Paul Cuthbert celebrates 3 Years of SEO Content

This month marks the official anniversary of my entry into online marketing as a freelance writer and SEM consultant. Three years ago in mid April 2009 I began creating unique articles that are appearing all over the Internet. Working as part of an outsourced team of more than 70 professional writers my work appears under the names of fictional writers that are credited with the work that I have continued to produce over the past 36 months. In that time my skills as a writer have improved and so too has my ability to type. When I started writing professionally I was producing between 35 and 40 articles a week, but as I have grown in speed and proficiency I now turn out between 60 and 75 unique and original articles that are used to generate backlinks from publishing sites to the landing pages of my client's websites.

Although I am prolific and to date have delivered over 6,500 unique articles to the online publishing community I do not receive credit for my work as a writer because my name is pooled with others that are also writing for the same organization that outsources assignments to me. However if you look up the names Art Gib, Billings Farnsworth or Johnny Wik you will be able to see some of the articles that that I written for hundreds of clients of my 1099 employer. For about 9 months the supervisor that I reported to also added articles to the web under his name instead of giving credit to the individuals that were submitting work under his direction. Although he is a credited author and has written many articles himself a number of submissions for my work can be found under his name instead of under Paul Cuthbert. (Legally that's plagiarism, but there's nothing I can do as I was paid to write and compensated for my work.)

As for me I continue to generate content for the Internet and work to help people with their Internet marketing by offering website analysis and optimization in addition to writing supporting content for the search engines to index and reference. With the knowledge of search marketing and my own brand of SEO strategies I continue to move forward as I am happy to working from home doing something that comes naturally to me. So to celebrate three years of working in Internet marketing I am posting this article to my blog as part of my own marketing media strategy.

SEO Strategies to Avoid

Last week I met with a man who had some questions about his website marketing. Although he has been paying out $500 a month for PPC (pay-per-click) advertising his business is not gaining from the advertising that is taking place in the search engines. As we chatted he talked about moving his online marketing from PPC to SEO for the organic results that will do more for his business than he is currently gaining from the money that is being invested in AdWords and other online promotions.

As part of the reputation management work that is supplementing the SEO strategies that are in place the company is doing something that I wholeheartedly disagree with. In an effort to gain customers and give the appearance that the organization is a success (although it is still a startup) the owner has authorized the creation of 1,500 email addresses and social media profiles that are in realty a sham. Without realizing the mistake the company is attempting to generate support through likes and comments that are made by their employees who are posing as customers. This practice is considered to be black hat and is not helping the company at all.

The reason that no one is taking notice of the false success of the number of "likes" is that the search engines know that all of the emails and profiles are linked to the same IP address. Even if the reviews are positive and appear to be coming from outside sources there is no fooling the search engines that identify each URL and email address by the senders IP address and location. Geotargeting is engineered to help customers to find businesses in their immediate vicinity, but it also works to provide the analytical information that the search engines provide to website owners to determine unique visitor traffic. So by creating 1,500 new users that are all using the same router and IP address the search engines are not fooled and therefore are not applying the results of the fraud to the page rank or placement of the site.

Even with the same IP address being linked to 1,500 different emails or social media profiles the search engines see only one unique IP address and that is the reason that a business ranking and links are not being recorded and tied into the statistics that build up the legitimacy of a website and add to the PR (Page Rank) of the URL. Even though the company's social media page might appear to have 1,500 "likes" from each of the unique profiles that are attached to the individual email addresses the long reaching effects of the Internet requires that a business conduct their reputation management legitimately.

As I listened to the frustrations of the executive concerning the lack of interest in the website and subsequent failure of their internal social media campaign I recognized that there are a number of things that can be done to review the website and make recommendations to improving the status of the site in the search engines.

