2009-Feb-9 - SEO Skills |
Rule 1: Choose to build your SEO skills based upon accurate information.
This may sound very easy, but just where do you get accurate Search Engine Optimization information these days.
Think about it for a minute. If you understand that major search engines guard their algorithms closely then how do you know that what someone teaches you is really the truth based on fact? Can you really trust the advice that someone gives you for free in a forum? Do you really know for sure who that person is when they are using anonymous names. What about online newsletters that may conflict in their theories of what is working and what is not.
Which one is accurate and which one is in error. It's important for you to know that you are getting good accurate information before you employ specific strategies and techniques.
Note: At Search Engine Workshops, we do not present students with theories or guesswork about algorithms. We actually conduct research based on what the search engines are doing. When we teach you a technique or methodology it is based on actual testing and we stand before our students with our real names and identities. We even share with our students the details and the results of specific tests conducted. We not only teach you the full scope of relevancy influences but we teach also on topics like how to improve on click through ratios, how to compel visitors to respond, how to make minor adjustments that can make a big difference in your results. The reason our students are successful is because we research something before we teach it.
Rule 2: Choose an SEO career that's right for you.
Once you have built your SEO skills and have your comfort level in performance, don't forget to consider the full career potential that SEO skills can render to you.
Some people are just seeking employment working for a firm. There is certainly a demand for professionally trained SEOs who know their stuff. But there are plenty of other choices too.
* Many think of starting up their own little business building a client base and the demand is greater than ever if this is your dream. Building clients for life, you'll find that this approach is very satisfying especially if you are the type of person who enjoys making a difference in other peoples lives. * SEO Consulting is a wonderful niche. * Many professionals on SEO Services are working on an independent career as an affiliate marketer building their own high quality, informational sites and earning a commission without the need of building a client base. * Some people like building additional revenue streams through Ad sense revenues. There is nothing wrong with creating multiple income streams once you are efficient in your SEO skills. * Still others will focus on building a niche within a niche. These might include services performing: -SEO on Press Releases -Media Releases -Content optimization for industry specific articles -Writing high performance sales letters -Developing your own products for resale -Plus literally dozens of other possibilities. Best of all, because you can perform SEO on the Internet, you could potentially work from nearly anyplace in the world.
Rule 3: Gain a "comfort level" in knowing you can compete BEFORE you take on clients.
With so many Webmasters all "talking the SEO talk" and taking the client's money first without knowing that they can get the results, it typically can end up with a short term, unhappy client. Rather than making a one time sale, why not build clients for life？ The secret is gaining your "SEO comfort level" and possessing that" sense of performance" before you throw yourself under the pressures of a demanding client.
The consumer is surrounded on all sides today with a variety of scams like "search engine submissions" to you name it. There is an excellent opportunity for those who develop their own "Unique Selling Proposition" but with a focus on delivering genuine results. The smartest way to add value and separate yourself from the rest of the mess out there, is to develop your SEO skills first and give yourself a "window of practice time" where you can manifest and experience that genuine SEO "comfort level." It changes the way you feel about your skills and nurtures your inner authority so that you don't just "think" you can compete but you know for a fact that you can compete.
Rule 4: Keep your SEO skills current and up to date (it is essential.)
I mentioned at the start of this article that for some Webmasters, the difficulty seems to be just getting started.
For others, it seems that they just let themselves fall a little behind. One of the most essential aspects in this industry after you get your skills up to speed, is to keep up to date with all the latest changes and newest technologies as they happen. |
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2009-Jan-22 - Do SEO Yourself or Hiring Someone |
Now that we have a few of the most common questions out of the way, let's take a deeper look at which option may be right for you.
First let's start with hiring a Search Engine Optimization firm and look at the pro's and con's involved.
