Of course, your offpage factors should also be optimized for keyword focus, too. For instance, if you’re planning to optimize your blog for the keyword “Sunflower Seeds,” you will want to use the keyphrase “Sunflower Seeds” in the anchor text of all of your links. This means that the title of your link in any directories you submit to will say “Sunflower Seeds.” This is arguably a far more important form of optimization; however, it is still an argument for why keyword focus & density matters, but simply from an offpage perspective about focus, rather than density.

For onpage factors, you will want to consider your title, your headers, and your keyword focus and density for the body of your site. Before you even create your blog, you will want to figure out what keyword you should optimize for. An easy way to do this is to determine how many people search for your keyword. You can  use overture’s inventory tool to do this. You can then compare that number against the amount of competing pages by Googling that keyword in quotations. You may also want to check out competing pay-per-click bids through your Google Adwords account if you plan to publish Adsense ads.

Once you have selected a good keyword or set of keywords for your blog, you will then want to optimize your blog for these keywords. You can do this by inserting these keywords into your blog entries at a density of approximately 1.5% — or six uses per 300 words.

Working on your blog’s keyword focus and density – including both onpage and offpage factors — is crucial because it will ultimately determine how much traffic you receive. Additionally, optimizing onpage factors for keywords that are searched for less than 1000 times may allow you to capture an entire search group without actually competing.

The first phase of any search engine optimization project is researching those keywords. Before you start to optimize, you must determine which keywords will pull the most traffic for the least amount of effort. You can do this by purchasing a subscription to Word Tracker or you can do this by using Overture Inventory to search “aggregate search” records for all possible keywords for which you could potentially optimize your blog. Record all of the returns you receive for an Overture Inventory search you perform on your given keyword. Your next step will be to analyze the site or page supply for your keywords. You can do this by searching for each of the returned keywords on Google. Not only will you want to record the search return data in terms of numbers, but you will also want to look at the top competitors for those keywords (i.e., are the PR 9 home pages or are they a deep page for an unranked site?) Optimal keywords for search engine optimization purposes will have high search counts, low site returns, and low-quality competition in the top slots.

Your next step should be to perform onpage search engine optimization. You can do this by using your selected keywords as titles and headers on different pages of your blog. You will then want to fill those pages will good information about the keyword in question; additionally, you will want to optimize it for a keyword density of 1.5%.

The last step in your search engine optimization campaign is to perform offpage optimization. You can do this by submitting links to directories that contain a selected keyword in the link title. You can also join link swap programs and swap with other high-quality blogs.

In this article, I will provide some recommended blogging tools & resources you can use to stay ahead in terms of both innovation and optimization techniques.

The first item on this list of recommended blogging tools & resources is SEO Radio. While this tool isn’t specifically for blogs, it is an excellent resource from search engine optimization expert Brad Fallon that will help you understand how to optimize your blog for search engines. You can find out more at http://www.seoradio.com/.

The second item on this list of recommended blogging tools & resources is CARP (http://www.geckotribe.com/rss/), which is not specifically for blogs, but can be used in conjunction with blogs to provide RSS feeds, which will increase your search engine rankings and provide visitors with useful links.

Another item from this list of recommended blogging tools & resources you can use to keep abreast with your competitors is Google’s blog search (http://blogsearch.google.com/), which will allow you to find all of your competitors, so you can analyze their traffic generation methods. You will also want to see what new ideas they have implemented for retaining visitors.

Another resource you will want to consider from this list of recommended blogging tools & resources is http://www.vilesilencer.com which offers a list of blogging directories and RSS directories to which you can submit your blog. You will also want to check out searchengineworld.com and warriorforum.com/forum for marketing and optimization tips.

The last items you will want to consider on this list of recommended blogging tools & resources lists are actually blogging programs themselves. If you already own a site and want to integrate a blog, you should consider using a more complex, fully-functional program, such as Word Press (which you can use for free), rather than something like Blogger, which is easy to use, but will not offer a lot of frills. You can download Word Press here: http://wordpress.org/.