Through the tools and techniques that I have discussed in past blogs I can help this organization to build a marketing media strategy that will get it to where it wants to go. But for anyone reading this article and thinking "I can fake some social media likes too," I have to say please do not stoop to black hat practices that will ultimately do nothing for your website and may cause more damage than good. Remember that online reviews and reputation management cannot be faked and success comes from patience and putting in the work that will build long term results. If you need a refresher review my blog about "The Tortoise and the Hare approach to SEO.”

Optimizing a Website with SEO Strategies

It has been a few months since I contributed to this blog and in that time I have been stalled in working on my website which is the whole point that I started blogging about how to optimize a website in the first place. Now that I have launched the site I am already looking at what tweaks need to be made to the layout and content of the visible side of the web pages that are online. What I am not looking at altering though is the optimized side of the site that has been set up with the Meta tags that I discussed in early blogs.

Within the code I have included the use of distinct page titles for each page on the site and also a new description for the individual pages of the site. I did include the same set of keywords on each page and have also added the optimized page links that make it easier for the search engines to tell my site from one that has been coded with generic links.

Now that the site is up and running I am ready to begin adding the external links that will improve the page rank and placement of the website in the search engines. The first step that I have taken in this endeavor is to register the site with Google, Yahoo and Bing. The big three search engines that every smaller search directory pulls from. Although I intend to add the registrations to other directories over the next few months I have found that adding 10 to 20 listings per month is enough to make an impact without drawing the attention of the search engines that are looking for Black Hat practices in SEO. (As you may recall Black Hat practices are deemed illegal and carry severe penalties for websites that attempt to cheat their way to the top of the search results pages.)

Having told you what I have done I only think that is fair to show you how to optimize the pages of your website. This is the line of code that I used on the landing page of my website. <title>Paul Cuthbert | Marketing Media Strategy | SEO solutions</title> That one is obvious as the title is the easiest part of the page to produce. The title appears in the tab above the open pages of the website and is an important element of optimizing a website. It should relate to the business or the individual that is operating the website and can contain basis descriptions for the search engines.

The page description code looks like this: <meta name="description" content="Paul Cuthbert provides SEO solutions that include content writing, website optimization and reputation management relevant to each marketing media strategy he creates."> The thing to keep in mind when adding your own line of code is to change everything inside the parentheses (the quote marks). Remember that when your site appears in the search results it is this description that will be shown to people viewing the results. It can be a complete thought in the form of a sentence but it should be brief so that it fits within the space allotted by the search engine. Also of note is that if you leave out the description Meta tag the search engines will automatically use the first lines of text that appear on you page.

Finally the keyword tag was added to the coding which should be limited to no more than 20 words or short combinations of words that are separated by a comma. Here are only a few of the keywords that I am using to optimize my website inside the meta code. <meta name="keywords" content="SEO solutions, reputation management, Internet marketing strategies, online marketing consultant, optimization strategies, SEO strategies, search engine strategies, new media strategies"> These same keywords are used with the written content of the website and are highlighted in bold text to indicate to the search engines that they are important and should be indexed for a web search.

Next time I am going to let you have the URL's for registering with Google and Bing.

The Goal of every marketing Media Strategy

The goal of any online marketing campaign is not to gain a better grip on the search engines or place the website into the upper listings of search results. Although these are the results of a successful marketing media strategy they in fact are side effects of the actual goal of SEO work. No, the real purpose of search optimization is to produce increases in traffic from unique visitors and generate conversions of people that browse a website into people that purchase from that website. The fact that a website rises through the Search Engine Results Page(s) (SERPs) is a byproduct of a campaign that is designed to deliver a Return on Investment (ROI) for any business owner that is working with a skilled SEO professional.

Page placement may be important to some people but for the marketers that are working on building an online reputation the goal must always focus on delivering a high return on investment. First and foremost the work of any optimization campaign must deliver targeted leads to a business that is performing SEO for their website. While the positioning of the site in the search engines is affected by the work of link building and contributes to the page ranking of the site the more important aspect of any campaign should always be to the revenue that is being earned as a result of an optimization campaign.

