CAPTCHA Image CAPTCHA Audio
Refresh Image

Blog

You are browsing the archive for articles.

Successfully Marketing Your Blog with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Techniques

November 10, 2008
This is part 4 of a 4 part series on Marketing your Blog.

The final method you can use for marketing your blog is through the use of search engine optimization, or SEO, techniques. Search engine optimization involves taking steps to make your blog more attractive to the search engines so the search engines will provide your blog with a higher ranking on the organic search engines results page. Obviously, the higher your blog is ranked on the results page, the more likely it is that people will visit your site. And, since these search engine results are completely free, you don’t have to worry about paying every time someone clicks on your link.


Getting your blog to rank naturally high on the search engine results is possibly the best way to market your blog. Not only does it cost nothing, but many people don’t bother to look at the sponsored links that are brought up from a PPC campaign. In addition, simply having your site ranked high on the list automatically makes your blog appear to be more relevant and reputable in the eyes of those who are searching for a particular keyword phrase.


There are numerous ways you can get your blog to rank higher in the search engine results pages. One method is to incorporate certain keyword phrases into your blog posts. In order to give yourself the best chance for success, visit a site such as Google Adwords and look at the popularity of various phrases that are related to your site. Ideally, you should target those phrases that are searched often but that do not yet have a great deal of competition on the Internet.


Creating links within your blog also helps increase your search engine standing. By linking various relevant posts to one another, the search engines are better able to crawl throughout your blog and analyze what it has to offer. It is also beneficial to build up your incoming links, which are links coming to your blog from other blogs and websites.


There are several methods you can use to increase your incoming links. If you engage in social networking, you can build your incoming links by leaving a link to your website at forums, blogs and other social networking websites. You can also increase your incoming links by guest blogging on other blogs and by submitting articles to article directories. If your article is good enough, it may go viral. This will help increase your incoming links while also improving your overall reputation within your target market.


The way your blog is set up can also have an impact on your search engine ranking. If your blog is full of broken links, for example, the search engine spiders will not be able to comb through your blog properly. As a result, the spiders may think your blog has less to offer than it really does. Therefore, if you are not comfortable with the technical aspect of maintaining a blog, it may be worthwhile for you to hire an expert to help you with the initial set-up. That way, your blog will be attractive and easy to navigate for search engines and for your readers.

Thought about Writing and Selling ebooks?

June 26, 2008

We live in a fast-paced world and people spend most of their times in front of the laptop or the computer – reading the day’s news on the commute to office on a laptop, buying tickets for a theatrical show over the internet or making bookings for the dream vacation online. With Internet entering every sphere of our lives, it is no wonder that the concept of e book is fast picking up – helping people read on their laptop in the remotest jungles without having to carry hard cover books.


Before you start writing your e book, consider promoting your articles and sample features across different websites and other online platforms. It is important that an interest towards your book is generated before you actually launch it. Once you sit down to actually create your e book, try and keep it interesting visually and textually – use graphics and images if your topic permits. Online is a format that readers are used to see as being colorful, intuitive and interactive. If your e book can also incorporate such elements – people will have a good time enjoying your book and you can move away from the traditional book reading experience thereby giving the reader a different experience.


Writing an e book is similar as that of writing a book – the difference is mainly the challenge to keep the e book precise and to the point. Computer screens are not the first choice for any reader to enjoy reading – so the closer your e book content is to the topic, the lesser time will the read need to spend in front of the computer screen.



Today there are a number of online libraries with enviable collection of e books that you can lease or buy. This indirectly means that selling e books is also revenue-generating online business prospect. To create a storehouse for e books, you will first need to acquire some web space to host the e books. You may want to float a website or share a server with your loyal readers and customers. Then you will need to decide on the features that you will allow in the website.

  • Should there be download facilities?

  • Should the reader be able to read it online only?

  • How much should you charge for each e book reading?

  • If the reader wants to download the e book, then how much would you charge them for?


Next you must finalize on the design and the layout of the website, keep it intuitive and easy to navigate. Use graphics and images to keep it appealing. Then advertise your online library to relevant sites – for examples book forums, groups of readers and other libraries. Use the traditional online marketing and advertisement tools to promote the site. Once your library is up and running and you have regular readers, you will just need to look at promoting it at regular intervals and updating your collection. This is truly a low-investment online business that you can keep as a side business and concentrate on more businesses that you may be interested in.