SEO – Link Building Stategies

SEO–Ranking and Link Building

Preparation: I used seogroup.com to see how myWebsite ranked for SEO purposes.

Website Audit Results

39%

Domain Check

Crawl Stats

http://inkwelleditions.com

39%

Domain age: 0 years, 39 days

Domain expiration: 1 years, 326 days

Google PR: 0 out of 10

Preferred domain redirect: www

Robots.txt: Found

Sitemap.html: Not Found

Sitemap.xml: Not Found

Total indexed pages: 11

What this means: I need to do a lot more link-building, do adwords, do youtube videos that link back to my website, and most importantly, create great content that others will want to link to.

Advanced Link Building Strategies   (SEOMOZ.ORG)

Link building for the Little Guy (http://www.seomoz.org/blog/link-building-for-the-little-guys)

1. Forget Link-Building, Think Relationship-Building. Focus on building relationships with more influential users within social networks. Look for new/interesting content via RSS feeds or twitter and be prepared to comment on them.

2. Make the Right Relationships. When looking to build relationships, it is important to build them with the right people at the right time. If you are not ready to provide content at the same level as “famous” people on the web, think about creating and sharing content with those who could benefit. By this I assume the author meant someone on your own social level on the web.

Whenever I create content I always ask the question: why would anyone benefit from sharing it? If the answer is that they probably wouldn’t gain anything, then you need to re-think the content that you are producing. Start off small; build relationships with bloggers that have relatively low influence, but build much more of them. Look for blogs with less activity on them, where the bloggers are in a similar situation to you and would be really happy if you shared their content or linked back to it.

3. So Why Would Anyone Benefit From Sharing My Content? One of the most effective ways of encouraging people to share your content is by promoting their content and adding value to it. (The Golden Rule). Comment on and add something to someone else’s content, then email them and give them a link to your blog or website.

searchenginesjournal.com’s Link Building Strategies: Checklist

The following is a direct quote from the article:

1. What is the purpose? Decide what your link building is for (choose one) –

1. More traffic
2. Better rankings
3. Get a web page indexed
4. Make you feel good
5. Other?

2. Map out your strategy. (Part 1) Who and When? –

1. Who is going to do the work?
2. When is the work going to start?
3. Is the work ongoing? or
4. Is there a date that the work should be finished?
5. Who reports to whom? Is there a reporting process?

3. Map out your strategy. (Part 2) What and How? –

1. What web pages are the links directed to (in importance)?
2. What keywords (anchor text) will be used in each webpage?
3. What types of content/websites will be targeted to get links?
4. How will the content/websites to get links be found?
5. How to approach the content/websites to gather links?

 

4. Map out your strategy. (Part 3) Where will the links be gathered? (ideas) –

1. Your own sites
2. Internal Link building strategies
3. Friends
4. Competing websites
5. News sites
6. Forums
7. Relevant blogs
8. Related specialty sites
9. How-to sites
10. Social sites
11. Social groups
12. Social lists
13. Social profiles
14. Directories
15. Widgets
16. Guest posting
17. Reviews
18. Local and business links
19. Article syndication
20. Press Releases

5.  Follow the ACT system. Using the list above it is now time to ACT. Start networking, exploring, and researching and take action today.

1. Ask – be bold and simply ask for links!
2. Content – create valuable relative content. “Modern SEO is all about crafting content so compelling that other people want to make note of it by linking back to you, thereby increasing your trust and authority and attracting links to the pages you want to rank well for certain keywords.” – SEO Copywriting 2.0 by Brian Clark
3. Timing – plan and build a process that works for you.

