SEO Pulse » SEO http://www.seopulse.com Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:04:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Generate Traffic to Your Site from Facebook http://www.seopulse.com/2008/11/generate-traffic-to-your-site-from-facebook/ http://www.seopulse.com/2008/11/generate-traffic-to-your-site-from-facebook/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:59:17 +0000 admin http://www.seopulse.com/?p=106 Let’s admit it. Social web sites are here to stay and they generate tremendous amounts of visitors each day. You as a much smaller website would LOVE to have just a smidge of that traffic coming to you. You’re not asking for millions of visits (although millions would be WUNDERBAR!), you would like a few thousand or maybe even just a few hundred. How can you generate enough interest to get people coming to you? Good question! Let’s analyze a few possible strategies and see where they might lead (hopefully to money!).
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Friendster, Technorati, and the many other social sites generate tons of traffic. There are some effective strategies that you can begin employing NOW to get them visitors on those sites to your site. This might mean new subscribers and page impressions that you can then turn around and sell to advertisers. Or it might also mean that people purchase your product or service. That can’t be a bad thing!
Let’s take a look specifically at Facebook which happens to be one of the hottest social sites on the internet today. If you have a blog on your site (and you should!) you can take advantage of some free tools to syndicate your blog posts to your profile. Anytime someone sees you profile they will see your blog posts and often times will click through to your site. Depending on the software that runs your blog you will have to use a different tool:
• Wordpress – One of the most used blogging tools is Wordpress and there fortunately is a Facebook application that links directly to your Wordpress site. You’ll need to download the plugin to your own web site to interface directly. It is called Wordbook (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordbook/). Once copied to your plugins folder and activated you’ll click a link that takes you to Facebook. The application on Facebook will give you a code to identify your personal blog which you’ll enter into the plugin. Once this is done your site and Facebook will now communicate! Now whenever anybody sees your profile they’ll also see you “mini-feed”. Notice that the plugin only works with future blog posts and not ones that have already been posted. One limitation is that you can only add one blog. Make sure to add friends and socialize with these friends so they will see your blog posts. Otherwise you’ll sit in obscurity!
• If you use Blogger it is very simple to set up your mini-feed. Just go to the Facebook applications page (http://www.new.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=13253871830&ref=s) and add the application. Click into settings and provide your blogger login details and voila! You now have added your Blogger blog to your profile!
• TypePad – TypePad has also gotten into the Facebook game with an application of its own! (http://www.new.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=13253871830&ref=s) This, like the application for blogger, will interface directly with your TypePad account and add feeds to your profile. The nice thing about this tool, called Blog It, is you can post and share your content across multiple platforms with only one click! Whether you blog using TypePad, Vox, Movable Type, LiveJournal, Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress.com or WordPress.org, or micro-blog using Twitter, Pownce or your Facebook status, now you can update everything via one easy-to-create post on Facebook. Plus, when you post using Blog It, you can ensure all your friends and contacts know about your post regardless of where they follow you on the web.
The key to all of these tools is that unless you put a little work into being sociable they really won’t help you much. You need to do some of the legwork and get to know people. You don’t have to be drinking buddies with the hundreds of people you might add as friends on Facebook, but you should at least join some groups or causes to become known. My own Facebook account has over three hundred friends and I know personally about ten of them. I came to know them through various groups that I joined and causes on Facebook that I support. You will never earn a single cent or generate a single visitor to your site unless you are willing to do some extra work. The upside is, however, that once you start you might actually enjoy it. The more sociable you become the better your results! Let’s get to know each other!

