Why?

First of all, because the only links I add to my site are to pages I wrote for my copywriting clients. (And, of course, to my son’s site!) That’s my policy and I’m sticking to it.

That little bit of extra “Google juice” my clients  get from having a link from me is an extra that comes with my copywriting services.

But even if I didn’t have a reason for limiting the outbound links on my site, I would refuse to add links for everyone who wants to trade.

The first reason is because most of those sites contain content which is not remotely related to the content on my own sites. I sell copywriting services and real estate letters – and that has nothing to do with shoes or handbags or diet pills!  The trade doesn’t make sense, and I believe Google looks at that.

Next, placing a link on your site is a recommendation. When I know nothing about the company, how they do business, or if they’re even legitimate, why would I want to recommend them? If it turns out that they’re bogus, that reflects poorly on me and my site.

So what can you do instead?

You can start commenting on blogs and including your URL. Yes, it takes a bit more time, but when you add intelligent comments to other people’s blogs you get a double benefit.

First, you get the link back to your site. But then it gets better. You get recognition as someone who has a good answer to a question or a good comment to add to a discussion. And, you let prospective clients have a look into your personality and your commitment to giving good service.

You can also begin using article sites like EzineArticles.com to share your knowledge. When those good articles are picked up by bloggers, they’ll carry your URL and contact information – giving you more “Google Juice” and exposure to a different set of readers than you currently reach.

Being found and seen and linked to from relevant sites is far more valuable to you than having your designer handbags linked to from a site that sells infant’s car seats!

Remember that the Internet is not just for search engines. It’s also for human eyes. So seek to deposit your links on sites that are related to your own – and whose customers just might be interested in what you have to offer.

A targeted approach to marketing is far more effective than a scattered spray.

The writer said that to be sure of being found on Facebook, to use your keywords in your profile. I thought that made some good sense, and I expect it would be good to apply it to your profile on other sites as well.

If you want to be known and found because of your profession, mention it a few times in your profile narrative.

It sure can’t hurt, and anyone reading your profile will be sure to know what you do and what you offer to them.

I’ve seen many profiles that were entirely personal and didn’t reference back at all to what the person did or had to offer. I’ve also seen that mistake made in the resource boxes on EzineArticles.com, where writers fail to mention their business and fail to offer contact information.

The Internet offers the opportunity – so why not use all the possible ways it offers to connect and inter-connect?

You just never know where your next customer may be coming from.

Nearly every guru is touting the benefits of adding content to your website. Some say regular posts on your blog are enough, while others say you need to fill your site with content pages to attract the search engines.

As a marketer, I agree that the more content, the better.

But – unless the content is good, I think it can do you more harm than benefit.

True, any old content with the right keywords will attract the search engines. Get enough of it and it might raise your site to #1 ranking on Google for your keywords. That means more traffic to your site, which is a good thing. Right?

Yes, it’s a wonderful thing… with a big “IF.”

IF your visitors arrive at your site and read quality content, they’ll assume that yours is a quality business, and they’ll stay a while. They’ll take the time to read more and learn how your business can benefit them.

But IF they arrive and find bad content, they’ll assume that you:
* Don’t know what you’re doing
* Don’t know your own subject matter
* Pay no attention to details
* Hold no value for them
* Have “tricked” them into visiting you
* Are not the company they want to do business with

Just recently I was asked for a quote on search engine enhanced web copy. I replied with a price range, and got a letter back informing me that SEO copy could be had for far less. The writer sent me links to two sites where he had been quoted “bargain basement” prices for content articles.

Because I was curious, I followed the links to see what was offered. And I was astounded.

My first reaction was “Oh my gosh! I don’t even believe they’re offering to sell this!”

Apparently they weren’t ashamed of the copy, because their portfolio was extensive. And every article I checked was the same: Filled with typographical errors, misspelled words, and the kind of grammatical errors that made me stop to look again and figure out what they were trying to say. On top of that, the words were fluff, with no useful information for the reader.

In my opinion, spending money on that kind of copy is worse than holding your dollar bills out for the wind to take away. It may bring you traffic, but it will harm your reputation and your image in the process.

Be careful. Fill your blog and your web pages with good content that gives value to your readers.

Why does it annoy? Because the search engines have gotten smart enough to recognize “keyword stuffing” – and they don’t appreciate it!

But keyword stuffing hurts those site owners even more than ruining their chances of a high ranking on Google and other search engines. That’s because “stuffed” copy turns away those prospects who do find their websites. That kind of copy is hard to read, boring, and word-for-word doesn’t give much value.

Some are using pay per click ads to drive traffic – and spending a lot of money. Others are running off-line ads, which also cost money. So it’s a shame that when the visitors arrive, they click away almost immediately.

The bottom line:

You do need to integrate your keywords into your site, but stuffing your copy with them is the worst thing to do.

Instead, write meaningful copy that presents your benefits to your readers in a clear and straightforward manner. Concentrate on getting your message across, and if your message really is about the subject represented by your keywords, they’ll flow into it naturally.