Reference: SEO Basics Tutorial, Domain Selection, Keyword Selection Web Page Optimization, and Link Building, Google and Flash Google Webmaster Guidelines, SEOmoz.org Beginners Guide to SEO, Search Engine Ranking Factors, Backlink Checker, Top Web Directories

 

 

Google Analytics

9/15 points

Introduction

Google can track your ads and which are most effective at bringing results. It can show accurate website traffic patterns leading to your site. It shows which keywords are most effective at bringing the most relevant traffic to your site. The following is from Google Analytics (http://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1008065?hl=en&topic=1008008&ctx=topic#whouses)

Executives can learn:

• Which marketing initiatives are most effective
• Accurate website traffic patterns/trends
• Which customer and customer segments are most valuable

Marketing Professionals can learn:

• Where visitors come from and what do they do on the site
• How can the website convert more visitors into customers
• Which keywords resonate with prospects and lead to conversions
• Which online ad or creative is the most effective

Content & Developers can learn:

• Where people leave the site
• Which pages retain visitors the longest
• What search terms people use to find the site

Set Up the Tracking Code

I set up the tracking code on five of my pages. I am looking for ways to increase traffic so I can see the results in Google Analytics

Advanced

How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress and Weebly– Video #1

Wish I had seen this first. I started by getting an account on Google Analytics, then copied the code into each pages html code. However, there is a faster way thru a widget inside WordPress.

How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress and Weebly – Video #2

Basic SEO

9/15 points

Objective: to be able to do basic SEO on your website

What is Search Engine Optimization/SEO – Video

1. Words matter. Use keywords in your text that people are searching for

2. Page titles matter.  Make sure the “invisible” title in the HTML code has keywords

3. Links matter. When others link to your website, it means you have good content.

4. words in links matter. When a word is linked to your website, it causes you website to rank well.

5. Great quality of content on your website.

 

Google SEO

1. Look good in search results. Use a descriptive page title. (see #2 above)

My page title is “Family History Publishing” which accurately describes my service

2. Use a descriptive domain name

Inkwelleditions.com is not the most descriptive, so I’ll have to make up for it with good, focused keywords in the title and text.

3.  “Meta descriptions are page summaries often used by Google and other search engines on the search results page. Write unique descriptions for each page in 160 characters or less.” (One-pg SEO overview by Google).

I added a <head> tag as follows:

 

<head>

<title>Family History Publishing & Editorial Services</title>

<meta name=”description” content=”publish your family history book”>

<meta http-equiv=”content-type” content=”text/html;charset=UTF-8″>

</head>

 

 

Webmaster guidelines

 

Webmaster Tools Checklist

 

Perfecting Keyword Targeting & On-Page Optimization

 

Relevance and Quality Score

9/15 points

What is Quality Score and how is it calculated – Video

Quality score is based on several factors: relevant ads (to someone’s search), quality of landing page, number of clicks received for your ad. The more relevant your ad, the higher your placement in search, and the less you pay for clicks.

What is Quality Score and how is it calculated – Text

You may need to refer to this reference page on Quality Score.

Choose your “best” keyword,

How to write a family history

tell what its quality score is,

5/10

tell why you believe it is what it is. 

Expected clickthrough rate: Average

Ad relevance: Average

Landing page experience: Average

Tell three things you could do to increase its quality score.

1. Make the search term more specific

2. Use keywords that are two or three words long (more descriptive)

3. Use keywords with high clickthrough rates in your ad

How to Master the Google Landing Page Quality Score

1. “Use the W3 Semantic Extractor and the Google site related keyword tool. What better way to get information about what Google thinks your site is about then using a tool designed by Google to figure out exactly what your site is about?” (http://www.searchenginejournal.com/troubleshooting-the-google-landing-page-quality-score/5412/)

2. “We need make sure that we have our site marked up correctly. Use headings correctly , utilize at least the h1, h2 and h3 tags and make sure the content of each is related in the semantic extractor outline.”

5 Ways to Increase your Quality Score

All quotes below from http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2081597/tips-increasing-adwords-quality-score

1. Structure your campaigns into smaller yet targeted ad groups. By structuring your campaigns into targeted ad groups, you are elevating the relevancy between the search query and the ad.