This automatic system for submitting your blog to RSS & blog directories is known as pinging. You ping your blog at sites like kping.com and pingoat.com. When you ping your blog, the system will automatically send the latest update from your blog to all of the largest blog directorires – usually on the order of about 40 or so. This means that submitting your blog to RSS & blog directories can actually be as simple as filling in your URL and title – and then hitting submit. The only thing you will want to be careful about is the title you use. You will want to make sure that you use your most targeted keyword in the title you submit, as that will be attached to all of the backlinks you receive from these directories.

Additionally, submitting your blog to RSS & blog directories will get your blog placed on the front page of a number of blog directories. This may generate some quick traffic for you from people who are looking at the latest blogs to be updated.

Once you are finished submitting your blog to RSS & blog directories via ping, you will then want to search out directories that you cannot ping and submit to them individually. Vilesilencer.com provides a fairly complete list of RSS and blog directories. You will want to first submit to directories that offer certain perks (i.e., first page listings) or have higher PR – as this will confer higher more PR to your blog. Since you cannot submit to most RSS directories via ping, they will probably make up the bulk of your submissions.

However, PPC search engine advertising does not end there. It is important to understand that although PPC search engine advertising generates leads, it is also important for users to find relevant information at the website they are directed to. Information is a valuable asset in PPC search engine advertising that is often left unchecked by many websites. Keep in mind that users are more likely to purchase products or services from a company that provided them with the necessary information they needed in the first place.

Qualified traffic with PPC search engine advertising

One of the benefits of PPC search engine advertising is that it provides qualified traffic to a specific website. Users that click on a PPC ad are those in search of a particular product or service. This helps eliminate unnecessary clicks from non-prospective buyers that only produce expenditures not profits. PPC search engine advertising is also the fastest way to get a reasonable return on investment.

A bidding process is used to establish the price of a specific keyword. In general, the budget for PPC search engine advertising may be a $100 to $100,000 depending on the number of keywords used. These prices can skyrocket in just minutes as more and more sites bid for the same keyword thus causing the prices to jack up.

PPC ads are placed alongside search engine results to which they are relevant. The highest bids for a specific keyword or phrase gets top billing on the search engine results page. Getting top placement provides greater odds for a PPC ad to get clicked by a qualified searcher.

Elements of PPC search engine advertising

PPC search engine advertising involves three basic elements; constant monitoring, response analysis and refinement as the essential factors involved in PPC search engine advertising. Proper management of PPC search engine advertising can result in big profits for a website.

PPC search engine advertising makes it possible for sites to monitor the productivity of each PPC ad they place. This gives a site the opportunity to turn off any PPC ad that is not performing at its best. PPC search engine advertising provides the most economical way for a site to advertise on the World Wide Web.

The cost entailed in PPC search engine advertising is dictated by the clicks made on a particular PPC ad. The number of clicks made on a PPC ad is subtracted from the initial amount paid by the business to a search engine company. To minimize cost and maximize return on investment, a business will have to regularly monitor its PPC search engine advertising campaign.

How to use PPC search engine advertising

Many businesses are unable to get the most out of their PPC search engine advertising campaign. PPC search engine advertising involves a lot more than just bidding on the highest keywords. Information is a main concern of many online users.

Providing online users with relevant information they need will help bring about a more long-term relationship with an online user that will more likely result in a sale.
Information provided to online users may be in the form of a newsletter or e-zine that online users would likely sign up for. Sign-ups may be enough to cover the expenses of a PPC search engine advertising campaign.

Sign-ups also help generate leads for websites as they build opt in list from qualified online searchers who clicked their PPC ad. Getting personal information from qualified online searchers can be done in a variety of ways such as offering freebies for surveys or signing up for newsletters.

PPC search engine advertising is a continuous process that requires hands on supervision and a thorough understanding of PPC search engines. Businesses may opt to hire the services of a professional or do PPC search engine advertising with in-house experts. Whatever course of action is selected, a business is sure to get a huge return on investment with PPC search engine advertising.

