Saturday, March 13, 2010

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION-BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR MORE TRAFFIC AND SALES

I am not psychic,but I can bet my last nickel that you are interested in generating more traffic and sales(See,I told you!).You have one of the best blog designs,you've written a million articles,yet you are still wonndering," how in the world am I going to get people to come to my site", and read all the wonderful articles that will enrich their lives? Well,you are in the right place.Search engine optimization is one of the most effective tools for attracting targeted prospects for your business.

But,wait a minute! What are we optimizing here? You are wondering,is this stuff not going to be too technical?No,not for what you need.Sit a spell with me.You are not optimizing the search engines(did you heave a sigh of relief?).You will be optimizing the content on your site and putting in place a link-building strategy.It is also important to recall the meaning of the word:Optimize.So dont be afraid that this will be too hard for you to wrap your brain around.

Before we explore SEO(that is what the geeks call it,I am not one,just a regular fella like you),let us recall why we are interested in it.Believe me,it will motivate you to focus on it as a key business consideration.We intend to leverage Search Engine Optimization because we want results.The results would vary depending on the business:You may just want more readers.Jack may want more subscribers to his e-zine on "Advanced Seduction Strategies".Jill may be a material girl who wants the real thing:sales.On a more realistic note you may want it all:surfers,subscribers and customers.

There are basically two facets to Search Engine Optimization:on-page and off-page optimization.As the name implies on-page optimization relates to those things you need to do to your webpages to ensure that they are picked up by and ranked high by the search engines.While off-page strategies relate mainly to link building.

Believe me,tomes have been written about SEO,and are being written,because the field is dynamic.For example,the optimization strategies for blogs are different from that of traditional,static websites.In effect, we have to consider the impact of social media on SEO.There are 300 page books on how to ensure your sites rank high in the search engines.Preferably that it shows up on the first page of the search engine or portal,because most people hardly go beyond the first page when they are searching online.(is that not a scary fact?).

I will be writing a set of enriching,easy to understand articles on SEO for the rest of us(They will not be anywhere near 300 pages,don't worry).This is the first in the series,and they will help you generate more traffic and sales.If you are interested check this blog regularly.So let me say good-bye.I almost forgot!There is a software that takes the drudgery off SEO,you will find more info on the right hand corner.The amazing software is SCRIBE.Go ahead check it out.I wish you more traffic and sales.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

How to Banish Writers' Block from your Life

An empty page can be one of the most attractive places to be- a new world, where you can express all those longings that have been keeping you awake. An opportunity to
share, connect with and challenge myriads that will be fortunate to read your carefully crafted words. You become a friend, a foe or even a wise guy.

An empty page can also be the most terrifying place to be. It can be a monster that only you can slay. You are all alone, and it is asking you to prove yourself. ‘So, you call yourself a writer,huh?’ It taunts and mocks you. Do you wait until tomorrow or do you just move on, hopeful and courageous that the words (mightier than the sword) will come?

Believe me, you are not alone. Writing can be tough. Because you are actually putting yourself out there-for plaques or stones! You are bold enough to say; here is my story or I know a few things about ‘X’.It is an act of faith and love.

The truth is there are a million and one things to write about. Are we using writers’ block as an excuse to procrastinate? Are we using our quest for perfection as a subterfuge for not sitting down and writing that article, e-book or story that you know deep inside your heart will enrich myriads? Well, only you can really say. My desire in this article is to share a few strategies that will exterminate the monster from your life.

I think the first secret for banishing writers’ block has been hinted at above; Forget perfection. You are not perfect, your writing will never be. I was privileged to read one of Goethe’s biographies, and I learnt he was always rewriting his works, even the published ones! Everything can always be improved, but there is a point where you just have to publish (unless you deliberately want it discovered after you die, not a great strategy, if you ask me).Put in your best and leave the rest. This is also a wonderful strategy for keeping critics alive. How would critics earn a living if your writing were perfect (what would their wives and children live on?)

You also need to forget the myth of originality (and believe me this idea is not original).Don't inflict pain on yourself by starring at an empty page/screen for hours, unless you are a masochist. Do some research. You are not the first person writing about the subject, believe me. Research will deepen your knowledge and it will enrich your writing. The strangest part is that while reading other people’s writings, ‘original’ thoughts will start dropping into your humble, fertile, and focused mind.


The third strategy may sound new-agey (but don’t go snoring on me).It is really something we all know. What is it? It is called the law of attraction. Yes, you attract. If you keep your mind concentrated for a long time on a subject or theme, similar ideas will start coming into your mind. This is better done after you have done your research. You will be surprised at how effective this simple strategy is. In fact, I am using it as I write this. It will be helpful to carry a small notebook with you, because these ideas will come anytime they like, and they will come often, that I can assure you.


Get out of the box. You are encouraged to think outside the box. Believe me this is right. What if you are living in it? Most of us have rigid, set conventional patterns of living and world-views. We are closed; we have a predictable, boring vocabulary. We repeat other people instead of thinking for ourselves. Get out of the box, examine your thinking. Leave your comfort zones. Read something on Genetics. Read History. Make connections between ostensibly disparate disciplines. Ecology and social media, for example. You are a human being, not a money-making machine. These other worlds will make life more enjoyable, they will stimulate your creativity while deepening your knowledge base…and that will positively impact your offerings.