2. Optimize keyword ad copy. Choose ad copy that is closely tailored to your keywords. This will increase the relevance of your keywords to each of your ads. Not only will this help you increase your Quality Score, but it will also help to increase your click-through rate. Be sure to get your keywords into your ad copy as well.

3. Target your landing pages. Your landing pages should be designed to contain content that uses your targeted keywords for each ad group. It may not be practical to design a landing page for each ad group, but it will help to increase relevancy. A highly relevant landing page will also help you with increased conversions. If your searchers read your ad, then click through and they land on a page that fulfills their expectations, then you are likely to have happy visitors that may turn into customers.

4. Know the Quality Score factors.

 5. Decrease your landing page load times. Landing page load time has become an important consideration in calculating Quality Score. Take the time to check the load times on each of your landing pages and see what can be done to reduce them.

Adwords and Keywords

What is AdWords?

Adwords are ads the appear in the margin of the browser when someone searches for the keywords associated with that ad.

They are typically 4 lines long, surrounded by a box

	Family History Publishing Use my personalized publishing service. 10% off this week! inkwelleditions.com

Setting Up An AdWords Account.

What locations do you want your ad to show in?  Why?

I set up ads to run in Idaho only, because I offer a “personalized service” including house calls. So in reality, I’m looking at Eastern Idaho, but it would be interesting to see what will result.

What devices do you want your ad to show on? Why?

The devices I am showing on are laptops and desktops, because I consider my customer base to be middle age or older adults. These may have mobile devices, but I think more will have a PC vs a mobile device.

Did you choose automatic or manual bidding options?  Why?

Manual bidding. I wanted to control my budget.

What is your daily budget? Why?

$ 1.00 per day. I wanted to see if there was any traffic generated and where the ads appeared.

Keyword Tool

I ran the keyword tool and found several keywords of high or medium value. Result:

Family history books – 9,600 monthly searches

Family history book – 4,500

Write family history – 170

Then I ran the traffic estimator. Here’s a partial reading from the results:

Max. CPC	Keyword	Keyword Type	Average Position	Average CPC	Clicks	CTR	Cost
			1.8	0.12	0.58	0.70%	0.07
0.5			1.8	0.12	0.58	0.70%	0.07
	write family history	Broad	2.3	0	0	0.00%	0
	family history books	Broad	1.7	0.15	0.3	0.70%	0.04
	family history book	Broad	1.8	0.1	0.29	0.90%	0.03

Not too promising to get only .68 clicks per day!

Credit Card Apps

9/15 points

I installed PayPal onto one of my pages (Writing Guidance).  PayPal is a low-cost service that does not cost you anything until someone uses the credit card Paypal service on my website and makes a transaction. It costs 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction.  So, the more your item costs, the more you pay to PayPal.

Alternatively, Paypal gives you the option of “5 plus 5” for transactions under $10. This means you pay 5% plus 5 cents per transaction under these circumstances.

Thus on my website, I’m offering family history writing guidance for $2 dollars. This would be better under the 5+5 plan than the standard. Standard plan for $2 = 2.9% x $2 = 5.8 cents + 30 cents = 35.8 cents per $2 transaction. Low-cost plan, 5% x $2 = 10 cents + 5 cents = 15 cents.

I also set up WOO Commerce on my website. I don’t have it fully functional yet.

So now I have to link up WOO commerce with PayPal and my product.

That’s one of things I like about WordPress; it has premade plugins to assist you with your various commerce/feedback needs.

