Posts Tagged ‘internet’
Ask a blogger why they put advertisements on their website, and they’ll tell you that the only way they can keep blogging is if they make a little money doing it. The internet has millions, if not billions, of people creating original content online. Collectively, the amount of new information posted daily is enough to fill a Barnes and Noble with new edition, newly written works; maybe two.
Inside the works are truths and lies.
My father always told me, “Getting taken advantage of is your own fault.” This was from a man who had built his own business from scratch, beginning with sweat equity and ending with his deed and franchise contract with Shell Oil. Through hard work he built relationships with customers that would carry on long after he was gone and his sons were doing what he loved to do. He did all of that but tragically died before his dreams were fulfilled.
Don’t regret honest living, regret living at any cost.
“The government wants to be my daddy.”
If my dad was around to see the internet I do not think he would like it. He wasn’t a guy who would associate with dishonest people and in fact he would not go where he knew he would be lied to. If there were any of “Those kind of people”, he would avoid them at all cost and then visit one of his trusted friends to make sure that there still were good people in the world. “He was old fashioned before old fashioned was IN.”
The U.S. government hates liars too, especially if they are online where the government has little control. After twenty years of public internet, the government is finally taking steps to interject their opinion on all online publishers, big and small. “If you advertise a product in a way that an average person would expect a certain result but could never achieve, you will become a wanted internet publisher, even if you’re not the creator of the product.” “Watch what you say from now on.”
(1) Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 225
“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Inside “The Guide”, lie the FTC’s efforts to collect testimonials and comments on its newly revised “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.
“If you have ever, or will ever, recommend something to someone else online, you need to read these eighty one pages of legalese to learn how you could be busted by the FTC for doing so. Your recommendations should be researched well before you take the time to type out a review for a product that you cannot be assured that the average person can achieve the results that are advertised. Even if you advertise a product on your website as an ad, and not an endorsement by you, you could be affected by a FTC lawsuit if the product gets busted for not being truthful in their advertising. The government’s “Guidelines” are eliminating any doubt as to who will be held responsible if Suzy Homemaker can’t lose fifty pounds in six months and your website is advertising the weight loss program…. you are.
(2) The Citizens Media Law Project is THE resource for internet engineers and online publishers from around the globe. Their legal experts have taken the time to post relevant information for writers, advertisers, and publishers who have an investment in the internet and have to abide by the government’s rules in order to operate safely.
My suggestion to you if you decide NOT to follow the links to the reports and information from the publishing world, “Put yourself in my father’s shoes when you type out a review or recommendation.” Any endorsement you make may be liable to be called a lie, and it would be you who lied.”
(3) Publisher with an opinion on the FTC and “The Guide”
(4) Complying with the FTC Disclosure Requirements for Product Endorsements.
@awewriter ’09
(1) .PDF http://ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf
(2) CMLP http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/publishing-product-or-service-endorsements
(3) Daily Finance http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/media/why-the-ftcs-truth-in-blogging-guidelines-are-truly-terrible/19186439/
(4) Idea Lab http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2009/12/complying-with-the-ftc-disclosure-requirements-for-product-endorsements351.html
This article is going to talk to you about Search Engine Optimization otherwise known as SEO.
It’s funny because it seems to me that at least daily I will read one article that talks about how SEO is dying or dead. Then, turning my attention to another website or publication I can find an article that speaks of just the opposite that says SEO is alive and well. The bottom line is that it is going to be something people need to pay attention to, in order to help their sites improve in the areas of page ranking. Especially with places like Google.
The Sales Corner certainly does not officially take a stance on either side of it being good or bad idea, but what I can tell you is that SEO is certainly needed for any website. I would only argue that even if you have years of experience behind the tips and tricks and all there is to consider about it, the result your going to achieve will still vary from person to person and website to website.
I always have to look funny when someone tells me that search engine optimization techniques are not good for them or their site because it simply isn’t working for them, and they view it as a time waster. Proceeding to ask that person questions often results in their eyes glazing over from lack of real knowledge about what tools or tricks they are trying to use. You eventually discover that they only did a couple of things that did show some results. Of those results, the person failed to improve on them to make them better with some change, or failed to further address the optimization on their website or blogs by overlooking the idea that they need to use their keywords in articles or posts etc… There conclusion to their SEO problems is just them saying “my SEO isn’t working for me so it must not work, or I don’t know what I’m doing so I cannot achieve results, or both….”
I certainly don’t think anyone should feel negative about something they have tried and failed at, or tried and gotten under estimated results. Simply look at it like you’ve found something you know not to do anymore, or repeat history.
So, what can you do to become a better Search Engine Optimizer for your website or blog? We’ve provided a list of things you can do to keep up with algorithmic changes (which shouldn’t affect you much as long as you’re always reviewing your optimizations..) that may occur in the process.
Use these 5 pointers below to help you address SEO for your website or blog and see where you stand in the mix of things.
1) Utilize and learn from Google’s Webmaster Central’s SEO Page
This is off their first paragraph: “SEO is an acronym for “search engine optimization” or “search engine optimizer.” Deciding to hire an SEO is a big decision that can potentially improve your site and save time, but you can also risk damage to your site and reputation. Make sure to research the potential advantages as well as the damage that an irresponsible SEO can do to your site.” Truth is, The Sales Corner could not agree more. You can find the page I speak of here: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291
For anyone beginning to look at SEO or becoming familiar with it, I would highly encourage reading up on the following which are also referenced on the page link above;
Google Webmaster Guidelines
Google 101: How Google crawls, indexes and serves the web.
2) Get Back links to your Website or Blog!
ALWAYS be working to get back links to your website. Be talking to people and building relationships with other websites and blogs in your niche. Back links are (you) = (posting a link for someone else to their site on your own) When Google Bot goes out to index your page, it will identify the back link, and follow it to that person’s page…. One of Google’s many algorithms that it looks at is “link popularity” or in other words “Google: How many “external” links to your website can we find that are not on your own website?”
3) Use Specific Keywords and Search Phrases
Please do not use just one or just two keywords for your optimization. Our rule of thumb is that you have at least 5-7 (minimum) of them not including search “phrases” which are tracked separately by Google. These are what people type into the search bar on Google, and google will pop up that window showing you similar searches. Google tracks “keywords” and “keyword phrases” so use them both to your benefit!
A sub point to this is ALWAYS be watching for new keywords or phrases that can bring you more traffic!
4) New Content, New Content, New Content
Google is very keen on NEW content and NON DUPLICATED content for your website. If you can publish something new and different every day, you’ll be a leg up over the website and blog owners who only post once or twice a week!
Content creation drives traffic, traffic drives leads, lead’s drive sales!
5) Creating Links to your own pages or websites: Intra Linking
You’ve heard of those site maps right? What is a site map? It’s a road map of what your website looks like, without all the fancy looking stuff. It usually looks like a bunch of links to various places on your website. So how can knowing this help your SEO? Well, when you write about a particular subject or topic, later, you may right something else related to it, you post a link to that first topic inside the second article…… That’s an intra link (linking to your own site, or site pages, or site content, from your own site)
The Sales Corner hopes that this provides some additional insight and tips for doing better SEO for your website or blog. Please feel free to utilize us in the event you’d like further education or resources to help with your SEO endeavors. Email us for more info thesalescorner@gmail.com – “Free SEO Help” in the subject.
Regards,
Matt G
The Sales Corner
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