When we are talking about search engine ranking, the first thing
you need to think about is the market place. Many people ask
themselves, how many keywords should I put in my anchor text?
What is the keyword density that I should have on my page? Should
I use 300 words on my copy or should I use 500 words? Can I use
flash? How many keywords should I put in my “alt” text? Etc…

Here is a general statement: magic numbers do not exist. The most
important thing you can understand as a search engine
optimization expert is the following: algorithms change. Just
when you think you understand what is going to make you number
one for a search phrase in a search engine, something could
change, and you might have to spend months or years trying to
find out the engineering of the algorithm again.

It is better not to try to reverse engineer the algorithm and do
something much easier instead, observe your competitors. All you
need to do is to understand what elements are your competitors
using that are making them rank on the top positions.

Let’s see what those things are:

– Number and quality of inbound links pointing to your site – Keyword density – Fresh content

The first thing to observe from your competitor’s sites is their
back link index. This means the number of sites that have a link
pointing to their website. You can easily measure it by going to
Google and type: “link://www.yourcompetitorssite.com”. But it
would be a mistake to do this only on Google, as Google
discriminates sites much more than other search engines. Yahoo
and MSN are much more accurate for measuring the back link
index.

Part of the observation should be not only what the links say,
but where the links come from. Think on what is the category
where those links come from. If you start to see a recurring
pattern, you should start actively searching for links coming
from that category.

Some marketers use special software for robotic content creation.
They generate thousands of pages with links pointing to their
sites. This practice can be dangerous, as Google may penalize
unnatural linking or violations of their terms of service. And
what happens is that those links do not look natural. One day one
site may have 50 links and the following day have 2.050 links,
which all say the same thing and come from the same IP address.

If you understand how to observe, this will never happen to you.
You will learn how to look at your competitors, and observe how
they are getting linked to.

The second thing you need to observe is the keyword density of
your competitors. How many times should we repeat our main
keyword? In which part of the web page should our main keywords
be mentioned? There is no magic number, again it’s all about
observing and measuring against your competitors. But what should
we measure?

– Meta tags – Alt tags – Titles – Names of the images on the page – Highlights: h1, h2, h3… – Frequency and position of the keywords on the body text

Each one of these items should be measured independently. There
are tools to run keyword density against your competitors. If you
run them against the top 3 or 5 sites, you may start to
understand the secrets of top rankings.

Again, your keyword density needs to look natural; otherwise you
may fail in over optimization. This is when you use keywords too
often or too early. If you look unnatural, your page ranks will
suffer as a result.

The key to success is to understand what Google likes about their
top 5 pages, and to apply this to your own website promotion.

The last thing to observe is how much fresh content do the top
sites have. If they have many articles and they are continuously
adding new content to their sites, then it is clear that the
search engines like content and are ranking better those sites
which have more and more updated information.

People that surf the web are usually searching for information,
so content is the “fuel” of internet traffic. If you want to
attract many potential customers to your site, then you need to
make sure that you provide enough content which is relevant to
their interests.

Popularity: 16% [?]

You have finished building your own website. You have introduced
your company and presented your products and services. You have
added propositions and promos to catch your target audiences
attention. You think you are doing everything “right”, but all
your promotions have failed to produce growth in your new
internet business.

There are many ways for your web site to be promoted, but maybe
youre missing the “key” to the “best” promotion. Here are some
things to consider:

– If you have started to promote your web site, keep it constant.
If you promote your site with persistence, it will catch your
audiences attention. – Be patient. Try each different promotion until you find the
best. – Free promotions such as search engines and directories would
give your web site the deserved traffic you always wanted. Make
sure to check your web sites ranking to know whether or not this
type of free promotion is right for you. – Make a deal with other web sites on trading links which could
help both web sites. Make sure to use words that could easily
interest the audience. – Find free classified ads web sites that could boost the
promotion of your web site. Most of these classified ads web
sites provide powerful marketing features and are an extremely
fast way of getting your products or services on line. – Free and low-cost internet banners are spread all through out
the World Wide Web. Banners that pop-up at the top of a page or
in a separate window would automatically catch your target
audiences attention.

Free internet advertising is a perfect way to make your products
or services known to millions of prospective Internet customers.
The probability of someone needing your services or wanting to
buy your products is very high. There are free services out there
that may suit your services, products and web site…you just
need to find them! Go to work – Browse the internet for the best
free internet advertising and learn how to take advantage of what
you are able to find.

If at first you don’t succeed…try, try again! Analyze your
techniques, keep track of your customers and learn what works.
Then be ready to try new methods and repeat those methods that
are already working.

It has been said that the best things in life are free and this
saying also applies to the many forms of free advertising that
are available on the internet. Give this form of advertising a
try and you also may become a true believer in the power of free
internet advertising.

Popularity: 18% [?]

If youve ever dreamed of running your own business from home,
whether on a full or part-time basis…and are good with people
but have very little business knowledge, then Multilevel
Marketing (MLM) may be for you. This is especially true if you
have a minimal amount of start-up cash.

