Keywords: Can’t Optimize your Website Without ‘em

1. Start with the Keyword Search

The GOAL:  Have one or two  unique keyword phrases for each page of your website

Here’s a quick and basic way to get the Keyword Search underway:

•      Brainstorm with your employees and customers asking “What phrases or words would you type into a search engine to find our product/service?”

•      Bearing in mind that you need a unique set of keywords for each page’s topic, select the most popular ones for the next step.

•      Type the phrase into a search engine and see how many results you get — this is a measure of how popular and competitive that phrase is.

•     Use the free  Google Adwords Keyword tool to determine how many actual searches were done with this keyword phrase.  Choose one or two phrases that have moderate competition and a large number of monthly searches.

You now have one or two primary keywords for each page of your website.

2. Title Tags: Tell Search Engines what the Page is About

The GOAL:  Make it easy for search engines to index your page and know what it’s about

The title tag looks like this: <title> your keyword(s) </title>
This is a very important place for your keywords. Search engines use this tag to identify what this page is about and how to index it for later reference. You want your site to come up when someone types in this phrase.

Here’s an example:  <title> Website Copywriting </title> where “Website Copywriting”  is my primary keyword phrase for this page.

Be sure you have a unique title tag for each page, focusing on that page topic only.

3. Headings: Create Interest

The GOAL:  Create an intriguing headline to draw in readers AND incorporate keywords in h1 and h2 tags

The main heading (h1 tag – only one h1 tag  per page, please) and the sub-headings (h2 tags – can have multiple h2 tags) for the page should also contain one or more of your keywords and be a catchy, interesting headline. Search engines look at the headings (h1 and h2 tags) for more information on what this page is about AND you’ll need to draw in your visitors and invite them to read on.

4. Body Text: Solve a Problem or Need

The GOAL: Get inside your visitor’s head and give them the information they need to solve their business challenge

Try to write your content to be “skimmable.”  Most people do not read web pages word for word, but skim to see if they’re in the right place. Keep the paragraphs and sentences short, sprinkle your keywords into the text where you can (be sure the sentences still “flow”) and I even use BOLD text to give the gist of the paragraph at a glance as you scan the page.

5. Call to Action: Direct Visitor to Next Step

The GOAL:  Get the visitor to take the next step toward purchasing your service or product

This is where you give the visitor explicit directions for what you want them to do next.  Call xxx-xxx-xxxx or contact us for more information, for an appointment, to sign up, etc. Make sure you include your keyword phrase here, make it bold, and include a link to make it easy (don’t make them hunt for your contact page, sign-up sheet, appointment schedule, etc).

Here’s an example using the same keyword phrase from above: Contact iMedia Buzz or call 303-818-4663 today for a free one-hour consultation and estimate for your Website  Copywriting.

 And that’s it.  All 5 Steps need to be done for each page of your website. If you don’t have an in-house SEO Copywriter and don’t feel confident about doing this, please feel free to give me a call.  I’d be delighted to help.

        ** WARNING**  Here comes the Call to Action for this blog post:
Contact iMedia Buzz, Inc. or call 303-818-4663 for your FREE one-hour consultation for web copywriting (KEYWORD). I’ll review your website and let you know what needs to be done to fully optimize your site. Call TODAY!

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 About the Author:   Deb Ward is owner and founder of iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers SEO Copywriting, Keyword Search, and Content Creation to small businesses. 

Image by SMJJP

A recent guest post really caught my attention: Outsource SEO Content or Train Your Team: How to Choose by Heather Lloyd-Martin (owner of  SuccessWorks) and posted by Bruce Clay, Inc. on his blog. This is a “real life” dilemma that many small and medium size companies face.  “Should we hire out for our SEO Content (Search Engine Optimization) or train our own team?”  That’s the question.

Heather makes the point that training staff that’s already overworked might be counter-productive. And… while training you own own staff is an investment,  it takes time and practice before you’re proficient.  Time is money and their time may be better spent on tasks they already do efficiently — hire out the writing and save time AND money.

What is YOUR Content Strategy?

Today, content strategies require compelling, SEO-savvy writing that engages your readers and moves them along the path to purchasing your product or service.  Part of that strategy means spreading the message across multiple platforms to reach audiences “where they live.” Professional writers know how to speak to a specific audience in the tone and style that interests them. It’s not as simple as posting your current print brochure’s text  online and hoping that does the job.

