Long Term SEO : Keyword Research Plus Long Term SEO = Online Sucess

Long Term Keyword Research leads to Long Term Search Engine Ranking Results

I spend my days and nights working on a lot of websites from all different type of niches and I am constantly reminded of the importance of keywords. It really all comes down to obtaining the coveted top 10 listings for your most profitable keywords in the major search engines, of course Google is the one that most seek out and freak out about.

Since your keyword rankings can make or break your online marketing plans. You have to be consistent and keep your keywords on the first page of the search engine result pages or SERPs. It's all about getting top keyword rankings and staying there. You can do this will Long Term SEO.

If you're trying to target extremely competitive and profitable keywords you will definitely have your work cut out for you. You will have to have the type of mindset that it's going to take time, and you are going to have to have patience. Then again, if you have money in the bank like Daddy Warbucks and time to build and buy links to get you to the top spots then you might be there in no time, MIGHT. Google has frowned upon link buying and is/has taken steps to fight it, although there are some who still use this form of link building to obtain top ranking position, doesn't mean that it's the right thing to do. Why take the risk of Google finding out? If you want to rank for those “competitive” keywords, you are going to have to expect to spend months if not years, getting to those top listings.

Long Term SEO is the way to go!

Most website owners who are just starting out and honest website owners want to take the proper yellow brick road to the top and earn those top rankings by providing good quality content that your website visitors will actually find useful and beneficial. These “honest” website owners build links and target their keywords in a natural way, by creating articles, having keyword enriched content, writing ebooks, working with blog owners, targeting social networking sites and building their brands, which in return will build backlinks or one way links to their sites.

One way to help you achieve long term keyword rankings in the top results is by building one way links. You will start to gradually see over time that these links will build up those highly competitive keywords you are trying to target and your rankings will go up in the search engines. Searchers will find your content on the web and start to bookmark it or share it with others in their social networking groups. They can share your information, content, products or services on sites like Kaboodle, Stumble Upon, Facebook, Twitter etc. and your rankings will move up even faster. I'm a fan of social networking sites and definitely believe that you should focus on creating content on your blogs or websites that will make others want to share it or come back to it to see what else you are going to say or provide.

Building links and keyword marketing has become very competitive. You may have noticed some of your competitors holding the top positions on a consistent basis. This is because they are focusing on targeting their keywords in their website content, focusing on obtaining backlinks or one way links to their sites using those keywords and working on their SEO campaign on a long term basis.

Google is always changing, as you may have noticed lately. You may see a site listed on the first page of their search results one day and then gone the next or you may see a page rank at a 3 one day and then a 1 the next. You really have to stay on top of your game if you want to keep your keywords in the top positions. It really all comes down to making quality content that web surfers will find beneficial or think that they need.

Overall, once you have taken the time to tackle your SEO plans and no longer run from them your long term SEO will end up working for you in the long run as long as you keep promoting your site and using your keywords in your content, and link titles. Make sure to target hundreds of keywords, but don't use them all on one page! Make a list of the main keywords for your site, then make a list of keywords for each one of those main targeted keywords. Once you have narrowed down two or three for each page. Then start incorporating them into your website pages, products etc..

If I have learned anything over the years that I have been working on SEO, one thing always remains true and that is PERSISTENCE! You must keep at it and don't give up. It's going to take months if not years to get to the first page especially for very competitive keywords, but if you can see the big picture it is so worth it in the end.

If you need some help with finding keywords that are being searched for on a daily basis, I have listed some keyword tools that I use everyday and they are free:

Keyword Discovery

Google's Keyword Tool

Word Trackers Free Keyword Tool

So take a deep breath and an aspirin. Make a to do list to start focusing on Long Term SEO and building one way links to your site and you will be on your way to success in no time.

Sincerely,

Your SEO Gal

Carla Phillips

http://myseogal.com

Duplicate Website Content : Can it Effect Your Ranking?

Can Duplicate Website Content Effect your Search Engine Ranking? Sure Can!


I have been noticing lately that website owners who were once on page 1 for their targeted keywords are now on page 12 or have dropped off the face of Google for their targeted keywords.

This can be based off of a number of reasons, but one of the main reasons is due to Duplicate Content.

What is Duplicate Content exactly?

Sometimes I like to explain things in a colorful way. So bear with me with this explanation. I want to make sure I get my point across in the most easiest way so you will understand it and not find yourself in the same situation as the above mentioned website owners.

Picture your favorite magazine. It could be Reader's Digest, Better Home and Gardens or O. Whatever your pleasure.

A magazine has a cover = Your home page

A table of content = Your navigation bar

Ads = Your products or services

When you flip through the pages of your favorite magazine. You see either an ad or a header letting you know what that content is about on that page. They are either selling a product or discussing a topic.

