SEO – the holy grail.  Something that’s so difficult to accomplish that only a select few can do it and they charge tens of thousands of dollars to optimize your site.

Wrong.

SEO is not mysterious.  Search Engine Optimization is not difficult, nor is search engine optimization relagated to the elite.  Anyone can do it – you don’t have to go to a search engine optimization service to get the most out of search engine optimization marketing – but it’s how well it is done that makes the difference.

Example – on one of my blogs, in a very competetive niche I am easily able to get into the first page through organic search results by using easy search engine optimization techniques.  Some of my pages are indexed almost immediately after I’ve made the blog post and within 1-2 days maximum I see them on the first page of results.

The keywords are not uncommon either – they are popular keywords and there is a lot of competition for them plus there are AdSense postings for those keywords.

I think that I am doing something right.

When you’re working towards search engine optimization, there are a few key things.

First off if you’re SEO’ing your blog – make use of the plugin called All In One SEO Pack – well worth it!  You can find it here http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/.

I won’t go into how to set-up All In One SEO Pack (remember SEO = Search Engine Optimization) there are a lot of tutorials out there for this plugin.

Some of the things you do have control over are on-page optimization – this is a very simple and successful SEO strategy.  But even before we head down that path lets look at what you want your SEO goals to be.  This will really define what you want out of your SEO efforts and will guide among other things keyword research to help you find the long-tail keywords or low-hanging fruit.

Lets pick a product – acai berry.

As you research your product, you will look at finding relavent keywords and you will prioritize those keywords.  For example if you come up with 50 keywords you want to prioritize those keywords and work around those keywords.  You DO NOT want to stuff your page with all 50 keywords, that won’t work and may get your site banned.

Next up is your domain name.  It is always beneficial to use the keywords as part of the domain.  So you could use something like:

• acai berry scam
• benefits of acai berry
• Oprah acai berry
• acai berry side effects
• acai berry juice
• acai berries

I highly recommend putting the research of a $60 billion company behind you (Google) by making use of this site https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal – but do other research as well.  For example, visit the top 10 sites for the various keywords and see what makes them tick.

Those keywords above – from the link above also.

Don’t limit yourself to Google (though it is the largest SE out there) use their results for various keywords and examine those sites META tags (more on meta tags later on).  You could even use their meta tags.

Do they have articles?  What are they writing about?  I hope you know where I am going with this…  It’s called MARKET RESEARCH.

Part of your SEO strategy will also be linking.  We’re talking about internal linking to other pages on your site using good keywords.  For example if you were writing about acai berries you could link to another article on your site about acai berry juice with the term acai berry juice as the text of the link.  This adds some juice (excuse the pun) to the linked page.

You also want to try and get inbound links – this is a topic that is a post all by itself and something I will post in the next day or so.

On page factors are next.  You always want to limit stuff like Flash/JavaScript and other types of technologies.  The acronym KISS (keep it simple stupid) wasn’t created for the hell of it.  Remember it, and remember it well KISS.  KISS.  KISS.  There – now I just may show up in the results when someone is searching for KISS the rock band.  :-)

There are off-page factors to consider as well, such as buying links and technology to consider such as the hosts reliability and how well they tackle SPAM.  If the site is known to send SPAM they could be blocked and any SEO efforts are wasted.

This post is getting towards 800 words so I’ll stop here and over the next few days we will go into a couple of topics:

1. On-page search engine optimization
2. Internal linking
3. Link building

Tomorrow or the next day I’ll go into on-page search engine optimization and we’ll delve into the other topics over the next week.

Stay tuned!

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: acai berries, acai berry, easy search engine optimization techniques, on page optimization, search engine optimization, search engine optimization marketing, search engine optimzation services, SEO, simple succssful seo strategy

Hi,

Unfortunately I have not unsubscribed from all my “gurus” e-mail lists, so when something does come through I tend to take a quick look at it and then usually delete it.  But I had to share this one with you.

Now I definately DO NOT want to flame anyone, as these “gurus” do make money at our/your expense.  But you have to question some of the stuff that they push through! 

I received an e-mail from a marketer… here is the image of that e-mail:

First incorrect statement “what this GUY did” — the person selling this package is not a GUY with a GIRL.   

I was curious, so checked out the site.  The sales page was slick, great graphics and fantastic testimonials.  But what stood out was the image capture of the Google search results.  In it it is proudly displayed that due to the misspelling of the targeted keyword phrase, the blog reached the #1 position for “internet marketing stratagies”.  In the image it shows that there are 34,100 other competing blogs for the same misspelled word:

Yup – #1 for a misspelled word.  Awesome! (I hope you can sense the sarcasm in my comment).

Interested, I keyed it in as well.  Want to see what I found:

Whoops – Google says that “This site may harm your computer.”. 

Great!  I’m going to go to this site, and really (REALLY) trust what the author is selling.

Would you?

There are many ways to grab the #1 spot in Google or any search engine for that matter – misspelled keywords is one.  Keywords that are “long tail” is another — but you have to ask yourself this, how many people will be using those particular keywords to find YOUR site?

I’ve not provided direct links to the sites in question – why should I increase their linkbacks?

Next time you get an irresisistable offer – QUESTION IT!  Do some basic reasearch, like I did.  It took me all of 5 minutes.

