Link Building - The Waiting Game

Link building is a waiting game. Many clients have asked me why they do not see changes in traffic or ranking before a month goes by.

It takes time for the search engine robots to find those new links and index the pages they are linked to.

The Process Of Indexing Links

Links are what make the World Wide Web go round. Links are how we travel through the web pages of the World Wide Web. The indexing, or spidering, of links on a web page is like the indexing of pages that you submit directly to the search engines. In order for your link to provide link popularity back to your website, the page the link is on must appear in the search engine databases. The search engine robots must index the web page to be included into the search engine databases. If the web page is already in the search engine database, it is a matter of indexing the updated information on the web page and having that link show as a backlink in the search engine results.

Why Do I Have To Wait So Long For Results?

When it comes to link building, it is quite simply a slow process. Even if you pay for a link, the page the link is on still must be indexed by the search engine robots in order to be included in the database, thus showing up in the search engine results.

What's A Backlink?

A backlink is a spiderable link (typically a text hyperlink) that points from another web page to your designated web page. The preferable type of backlink is one that is topical in nature. If your web page and keywords focus on gardening books, you would want to have backlinks from other gardening websites, especially gardening book sites.

Finding Backlink Results

The search engines vary in how they show your backlinks. Google has limitations on what links show up in their backlinks; generally you will not see all of your backlinks in the Google listing. Yahoo! generally shows most of your backlinks, it picks up most pages that link to you.

To find your backlinks, you will typically use a search like "link:www.yourdomainname.com" or "link:http://www.yourdomainname.com".

This should show the links you have pointing back to your web page. If this search does not work in the search engine you are using, try using the advanced search feature of the search engine to find the correct syntax.

For an overall report view of your backlinks, visit http://www.marketleap.com and click on the Link Popularity Check link in the Free Search Engine Marketing Tools section. Once you run the report you will be able to see how many backlinks show for the search engines listed. As with any software tool, use it as a guide, not as absolute factual information. You can also enter your top competitors' websites in this query and see their backlink results along side of your own results.

Is The Linked Page In The Database?

You can check to see if the page your new link is on is in the search engine database by performing a search like "info:www.yourdomainname.com" or "site:www.yourdomainname.com".

Or use the advanced search features offered at each search engine.

Of course, to find out if you are listed in a directory, you must click through the categories to the category you submitted your information to. To speed up your search, look for the directory link results that usually accompany regular search results at directories. If you are listed in the directory, the next step is to wait until the link is indexed by the search engine robots and shows up in the search engine results and your backlink results.

Waiting For Results

Link building is time consuming and you must wait to see the full results. Work on your content as well for natural linking from other websites. Use search engine optimization in combination with link building for optimum results. Think of link building not as an immediate payoff but as a long-term goal to better your overall ranking in the search engine results.

About the Author:
Daria Goetsch is the founder and Search Engine Marketing Consultant for Search Innovation Marketing, a Search Engine Optimization company serving small businesses. She has specialized in Search Engine Promotion since 1998, including three years as the Search Engine Specialist for O'Reilly Media, Inc., a technical book publishing company.

http://www.searchinnovation.com

A Search Engine Optimizer's New Year's Resolutions

With the ringing in of the New Year, I resolve to become a better search engine optimizer (SEO). Below is a list of resolutions that I have made in order to make my clients' web sites the absolute best on the web.

I Will Not Use Flash As Text.

Even though many search engines can read some of the text embedded in flash, flash sites do not perform as well in search engine results as non-flash sites. Flash should primarily be used to enhance sites; in the same way one would use pictures to make the site look better.

I Will Not Use Images as Text.

Although I personally believe that text in images will be read by search engines by the end of 2006, we are not there just yet. As it stands today, image text is invisible to search engines and therefore should not be used in that capacity.

I Will Use Good Usability Techniques.

Usability is simple to test. Get three friends to complete a task on your site as you silently watch and take notes (have them talk out loud too). You will be amazëd as to what you find. Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox has a good introduction to usability.

I Will Not Use Cloaking.

Cloaking is frowned upon by search engines. Once they catch you, you will get penalized (or in some instances, banned).

I Will Not Use Frames Unless I Have a REALLY Good Reason to.

Frames complicate things for the search engine. There are very few good reasons to use frames and thus they should be avoided whenever possible.

I Will Use a Catchy Title with the Keyphrase in It.

Marketing is what we are all about. A catchy title will bring in the customers. A title containing the target keyphrase will raise the result in the search engines. Put the two together and you have a professional marketing title that works hard to bring in traffïc.

I Will Track the Return on Investment (ROI).

By tracking the ROI, I will clearly see if the site is making or losing monëy. To track ROI one needs to co-relate the marketing dollars spent with the revenue earned. This statistic is usually hindered by the site's owner, who cannot (or does not) provide the financial information, nor the conversional statistics I need to track ROI.

I Will Write an Alt Tag That Clearly Depicts What the Image is, for Every Image.

This will help people without images on their screen know what the image is about. Using the keyphrase in the alt tag is a bonus because it will help the rankings slightly in the search engine results, but it is most important to describe the image as clearly as possible.

I Will Use Good Informative Content.

Ah yes, "Content is King". All the above resolutions are meaningless if I don't have good content. This is what will bring in the search engines. This is what will bring in the clients. And this is what will bring in the dough.

I Will Not Stuff the Pages With Keyphrases.

Stuffing the page with keyphrases goes against the golden rule of good content. If you stuff the pages with keyphrases, they will no longer read well, and readers won't like to read them. Consequently, people won't enjoy your site, and because the search engines are designed to figure out what people like and then display it to them, the search engines will eventually begin to disregard your site. Therefore, always use keyphrases wisely.

I Will Not Use "Spammy" Techniques.

"Spammy" techniques are anything the search engines say not to use. These techniques may do well in the short-term, but in the long run they will get you penalized (or even banned).

- Google Guidelines
- Yahoo Guidelines

I Will Use Pay-Per-Click (Ppc), Even if It is for a Very Small Amount.

I have found that using even a minuscule PPC campaign will bring in more traffïc. It also propagates links to your site throughout the Internet, and thus makes your site more prominent. If you are worried about losing monëy, then use the frëe conversion tracking tool available at both Overture and Google AdWords. Use It. Only then will you know how effective your PPC campaign really is.

I Will Track Unique Hits to the Site.

By keeping track of whether the site's traffïc goes up or down, I get a big picture of the health of the web site. If traffïc goes up, then the rankings probably went up. If traffïc goes down, then rankings probably went down. Of course there are also seasonal variations (and marketing pushes), but you should be familiar enough with the market to know when to expect such cyclical fluctuations.

I Will Get A Good Copywriter to Write the Content.