Pinterest for Business

8/15 points

http://pinterest.com/about/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJzD4vF5dFA – Intro video

Pinterest is a social media internet site focused on images (compared to Facebook that has both images and text). It is visual in that you make “boards” to pin images to, much like putting pictures on your fridge. If you like an image on another pinterest board, you can repin it on yours. The more your images get repined by others, the better you are able to bring traffic and potential sales to your website/business.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/pinterest-traffic-to-your-blog/

If you put images up on your blog, of over 116 pixels square, you can pin it to your board and others can repin it. Therefore, you can pull traffic to your blog and ??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTaneCqNA00&feature=fvwrel

Author says you can create a business presence on Pinterest, have boards for the various categories of the what you sell, and pin images of those products with prices, links to your website, have contests, post coupons, QR codes, and add follow me badge on your board.

http://pinterest.com/pinterestbiz/

I followed one article of the many on pinterest about promoting your business. I found an article on Inc Magazine (inc.com) titled “How My Site Gets Tons of Traffic From Pinterest” (Feb 22, 2013).

http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/drive-major-pinterest-traffic.html

Points are as follows:

1. Get into Pinterest and see what is there before wading in with your own marketing.

2. Get great visuals. Find the best photographers and use their work on your site.

3. Follow small brands. “Brands see who is re-pinning, commenting, and liking their pins. So do those things–and they’ll pay them back in dividends.”

4. Befriend power users. Be friends with and comment on Pinners that have 10,000 followers. They can help you.

5. Cozy up to big brands by showing off your content. Post/pin/repin big brands stuff and promote your own visuals that are relevant to their business. They will repin your photos and you’ll be able to get more traffic.

6. Put the article title in the description first. So people know to click through, not just share.

7. Put the article title on the image. “31 100-calorie snacks” is placed onto the header image. Attracts pinners.

8. Organize your pinboards. Clearly separate your pins into clear categories. “Focus on well-curated boards with defined categories.”

9. Optimize your pin’s size. “for the most part, the longer the visual, the more re-pins–and it’s probably because vertical pins are more prominent in the feed.”

http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-use-pinterest-for-business/?source=hspd-SME-how-to-use-pinterest-for-business-20120227 – Free e-book

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_DZEBFvvSk&feature=related

Application: I could post images of historical nature (old scrolls, old quill pens, historical costumes, etc), with links to my website promoting my family history publishing business.

Text and LinkedIn

Text – Youtube – LinkedIn

8/15 points

Text

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-sms.htm

www.mobilozophy.com

Quote from mobilozophy.com: “SMS which stands for short message service is also know as text messaging. Brands use text message marketing as a direct channel to connect and engage with consumers on a personal level. Via text messaging, you can offer consumers the opportunity to opt-in to your text program to receive alerts, mobile coupons and more relevant brand information.”

How To Implement: Must have a relationship with the customer thru other channels so you are not spamming them. Example from Youtube at following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6nZYjVxX_8

This is about using texting services such as txtwire or Snapgiant:

1. sign up with your service
2. Promote your short code and keyword on your website, on store signage, on your Facebook page (don’t forget Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+), and any other marketing material you use.
3. People type in your keyword and shortcode (“text tickets to 71813”) for your promotion, which is added to your database
4. Once phone numbers collected, send them promotions
5. Customers act on the message and engage with your promotion, which provides the analytics to gauge how you are doing.

Evaluation: Texting works best if you have a brick and mortar store that people can walk into. If you  have a service business or products business, you can put up external advertising saying “Text xxxxx to 1111222” for a 10% discount on our next service/product.” Could it work with internet based businesses? Not sure. Since I don’t have a place for people to walk into and “redeem” their discount, not sure it would work for me. But as I said above, if I invested in “external ads” on billboards or in Google Adwords, it might drive traffic to my website to claim their discount.

http://www.txtwire.com/

https://www.textmarks.com

LinkedIn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVlUwwgOfKw

Professional social media profile manager. Allows you to stay in contact with those in your email contacts list and build new contacts based on shared interests and contacts with those you know. Those you know and are linked into = 1^st level; your connection’s contacts = 2^nd level contacts. Allows others to endorse you for specific skills.

 

Evaluation: I like linkedin, I find it easy to build and it looks good, visually, and looks good, professionally with endorsements and recommendations.

To Improve: Use LinkedIn to promote my business. Need to create a linkedin company page. Is this like your website or a replacement of one?