MLM companies provide a product or service to the consumer via a
network of independent distributors, who usually work from
their home.

Reputable MLM companies also provide a low start-up cost, all the
training you need, advertising in one form or another, and supply
you with a product line-up or service to sell. They also allow
you to recruit other distributors and make commissions on their
total sales.

The United States Federal Trade Commission, however, cautions
anyone from joining a MLM company that pays you for each
distributor you recruit, as opposed to only paying a commission
on the total sales they generate. This is called Pyramiding and
is illegal.

The U.S. FTC also encourages you to thoroughly research a MLM
company before signing on the dotted line, and not to sign
anything under pressure, but instead, take time to consider all
the details. You can check out their Multilevel Marketing Caution
Web Page at:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/pyrdalrt.htm. On this
page, they also list seven checks you should do before making
your decision whether to join or not.

Research is always an important component of any business venture
and considering a distributorship with a MLM company is no
exception.

Searching the Internet under Multilevel Marketing returns a
recipe of results. These range from government agencies, general
information web sites, encyclopedia type sites to a host of
disgruntled, former MLM distributors. People who are pro MLM
dont write web sites on the topic because theyre usually too
busy building their network.

THE GOOD SIDE

Here are some of the benefits of finding a reputable MLM company:

– They have an established and very marketable product line or
service, and strive to improve or add to the existing line-up. – Recruiting new distributors will be a streamlined process, and
the company will not be involved in Pyramiding. – As a company, they will have a solid track record and good work
ethics. – No experience will be required. A good MLM company will provide
one-on-one training, as well as motivational seminars and a full
compliment of training materials. After all, in Multilevel
marketing, when one succeeds all succeed. – A reputable MLM company will be Family rated, meaning that
crude conduct is not tolerated. – They will provide an excellent bonus plan with many incentives
for those who excel. – Well-established MLM companies should be able to provide you
with resource material to aid you in not only product sales but
in recruiting. – They will have minimal start-up fees. – A strong support system. – You will be led by example. – Healthy team competition. – There will be a successful business and marketing plan in place
that can be successfully duplicated by others, assuming they
apply themselves to the plan and are motivated to succeed. – There exists the possibility of full-time or part-time
commitment.

These attributes would definitely belong to an ideal Multilevel
Marketing Company, however not all reputable companies excel in
all these areas. Some companies will be better in certain areas
than others. Do research on the company. Dont just accept the
motivational hype used by most MLM companies in order to recruit.

Some MLM distributors are so highly trained that they have a
come-back for almost every statement you make or concern you
have. This would be considered a high-pressure invitation to
join. Always take time away to cool off especially if youre
excited by what you heard. Sit on your decision for a while and
do research. If the company is good, they will still be there
when you wake up tomorrow; and yes, you will get a follow-up
phone call.

THE DOWNSIDE

While the MLM model can be a great tool to achieve what you want
in life, it would be remiss not to mention the downside.

– It is easy to get taken by a disreputable MLM company. Do
your research. – If you plan on developing a network a downline it will
cost you more money than you realize and take you longer than you
think although this is slight compared to the cost and time
required to start up a traditional business. You will spend a lot
on resource and training materials that you will end up giving
away to prospects and to your downline distributors. – You might spend a lot of money on fuel for your vehicle, meals
out, hotel rooms or neck surgery from sleeping in your car. – Some companies insist on a minimum monthly order to maintain
your distributorship. – Some companies only pay you for recruiting other distributors
and not on their total sales volume. Beware, as this is called
Pyramiding and is illegal in most countries. – While you may initially be led to believe that the products
sell themselves and that you can make a lot of money with little
effort, beware. Most businesses, whether they are traditional,
online, or MLM, take a lot of energy and effort to make them
successful. Consider a rocket: 60 80% of the fuel is used just
to raise it a few inches off the ground. – Be ready for a lot of rejection. Approximately 80%+ of the
people you contact will turn you down. – It is easy to get caught up in the dream and overspend
because, Winners always find a way. It is also easy to be
pressured into willingly spending beyond your means. – It could very easily become your lifes vocation, with
everything centered on it. Some distributors even refuse to
attend family weddings etc., because it falls on the same date as
their MLM seminar. – Also, like most businesses, when you begin you will be spending
much more than you make.

The final judgment: Most business entrepreneurs face the
question, How much am I able and willing to lose if it doesnt
work? That is the question you have to ask yourself before you
get into Multilevel Marketing.

And of course, what do you want from life and what are you
willing to do to get it?

If you enjoy helping others succeed so that you can succeed, are
willing to take the risks associated with being in business for
yourself, even on a part-time basis, and are willing to put in
long days, then Multilevel Marketing may just be the tool you are
looking for to achieve your business and life goals.

Heres to success!

Popularity: 100% [?]

Publishing articles on your website is a great way to generate
AdSense income and get search engine traffic. As we know,
“Content is king”.

