Starting An Effective SEO Campaign To Improve Rankings

In order to have a site posted on the most popular search result pages, there's some work and time that is involved in getting the results you're looking for. Those who are having trouble getting off the ground do have extra resources on their side - you just need to know where to look. In order to make sure that your site is seen online, an effective SEO campaign needs to happen.


Of course your site needs to be built in order for traffic to starting coming for a visit.  Using sites like WordPress or Blogger make website development easy and even come with plugins to help with your optimization efforts. If you don't create an effective website, you're going to have a hard time being successful. Get with a professional designer in order to come up with a site that people will love to come to and make sure he has basic knowledge of SEO best practices.


Once your site is up and running you want to start developing and generating inbound links to your website.  Creating effective links and back links is essential for improving your rankings. If this is not taken care of, it will be difficult to make that site presence known. Take the time to learn how to create these links and develop them steadily over a sustained period of time.

The right keywords also need to be chosen when publishing your site. These words are what visitors are going to search for to find your site using search engines. If the keywords are not easy to find or use, it will be hard for the site to be found.  Keep that in mind when creating everything for the site.  Do your keyword research up front and it will save you tons of time and effort down the line.

The content on your site needs to be fresh and laid out properly. This is going to help draw in traffic and keep them engaged.  Be sure to include share icons for social media so people can easily share with their network interesting or valuable content. If site owners can't get the content right, hire a professional writer to step in and take care of everything for you.

Now is the best time to get started with SEO tools and techniques. Those who are ready to get ahead will need to take the time to build their site properly and make sure it's marketed the right way. Use services offered by designers and writers that can help in a variety of different ways, especially with improving search engine rankings.

How To Improve Search Engine Rankings In Less Than 48 Hours!

What if I told you that I've discovered a way to dramatically improve the ranking of any website or  blog in less than 48 hours - guaranteed!  More likely than not you'd be a little skeptical.. and that's a good thing.  Being cautious is natural but simply part of any investigative process.

My name is Michael Fleischner and I've been focused on SEO for over a decade.  You may know me from my appearances on The TODAY Show, ABC World News, or Bloomberg radio.  Not to boast,  but my top-selling book, membership programs, and resources are known throughout the search engine optimization community.  If you want to improve search engine rankings, I can help you.

For a limited time, I'm offering my "Book of Secrets" (which reveals the exact formula I've personally used to achieve top rankings for my many websites and blogs) with step-by-step training videos where you can look over my shoulder and see how to apply simple, yet highly effective techniques for achieving #1 Google rankings.

I'm in the process of launching even more SEO related programs.  As a result, I want to sell my existing inventory of this ebook and training videos.  Normally selling for $297 and up, it's available THIS MONTH ONLY for just $47.  Quantities are limited.  Click here to learn more.

Kind Regards,

Michael

SEO The Easy Way Now Open

I know that many of you have been asking me for information on SEO Training.  Since the launch of my search engine optimization book a couple of years ago (SEO Made Simple), the demand for SEO training continues to grow.  In an effort to accommodate a large number of students, I have partnered with Internet marketing guru Greg Cesar to launch the SEO Training program: SEO The Easy Way.

This online search engine optimization training program is ideal for anyone who want to learn the specific techniques that I use for achieving top organic placements for my web sites, blogs, and affiliate marketing sites.

Greg and I launched the program just a few short weeks ago and you can watch the video of our presentation by visiting http://www.seotheeasyway.com/replayThere you will find our complete Webinar where I reveal some powerful SEO secrets and let you know how you can take advantage of our online training.  If you'd like to access the program immediately, click here.

As is always the case, if you have general SEO questions or would like to know more about search engine optimization, be sure to leave a comment on this post!

Using Video To Promote Your Website

I've recently been using video to promote my websites and blogs.  The reason I've jumped on the video bandwagon is because Google's Universal search results seem to be displaying video more often.  By creating a video, even if it's simple and basic, is a great way to get your site promoted or listed on the top of search result lists.

Take his video below.  It's a quick tour of one of my sites.  As it gets bookmarked or referenced by others, it's building backlinks that are then redirected to my website URL.  This is done indirectly in that my website URL is in the description of the video on YouTube.

If you're not using video to promote your site you should consider doing so.  This will not only help by promoting the video for certain keywords in search results but also by attracting inbound links.  Open up a YouTube account today and start recording!