Here’s an idea that might work for your budget AND your staff:  Can you build a relationship with a freelance writer who understands your company brand and can be called upon to be a “part time member of your team” going forward? It’s certainly more affordable than hiring an agency each time,  you’ll  have continuity of tone and style and the relationship is already known.

Whenever you decide to release a report, post case studies or create a press release, your freelancer will already be familiar with your products and services, your target audience and even your staff members he/she will be working with. You’ll build an on-going working relationship.  

Whatever works best for your budget and writing challenges, be sure to consider the cost, the time, what other priorities come first with your staff and who you can rely on to “write your stuff.” 

About the Author:   Deb Ward is owner and founder of iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers SEO Copywriting, Keyword Search, and Content Creation to small businesses. 

Get Started Today with your Free One-Hour Consultation
Call 303-818-4663 or send a note to iMedia Buzz, Inc.

When you’re blogging, writing an article  a press release or a case study, most people don’t want to read a dull, detailed recitation of the facts.  Even if what you’re selling or sharing is a technical or complex subject.  If you want your readers to get past the first paragraph, tell a them a story. This is especially powerful in a case study — when you’re sharing a customer experience and a positive outcome that saves the day!

Set the Stage :

Tell your reader the situation and the background to the story:

• What “problem or challenge” was the customer facing?
• Who was involved in the search for a solution?
• What options were available?
• Identify the obstacles.
• What was the timing?

Introduce the Cast:

Briefly describe what your company is about, what you offer and who the players are… as well as what expertise you have and any credentials or awards.

Then talk about who the likely customer is, what departments and employees would be involved in a solution. Give some background information on the industry in general as it relates to this issue.

The Plot Thickens:

This is where you get to the heart of the matter.

• What’s at stake?
• How will this solution be implemented?
• How long will it take?
• Will this lead to better operations or new products in the future?

A Happy Ending:

Summarize  your  solution to the customer’s problem Show how you implemented the solution, what resources were needed and why.  Give specifics and explain the  steps you took and why.

Be sure to point out the benefits, both technical and business, that your solution provided for the customer.  It also helps to make sure you point out any new areas  the company can pursue in the future as a result of your solution.  Everyone likes a Happy Ending .

About the Author:   Deb Ward is owner and founder of iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers SEO Copywriting, Keyword Search, and Content Creation to small businesses. 

Get Started Today with your Free One-Hour Consultation
Call 303-818-4663 or send a note to iMedia Buzz, Inc.

Ever Wonder How a Search Works?

Google Search Basics

Have you ever wondered how Google Search works?  In simple terms, here are the basics of what this whole “search thing” is about and how it can make a difference in how/whether your website is found. (FYI: a lot of information about using Google can be found in their Google Guide.)

Google basically has three parts:

• The Spider or Bot that finds your page (both words are used interchangeably)
• The Indexer that will sort the words/pages and store them in a database
• The Query Processor that finds the page that is most relevant to your search query

A Little More Detail

Google’s Spiders, Bots: This is a bit a code that searches out web pages and hands them off to the indexer.  It finds pages either through an “Add URL” form that you fill out on Google’s site (www.google.com/addurl.html) or via links it finds when crawling through the web. The Spider has to determine how often to revisit a page in order to return current results over time.

To keep the index current, Google re-crawls popular and frequently changing pages more often – HINT: this is  one of the best reasons to keep blogging and host your blog on your website.  It’s continuously adds new pages and content to your site for the bots to crawl and index.

The Indexer: Once the bots pass along the pages it finds, these pages are stored in the Index Database. The information is sorted and stored for quick access when a query is made.

The Query Processor: The query begins when you type in a word/phrase you want to search.  The “engine” then evaluates your query and matches it to documents that are relevant, ranks them in order of relevance and returns the results.

PageRank is what Google calls this system. A page with a higher PageRank is considered more relevant to your query and therefore, more important. Many factors go into this determination, and Google is constantly evolving and tweaking its algorithm.

So – what does all this mean to you?

Once you understand the basics, it’s easier for you to tweak your site to bring better search results and therefore be found more easily by someone looking for your product or service. TRANSLATION:  more sales!

• Make sure your blogging or somehow continuously improving/adding content to your site so it’s fresh — that keeps the bots coming back more often.
• Be sure to use keywords – phrases and words that your customers/clients are using to find what you offer.
• Consider hiring a professional to ensure you’re finding the best keywords, using search-friendly page structure and are putting your best foot forward for Search Engine Optimization  (SEO).