Being in the digital age, efforts done by marketing to get the message across is not that different. It has just become a little more high tech which continues to help drive sales.

Businesses that want to sell something in the market need 2 things. The first is the product to be sold which later on will be distributed. The second is marketing which is the vehicle that is used to carry that message across to the consumer so that people are aware of its existence then it is purchased.

One way of the fastest ways of doing marketing today is building a website. Should one decide to shift and decide to do this, here are some tips one needs to know to get started.

1. The first thing to do is to determine what the person wants to do. The product has to fill a need that the customers want right now. It should provide a solution of some kind that will make that will improve the quality of life either at home or at work.

2. The next is to do the proper research. If the business is done with a group of people or a single proprietorship, it is best to brainstorm for the best domain name for the business. It should be catchy and will easily be remembered by people. Given that there are probably other people who have been in the business longer and that it is possible that the domain name has already been taken, it is best to think of several names in case it can no longer be used.

There are sites in the web that have search engines to look for a specific subject and using popular keywords for ones website  will easily help people find it. These sites also allow one to make a site map which can be downloaded in minutes for a small fee.

Another good example is the various email sites and by doing a tie-up with these companies, one can get exposure as well as free service since people who do not have an account can also sign up and be an active member.

3. A product of good quality should be sold at a decent price. Sometimes, the product one makes is already available in the market. To be competitive, one must figure out a way to convince people as to why this product is better than the other leading brands available. What features does it have that the competitor doesn’t? What makes it unique which is not only about the product on hand but the service that this can give as well?

4. Just like having a normal business, one must acquire the right equipment and machines for the job. These could be merchandise that is either physical or electronic and an online ordering system.

To be successful, one should be sure that the goods that a customer will order can be delivered on time. If there are any problems, a customer support staff or system should be ready to cater to that.

5. It takes money to make more money so one should be careful with what needs to be spent. By putting in tight controls in terms of expenditures and keeping track of the current balance while maintaining the same level of quality saves money which can be used for other things.

To avoid falling in this predicament, the first thing one must do is manage the expenses.  It is always good to carry a notebook around to log whatever expenses have been made or have a logbook to keep track how much balance is left. That way, a person can stay within a budget on a monthly basis.

6. With everything in place, it is now time to promote the site. One can email to friends about the site and what it offers then this too will also be forwarded and advertised to others. Another is showcasing ones website in E-zines or electronic magazines to get more customer traffic.

Any business big or small must have the right resources available to get the message across to the people and building a web site or a site map takes time. One can do it alone if that person knows how to do it, get professional help or simply start from the basics and learn it from the ground up.

At the same time, the internet also poses a quite different challenge. The easy access that internet provides also gives you as much competition as you can imagine. It is too crowded and congested.

Having a website is not enough to make your business running and able to compete. You must take other alternatives to give way for the online community to access your website at any rate or chance possible.

You have to expose your website. Make it known. It has to be visible. It has to be frequently targeted by consumers and surfers.

Invest in marketing your internet site.  There are basically two options available to you, the SEO and PPC. These two are probably the most desirable alternatives you can get for your internet business as strategy for search engine marketing.

1. SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Some researches indicate that 60% – 70% of internet surfers and users actually resort to using the Google search engine to find and locate web sites and pages, for any topic they desire. SEO is the process taken to make sure that the internet uses will find your website when ranked among the top results of a search. This way you can make sure that you will be visible and can clearly stand out from the rest.

To get a search engine optimization, you will have to build on your own internet site frequently hit internet links to web site pages. The process will involve IBLN or Independent Back-Linking Network, wherein hundreds or even thousands of pages will be utilized to promote a particular website of a client.

In SEO, there is no need for you to pay for the clicks although it will require you to spend time doing research to get a favorable combination of ads and target audience. The SEO process is a long term one. It requires months, 6 months at the least, before the proper outcome is fully achieved, but once the goal is accomplished, you will definitely get a steady source of profit.

