Website Design & SEO Blog | Tips for Online Success

Internet Copywriter

All props to Dr. Seuss for his great book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”; and all apologies for butchering its enlightening message…

As I was reading some graduating seniors this awesome book, it occurred to me that the lessons Dr. Seuss wanted readers to learn apply directly to SEO Internet marketing! Who knew this brilliant man would know how to spur success on the internet-he was truly a man before his time…

Oh, the places your SEO can go! Internet marketing lessons from Dr. Seuss:

1. Congratulations! Today is your day! Let’s face it-the advent of the internet is an amazing tool for advertising. Companies need to grab this opportunity by the horns and figure out how to get the internet to really work for them and drive profits.
2. You’ll look up and down streets. Look ’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” In an environment where there are numerous ways to use SEO techniques in an unethical manner, it is up to each business to decide how to approach the internet. Dr. Seuss (and I) would strongly advise you to be smart enough to not go down “any not-so-good street”.
3. And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too. Be patient. You may see other businesses enjoying great success with their internet marketing and begin to wonder when you will ever see results yourself. Don’t get caught up with everyone else’s success-stay focused on improving your own techniques and you will eventually see progress.
4. Except when you don’t. Because sometimes, you won’t. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. No matter how hard you work, and no matter how proven your SEO techniques may be, you will notice that there are times when your page views drop or your incoming links die off. This does not mean that you have to drastically change your approach; times of slow-down are all part of the internet marketing process and should be expected. “Chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump… Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.” Even Dr. Seuss doesn’t have a quick remedy for internet marketing frustration…
5. Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. The trick to “un-slumping”, I guess, is just go keep moving on. There is so much success to be found in learning how to master SEO techniques, that you simply do not have time to get bogged down in any lags. Read up on what is working for other businesses, enjoy success stories, hone your SEO skills, but, by all means, keep moving!
6. All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone is something you’ll be quite a lot. Not a direct tie to SEO marketing here; I just love this page in the book. I guess sometimes we may feel like we are completely alone on our sites…
7. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are. I have every confidence that you are committed to improving your internet marketing strategies; otherwise, why would you be reading this blog. Successful SEO professionals are not intimidated by challenges, they are energized by them!
8. And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way! Who better than Dr. Seuss can tell us to quit moping around and get to work?! No one can guarantee success in internet marketing (not even the ever-optimistic Seuss himself); but we can all have a better chance at it when we continue to improve our efforts.

Happy Graduation to all of us! Let’s get to work finding ways to better perfect our SEO strategies and moving those marketing mountains, shall we?

Last week, Eric posted an excellent entry on the benefits of incorporating controversy into your internet content. Whether you have an interactive blog or a traditional website, using a bit of controversy is a great way to spur conversation and draw visitors to your website. It is easy to see how useful controversy can be–just look at how many comments Eric’s blog has received over the past few days! If controversy is so great for business, why not add more than a trickle to your blog or site? Why not go ahead and pour a deluge of debate into your web content?

The reason you need to be cautious when adding controversy to your web content is simple: too much can result in the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve. It is fine to mention a timely controversy in a blog, and even to state (in somewhat strong terms) how you feel about the situation. It may even be appropriate to go into detail about how the given situation is affecting your business, your community, or even the greater society. However, you must keep your audience in mind as you are incorporating controversy into your web content. Language that becomes too harsh and concrete can turn your readers off and cause them to form a negative opinion of the writer (in this case, you!).

How can you encourage controversy while remaining diplomatic?

1. Be sure to encourage dissenting ideas and rebuttal comments. You can say almost anything if you preface it with a statement such as, “This is just my opinion” and end it with “What do you think?” As with any blog entry, interacting with your readers in the comments section will let them know you value what they think and respect their ideas.
2. Keep your audience in mind. If you have a business blog that is focused on a particular industry, it is probably inappropriate to rant and rave for an entire page on the pitfalls of religion, the decline of social society or any other hot-button topic that is only tangentially related to your blog. Your readers likely come to your blog to learn from you about your business; they go other places for social commentary!
3. Choose your controversy carefully. If you know that there is an extremely sensitive subject related to your industry (such as universal healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry), be very careful how you approach it. Being too opinionated can cause loyal readers to immediately check out; costing you potential profits for the sake of personal satisfaction. Remember, in the end your blog is about internet marketing more than anything else!

While internet content writers have begun to recognize the growing supremacy of King Controversy, there remains the need to recognize the steady presence of Diplomat Moderation. Just as with any sales, understanding your role as an Ambassador for your business means that you must sometimes place your audience’s needs and feelings above your own need to express your opinion.

Who knew that SEO internet marketing is almost as much about civics that it is about business?

Internet Copywriter

Although the blogging community has been around for going on ten years now, it has only been in the last few years that average businesses have begun to recognize the value of this type of internet presence. Many small businesses who would otherwise not be able to afford internet marketing are able to use business blogs to promote their products and services. Even the most writing-averse small business owners usually find that they enjoy taking a few minutes out of every week to write about the industry they love.

What is a business blog?

Blogs are typically websites that are updated frequently, with many short entries and an opportunity for readers to comment on those entries. This entry itself is an entry within a business blog. Unlike formal articles and other types of web content, a business blog can usually be written using a more informal style; and may even include some personal anecdotes and humor. The blog entries can be written entirely by you-the owner-or by members of your staff. You may also choose to have the blogs written by professional copywriters who understand how to use internet keywords that can really drive up your readership numbers.

If you are looking for a cheap (think free) blog, there are plenty of options available. Blogspot.com and Blogger.com offer free blogs; you just have to choose a blog name that has not already been taken. Just as you would with a regular website domain name, it is best to choose a name that corresponds with your business name, or close to it. You want to make your blog easy to find and easy for your readers to remember (Of course, the hope is that your blog will be so good that it will wind up as a bookmark on many a computer!).

For a more professional look, go ahead and pay for an official domain name. There are very affordable web hosting services with companies such as GoDaddy.com and other value services; however, you may find that the service is so minimal with this type of discount service that it is almost the same as using a free service. Of course, a quality web development company can offer you a blog or website that gives you truly professional service at surprisingly affordable prices. Shop around before you make the decision; or, try a free blog service until you begin to understand what a blog can really do for your business.

Do business blogs actually work?

If by “work” you mean do they increase your business’ visibility on the web, the answer is yes, with a few caveats:

• Your blog needs to be updated regularly
• Your blog needs to utilize all-important SEO keywords
• Your blog needs to focus on topics that are timely, relevant and interesting to the readers

There really is nothing lost for your business by embarking on a business blogging venture. You just may enjoy writing the entries, interacting with readers and sharing your business knowledge. And as some blogs turn into real profit-makers, you have a lot to lose by not taking that chance.