"Content is King", so get a professional to write it. You may think you are good, but are you really? Would you bet your Internet presence on it? Use someone who knows how to write specifically for the Internet. Use someone who knows how to balance writing for people, writing for salës, and writing for search engines.

I Will Not Send Out "Spammy" Emails Asking for Reciprocal Links.

Reciprocal links don't bring in clients, and they tend to only slightly boost your PageRank. An SEO's time is better served getting the site listed in directories and on sites where people would be looking for it (such as associations, suppliers, clients, and more...). Personalized emails to these sites requesting a link to yours are fine. Templates or mass emails requesting reciprocal links are definitely not.

I Will Work Hard Getting Valuable Links to My Site.

"Linking is Queen", thus getting links is essential. Find directories that relate to your market and take your time to submit to them (in the best category). Contact your suppliers and/or resellers and see if they will link to you. Figure out where your potential clients hang out on the Internet, and get those sites to link to you. Do your homework to choose where you want your links to appear, then roll up your sleeves, get out the elbow grease and get those links to show up!

With a little dedication and a lot of work, I will get my clients into the top search engine results. If you want to do well with your web site, stick to these resolutions and before you know it the traffïc (and the salës) will roll in smoothly, just like the New Year.


About The Author
Shawn Campbell is an enthusiastic player in the ecommerce marketplace, and co-founded Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc.. He has been researching and developing marketing strategies to achieve more prominent listings in search engine results since 1998. Shawn is one of the earliest pioneers in the search engine optimization field. Contact: shawn@redcarpetweb.com.

Blogs Equal SEO Power In Searches

They are truly search engine optimization powerhouses. Before your eyes glaze over, and you start to yawn, keep in mind that many of your brand new blog visitor traffic arrives from search engines.

These include Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, Ask Jeeves, and A9.com.

Ranking well, and preferably on the first page, is key to gaining extra free visitor traffic. Being placed on the second page for a search isn't too bad either.

By way of an SEO blog example, here are some search results for Blog Business World for uber competitive keywords.

http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/

We'll examine the search for the two word phrase "business world" without the quotes.

On Google, this blog ranks #8 out of an incredibly mind boggling 158,000,000 returns. You read that correctly. 158 million search results.

Okay, I'm not number on on page one. Of course, ranking just behind the BBC and the World Bank isn't too shabby.

Blog Business World is slightly less well ranked on Yahoo at #19, and is located on page two.

Of course, Yahoo search returns total an even more incredible 270,000,000 linked sites.

Yes, that is 270 million returns for the search term "business world".

In terms of SEO, those are very powerful returns indeed.

Note the power of a little old blog, in competition with those extremely wealthy and huge organizations.

If you ever doubted the search engine optimization power of a blog before, that might just change your mind.

A blog oozes SEO power.

Get a blog working in the search engines for your business today.

There is no cheaper or more effective SEO available.

Anywhere, at any price.

About the Author:
Wayne Hurlbert provides insigtful information about marketing, promotions, search engine optimization and public relations for websites and business blogs on the popular Blog Business World.
Check out Blog Business World for yourself.

Search Optimization, Not Search Engine Optimization

Search optimization focuses on how people search. Search engine optimization focuses on how search engines work. Search optimization sees quality web content as its foundation stone.

In an age of information overload, how is your website going to get found? Because if it's not found, it might as well not exist, and all your effort will be in vain. Every day, millions of people use search engines to find things. A significant majority of these people will not go beyond the first page of search results, and most people will stop searching by the third page.

However, if you want to succeed with search engines in the long term, you should not primarily focus on how the search engine works. Rather, you should focus on how the brain of the searcher works. Because if you understand how people search, you're halfway there to getting found when they search for your content.

It all comes down to a small set of words. (I call these words "carewords"; the words people really care about.) The searcher is the modern equivalent of the hunter gatherer. They go out hunting and gathering content in order to complete a task. It's very important to understand that searching is just the first step in this task completion.

Making sure your content is found in the first page of search results is a great start, but it is only a start. Until the person has completed the task they came to your website to complete, then nothing of substance has been achieved.

People want to make a reservation, renew a license, find out more about a course, etc. Therefore, we need to see search optimization in the context of the task. In reality, what you need to focus on is task optimization. How many customers bought your product today? How many citizens availed of your service today? How many students applied for a place at your university today?

The focus of this series of articles is on how you can optimize your website for how people search. I will explore why linking is so crucial to success. I will explore how you can create content that significantly increases your chances of being found, as well as increasing the chances of task completion.

I was recently thinking of renting a holiday home in Spain, so I searched for: "Spanish holiday homes". I clicked on the first search result, and this is the text I read.

Spain Holiday Rentals Holiday rentals in Spain for holidays in Spain Spain Holiday Rentals directly from the owners. Rent Spanish holiday homes - a holiday villa or perhaps a holiday apartment in Spain. Spain vacation rentals for holidays in Spain are easily located by searching a Spain holiday home on our website. Spain Holiday Rental offer Spanish holiday homes for your next Spain vacation.

This content is excellently written from a search engine optimization perspective. The carewords (Spain, holiday, rentals, etc.) are prominent and repeated often. However, this content doesn't seem credible to me. I don't get a sense of trustworthiness off it. In fact, it reads to me like spam, and that made me quickly hit the Back button.

Remember, getting people to your website is just the first step. Having them complete the task is ultimately what it's all about.

About the Author:
Gerry McGovern is a content management
consultant, author and speaker.
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com

Microsoft Search Engine

Since Microsoft embraced the search industry, they have been committed to making MSN Search a relevant and viable alternative to other industry leaders like Ask, Google, and Yahoo.

MSN Search officially launched in February of this year, complete with a multi-million dollar advertising campaign. Since the launch Microsoft has spared little expense in their efforts to thrust MSN Search to the forefront. However, one area where MSN Search falls short is offering users a non-third party advertising service. Currently, Microsoft uses Yahoo-owned Overture to provide search advertisements.

However, a number of leaks and grapevine-speak indicate a MSN Search-owned advertising service will be announced soon. A story in Bloomberg.com reveals Microsoft is on the verge of announcing their own search engine advertising service.

The service will be similar to competing programs from Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. Microsoft will announce a pilot program March 16, said the people, who asked not to be identified. These paid searches auction off placement next to Web search results to companies with related products.

The program may help Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, boost advertising revenue at its MSN Internet unit and revive sales growth. Microsoft's revenue will rise 8 percent this fiscal year, the lowest pace ever, after an average of 38 percent in the 1990s. The U.S. market for paid search will more than triple to $12.6 billion by 2010, according to Minneapolis-based Piper Jaffray Cos.