]]> http://www.seopulse.com/2008/11/generate-traffic-to-your-site-from-facebook/feed/ 25 How to Benefit from Social Media Marketing http://www.seopulse.com/2008/11/how-to-benefit-from-social-media-marketing/ http://www.seopulse.com/2008/11/how-to-benefit-from-social-media-marketing/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:23:09 +0000 admin http://www.seopulse.com/2008/08/how-to-benefit-from-social-media-marketing/ Before we can even discuss the benefits of social media marketing we first need to understand just what the heck it is! These days terms such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and SMM (Social Media Marketing) are being thrown around and just about nobody knows just exactly what they are. This article won’t get into the whole SEO debate but we will take a look at SMM. SMM in a nutshell is using social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or Blogger to sell your product or to promote your cause! SMM is less of direct advertising in the form of ads and more in the direction of conversational/word of mouth advertising. If you ask traditional marketers about the importance of effectiveness of SMM you will get the old line that it is unproven or untested. SMM does require some effort and if you don’t understand the pros and cons of SMM before using it you could be disappointed.

There are a few essential things you need to do in order to make SMM work for you:

  • Let your customers do the work – In an older context it was very important for the seller to communicate with the buyer and “sell” the buyer on the benefits of your product. Many hours could easily be wasted trying to convince potential buyers that your product was the best thing since sliced bread. This is no longer the accepted paradigm. Any successful internet marketer will tell you the most effective strategy is to get your existing customers talking to your prospective customers. I can tell you just how effective this is myself. I have several clients who are my biggest evangelists and bring me more business than I can ever find for myself. Just the other day I was at a meeting of local business owners and when the subject of my business came up (not mine specifically) one of my current customers said very vehemently that if they wanted things done right to come to me. I was a little embarrassed by this since the service I had performed wasn’t that substantial but the end result was I gained five new customers. These were customers that I had to do absolutely nothing to get! By doing a good job on your service or product your customers will promote you better than you can! Conversely if you do a bad job you will lose even more prospective customers because bad news spreads faster and further than good news.

  • Get people talking – Getting people to start talking isn’t all that difficult. Just suggesting a topic to someone can get a whole conversation going. Try it when you get a chance. It is quite simple to do! The hard part is directing that conversation toward your product or cause. This requires a bit more thought but can be done if you are willing to make the investment. So-called content marketing is using relationships to get your message across. Content marketing uses tools that are already around to people who are interested in hearing from you. By using opt-in services such as blogs, podcasts, videos and vlogs you can broadcast your message to thousands of potential customers. The key is the relationship. Make yourself known on these sites and let people become acquainted with you. Then when they need a product that you sell you are the first person they think of.

  • Discuss your product in a human voice – this might sound odd but it is very important! The best salespeople in the world are ones that can relate to you in a personal way. They have a story to tell and it draws you in, makes you curious, and makes you more eager to buy. You are asking someone to buy your service or product so be human with them! Good writing skills are important here as you want people to relate to you. Some might call this the snake-oil tactic of selling but it does in fact work! Your customer will respond to an amazing and authentic story faster than one that is filled with simple information. Soothe your potential clients ears!

There is no doubt that SMM requires some effort to actually be effective but it can be very effective if you are willing to invest the time necessary. Think back to some of the things you bought. Did you buy the product that simply listed its specs and was written in a very formal style? Or did you select the product that spoke straight to you? It is more likely you chose the latter, and your customers will too!

]]> http://www.seopulse.com/2008/11/how-to-benefit-from-social-media-marketing/feed/ 25 web site submission – useful web directories list http://www.seopulse.com/2008/04/web-site-submission-useful-web-directories-list/ http://www.seopulse.com/2008/04/web-site-submission-useful-web-directories-list/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:00:37 +0000 admin http://www.seopulse.com/?p=43 Driving traffic to your web site is everyone’s dream as more traffic means more money earned either from direct sales or advertising. Web submission is one of many ways to drive the traffic to your web site. All what you have to do is search for web directories with relevant categories to your business and submit your web site.

Also web site submission to web directories is an efficient way for building link as they provide your web site with a link that search engines consider very useful in ranking your website.

