OVBlogger: Blogging and SEO

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Hey, if you like Twitter, you’ll also like Pownce. It’s a Twitter clone, though you can write more than just a few words into your entry. You can add files and stuff, too.

Pretty cool.

Plus, I found another site where you can update your entries at Twitter, Pownce, Jaiku, Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo all at once. Think of it as an OnlyWire for micro-blogging. It will be a real time saver. Oh, what’s it called? HelloTxt.com

I had a Blogging4Boomers call last night with Reed Floren. If you haven’t heard the name, then you’re not paying attention. Reed is an incredibly successful JV Broker, and I assure you, I’ll be contacting Reed when my next launch goes down.

Anyway, we got into a big discussion of Web 2.0 and how great it is for business. People who go into those sites spamming ads everywhere don’t get it. Web 2.0 is about building relationships with people online. As Reed described it, you wouldn’t go and buy golf clubs from someone you don’t know when your nephew is in the business. Right? You always buy from people you know and trust first.

Web 2.0 was a “What’s that?” just a couple of years ago and now, it’s like this huge network of people and the sites are dominating the search engine results. Think about it. When was the last time you searched for something and didn’t see Wikipedia?

All part of Web 2.0

Yet, I can see it getting out of hand, too. I read an article on someone’s blog yesterday that says, start with a rumor, add it to Digg and you have a recipe for disaster. People aren’t always factual. It’s like that game you used to play as a kid–Whisper. You tell the kid next to you something and they pass it on to someone beside them and by the end of the line, what was said by the first kid is all jumbled up.

I wouldn’t base my politics or my business on Web 2.0, but it is a great way to make friends and even get some traffic.

Popularity: 33% [?]

I was over at Blogosphere News today and see that we’re getting yet another upgrade to WordPress–version 2.6, which is due out in August. The changes are interesting, but not sure how awesome. They’re integrating with Google Gears and making it harder to lose posts if your browser crashes and such. I mean, those things are interesting, but…  it may be a developer dream. Since I’m not one of those, I’ll withhold judgment until I see the results.

You can check out the post at BlogHerald.com

I also watched a video today that was pretty interesting from Michael Gray of GrayWolf’s SEO Blog

He says that it’s best to make your blog super simple for the GoogleBot. Well, we knew that, but here’s something I never thought of. (And Duh… shame on me.) Michael says that when you’re choosing a category for your post, it’s best to keep it in ONE category, not two or three or the “very bright for a 5-year-old” GoogleBot may think that you have dupe content on your blog.

Well…

We all know that’s bad.

I’m going back and changing the posts that I just had to add categories to for my readers’ sake.

But, then, who needs readers?

I mean, I want to be a good SEO person and do all the right SEO stuff and make the Google ghods love me, but hey…

The audience is really what matters, eh?

From here on, I may try to keep my categories singular.

And then again, maybe not.

Popularity: 40% [?]

Did you know that the big-time marketers all have something in common?

The have HUGE, big-ass, whopping lists of subscribers.

I mean, think not in thousands… Think in HUNDREDS of thousands.

When you have a list that huge, making money is simple. It’s just a matter of numbers. How many people on your list will buy what you’re offering? If you have 10,000 people and 2% of them buy a product with a $100 commission to you, guess what, you just made $20,000.

If you have 100,000… You made $200,000.

So, what’s the secret? Build a huge, big-ass, whopping list in everything you do.

Notice the optin box at the top of my sidebar? Yep. Always be list building.

That’s one tip.

Another tip is to check out Russell Bruson’s secret. He’s GIVING it away. He says it’s a tiny secret that has made him an extra gazillion bucks, and well… You think that’s worth $10?

That’s 2 Venti Double-Blended Green Tea Frappacinos to you.

It’s just a couple of bucks more than a theater ticket.

It’s less than a breakfast out.

It’s CHEAP!

So, here’s the deal… If you want this incredible secret from Russell, you just have to run over, quick like a bunny to http://easyseotricks.com/AE and pick it up.

I’m pretty excited about it. I mean, Russell’s a pretty smart guy, and if he’s going to show me how to do what he does… I’m down with that, pretty much no matter what it costs.

So, are you in?

Popularity: 35% [?]

No, I’m not that conceited. I know I’m good, but hey… Wonderful?

Well, Wonderful Web Women thinks I am, which is totally cool. I get to be among some of the top women online today and talk about being honored! Janet Beckers invited me way back when I was just starting Blogging4Boomers. Wait… That was only February! It seems like for.ever in Web time, eh?

Anyway, this Monday night, I’ll be joining Janet’s line up of truly wonderful women like Rosalind Gardner, Lorrie Morgan Ferrero, Heather Vale, Stephanie Mulac, and so many others that I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to be joining them.

Women are totally wonderful, of course, and I’m a child of the ’60s, women’s rights and all that. Plus, I wrote a book about Gloria Steinem, though many Internet folks don’t know it. Yep. Gloria is awesome. She called me a couple of times saying, “It’s me… Your cross to bear,” which I thought was totally hilarious.

