can't be learned, with a heavy dose of time and money. A reputable SEO firm will give you an item per item breakdown of just where the money goes. Be wary if you sense a secretive atmosphere or any unwillingness to answer questions. While there are technical points which might take some background to fully understand, if one has a solid overview of the entire situation, a simple explanation should be easy enough to come up with.
7. Do-it-yourself SEO.
Yes, you can execute your own SEO campaign and find a reputable SEO firm to help plan and organize it for you. About one half of my own clientele do some part of the actual work themselves, or have their in-house dedicated personnel do it, after discussion of the goals and aims of the business/website, a thorough website analysis, comprehensive search phrase research, and focused instruction on the ways and means of achieving high SERPs. These preliminaries are followed up with a detailed program of suggestions and methods which the client can then implement themselves or hire others to perform. Average savings; 30-40%.
8. Phased Implementation.
While many companies spend thousands of dollars per month on Search Engine Optimization, an alternative is available which will pay dividends to you in increased sales and leads without the high initial investment. The most important consideration is to have a reputable firm handle the initial evaluation and suggested optimization planning first. The trial and error method will cost much more, in the long run, with or without the desired result. After studying the plan and establishing a workable budget you may implement the plan as finances allow.
9. Remember the old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Never was this more true than in the realm of SEO. While concrete and measurable gains will always come from a well thought out and executed optimization strategy, the Internet is a competitive media and we all want to be number one. Accept that a steady upward movement, over time, will place you worlds ahead of a flash followed by a crash.
10. A thought to ponder.
At stake, in the race for the top, is the very existence of your website, your business, and quite possibly your reputation. Beware of any "shortcuts" or less than ethical schemes that anyone might suggest to further your business goals. When it's all said and done it is you, the business owner, who bears the responsibility for any company or individual you hire. Insist on knowing exactly what the strategy is and what steps are being performed to implement it. If it seems, in the least, suspicious, ask for and get an explanation. In this case, not only is Ignorance not bliss, it could very well be the beginning of the end for your business.
11. All incoming links are not created equal.
Both the relevance to your line of business and website subject matter and the PR value of the incoming link determine how valuable they are to your own PR ranking. With Google starting the trend, nothing new there, and most of the others following close behind, the days of grabbing all the inbound links, in any way possible, are gone. Not only will low ranked and/or irrelevant inbound links not help, they will, in fact, cause a penalty. Link farms, free-for-all link schemes, automated link accumulation software, or any other fad that doesn't carefully screen the links and websites they are coming from will, in the long run, do more harm than good.
12. It's more than just facts and figures.
The relationship between an online business and SEO is, perhaps, one of the closest of business relationships. In order to be effective, a SEO must know not only the facts and figures pertaining to the endeavor, but s/he must know something of the dreams and aspirations of the business principals. Things which don't normally come out in a prospectus are often invaluable information when searching for the "right fit" into the complex world of the Internet. My own clients sometimes ask, due to the frequency of my calls and email in the early phases, "Am I your only client?" I usually laugh and say something to the effect that until I know your business almost as well as you do, yes, you are the only one that counts.
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There's hope for the 'little guys' in the search engine ranking game, even if they
can't tell the difference between the title and keyword meta tag! You can achieve high rankings for important keywords simply by applying certain rules that stand the test of time and even technology...and the number one rule is
really to... Help the search engines provide relevant
search results!
How do you do this? I'll reveal the 'secrets' soon. While I'm far from being an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) expert and am just sharing experiences here, I've achieved some phenomenal results by following these basic rules and without resorting to 'tricks'. Importantly, these are rankings that last.
- side note -
I'm not suggesting you shouldn't learn about SEO or use genuine software that helps, in fact you should. To learn about SEO, some sites you can
check out:
http://www.selfpromotion.com : shows you how to construct your webpages and submit
them to hundreds of search engines and directories absolutely FREE.
http://www.searchenginewatch.com : everything you need to know related to
search engines.
