Author: April Hall

Internet Copywriter

Alas, is what Romeo proclaimed true? Is “a rose by any other name” really just as sweet? Does it actually matter what you choose for your domain name? The answer is yes, yes, and yes. (And, our boy Romeo would agree.) Names matter; both for brick and mortar businesses, and especially for internet marketing. So, how do you choose an internet domain name?

If you have a unique business name, it is quite simple to choose a domain name. For example, the owner of Bob’s Tuna Supply could probably register the name bobstunasupply.com and find that it is available, fairly cheap to register and suits his purposes to a tee. On the other hand, the proprietor of Tommy’s Cars might find that the simple domain tommyscars.com is already taken. In cases such as poor Tommy, we need to look for a rose of a different name; however, that rose’s name needs to be easy to remember, logical and affordable.

When deciding on a domain name, keep the following ideas in mind:

• Dot coms are almost always better than dot orgs. And dot coms are always better than dot nets or (Yikes!) dot tvs. The fact of the matter is, every business prefers a dot com domain name. It is simply more recognized, more professional, and most importantly, more likely to be plugged into the browser. Think about it: if you are looking for cheap cars online, would you likely plug in cheapcars.com into your browser rather than cheapcars.net? There is one exception to this rule, of course. Web hosting companies should be able to work with you to find a dog com that is appropriate for your particular business. If you are running a nonprofit organization, you will want to register as a dot org.
• If your business name is taken or otherwise unavailable, choose an abbreviation or very similar name. Let’s go back to Tommy. If the name tommyscars.com is taken, perhaps carsbytommy.com is not; or maybe even tcars.com. Just try to get as close as you can to your business name–it makes it much easier for your customers to remember and find on the web.

There are many other ideas to keep in mind as your are choosing your rose, ahem your business’ domain name. Just remember that you need to choose a name that is as simple as possible, as well as one that internet searchers may even discover on their own. Romeo, as young and star-crossed as he was, was right. Names matter.

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Author: Jeremy Schooley
Pay Per Click Management
 

I’ve never been so proud to be as bad at spelling as I am today.  I will stand in front of any high school English teacher or spelling bee champ and rub one simple fact in their face – I get paid to spell words incorrectly.  What a great world we live in, right?  Fact: search queries on the major search engines are often mispellings misspellings.
 

Let’s take a little test.  Choose which word is spelled correctly:
Acceptible    Accepteble       Acceptable   Axceptible   Axeptible   Agseptable
 

If you chose Acceptable, congradulations congratulations, you chose correctly.  Your English teacher would be proud.  But you would also be paying more for that keyword, and you would have to compete against more advertizers advertisers.  If you chose any of the others, then traffic from those keywords would usually cost you less.
 

Another thing to keep in mind is a lot of misspellings come from typing errors.  For instance, I may want to type in google, but I accidently hit the “o” key once and ended up with gogle.  Try typing the word that you want to use for misspellings and ask yourself if it would be easy to hit surrounding keys or cause other typing errors.
 

Apostrophes are a good source as well.  Some people type don’t, while others type dont.
 

Endings supply us with numerous misspellings.  Is it trophies or trophys?  This goes back to the “able”, “eble”, and “ible” endings, such as in the Acceptable example.
 

Spacing leads to even more opportunities.  Is it powerpoint or power point? Is it desktop or desk top? How about website or web site?
 

The great thing about misspelled keywords is these web surfers are looking for the same things as the ones that spelled the search query correctly and they are just as important.  But these relevant keywords take more effert effort and creativity to generate.  There is less competition and lower bid prices.  So, if you are willing to think outside the box, you can generate more sales leads at a lower cost. In your face, Webster’s Dictionary!

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Author: April Hall

Internet Content Writer

It’s difficult to find anything positive about what is going on in today’s financial climate. The cost of gas is astronomical, and rising. The cost of food is steadily increasing. The housing market is a bust in many communities. Wages are stagnant and even declining. The average American family is struggling to stay afloat financially as they juggle creditors, bills and the rising costs of living. The only thing that seems to be on the rise these days is the unemployment rate. What could possibly be good about the dire state of our economy? There is one bright light at the end of this recession tunnel: keywords abound! The opportunity to create keyword-rich internet content has never been so clear!

No matter what service or product your organization provides, it is bound to be affected by the current financial environment. Certain goods are considered “luxury items”, such as fine jewelry, vacation packages, home remodeling services and designer clothing; these products will surely experience a decline during bleak economic times. Other goods are necessities, and these include food, mechanical repairs and children’s clothing. The purchase of these items may decrease somewhat during hard economic times, but most individuals will continue to find a way to pay for them. The trick for search engine optimization writers is to figure out how the economy is likely going to impact your business, and then to create keyword-rich content that will target those internet users.