 

All too often SEO companies focus on the delivery of where their client's site ends up in the search engine results pages instead of developing campaigns that turn site visitors into buyers. The work of Internet marketing involves a number of strategies that include social media marketing, site optimization and pay-per-click advertising. Nowadays social content is just as important as optimization when it comes to establishing a brand and developing an online reputation but underneath all of the strategies and tactics that add to the popularity of the website must be a reason that consumers should spend their money.

Internet marketing is designed to deliver increased traffic to a website, but the unique visitors that are being delivered by the search engines must be converted from qualified targeted leads that may be casually browsing the site to buyers that are spending their money. Even when a website is not set up for ecommerce transactions the conversions of qualified leads are the real reason anyone hires an online marketing firm to provide SEO services. Presenting a call to action that requires visitors to do something that entices them to open their wallets is what an effective and measurable marketing campaign is all about. By focusing on the bottom line of what will more than cover the costs of any marketing media strategy business owners that are looking for search engine optimization and link building can find the professionals that will deliver a return on investment that exceeds anything they are spending on their internet marketing budget.

Strong websites grow from optimized Roots

The difference between social media marketing and search optimization comes down to viewing your website like a tree. If you understand the importance of continually optimizing your website then you will realize that the slow growth of your campaigns are like the roots of a tree that provide a solid foundation in the search engines. Taking time to deliver the page rank that will lead your website to the top of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) requires a long time commitment. For some people the rush to be recognized takes them to the social media sites where they can list their services or products and drive the attention of consumers to move from cleverly produced videos and ads on a social networking page to the landing page of their website.

I see social media as the next generation of online marketing that will be even more powerful than it is today. I see the importance of social networking and establishing a business connection with clients and customers that are engaged in following your posts and comments. I also recognize the importance of developing a strong root system for websites that are building a reputation as an expert within the various search engine directories. The way that I view a website is like a tree that has a solid trunk, strong roots and branches that reach toward the sky. 

The website represents the tree trunk and the ongoing optimization efforts that require constant nourishment are the roots that spread out behind the scenes (or in the case of a tree reach below the visible surface). Establishing the strong foundation for the website optimization takes on different forms that are each equally important to the branding and reputation of the site. Social media marketing (which is openly visible and requires just as much effort as SEO) is like the branches and leaves of a tree. Reaching into the visible world of reputation management the spreading branches of a social media campaign are strengthened by the roots of optimization.

Trees thrive on sunlight and water receiving nutrients from the soil that feed the tree's growth, a tree or a website depend on the work of optimization that is essential to the health of a tree. But without sunlight the tree is unable to grow and will perish. This is why it is important to cultivate equal amounts of social content that can be used in optimizing a website and building the reputation of a brand through social networking. With a solid marketing media strategy that supports both the ongoing work of SEO and the more fluid promotions that connect social media to your site, you can build a strong web presence that can stand tall in the SERPs and be recognized by customers and clients that are following your messages in the social networks.

What matters more...Time, Quality or Price?

It is one of the laws of the universe that when it comes to producing goods and delivering services somewhere somehow something has to give. Wouldn't you agree that when price and quality matter most it typically takes more time to get what you want? This is where some individuals get confused by the own impossible expectations. Although everyone wants the highest quality for the lowest price in the fastest turnaround time the reality is that one of the three value components that add up to create the final product must inevitably be sacrificed so that the other two higher valued expectations can be met.

Whether building a website yourself or paying a professional to develop your site you need to think seriously about the following. What are the two most important elements to consider when planning and developing a marketing media strategy?

Within every service industry the Cost-Time-Quality matrix can be applied to the people that are providing exceptional service to their clients. When time and price demand the lowest cost delivered in the shortest possible time you can bet that the quality of the final product will suffer.

The fast food industry is a perfect example of this. You are hungry and you want some cheap food you will get what you pay for, just don't expect a fine dining experience when you hit the drive thru window. By the same token a seven course meal in a fancy restaurant may be served up within a reasonable waiting time after ordering, but there is a premium that is paid for the quality of food that is prepared to order.