There are different headers for each individual page, right(rhetorical). You don't see the same header or text on the pages of the magazine, do you (rhetorical question again)?

Okay,

Duplicate content is just that. The same content on more than one page of your website. So picture your website as an online magazine. You don't find the same content in a magazine. You don't see the same text in more than one page. So this is how you want to set up your website.

If you have more than one page with the same content, the search engines can get confused and don't have the time to weed out which page is actually relevant to a search query.

So if you have more than one page on your website with the same header or content on them then you are not only confusing the search engines but you are competing against yourself.

Do a search, doesn't matter about what. Just do a search about any type of product or service.

Then look at the number of links returned for that search. Those links that show up are links that contain that very same keyword that you just searched for. All of those links are competing for that golden spot, that top 10 listing all at the same time.

You already have all of these links coming from different urls, running to the same spot at the same time for that keyword phrase. No need to ruin your chances getting to that number one page by having the same duplicate meta titles, keywords and descriptions on your site. Your pages are just adding to that number of links returned and if the search engines can not figure out which page on your site actually contains what that searcher is looking for, they will move on to another link, Your Competitors Link.

You want to make sure that each page has it's very own header, meta title (meta title is the words that are displayed in the blue section at the very top of your browser window), and description.

I know it's hard to have a different description for products that are the same. If you change the first 2 to 5 sentences of each product than that will make a world of difference.

If you have another manufacturers product on your site and you copy their description, just remember that there are tons of other sites that have just done the very same thing. This is also considered duplicate content.

Change the meta title of that product, don't just use the product's title as the meta title. You can include the products name in your description.

Use your meta title to describe the product. You can include the manufacturers name if it is a well known brand, include the color and who the product is made for. Make sure to change up the description or "copy". Add your own words to it, add your own intro to it to make it your own.

You also want to make sure you don't use the same exact keywords for each product and page. If the product is about baby diapers, don't have baby swings in the keywords.

I know this is a lot to take in, but following some of these rules can keep you in the search engines and will help you move up in ranking.

Here's a recap, just in case I lost you at Duplicate Content:

1: Have different descriptions on each page. Change up the first 3 to 5 sentences if the products are similar.

2: Do not and I repeat, do not have the same meta title on each page. The most pages you should have the same meta title for is 2!

Here's an example:

Page 1 meta title usually a main category: Designer Baby Clothing | Kids Clothing | Clothing for Teenagers

Page 2 meta title usually a sub category: Designer Baby Clothing | Designer Baby Shirts | Designer Baby Shoes

3: Do not have the same keywords for every single website page.

Here's an Example of what not to do:

Product page is about buying a Fancy Bling Dog Collar

Description is about a Fancy Bling Collar for large dogs

Keywords: fancy bling dog collars, collars, dog, doggie, cats, cat beds, dog beds, dog leash, dog clothing, dog sweater.

Here's an Example of what to do:

Product page is about buying a Fancy Bling Dog collar

Description is about a Fancy Bling Collar for large dogs

Keywords: fancy dog collars for large dogs, bling dog collars for large dogs, bling dog collars, large dog collars, bling, large, fancy, dogs, dog

There is no reason to have keywords about anything else but what that page is about. If that page is not about a cat collar, do not include cat in the keywords. If that page is not about dog clothing, do not include dog clothing in the keywords.

Stay focused on what that page is about. Don't put in unnecessary keywords in the keyword tag if that is not what that page is about.

That's it for today!

Stay tuned for tips on Keyword Selection.

Your SEO Gal,
Carla Phillips
http://myseogal.com

Follow My Blog

Good Morning Everyone,

Hope everyone's working their fingers to the bones! Not really but I do hope that you are having a wonderful successful day.

Well,

I am usually on top of the techie stuff when it comes to plug ins, editing, coding etc.., but I feel like a loser because I did not notice the option to add a Follow button on this blog.

All of this time I could have had the option to let you follow my every single last words of wisdom and failed to have a follow button! DUHHHH

So I have found that there was a gadget that will allow you to do just that.

Yes, I know you have been wanting to hang onto everything I have to say! LOL

So now you can.

Just click on the FOLLOW button to the right and now you can. Isn't that Awesome!

You can keep up to date on all the latest info about SEO, Social Networking , Blogging etc..

So go ahead, click on the follow button. PLEASSEEEEE!

No seriously,

I would definitely love it if you follow me and I promise not to bore you to a stuper.

Thanks a bunch!

Your SEO Gal,
Carla Phillips
http://myseogal.com

Are you a Circler?

My SEO Gal has done it again!

After months of researching and testing. We have come up with the perfect network group for small business owners.

This group is all about helping each other succeed online with their products or services by networking with each other.