Writing content for the major article directories and including a
few lines of signature or “about the author” at the end of the
article with a link back to your website is one of the best ways
of generating FREE traffic. If the article is well written and
about a strong niche topic, the article will get picked up by
many websites for their own sites, which can provide you with a
wonderful set of viral links to your site. The more frequently
your article gets picked up, the more opportunity there is for
another webmaster to see it and pick it up, too.

However, you have a problem if your article is filled with
spelling and grammar errors. Webmasters don’t want ERRORS on
their websites, tarnishing THEIR images, so they don’t pick up
your error filled article.

There is good news, though. Only a few types of errors account
for almost all the mistakes article writers commonly make. You
only have to master a few simple concepts to stay out of
trouble.

One of the most common errors showing up in article directories
is the hated “run-on sentence”.

Read on.

Run-on Sentence

A Run-on Sentence error occurs when two independent clauses are
run together without punctuation or are joined with a comma when
a period, semi-colon, or the use of “and” is required.

Incorrect: “Content is king it’s the heart of a website.”
Incorrect: “Content is king, it’s the heart of a website.”
Correct: “Content is king. It’s the heart of a website.”
Correct: “Content is king; it’s the heart of a website.”
Correct: “Content is king, and it’s the heart of a website.”

OK. What the heck is an “independent clause”?

An independent clause is a complete sentence when taken by
itself. It has a subject and a verb AND EXPRESSES A COMPLETE
THOUGHT. “Content is king” works as a sentence, with no
additional words. “It’s the heart of a website” also works as a
sentence. They are independent clauses, each able to stand on
its own.

It’s an error to run them together. You must make some
grammatical acknowledgement of their independence. The easiest
way to show their independence and fix the error is simply to put
a period after the first one, making each one explicitly a
separate sentence. Don’t forget to capitalize the first word of
the second independent clause, which you’ve now made an
independent sentence.

OK. That’s how to FIX it. How did you get yourself into the mess
in the first place? Wouldn’t it be better to keep OUT of trouble
to begin with?

Most people get into “run-on” error trouble when the two
independent clauses are closely related, with the second one
adding to or expanding upon a thought contained in the first. The
other common characteristic of a run-on trap is the use of a
pronoun to start the second clause.

You probably would NOT write “Content is king content is the
heart of a website” without punctuation or the word “and” in
between them.

When you are writing, notice when you use “it” or “it’s” to refer
back to some subject you just wrote about. You are probably in
danger. Try the sentence using the actual word referred to by
“it” instead, and see how you’d punctuate it. Try it without the
contraction, saying “it is” or “content is” instead of “it’s”.
Don’t let yourself forget “it’s” contains BOTH a subject AND a
verb. Watch out for other pronouns such as “they”, “they’re”,
etc.

Run-on sentences are only one of about 10 common errors article
writers make. Spend a little time with each one of them and
you’ll soon rid yourself of them all. Just do a Google search on
“common grammar errors” and you’ll see lots of sites with great
tutorials.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Direct marketing’s a tough way to make a living but if you can
master certain skills it can be extremely lucrative. It takes on
many different forms, some of which are easily translatable to
the web.

Although the term may bring to mind door to door salesmen pushing
their wares to housewives in robes and curlers, it also has roots
in print ads such as classifieds and space ads and direct mail.

The internet has created a massive opportunity for the skilled
direct marketer to thrive without doing the customary legwork and
engaging in personal contact with their prospects, basically
expanding on the concept of direct mail.

So what skills do you need to hone in order to succeed at direct
marketing?

The top priority of anyone interested in making money on the
internet should be their copywriting skills. This is simply
putting your sales message into words.

Since the face to face encounter has been eliminated you need to
be able to convey your pitch through the words on the pages that
your prospects are reading.

A great way to polish your copywriting skills, even if you’ve
never written a single word of ad copy before, is to create a
swipe file. This is just a file of already successful ad
campaigns.

Swipe files are incredibly useful tools. Every major player in
direct marketing keeps a swipe file and for good reason.
Everybody gets stuck for words and ideas at some point. When this
happens it’s good to have an example of past successes to go to
and freshen your creative juices and get the words flowing
again.

What should your file consist of?

You should gather any material that has spurred you to action,
whether its purpose was to get you to buy something or just leave
your name and email address. Copy the good stuff and study it.
Realize what was in the ad that made you act on the offer.

Look for layout designs (bulleted lists are a big direct
marketing tactic), action words, headlines and sub heads. You’ll
notice certain words popping up along with questions and
statements that are all fairly alike but are tailored to specific
products and services.

That’s the key to a good swipe file. Gather a wide array of
different styles and mold the message to your particular target
audience. Study the material and write out many different
versions of the same ad. Practice your art and perfect it.

A word of caution though. Never copy an ad word for word. That’s
plagiarism and it’s illegal. Use your swipe file as an aid only,
to sharpen your copywriting skills and make you better at direct
marketing.

Popularity: 19% [?]