Remember That You Get What You Pay For

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Posted on 10th February 2010 by admin in blogging

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Since I’ve been working at optimized blogs and articles, I’ve noticed there are a few distinct patterns that you can count on when you’re looking through the people that want to hire you to ghost write for them, and there are several red flags and promises that you’ll want to watch for as well as other tip offs that the people who you are dealing with will be great business partners.

First of all  the web content business is like any other business in that you get what you pay for. I’ve had offers that work out to one penny a word and while the people  that offer that kind of money will tell you that they can get others writers to work for that pay, there are factors here that these cheapskates won’t tell you about.
Sure, there are people who will work for that kind of money but the really serious content writer (or blogger) doesn’t need to worry too much about these folks representing any kind of real competition to the English-as-a-first-language professional. Almost anyone can set up a Wordpress blog and call themselves a content writer or blogger, but the proof is always in the pudding.
Not to cast any aspersions on anyone who is trying to make a living, but being a really good content writer isn’t something that you can be overnight.

Bad Content Equals Bad Traffic

There are many different ‘voices’ and styles that sophisticated clients will expect , and you should never think that what sounds good in a blog for a radiator repair shop is the same tone that you should use when you’re writing for an Internet Marketing firm. It comes down to the fact that you can optimize a blog to the best of your abilities so that it draws all kinds of traffic, but if the content isn’t professionally written you’ll wind up with possible clients who get mad and click away.

The Internet Is Competitive

And while the people that are looking to advertise on the Web want to get the best value for their content dollar, they should also understand that forging a relationship with a professional who knows all the ins and out of the search engine optimized world when it comes to good content is invaluable.
These are professionals that are trying to make a living on the Internet and when clients see that the words that they have on their websites and in their blogs are in fact a large part of the representation that their company will have on the web, it should be no contest when it comes to hiring the professionals that understand the intricacies of the English language.
Remember, you get what you pay for in all areas and that includes optimized web content. While it’s a given that great web content writers and bloggers need to be both fast and good to make a success of it, the clients who hire them also need to understand that spending a little more on this kind of advertising is well worth it in the end.


BecomeABlogger.com Re-Opens With a $1 Trial

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Posted on 7th February 2010 by admin in blogging

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become-a-blogger-1Yaro Starak and Gideon Shalwick are re-opening their Become A Blogger coaching program today. And the cool thing is that they are offering a $1 trial offer, so read on if you are interested.

Become A Blogger is step-by-step video coaching program that will teach you all you need to know to build a successful blog. Here are the 8 modules covered:

  1. Get Your Blog Up And Running Fast And FREE
  2. How To Optimize Your Blog For Maximum Search Engine Performance
  3. How To Create Powerful Content For Your Blog, Consistently and Without Fail
  4. How To Use Images On Your Blog To Make You Stand Out From The Crowd
  5. How To Create A Different Dimension To Your Blog By Adding Audio
  6. How To Breathe Life Into Your Blog Using Online Video
  7. How To Create Multiple Streams of High Quality Traffic To Your Blog
  8. How To Make Money From Your Blog

If you already have a blog and is happy with the results you are getting, then this program is obviously not for you. If you are just getting started, however, this is probably the best coaching program you’ll find on the market. I have been working with Gideon and Yaro for a long time, and I always get surprised with the quality of the products they release.

But facts speak louder than words, right? You can try the program for yourself by spending just $1. Take a look around, see if you like the content, and then decide. Even if you decide to stay as a member you are covered by a 60-day money back guarantee.

The trial offer expires in 5 days, so head over to the sign-up page to check all the details.


Original Post: BecomeABlogger.com Re-Opens With a $1 Trial

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Get Rich Blogging: Fact or Fiction?

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Posted on 7th February 2010 by admin in blogging

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This is a guest post by Jonas Adamson. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

It’s harder than ever to spend even a few minutes online these days without bumping into some get-rich-quick story or advertisement, whether it’s news about Ponzi schemes netting crooked financiers billions of dollars or annoying Google sidebar paid ads promising you that you’ll make $7,287,964/hour working from home, stuffing envelopes. The siren’s call of easy money is a tempting one, indeed, and it’s even trickling down to the world of blogging, with more and more stories appearing on mainstream news sites and portals about “professional” bloggers earning six figure salaries. Is this really the golden age of bloggers, with anyone with a blog virtually printing money with a few flicks of their fingers?

Anyone with a blog is likely already chuckling to themselves and shaking their heads no, and for good reason. While it is true that more and more businesses and corporations are creating positions related to blogging and managing larger social media efforts on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites, “blogger” still has a long way to go becoming an established profession (and miles further to go past that point to regularly command a salary that eclipses that of recent MBA graduates, attorneys, etc.). A handful of bloggers who make more than $100,000/year is undoubtedly impressive, but for each one there are thousands of top-notch bloggers who never make a single solitary penny for their efforts.

Like many issues that get twisted and mangled so that make “good” news, anyone looking to profit from blogging may encounter a much different situation when they start casting their blog posts out into the real world. Most uber-successful bloggers (viewing success strictly from a monetary perspective) that make the headlines are actually more marketer than blogger, with their blogging efforts tied directly to a product or service they sell. Interestingly enough, if you browse through assorted lists of the world’s best paid bloggers, the majority make their money by, you guessed it, selling ebooks, DVDs, and other products that teach other people how to make money online. Handsomely-paid bloggers who make their living from simply posting pithy, well-written posts about topics near and dear to their heart are a very, very, very rare breed.