On SearchEngineWatch forums, Danny Sullivan had these thoughts about Microsoft's service and their agreement with Overture, which expires next June:

"I think toward the end of the year is more likely for a rollout, and I'd suspect we'd see Yahoo as a backfill until the advertisers have filled in the new program.

The Yahoo contract does expire June 2006. But it's typical with these things that you can end earlier, if you want. That's what happened with both the Looksmart and Inktomi contracts. June 2006 certainly would be a hard date for when you'd completely expect them to swamp over, but they could bring it up in scale before then, I'd say."

Currently, Microsoft has not released any official word about their upcoming search advertising service. If the launch is announced tomorrow, expect Microsoft to issue a press release outlining the company's goals.

Google Gets AutoLinked?

Recently, Google released an update to their toolbar, which includes the controversial AutoLink feature. Since the launch, AutoLink's functions have been the center of a number of discussions. The majority of those who follow the search engine industry do not like AutoLink's approach to providing product links on pages that didn't have them to begin with.

On Threadwatch.org, the consensus concerning AutoLink is not positive. In fact, a recent post introduced a Firefox plugin called Butler. The plugin is designed so it "dramatically alters the pages on many Google services." A description of Butler says, "Butler enhances Google search results by adding links to competitors. It also removes ads, changes typography, and a few other useful things." It is essentially the same as AutoLink, but Butler focuses on Google pages.

A look at the features offered by Butler speaks volumes about the motives behind such a plugin.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

- removes ads on most Google pages
- fixes fonts on most Google pages

Google web search:
- adds links to other search sites ("Try your search on...")
- in news results, adds links to other news sites
- in movie results, adds links to other movie sites
- in weather results, adds links to other weather sites
- in product results, adds links to other product sites

Google image search:

- adds links to other image/photo/art sites

Google News:

- adds links to other news sites

Froogle:

- adds links to other product sites

Google Print:

- Removes image copying restrictions
- adds links to other book sites

Google Toolbar Firefox page:

- adds links to other Firefox-friendly toolbars

A Threadwatch comment originating from Google Blogoscoped summed up the implications of Mark's tool:

Now the catch-22 in Mark's approach is obvious: would Google complain about his Butler add-on, they'd be offering arguments that could be used against their Toolbar, effectively hurting their own product. And if they don't react, they're allowing Mark to set an example of what's possible and legal to do in terms of changing Google's content, opening up a door for others to follow. Just imagine Microsoft would be implementing such Google ad removal as default behavior for Internet Explorer 7 - they'd be depriving their competitor of nearly all of their revenues.

The AutoLink discussion continues.

Discuss this at WebProWorld.

Chris Richardson

Change Your Site Now!

Change your site! That's right, if you want the edge in this highly competitive market, you need to change your site now!

In order to increase your traffic you need to change the content on your site to reflect current trends. By this I don't mean simply changing a few words, layout etc etc, I mean really changing it to keep ahead of your competition by providing services that people really want.

This by no means has to affect the theme of your site, you simply need to enhance it to provide additional much sort after services or products. If you're happy with the amount of visitors your site is currently receiving, and I doubt you are, then leave it as it is, but if you want more visitors, and you want your visitors to keep coming back, then read on!

Let's get to the how's and the why's.

How?

Firstly find out what people want, what they're really looking for. If you can offer this service or product, people are more than likely to buy it from you. Remember they're looking for it because they want it and if you provide it, chances are they'll buy it from you.

To find out what people are looking for go to a site like Searchwords.com. If you think you know what the most popular search word at the moment is, you may be somewhat surprised when I tell you its MP3. That's the word now, but things change so fast in this technical age, you need to keep a close eye on this.

Why?

There are two major reasons for doing this. Firstly, if people want it and are looking for it and you consistently fill this need, you will soon establish a reputation for always being "hot". Make the most of the current trends why they're happening. I am not talking about words that have always been searched for or products and/or services you would not want to associate your site with, but new and different trends. If you discipline yourself to check these trends on a regular basis, you can offer the desired services long before the word is out and everybody else is doing the same thing. This is a major key to how successful you will be - act fast and stay ahead!.

In order to have your own site ranked well with the search engines, you need to have relevant keywords in your metatag area. What could be better than having the most popular search words in your own metatags? Of course you would have to have that content on your own site. If people are searching for Holly Janion, and you have Holly Janion in your metatags, be sure to contain information on Holly Janion somewhere within the content of your site. How many times have you looked for something via the search engines and visited the sites to find they have nothing to do with the subject in hand. This is a dirty trick and won't do the webmaster any favors in the long run. Be professional, make sure your metatags correctly reflect the content on your site.

Key Benefits

1. By changing your content regularly, your visitors will come back often because you offer the services they want. Your site is interesting and doesn't have the same old stuff on month in and month out. By keeping your site content current, you will be one step ahead of your competitors.

2. You'll be seen as a site that is current, knows what is going on, a true professional. This will increase your visitor returns. If someone has purchased from you once, they will be more likely to purchase from you again. Look after your current visitors, don't lose them to other sites that keep current!

3. If your main theme is kitchens but everyone is looking for MP3, add it to your site. It doesn't have to be a huge section that detracts from your theme at all, something small will be enough. Remember just because I'm on your site looking at kitchens, doesn't mean I don't have any other interests!

4. Don't depend totally on people using kitchens as a keyword. You know they they're using MP3, so use it too - get them to your site!

5. You'll still get the visitors you would have had anyway as kitchens is still your main metatag word and what your site is about. This method only increases your site visitors. You're getting visitors that weren't looking to buy a kitchen at the moment but may soon be, or know people who are, and now they know you provide a great kitchen service.


Holly Janion

Article Source

Link Popularity and Click Popularity

WHAT IS POPULARITY?

Link popularity and click popularity are determined by each search engine. AltaVista may calculate a high popularity for your site, whereas Lycos may calculate a low popularity for your site. Each search engine may also use the popularity information in different ways. It will all depend on their specific algorithms.

Popularity is becoming more widely used by search engines. Therefore, it is a very important consideration when trying to increase your ranks. Hypothetically, if you have two sites that have equal content and equal meta tags, then the site with more popularity will rank higher.


The link popularity of your site is determined by:
the number of web sites that are linking to your site (the web page that your link appears on, must be indexed by the search engine - just using those "free-for-all-links-pages" is not the kind of link that you're looking for.)


the popularity of the sites are that are linking to your site
the similarity of the content on sites that link to your site
Link popularity is used by every search engine to some extent.
Ways to increase link popularity will be discussed below.


Click popularity:

Click popularity is the number of clicks that your site gets when it comes up on a search. So if your site is number 3 for a search, and it is being clicked on by people more than number 2, you can potentially move ahead of number 2. (If the engine uses click popularity in their algorithms.)
Excite and Direct Hit use click popularity. Also, engines that are associated with Direct Hit, like Hotbot, indirectly use click popularity.
You can increase click popularity by having a good title and a good description of your website in your meta tags.