2. PPC
PPC means Pay Per Click. It gives way advertising on a search engine. These are sponsored listings that you see whenever you make a search. There will be a charge whenever a visitor or web surfer clicks on any of your ads. There will first be a bidding process. The highest bidder for the price per click will definitely get the chance to be first listed in the search engine.

With this kind of advertising, you can still basically control your campaign as you get to create your own ad. You will also manage the target audience and still stay within the bounds of your budget. Most of the providers of PPC advertising will allow you to specify the target market, either by topic, industry or geographical location. You can also very well check if your ad gets to be shown at all and if it is competitive with the rest.

There are some guaranteed benefits when you get to maximize the PPC strategy.

• PPC lets you advertise to the whole of the online community. It is also relatively easy to set up.

• At first glance, PPC advertising may seem very expensive. Could it possibly happen that someone out there will go on clicking on your ad? This will definitely give you a large bill without the expected profit on your part. If this provides a lot of worries, be rest assured that there is a protection for you. Networks are able to recognize fraudulent clicks.

• You can also set a budget for a certain period. The moment your budget has been used up by the target number of clicks, your ads will no longer be displayed until the next period you want it again displayed.

• You will also be able to adjust well to changes in market demands and trends.

In deciding which of the two strategies will work right for you, think of your goals and of your resources. They definitely offer benefits and advantages that will work for your good. The better way to approach this two is to evaluate according to your short term and long term plans. Take the PPC course for your short term goals and choose SEO if you have long term ones.

There world is out there for you now. Just make sure you do what will work best for your entrepreneurial endeavors and visions. The secret to success lies in your hands. Just study your options well and you’ll get exactly what you want.

Ecordia announces the availability of its new predictive content analysis application – the Ecordia Content Optimizer – available at https://optimizer.ecordia.com/. Designed for copywriters, journalists, and SEO practitioners, this content analysis application provides automated intelligence and recommendations for improving the structure of content prior to publishing.

Available for free at https://optimizer.ecordia.com/ this turn-key web application provides a number of features that aid writers in the creation and validation of content including:

– Advanced keyword research during authoring
– Detailed scoring of your content based on 15 proven SEO techniques
– Automated recommendations on how you can improve your content for search engines
– Intelligent keyword extraction that compares your content to popular search terms
– Sophisticated Keyword Analysis that scores your keyword usage based on 5 statistical formulas
– Comprehensive Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Best Practices Guide

“This new technology represents a tremendous improvement in the way writers create their content for publishing within search engines,” says Sean Jackson, CEO of Ecordia. He continues, “For the first time, writers have a comprehensive view of how search engines will index their content – with recommendations and analysis that do not require the writer to alter their style of writing.”

The Ecordia Content Optimizer has been in beta development for over a year and is currently in use by a number of SEO practitioners.

Derick Schaffer, Managing Director of OrangeCast, was an early beta reviewer for the technology. “One of the best things about this new tool is the ability for us to provide our clients with third-party validation of the steps we take to optimize their content,” says Derick. “It is the only application we have found that analyzes content from an SEO perspective prior to publishing that meets the best practices guidelines of the major search engines,” Derick adds.

The Ecordia Content Optimizer provides content analysis capabilities ideally suited for web publishers who wish to:

– Improve their quality score for landing pages used in PPC campaigns.
– SEO professionals that want to validate and review content prior to publishing.
– Blog sites that wish to improve the quality of their ads from contextual ad networks.
– PR Practitioners that want to optimize their press release prior to publishing.

The Ecordia Content Optimizer is available for a free 5-day trial at https://optimizer.ecordia.com/. The product is licensed on a per user monthly subscription starting at $19.95 per month for unlimited content.

Source: Ecordia

With this new release even more functionality is added to the industry leading site search solution. New functionality includes:

– Search Engine Optimization functionality. Use and publish automatic site maps to create better public search engine ranking; for example on Google
– On-demand search behavior reporting. Gain in-depth insight into how web site visitors use search and ensure that customers are finding what they are looking for to reduce site defection
– Conversion optimization functionality enables the use of insight about search behavior to improve conversion of site visitors; for example to customers, by optimization of search result page content

“This highly packaged site search solution helps multinational companies convert visitors to customers. It enables optimization of the search result page, which is often one of the most visited pages and a point of potential site defection” SurfRay CEO Soren Pallesen.

