Archive for April, 2005
Wednesday, April 27th, 2005
By Scottie Claiborne
Search engine optimization is a lot like weight loss. You’ve got some things that are effective and some that are not, and it’s hard to trust the claims of one over the other. You want to believe the great-results-with-no-effort claims, and you hope they are true… but are they worth wasting your time and money on?
Fad Diets and Quick Tricks Spam
It seems every month there is a new fad in weight loss: protein-only, all the grapefruit you can eat, or high carb/low carb. All offer fast results if you’ll just stick with it. They usually do achieve some results; however, they aren’t lasting. As soon as you kick back into your old habits of potato chips, hamburgers, and ice cream, the weight comes back.
Similarly, when you use “quick results” spam techniques, you may see some fast results. Mini-networks, keyword-stuffing, and cloaking can work for a while. However, when you base your search rankings on a quirk of the SE algos, you have nothing left when it stops working.
Weight Loss Programs and Traffic Companies
Some companies will keep you pointed toward your goal with weekly weigh-ins and a diet of protein shakes or prepackaged foods. These programs can work… while you’re on them. When the money stops so does the program, and since they haven’t taught you how to change your lifestyle, old habits drift back in — along with the weight.
“Optimization” companies that don’t touch your site but send you traffic based on their offsite doorway pages are similar; their techniques may work, but they haven’t improved *your* actual site or helped it to rank well. When you stop paying them, your traffic goes to someone else.
Pills, Patches, and Submission Programs
You can’t open your email or read a magazine without being bombarded by ads for amazing weight loss pills, patches, and creams. We want SOOOOO badly to believe these will work to give us the body of our dreams with little to no effort. Surely they wouldn’t be allowed to make these claims if they weren’t true, right? Each month we spend money on these treatments and wait for them to kick in, yet they never do.
Submission companies suck us in with claims of submitting our site to hundreds, no THOUSANDS, of search engines. They guarantee great traffic, getting your site noticed, and a one-click trip to search stardom. All for the low, low price of $29.99 a month. Sounds reasonable — after all, they couldn’t make these claims if they weren’t true, could they? So we keep paying and waiting, but in reality, all these programs do is drastically increase your email spam.
Buy Your Way In
If you’ve got the money, you can buy a better body through surgery.
Stomach stapling, tummy tucks, liposuction… if you don’t like it, surgery can fix it! However, it is usually expensive and often painful, plus it can backfire. Results are often achieved, but if you don’t change your habits, you will find yourself back in the same predicament as before.
If you’ve got enough money, you can buy your way to the top of the search results. PPC advertising and buying links on a range of sites can put your site at the top of the listings. While you may gain traffic from this, you may not make sales. Buying your way in does not address any underlying usability or marketing issues with your site.
The Right (but Boring) Way
Deep down we all know the key to long-term weight loss is to eat less and exercise more. Change your habits to eat healthier foods and be more active. If we’d follow those rules, we’d be healthier, look better, and create a healthy lifestyle.
The key to great search rankings is just as simple. Create a great, usable website with useful content, and obtain more relevant incoming links. By addressing any site issues first and constantly making it better, your future search marketing efforts will return more results.
Why don’t we do it the right way from the start? The right way is boring. It takes hard work, creativity, and long-term commitment. We want that magic potion that will make us thin and put our website at
#1 without having to work so hard. The reality is that long-term results require hard work.
I’ll admit to reading those ads that claim to perfect my body in hopes that they are true, and I also read the latest SEO techniques with interest, hoping for that quick fix that will send my sites instantly to the top. But the only sure, long-term answer is to spend the time to do it right. It’s not the instant fix I’d prefer, but the ultimate success is sweeter when you know that you earned it.
Scottie Claiborne
Right Click Web Consulting
http://www.rightclickwebs.com/
Posted in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) | No Comments »
Monday, April 25th, 2005
by Karon Thackston © 2005
http://www.copywritingcourse.com
If you’ve been in the copywriting realm for very long at all, you’ve heard the phrase “features vs. benefits.” It’s a fundamental copywriting principle and driving force behind much of what we, as copywriters, create. But there’s also another aspect to this equation.
What happens after customers buy your product or service? Once they’ve used what you have to offer, what will be different in their lives? What will the end results, of their buying decision, be? Getting your customers to look at the end results of their actions can be an extremely powerful persuasion tool that you’ll want to incorporate into your copy.
Let’s look at features, benefits and end results and see how all three work individually and collectively to create a targeted push to the point of purchase.