Page Rank:

Google's page rank has come into light in the past year. This is a system that the Google search engine uses to rank sites based on how many links come into a certain page. It is their way of ranking based on link popularity.

It is a complex system. For more information, try reading this article: Chris Sherman
FIND OUT WHO'S LINKING TO YOU
For each engine it may involve a different process.

Generally, you can go to each engine and type into the search box:

yourdomain.com
or
http://www.yourdomain.com

Also there are a good many link popularity tools (links below). Sometimes, you will not get accurate results - we recommend that you use the above method and the tool in order to try to get all the results that you can.

HOW TO GET MORE POPULARITY

1. Reciprocal Links

There are varying opinions on whether or not to get reciprocal links and if you do, where you should put them. Here is our opinion - The internet is a web and it is joined by links. If you are offering good resources, people will bookmark your site and come back. If you aren't, they won't. Part of offering resources is suggesting other places to find information. We're not suggesting that you put links off your site on your home page, we're not suggesting that all you do is to provide a directory of other links.

We started with a one page resource directory. From there, we built it up to over 10 pages of links that go to sites that have content similar to our own. We started by simply linking to anything related to us. Now we are more fussy. We will only link to a site that will place a reciprocal link to us and we only link to sites that have quality content. (Yeah, it's a lot of work to maintain that small directory.)

More on reciprocal linking strategy

2. Content:

The fact is, once again (I know you are tired of hearing me preach about it, but...), CONTENT IS KING. No one will want to link to a site that is simply a promotional avenue for an affiliate program. You must provide original content. If you provide original content, you'll find sites linking to you all over the place.

3. Online Directories

Getting listings in directories will not only boost your traffic, it will also increase your link popularity. It is especially relevant to link popularity because these directories are mega popular (remember the more popular a site is that links to you, the more popular your site will be rated). Major Online Directories

4. Meta Tags

You will be able to increase your click popularity by having a good title and description of your website. You can write these into each individual web page using meta tags. A better look at Meta Tags

7 Essential Web Site Maintenance Strategies

Maintenance of your web site is an absolute necessity if you want to keep it from becoming stagnant and losing visitors. It can be compared to a garden that is not weeded, it soon disappears from site as a result of the weeds blotting out the sunlight. Maintaining your web site means continuously updating it with fresh content, keeping it free from errors (ie broken links, sloppy code) to maintaining a high position in the search engines.

Let's look at the 7 essential strategies for web site maintenance:
1. Check for broken links - broken links will annoy visitors making them click elsewhere off your site, thus losing a potential customer. Businesses that once linked to your site, may have closed down, thus causing broken links to appear. Check for broken links on your site at least once a month.
http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html


2. Write correct and clean html code - html errors can negatively affect your search engine rankings. For example, if your webmaster places the meta tags or header (H1) tags in the improper order on your page your rankings will suffer.
Here's an example:

this is your highly targeted keyword phrase your web master wrote..
The search engines will read the keyword-rich text as attribute of the paragraph tag and ignore it. Since search engines spider text that is highly visible at the top of your web page, you will have lost the opportunity to gain high search engine rankings.

Run all your pages through http://validator.w3.org/detailed.html to clean up any html errors.

3. Add fresh content - search engines will more regularly spider your site if the content on your web pages is continually updated or changed. One excellent method is to add a new article to your site every week or two.

4. Obtain incoming links - search engines use linking to create a web of linked sites. The more sites that link to yours help determine the popularity of your site. Sites with only a few links don't usually do well in the search engines. Preferably obtain links from related sites which already rank well or receive a large number of visitors. Finding links should be one of your ongoing strategies to maintain and increase your rankings.

5. Monitor web site rankings - the number and type of keywords used to search for information on your site can change dramatically. Without constantly monitoring your web site rankings, you may wonder why your sales have dropped. One must stay up to date with search engine changes. Adjust your site accordingly then resubmit it to the search engines if needed.

Use Marketleap.com to find your site's ranking.

6. Analyze web copy - you may be getting a lot of hits/visitors to your site but no one is buying. Your web copy could be at fault. Try rewriting it by placing yourself in your customer's shoes. Focus primarily on the benefits of your product. Sometimes changing one or two lines can increase the percentage of sales from your site.

7. Track web site statistics - from the site statistics provided by your web host, you can monitor the amount of visits to each page, where they came from and what keywords they used to find your web site. You may then need to optimize other pages targeting alternative keywords to increase the number of visitors arriving at your site.
Conclusion: Create a web site maintenance plan that will ensure your web site is performing at its optimum level. This is essential if you wish to maintain or increase sales and stay ahead of your competition.

About the Author

Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) owner and author of http://www.isitebuild.com/ Affordable Web Site Design, Maintenance and Web Hosting Subscribe to his "Marketing Tips" newsletter for more original articles subscribe@iSiteBuild.com. You can read more of his in-depth articles at: http://www.isitebuild.com/articles

To Blog or Not to Blog: Are Blogs Becoming More Popular than Forums, Newsletters and E-zines?

Blogging is hot, and seems to be becoming hotter each month. Although blogging originally was dismissed, by many successful publishers and other online "gurus", the truth is that now, a few years after the "blogging trend" began, there are actually more blogs and more bloggers online than ever before. Blogging, obviously, is "here to stay"!

Actually first documented in 1997, Web logs initially used the abbreviated version: wee-blog, with a Web log editor referred to as a blogger. Since then, all types of Web logs (blogs) and blogging software have emerged, giving rise to this lucrative and dynamic market.

Now, everything from advertising blogs to zoology blogs exist, with every topic in between apparent online. Political blogs are rampant, and groups of bloggers across the globe post regularly on every topic imaginable.

What does a blog supply that an e-zine, newsletter, or forum might not? What has skyrocketed the popularity of the blog over the past several years?

The answers are really quite simple:

1. Blogs are more highly interactive. Posters get to see the results of a post immediately, as the post appears simultaneously after posting. Posters also don't have the usual moderation that appears in forums, where posts may be deleted without warning. Usually, in blogs, more freedom is given, and posts are usually accepted no matter what the content, or the topic.

E-zines and newsletters, with their one sided presentation of views, have decreased in popularity with the increase of the popularity of blogs.

2. Blogs are easy to maintain and easy to start. The sheer volume of choices is staggering! Everything from "blogging software" to "blogging services" are available, and even a novice blogger will find blogging quick and easy to do.

3. Blogs are "Search Engine Friendly Food". Search Engines love blogs, because of the constantly changing content that appears daily. Search Engines are constantly "searching" for new content, and blogs meet this requirement splendidly!