Sometimes you’ll want to go back and see if there are places where you can insert a word where it won’t destroy the flow, but that’s easier done after you’ve written the message.

For instance, if you’re writing about credit cards and credit card issuers, you may write a message that says something like: “Your card issuer can lower your credit limit at any time.” Going back it’s easy to insert the word “credit” to add another instance of the phrase “credit card.”

Keyword phrases are gaining more ground today, too. People who are trying to narrow their searches and find what they want in the ever-expanding Internet universe are using more and more phrases to narrow their search goals. So it pays to use the free keyword tool offered by Google to see what kind of key phrases people are using – and then use them.

Remember that unless the searcher has specified “exact match,” you can insert a word or two within the phrase and the search engine will still pick it up. For instance, if your key phrase is “homes in Dallas,” you can write “homes for sale in Dallas” and still be found.

That feature definitely makes it easier to create copy that flows.

According to the ad, running your article and your headline through this software would tell you if you were using enough key phrases and apparently would insert them for you. I’m not really sure, because it wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. Maybe it was also going to tell you what keywords you should be using.

Sometimes I just have to read nonsense to see how bad it can be, because we all need a giggle now and then. So I read about half the page.

I picked out the following two paragraphs and sent them to a copywriter friend so she could have a giggle too…

“Use copywriting software is and easy way of finding the right and most effective sentences in your content.”

and…

“If you write for other people, you provide a really good copy because you will use the most effective phrases. Using copywriting software makes you gain more confidence and the more confidence you are, the more success you achieve.”

And I laughed even more this morning when I read her reaction to them:

“With their software, native English writers can now sound like English is their second language. And they’ll fit right in!”

Not to be unkind – I do have pity for people who are trying hard to learn the English language. It is sometimes hard for people who have spoken it since birth.  But I still wish they wouldn’t hold themselves out as copywriters.

***The ideal length for a web page***
According to web expert Gerry McGovern, the ideal length for a page of web copy on a regular web site (not a landing page) is 300 words. He says 50% of visitors will read a 300-word page to the end, while only 5% will scan 1,000 words.

Headlines should be 4 to 8 words, sentences 15 to 20 words, and paragraphs 40 to 70 words. Hyperlinks should be in the right-hand column, not embedded within the body copy.

Reason: links in the body copy distract readers, making it difficult for them to read the paragraph.

Source: IntelBuilder

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From Marte:  Part of this advice is in contrast to some I’ve read about search engine optimization.That information said links in the body copy leading to other pages on your site lead to better optimization. So perhaps this is another battle between pleasing the reader, or pleasing the search engines.

My advice: Pay attention to what you do when reading, and decide. Do links distract you, or not?

Of course you’ve seen me harp about breaking up the copy – I just got another message this morning that I couldn’t (wouldn’t) stumble through… must have been 100 lines of copy with no breaks.

And there’s just no excuse for it. Adding a line between paragraphs only takes a flick of the finger on the enter button!

……………………………………………………………………

***3 ways to build credibility***
Here are 3 things you can give – or give up – to others to build credibility with them:

1-Material wealth.
For instance, giving a customer a full refund – even when you don’t legally have to.

2-Time and energy.
Giving clients guidance, assistance, or advice when you are not “on the clock” or charging them for it.

3-Opportunity.
Example: the consultant who turns down a lucrative offer from a big potential client because it represents a conflict of interest with a smaller, less lucrative existing client.

Source: Wanek, Tom, “Currencies That Buy Credibility” (WA Press, 2009).

……………………………………………………..

From Marte: I sure agree with the first two, but I’m not sure about the third, because who would know? The client you turned down, who is cross at you for it?

I’ve turned down projects that went against my moral standards, but I didn’t send out a notice about it when I did.

At any rate, these two items are brought to you courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter. To sign up for Bob’s letter, visit www.bly.com.

The first thing I do when a new client asks me about upgrading their web copy is to visit their site – and I was a little bit startled about what I saw the past couple of days.

Far too many people are missing the SEO opportunity afforded by Title Tags! I saw lots and lots of pages with titles like “Home” and “About.” I guess you know – those words don’t do a darn thing to help the search engines find your pages!

But still, even folks who are working to put keyword-rich copy into their pages often forget all about the title tags. So go check yours – if they don’t give a good indication of what is to be found on each page of your site, then change them. But don’t do it in a hurry – stop and think about a phrase that will appeal to both the search engines AND any human who happens to glance up there at the top of the screen. You have about 65 spaces to use, so use them well!

A second place that is often ignored is alt tags for photos. These serve two purposes. One is search engine optimization – it gives you an extra place to add the keyword. But it also is an aid to those whose internet connection doesn’t allow them to see photographs – and those who are visually impaired and are using software that “reads” the page aloud to them.

That means each photo should have a caption that describes the photo.

I just read a warning article saying that some people are using that tag to “stuff” keywords – and how they’re apt to be penalized by Google for doing that. It’s also rude – How would you like to be listening to the copy on a page and suddenly be hit with a long list of keywords? Yuck!