For software to facilitate your website
positioning, this one's the best:
http://www.turnkeymoney.com/te.htm
- end side note -
For example (at this time of writing), here
are my rankings for
http://www.Marketing-Make-Money.com in
Yahoo alone (remember these are extremely
competitive keywords):
'Make money online' | rank: #1 of 33.9
million sites Proof:
http://tinyurl.com/2wtr9
'Make money' | rank: #27 of 85.4 million
sites Proof: http://tinyurl.com/35cc3
'Web marketing' | rank: #4 of 113 million
sites Proof: http://tinyurl.com/yv8de
'Web marketing tips' | rank: #6 of 10.2
million sites Proof:
http://tinyurl.com/388a6
How did I achieve such incredible rankings
without being some SEO guru or even
obsessively optimizing my site?
Recall the number one rule? It's to help
the search engines provide relevant search
results.
Now I honestly believe there are only two
MAIN things which support this rule and in
the process, reward your website with the
high rankings you desire.
These two things are Keyword Rich Content
and Targeted Back Links which we'll talk
about later...
Here then are 7 powerful secrets you can
use to model your website after to explode
your high search engine rankings!
Step 1: Determine Highly Searched Keywords
Determine highly searched and targeted
keywords/keyword phrases related to your
site and put them into a list. Here're the
tools to use:
http://instantmarketingsecrets.com/keyword.htm : compares results of keyword searches
from Overture and Wordtracker and displays
them side by side.
http://smtek.info/cgi-bin/keywordtool.cgi :
allows you to find relevant hot keywords
with a single click...very cool very useful.
http://www.goodkeywords.com : excellent
software to find targeted keywords in
Overture and various other engines.
Step 2: Register Keyword Rich Domain Names
While there've been contrasting arguments
about whether having keywords in your
domain helps, I strongly feel it does. The
same goes for dashes between words in the
domain.
Use these to source for domain name ideas:
http://www.nameboy.com
http://www.deleteddomains.com
You can also register your domains for
peanuts per year here:
http://www.namecheap.com
http://www.registerfly.com
Step 3: Use Your Targeted Keywords In Your Copy
Use the list of keywords in step 1 within
your website copy, especially in the title,
headline and first paragraph. The important
thing is to make them flow smoothly within
the context of the copy so prospects will
not find it weird.
Step 4: Insert Keyword Rich Relevant Content
Next, build up your site's content with
relevant topics containing your keywords.
Don't worry, here are some ways to get
instant content:
- Posting suitable articles that contain
your keywords. These can either be your
own or from article directories like
http://www.ezinearticle.com ,
http://www.goarticles.com or
http://webpronews.com
- Posting newsletter issues in an archive
online if you write any
- Do reviews and commentaries on related
products and services in your market as
content
Step 5: Aggressively Acquire Targeted Back Links
This is the second most important (some say
it's the first) factor to note after
targeted and relevant content.
Get as many good quality incoming links
from other sites as you can, believe me,
this will really make a huge difference to
your rankings. These links should come from
sites in your market and preferably those
with high PageRanks of 5 and above.
Use http://www.webmasterbrain.com/prog/ to
search for sites with top rankings in
Google for your specified keyword/keyword
phrases. It also reveals their individual
PageRanks next to their listings.
An excellent resource to check PageRank can
also be found at http://rankwhere.com.
Alternatively, you can download Alexa
toolbar from http://ww.alexa.com as it also
shows Alexa traffic ranking for any site.
This is very useful for seeking high
traffic link partners.
If you are looking for mind-blowing linking
strategies and tricks, the best guide I've
ever seen must be "Power Linking 2:
Evolution" at:
http://www.turnkeymoney.com/powerlink.htm
Step 6: Hand Submit Your Site To The Top
Directories and Search Engines
There's no point in using those 'submit to
millions' services as only a few search
engines really matter.
Using those services may actually cause
your site to be penalized by these major
engines.