4. Blogs are actually a lot of fun! The entertainment aspects of a blog cannot be dismissed. A great deal of "voyeurism" exists on blogs, where other bloggers continually monitor discussions, both pro and con concerning an issue. Discussions on blogs can be "heated" and interesting, with much repartee occurring daily! Blogs are a rousing form of media, indeed, with many bloggers returning repeatedly throughout a day to view new posts.

For a view into popular blogs of many categories, just visit: http://www.blogit.com

5. Many blogs are capable of syndication. Syndication is a great way to ensure that your writing and your views are exposed to as much of the general public as possible. Syndication is many times included in blogging services now, and this has drawn individuals to the art of blogging continuously.

For an example of a blog service that features syndication, please visit: http://www.typepad.com

6. There are no lists to maintain, or spam filters to worry about with blogs. This is one reason why so many writers and publishers have turned to blogs. E-mail delivery of newsletters and e-zines has become difficult over the past few years, with the advent of spam filters. Blogs are not delivered, and therefore, no methods of defeating filters are needed, and no "non-deliverables" occur, which has been the bane of writers and publishers prior to this.

A good blogging software exists at: http://www.silkblogs.com

7. Blogs are economical. Since no lists are maintained, there are no list server costs. Blogging software and blogging services are also very reasonably priced, giving good value for the money spent monthly consistently. Some blogging services charge others to "read", while others charge writers to "write", but overall the monthly charges are rather minimal either way.

8. Blogs are educational. There are such a variety of informative and educational blogs available now, that a search for any subject usually turns up hundreds of offerings. Differing points of view on all subjects are offered routinely, giving a reader or poster an "insight" into the hearts and minds of other bloggers.

Blogs also, to be successful, however, need to contain the same elements of a popular newsletter or e-zine:

A. Compelling, well-written content. No one, either online or offline wants to read materials that are poorly written or difficult or boring to read.

B. Updated material. Just as in newsletters or e-zines, if material is not updated continually, then the audience eventually dies.

C. Rousing topics. Topics of interest to a wide range of readers succeed more than topics that appeal to very few, or are rather dull topics.

D. A nice layout and visual appeal. A blog is akin to a Web site for written materials, and just like in the design of a Web site, every care should be made to have the blog be visually appealing and friendly to visitors.

Newsletters, e-zines and forums, of course, will remain. But as you can clearly see, blogging, bloggers, and blogs themselves, have definitely added to the "online experience" and will possibly (and hopefully) be around for decades more!


About the Author
Vishal P. Rao is the owner of
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com
One of Internet's leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business.

List of Web Hosting Directories

Here is a list of web hosting directories. If you are looking for web hosting, check out these web sites for great deals. If you run a web hosting company, add your site to these web hosting directories to get few more customers.

• WebHostingNeeds.com - directory of web hosting providers and related resources. Special dedicated server offers, free hosting offers and articles.


• WebHostingRank.com - offers a searchable directory of web hosting providers including user rankings and reviews, forums, news, and price comparisons.


• Compare Web Hosts - allows users to search and compare hosting services and pricing plans, reseller hosting plans, and web development companies.


• HostChart.com - offers listings of web hosting services and prices, reseller hosting plans, dedicated servers, and web development companies.


• Web Host Junction - directory of web hosts with reviews, quote generation system, press releases, and articles.


• Web Host Magazine & Buyer's Guide - independent web host reviews, directory lists, host finders, hosting resources, and coverage of industry news.


• WebSite Hosting Directory - features hosting articles, showcases, daily deleted domains, web hosting resources, and coverage of industry news.


• HostReview.com - web hosting directory and search engine.


• Top Hosts - searchable directory of web hosts.


• 100 Best Web Hosting Reviews - offers ratings and categorized listings of web hosting companies and services.


• WebHostingTalk - web hosting discussion forum, includes feedback and targeted information.


• WebHostDir.com - directory of web host services with multi-level search engines, reviews, awards, and industry news.


• Web Hosting Stuff - searchable directory of web hosting services.


• 100 Top Web Hosts - list of hosting providers including reviews and ratings.


• 2hosta.com - web hosting discussion forum and directory with reviews, recommendations, and links to web hosting industry services.


• 411hostlist.com - search engine and directory of web hosting company's from all over the world.


• AAA Host List - directory web hosting companies.


• Affordable-Web-Hosting.org - offers ratings and reviews of a selection of U.S.-based web hosting services.


• Cheap Web Hosting Guide - directory of web hosting providers organized by services offered.


• Compare Web Hosts - allows users to search and compare hosting services and pricing plans, reseller hosting plans, and web development companies.


• CPUReview.com: Cheap Web Hosting Directory - lists web hosting companies for the budget conscious consumer as well as daily and weekly expiring domain name lists.


• FindSP.com - features a directory of hosting companies, search engine, forums, interviews, and more.


• Hosting Repository - searchable directory of web hosting providers, including company reviews and ratings.


• HostReview.com - web hosting directory and search engine.


• HostSearch - searchable list of web hosting providers.


• Hottest Hosts - listings of hosting companies and articles.


• iHostcafe.com - includes listings of top webhosts, search capabilities, and specials.


• List of Web Hosts, The - web hosting buyer's guide. Allows users to search by dedicated, business, personal, and co-location services.


• MyHostFinder.com - paid-per-click searchable directory of web hosting companies, from budget up to dedicated hosting.


• RateMyHost.com - offers a web hosting provider directory with information to assist in the buying process.


• thedirectory - lists Internet access providers, web hosting companies, bulletin board systems and telephone prefix locations. Mailing lists also available.


• Top Hosts - searchable directory of web hosts.


• Web Host Junction - directory of web hosts with reviews, quote generation system, press releases, and articles.


• Web Hosting Pages - provides a searchable directory to find web hosting plans that also includes a webmaster learning center.


• WebHostInfo.com - searchable database of web hosting plans with user ratings, reviews, and more.


• WebHostingRatings - searchable database of web hosting plans with user ratings and reviews, and more.


• LooForHost.Com - a directory of hosting businesses around the world.


• WebSite Hosting Directory - features hosting articles, showcases, daily deleted domains, web hosting resources, and coverage of industry news.


• Ahostlocator.com - Database of hosting companies offering hosting services.


• A1Hosts.com - Web hosting directory offering a large searchable directory of plans.


• Al's Host Finder - A fully searchable database of hosts.


• AngelicHosts.com - A Christian webhosting directory with Linux, Windows and free webhosts for individuals and organizations.


• Ask WebHost - A directory of web hosting offers.


• Codewalkers PHP Hosting Directory - Allows searching for specific PHP features along with the standard search criteria.


• Codir.com - Directory of web hosting related websites.