So, if your site is about dog obedience training, your alt tag for a  photo might read: “image of mixed-breed dog at dog obedience class.” Or, if you’re a Realtor and show a picture of clients next to the sold sign in front of their home, you might say “Image of happy clients with home just sold by Joe Jones, your Dallas Realtor.”

Both of these items are easy to overlook when you’re hurrying to get a new page finished and uploaded – as is the meta description. I’ve forgotten a few times myself, even though I harp about it. So check your pages – make sure you’re taking advantage of all the simple SEO methods as well as the not-so-simple ones.

One such way is to give extra attention to your title tags. You know, those words that sit up there at the top of each web page, virtually ignored by all human eyes.

You may ignore them, but the search engines don’t, so they’re a perfect spot to add some SEO juice.

Each page on your site should have a unique title tag, and it shouldn’t say “home page,” “about us” or “services.”

It should use your best keywords in a clear statement that indicates what that page is all about.

I said a “quick” boost – but that isn’t exactly true. Making the change on your website is quick, but you should spend a little time composing that statement. You have about 65 spaces, and should use them well. Try to put the keyword at the beginning.

For instance, instead of saying “About Sue Smith, Atlanta real estate agent,” turn it around to say “Atlanta Real estate agent Sue Smith.”

Another easy boost is adding alt tags to all your photos. No matter what kind of picture you use on line, you can think of some way to put your keywords into a description of that photo. The reason it’s called an “alt” tag, by the way, is because those are the words that will show up in place of the photo if for some reason it won’t load.

While you’re there, check to see that you’ve included your best keywords in your visible page title, and in the first paragaph of your copy. If you have to, keep turning your copy upside down and sideways to get them there. (But don’t stuff!)

Also, check your page length. I don’t know if it’s true, but I’ve heard from several sources lately that in order to help your SEO, your copy needs to be at least 250 words on each page.

By the way, if your site is still not even close to page 1, these methods will help get it moving. Google rankings remain a mystery, but we each need to do all we can to sensibly make our web sites easier for Google – and our clients – to find.

I think we owe it to those clients to make the effort. After all, we have good things to offer!

First do some research and find the keywords that people will use when they search for the product or service you offer. Nobody told me that when I first started out, so my website: www.marte-cliff.com doesn’t tell anybody anything except my name. It also doesn’t add a thing to my website optimization.

I should have tried to find something with copywriter or freelance writer in it. My other copywriting site does a little better job, but only a little: www.copybymarte. At least the word “copy” is there, so someone reading it will have a clue. But… it does nothing for the search engines.

Why? because it’s all run together. I should have said “copywriting-by-marte” so the search engines could see the separate words.

Separating your words will also help you avoid some unintended and sometimes hilarious outcomes.

For instance, there’s a site called Speed of Art. But their URL is speedofart.com. Uh – guess that one gets a lot of giggles, but does it attract people interested in art?

Here’s another one: Experts Exchange – but it came out www.expertsexchange.com. One little “-” would have made all the difference…

Even these – if they had been written correctly – would not give visitors a clue about what they might find on the website.  Who knows what they mean by the speed of art? What kind of experts are exchanging what?

So think long and hard before you settle on a domain name. I know, the best ones are taken, but you can manage to personalize.

If your business name includes what you do, who you are, and/or where you are  – isn’t it the obvious choice? Something like Rosebud-livestock-feed.com pretty much says it all, and it isn’t likely that someone else has taken the name.

Try to avoid anything that’s difficult to spell – and do keep it as short as you can without sacrificing the meaning. Remember that some people will have seen your web address and tried to just hold it in memory – so make it easy for them to find you.

Don’t use a bunch of initials – unless your brand is as well recognized as GM or AT&T. People will remember those initials backwards and upside down as often as they remember them correctly.

Something else to avoid: using a number or letter in place of a word. People try to remember, but they won’t. So avoid the “cute” practice of changing “for you” to “4 U” or “4 you.”

Save that for Twitter, where you have to cut your message down to 140 characters.

Speaking of Twitter – if you’re there, please follow me. You’ll find me at http://twitter.com/idahowriter

OK – enough nagging for one day…

Wishing you great prosperity,

Marte

You probably already crop and re-size each picture. Now take a minute to give each one a name that reflects one or more of your keywords.

Hopefully, you’ve done the research and know which of your keywords gets the most action – so try to use that one. If you must, you can name them with “keyword-1.jpg” and “keyword-2.jpg” but it would be easier for you to keep track if you gave them individual names.

If you’re an animal shelter you could say “shelter-dog-sam.jpg” or “rescue-dog-joe.jpg”

This naming probably won’t matter much to you when you’re working on the site initially, but when you get ready to update and change photos, being able to identify them by their names does save time and trouble.

The main thing is, the search engines read those names just like they read the content on your site, so use this extra boost to SEO.

Then, remember to add an alt tag. When you’re done, the entry should look something like this:

<img src=”rescue-dog-joe.jpg” alt= “rescued pomeranian dog”>

Depending upon the program you’re using, you may also include height=”X” and width=”x”

When it comes to SEO, every little bit helps, so take the extra minute to get these extra keywords into your site.

Boundless success!

Marte