In fact if you've done enough important
reciprocal linkings, you don't even need to
submit your sites as spiders which crawl
your link partner sites (already indexed)
will pick up your link easily.
However, if you must submit, do it by hand
at these directories and search engines
here:
Ask Jeeves: http://tinyurl.com/467y
LookSmart/Zeal: http://tinyurl.com/2uzan
Mama: http://tinyurl.com/38gdb
Open Directory: http://tinyurl.com/2jk82
Google: http://tinyurl.com/hlzz
Yahoo: http://tinyurl.com/fq32
All The Web: http://tinyurl.com/2hq24
Inktomi: http://tinyurl.com/26cgu
Step 7: Tune Your Site For Maximum Optimization
The final step would be to constantly
monitor and analyze your website traffic
against rankings. This is so you can review
and tweak for further improvement in your
rankings.
I hope this article will prove highly
useful to you. Do not be scare away by SEO,
it's simple once you follow the above
system. While these steps are not
everything you can do, it'll be enough to
get your site ranked very well for the
targeted keywords you chose.
Again, remember the number one rule of
giving relevant content and establishing
good back links. Help the search engines
provide relevant results for their
customers and your rankings will
automatically skyrocket to the top!
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1. Step One: Select right keyword for web SEO Optimization.
You must choose your keywords carefully. This is the most important step of the SEO. Wrong or ineffective keywords mean invalid keyword optimization. You should find popular keywords and phrases related to your business, then know search popularity and competition number of every keywords. The keywords with more popularity and less competition will be your targeted keyword phrases.
Resources:
Best Promotion Keywords - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/bestpromotionkeyword.html
Overture - http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
Google - https://adwords.google.com/select/main?cmd=KeywordSandbox
2. Step Two: Optimize your website ranking factors.
Once you have finished keyword analysis and selected specified keywords, you should optimize your web site to improve search engine position. The important ranking factors including website title tags, description tags, meta keyword tags, heading text, link url, link text, image alt, comment and web page body text.
Every keyword frequency, weight, size, prominence
and proximity all affect the ranking. You should optimize all these factors carefully. The top 10 ranking website content and ranking factors will give your more help.
Resources:
Web Optimization Angel - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/weboptimizationangel.html
WebPositionGold - http://www.webposition.com/d2.pl?r=TBI-55EC&FN=download.htm
3. Step Three: Submit url to search engines directories.
After search engine optimization page design, Submiting all your web sites to Google, Yahoo, MSN, DMOZ and the other major engines. Manual free submit url is recommend. At
http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/submit-url-free.html you can find top 588 search engine list with homepage, submit url address, alexa rank, google page rank, google inbound links and google including site pages.
Resources:
search engine PageRank order list - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/search-engine-list-page-rank.html
4 .Step Four: Link Exchange and Manager.
Link popularity is the total number of websites that link to your web site, and is an extremely important method of improving your site's relevancy and position as many engines are using
this information as a ranking criterion. Both the quantity and quality of link popularity is important. The best links are "relevant" links from web pages related to your keyword or topic.
Resources:
External Link Promotion - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/external-link-promotion.html
5. Step Five: Monitoring and ReOptimizing.
Often checking your website search engine position of your targeted keywords, if not satisfied with optimization ranking results, you should do more SEO to achieve higher search engines ranking position.
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There are several ways to advertise and get the word out about your business online and the best of them include f-ree search engines, pay per click search engines, writing articles, utilizing press releases, doing joint ventures/ad co-ops, and posting to message boards and forums related to your target market.
But one advertising method that's neglected by most online marketers is off-line advertising.
There are several low/no cost ways to advertise off-line and I want to share 3 of them with you.
1) Business Cards
If you are serious about your business you must have business cards. They are cheap and are a great way to attract potential prospects or customers. Simply hand them out to people who you feel may be interested in your business.
Also, whenever I visit a restaraunt, bar, or club, I'll leave my business cards in all of the bathroom stalls. (Just make sure nobody is in there of course... lol!)