• FindaHost.com - Quickly search over 7,900 hosting plans by over 3,000 providers and research hosting company performance in the reviews and forum area.


• FindMyHost.com - Host Reviews - Webmaster resource rates and reviews web hosting companies. Review report cards, consumer reviews, and special offers.


• FindMyHosting.com - A web hosting marketplace. Also provides guides on how to start your website.


• FoundHost.com - Searchable directory of web hosting companies, articles, news, and beginner references.


• Host Approval - Categorized, pay-per-click directory of web site hosting companies.


• Host Byte Marketplace - Offers a searchable directory of web hosting providers, plans, articles, specials, and beginner guides.


• Host Ratings - Customer reviews and ratings of web hosting companies.


• Host Record - Providing web hosting directory, search, reviews and discussion.


• HostCheck - Web hosting certification & review program site offering a searchable database of hosting companies. Allows users to compare web host features, and submit requests for hosting proposal quotes.


• HostCompare.com - Hosting database complete with server test tools, forum, and articles.


• Host-dir.com - Offers searching by platform, disk space, and monthly fee. Includes paid placement and hosting-related articles.


• 1Host.info - Categorized directory of web hosting companies around the world. Includes multiple hosting categories and search tools.


• HostingCatalog.com - Large database to search by feature or option. Also articles and reviews.


• HostingSeek.com - A database of hosting companies, reviews, and interviews.


• HostoHolic.com - Directory of Hosting companies with company details divided into specific categories.


• Hostprofessor.com - Categorized listing of web hosting companies complete with helpful articles.


• HostPulse - Provides host distance match, ping-host speed test, and web host guide to help you find and research web hosting services.


• HostRaiders.com - Hosting solutions by category, database of plans, and articles about hosting.


• HostSeek.com - Simple host search.


• HostSeeker.com - A categorized listing of hosting companies.


• Hottest Hosts - A categorised directory of web hosting companies including virtual, dedicated and co-located servers.


• ISP Guide Directory - offers a list of web hosting providers sorted by services.


• ISPcheck - Search for web hosting, dedicated servers and Internet access options.


• 100 Plus Cheap Web Hosting - Features web hosting directory, Q&A, guides, news and a glossary of terms.


• Top Hosting - Searchable directory of web hosting providers.


• Web Host Directory - Free commercial directory of hosts with full company details. Includes a search engine to help you find specific features.


• Web Host Magazine and Buyer's Guide - Independent panel reviews on web hosts and host finders.


• Whost.INFO - An easy to use pay-per-click web hosting directory.


• WebHostingPicks.com - Search web hosts by price, storage, bandwidth, features, or name.


• Web Server Index - Host database that specializes in dedicated servers.


• Web Hosts Online - Offers a searchable directory of web hosting companies, articles, webmaster resources, web host review forum, magazines, and news.


• Web Hosting Sources - Human edited directory of web hosting services where you get offers in three clicks or less.


• Web Hosting Ratings.com - Rates web hosting plans and hosting providers.


• Web Hosting Choice - Web hosting directory with searchable index. Also features a webmaster resource area.

Third Party Credit Card Processors

If you want your online business to be a success you have to accept credit cards. In order to accept credit cards online as a payment method you need to have a merchant account.

With your own merchant account you must pay for expensive processing software, a secure server, customer service fees, monthly gateway fees or minimum transaction fees.

But there is solution to accept credit cards online without merchant account or with so-called free merchant account.

These free merchant accounts are provided by third party credit card processors that accept credit cards on your behalf and take a percentage of the cost of the transaction. This percentage is relatively higher than it would be if you had your own merchant account, but you only pay fees if you sell your product. There are usually no monthly fees.

It is also the simplest solution - sign up with a third party processor, insert several lines of HTML code, and that's it! The service provider will take care of the rest.

Online credit card processing companies will send you payment for all of your orders processed, minus their fee and a reserve fee. A reserve fee is withheld to cover charge backs you may have. If you have no charge backs within a period of time, your reserve will be refunded to you.

An excellent feature, many of these credit card processors offer is a build-in affiliate program for your own online business.

Third party credit card processors are the best option for small and just starting businesses, as well as for international (non-US) businesses where obtaining your own merchant account is too expensive or hard to get.

Third party credit card processors are cheaper as long as your total sales are low. When your monthly sales reach around $3000, you should consider to open your own merchant account.

Below is the list of the most popular online third party credit card processors that will process credit card orders for you without merchant account.

2Checkout.com

The service I use myself and recommend for others. Cheap and reliable. Sell products or services, just about anything.

Merchants with US or Canadian Bank accounts will have payments electronically deposited directly to any bank account at no cost.

Suppliers without a US Bank account can have their payments air mailed at no charge or have the option of an international wire payment.

Can be incorporated into almost any shopping cart that supports the authorize.net gateway.

Payments twice per month.
5% reserve fee, 90 day hold.
Chargeback fee of $10-30 per transaction.
Available for US and international merchants.

Setup: $49.
Orders by: Credit cards and online checks.
Transaction Fees: 5.5% + $0.45.

CCNow

Third party credit card processor intended to be used for tangible merchandise. This is defined as "physical products that are shipped to the Online Shopper's physical address".

Chargeback fee of $10-80 per transaction.
Reserve Funds are used if your sales earnings exceed $1000 in one semi-monthly pay period.
Issue checks in US Dollars: free.
Direct Deposit (USA only): free.
Wire Transfer: $40.
Payments twice per month.
Available for US and international merchants.

Setup: Free.
Orders by: Credit cards.
Monthly Fees:
USA - $9.95 + 9% of your total sales in excess of $100.00
International - $11.95 + 11% of your total sales in excess of $100.00.

ClickBank

ClickBank accepts customers who offer only downloadable products.
Provides free affiliate program management and your products will be promoted through their network of over 100,000 online affiliates.

Only issue checks. Charge $2.50 to process and send check.
Withhold 10% of each check which is released after about 90 days.
Payments twice per month.
Available for US and international merchants.

Setup: $49.95.
Orders by: Credit cards and online checks from the USA and Canada.
Transaction Fees: $1 + 7.5%.


Glo-Bill

Third party credit card processor accepting customers who sell membership. You can set your prices between $1.95 and $59.95.
Provide you with an affiliate program. They also have an innovative system that allows simple surfers to become your affiliates and thus increase your revenue.

Only issue checks. Charge $2.50 to process and send check.
Holds 7% of webmaster sales in rolling reserve for 6 months.
Weekly payments.

Setup: Free.
Orders by: Credit cards, online checks, phone billing.
Transaction Fees: 15.95%.


iBill

Turnkey e-commerce solution where iBill handles all banking, risk and affiliate management issues for Internet merchants selling almost all products and services.