Features - The Basic Outline of Your Product or Service
Features, in copywriting, are a starting point. They provide a basic outline for what your customer needs to know. Features describe (most often) the attributes of a product or service. If we’re using the example of a cordless, telephone-answering system, some features might be:
- 5.8GHz FHSS
- Talking caller ID
- Expandable to 4 handsets
- Selectable ring tones
- Speakerphones
For a person who knows nothing about cordless phones with answering machines, this list might not mean much. It’s a basic blueprint of the telephone and nothing more.
Benefits - Make the Product or Service More Personal
Benefits enliven the features. Benefits make the features, and the product or service, more personal. They explain how the features will improve the customer’s life in some way. Using the features list above, see what the benefits might be. (The list below was taken from PanasonicT marketing materials and relates directly to their KX-TG5230M model phone.)
- 5.8GHz digital system: The 5.8GHz frequency lets you go anywhere in your house and still have clear reception without interfering with your home network. The frequency-hopping digital technology keeps calls secure from outside sources.
- Talking caller ID: No need to be within visual distance of your phone. You can hear who’s on the line before you pick up the phone. No more running to find the handset or base!
- Expandable: Keep a phone in any room-extra handsets cost less than other phones and don’t need a phone jack. This base unit supports a total of four handsets. Add up to three handsets for a complete set.
- Selectable ring tones: Customize the sound of your phone by choosing from three ring tones.
- Dual speakerphones: Talk directly into the base with the base speakerphone, while the handset speakerphone provides convenient hands-free calling wherever you take your handset.
Benefits make the features personal. They explain how the features will be of use in the customer’s life.
End Results - A Glimpse Into the Future
We can take this process one step further, however. After customers buy the phone, and after they use it, what end results will they experience? As asked before, how will their lives be improved? What will the effects of their buying decision be?
Let’s go back to our list and add end results as the last sentence in the benefits list.
- 5.8GHz digital system: The 5.8GHz frequency lets you go anywhere in your house and still have clear reception without disrupting your home network. The frequency-hopping digital technology keeps calls secure from outside sources. You’ll have complete freedom to talk with no interference on one of the most advanced systems available.
- Talking caller ID: No need to be within visual distance of your phone. You can hear who’s on the line before you pick up the phone. You’ll enjoy the ultimate in convenience with this feature. No more running to view the handset or base!
- Expandable: Keep a phone in any room-extra handsets cost less than other phones and don’t need a phone jack. This base unit supports a total of four handsets. Add up to three handsets for a complete set. Expandable phone systems are smart investments that save time and money.
- Selectable ring tones: Customize the sound of your phone by choosing from three ring tones. Make your phone an extension of yourself.
- Dual speakerphones: Talk directly into the base with the base speakerphone, while the handset speakerphone provides convenient hands-free calling wherever you take your handset. You’ll have the flexibility of speakerphones wherever and whenever you talk.
Do you see what the end results have done? They’ve given the customer a glimpse into the future. The feature states that the phone offers 5.8GHz technology. The benefit goes on to explain that 5.8GHz technology is important because it offers clear reception and safety. The end result wraps things up by stating the customer will have a life filled with freedom and no interference from their highly advanced system.
Other end results point out how the phone system will make each user’s life more convenient, how this smart investment will save time and money, how it will conform to one’s personality and how the phone will lend flexibility to the customer’s life.
When you create your copywriting plan, be sure to list the features and build your benefits as usual. But, for added power, don’t forget to include end results that will help the customers visualize how your product or service will make their lives better.
Karon Thackston is a veteran copywriting pro who specializes in SEO copy. Learn how to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Get more tips on incorporating keyphrases into your copy with Karon’s latest e-report “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)” at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.
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Wednesday, April 20th, 2005
By James Peggie
April 20, 2005
Incoming links are important to the rankings of your website. Having a quantity of relevant incoming links increases your sites relevance and boosts rankings within Google and the other search engines.
Traditional SEO wisdom used to state - the more incoming links the better. However the new belief is that there is a preference for quality over quantity.
There is a growing consensus that within Google a “Sandbox” exists for new links. This is similar to the aging filter believed to exist for new sites - what has traditionally been known as the Google ‘Sandbox.’
There is strong evidence that Google now employs a link filter as part of its algorithm. The belief is that new links do not get full credit when they first appear but that they receive partial credit until they have been established for a ‘holding’ time period. Once this holding period is complete they are given full credit and they then go on to benefit the site and influence Page Rank. There is further evidence that having a large quantity of new links actually harms your rankings and can trigger a penalty filter.
The other influencing factor is how strongly the link relates to your site. Is the link related to and of a similar theme to your website? If not, it could be of less value to your site.
How does this information affect your website? Well, let’s look at the reasons why Google introduced the filter. Too many links in a short period of time is viewed as artificial. This may be the result of an unnatural link strategy such as a ‘cheap and nasty’ SEO links campaign, link sales or the result of signing up with a link farm. Google are obviously looking for natural links. The holding period gives Google time to discover just how relevant the new link is.