Blogs Improve Search Engine Rankings

Can blogs really improve your rankings?  How exactly can they help? There are a couple of ways in which blogs can help you improve your search engine rankings.  The first way is through what I call the Yahoo! checklist.  The Yahoo search engine likes to see evidence of social media on the sites they rank.

Yahoo's search results are more focused on a younger crowd that is interacting with many different kinds of social media.  As a rsult, they want to see links to Twitter, Facebook, and, you guest it "blogs" coming from your website. When the search spider detects the inclusion or exclusion of these elements, your ranking is impacted.

So the first step is to build a blog and link to it from your web site home page or even better in your navigation so it's accessible from all web pages.  Once this is completed, you're sure to begin moving your search results higher and higher resulting in more traffic to your website.

The second benefit of a blog is that others link to your valuable content.  If your content is original and noteworthy, others will begin to link to you creating tons of inbound links.  By now you should know that a lot of your ranking results have to do with inbound links from high PR web sites.  Blogs serve as a way to attract links to your website on an ongoing basis.

Whether you are new to blogging or a seasoned veteran, know that blogging has many benefits for improving your search engine rankings.  Start with a free service like blogger or wordpress and you'll be well on your way to blogging success.

Can Link Directories Improve Rankings?

I recently got a question from a blog reader about link directories.  Do they work? Which directories are best?  Link and web directories have been around for a really long time.  Although Google has changed the way they view directories, they still have some value in the overall quest for top search engine rankings.

The key to directory submissions is to use them sparringly.  For example, I never spend more that $20 - $30 for directory submissions and I only submit to those directories wih a PR 5 or higher.  Essentially you're paying for high PR and express inclusion.  Choose a budget and start with the highest ranked sites first and then down the line.

Don't be afraid to use the recriprocal option to get your site listed more quickly.  If reciprocating, use an internal page somewhere on your site, not your home page.  The free option may be an alternative as well.  Just don't expect your site to get listed any time soon.

Directories are a nice add to your search engine optimization program.  Begin with the highest PR sites, a reasonable budget, and a plan to submit using a variety of methods.  Whatever you do, don't use automated submissions.  This will negatively impact your rankings and unfortunately set you back quite a bit.  Best of luck with your directory submissions.

P.S. Search Google for directory listings.  Many have sites listed with highest Google PR to lowest.

Improve Rankings With Directory Submissions

Did you know that it's possible to get higher rankings with the help of directories?  A lot of of people are down on directories.  This is largely because of Google's announcement a couple of years ago about paid links. They professed that they are discounting the value of paid links.

How Does Google Even Know?

Google is able to identify sites and directories that force individuals to pay for a listing.  This is pretty easy to do as you might imagine.  That said there are many more websites charging for links behind the scenes.  They may be approached by potential advertisers and offer a paid link program.  This works for both advertiser and web site because the link value is not discounted by the presence of pay for options.

Paid links may still be valuable with directories however.  I believe that Google is still placing a value on some directories.  In fact, you'll find some of the top ranked web sites in most major directories.  

What Should You Do?

My recommendation is that you don't spend a ton of time submitting to directories but make sure they are part of your search engine optimization program.  A steady building of links from directories can certainly work in your favor.  The key is to carefully choose the directories and only pay for experss inclusion.. not for a featured listing of some sort.

Directory submissions are essential for an optimal SEO campaign.  Begin with a listing of top directories and manually submit.  Do not use automated services.  Careful selection and manual submission is the way to go.  Happy directory submitting!

Achieve Top Search Rankings In About 30 Days

Can you really achieve top search engine rankings with a new site?  I recently attempted first page rankings for an affiliate web site that I created. The challenge was to select a product, research keywords, and buy a domain.  The product I chose was a popular weight loss product.

After doing some keyword research, I decided to optimize around the key phrase of get rid of abdominal fat.  In just 24 hours after purchasing the URL, I had a site up and running.  The key however was that I was using original content and didn't include any of my affiliate links... at least not yet.

I applied some basic SEO techniques including on page optimization and off page optimization.  It took a solid week to ten days to get the site indexed by the major search engines.  Once it was, I started to see a slow and steady move towards the first page of Google.  Oddly enough, a lot of what I did to promote the site was bring ranked higher than the site itself.