Holds 10% of all transactions as a reserve for 6 months.
If chargebacks exceed 2.5%, a $15 fee is assessed with each chargeback.
Available for US and international merchants.
Payments twice per month.

Setup: Free.
Orders by: Credit cards, online checks, 1-900 phone billing.
Transaction Fees:
Credit cards: 15% for up to $10,000 total revenue for billing period. Graded reductions for increases in volume.
Online checks: 15%.
Telephone billing: 20-35%.

PayPal

Personal Accounts are free, but cannot accept credit card payments. Premier and Business Accounts are charged either the Standard or Merchant rate based on volume.

Buyer has to register as PayPal member. Membership available in 37 countries.

To withdraw your funds from PayPal (transfer to your bank account), there is no fee for US customers, varying fees for other countries (maximum is $1.50).

If you get even one chargeback on a single account, they freeze all your funds for 35 to 75 days.

Setup: Free.
Orders by: Credit cards or direct transfer.
Transaction Fees (Standard Rate): 2.9% + $0.30.


Share-It

E-commerce platform for selling your software via the Internet.
Based in Germany and allow you to accept US Dollars, Euros, or Pounds Sterling.

Fees for issuing monthly payments to you:
Transfer to your account (bank transfer): $2 (Germany = free).
Mailing a check: $5 (USA = free).
Direct Deposit (USA only): free.
Available for US and international merchants.
Payment once per month.

Setup: Free.
Orders by: Credit cards, money orders, bank/wire transfer, check, cash.
Transaction Fees: $2.95 +4%. After 1000 orders - $1.95 +4%.


V-Share

Third party credit card processor for software developers.
Chargeback fee of $20 per transaction applies when a transaction is charged back by your customer's bank.
Fees for issuing monthly payments to you:
USA Checks free of charge.
Eurocheck $12.
USA money transfer $21.
International wire transfer $21-40.
Available for US and international merchants.
Payment once per month.

Setup: Free.
Orders by: Credit cards, money orders, checks, cash, phone, fax or mail.
Transaction Fees: $3 +3% ($2 +3% if 1000+ orders/month) or 20% if price is less than $15.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION DEVELOPS QUALIFIED TRAFFIC

Search engine optimization is the careful placement, wording, and analysis of keywords within a Web site, and even the restructuring of a site itself, in order to improve search engine ranking results. Successful optimization will mean more qualified, high-quality traffic to your site, which can result in more sales and greater popularity of your content.

Site operators can optimize by themselves, or outsource to a consultant or a Web hosting company. A consultant or Web host takes on the task of enhancing a site by eliminating potential site design problems; selecting better keywords, title tags, meta-tags and keyword strategies; and by making submissions to search engines.

Site problems include the use of frames, which most search engines are not able to index. In order to increase your ranking, a consultant would change the structure of your site so that it does not include frame or includes the noframes tag, in order to ensure that content is available to the search engine.

Optimizers will also review your site to ensure that dynamic URLs do not contain critical content. Search engines will not index any URL that contains elements such a commas, equal to signs and dollar signs. A consultant will suggest that such links not be submitted to search engines.

Furthermore, a consultant will recommend that Flash animations be integrated carefully into a Web site, as hyperlinks within Flash cannot be indexed. Flash integrated within a proper HTML navigation framework will obtain better ranking results than sites completely built in Flash.

Image maps and Javascript navigation systems also present problems regarding efficient search engine indexation, and would be revamped by most optimization consultants.

The main task that consultants or hosting companies undertake however is the development of specific keywords. To get listed correctly in the search engines, each page of your site needs to be optimized to the best of your ability. Since the keywords you decide to target will be used throughout the optimization process, choosing the right keywords is essential. An optimizer works to develop keywords that would best attract your target audience.

Keywords should be integrated into multiple hyperlinks to increase the site's rank. Consultants and hosts will also work to revamp title tags, so that at least one or two keywords are incorporated. Tag line limits should be restricted to between 40 to 70 characters to ensure better search engine results. Keywords should also be incorporated throughout Web page text flow.

Copywriting should be optimized to include the most relevant keywords and utilize phrases that have been used in meta-tags. Each page of a Web site should contain at least 200 words in order to provide the Web site with a higher search engine ranking. Consultants and hosts will also optimize meta-tags, special hypertext tags specifically developed to help search engines find out important information about your site.

They will also ensure that "alt" tags, or alternative text for images are included throughout the site, since search engines can also capture that information.

Most importantly, however, consultants or hosts will advise you what not to do in order to optimize your site. They will advise against spamming search engines, which involves placing hundreds of hidden keywords within a Web page. Such actions can get your site blacklisted from a search engine.

Consultants normally charge a fee based on the scope of the project and time involved to execute changes. Web hosting companies normally offer a specialized consulting package or software that will prep Web pages orb develop keywords.

A is for Amazon, B is for Best Buy - Google Suggest Feature

The Google Suggest Tool launched earlier this month in Beta and it's amazing! How they continue to come up with brilliant, innovative tools that enhance and improve search is beyond me. Having hundreds of genius engineers on staff, listening to their ideas - then implementing those ideas is leading to great leaps in search usability.

The Google Suggest Beta tool not only completes words in a drop-down list that shows ten possible and or likely ways to complete any word you begin to type in the search box, it shows beside each of those possible word combinations - how many times that option is searched at Google!

Even though I was in the middle of working overtime to begin a major client initiative, I couldn't stop experimenting with the tool from an SEO perspective. The Google Suggest tool allows you to see instantly how often specific keyword phrases are searched! Check out the competition for keywords

Google Suggest is something that appears to be destined for integration into the standard search page simply because it is far more valuable as the similar option some browsers offer to complete words as you begin to type them into web forms. The controversial Gator form completion tool launched a huge advertising company based only on things users with the Gator tool had already typed into web forms.

But the difference here is astounding, in that it shows you things others have typed into the search box and how often! This means that they must instantly access their database via the search box and instantly return results that change with each keystroke! Though interesting, it is not foolproof. Several times I typed quickly and the feature appears to drop behind and miss letters that I've typed, showing results for the first two letters, but missing those letters typed after.

The Google Suggest FAQ answers to frequently asked questions promise that the auto-complete feature is not based on your surfing or search history. An inevitable concern that arises as you type queries and see the javascript function complete words that you wouldn't otherwise type. A deliberate attempt to search adult terms turns up innocuous word completions and beyond that, appears to filter the MOST commonly searched phrases on the web. Adult phrases appear (necessarily) NOT to be completed as it would show things that children using the feature shouldn't see. Nice touch that!

The FAQ also tells us that the word completion feature of Google Suggest is based upon the Google Zeitgeist, itself a http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html fascinating look at popular culture that is always available to the curious.