This is not your typical classified ad networking group. This group has actual members who participate and chat with each other to find out great new way to help increase exposure to your site.

And guess what folks! It's FREE!!!!!!

That's right. You can reap the benefits of other Circlers for free.

What is a Circler?

A Circler is a member of My SEO Gal's Network Circle.

I keep thinking to myself, "Now what can I call my members?" Twitter has Twitters, Facebook has Facebookers and Kaboodle has Kaboodlers!

My members are worthy of being called something too, darn it!

So I thought about the name of the group and so forth and so on. So I sleep on it and woke up in the middle of the night and said " Circlers!, I'll call my members Circlers!".

So how bout it? Don't you want to be a Circler too and find out what all the hype is about?

You know you do. I won't spill the beans on all of the networking opportunities we have in our PRIVATE little community. Well because I want you to find out for yourself.

So come on and Join our Circle of friends and network with us today:

See ya there, soon to be Circler!
Your SEO Gal,
Carla Phillips
http://myseogal.com

Free SEO Tips

Over the next couple of weeks. I will be adding some tips on how to optimize your site to make sure it is search engine friendly.

The first tip will be on keyword research then the next one will be on choosing the right keywords for your meta title.

I hope you enjoy!

Your SEO Gal,
Carla Phillips
http://myseogal.com

Want some Tips on Increasing Your Sales? Here are 9 Tips on Increasing your sales.

Do you want tips on how to increase your website sales?
Well of course you do.

Having a website can be one of the most rewarding,
addicting, and obsessive decisions you could ever choose to make.
It can also be the most frustrating, and somewhat depressive
decisions as well.

You put your heart and soul into creating your website.
From your website's design down to the color of your text.
You think about it all day and even dream about it
at night.

After everything is neatly put together, you finally
publish your site with excitement!.....

It's been two months now and that level of excitement
is slowly starting to slip away. No sales...
"What am I doing wrong?", you ask yourself.
I have the best website design and My products or
services are unique.But still NO SALES!

I've been down that road before and I definitely
understand how heartbreaking and nerve wreaking
it can be not to get what your ultimate goal is
when you first consider starting an online business,
which is getting sales and making a profit.

Well here are 9 suggestions I have
to help you convert your traffic to sales:

• Your Website Design: Is your website easy to navigate? Are the colors or fonts hard on the eyes. The background colors you choose can definitely have a negative impact on your visitors and the type of font you choose can be detrimental to your sales as well. Stay away from really fancy fonts or fonts that have a lot of curves to them. Although they might be appealing to you. I would suggest you keep the fancy font for your logos or banner graphics. Buyers may find it hard to read and if they can not read what you are selling then, click... they go to another site. When choosing a website template or design. Keep it simple. Don't choose something with a dark background. This is important if you are selling a product. It takes away from the product. The visitor focuses more on your background color than what you actually have to offer.

• Trusted Seal : Building trust is an essential part of selling online. Your buyer needs to trust you and feel comfortable purchasing your products or services. Make sure to have a SSL Certificate somewhere on your site or a trusted merchant seal. You can have this on your site or within your shopping cart. You would be amazed how many visitors actually search for the seal when they visit your site. Over 60% of online shoppers check to see if they see a trusted seal. If they don't see one, they might leave your site. You can get a seal from Godaddy, your hosting company (if applicable), Hackersafe/Mcafee and other sites as well. Over 70% of online shoppers will abandon a shopping cart if they dont' see this seal. They want to know that their credit card information is safe. Studies show that online websites who display the seal on their site/shopping cart see a surprisingly increased amount of sales after displaying one on their site.
  

• Products : Have a nice amount of products on your site. Before you launch your site. Think about what you will be selling on your site. Make a list of the different categories you will have on your site. Then make sure you have at least two to three pages of products per category. If you make your own products. Don't launch your site until you have sample images of the products you will be selling on your site. Try not to have just two or three products per category on your site. If you only have two products per category. Don't put the category on your site until you have 10 to 20 products ready. There's nothing worst than visiting a site that doesn't have a nice selection of inventory to browse through. For example purposes : Picture this scenario. You walk into a new boutique that has moved into your neighborhood. They have an inviting logo outside that screams come in and buy from us. You step inside and the decor is breath taking. You take a step further and noticed that the inside is HUGE! You take another couple of steps toward their merchandise and in this very BIG place there is only a couple of racks in the center of the store. You look around their two or three racks or displays and tell the store owner that they have a beautiful store and that you will be returning but didn't make a purchase. Why? Because the store didn't have a big enough variety because they were just starting out. I know I have done this before, it was uncomfortable for me and the store owner. You expect to find a nice selection of items when you visit a store and the same goes for an online store. Moving on...