With that depressing news out of the way (no, you won’t get rich blogging), there’s actually a happier silver lining lurking, which is that it’s much easier to make money from blogging today than it was in the past. While your blogging efforts may not ever pay for that Caribbean island you’ve had your eye on buying, there are definitely more and more ways for quality bloggers to profit from their skills. The days are gone when the only way to monetize your blog was by selling text links or slapping up some Google Adsense ads, as bloggers now have many more alternatives when it comes to profiting from their prose. With blogging increasingly being viewed as a legitimate business practice for marketing and advertising departments, there are also more and more part-time and freelance blogging jobs posted on job sites and freelance portals such as Elance. While it still may be very difficult to quit your day job to become a full-time blogger, it’s easier than ever to turn blogging into an enjoyable, profitable part-time job.

Jonas Adamson writes about a variety of affiliate marketing topics at AffiliateTips.com. Affiliatetips covers a wide range of topics and have recently also added a poker affiliate section to their site.


Original Post: Get Rich Blogging: Fact or Fiction?

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SEO 101 – Part 5: Everything You Need to Know Domain Names

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Posted on 7th February 2010 by admin in SEO

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by Stoney deGeyter

The following series is pulled from a presentation I gave to a group of beauty bloggers hosted by L’Oreal in New York. Most of the presentation is geared toward how to make a blog more search engine and user-friendly, however I will expand many of the concepts here to include tips and strategies for sites selling products or services across all industries.

Domain Names

Domain Names

Its easy to think that all the good domain names are taken. Sure, the easy and obvious ones have been snatched up years ago, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t any good .com domain names left that are perfect for your business or blog.

The starting point, however, is to realize that you do need own your own domain name. Most businesses have figured this out already but a lot of bloggers haven’t. That’s because it takes a bit of work and some small fees. First you have to purchase the domain, then host it, pay the monthly hosting fees, install the blog, etc., etc. Not quite as easy as signing up for a blog service and pounding out your first blog post all in ten minutes.

If your blog is nothing more than a personal diary then the free blogging services may be all you need. But if you’re looking to build an audience, sell a few products, or make a name for yourself, getting your own domain name is the way to go.

Whether you’re a business, a blogger, or something in between, selecting your domain name can be a trying process. Those of you who have searched for the “perfect” domain name know what I mean. You go through dozens, if not hundreds of different options looking for just the right one. When looking for domain names for your business or blog, here are a few guidelines:

Keep it short

Short domains are the hardest to find. Unless you’re willing to shell out big bucks, give up on the dream of getting your business’ initials (i.e. ppm.com, emp.com, etc.). But that’s not to say you can’t find just the right short domain name for you. You don’t need something as short as three letters, but I wouldn’t go much longer than three words. Your own mileage may vary but keep in mind, the longer the domain name is the more difficult it will be to remember when being passed along via word of mouth or in casual conversation.

Make it memorable

You want your domain name to be somethign that can be remembered easily. Word of mouth and your 30-second elevator pitch rely on it. When looking to get a short domain name many people try to cut corners with abbreviations or clever spellings. The problem with that is clever spellings have to be explained when passing the site on verbally.

Imagine if you were reading SrchEngineGide.com right now instead of SearchEngineGuide.com. Or maybe you shop at TheShooShop.com instead of TheShoeShop.com. Or perhaps you are browsing How2LoseW8.com. Now imagine telling someone about it. Each would require a little extra effort that most people won’t take.
And even when it is, its easily forgotten or the hearer is confused. Not a great way to grow your business or blog.

There are some instances where clever can be memorable and easy. Flickr.com is a good example. Notice though the simplicity of this, but if they had called it FotoFlickr.com it would have been a different matter entirely.

Use keywords if possible

Without going too long and still keeping your domain name memorable, try to find one that uses your primary keywords. Years ago the site BatteryStuff.com was called 4Unique.com. They still have the old redirect in place. Which would you say is the better URL?

It’s not always easy to find domains with your primary keywords still available, but keep looking. Just avoid the temptation to load up your your domain with all kinds of keywords. BatteryStuff.com could have just as easily been MotorcycleBatteriesChargers.com Not quite the same impact. Do you sacrifice keywords for simplicity? In most cases yes.

Alternate Domains

Alternate DomainsOnce you’ve found the perfect domain you want to make sure you buy up many of the alternative domains that go along with it. These can be the .net, .org, or .biz versions. It can also include misspellings, common typos and even yoursitesucks.com just in case. It’s also valuable to purchase domain names named after your products or other brand names.

All of these combination can add up to a dozen or more alternate domains. You have them, now what do you do with them?

301 Redirects

301 RedirectsThere are two things you don’t do with your alternate domain names: 1) let them sit with a “not found” error, and 2) park them on your main domain. You can get some benefit from these domain names, but only if you leverage them properly.

You also might be tempted to build mini-sites on each of these domain names. Don’t do that either. The solution is much simpler than that. Simply redirect these domains to your main domain.

Take note that there is only one proper redirect to put in place, that is the 301 Permanent Redirect. Don’t settle for anything less, because anything else can potentially reduce the impact your site will have in the search engines.

You’ll want to talk to your web host about how to implement the 301 redirect. They may have an easy solution. Short of that, here’s quick tutorial:

  1. Purchase a separate (cheap) web hosting account for one of your alternate domains
  2. Set up a 301 redirect from the alternate domain to your main domain
  3. Park the rest of your alternative domains on the hosted/redirected alternate domain

That’s pretty much it. You can read a more detailed 301 Redirect tutorial here.

Missed a part of this series?
Part 1: Everything You Need To Know About SEO
Part 2: Everything You Need To Know About Title Tags
Part 3: Everything You Need To Know About Meta Description and Keyword Tags
Part 4: Everything You Need To Know About Heading Tags and Alt Attributes
Part 5: Everything You Need To Know About Domain Names
Part 6: Everything You Need To Know About Search Engine Friendly URLs & Broken Links

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