In its 2009 biennial Search Engine Ranking Factors study seomoz.org gathered information from 72 experts in the field. The study results were just recently released.

The experts rated 149 factors contributing to search engine rankings such as keyword and non-keyword data, links, social media, usage data and negative factors. The research presented the following conclusions about the top five most important factors impacting a website’s search engine ranking. Read More or Leave a Comment »

1)  The best length for a search engine optimized page is 200 to 500 words. Source: www.morevisibility.com

2)  Each web page should be optimized for two or three keywords.

3)  Keywords should not be repeated more than four to six times per 350 words of content.

4)  The most important meta tag is the page title, which should be no more than six or seven words and should begin with the keywords you’re optimizing.

5)  22 percent of searches include four or more words. In January 2009 searches averaging five or more words increased 10 percent compared with searches conducted in 2008. Optimizing content for larger search strings is an increasing trend. Source: Hitwise

6)  Google robots like content-rich information such as newsletters, reports, articles, white papers, glossaries, FAQs, Blogs, press releases, tools (calculators, quizzes), how-to tips, case studies, guides and forums. Boost your rankings by bulking up your content.

7)  Fresh content is favored over outdated or unchanged information. Quick ways to add new content include testimonials, product reviews, blogs, or forums. Make new content is optimized as much as possible.

8)  High quality external links to your site help boost your organic ranking. Yahoo has the most well-known directory. Look for relevant directories and other websites with a PageRank and Alexa rank better than your own.

9)  Statistics show your website’s About Us page will be one of the most clicked on pages of the entire site. Spend plenty of time developing this page, providing substantial and credible information to reassure visitors they are buying from a reputable company or individual.

10) Tightly written web pages will have higher organic rankings than pages covering multiple topics. Create pages to cover only one topic, make it obvious to visitors that the page focuses on the specific topic and make sure search engines recognize the individual page is about the topic. Optimizing does not have to occur on a website-wide basis. Optimizing individual pages gives more opportunities for higher rankings.

Search engine optimization (SEO) can be complex and intricate, but don’t stress out by trying to do everything at once. Simply understand the basics, make a plan and begin with the SEO activities likely to have the greatest impact on your organic search results.

To learn more about search engine optimization and Internet marketing sign up for my free newsletter, Strategy Writer News.

GUEST POST: Anthony Hull and Jason Gazaway, Creators of the Premium Review Templates for Affiliates.

Many people shy away from using link and traffic exchanges for various reasons.

Some people are scared that using either of these options will result in search engines frowning upon their website – and rightfully so, to a degree.

However, if used right, both link and traffic exchanges can be useful, provided you go about it in the right way.

For one thing: If you’re in a link or traffic  exchange that is going to cause your website to gain a CONSIDERABLE amount of backlinks on a daily basis… well, that’s just asking for Read More or Leave a Comment »

It’s Jeff Gardner, from inside my secret lab!

I just got back from a much-needed vacation at Walt Disney World – and I’m powered back up and ready to rock ‘n roll for the rest of 2009.

I know you’re busy, so I’ll make this brief – but very powerful.
I want to show you how to make a bunch of money in 2010 – by giving something away free that millions of people worldwide want.

What is this “freebie”? Read More or Leave a Comment »

You’ve taken the time to get online either as a pure ecommerce site or the extension of a brick and mortar company. The site looks great, everything is working. You may have even invested in email campaigns, pay-per-click ads and some offline advertising. But what happens once prospects get to your site?

Of all the business skills you can master, persuasive marketing is the one that will return more on your investment than almost any other expense.

Take a look at marketing from the customer’s perspective. Most people buy things, not because they need them, but because they want them. The secret to selling, however, is a sales pitch so strong the desire to buy feels more like a need than a want.

So, how do you create strong sales messages to drive your customers to your online shopping cart?

To attract even lukewarm prospects, you have to make a big promise and make it vivid. Help your prospects see the benefits of buying your product or service and help them visualize how it will make their lives better, easier, more fun or whatever you’re offering them. Turn the features into irresistible benefits.

Next, support your promise with proof. This is where many marketers start to lose their prospects because once drawn in, there isn’t enough to keep the prospect engaged in the sale. Why should someone buy from you? What facts, evidence or testimonials do you have to support a purchase decision?

Are you using basic persuasion principles on your website? Does your home page start to set up a sale right away by assuring prospects they’ve come to the right place? Does your home page help draw them further into the site? Does every product have its own sales page detailing the benefits, the promise and a risk-free guarantee? Does every message on your site move prospects closer to a sale?

When I arrive on a client’s site, I make an immediate assessment of what a prospect will experience. Will they understand what’s even being sold or what they’re supposed to do once they get there? One site I consulted on was for a new lodging company that had a unique selling proposition. The owners were sold a beautiful website by a highly credentialed ad agency. The site was the epitome of a classy branding campaign. As soon as I got on the site, however, I noticed a major flaw. No where on the home page did the content, navigation or graphics indicate it was a lodging company.

This was a new company with a different approach to nightly lodging. How much effort do you think prospects, even qualified ones, will put into figuring out why they should care? Zero. They will put no effort into figuring out the new concept when what they’re looking for is reasonably priced lodging for a week’s vacation. I’d rather build a simple site that leaves no doubt in the prospects’ minds than a gorgeous site that is confusing.

The most important skill you can focus on right now to improve your electronic marketing efforts is writing more powerful website content incorporating the basics of persuasion. Go through your site with the eyes of your prospects. Ask yourself, “Why would someone care about this statement or this message?’ “Have we really positioned ourselves in the most desirable way so the prospect simply feels the need to buy?” “Do we talk features instead of benefits?” “Are the benefits strong enough to entice someone to buy?”

If your content isn’t powerfully persuasive, then keep at it until you really understand your prospects and can deliver messages so appealing your prospects feel they must buy what you’re offering.

Learn more about Internet marketing and search engine optimization by signing up for Strategy Writer News, a free monthly newsletter loaded with proven tips and techniques to improve your electronic marketing efforts.