Here comes the hard work of finding and selecting these web directories. The following are a list of web directories (82) (135) that I found useful to submit my websites .Some of these sites are absolutely free of charge or require a reciprocal link for directory inclusion or a paid submission directories.

this list is updated frequently so please visit regularly for more information.

http://9ug.com
http://aalsmeer.mylinea.com
http://artoolinks.com
http://blue.daffodil.uk.com/dir
http://directory. portalit.net
http://directory.sootle.com
http://directory.ezweb-tools.com
http://directory.inmeres.com
http://directory.pageindex.info
http://directory.portlait.net
http://directory.softgroups.com
http://directory.white.ltd.pl
http://fabaroo.com
http://fabarooni.com
http://fastpaths.com
http://freeadvertisingdirectory.com
http://links-directory.newzealandphotog raphy.co.nz
http://links.scrabblestop.com
http://mkdir.anchorbase.com
http://onebestlink.com
http://opendir.xtc43.com
http://payvand.com/yp/
http://peksman.com
http://poozl.com
http://schwoitdirectory.com
http://www.01webdirectory.com
http://www.1234-find-web-designers.org/
http://www.123india.com/
http://www.123kidzarea.com/
http://www.123world.com/
http://www.1americamall.com
http://www.2space.net/
http://www.411locate.com/
http://www.4ppl.com/directory/
http://www.50states.com/
http://www.5starads.com/
http://www.777media.com
http://www.a-free-directory.info
http://www.a1directorysearch.com
http://www.a1webdirectory.com
http://www.aaa.com.au/
http://www.aaawebdirectory.com
http://www.aapg.org/
http://www.aardvarkbusiness.net
http://www.aardvarksport.net/
http://www.aardvarktravel.net/
http://www.abacho.co.uk/
http://www.abcsubmission.com/
http://www.abifind.com/
http://www.abilogic.com/
http://www.abizdirectory.com
http://www.able2know.com/
http://www.ableseek.com/
http://www.about.com/
http://www.abusinessresource.com/
http://www.accessnz.co.nz/
http://www.activeplaza.com/
http://www.addresses.com/
http://www.addsite-submitfree.com
http://www.addurl-free.com
http://www.addyoursitefreesubmit.com
http://www.adirect2z.com
http://www.admi.net/
http://www.adminet.com/
http://www.adrenalinepages.com/
http://www.adverts.gr
http://www.aeroseek.com/
http://www.aesop.com/
http://www.a-free-directory.info
http://www.agencycompile.com/
http://www.ageof.com/
http://www.aigam.com/
http://www.albanianyellowpages.com/
http://www.alephsearch.co.uk/
http://www.alexa.com/
http://www.alicebuilding.com
http://www.alistsites.com
http://www.allfreethings.com
http://www.all-linksite.com/
http://www.allofmaine.com/
http://www.allpages.com/
http://www.allproducts.com/
http://www.allthewebmasters.com/
http://www.altavistacanada.com/
http://www.am-directory.com
http://www.americasbest.com/
http://www.americlicks.com/
http://www.amfibi.com/
http://www.amray.com/
http://www.another-directory.com
http://www.anthonyparsons.com/
http://www.anyapex.com
http://www.anybrowser.com/
http://www.aol.ca/
http://www.aol.co.uk/
http://www.apexoo.com
http://www.arakne-links.com
http://www.art.net/
http://www.artdaily.com/
http://www.artistresource.org/
http://www.artpromote.com/
http://www.artshow.com/
http://www.artweblinks.com
http://www.aryawat.com/
http://www.asiadragons.com/
http://www.asiannet.com/
http://www.ask2k.com/
http://www.askscott.com/
http://www.atuk.co.uk/
http://www.ausmall.com.au/
http://www.aussie.com.au/
http://www.autumntree.info
http://www.avatarsearch.com/
http://www.avivadirectory.com
http://www.awa.com/
http://www.a-web-directory.info
http://www.awesomedirectory.com
http://www.axelis.com/
http://www.azoos.com/
http://www.b2btoday.com/
http://www.badea.biz
http://www.bahiacar.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
http://www.bdcconcepts.com/
http://www.beaucoup.com/
http://www.beedirectory.com
http://www.beegoo.com/
http://www.bestcatalog.net/
http://www.bestsestern.com
http://www.bestsitedirectory.com
http://www.bestspider.com/
http://www.bestweb.net/
http://www.bestyellow.com/
http://www.bhanvad.com/
http://www.shopperstop.org/