And don't laugh at this! It really works. When I visit the bathroom an hour or two later, I'll find that all of my business cards are gone and I'll have a fresh new set of sales the very next day.
You can get f-ree professional looking business cards at VistaPrint.com, all you have to pay is shipping and handling:
http://www.vistaprint.com
2) Flyers
With today's technology, flyers are very easy to make. You can simply design a flyer online and just print it out and make copies. Then you can post them in area businesses where you feel your potential customers may hang out. (Just make sure you ask permission from the business owner.)
Or simply hand out your flyers to people you meet on the street. Many bars and clubs don't have a problem with posting flyers in their establishments either, especially if you are a patron.
And don't forget about supermarkets! Many have bulletin boards, at least here in New Jersey where I live, and you can post your flyer there. There are hundreds of people walking into supermarkets everyday and they are in a buying mentality. Take advantage of it and post your flyers often.
Here's a site that lets you create and print flyers or brochures online for f-ree:
http://www.mybrochuremaker.com/
3) Automobile Advertising
What... ? Yes you read that right! Your car is not only a driving vehicle but a great advertising vehicle as well. You can stick magnetic signs or plates on your car with your company name and/or domain name for all to see.
Your business can be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands of people everyday whether your car is parked, you are driving, or even when you are stuck in traffic. It's fairly inexpensive and a great way to "drive" home your message.
Here are a couple of sites to check out for this very sort of thing:
http://www.iditplates.net
http://www.magneticsigns.com
Those are just a few of the ways to advertise off-line. I'm sure you can come up with other clever ways as well.
You've got a brain... use it!
Al Martinovic runs a successful "niche" business at http://www.ineedsmokes.com and publishes a popular internet marketing newsletter at http://www.milleniummarketers.com
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There's a lot of buzz around about how you can make a quick and easy fortune using this AdSense course or that tool or this book.
And they show you their incomes from AdSense too (though not necessarily THIS month). Now, is it just me or is something a little odd in all this?
Say, I'm making $5000 - no make that $15,276 a month from AdSense on my sites. And now I'm going to sell all my secrets on how to do that for $67 or $97 or whatever.
So what happened, did I get all bored with my filthy riches and decide to become a philanthropist and sell stuff that makes me 15K a month for a pittance? Or is it something else?
Am I saying it's impossible? Certainly not. I know people who make that more.
But a little reality. Those people don't have 5 or 6 or 50 sites. They have maybe 500 or 3000 or more. Few sites make 20 or more a day. Very few. Average income is probably less than a dollar a day. So with 500 sites at a dollar a day, you've got your 15K a month.
Now the domain names cost you maybe $3500 to $4500. Then you need hosting and somehow you've got to build the sites and get traffic to them. There are excellent tools but the ones that will let you do this kind of thing in a reasonably short time are also very (very) expensive.
And you are continually dealing with sites that don't get indexed or get de-indexed or even get banned. Traffic today, gone tomorrow. Plus, if you're not real careful with those tools you may get an unpleasant letter from Google about a DMCA copyright infringement which could cost you your AdSense account.
You can make money, you can build an empire. But it isn't easy or quick no matter what you hear. And it really isn't a business. It's not a long run proposition, it's not stable. You need to keep creating more sites as older ones fail - or you need to be smart and use those AdSense revenues to build an enduring business.
You put up with this down to here, so here are the real 7 "secret" keys to AdSense.
1. The best performing AdSense type is the large rectangle. This has been tested over and over.
2. The best colors are blue for the link - surfers know that blue means click me. And darkish almost black and grey for the text and url. No borders. The same background as your page. Will it merge into your content? No, that's bogus. There are maybe 4 surfers in this galaxy who can't tell a Google ad when they see one. They are not going to believe it's part of the text. Wake up, OK?
3. Another format which is being reported to more or less work is the full wide banner type layout with text ads and images directly above the links. Try it and see if it works for you. Maybe it's a fad.