I’d love to hear from you — please comment below and  let me know if you found this information helpful and what other topics you’d like to know more about.  Cheers!

About the Author:  Deb Ward is owner and founder of  iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers SEO Copywriting, Keyword Search, and Content Creation to small businesses.  Get Found!

Making Special Connections

Riding the Circuit of Leads/Networking Groups

How many of us go from one networking or leads group to another every week, hoping to connect with someone who will refer us and our product or service? I’ve ridden the circuit for years in various sales and marketing positions and have found that it doesn’t really pay off.

Many of those meetings & groups are either too structured (where you have to bring x amount of leads every week, stand up and declare your number, or humbly state you have none to offer this week) — or it’s an “after hours” cocktail time where you find yourself screaming over the noise just to be heard by people who’ve “had a few” and aren’t even listening.

Kissing a Few Frogs

There has to be a better way.  And there is! What if you targeted your prospects for referral partners, just as you do sales calls?  In my case, I’ve figured out who in my industry is providing a service that leads to mine and enhances their own results — and is really good at it. I’ve been meeting with a few in my area and building relationships. Yes, it takes time.  It may not happen right away. You may have to kiss a few frogs…  but when you find a match, it  just clicks.

Once you’ve established a good rapport, referred some business back and forth and gotten to know each other better, you now have a solid base for spending time with those who can really make a difference in your business. Share insights and materials, co-host an event, guest blog, whatever. Forget spinning your wheels to get one or two leads from random people.  Of course, if one falls in your lap, all the better.  But steady, qualified referrals come from someone who knows you and your business.

What products/services are related to what you’re offering? How can they benefit from your expertise to make their service even more productive or attractive? Can you shed some light on the customer’s needs from another perspective?

Let me know what other ideas you have for forging new relationships in 2011. I welcome any ideas you’d like to share.

Her Story is a vivid documentation of the breadth and diversity of American women’s achievements throughout U.S. history. This one-of-a-kind illustrated timeline highlights the awesome, varied, and often unrecognized contributions of American women since the 1500s.

In keeping with the topic of technology and social media, I’m posting this recent newsletter celebrating  women in Math and Computer Science.  They defied convention when it wasn’t popular, or even acceptable, for women to enter these disciplines… let alone occupy a central role in their development.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll find throughout this wonderful book compiled by Jill Tietjen and Charlotte Waisman.

Early Women Pioneers in Mathematics and Computer Science Grace Hopper Birthday Celebration (L-to R): Anthea Johnson Rooen, NCWIT; Ruthe Farmer, NCWIT; Jill Tietjen, Her Story; Debra RIchardson, Chair, CSEdWeek; Jen Myronuk, Her Story. To celebrate Computer Science Education Week, Her Story, along with the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) hosted a birthday party on December 9th at the University of Colorado, Boulder for Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, the mother of the modern computing age. Although she passed away nearly 20 years ago, “Amazing Grace” and her legacy live on in every computer and mobile device. This month, we are pleased to salute early women pioneers in mathematics and computer science. Come with us as we recognize Emmy Noether, Grace Hopper, and Anita Borg. They have all helped make possible the transformative and central role that computers and computing have in our society today. Emmy Noether Mathematician Emmy Noether grew up in Germany at a time when women were not allowed to attendcollege preparatory schools. After receiving her certificate to teach from a finishing school, she defied society conventions and, in 1907, earned a PhD in Mathematics. By 1918, she had proven two theorems that were basic for general relativity and elementary particle physics; one is still known as “Noether’s Theorem.” During the 1920s, Noether did foundational work on abstract algebra, working in group theory, ring theory, group representations, and number theory. Noether’s conceptual approach to algebra led to a body of principles unifying algebra, geometry, linear algebra, topology, and logic. The “Noether School of Mathematics” would prove very useful for physicists and crystallographers. Noether immigrated to the U.S. in 1933 and taught at Bryn Mawr College. Grace Hopper Computer innovator Admiral Grace Murray Hopper is celebrated for her invention of the computer compiler, the computer software that translates human languages into the zeroes and ones that a computer recognizes. Hopper’s computing career began during World War II when she worked at Harvard on the early computers. There she discovered the first computer bug – a moth – stuck in the relays of the computer that was used to calculate missile trajectories in support of the war efforts. Admiral Hopper developed the first English computer language called Flowmatic. She was instrumental in the development of the computer programming language COBOL – Common Business Oriented Language. Hopper received the National Medal of Technology and has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. The Destroyer Hopper (CCG-70) is named for her. The destroyer’s nickname is “Amazing Grace”. Truly, Admiral Hopper’s efforts helped pave the way for the information age today. Computer scientist Anita Borg had a vision that involved women embracing and using technology, instead of fearing it. She touched and changed the lives of countless women in the computing fields and well beyond. Borg founded the Systers online community in 1987; this was before the concept of an online community was a part of the mainstream. In 1994, she co-founded the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. In 1997, she founded the Institute for Women and Technology which encompassed her earlier endeavors and began new programs, partnerships, and initiatives to include women in all aspects of technology. After her death, it was renamed the Anita Borg Institute. We salute the accomplishments of these pioneering women in computing and invite you to explore the resources available online on the Computer Science Education Week web site as well as on the Her Story web site in sharing with your community. Next Month: Women as Humanitarians

Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America www.herstoryatimeline.com 8547 E. Arapahoe Rd, PMB J189 Greenwood Villiage, Colorado 80112

Free Data You Can Use To Refine Your Site for Better Results

If you haven’t signed up for your FREE Google Analytics Account yet, you should.  This free tool provides all kinds of helpful information to guide you in your efforts to improve traffic, select effective keywords, evaluate landing pages and track conversions. GA can track visitors from all referrers, including search engines, display advertising, pay-per-click networks, email marketing and links within PDF documents.

Sign Up for Google Analytics and Get Started

Google Analytics’ approach is to show a simple dashboard that can be customized to show the metrics you’re targeting. You can also drill down for more in-depth analysis using multiple reports available in the site.  Getting started is easy: simply sign up, identify which site you’re going to use (you can follow multiple sites — up to 50 at this time) and place the tracking  code in your pages. Google provides a checklist to organize your account and get you started.

Google’s advice on placing your tracking code:

1. Finding your personalized Google Analytics Tracking Code
   The tracking code is profile-specific, which is why you can only access it via the Profile Settings page for a specific profile. Please read Where can I find my tracking code? for full instructions.

2. Implementing the code
   Once you find the code snippet, copy and paste it into the bottom of your content, immediately before the </body> tag of each page you are planning to track. If you use a common include or template, you can enter it there. To implement tracking code for secure pages (e.g. https://), please read How do I obtain tracking code for secure pages?
3. Implementing the code for unique pages
   For more information on how to implement the tracking code for data-driven pages or pages with frames, please follow the instructions from the relevant section in the Google Analytics Installation Guide.
4. Troubleshooting
   You should be finished once you install and save your tracking code for your pages. If you wait 24 hours and still don’t see any data, please read Why isn’t Google Analytics tracking my Website?
   If you don’t know how to insert the code into the pages of your site.

Within 24 hours, you should begin to see data rolling in.  Start by selecting just a few key metrics that track what’s most important to your business:  is it traffic to a particular page?, referrals from another site?, keywords that bring the most traffic?  Then review those data points on a regular basis and begin tracking the impact of any changes you make to your site.  Pretty soon, you’ll be tweaking and refining and getting the most out of your efforts.

Google is not the only search engine, but it’s still the 800-pound gorilla in the room.  This is a free and painless way to see how the market responds to your online marketing and gives you a basis for making changes that work.

Be brave!  Sign up, place the code and get started.  Take control of your traffic!

About the Author: Deb Ward is owner and founder of iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers Basic SEO, Keyword Search, Web Copywriting and Content Creation to small businesses. Get Found!

Photo by Wonderlane

When you’re writing for someone else about a topic you really don’t know well, how do you start?

I write about topics I don’t know much about — all the time. I’m a web copywriter who creates unique content for my clients’ websites to make them search-friendly, engaging and informative.

So here’s a few tips that might help if you’re blogging for someone else or writing about a topic you don’t know well:

1. Check out the competition: Do a few searches and see who comes up in the top spots for the topic you’re writing about. See what they focus on and do a little scouting for keywords they’re using, challenges solved by their product/service and the proposed audience they’re trying to reach.  This will inform your direction and give you some ideas to run with.

2. Do a little research online: I also take some time to check unbiased resources for definitions, explanations and trends.  Wikipedia is a good starting point, so is Google Trends.  Check out any white papers or articles on the subject for some background.

3. Consider the audience and write from their perspective: Now that you’ve armed yourself with some information, background and what’s working for the competition, it’s time to get into mode of thinking like the target audience. Do they need to be educated on what you offer?  Do they already know the subject but are facing a particular challenge? Is your solution unique?