]]> http://www.seopulse.com/2008/04/web-site-submission-useful-web-directories-list/feed/ 3 Google Hot Trends ,A step towards understanding customers’ preferences http://www.seopulse.com/2008/04/google-hot-trends-a-step-towards-understanding-customers-preferences/ http://www.seopulse.com/2008/04/google-hot-trends-a-step-towards-understanding-customers-preferences/#comments Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:48:52 +0000 admin http://www.seopulse.com/?p=38 For years people interested in promoting their products or services have been trying hard to find what exactly the web surfers are looking for, understand what is going on in their minds and how they can benefit from this information in selling their products and services.

Well it was a hard process and costed a lot of money and effort. On the other hand several attempts have been made by search engines to help them understand more about customers’ preferences but all these attempts just wasn’t enough as the information gathered was some how out dated.

Google in attempt to offer better understanding of market trends and preferences ,introduced Zeitgeist . Zeitgeist is an interesting search statistics tool that diggs deep inside google search queries data base and produces a geographical ,monthly report of these findings , trends and querries used within a country domain.

Zeitgeist present the most searched keywords inside Google search engine for a list of countries during a given month. All what you have to do is click on the country name and you will get a list of the top most search keywords for that country in a given month.

webmasters and business owners stil felt that this wasn’t enough to better sell themselves online and requested more detailed and updated results.

Later Google have released the Google Trends. This tools examines the popularity of search terms in relation to each other overtime, and how different cities or regions may care (or not) about the trends.WIth google Trends you can now compare the search trends of more than one keyword and through a graphical representation you can see whether the trend is rising or falling. This new feature entitles you to predict the customer trend for future and upcoming periods towards a certain product or service.

In a greater step to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the results, Google has introduced a new tool called Hot Trends a new feature of Google Trends for exploring websurfer mind and finding out what they are thinking of , what they are looking for and what searches were conducted in a very close time range .”For each Hot Trend, you will see results from Google News, Google Blog Search and web search, which help explain why the search is hot” said Corey Vickrey, Software Engineer at Google offical blog.

Google trnds

The most interesting about Hot Trends is that is updated frequently providing the user with the most updated list of search querries that can ever find else where on the web.Also you can navigate the date so that you can view the historical data of search queries done during any given date.

How can Google hot trends help your business?
Think of the opportunities that you can grasp just by knowing exactly what your customer is looking for right now at this exact moment.This valuable information can change the future of many business just by taking the opportunity that is worth it value in gold

]]> http://www.seopulse.com/2008/04/google-hot-trends-a-step-towards-understanding-customers-preferences/feed/ 1 Top ranking in yahoo http://www.seopulse.com/2007/10/top-ranking-in-yahoo/ http://www.seopulse.com/2007/10/top-ranking-in-yahoo/#comments Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:14:44 +0000 admin http://www.seopulse.com/?p=33 Like most other search engines, Yahoo ranking relies on a complex ‘interpretation’ program that assesses the relevance of your site content to search queries. Yahoo reads your text, its titles and descriptions, its sources, associated links, and other distinctive document elements.

How do I get top Yahoo ranking?

Develop superior content. The quality of your content is still the biggest determinant of your Yahoo ranking. If you keep it unique and specific, Yahoo finds and associates it to search queries easily. Fill your content with relevant keywords and phrases without sacrificing form and quality. You should likewise be very careful when writing your title – it has to contain words or phrases that match commonly-searched terms.

