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| | | Forum Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04 April 2009 14:37
Posts: 28, Visits: 121 |
| Hi everyone
It's Thursday again already - and we are ready and waiting for your 'working at home' questions. |
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| | | Forum Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04 April 2009 14:37
Posts: 28, Visits: 121 |
| I'm going to kick off tonight, as I know some people are going to be unable to come.
And as we have our fabulous SEO (search engine optimisation) expert, Nikki Pilkington, on-line (she is also the SEO expert for The Sunday Times!), I'll put forward some issues that new business people have come up with.
We have several new businesses that we are overseeing in the early stages of formation (for example, Lizzie Bennett on the home page). A lot of people don't even know what SEO is, and therefore don't take it into consideration when they are planning their website.
Nikki, can you give some advice for someone starting out, when they are figuring out what they want to say on their website and show them how by planning in the early stages, it could help them with their search engine rankings. |
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| | | Forum Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04 April 2009 14:37
Posts: 28, Visits: 121 |
| Another question that I'm putting on behalf of a new member is that she would love to work from home, but doesn't know what to do. She is in her 40s, and has always had a 'job' but never a career. But she has had an incredibly varied working life and has many skills - she has recently managed shops for a charity and dramatically improved their turnover by reorganizing the shops.
Do any of our experts have any ideas of how she should go about thinking about her skills and making an appropriate choice for a home-based business? She is keen to do something which is both financially viable and personally fulfilling. |
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| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 05 March 2009 19:59
Posts: 5, Visits: 10 |
| Sorry, I got called away.
1) Do some keyword research - what are your target market searching for? Use the Google Keyword Tool if you want something free. Start with basic phrases and find out what people in your area are looking for. Remember, in most cases, the more searches a phrase has, the more competition there will be for it - don't try and climb Everest in the first month; start with some niche phrases that you can get quick wins on and use them.
2) Using the phrases that you found in step 1, plan the pages of your site around the phrases - you want to be able to include those phrases in the title tags and META description tags of your pages. However, this is not the be all and end all - if the phrase isn't included in the page too then you're not doing it properly.
3) Make sure you use your phrase in H1 tags on the page where possible - but remember, you're writing more for the visitor than for the search engines; don't get carried away and end up with something that puts your visitors off. (Also make sure every page of your site has a strong call to action - when I've finished reading it, what should I do next?)
4) Sign up for a Google Webmaster Tools account and follow the steps to verify your site - this account will give you a LOT of information about your site and no website should be without it.
5) As part of GWT, you need an XML sitemap - generate a map and upload, then register it. If your site changes infrequently, update this sitemap every time you update the site. If it changes a lot, then consider installing a sitemap plugin for Wordpress that will update it automatically for you.
6) Read about anchor text. Bookmark that post and come back to it regularly - anchor text is one of the most important things for you to remember. Seriously.
7) Set up a Squidoo lens - maybe even more. Link them back to your site. Remember the anchor text.
8) Set up a BT Tradespace account and post some of your (amended) content over there. Remember your anchor text. Take part in the communities there. Remember your anchor text.
9) Join online networking sites and include your keyphrases in your signature. Remember your anchor text. Also remember to take part - if you're not posting / replying / being part of the community then nno-one, including Google, is seeing your signature. UK Business Labs, Ecademy, Business Scene, Linked In, Xing - there are a lot to choose from.
10) Write an article. Top Ten Tips To type articles work well as do short snappy articles that are easy to read. Remember your article is to educate the reader, not just promote your site. Have you written it? Now write another ten. Remember to get your keyphrases in there, as you're going to use them as anchor text.
11) Post your articles, one every few days, to Ezine Articles. Post them to and comunities you belong to that allow you to. Publish them on your website. Remember your anchor text.
12) Get a Twitter account. Download Tweetdeck. Tell everyone you know you have a Twitter account. Use it to interact with people, follow interesting people and yes, to promote your sites / blogs / posts etc. Don't listen to people who tell you it doesn't work - it does when done well.
13) Download 299 Steps to Website Heaven - spend time going through it properly. You don't have to employ an expert to do SEO if you have the time and energy to do it yourself. Of course you will make mistakes, of course you will become frustrated, but it is possible to do well without spending lots of money.
14) Read my Internet Marketing Articles - they're free and they should help.
15) Look into Ning, Tribe, Free Index etc - find communities you can interact with.
16) Find relevant directories to submit your site to.
17) Now find some more
18) Reread about anchor text - you'll have forgotten about it
19) Make sure you track and test everything - use Clicky or Google Analytics; I prefer Clicky as you can see visitors in real time.
20) Constantly research and find new places to list / promote your website. Things change constantly and by the time I've submitted this list, it will be out of date!
20a) Drop me a line and let me know how you get on!
Nikki
www.nikkipilkington.com |
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