An example of this would be a company that offers financial planning and investment strategies could create content that describes how uncertain economic times causes individuals to make poor financial decisions. An article on how to adjust investments and have a long-term approach would be one way to use the keyword “recession” along with other pertinent keywords such as “investment portfolio” and “financial management”. Another business may offer upscale clothing and worry about how to keep internet users coming to their eCommerce website if they are worried about their next paycheck. A few articles about how an economic recession causes some people to think about buying used designer clothing, or how quality clothing is always worth the costs, even during a recession, could help the business’ internet marketing strategy stay on track.

The goal of good internet content campaign is to capture internet searchers who are researching a particular topic. What topic is more on the minds of searchers than this looming economic recession? Make some lemonade out of these sour financial lemons and incorporate recession keywords into your own internet marketing campaign. You may just find that your own finances will become a bit less bleak.

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Author: April Hall

Website Content Writer

Let’s be honest here: how many of us turn to our local Better Business Bureau for advice and guidance when choosing a service in our hometown? Do very many people even know where their local BBB office is? Or what it actually does? Most of us have heard rumors the value of the Better Business Bureau; yet we do not actually understand how important this institution is to our business economy.
What the Better Business Bureau Is:

A local BBB has the purpose to serve as a kind of clearinghouse for local businesses. It offers memberships to businesses, demonstrated that particular firm’s commitment to customer service and ethical business practices. If a business wants to be recognized as part of this organization, it must adhere to certain advertising and service guidelines, as well as address any customer complaints in a timely and satisfactory manner.

Another function of the brick-and-mortar BBB is to serve as a place where consumers can bring their grievances against a business when they feel they have been treated unfairly. Although there are not legal sanctions that can be brought against a business through the Better Business Bureau, there is a very real stigma that comes along with a bad BBB rating; and sometimes that stigma can cause a loss of business and profit decrease.

The Difference Between Traditional BBB and the BBBOnline

There is not much of a difference in the spirit between the traditional BBB and the BBBOnline; however, there are a few additional regulations that come along with the application for membership. Some of the most important of these stipulations include

• The applying business must have been in operation for more than a year
• The applying business should adhere to all OnlineBBB advertising regulations
• The applying business must have satisfactorily cleared up all complaints against it
• The applying business must have a street address from which they do business (verified by a visit from the BBBOnline staff)

Should your Company Seek an BBBOnline Reliability Seal?

In one word: yes! Whether or not you believe that customers actually pay attention to this type of rating, it does indeed add an element of legitimacy to your online business. Everyone knows that the internet is full of potentially shady businesses, perhaps run by teenagers out of their parents’ basement. Don’t you want your company to stand out from the crowd and scream, “I am a real, live business run by professionals who know what they’re doing!”

Establishing your credibility is particularly important if your business offers eCommerce services through your site. One way to make your customers feel comfortable sending your business money is to go through the process of applying for an BBBOnline Reliability Seal. It is a small, but important step in building your online presence.

Adding this little icon:

means that you care not only about driving people to your site, but that you are also committed to excellent customer service and ethical business standards. And, isn’t that a refreshing statement to find anywhere, but particularly on the internet?

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Author: Eric Brantner

Internet Content Writer

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about how I was sick of ignorant people typecasting the SEO industry as a bunch of snake oil salesman.  Not long after the piece was published, I felt dissatisfied. I wanted to dig deeper to prove my point. So, I set out on a study to compare our industry to others.

I feel the Better Business Bureau is one of the most reliable sources for providing information on customer satisfaction with an industry. I think we have all heard of companies and industries that are flooded with complaints to the Better Business Bureau. These are typically the people you do not want to do business with.

Now, if the SEO services industry was full of bad people like some claim, you would assume it would rank toward the top of the Better Business Bureau’s annual complaint list, right? Well it doesn’t. Now, it is worth mentioning that the BBB does not have an industry label for “SEO,” but it does fall under the umbrella of internet marketing. Of course, we all know SEO isn’t the only component of internet marketing, but this is how the BBB classifies it.

Getting back to the complaint rankings, internet marketing doesn’t even make the top 50 list of industries most complained on.

According to the Better Business Bureau, internet marketing is only the 69^th industry in complaint rankings. That hardly sounds like a trade full of dishonest people to me. Some notable industries that receive far more complaints that internet marketing are cell phone services(#1 on the list,) banks, home builders, financial services, insurance companies, department stores, real estate agents, and dentists. Have you ever heard anyone refer to their accountant as a “snake oil salesman?” I sure haven’t.