Regards,

Mohamed

P.S.  Sorry if anyone out there feels that I’m trashing anyone or if it was poor taste to post this particular entry.  That is not my intention, it’s just very upsetting to see drivel being sent around and people like you and I (well, not anymore, I hope) falling for this stuff.  If you are in the IM area, then at least treat your visitors with respect and show some level of integrity.

Technorati Tags: Internet Business, internet marketing, search engine optimization

Hi,

So I already talked about building a massive e-mail list, but what else can you do?  Well here are 6 MORE methods of building a massive e-mail list:

1. Publish an on-line (or off-line) newsletter or provide alerts when you post a new entry to your blog.

   James Brausch publishes an off-line newsletter monthly.

   Do you offer alerts when you post to your blog?  If not, you should be doing this. 

2. Write an e-book or special report and GIVE it away!

   This works.  If you are following any of the individuals on the blog roll then you will see that they are doing this also.

   Why am I not doing it?  I will be.  Soon!

3. Visit forums.

   DON’T become a forum junkie, but contribute positively to posts and these individuals will come and visit your site.  You may even get a lifetime subscriber to your alerts or newsletter!

   For example if your niche is musical instruments, then find forums similar in nature and contribute to them.  In your signature, ensure you have a link back to your website.  It works!

4. Content IS king.

   Trust me.  Good content WILL drive visitors to your site.

   But like any “discussion” – it needs to be ongoing.  Stop for a few days or (shudder) weeks – and you could loose that constant stream of visitors!  I post daily.  Sometimes 2x, 3x and as much as 5x per day!  If that’s too much, post in advance and edit the timestamp to a future date.  Good content along with constant content will drive the SEs CrAzY!

5. Bum marketing.  Article marketing. 

   Whatever you want to call it, it’s still content.  You can now post to my article directory.   

   What you can’t write?  Then outsource: Rent-a-Coder (rentacoder.com), eLance (elance.com), Rent-a-Writer (rentawriter.com).

   Here is a site that has a HUGE list of directories.

   Here is a much smaller list:

   Ezine Articles.com – http://www.ezinearticles.com
   GoArticles – http://www.goarticles.com
   Site Reference – http://www.site-reference.com/submit.php
   Article Warehouse – http://www.articlewarehouse.com/
   Web Pro News – http://www.webpronews.com/submit
   Article Dashboard – http://www.articledashboard.com
   Ezine Zone – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ezinezone/
   Small Biz Articles – http://www.smallbizarticles.com/
   Articles Base Directory – http://www.articlesbase.com
   SimplySearch4It – http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/articlesub.php
   Articles.Web – http://www.articles.web.com
   Directory Gold Article Directory – http://articles.directorygold.com/signup.php
   Info Wizards Free Articles – http://content.infowizards.com
   Article Friendly – http://www.articlefriendly.com
   Free Articles for Reprinting – http://www.articles-hub.com
   Submit Your New Article – http://www.submityournewarticle.com
   Article Rich.com – http://www.articlerich.com
   Constant-Content – http://www.constant-content.com/
   Article Cafe – http://www.articlecafe.net
   The Add Articles Directory – http://www.add-articles.com
   Free Reprint Articles – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/free-reprint-articles/
   1Article World – http://www.1articleworld.com
   ABC Article Directory – http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/
   eArticlesOnline.com – http://www.earticlesonline.com
   Article Snatch – http://www.articlesnatch.com
   Just Articles – http://www.JustArticles.com/
   Article-Buzz – http://www.article-buzz.com/

6. People are lazy.  Make it EASY for them to subscribe!

   Multiple subscribe boxes — meaning, one on each page of your site?  Make the box STAND OUT so it is easy to spot, generally ABOVE the fold or on the first page of each page.  Top left or right.  I don’t have results to back me up on location, but am researching this.

There you go.  It IS that easy.

…as I review this list I realize there is more to number 5.  My next post expands on this.

Regards,

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: article directory, build your e-mail list, Ghostwriters, Internet Business, internet marketing, search engine optimization

Hi,

Have you ever been over at SEO BOOK?  No?  Well you gotta go there!  I used this site in the past to get insight into the world of SEO and my blackhat days.  But recently I was poking around and came across this great mind map – check it out!

Think the stuff there is not worth anything?  Consider this – many gurus will take this information; but their own unique twist on it and sell it for A LOT of money.

There – I’ve just dropped a BIG HINT for your next information product.

…man, I can’t believe I’m giving away all this information, for free!!

Regards,

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: Internet Business, internet marketing, search engine optimization, SEO

Hi,

Just a short announcement to people visiting the site, and reading via RSS.

I am in the process of installing a Article Directory application on the site.  The sub-domain is set-up at:

http://articledirectory.online-internet-business-opportunity.com/

As well I am working on setting up the Link Building application as well.  The sub-domain is set-up at:

http://linkexchange.online-internet-business-opportunity.com/

Right now if you go to these sub-domains, there isn’t anything there.  I am using scripts that I purchased from James Brausch, and am making changes to the layout/formatting.  They should be available later today.

Regards,

Mohamed

Technorati Tags: article directory, Internet Business, internet marketing, link exchange, search engine optimization, SEO