One question asked on the Google Suggest FAQ page addresses an odd issue . . . "How do I get back to normal Google?". The answer is simply to type the http://www.google.com/ URL in the browser address bar or click http://www.google.com/ Google link, as it appears to lock you into using the feature until you specifically launch a new browser window. Though, personally, I'd rather stick with Google Suggest as it seems that they've come up with another tool I can't live without.

Interestingly, the http://www.google.com/googleblog/ Google Blog links to the following URL http://labs.google.com/suggest/ but if you look in your browser address bar, you are redirected to http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en which suggests Google intends full implementation and may offer on/off toggle option from the main page in the near future.

You must use relatively recent browsers in order to use the Google Suggest feature, but it supports Internet Explorer 6.0 (or newer), Netscape 7.1 (or newer), Mozilla 1.4 (or newer), Firefox 0.8 (or newer), Opera 7.54 (or newer), or Apple Safari 1.2.2 (or newer). (Interesting side note here, type the single letter "F" in the text box of Google Suggest text box and the result is "Firefox 20,000,000 results." Something that will no doubt make Microsoft a bit nervous.)

Google continues to innovate in ways that fascinate me. I'm behind in my work now because I've toyed around and analyzed this new Google feature beyond reason. If MSN and Yahoo don't offer similar tools in their search, I can't imagine being without it now and will stick to Google for my searching. MSN's "Search Builder" feature almost had me as a convert. Yahoo's "My Search" options almost had me setting Yahoo as my home page. Search tools are coming fast and furious over the past couple of months and this industry is a fascinating space to watch these days.

I've gotta get back to work. I'll resist the temptation to experiment further with the Google Suggest tool. New ideas keep popping into my head on fascinating new ways to use it. Like "What is the most commonly searched word beginning with each letter of the alphabet?" "A is for Amazon" "B is for Best Buy" "C is for CNN" etc. Maybe "How is the prefix 'un' most often used?" That didn't work, I get United Airlines as a suggestion. Google, I have a suggestion for a new tool! How about Google Prefix or even Google Antonym! Imagine the fascinating tools that developers will build using the Google API if they include this new Suggest feature in the API!

About the Author

Mike Banks Valentine practices ethical SEO. Contact Mike at: http://SEOptimism.com/SEO_Contact.htm. This article is available online at http://www.RealitySEO.com with links to resources. You may use it on your site, blog or newsletter if you maintain this resource box and make links live hyperlinks.

Determining Keywords

Determining keywords is a critical step in web design. If your website and meta tags do not contain related keywords, web surfers will be unable to find your website when they conduct searches.

The formula is a little tricky - you will need to locate terms that are popular and relevant to your site. These terms may or may not be terms that you feel are relevant terms. The optimal terms in a site should be terms that a potential customer would use when searching for a website with your content. In order to achieve success your website should be optimized with terms and phrases that are descriptive, related to your content, and which receive a significant amount of searches. The caveat, of course, is that you want to find terms and phrases where there is little competition, so you quickly achieve high ranking in the important search engines.

relevant + popular with searchers but not with competitors = success

Markets saturated with other sites competing for search terms make it difficult to find quality keywords. Sometimes it is better to optimize for a less popular term, one that is more targeted at your visitor, as it will likely have a higher conversion rate than a less specific popular term. The first step to determining keywords is brainstorming a list of logical terms and phrases that relate to your product or offerings. This should be done by a number of individuals; sometimes people have very different ideas for search terms and by identifying a variety of people and their search terms you may tap words that hadn't occurred to you. There are a number of free and low-cost tools available online and for download that will allow you to expand and research terms that have been brainstormed. The results typically vary with the tools but overall the tools will assist you in determining where to focus your keyword efforts. The tools will often assist with pay-per-click engines, creating expanded, related keywords or phrases that can be bid on.

In addition to examining log files to see what terms customers are using to find a website, visit competitors web sites and examine their meta tags for additional terms, use a thesaurus to find related terms, include misspellings of keywords in your meta tag keywords, and optimize for various forms of nouns and verbs, including tenses and plurals.

Keyword Tools

KeywordTumbler - KeywordTumbler takes existing keyword phrases and generates multiple variations, reordering the words. This allows you to build a large keyword list in seconds.

TheDowser - Overture Keyword Tool, Google Keyword Sandbox, Keyword Harvester, Google AdWords report analyzer, Google AdWords optimization tool, log file analyzer, conversion tracking and optimization tool.

WordTracker - Wordtracker helps you choose the right internet marketing keywords that will help your search engine placement and ranking. Use Wordtracker for keyword research. Web marketing is all about search engine ranking, and that starts with the proper internet marketing keywords. Get a free keyword report and web site promotion information! http://www.wordtracker.com

Keyword Suggestion Tools - A handy little tool will show you the results of your query from both Wordtracker and Overture for determining which phrases are searched most often. Enter a search phrase below to see how often it's searched for, as well as get suggestions for alternate (but similar) keywords.

Keyword Ranking Tool - This utility can be used to check search engines for keyword ranking and track search engine ranking for your various keywords over time, which, as you probably know, is critical when doing search engine optimization.

Overture Keyword Tool - After entering a keyword or phrase, Overture provides a list of related phrases that have been searched on. The tool provides a count that indicates the number of times the phrase has been searched on.

Topword Tool - Topword Tool is a free online tool that analyzes a complete web page and counts keyword occurrences, as well as keyword phrases (number in brackets), equal to or above that set in the Minimum Occurrences setting. It supplies a list of keywords and keyword phrases which are most likely to achieve the highest rankings on a major search engine. The tool will also analyze your meta description/keyword and title tags and then, through color coding, inform you of words/phrases which should be included. The main use for this tool is checking your optimization and tweaking existing web sites to rank well.

Google Suggestion - The Google Suggestion is a new online tool for webmasters. As you type into the search box, Google Suggest guesses what you're typing and offers suggestions in real time. This is similar to Google's "Did you mean?" feature that offers alternative spellings for your query after you search, except that it works in real time. For example, if you type "bass", Google Suggest might offer a list of refinements that include "bass fishing" or "bass guitar". Similarly, if you type in only part of a word, like "progr," Google Suggest might offer you refinements like "programming", "programming languages", "progesterone", or "progressive". You can choose one by scrolling up or down the list with the arrow keys or mouse. The tool provides a number that indicates the number of searches a specific word or phrase has had.

Keyword statistics give webmasters a way to tap into what is on the minds of Internet consumers. When you can match your marketing efforts to the various ways people locate their items of interest on the net, potential customers will be streamed to your site like ants to a picnic.

About the Author

Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing and publishing RSS feeds and NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a wireless messaging software company.