Pro's
- Optimization firms will already be trained in getting your site to the top of the engines. - The will know what is required and you will often see results fairly quickly and the results will often be better than if you were doing the optimization yourself. - You will have the free time to devote to other aspects of your business. Con's
- SEO Services firms can range from moderately expensive to extremely expensive depending on your target market and the number of search terms you want to target. This could mean you may initially spend anywhere from $1,000 up to $5,000-$10,000 to hire a good firm and then a maintenance fee of near that amount monthly to maintain the rankings. - As with all firms, some will be top-notch, and some will be less than stellar. You could easily end up paying a few thousand dollars with little or no results ever seen. - No one will ever have the same enthusiasm for your site's success as you do. Many of the less reputable companies will often use tactics that will work in the short-term, but may have some very negative long-term effects. - Many optimization firms will create a new site that funnels traffic to your current site. The firm generally owns this site, which means, that you are trapped into paying this firm for your traffic. If you stop paying them, you stop receiving the traffic.
Now let's look at the pro's and con's of doing it yourself.
Pro's
- You will be saving yourself the cash outlay involved in hiring an outside firm (obviously one of the biggest benefits). - Everything you do to promote your site is yours. It does not belong to someone else. You have complete control. - Once you learn how search engine optimization works, you can create as many online businesses as you wish and be able to promote all of them without relying on, or paying, a third party. Con's
- An initial learning curve. It will take a while to get a good grasp of what you are doing and to begin to understand the game we call search engine optimization. - If your in a competitive market, a good deal of your time could be spent promoting and optimizing your site.
- Your results may never be as good as if you hired a top-notch firm. Well, there you have it. A good number of the pro's and con's involved in both avenues. When you get down to it, deciding whether to outsource your optimization needs, or keep it in house, really boils down to what you have more of...time, or money. If you have lots of money but little time, then hire a good firm. If you have lots of time but little funds, then you will be better off doing the work yourself.
If you decide to hire an optimization firm, be cautious with who you choose. Ask for testimonials from past clients. Find out if they offer any type of a guarantee. Do some research. Whatever you do, DON'T go on who is the cheapest. This is your success we're talking about.
If you decide to do it yourself, there are also some things you should do. The best thing you can do for yourself is to do some research on search engine optimization. Find someone who has been doing it a while and see if you can learn anything from them. Read books on the subject (electronic or printed). Visit newsgroups and forums on search engines. If you spend some time learning about how search engines work and what they look for when ranking pages, you will quickly begin to understand what it takes to make a top ranking page.
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2009-Jan-11 - Ways to Improve Page Rankings |
The majority of today’s SEO Services experts agree that web pages have to be search engine friendly to improve your search engine rankings. You must start with a well designed page with relevant web copy. This is crucial. Doing this properly will help the search engines easily index your web pages and rank them high.
In addition to internal page factors such as frequency and positioning of relevant keyword phrases, the leading search engines are now recommending that you place more importance on off the page factors, particularly links from other domains.
If you are bent on working with Google then you need to understand that Google ranks individual url based on which other urls link to them, which urls link to those and so on.
You must carefully choose the terms you want to use to include as the most productive search terms for your site. Consider carefully terms that associate with the correct targeted visitors for your site. Place these terms in the search engines and find out what pages rank near the top for them. These pages should be on your list if you want to link to them.
Once you've completed this step now find which pages are linked to these sites and put them on your list as well. If you are able to get links from any of these sites then you will be able to dramatically improve your ranking on Google and other search engines.
In summary here are the key steps to always follow when you are doing Search Engine Optimization:
* Improve your Link Popularity
* carefully consider your Meta tags and Keywords/Phrases
* Write a persuasive Home Page
* Use Click throughs and Affiliate Programs for better ranking
* Submit a Site Map |
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2009-Jan-1 - What it Takes to Be a Winner |
“If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you will continue to get what you’ve always got!” – Yogi Berra
It is easy to be a loser. All you have to do after you failed at something is to continue the patterns and thoughts that created your personal conditions of failure and lack of achievement. It really is that simple. Most people are scared of the challenges that being successful will bring, or they just lack the willpower to do what it takes to be successful. The realization that they are going to fail again creates anxiety and emotional unrest which most people don’t like and they return quickly to the familiar world of excuses and justifications.