4. Keywords and related content are critical if you want targeted ads. If you want high paying clicks you need to target the costly keywords AND have content that supports the keywords.
5. You need traffic interested in the ads. Which means your traffic generation techniques have to be targeted not scattershot. You might hear that 1% or 1.5% clickthrough rate is OK and 3% is good. Nonsense. Really successful people get CTRs that are often well above 30%. Even with modest efforts you should be getting an average 6 to 15% CTR (per ad impression, not pages).
6. You have to track what you're doing and you have to test variations in ad layout, placement, color and related content to optimize your income. No one can tell you how to do it except the traffic coming to your site. If you don't test and track, you're flying blind.
7. You need to keep building new sites.
You are now a member of the AdSense Illuminati. Quite possibly you already knew all that. So why are you looking for something else? Really. This is all you need to start doing it.
Probably any course or book can help you if that's what it takes to get you moving and doing. Ultimately, no one can really show you exactly how to do it. You're going to have to learn the ropes and put in the time.
Like everything in life - the greatest traffic generator, the ultimate course or the super MLM opportunity, if it sounds too good to be true, then it is. There's no magic bullet, no ultimate secret to buy. There's no easy, painless, work free, certain road to riches (except, maybe, inheriting it and that can be very hard on the heirs).
Whatever you do on the net, do it wide awake and with your brain actually functioning. The final un-numbered key is that a technique, a shortcut, an idea that will make what you do easier, faster, or more profitable - one single tiny thing - is worth more than any book or course costs. One useable idea and you've gotten a great deal. If you learned something you didn't know or had forgotten, then it's worth much more than you paid. There may not be any magic solution out there, but there are useful concepts, techniques and ideas. You just have to see them for what they are, and then get busy and really use them.
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Getting your site listed on the first page of Google's search results is a bit like getting a loan from a bank.
You aren't likely to be approved for a loan if you have no income and no credit history. It's too risky for the bank to extend credit to those who aren't worthy of it.
Google trades in a different currency... traffic, and just like the banks assess risk before lending money, Google will assess risk before "lending" traffic.
Google may not care if you've ever paid a bill late, but make no mistake about it... they have their own version of a credit check and you need to pass it in order to be found in their search results.
The Google credit check is of course the process of determining "Page Rank".
BuildTraffic.net
Nobody outside of Google, and probably very few people on the inside actually know how page rank is calculated. There are a number of factors, but exactly what they are and how they're weighted is about as closely guarded as the recipe for coca-cola.
We may not ever know the formula in its entirety, but we don't need to. The most important ingredients are always obvious. Sugar and water for coca-cola... Relevance and Link Popularity for Google Page Rank.
Relevance is something Google is very good at figuring out. If you sell widgets on your site, as long as Google has crawled it... they know your site is about widgets and you're already in the result set for the search term "widgets".
The problem is that no matter what you do in terms of optimizing the content and structure of your website, it is going to start out on the last page of the result set instead of page 1, and that's where it will stay until you establish your credit history (link popularity).
Google's own assessment of relevance isn't sufficient for anything other than inclusion in a result set. To move you up in the result set, Google has to be sure your site will actually be perceived as relevant and important by human beings.
That's where the link popularity comes in. If webmasters of other sites that Google thinks are in some way relevant to widgets see fit to send traffic to your widget site, then that confirms to Google that human beings will perceive relevance.
Inbound links form your credit report, which is an indication of human perception of relevance. That's what makes Google comfortable with sending their traffic to you.
BuildTraffic.net
If you want traffic, and the top spot on Google, then you need to get other webmasters to link to you from relevant sites... period.
Fortunately, that is a very easy thing to accomplish. It simply involves offering something of value in exchange for each link you receive. There are literally dozens of ways to do this for free... and on a massive scale.
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The single most important "on page?factor affecting search engine rankings is the title tag. This is a snippet of code in the header section of a web document. The title of a web page is given great weight by the search engines, and for lesser competitive keyphrases a good title tag alone may be enough to catapult a page to the top of the engines.