As in all areas of business a sound and ethical approach is always the best tactic for long term success. A natural linking strategy will build natural and quality relevant links. These links should be applied over a period of time. The links should be of a similar theme to your website’s content. The drawback is that this can be a slow and time consuming process.
There are a few options that may be worth considering:
- You can add one way directory links which are usually high quality and offer you a link that is relevant and theme related
- Do not ask for links from unrelated sites
- Make sure that all the links you ask for are theme related
- Spread your linking over a period of time.
By following good SEO practices or by hiring an SEO company that follows these practices and works within the search engine guidelines you minimize the risk that your site and your business will be adversely affected by the Google filters.
Posted in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) | No Comments »
Thursday, April 14th, 2005
by Karon Thackston © 2005 http://www.marketingwords.com/landingpage.html
If you’ve been online for any length of time at all, I’m sure you know of Marketing Sherpa. This trusted and dependable source for online marketing information has put out some of the most widely known and highly praised books and reports available today. Some of their repeated best sellers include, “Email Marketing Metrics Guide” and “How To Get Your Permission Emails Past Filters.”
Marketing Sherpa consistently provides the tools that powerhouse companies use to supercharge conversions and profits repeatedly. Well, they’ve done it again!
The newest release (already improving conversions by an average of 40% all over the ‘Net) is called “Landing Page Handbook: How to Raise Conversions — Data and Design Guidelines” and does it ever deliver. (Find it here: http://www.marketingwords.com/landingpage.html.)
After extensive research and testing with some major corporations as the guinea pigs (try Old Navy, NASA and the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau on for size!), Marketing Sherpa is now able to offer specific, conclusive information; suggestions and recommendations on how to improve your landing page conversions (for online and offline offers) by an average of 40%.
Here’s what they say about that shocking promise:
“If you follow the Handbook’s data and design guidelines, we estimate your landing page conversions may rise by 40%.”
Where did that 40% number come from? Well, Marketing Sherpa has researched more than 500 case studies on Internet marketing, most of which included landing pages. We noticed across all studies that marketers who followed landing page best practices tended to get at least 40% higher conversions than average.”
What do you get when you order this ebook?
- 59 samples from real-life campaigns (use as templates for your own)
- 13 heatmaps: how actual visitors “see” landing pages
- 190 pages, including 16 tables and charts
- A 100% satisfaction guaranteed
Did I buy it? Yes. Have I actually read it? Yes. Did I find elements that could be improved on my own pages and those of my clients? You bet! I just finished making changes to one of my sites and I’ll tell you the results in just a moment.
As with any Marketing Sherpa product, if you’re not completely satisfied, you’ll get an immediate refund of your purchase price.
Take your pick of a PDF (downloads instantly) or a printed copy (ships in 24 hours). Both include exclusive access to an online Creative Samples Library so you can view all samples in their full, colorful glory.
WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW VS. WHAT IS FACT
It’s really surprising what we assume when we create landing pages (or any type of advertising). We think we know what the site visitor is looking at (and for), when, in fact, we don’t.
Most often, our information is just out-of-date. Case in point:
I’ve known for years that people look at people. It’s a natural reaction for human eyes to float to the section of a Web page, landing page, ad (or whatever) that has a picture. However, what I didn’t realize is that - on a landing page - having a picture of a person can be a dangerously distracting element. Times change and so does the behavior of buyers so we have to stay up-to-date.
The eye-maps included in this ebook also were very interesting to me. You can actually see what the site visitor looked at first and longest to know where to place the different elements of your page. Just very, very cool in my opinion!
If you’re a:
- Website designer
- Copywriter
- Graphic designer
- Marketing professional
- PPC search engine marketer
- or anyone who wants to improve conversions up to 40%
you need to buy this book today.
I promised you I’d share the results of the improvements and testing I’ve done to my Copywriting Course site (see http://www.copywritingcourse.com) using Marketing Sherpa’s newest report “Landing Page Handbook: How to Raise Conversions — Data and Design Guidelines” so here it is.
I made another round of layout and design changes to the site about a week ago. Once again, I saw an immediate improvement. I had data from sales that were made using the original site design/copy and compared those to sales made after the first round of changes. Then I began tracking sales and traffic patterns after the second and third rounds of change. (If I’d made all the changes at once, I would not have been able to tell what worked and what didn’t.)
Marketing Sherpa’s headline for this new ebook promises a 40% increase in conversions when using their methods. Let’s just see how they stacked up. At last check, using the same amount of traffic for each test, the results did not show a 40% increase. However, it did show a 37% increase in conversions! Not too shabby. I was impressed.