We can go on and on (we are not suffering from writers’ block, right?).But, you probably have other things to do. The last strategies I will suggest are discipline and structure. I think they are related. One of my most productive time as a writer was when I told myself I have to write every day-no matter what. It requires discipline, and it is about structure. Do you write first thing in the morning or last thing at night? Over time you will experience a relationship between quantity and quality. You writing will get better because you are writing more. And then the empty page will no longer be a scary place. It will become a fun place to be-a domain where you call the shots. A place where you literally write the script.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Success is a Woman

Would you like to know how many women I have dated? I will tell you, if you tell me how many women/men you have dated, fair right? What do you mean you don’t want to say it on a blog? Okay, I won’t share my statistics with you, too.

But, I will tell you, none of the women said yes the first time. But, even some who said no at first, eventually agreed to my overtures. Why am I rambling? Maybe it is because I am writing about women, sorry… success. Women can make you lose your…

Think about it, you meet a woman, you try to woo/seduce her (I do not advocate seduction).Seduction is a dark art. You try to be refined, you converse well, talk about her interests, buy her gifts, you tell her she is more beautiful than Heidi…Yet, she says NO, or worse she keeps you guessing.

What do you do? What is the most logical thing to do. (I went after a particular girl for 4 years!). Was I crazy? Maybe. She seemed to have everything: She looked like Mariah Carey; she was smarter than I was, and she is a good person.

You know those rare types who have no need to preach or talk about their faith. She just radiates goodness and peace. ‘Did you get the girl eventually?’ Why not relax and just read, afterall this is my blog, and I will do the talking, writing I mean. Okay, she has three kids now and is still beautiful.No, she is not my wife.

Another guy got her! Lucky man.

So, what do you do when it seems success does not like your face? It is as if it recedes whenever you get close. What do you do when all the efforts at burning the midnight oil leaves you broke and frustrated? If something is not working, is it not logical to give up?

‘Logic’ can be your foe in certain contexts.


There are times when giving up is an act of wisdom. But there are times when giving up is the worst thing you can do. Are you giving up because of indolence, or is it because you have unrealistic expectations? Are you giving up knowing you have given it your very best? Are you giving up because intuitively you sense that is the right thing to do. Are you giving up just for a while, to regroup (I dislike that word, regroup)?

Most of the women I tried dating eventually said yes. The operative word here is eventually. Success is a woman. Women want to be appreciated, they do not want you to think they are cheap.Thus; they reward men who are patient and persistent. They want you to prove yourself. Success wants you to prove yourself too…over time.


Women demand the best from us-they want us to pay attention to even tiny details, like that scruffy beard and your fingernails! They multi-task and think holistically. Success requires this level of attention to the most minute of factors. Success is watching your every move. You cannot trick or cheat her. She is perpetually alert.

One of the interesting things about success is that it often comes when you are contemplating giving up. That is why it usually rewards the consistent, patient and persistent person. Success is not merely turned on by your intellectual abilities or appearance. It tries to test your emotional intelligence too. It wants to know if you are really serious or if your interest in it is just superficial. Women too, often respond positively to your efforts just when you are thinking of moving on.

Think about Abraham Lincoln. Here is a man who failed at most of his major dreams. Did he give up? No way. He eventually became president of the most powerful nation on earth. I think of him as persistence personified. Success could not resist him anymore, she said yes.

What about Edison? Who tried almost a thousand different ways while trying to invent the light-bulb? Boy! A thousand ways.Not your average guy,huh? Well, he eventually founded one of the greatest companies in the world: General Electric. You know that company where Jack Welch was king (now, please don’t tell me you don’t know Jack Welch, please!).


Let us quickly learn from one young, smart persistent dude: Ewen Chia.He is one of the most successful internet marketers. He spent five years before he finally started making serious money online. Five years of hardwork, pain and $50,000 credit card debt. Did he give up? Noooo.

He told himself that failure was not an option. Life rewarded him big time. In 2006, one of his products: The super affiliate cloning program, generated $1.497 million in 36 hours! Success could not resist him anymore, she said yes.

I have a review of one of his products on this blog, NEWBIE CASH MACHINE; do yourself a favor-buy it, here of course. Scroll down to older posts. And if you want to generate massive commissions as a super affiliate, check his other product on the right side-bar of this blog.Yes, the one with EARN MASSIVE COMMISSIONS link.

Success requires being clear about our objectives, it requires planning and amongst other things it require persistence. The more you invest in your education about online marketing, the more you see its potential.So, are you seriously thinking of giving up on your dreams?

I know you will persist. I like your spirit.Remember, failure is not an option. Go on giving it your best and then watch…

I almost forgot; don’t forget to call that lovely babe you told me about. I would like to stay, but I have a date.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

When a little knowledge is a good thing

I am a sucker for information.