Unless the cycle of thought patterns is broken in those who fail, they will experience a lower quality of life that lacks the good things in life that comes with success. The truth is: nobody is born a success, and nobody is born a failure. Losers learn from the mainstream: Negative thoughts and negative actions. Winners learn from other winners, change their thoughts accordingly, and do their best to copy their actions.
Losers say: “Don’t dream! Dreaming is impractical. Only fools dream. We are in reality! One should stay in the real world!” Winners, on the other hand, dream and dream big. The great King Solomon said over 3000 years ago …. “Unless people dream they perish.” Did he mean dream when you sleep? No! He meant one should have a firm goal or objective to achieve.
If we dream and do not believe that we will accomplish our dreams, the dream becomes just an idle wish, and will never be attained. On the other hand if we remember and do what Napoleon Hill said, we will never fail. He said: "Effort only fully releases its reward
after a person refuses to quit."
The following is an example of someone who didn’t quit. See how many times he “failed.” PORTRAIT OF AN ACHIEVER – Abraham Lincoln • 1831 - FAILED IN BUSINESS, BANKRUPTCY • 1832 - DEFEATED FOR LEGISLATURE • 1834 - FAILED IN BUSINESS, BANKRUPTCY • 1835 - FIANCE DIES • 1836 - NERVOUS BREAKDOWN • 1838 - DEFEATED FOR U.S. CONGRESS • 1846 - DEFEATED AGAIN FOR U.S. CONGRESS • 1848 - DEFEATED ONCE AGAIN FOR U.S. CONGRESS • 1855 - DEFEATED FOR U.S. SENATE • 1856 - DEFEATED FOR U.S. VICE PRESIDENCY • 1858 - DEFEATED AGAIN FOR U.S. SENATE • 1860 - ELECTED 16TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA From the above it is clear that you can’t fail unless you quit. The great Ghandi taught: “If one advances toward a specified objective or goal, and does not lose ‘belief” in its attainment; even though they may start their journey without the necessary tools or knowledge of how to get there; if they keep their faith and focus they shall most assuredly obtain the required tools and knowledge along the way.”
Let’s look at the differences between winners and losers:
A winner says: “Let’s find out” A loser says: “nobody knows” When a winner makes a mistake, he says: “I was wrong.” When a loser makes a mistake he says: “It wasn’t my fault.”
A winner goes through a problem and deals with it. A loser goes around a problem, and never gets past it.
A winner makes commitments. A loser makes promises
A winner says: “I am good, but not as good as I ought to be.” A loser says: “I am not as bad as a lot of other people.”
A winner tries to learn from those who are superior to him/her. A loser tries to tear down those who are superior to him/her.
A winner says: “There ought to be a better way to do it.” A loser says: “That’s the way it has always been done.”
A winner says: “I will find the right people who can help me.” A loser says: “I will do it myself.”
A winner looks for an answer in every problem. A loser looks for a problem in every answer.
A winner says: “I will do it now!” A loser says: “I will do it later.”
A winner says: “I will quit trying and simply do.” A loser says: “I will keep trying.”
A winner says: “I will create my own good luck.” A loser says: “I might get lucky.”
A winner makes things happen. A loser lets things happen.
Now you can see that winners make different choices than losers. They think different thoughts, believe different things, adopt different attitudes
, and therefore produce different results in their lives. Now you have the choice to look at the above attitudes, and decide which you want to be; a winner, or a loser. The choice is yours. |
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2008-Dec-21 - Fruits And Vegetables which are Anti-Aging |
It's a wondrous thing, how the human body is meant to heal and restore itself. Cuts heal themselves, infections can be cleared up on their own, and even broken bones mend and repair. And when it comes fighting the effects of time, there are actually anti-aging fruits and vegetables that actually work. They may not be miracle pills that you can take when you're 80 and expect to live forever, but it is true that many persons today are living longer than they ever did before, and it may be partly due to what scientists and doctors are finding out about how our bodies actually work. We now know more about how the things we put into our mouths affect our systems overall, including the aging process. By following a diet rich in anti-aging fruits and vegetables, a person can not only extend their life, they can also look great as they age as well!