Ask yourself what you’d be hoping to read or find when you do a search. It often helps to  clarify the issue, state the solution and then give credentials and guarantees.  That is a classic sales formula that brings conversions. Think like your customers think.

4. Make sure you have a call to action on every page that invites the visitor to make an appointment, subscribe to a newsletter, join a group, whatever.  And then make it easy for them to do so…  a link to your contact page, an RSS button, a LIKE button or anything else that is at hand and makes it quick and easy to take action.

And if you do have them complete an information form, keep it simple.  Ask for just a few items needed to add to your e-mail list and be done with it.  No one wants to answer a million questions that seem irrelevant and take a lot of time.  That’s called “friction” and you don’t want to add any more than necessary.

SUMMARY:  Using these 4 quick tips has helped me organize my thoughts, gather the information I need and get on with writing about an unfamiliar topic in a way that speaks to the audience, solves their current challenge and tells them what to do to move to the next step.

Let me know what works for you and I’ll be sure to post your suggestions.

About the Author: Deb Ward is owner and founder of iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers Basic SEO, Keyword Search, Web p and Content Creation to small businesses. Get Found!

Photo by Muffet

Writing a sales message, website or blog is a bit like baking. You have to follow the recipe. If you’re new to writing or just want to make your blog or sales message better, be sure to have all 6 of these ingredients on hand:

1. Be sure to write a great headline… one that grabs attention and draws the reader in.  Good examples are:

• Numbered lists:  5 tips, 3 mistakes, 10 reasons
• Questions: How do you use ______?  What do you like about _______?
• State a position that is up for debate: Social Media is for Wimps!  Don’t Give Away Your Work for Free

2. Make sure you talk about your service or product in terms of the benefit to the user.  Features are great and help explain what’s new and different, but the benefit is what converts people.  Solve a problem for them, or help them find a better solution that saves time, money &/or effort.

3.  Offer something your visitors really need or want and make it attractive and easy to get.  Make sure you’re tuned into your audience and speak their language.

4. Be sure to prove your claims. Back it up with information, links, credentials,  testimonials, case studies and results.

5. Offer a guarantee… you believe in what you’re offering, you believe it will provide benefits your visitors need and you stand behind it.  A guarantee removes the doubt and makes it easy to click the BUY NOW button.

6. Don’t forget to include a Call To Action (CTA). Tell your visitors what you want them to do next…

• Complete the information form
• Subscribe to your newsletter
• Register for a webinar

If you include all 6 ingredients, you’ll be well on your way to creating effective content for your sales message, website or blog. Use this “recipe”  as a checklist to be sure you’re not missing an opportunity to guide your visitors down the sales funnel.

What are your tips for a great blog post or sales message?

About the Author: Deb Ward is owner and founder of iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers a “turn-key” solution to small businesses who want to take their “online brochure” website and turn it into a dynamic, marketing tool. Get Found!

Photo by BenStein Photostream

Facebook is not just for social sharing…

It’s a tool for business. With over 500 million users, with all types of interests, connections, likes/dislikes and links — it’s a treasure trove of personal data. A marketer’s dream.

With Facebook, you can precisely target ads to your audience by location, age, sex, education, language and even by their workplace. AND, your potential fans have willingly entered information about their favorite TV shows, hobbies, political views and college major!

For 20 cents for each 1000 views of your ad, you can reach a very specific segment and give them exactly what they’re interested in. Make sure your offer meets their needs, speaks to their interests and is full of useful information.

People love contests. Ask their opinions, invite their photos or creations. Give away services or products and then ask for feedback. Hold a virtual event! Once in a while, a great “how-to” video or a free e-book is appreciated if it answers a burning question.

The bottom line: provide great content, engaging events and useful information and your customers/fans will keep coming back for more. And Facebook helps you do just that by providing tons of personal data to help you tailor your message to each segment of your audience. Then spread the word.  Take whatever you posted on Facebook and re-purpose it for Twitter and even LinkedIn. Your audience may be focused elsewhere the day you post to your fan page. You may even reach a new audience who’s interested in the same things.

What other ideas or suggestions do you have?  Feel free to share comments below. I’d love to hear form you.

About the Author: Deb Ward is owner and founder of  iMedia Buzz, Inc. which offers a “turn-key” solution to small businesses who want to take their “online brochure” website and turn it into a dynamic, marketing tool. Get Found!