My laptop is groaning under the weight of a million articles,e-books,special reports...
I appreciate the self-evident fact that knowledge is the driver of growth.Thus, I am constantly learning.I just love knowledge.
I spent a large chunk of my childhood in libraries,trapped in the virtual worlds conjured by magical word smiths.Have you ever seen a child in a room filled with enchanting toys?That is how I feel in libraries and book stores-confused and excited!
You might be wondering,how does this relate to making money online-the central thrust of this blog.I will get to it...soon.
If you are new to online marketing,you will agree with me that there are a million and one things to learn:Copywriting,PPC,CTR,Search engine optimization,traffic generation...The learning curve is steep.We have all been scripted to perpetually search for new knowledge.Believe me this is good.But it has its dark side.
My friends might be wondering if there is something wrong with me.Considering that I am the eternal student and the guy who is always looking for an opportunity to quote Thoreau."How can we remember our ignorance which our growth requires, when we keep using our knowledge all the time"
See,I just did again.
The reality in most facets of life, is that success really comes from application.Thus,instead of learning about "14 strategies for attracting traffic to your blog".Focus on 3,master these before you move on.We all have a tendency to just keep absorbing tons and tons of information.

Interestingly,one of the Gurus that I admire once wrote that he only uses about 5% of what he knows about internet marketing,and he is very successful.Do not allow learning to a stumbling block in your quest for success online.

Now,if you'll excuse me,I have some e-books to read.

Friday, January 29, 2010

How to Increase Conversion Rates by Leveraging Google Analytics (1)

The Significance of Conversion rates

How can you increase your conversion rates on a consistent basis? It is one of the key determinants of how successful you become. Maybe thousands of people visit your blog/website weekly, congratulations. That is an awesome feat, seeing as traffic generation is one of the most arduous tasks. But are these visitors really spending time on the site, are they really doing what you want them to? Are they being converted into subscribers? Are they window-shopping or spending money? When 10 people visit, for example, how many buy your product and services? How many come back again and again?

Astrology and Wealth

Before we go deeper into plumbing how to increase conversion rates, I must say that I find it difficult to believe that astrology is not a key part of the core-curriculum we internet marketers are required to master!

Imagine how beautiful our bottom –lines (and lives) would be if we could predict the future. Before investing your time and money in that portal/blog/website that eventually failed-you would know. Before spending sleepless nights on that definitive 150 page e-book on” advanced pinging strategies”-you would know. Imagine how richer you would be by providing consulting services (on what the future holds) to millions of internet wealth seekers! And you can finally cast keyword research into the lake of fire. (I know you have been fantasizing on doing that… me too).

Cold reality

Well, let us stop dreaming; let us make the best use of what we have: marketing control systems. We all love and yearn for consistent and accurate feedback. We long to know if we are progressing or regressing. We are concerned with our return on investment. And we want to prove to our friends and foes that this “internet stuff” really works,right?

That is why we plan; implement and then evaluate.We leverage the results to improve again and again. Thus through the feedback system, we improve key facets of our business. The operative word here is improve.

Google Analytics is an online feedback system. It helps us to track and test key variables of business success. Success requires mastering many factors. Google analytics helps us in the process of analyzing and evaluating key variables of our business, and thus determine how best to convert visitors to our blog/website to customers. (Yes, it is all about the moolah).

Monday, January 4, 2010

Autopilot Research-How to Automate a Large Part of Your Research Process

We live in the information age. In fact, a large percentage of us earn our livelihood by selling information (or knowledge) in various formats. The quality of our information products is largely dependent on the research backing it. Our prospects and clients are very discerning –and can spot weak, mediocre, rehashed products easily. They can also easily appreciate products that are based on in-depth research.

It is important to stress that I am using the term product loosely-a humble email is a product. An article is a product. A blog is a product. They are all potentially valuable offerings, since they can be leveraged to enhance other people’s lives. Thus, whether we are affiliates or product owners; the research process enriches our offerings.

A large part of internet marketing revolves around content creation, which is not an easy task. We need to determine (via research, if there is a need for our product), we need to create the product (a process heavily dependent on research).This process of gathering and sifting through a haystack of information is vital and fundamental, but might be boring and difficult (I would rather be watching The Simpsons).We need to find out (via research) where our prospects hang out.

I will introduce you to a product that will help you automate about 70% of your online research. I am not an affiliate of the company. I am using the service and I am very pleased with it. I also derive a lot of joy by being a catalyst for other people’s growth. The service is Giga Alert, formerly Known as Google Alerts.

You can use the service to incorporate dynamic results into your web pages, to find leads, conduct competitive intelligence, target your research by language or locations, schedule your alerts to fit your work and lifestyle, access news, find out what others are saying about you online(is there a term like gossip research?) and other benefits.

As a creative person, I am sure you will find other novel and positive uses for Giga Alert, which will enhance your life and make your online marketing easier and more enjoyable. You can be relaxing sipping Pina Coladas, while your laptop slaves away, scouring the web for gems that you will later translate to gold. If you like to work smart, then visit www.gigaalert.com .I am not an affiliate

Maybe you are not interested in marketing related research, you can use the service for other forms of research (or you can use it to find out about The Simpsons).