It’s important to note that this was after three rounds of changes. I didn’t get a 37% increase immediately. But that’s something the ebook tells you. you’ll have to test and track. The companies with the biggest returns are the ones who continually test.
I’ll continue tweaking and testing so I can get even better results in the future, but my position on this report hasn’t changed. “Landing Page Handbook: How to Raise Conversions — Data & Design Guidelines” has extremely valuable information anyone who designs or writes landing pages would benefit from. I strongly encourage you to get yours today at http://www.marketingwords.com/landingpage.html.
Karon Thackston specializes in writing copy that ranks high with the search engines and converts visitors to buyers. Let Karon teach you to write better copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out her latest e-report “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)” at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.
Posted in Search Engine Marketing (SEM) | No Comments »
Thursday, April 7th, 2005
by Karon Thackston © 2005, All Rights Reserved
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword
Search engine copywriting has become an extremely important part of the overall search engine optimization process. However, in addition, search engine copywriting has developed into a misunderstood craft.
Shoving keywords in anywhere they can possibly go is not considered search engine copywriting. The process is more defined than that. Successful SEO copywriting takes planning. Any half-hearted efforts at writing copy geared strictly toward the engines will usually result in a decline in your customer’s experience at your site.
What’s the best way to write SEO copy? Starting with a plan is always a good idea. Keep in mind, these are guidelines of techniques that can be used *IF* they make sense for your site visitors. I never recommend writing solely for the search engines. In the case of search engine copywriting, the customer is truly #1.
- Use Three Keyphrases Per Page - Not a carved-in-stone rule, the guideline of three keyphrases per page gives good variety and helps keep the copy from sounding too repetitive. I always choose keyphrases first - before I write - because they can have a direct impact on the focus of the page.
- Have 250 or More Words of Copy - The length of your copy depends on several things: Your target customer’s preferred communication style, whether the product is new to the marketplace, if a detailed explanation needs to be given, site design and many other factors. However, the 250-word minimum gives enough room to get your message across and offer an effective level of keyword support. Remember though, it’s all about the customer. If your target customers prefer longer copy, write longer copy. If they like shorter copy, write shorter copy.
- Write In Natural Language - “Natural language” is a term popular in SEO copywriting. It means that the reader should not be able to (or should barely be able to) detect what keyphrases the page is being optimized for. The copy should flow as if it were not written with the search engines in mind. You don’t want the copy to sound forced or stiff. When you generate ideas for the page copy, keep your keywords in mind. Ask yourself whether you can use them in the copy in such a way that they won’t be obtrusive.
- Use Keyword Phrases In Headlines and Sub-headlines - IF it makes sense to do so. You will not blow your rankings if you have no keyword-filled <H1> or other <H> tags. If your headline sounds stupid with keywords in it, don’t use them. There are countless sites online that rank highly which have no keywords in the headline.
- Use Keyword Phrases Once or Twice Per Paragraph - Again IF it makes sense. Remember what I keep repeating? None of these guidelines are carved in stone. Read your copy out loud. If it sounds stupid or forced, take out some keywords or find ways to rework them so they flow more naturally.
- Use Keyword Phrases In Bold, Italic or Bulleted Lists - IF it makes sense to do so. Don’t automatically bold or italicize every instance of your keywords. It will make your page look stupid, and your visitors will wonder what kind of drugs you’ve been doing!
- Do NOT Use Keyword Phrases As Substitutes For Generic Terms - For example, do not replace every instance of the generic word “cruise” with the keyphrase “Mexico cruise vacation.” Your copy will sound ridiculous.
We offer Mexico cruise vacation packages on the most popular Mexico cruise vacation ships to the most breathtaking Mexico cruise vacation destinations. Oh please!!
- Use Keyword Phrases As Anchor Text In Links - This is certainly not always possible. If your primary keyphrase is “Mexico Cruise Vacation,” you absolutely should not write every link to include that phrase. However, if you can include keywords in anchor text within body copy or in text navigation links, you might score a little extra credit.
- Test and Track - Lastly, and above all, please remember, it may take some tweaking to get your page to convert the way you want it to. All customers are not the same, and all sites are not the same. All keyphrases are not the same. There is no magic bullet. You’ll have to test and track and see what works best for you.
Karon Thackston is a veteran copywriting pro who specializes in SEO copy. Learn how to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Get more tips on incorporating keyphrases into your copy with Karon’s latest e-report “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)” at
http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.Search engine copywriting has become an extremely important part of the overall search engine optimization process. However, in addition, search engine copywriting has developed into a misunderstood craft.
Posted in Copywriting | No Comments »