Those that are high in Vitamin C seem to be the best anti-aging fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is a natural healer than boosts the body's immune system. Higher levels of Vitamin C have been linked to reduced risks of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers in both men and women.
Anti-aging fruits and vegetables should also contain high amounts of Vitamin D, which is important for healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D is produced naturally when we are exposed to sunlight, but it's said that when we reach our 70's, we are producing only about 40% of the Vitamin D our bodies need.
Anti-oxidants, the elements that our bodies use to fight free radicals or the agents that damage healthy cells, are also necessary as we age and are found in all anti-aging fruits and vegetables. These anti-oxidants help our body's to repair themselves from the inside out.
So with all that being said, what are the best anti-aging fruits and vegetables? Obviously citrus fruits as they contain high amounts of Vitamin C. This includes oranges, tangerines, limes, and grapefruits. Bananas, strawberries, blueberries and apples are also high in many vitamins. Cantaloupe, peaches and apricots have those vital anti-oxidants as well.
And of course you don't want to overlook the vegetable part of anti-aging fruits and vegetables. Having a healthy digestive system is vitally important for your overall health; if your body is working hard to digest that heavy steak or spicy burrito, you're overworking your heart and lungs that are sending blood and oxygen to your stomach and intestines. Anti-aging fruits and vegetables are those with a lot of fiber that help the digestive process along. This includes all green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and kale. Carrots, cucumbers, and celery are also crunchy, fibrous, and healthy.
It seems from most research that all fruits and vegetables can be considered "anti-aging fruits and vegetables," so there really isn't much of a need to decide whether or not to have a certain piece of fruit or whether or not to have a salad - the problem simply lies in making these great products a regular part of your diet in the first place!
Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with aging such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, Selenium, Beta Carotene, Lycopene, L-Glutathione, Vitamin D, Green Tea, and Antioxidant.
Vitamin C, E and some forms of Vitamin A and the mineral Selenium are known to be antioxidants that help to protect the body from these free radicals.
Vitamin A is stored in the liver and fat cells of the human body and can reach toxic levels. DO NOT take more than the recommended dosage of Vitamin A.
Up to one-third of older people can no longer absorb Vitamin B from their food. Vitamin B is needed to form red blood cells and keep nerves healthy.
The mineral Selenium has been associated with a significant reduction in the incidences of lung, colorectal and prostate cancer. Good sources are fish, asparagus, brazil nuts, meat, poultry and bread.
Beta Carotene helps protect Vitamin C from oxidation, which enables it to perform at optimum efficiency. Symptoms of Beta Carotene deficiency include ache, dry dull hair, dry skin and thickened scaly skin on the palms and soles of the feet.
Lycopene is very powerful in quenching free radicals as is L-gultathione. Ultra Antioxidant allows cells to perform more efficiently with less oxygen, enabling sufficient oxygen to be utilized for the cells and organs that specifically need it.
Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin following direct exposure to sunlight. Many studies show that Vitamin D production decreases in older people and in those who are housebound. Vitamin D is needed by the body to absorb calcium, which makes your bones stronger and helps prevent factures.
Green Tea Contains antioxidants that may protect against heart disease, several types of cancer, and skin damage.
Natural antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables such as, apples, blueberries, broccoli, cherries, cranberries, grapes, spinach, and Spirulina a blue-green algae.
A 2006 article in the Journal of American Medical Association suggested that by periodically restricting our caloric intake to as little as 890 calories a day, or fasting, resulted in a decrease in insulin levels and body temperatures, another two biomarkers of longevity. Restricting calories helps to eliminate the free radicals by burning off more calories than you take in thus reducing the amount of fat stored in the human body.
Skipping a meal here and there from an evolutionary point of view would be beneficial. The human body is used to going days without eating anything but today we have constant access to food and we are taking in calories all day long.
Always consult your doctor before using this information. |
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