Simply put if you expect quality at an affordable price then you should expect the project to take some time to complete. If you prefer a fast turn around and want a fair price the quality of work might suffer from where it could be so that a demanding deadline can be met. And finally if you put speed and quality ahead of pricing you can expect to pay a premium for the services you request.

Whether developing a website, building your online reputation, or maximizing your SEO strategy you must to consider what you are willing to sacrifice to get the results that you really want. For most of us the quality of backlinks that are being added to a website are more important than the time it takes to add a massive amount of poor quality links over a short time. Because SEO offers the best ROI of any marketing effort available it is already a high priority for every business and website owner.

So the question is what is more important--building a lot of backlinks in the shortest time possible and hoping they will affect the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) or adding quality links over the accepted 9 to 18 months that will lead you to the top of the search engine directories for many years to come?

Although social media content requires a certain amount of speed in developing and a video, the quality may be compromised to meet a low budget. This is where the quality of the final edit might lack the visual effects or sound clarity of a professional production, but the cost will be worth the sacrifice. On the other hand a high quality piece of film is worth the added cost if its produced for an audience that appreciates the high end finish of HD picture quality or the audible quality of professional sound mixing.

When considering your optimization efforts and social media campaigns think about the intended audience and what they are expecting as you choose between the quality of your work and the costs involved in developing quality links and posts that will be added to the Internet forever. If you remember that what you end up with comes down to your choice of picking from the three values of Time, Price and Quality your expectations will be met and you can have exactly what you want when dealing with service providers in online marketing or any other industry.

Plan out Web Content to make Optimization Easier

In developing a website I find that the more information I can write on a page that is related to the individual or a business the better that information will be utilized by the search engines. What do I want to share about a business or individual and what will be relevant to the goal of optimizing the website as it is launched are questions that every developer should be asking them self. The development of a website takes a lot of work and can be a lot of fun to build, but for me the most important element of any website is the writing that provides the content for visitors to read. With the goal of having the search engines return my site to the top tier of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) I think about the information that I am writing and how it will  be linked by the keywords in a logical way throughout the site. 

A review of what the business offers is more important than the look of the website or the different visual effects that are used to draw in unique visitors. Of course the more professional the design of a site is the more appealing it is to an audience, but it is important to remember that a website is a vehicle for sharing information or closing a sale. For this reason I sit down and map out what I want to say before I move into any production work for a website that I am working on. (I should mention here that having a map of the site helps me to create the content for each page ahead of time and reduces the need to add or edit text as the site is coming together.) The content writer should address the questions of who, what , when , where, why and how (a.k.a. the "reporter's rules") before putting pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard. This approach to developing content answers the all important questions that a reader wants answered. When writing content ask yourself is meaningful and relevant. If it is include it, if it is not leave it out. 

Before I create any graphics I make sure that the story of the website (the content) makes sense. Because I can get lost in the creation of the design I make it a point to have each page fleshed out in writing so that I can tell my story with the right words before I add pictures to the text. I also understand that the traffic I receive (or will receive) comes from the search engines that are redirecting the online audience to the published site. Keeping this in mind I write out each page and include the description that I want to add to the Meta tags in the coding before I start to build the individual pages. If I need to tweak the content or add a line that makes more sense to the reader I can do so as I am putting each of the visual elements onto the page. But without a clear direction on what I want to say before I begin to develop the site I can get lost in the codes and images that make up the website. 

By keeping a focus on what I want to relate to the audience and following the "reporter's rules" as I write I can come up with the phrasing that makes sense and has a logical flow from one page to the next. By understanding that the most effective and compelling words will also be read by the search engine robots and indexed for optimization purposes I make sure that what I say makes sense and is relevant to the ongoing marketing media strategy that I am developing to go along with the website. With some well written content the work of optimization supports the website and establishes the relevancy of the keywords that are included sparingly on each page of the site.