Use meta tags. Your Yahoo rankings can also be greatly improved by your meta tags. Decide on what optimal keywords to use in this string – they have to be accurate and straight to the point, and interesting.

You should likewise use a “keyword” meta-tag to catalog keywords for your web pages. Experts agree that it is better to make use of a divergent list of keywords associated to a particular page on your site instead of using one wide-ranging group of keywords for every page.

Use HTML. Putting your links and other important text within graphics or images may seem like a good idea, but remember that when it comes to Yahoo rankings, HTML is still the king. It’s better to put relevant texts and links (such as a site map) in HTML because this helps Yahoo crawl through all of your pages. If you really want to put graphics on your site, use ALT text. This way you preserve your creative efforts, and boost your Yahoo ranking at the same time.

Network, network, network. The more websites link to your site, the more ‘valuable’ it becomes in the eyes of Yahoo ranking engines. Network with webmasters and other content providers – you can ask them to link you back. Building linkages between related pages is one of the most effective ways of improving your Yahoo ranking. All it really takes is a polite email and quality content. Editors and webmasters would be happy to link you back if your site is worthy.

Beware that create links between unrelated pages for no reason except to increase page link counts is considered illegal according to Yahoo’s Site Guidelines. Yahoo ranking engines are able to detect such unethical activities, and your Yahoo ranking will not improve even if you do this.

]]> http://www.seopulse.com/2007/10/top-ranking-in-yahoo/feed/ 0 The good, the bad and the ugly in SEO companies http://www.seopulse.com/2007/09/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-seo-companies/ http://www.seopulse.com/2007/09/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-in-seo-companies/#comments Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:05:33 +0000 admin http://www.seopulse.com/?p=31 Not all SEO companies are created equal. Some use legitimate and ethical ways of improving your search engine rankings; some use sketchy and sometimes even illegal ways to get your sites on top; and some over-promise but under-deliver. Read on as we discuss each type, and pick up a tip or two in choosing the right SEO company for you.

The ‘good’ SEO company

A genuinely professional SEO company uses only the ethical methods of improving your site’s ranking, ‘ethical methods’ being techniques deemed acceptable according to search engines guidelines.

An ethical SEO company will typically improve your site’s structure and content in order to get you to the top pages. They usually install mechanisms to allow search engine spiders to access your site while protecting some of your directories, for example. They will also optimize your graphical content (including Flash animation) so that search engines can decipher the information.

They may also use frequently-searched strings of words to name your pages, add relevant meta tags (without off topic words or comments, of course), and design a sitemap so that all your page links are easily ‘spidered.’ A good SEO company will also establish beneficial links to your site by promoting it and getting high-ranking websites to want to link to it. Adding relevant keyword-rich content is also considered an ethical SEO method, so good SEO companies will likely use this, too.

The ‘bad’ SEO company

On the flip side, there are so-called ‘bad’ SEO companies that use SEO techniques deemed unethical. Keyword spamming or stuffing is one such dirty tactic – the SEO company may insert concealed, random text on the page to increase the keyword density. This cunning technique can be done by simply encoding the text in a color that blends with the page’s background, or by placing text ‘at the back’ of an image (through CSS “Z” positioning).

Bad SEO companies likewise trick search engine algorithms by using ‘Spamdexing’ (a combination of spam and indexing) to promote irrelevant pages. ‘Cloaking’ is yet another tactic of bad SEO companies – they find ways to make search engine spiders detect a page that is completely different from what will be seen by human users. Other bad SEO company tactics include mirroring sites, creating doorway pages, and filling pages with irrelevant links.

The ‘ugly’ SEO company

There are literally thousands of phony SEO companies that guarantee you top 10 placements on chief search engines, but most of them never deliver. Some of these fake SEO companies even claim to have special relationships with top engines like Google and Yahoo. Do not be fooled by promises that are too good to be true – remember that improving search engine ranking does not happen overnight. A fool-proof SEO strategy can only be delivered by an honest SEO company with a long-term plan and ethical methods.

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