• Price: This is a biggie. You must make sure your prices are competitive but not to low where you are not making a profit but not to high where you are not seeing any sale. What I suggest is that you do a search on Google to find out who your competitors are and see what prices they are offering. Then go back to your site and pick a product and do a test. Perform a test on that product by doing the following: Take the product you chose to do a test on and make a copy of that product so you have two of the same product. Change the name of the second product so you don't confuse the buyers. Make one product's price lower than the other. Make sure the lower price isn't so low that you won't make a profit though. Run this test for two to three weeks. If you see that the product that has the lower price sells better than the product with the higher price, than you know that you need to change your prices in order to start getting sales on that particular type of product. If that doesn't seem logical to you. Just take one product and do a test on it for three weeks. Lower the price on it ( as long as it's not lower than the MSRP), change the description around a bit and see what happens.
  

• Images: Make sure that you have clear images. You can have the best products or services but if a visitor can not see what they are buying than they will just leave your site.
  Make sure you have professional images on your site. If you take your pictures yourself, that is fine as well. Just make sure you take your pictures outside or on a white background. You can either use a white sheet or go to your local fabric store and buy a couple of yards of Muslin which should only run you .99 cents a yard. I recommend getting a photo cube. They are inexpensive and creates a professional picture. You can find one on ebay. Your images say a lot about your businesses image. If you have dark photos or photos with the cat in the background, you are less likely to get a sale. If you can not afford a good digital camera and a photo cube. Consider investing in photo background removal services.

• Shipping: Make sure you display which shipping courier you will be using on your site. You also want to display your shipping fees on your site as well. This way a buyer will know exactly how much their total order will be. You can set up a separate page that says "Shipping Fees". Create a graphic towards the top of your website pages that says Shipping Fees and make the graphic clickable to the page that has your shipping cost.

• The Type of Payments you accept: Display what type of payments you accept by placing a payment logo on your site. The closer you have it displayed at the top of your website pages the better. That is one of the first things visitors look for when they visit your site. If they don't know what type of payments you offer than they will get frustrated looking for a payment option and leave your site.

• Pay Pal: Having Pay Pal as your online payment processor can be okay depending on what type of online business you have. If you offer a service to other online businesses. Than this option is okay because most online businesses pay via Pay Pal or know what Pay Pal is. Not all of your visitors know about Pay Pal, to be honest there are a lot of people who have no clue what Pay Pal is. In saying that. I would highly recommend investing in or inquiring about signing up with a Credit Card Processing Company or a Merchant Account Company that will process your credit card payments for you. I recommend Authorize.net or Pay Pal Website Pro. Both have a monthly fee of about or around $30.00 a month. It is less confusing to the buyers and more professional. I have seen and heard about other online businesses seeing an increase in sales when they added a payment processor to their shopping cart.

• Contact Information: This is something that is overlooked or dreaded by small business website owners. It is important to have a phone number somewhere on your site. A buyers wants to see that they can contact you if there is a problem or a question that they have about ordering or an order that they place. If there is not a phone number visible and only an email address or a website contact form. They will become worried that your company may be fraudulent and not purchase from you. I know that you may have concerns about people calling you all times of the night, but there is a solution to your problems. You can sign up for an 800 number. There are tons of services out here that will provide you with an 800 number. I recommend Ring Central. You can set up an option to have them take messages on all calls or you can have a do not disturb option set so your phone does not ring in the middle of the night. Instead all calls will go to an automated voicemail service and you can retrieve your messages when you have time. You also have the option to either except a call when it comes in or to send it directly to the voice mail. When a call comes through to your 800 number and you pick up the phone. The operator chimes in immediately and says " You have a call. Press one to accept this call or two to send this call to voicemail". It's the best option especially if you work from home. You can try them out for Free for 30 days :Try RingCentral Online FREE for 30 days
  
  

I hope you enjoyed reading some of my tips and use them to
help increase your sales.

Just remember to do a lot of testing with your products
or services. See what works. If something
is not working then try a different route.

Think about installing Google Analytics within your
website so you can see which pages are your
highest exit pages and which ones are the most popular.

If you have any questions. Feel free to contact me
or leave a comment.

I am always here to help.

Yours Truly,
Carla Phillips
Your Search Engine Ranking Specialist

And The Winner Is....

I put the names in a hat and picked out one and The Winner is:



Sea By Me Candles


Congratulations You have won 5 Hours of SEO work!

So get ready to get your site listed on the first pages of the major search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN and to see an increase in traffic!

You will have 4 of your categories optimized plus a Bonus of adding your sitemap to Google and Yahoo. Plus you will have your site submitted to the search engines!



I'll be contacting you shortly to go over the details!

Yours Truly,

Carla Phillips