In addition to the new functionality MondoSearch 5.4 includes fully categorized and facetted results, ranking control, extensive language support with support for 37 languages, robust indexing control with support for cached and incremental crawls and fully customizable and extensible search pages.

MondoSearch is used to make over half a billion web pages and documents searchable on over 25,000 web sites in enterprises worldwide in 24 countries including Amway Japan, AT&T Wireless, Bank of Thailand, Business Development Bank of Canada, Capital Blue Cross, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Danisco, DFDS, Ernst & Young, FIFA, H & R Block, IAG, MetLife, Ministry of Finance Finland, Morningstar, New Zealand Post, Nordea Bank, Norges Bank, Peoples Bank, Post Danmark, Royal Mail, San Francisco Chronicle, Scotland Gas Networks, Sydney Airport Corporation, Tivoli, UNAIDS, and UPS.

Source: SurfRay

Shortened URL services have increased in popularity over the past few months, yet none of them provide any real exposure benefits to the content publishers. Until Su.pr, the main reason to use a shortened URL was in order to fit a lot of information within a small character limit, i.e. Twitter’s 140 character maximum. Now, with Su.pr, publishers can drive traffic to their content and post across multiple platforms with a single click, all while preserving search ranking and branding.

Su.pr is a free syndication tool for publishers that makes it possible for them to broadcast content across Facebook and Twitter, while also increasing the content’s exposure to StumbleUpon’s nearly 8 million users. All publishers have to do is type in their message, hit post, and the message is posted along with the shortened URL. Publishers can identify the best times to post, schedule future posts, and see real-time results on clicks, tweets, and traffic associated with posts.

“Su.pr makes it faster and easier to syndicate and measure your content, helping publishers increase their reach and efficiency,” said Garrett Camp, StumbleUpon CEO. “And from every Su.pr link, users can discover other great content from that publisher.”

Su.pr provides the following benefits:

• More traffic — Every Su.pr URL exposes content to StumbleUpon’s nearly 8 million users and allows publishers to showcase their site’s best content alongside each link.

• Better results in less time — Publishers can identify the optimal times to post (highest likely traffic) and schedule as many posts as they like, for whenever they want.

• One-click posting – With Su.pr, publishers can post to StumbleUpon, Twitter and Facebook with just one click. (More platforms to be added in the future).

• Real-time Analytics – Su.pr provides real-time reports on clicks and traffic, including the number of retweets for each post.

• Custom short URLs – Su.pr users have the option to have their own domain-name in the short URLs (i.e. mysite.com/a2b).

• Redirect friendly — Publishers can choose to create links that redirect traffic to their own site (301 redirect), preserving their search ranking.

“Su.pr is one of a kind – in combination with StumbleUpon, it has increased traffic to my site, delivering as many as 24,000 unique visitors to a single post in less than 24 hours,” said Tim Ferriss, popular blogger and New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek.

Ferriss added, “Su.pr isn’t another URL shortener.It produces measurable results, sending me more visitors in less time. From intelligent real-time analytics to my most important ‘retweeters’, it allows me to find what really works and ignore the noise. Want to know the best time to post? Done. Post to Twitter and Facebook with one click? Check. It’s one-stop shopping for those who want real ROI from social media.”

“MTV is excited to have the opportunity to be one of the first organizations to utilize StumbleUpon’s Su.pr service,” said Damon Burrell, VP of Marketing, MTV. “We’re reaching our fans and viewers through a number of channels today, including Facebook and Twitter. As we extend our reach beyond MTV.com, it’s helpful to have something that does double duty – provide us with short, clean URLs, and offer us the analytics backend for us to accurately measure our efforts.”

Su.pr is currently in private beta. For more information on Su.pr, visit Su.pr.

Source: StumbleUpon