Within 30 days, I got the site ranked number one on Yahoo.  Less than a week later I was on the first page of Google for the search term I wanted.  Very soon, I'll be releasing a video course showing the exact techniques I used to achieve top rankings in about 30 days.  If you do your research right and structure your site appropriately (plus mix in some off page optimization), you'll be able to dramatically improve your search engine rankings.

Learning To Improve Rankings With PPC

The more time I spend using PPC marketing, the more I find similarities between pay per click advertising and search engine optimization. PPC can be one of the most powerful tools for improving the effectiveness of your search engine optimization campaigns.  Here's how...

If you're already running your own pay-per-click campaigns, then you have already collected valuable data than can have a significant influence on the success of your SEO. The most important thing to know is which information is can be used to inform other campaigns and how it can enhance the overall results you're looking for.

Qualified visitors are those that have a higher degree of interest in your products or services and a greater likelihood of purchasing your products. I've often seen websites that have reduced their traffic while significantly improving conversion rates. The result is lower costs related to traffic acquisition and higher revenue. With more revenue and less expense, margins reach a new level of success.

The concept that I teach in SEO training is the most effective way to combine pay-per-click advertising with search engine optimization is to focus on conversions. What keywords have you promoted through pay per click advertising that led to conversions? If you've been running PPC for a while and you are still unsure, then consider expanding your analytic capabilities to include Google conversion tracking.

By looking at your PPC results, you can quickly find the keywords that lead to conversions. This information is golden. Not only can you use this to generate more traffic to your website, but you can also use this information to drive the right kind of traffic to your site. With the right focus, you can improve conversions and lower costs - because you're not attracted bad traffic, rather, you're only attracting the type of browsers who want your product or service.

One way to think about this is a company that's selling widgets. If they use PPC, they probably know that the term, discount widget converts the highest of any keyword term. As a result, they should be focusing their organic campaigns around optimizing that particular keyword. Once the phrase appears at the top of the search results, one can reduce the amount spent via pay per click and enjoy the benefits of targeted traffic.

After you've gotten more sophistication around converting pay per click terms and started an optimization campaign, it's time to focus on other elements that can help with conversion. One of the most important is your web site and landing page. Most people work to optimize search terms that drive individuals to a web site. If that's the case with you consider looking at your home page or web site landing page with a new perspective. Once a visitor is there, do you have a clear call to action? If not, consider revamping your landing pages to get browsers to take action.

Use what you've learning through PPC advertising to truly target your search engine optimization campaigns. By doing so, you can improve the quality of traffic you're attracting to your site and reduce your pay per click costs. Don't waste time optimizing your site for terms that no one is searching on or that never lead to conversion.

Improving Search Engine Rankings Comes at a Cost

Despite popular belief, search engine optimization isn't entirely free. In fact, some companies spend tens of thousands of dollars each year trying to get their websites ranked in the number one position organically. This is not only expensive, but can take loads of time. If you think SEO doesn't cost a cent, than think again. However, if you have the time to spend, you sure can save a lot.

Before undergoing any changes to a blog or web site, you must determine what keywords people are using to search for your programs. You want keyword terms that are frequently used but have little or no competition from other websites.

This dramatically enhances the chances of increasing web page ranking significantly. Marketing professionals can research possible keywords by talking to current students and using free online tools such as AdWords Tool which provides estimates of search volume and advertising competitiveness.

Once you've done your initial keyword research, its time to start investigating your competition for that given keyword. Do a search for the keyword or keyword phrase you've chosen and analyze the websites that appear in the first three positions. You definitely want to evaluate on page factors as well as off page factors like the number of inbound links to their website and directory listing. This research gives you a good understanding of your competition.

You can also learn more about a topped ranked website by researching it via Alexa.com for additional ranking information. Try for keyword phrases that have less than two million competing pages, less than PR 5, and less than five hundred in-bound links. If the top competing websites are too large, you should pick a different keyword phrase to focus on.

After choosing the most effective keyword phrases for your niche, design web pages to optimize readability for web site browsers and search engines. Basic areas of on-page optimization you should consider include having the appropriate headers for landing pages, a clear call to action and clean navigation. Your keyword phrase should also be used in meta tags and throughout your web page. Don't overdue it though, keyword stuffing can result in significant penalties from search engines.