One common mistake made is that a website is created from a template in which all of the title tag information is the same from page to page. This can not only get your pages thrown into the supplemental results, it is an example of extremely poor individual page optimization.
Individual page optimization basically means that each page of your site should be individually optimized for the contents and target keyphrase of that page. Chances are that you desire to attract visitors using a variety of keyphrases. If you use the same title tag throughout your site, you are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to do this.
The title tag of each page should be individually optimized for the keyphrases that you are targeting for that page. Repetition should be avoided. For ecommerce websites, each product page should contain a unique title tag reflecting the specific product featured on that page.
For example, let's say you sell a large inventory of widgets of various types and sizes. The title tag of your home page should probably contain the word "widgets? Then, each individual product page should contain more information in the title tag pertaining to the specific product, such as "Large Red Widget ?Model ABC123? or something similar. This allows users searching for specific model numbers, or manufacturer names, or even more general terms like "large red widget?to land on a page specifically relevant to their search engine query.
2. Rich Content
If you are not including keyphrase rich content on each page of your website, you again face a risk of having your pages thrown into the supplementals, or having your pages outright rank poorly for your target keyphrases. Be sure to include at least one instance of the keyphrase you are targeting for that page in the body text of the page.
A rule of thumb I use is to first go through and select the keyphrases you are targeting for each page. Then, optimize the title tags accordingly to reflect this. After that, write rich, unique content for each page, and be sure to include at least one instance of the title tag content in the body text.
A common mistake in this area is to write generic page content, and simply replace the target keyphrase on each page. This type of methodology adds no real value to individual pages of your site and is almost certainly going to result in your pages get thrown into the supplementals on grounds of duplicative content. It is not enough, therefore, to have generic content which is the same on each page, with a mere substitution of the target keyphrase.
For example, a real estate agency wants to be at the top of the engines for searches in all 50 states. They create generic content such as:
"We are your [state name] real estate experts. Browse our [state name] real estate listings to find your perfect [state name] home�"
The firm then creates 50 individual state pages, with the exact same content and only the state name changed. This will not work. Each page needs to have unique, rich content, and so in the example above, we would need to create 50 original pages of content rather than using a simple "find and replace?methodology.
An ecommerce site should write rich descriptions for each of their products. A common mistake I see in such sites is that individual product pages contain little or no written content aside from the product name and a picture. Be sure to write at least a paragraph on the features and benefits of each product in the product description field.
3. Blog
Your competition is blogging, so it's time you jump on the bandwagon. There are a number of reasons to blog that directly relate to search engine considerations. Google and other engines generally prefer sites with fresh content over stale sites. This means that ranking well involves the regular creation of rich content, and typically this is done via a company weblog.
Blog articles should be useful and informative and should not be considered necessarily self promotional. Using the real estate example above, the agency should write general interest articles on buying and selling homes, how to select a realtor, and the like. It should avoid writing articles touting the benefits of the firm itself ?blog articles should not be press releases (although it is okay to repost the occasional press release in the company blog). The reason for this is that general interest articles (such as the one you are reading right now) are much more attractive link bait (see next section) than are articles on how wonderful your company is.
Additionally, once you have started blogging, you are opening yourself up to link bait and social media opportunities as described below.
4. Link Bait
Generally speaking, the more links you have to rich content on your site, the better off you are going to be in the engines. The creation of a blog is a wonderful way to attract links. Other ideas for link bait include video, images, sound clips, press releases and the like. Contests, quizzes, product reviews, top 10 lists (or in the case of this article, a top 5 list), and how to articles fare very well. Also, the provision of useful tools can be a great way to attract links.
In the example of the real estate agency, a tool likely to attract links would be a free mortgage calculator. Offering such a tool on your website can attract the attention of other sites in the form of links, increasing your reputation and pagerank, which has a direct impact on higher search engine rankings.