Imagine her talking about being my cross, when it was all I could do to remain firmly planted on the floor and not in the air when we spoke. I mean, little-known writer gets to interview icon of tremendous stature. But she treated me as though I was no different. I really respected and appreciated that.

That’s a key, though. You never ACT as though someone else is that much higher in stature. I’m a big fan of Christine Comaford Lynch, who I just spoke with the other day. That’s her philosophy, and it was my mom & dad’s. “They put their shoes on in the morning, just like you do,” they would always tell me, and it’s true.

Anyway, back to Gloria…

I think she’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. I mean, lots of us are kind, sure. We do things for other people and all, but this woman dedicated her life to being kind to women. She traveled constantly during the 70’s and virtually gave her life to the cause. I admire her a lot, as a person. She rocks! And she couldn’t have been more helpful when I was working on her book.

But that’s why I’m totally stoked about being a Wonderful Web Woman. I love to help people, and in this business, it’s soooo important. If you get a opportunity to help anyone, take it. Do it. Give, give, and give some more. Don’t be this greedy salesperson just looking to make a buck. You’ll never make it.

I started working for Tellman and wasn’t even paid, at first. I was on his Black Diamond Line Inner Circle coaching program that cost like $500 a month. The first day I got on the call, I was blown away by the information he was giving us. But at the end, he asked for “Traffic Apprentice” applications. He wanted people to learn to drive traffic, and well… Who could resist? I put an application in, never thinking I’d get the position, but I did. And can I tell you that I was still paying the $500 and working with him, and it was worth WAY more than I can begin to explain. It led to a really great job and more learning than I can handle at times, right? I mean, I’m light years ahead of where I was almost two years ago.

So, it’s like the Law of Attraction in action. When you want something, you go after it in every way. You think about it. You work toward it, and you help other people any time you can.

“You get back what you give three times,” my husband’s grandmother always used to say, and I never forgot it.

If you have a list, let me know how I can help you. If you don’t, let me help you to get one started.

Want to know how?

Go to Blogging4Boomers.com/forum and sign up for my forum. We can talk about blogging, Internet marketing or just hang out. I’m interested in you and want you to be successful. Let’s kick some IM butt!

Popularity: 51% [?]

So… Have you had your site evaluated yet?

I entered the info for one of my pages, and now, I don’t remember which one. It was a few days ago, but…

Nothing from Site Seer yet.

I’ll bet they had thousands of entries, so I’m being totally patient. It’s been days, but well… they said don’t submit again. Hmm… After a few days, it seems as though I should.

I don’t have a spam blocker, so that’s not the problem.

Anyway, I’m thoroughly interested in that report. Aren’t you? I mean, if you can put your page into a system like that and it comes back and tells you what’s wrong. Jeez… You might never figure it out on your own, right?

Of course, I’m a Stomper, so I know mine will come back clean. Yeah, right… LOL I do my clients’ SEO work way better and more thoroughly than my own. I need a clone.  Definitely need a clone. So, here’s the best deal of all… I get Site Seer to do the work for me and I just go and fix it, right? I’m so bad.

Need time! Any time merchants out there?

Anyway, if you don’t know what Site Seer is and how it can benefit you, you need to check it out:

http://www.stompernet.net/goingnatural3/

Zero cost. Stomper has set the precedent for raising the free line. They did it when Stomper opened and though tons of other marketers have learned to do this, too, I remember who started it.

Brad and Andy.

Good on them.

The premise is: If the free stuff is THIS good, what’s the paid stuff like? Must be incredible!

And inside StomperNet it is.

It’s like SEO and Internet marketing University. Truly. I’ve been involved since Day 1 and can honestly say…

Wow.

Just wow.

Being inside StomperNet generally blows one’s mind. I love it. They’re about to open the doors again. Come on in and be amazed.

OK… where’s my affiliate link, Andy?

See? I really do have nothing to gain. I just really love being a Stomper.

Popularity: 44% [?]

There’s a really huge giveaway happening now. Reed Floren, one of my Facebook buddies, and a featured speaker in my telseminar series (He’s speaking on May 29), is running it, and more than 1,700 marketers have added gifts.

Pretty sweet.

To get them, just go to http://easyseotricks/IMG and sign up at zero cost.

I like giveaways because they help me build my list of subscribers, and nothing is more important than list building. It’s the single most important thing you should be working on, no matter what you’re doing. If you don’t have a product to giveaway, it’s time to create one!

I have been using my 7 Secrets to Writing Killer Articles, and if you go to that site, you can see that I normally sell for $37. Good gift, huh? And that’s just one of the gifts you can get. There are over 1,700 of them.  It will take days to decide what you want.

It’s like having a key to Neiman-Marcus, and being told you can go in after hours and take home anything you want without charge. Shopping Nirvana.

For Internet Marketers, this giveaway is even better. The more you learn, the better your business will be. Take advantage of getting this stuff free or you’ll be paying for it down the road.

Popularity: 61% [?]

Do you know Ken McArthur?

I feel very lucky because I do know him.