Without a doubt the most important factor in Google rankings is a combination of Google page rank and the number of web sites that are linking to your own website. Referred to as inbound links, Google evaluates their authority and places a value on your site with higher listings on search results. You are always better off receiving links from web sites that are established and popular than new sites that have neither a strong web presence or inbound links. When link building be certain that link text includes your keywords.

As you focus on search engine optimization your chances of improving rankings increases twofold. Search engine optimization is ideal for anyone who doesn't want to spend a great deal of money on performance based advertising like Google Adwords. Instead of spending cash, spend time and energy on improving organic rankings. Pay attention to on page optimization factors and start researching and contacting other sites for link building. This will enhance website value and improve rankings. 

Improve Search Engine Rankings With Meta Tags

Are meta tags still important?  You bet they are.  I know that a lot of people think that meta tags are a waste of time - but they're not.  Having properly formed meta tags are essential for search engine success.

Title tag.  Make sure your title tag includes your keyword phrase and is not more than 60 characters long.

Description tag.  Include your keyword phrase no more than two times and make it compelling.  This is what prospective site visitors will see when they see your site listed on search results.

Keywords tag.  Include your most important keyword phrases in this tag but do not include any more than 12 keywords.  Doing so may be considered keyword stuffing.

Robots tag.  Give search engines a reason to crawl your website.

By using meta tags properly, you can tell Google and other major search engines what your site is about and what information users will find when they visit.  Don't overlook simply yet highly effective meta tags when properly formatting your website for search engine success.

It's All About In-Bound Links!

There are a variety of ways to improve the number of websites linking to yours and in turn, improve web site rankings.  In this post, I'll be covering just a few basic in bound linking techniques.  The key is to realize that the best links are one-way links.  For new websites just getting started I recommend combining both one way links with reciprocals links, but nothing beats a one way link from an authoritative web site.

1.  Article Marketing.  Article marketing is a great way to generated one way links to your website.  The way it works is simple.  Create original content and post it on your website.  After a few days, submit your article, with a link back to your website in the author section, to leading article directories like ezinearticles or GoArticles.com.

2.  Do Follow Blog Comments.  Another great strategy is leaving comments on "do follow" blogs.  Search Google for a list of dofollow blogs and find posts to leave comments on.  This allows you to create one way links from authoritative sites.

3.  Profile set ups.  By registering for sites that allow profiles, you can often imbed a URL in your bio section or set up information.  Often times, sites like "fan" sites for your favorite singers allow you to set up a profile with bio link included.

These are just a few of dozens of link building strategies.  Try to build links slowly over time.  This helps to build web site authority and improve overall search rankings.  These techniques are most effective when you place your keywords in the anchor text of each link.

Damn... It Really Is All About Domain Age

So an interesting thing happened.  I took on a challenge from a friend to get a new web site ranked #1 in 30 days or less.  After buying a great URL and starting to promote the site, I found that getting indexed was more of a challenge than I thought.  In fact, I used one of my most popular blogs to promote the site using the link text get rid of abdominal fat which included the keywords I was trying to optimize for.

You know what happened?  I get the blog post ranked in the 3rd position.  You might say "great" but that totally wasn't what I was going for.  I'm trying to get the site well ranked not blog posts that talk about it.  As I began to further optimize the site using on page optimization, social media, and inbound linking, I quickly realized that I can't make Google move any faster.

Where does that leave me?  About a week into the challenge, I'm still waiting for indexing.  Now, once I'm indexed perhaps I'll start to see good movement.  However, I am definitely concerned that things are not going more quickly.  I guess the next few weeks will be critical to making my goal.  Personally, I think it all boils down to domain age.  I think I'll have to go over to GoDaddy auctions and buy one of the "aged domains"... that will be next step.

Improve Web Site Rankings With Link Juice

So what exactly is "link juice".  Well, before I answer that question, let me start with the value of inbound links to your web site the impact that has on improving web site rankings.  Google loves to see web sites that are getting links from well established sites on the Internet.

When your site is getting links from other web sites that have age, Google PR, and inbound links to them, it serves as a vote of confidence.  The more votes you receive from credible websites, the more confidence Google has in you.  It's actually a great system comprised of multiple factors.  These factors are captured in what is referred to as Google PR.