Where Does it Come From?
For the next part of my study, I wanted to determine where this negativity toward SEO was coming from. Where are the people coming from that are trying to paint the industry with such a broad stroke? Do they have hidden motives?

It appears the answer is yes. For all of the searches I ran to find people badmouthing the SEO industry, I noticed that the overwhelming majority of people doing the bashing were trying to sell a product. Most of these remarks were actually coming from companies offering SEO services that were trying to scare their customers into paying for their product.

Here is the basic approach that I saw repeated time and time again. SEO Company X says that the industry is full of cheats that will steal your money. However, rest assured they are the lone, bright and shining light in this industry full of darkness. They tell you that they are the only company you can trust to handle your SEO needs. Now hand over your credit card, please.

It’s the classic fear based sales approach. Make the customer think everyone is out to cheat them, but you are the hero that can help them.

Don’t Let One Bad Apple Spoil the Bunch
A Seattle based SEO company recently made the news for ripping off a large number of their clients. They lied about their ability to help customers improve their search rankings, and received nearly 100 complaints as a result. The courts decided that they must give all of their clients the opportunity to void their contracts, and they must create a refund program for these clients.

This story is being used by these fear based SEO companies as an example of an industry that is out of control. It is another piece of information they can use in their sales pitch. However, it is necessary to look at this from a realistic perspective. You can’t blame an entire industry for the actions of a few companies.

The SEO industry is like any other; there are a few bad apples, but the vast majority of companies are ethical and want to provide a quality service to their clients. Customers need to approach purchasing SEO services like they would anything else. In other words, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. All you need to do is use common sense, and don’t let these companies use scare tactics to get your business.

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Author: April Hall

Content Writer

Have you ever been browsing through a website and noticed a hyperlink on a subject that looked interesting enough to click on? Then, on that next page, there’s another potentially informative link to yet another page, which leads you to a completely different area of that organization’s site… And on and on it goes until you cannot even remember where you started (which, coincidentally, is why they invented the “back” button on browsers, I think!). You don’t even realize it, but you are increasing that site’s page views and contributing to its internet marketing success. Using hyperlinks to explore websites is becoming second nature to internet users; and this type of marketing technique is becoming increasingly important for SEO companies, as well.

Be Careful with Hyperlinks!

Before you start adding hyperlinks to your internet web content, heed a few words of caution.

1. Too many hyperlinks can become overwhelming to your readers. You want them to actually read the content on your page; which is hard to do when every other word is hyperlinked. Choose a few items that could provide more information, and send your readers to another part of YOUR site (more on the importance of holding you readers captive in a moment).
2. Hyperlink more than just a single word. This is done for a couple of reasons: First, it gives them more information about where they are headed when they choose to follow the link, and Second, it just looks more professional.
3. Before you add a link to another website, contact that site’s administrator and ask for permission. Of course, more than likely you will get the okay, but that is just one small reason for contacting the administrator. You also would like to subtly ask if that site would like to provide a link to your own. An act of quid-pro-quo if you will. It is a win-win situation for both sites, so go ahead and ask.
4. Link to your sales sites whenever possible! If your website is providing an Ecommerce service, you want to send your visitors there whenever possible. Drive you sales! If you have linked some content about a particular product, send your readers to the page where they can order that product. It only makes sense to drive people over to your online store.
5. Be careful with linking to pages outside of your own website. You have the users on your site currently, so why be eager to send them somewhere else? Link to interesting articles, facts about your organization or product information-just keep them captive on your site!
6. Make sure your links provide readers with information not provided on the current page. If you are simply linking for the fun of using the application (or perhaps the novelty of seeing your words change to that pretty blue color) resist the temptation. Hyperlinking serves a real purpose in internet marketing and should not be overused.

As long as you keep the previously mentioned suggestions in mind, hyperlinking is a great way to augment your internet marketing strategies. It increases your page views and can greatly help improve your Ecommerce returns, as long as it is used intelligently and with a real purpose in mind. If it becomes too tedious, your readers may grow weary of seeing the links and may even come to see them as blatant examples of over-marketing. It’s reminiscent of enjoying the comments to your favorite celebrity blog, only to get frustrated at seeing a poster mention a great site for meeting singles. Annoying, isn’t it. On the other hand, a quick mention of where to look for the star’s newest movie trailer might actually be tempting. Notice the difference? So will your own readers.

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