YOutube and Google +

Blog review: Google + and YouTube.com

15/15 points

Ed May

2/25/13

Write a short paragraph with your analysis of the specific readings (high level overview)

https://www.youtube.com/yt/advertise/

 

You can use youtube to advertise your product or service in a way that would be expensive on regular TV. For a minimum expense of a video camera and script, you can promote your product and “show” the customer what you do in a way that puts them there.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/using-youtube-to-build-your-brand-authority-and-business

 

video helps brand awareness. Even though it does not generate revenue directly, it helps people identify with and know about your services.

You can become a “celebrity” by being viewed on YouTube.

The secret to a good show is to listen to your audience. Using google analytics, you can see what people are doing on your show.

You need a compelling opening (first 20 seconds) so that you can establish credibility and authority.

Get viewers to hit the subscribe button. Then they will be given a link every time a new video appears.

http://www.inc.com/tim-rice/how-terrence-kelleman-markets-on-youtube.html

Youtube is second-largest search engine on internet

You can create an ad which is posted on top a video in response to search. Worst that can happen: nobody watches it.

Orabrush (inc.com)

Want to go viral? Forget traditional PR in favor of a social media-savvy firm (or some creative college students) that can create an irreverent video hit that translates into sales.

http://www.google.com/+/business/

 

Google has described Google+ as a “social layer” consisting of not just a single site, but rather an overarching “layer” which covers many of its online properties.

Facts:

                1 million business/brand pages

                400 million Google + users

                5-10 % Clickthrough rate uplift for socially-enhanced Search ads

Takeaways – Using bullets, tell me about your, “I loved that” takeaways. (Choose a couple things you loved)

Youtube: Ease of access, minimal cost, no blocks or screening (like Facebook), nothing like video to tell the story.

 

How do the readings pertain to your business? Write a short summary about how the topic applies or pertains to your start-up business.

Youtube: In connection with my family history company, I could use Youtube to do short bios on video of anyone, for a nominal cost. It would be in the style of “I’m a mormon.” Short, testimonial, showing the person going thru the day. The result could either be burned to a DVD or put on a private Youtube channel.

Twitter

Engaging Customers Socially – Twitter

15/15 points

Ed May

2/20/13

Write a short paragraph with your analysis of the specific readings (high level overview)

Socialmediaexaminer.com/new-twitter-profile

Twitter now allows users to put photos/banners in their Twitter profile to increase awareness of your brand. “With a little thought and planning, you can now create a Twitter page that performs like a business welcome page for existing and potential customers.” (socialmediaexaminer.com/new-twitter-profile). Concepts from this article:

1. Use a photo that tells about you or your business, or customers using your product.

2. Use a photo that inspires your community, showing the benefit of what you do for others.

3. Use a photo that includes your profile picture.

4. Use a montage of photos that tells your story

5. Use a graphic that includes your logo for their header image

Socialmediaexaminer.com “How to Use Twitter for Business”

Cheap, fast way to build network, by connecting with others  and retweeting other’s content streams.

Retweeting shows others that you are interested in others. They will then be willing to follow you. You build a network.

Use tools to help manage tweets (Hootsuite, Manageflitter) and track brand mentions

Use twitter for customer service (free 800 number). However, tweeters expect fast response esp with complaints.

Don’t use Twitter to advertise alone. People will get sick of being sold to. Be an interesting person, provide value, and when you have an event, people will support.

Can use Twitter to improve your Klout score.

Takeaways – Using bullets, tell me about your, “I loved that” takeaways. (Choose a couple things you loved)

I like the fact that Twitter is simple, and short. You have to be concise to get your message across. I like the ability to use graphics in Twitter, and invite people to my website by using my web address in my profile.

9 lessons from tennis pros about twitter

Keep content relevant to you and others, up to date, speak your truth, be conversational, ask questions, reward your fans with retweets.

How do the readings pertain to your business? Write a short summary about how the topic applies or pertains to your start-up business.

I could use Twitter to announce appearances (at conferences, etc). I could also post small tips on doing business or family histories. I could use it to post reviews of my service.