Where does link juice come in?  Link juice refers to the value that links from particular web sites pass on to you.  Let's say that you have a site with Google PR of 3 but receive a link from a PR5 site - now that's link juice.  Not only will this help you with search engine rankings, but it can also improve the Google PR of your own site. 

Your Google PR is directly correlated to the Google PR of sites linking in to yours.  The higher their PR, the higher yours will be as well.  In essence, you should always be looking for link juice - it's powerful and can help you improve your search rankings.

Can You Achieve #1 Rankings With On Page Optimization All By Itself?

Is it possible to improve your search engine rankings with on page optimization alone?  I would argue that the answer to that question is largely no.  You could probably succeed using on page optimization only on search engines like Yahoo or Bing.  These sites rely more heavily on URLs and on page optimization than Google does.

On page optimization is still very necessary.  Even though it only has a small influence on search engine results from Google's perspective, it's important.  Before I start any optimization campaign, I always ensure that I've reviewed a web site for on page optimization factors.

On page optimization factors include: url, meta tags, internal linking, keyword usage, headings, etc.  These factors must properly leverage your keywords to allow you to be truly effective when promoting your site.  Once on page optimization is in place, it's time to focus on off page optimization techniques like link building.

If you are searching for effective on page optimization strategies, all you need to do is Google "on page optimization" or visit popular forums like the Internet marketing forum for additional guidance from the internet marketing community.  Regardless, you should learn the fundamentals of effective on page optimization.

Powerful SEO Techniques In This Exclusive Online Event

FREE Live Teleseminar Reveals "How To Kick It Old School And Hyper Expand Your Brand With Simple SEO Strategies"

Listen Live on Thursday, December 10th as Best Selling SEO Author Michael Fleischner and Rock Star Greg Rollett chat about making simple SEO moves that can take rock your brand from lame to fame

* Learn why on page optimization matters now more than EVER on your site or blog!

* Learn how Video is not just for cats and musicians and how EFFECTIVE videos can have Google sending you more traffic than your servers can handle!!

* Learn why YOU may be wasting your time creating Social Networking profiles and how to tell if Google is counting your links!!!

* Learn how to take YOUR BRAND NEW SITE and get results at a FIRE pace even when playing with keywords and niches that have hype competition!!!!

* Signup Today and receive the Recorded MP3 Version of the call for FREE as our gift to YOU!!!!!
 
Click here to sign up now!

The Right Keywords Make All The Difference In Your Rankings

The best way to achieve search engine dominance is by focusing on keyword research. As an SEO consultant I've worked with hundreds of companies that miss the important step of keyword research. Achieving top search engine rankings is largely based on the competitiveness of the keyword phrase you are trying to optimize your website for. If your competitor is in the top position with a well entrenched web site, then your chances of out ranking him may be limited.

In addition to focusing on a keyword phrase that doesn't have that much competition, you need to find search phrases that are frequently searched on. I recently finished a project for a foundation trying to optimize their website. They had top rankings for a keyword term that seemed to be somewhat desirable. However, keyword research proved that the term received less than 100 searches per month. As a result, top rankings for this keyword phrase were nearly meaningless.

Assuming that you have been able to find a search phrase that doesn't have a great deal of competition and generates enough traffic, it's time to look at your competition. You are competing against other web sites who currently rank in the top few positions for your chosen keyword. Research each of these top ranked sites to determine their Google page rank, age, and the number of sites linking to them. The more inbound links they have the more difficult they will be to outrank.

Once you've conducted your keyword research and determined which keyword phrase you are optimizing for, it's time to focus on optimizing your web pages. This can be done by focusing on on-page optimization techniques and off-page optimization techniques. Start with a well formatted web site that has your keyword phrases in meta tags, page titles, and so on. Then turn your attention to off page optimization which includes building links and getting your site listed in major directories and social media profiles. Add additional link building techniques like bookmarking to enhance the quality of your web pages and web sites.

Your optimization strategy should include a plan for consistent link building. Build links too slowly and you'll never get the authority needed to achieve the number one ranking. Build links too quickly and search engines may think you're up to no good. If you want to improve your organic search engine ranking, begin with keyword research before link building. Having the right keywords can make the difference in your overall optimization results. Update your meta tags and web pages to integrate your keyword phrase, focus on building links over the long term, and you're sure to achieve search engine dominance. 