Be sure to create link bait on a regular basis through the regular creation of content, of whatever form you choose.
5. Social Media
Now that you have created all this wonderful link bait in the form of blogs, videos, tools, and the like, you need to make sure to get the word out about it so that people know it is there. Social media has already become one of the most powerful ways to spread the word. Social media is loosely defined as any sort of user driven content. Famous examples include MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo Answers, Wikipedia, and the like.
Social bookmarking sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon are wonderful ways to get the word out about your content. If you have a number of images (such as product images in an ecommerce site), image sharing sites such as Flickr are useful. Contests and quizzes are great fodder for social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and Yahoo360. Video content can be promoted through YouTube, MetaCafe, AOLVideo, and similar sites.
The point is, the more you promote your wonderful link bait, the more people will find out about it and link to it. Put your content to work for you!
3 Highly Effective On-Page SEO strategies
The SEO industry is unregulated and has operated free from rules or regulations since its inception. As a result, the degree of competency ranges greatly from one SEO Expert to another. The SEO industry is clouded in mystery and seems at times impenetrable and impossible to decode. Terms like 'SEO Guru' and 'Webmaster' help to support the notion that one has to dabble in magic to succeed on the Internet. However, this couldn't be further from the truth - after all, Search Engines are computer programs which operate by a strict and organized logic.
Search Engines all use a similar set of rules to determine how Webpages are ranked. These rules or algorithms create a content filter which enables them to serve relevant results to their users and filter out the majority of spam and black hat tactics. Often, SEOs and Website Owners overlook these simple on-page factors because they want instant gratification and a quick solution to their invisibility. These band-aids however, only mask the underlying penalties and deficiencies that Search Engine's are imposing on the Webpage. Fixing the root of the problem will help utilize Link Flow more effectively and prevent wasted money and effort.
Link Quality
Links are vital to any Webpage's visibility on the Internet. How Links flow within a site, and where they come from are important factors to any Search Engine. Search Engines view Links as a vote of confidence for the Webpage. When the Anchor Text of a Link is relevant to the Market Focus of the Webpage being linked to, the Search Engine values this even more. There are numerous factors that can either increase or decrease a Link's value. For example, if a Link is found within the content of a Webpage rather than isolated with few words surrounding it, the Search Engine will consider it to be a "Natural Link" and not a "Paid Link", and therefore associate more value with the Link.
Today, many SEOs are focused on purchasing Links or Pay-Per-Click campaigns for their customers. While this can be valuable in obtaining instant traffic and visibility for the site, it is often cost prohibitive and temporary at best. Many Websites already contain enough Link Flow (http://www.seoeng.com/search-engine-optimization/link-imbalance.htm) to achieve the desired results for their Market Focus without needing to obtain any additional Links. It is simply a matter of redirecting the Link Flow that is already contained within the Website, and sending it to the Webpages that have the most competitive Market Focuses to correctly balance the Link Flow within the Website.
Market Focus
The Market Focus (http://learn.seoeng.com/market-focus.htm) of a Webpage is what the Search Engine thinks the Webpage is about. If you want a Webpage to rank high for a specific keyword or phrase, it is important to adjust the Webpage's Market Focus accordingly. A Webpage's Market Focus is determined by the page's content as well as the Anchor Text of the incoming links. You can easily adjust the Anchor Text for incoming links within the Website. If the Webpage is receiving links from other Websites, contacting the Website's owner or Webmaster and requesting that the Anchor Text be changed to a phrase which better matches the Webpage's Market Focus can be very helpful and doesn't cost anything.
Search Engine Submission
Competition
It is vital to remember that if your Market Focus is a highly competitive keyword or phrase, you will have to direct a significant amount of Link Flow into that specific Webpage. For example, if the Webpage's Market Focus is 'Green Frogs with Purple Hats', the target market is not very competitive, whereas if the Market Focus is 'Cars' it will have much more competition. The more competitive the Market Focus, the more difficult it is to achieve desired results and a 1st page ranking in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Be sure to pay attention to what the Webpage is truly about and who the potential target audience is. It may be easier and more cost effective to achieve results with several less competitive Market Focuses each on different Webpages within the site, rather than competing for most competitive term in your industry.