Improve Rankings With the Help of Article Submitters

Looking for a quick way to build tons of backlinks to your web site?  Backlinks are essential for improving search engine rankings and significantly enhancing the overall traffic you get to your website or blog.  I've been using article submitters since they were first introduced more than five years ago.

Simply explained, article submitters take your original content and post them to a variety of web sites.  Some of these sites serve as central areas that others can use to acquire content for their own websites or blogs.  When they do so, they use your content but also include a link (through the author box) to your web site or blog.  Other sites simply use fresh content - which includes links back to your site - to continually expand their site.

I personally use article submitters because they automate a good deal of the work.  This reduces the time it takes to produce unique articles as well as distribute them to leading directories.  I find that the article sites build inbound links steadily over time.  Even though you are distributing over a short period of time, the initial pages where you content resides will generally have a low PR.  However, over time the page rank grows and so does the value of your inbound links.
 
Consider article submission to sites like EzineArticles and other well know directories to make a positive impact on both your web site traffic and search ranking.  

Strategies For Improving Your AdSense Earnings

Can you make a living on earning Adsense commissions? Adsense to be a great way to a few extra dollars each and every day but certainly is not going to make you a ton of money. Ask website owners today about their earnings and you'll find only a small handful making a substantial income. Ive learned how to increase my Adsense revenue over time and will share with you all Ive learned.

Your Adsense revenue is dependent on a number of factors including which ads you display, where you display them, and how often. Here are some factors to consider before you place your next Adsense ad. Let's begin with ad placement. Certain locations tend to be more successful than others. Google has produced a heat map that illustrates the ideal placing on a sample page layout. All other things being equal, ads located above the fold tend to perform better than those below the fold. Ads placed near rich content and navigational aids usually do well because users are focused on those areas of a page.

While this suggested map is useful as a positioning guideline, I strongly recommend putting your users first when deciding on proper ad location. Think about their behavior on different pages, and what will be most useful and visible to them. You'll find that the most optimal ad position isn't always what you expect on certain pages.

On pages where users are usually focused on reading article content, ads placed immediately below the end of the content generally perform very well. It is almost as if users finish reading and ask themselves what they should be doing next. Ads that are targeted can answer that question and get them clicking.

Various Ad format. Some types of ads perform better than others depending on the page content and layout. Many Adsense advertisers find that large rectangles in content areas work best, while leader boards produce less click-based revenue. The traditional sky scrappers are the worst performers. The key is to experiment and measure the results to see which formats work best for you.

Ad colors. Sometimes ads blended into the content can work wonders, but sometimes ads that contrast your site colors work best. Test a variety of ad colors to determine if different palettes generate higher than average click through rates. Other than testing the actual palettes, there's really no other way to determine effectiveness.

Number of ad units on a page. Websites are allowed a maximum of 3 ads, plus one set of ad links, and one Google search box per page. Maximize the allowed number based on the resulting look of your page (you don't want an overkill of ads). Users going to your page and reading your content may ignore the banner or rectangle at the top of the page, but may click on the ad at the bottom of the article.

Experiment with the factors above and see which combination works best for your particular website. Remember that not all sites do well with Adsense ads. Even if you get lots of traffic but your visitors are not interested in looking for ways to spend their money, they won't be interested in your ads and won't click through.

Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert and the author of SEO Made Simple: How to Dominate Google . Find helpful Adsense advice and learn to improve search rankings at Michael's Internet Blog.

Can You Use Twitter To Improve Rankings

You bet you can.  Twitter is a great tool for building a following and developing your very own community.  In addition, you can use your profile and tweets to build backlinks to your web pages.

So how does it work?  First, lets start with your Twitter profile.  Your profile is important for a number of reasons including the fact that others may seek you out based on the contents of your profile.  Make sure to include appropriate keywords that you want others to associate with you.

The second and most important aspect of Twitter is sending tweets.  When you post a tweet, it is recorded on Twitter.com.  If it includes a link back to your site, that works in your favor.  Additionally, as other retweet what you have posted, it's noted on their Twitter accounts as well.  The more backlinks you generate to your website the better.

One idea is to think about creating valuable content or a download and make it available on your web site.  Tweet about it with a direct link others can use to access the information.  As your followers retweet the information, you'll be building valuable link juice and improving your rankings.