About the Author
Maura Stouffer is Co-Founder and President, Marketing & Operations for SEOENG LLC. (www.seoeng.com) which has developed the world's first SEO Friendly Search Engine. SEOENG provides a free Webpage Analysis, and tools for SEO Businesses including White Label SEO Reports as well as a privately labeled Search Engine Interface and Search Bar.
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The SEO industry is unregulated and has operated free from rules or regulations since its inception. As a result, the degree of competency ranges greatly from one SEO Expert to another. The SEO industry is clouded in mystery and seems at times impenetrable and impossible to decode. Terms like 'SEO Guru' and 'Webmaster' help to support the notion that one has to dabble in magic to succeed on the Internet. However, this couldn't be further from the truth - after all, Search Engines are computer programs which operate by a strict and organized logic.
Search Engines all use a similar set of rules to determine how Webpages are ranked. These rules or algorithms create a content filter which enables them to serve relevant results to their users and filter out the majority of spam and black hat tactics. Often, SEOs and Website Owners overlook these simple on-page factors because they want instant gratification and a quick solution to their invisibility. These band-aids however, only mask the underlying penalties and deficiencies that Search Engine's are imposing on the Webpage. Fixing the root of the problem will help utilize Link Flow more effectively and prevent wasted money and effort.
Link Quality.
Links are vital to any Webpage's visibility on the Internet. How Links flow within a site, and where they come from are important factors to any Search Engine. Search Engines view Links as a vote of confidence for the Webpage. When the Anchor Text of a Link is relevant to the Market Focus of the Webpage being linked to, the Search Engine values this even more. There are numerous factors that can either increase or decrease a Link's value. For example, if a Link is found within the content of a Webpage rather than isolated with few words surrounding it, the Search Engine will consider it to be a "Natural Link" and not a "Paid Link", and therefore associate more value with the Link.
Today, many SEOs are focused on purchasing Links or Pay-Per-Click campaigns for their customers. While this can be valuable in obtaining instant traffic and visibility for the site, it is often cost prohibitive and temporary at best. Many Websites already contain enough Link Flow (http://www.seoeng.com/search-engine-optimization/link-imbalance.htm) to achieve the desired results for their Market Focus without needing to obtain any additional Links. It is simply a matter of redirecting the Link Flow that is already contained within the Website, and sending it to the Webpages that have the most competitive Market Focuses to correctly balance the Link Flow within the Website.
Market Focus
The Market Focus of a Webpage is what the Search Engine thinks the Webpage is about. If you want a Webpage to rank high for a specific keyword or phrase, it is important to adjust the Webpage's Market Focus accordingly. A Webpage's Market Focus is determined by the page's content as well as the Anchor Text of the incoming links. You can easily adjust the Anchor Text for incoming links within the Website. If the Webpage is receiving links from other Websites, contacting the Website's owner or Webmaster and requesting that the Anchor Text be changed to a phrase which better matches the Webpage's Market Focus can be very helpful and doesn't cost anything.
Search Engine Submission
Competition
It is vital to remember that if your Market Focus is a highly competitive keyword or phrase, you will have to direct a significant amount of Link Flow into that specific Webpage. For example, if the Webpage's Market Focus is 'Green Frogs with Purple Hats', the target market is not very competitive, whereas if the Market Focus is 'Cars' it will have much more competition. The more competitive the Market Focus, the more difficult it is to achieve desired results and a 1st page ranking in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Be sure to pay attention to what the Webpage is truly about and who the potential target audience is. It may be easier and more cost effective to achieve results with several less competitive Market Focuses each on different Webpages within the site, rather than competing for most competitive term in your industry.
Read More...