Ken is a friend who is kind and caring. He totally understands what it takes to make an impact with people because he makes everyone he touches feel special.

His JVAlert Seminar is like a big family gathering. I went to my first one in February, and I have all my plans finalized for attending another next month.

You may wonder why I’d spend the money to do that so soon, and if you are, realize how very, very important it is to make friends-not just on Facebook or MySpace, but in person. Every single person at the last JVAlert became my friend.

We created a product together. We helped a woman save her house. And Ken makes all of that happen. I’ve known him for a long time now, but meeting him in person and feeling his true desire to make an impact on other people’s lives is overwhelming…

So, here’s the deal…

I want you to go over to Impact Factor and buy the book. This is not just something you may want to do, it’s something important that you HAVE to do, for yourself and your business.

Just go and see how many cool people Ken worked with to get this book  moving. And, if you’re a member of Blogging4Boomers, go over there and listen to my call with Ken. You can totally hear his commitment
in his voice. If you’re not a member, go opt in. It’s free to listen to the calls, at least for now. I’ll be taking them down soon. So…

If you want to be part of that and learn what Ken and all the people in his book know about making an Impact, I encourage you to go right now to:

==> http://easyseotricks.com/impact-ov

Being part of Ken’s huge family is a very cool place to be. My copy just arrived a few days ago. I can’t wait to dig in and learn all the secrets of making an impact. It’s something I want to do, too.

Popularity: 42% [?]

Don’t you agree? I mean Weblog. No wonder we call these incredible journals BLOGS. It sounds better. It’s more friendly. People want to read blogs, but weblogs?

I would be like reading the Star Trek Captain’s Log. Boring. I mean, when you see the adventures of everything going on out in space as they occur, pretty exciting, right? But if you had to sit and read what Archer, Kirk, Picard, Cisco, and Janeway had to write, would you be as excited?

I mean, think about it. They wouldn’t be able to give you the nuances. No exclamations. No backstory. It would just be LOG. Boring.

Blog is actually kind of an upchuck of words, when you think about it. You b-b-b-blooogggg. Yuck.

Why not CyberProse? Internet Musings? Or how about Interstellar Exposition? There, that one has some class.

So, remember…

Next time you want to bore people with some stupid story about what you ate for breakfast, you’re writing an Interstellar Exposition.

No, huh?

Well… Still beats the hell out of Weblog. Blech!

Popularity: 40% [?]

I’ve been living under a bushel basket for the past few months due to the ListBuilding.com launch.  And as I do when I”m busy, I’ll see a piece of mail that I have to read, but… I have no time. So, I flag that puppy in Outlook and wait until I have a down day to go through the messages. I had built up more than 100.

Gawd!

But there’s a message that I always read, and that’s the one that comes in on Fridays or Mondays from Jack Humphrey’s Friday Traffic Report. You know I’m a huge fan and that I’ve mentioned Jack before here, but whoa. He comes across with some of the coolest and most exciting information that (like I’ve said before)… If you aren’t subscribed, what the hell are you waiting for?

Today, work’s a little light for the first time in a while, so I’m going through my stuff and came across a message from Jack from waaaaayyyy back in January. Oh, sure. Tons of people have already seen it and put this great information to task already, but well, I’ve been painfully slow to get things done for myself. I’m running a membership site and a teleseminar series at Blogging4Boomers.com, too, remember. Right?

OK, no excuse.

Here’s the deal: HubPages. Do you know what they are?

HubPages is a Web 2.0 site where you can build “hubs,” which are sort of like Squidoo lenses. You add text modules, video modules, Amazon modules, etc. And just generally build a hub around a topic. It’s totally fun. I have one over there about cats. In fact, I’m a cat junkie and have several Web 2.0 sites about cats and a couple of blogs and whatever.

So, back to my story.

I find this message in my Inbox from Jack that says “Get More Traffic to Your HubPages.”  I’m all for that! And whoa. Very cool. I find not one but 7 Hubs all about getting traffic to your hub. Pretty neat. I’m certainly going to take some of that advice. Instinctively, I think I already have some of that going from my SEO background, but I don’t care what stage Hub Meister you are, you’ll find some information to turn you on.

The first Hub by Mark Knowles–”How I Got My Hub to Be on Google’s First Page“– is really great.  Mark gives you a virtual recipe of making it happen. We’ll be adding that cool advice to our own Hubs (and Tellman’s).

But all of the Hubs in that blog post are totally cool, and you should definitely check Jack’s post and every single one of those Hubs out…

Popularity: 59% [?]

Well, I’m not totally sure it’s new, but it’s really awesome.

If you don’t have “Speed Dial,” go and get it here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4810

Here’s how it works…

There are sites you go to every day, right? Some sites more than once. If you have an enormous bookmark file, as I do, it gets rather tedious hunting for those bookmarks time and time again. Well, Speed dial  puts them all on one browser tab for you.

You just program in the sites that you visit by adding a URL. Speed Dial comes up with a thumbnail for you. You can add as many sites to it as you want to add, and you can make speed dial your home page, if you want, but it also has a small icon that you can click to get there instantly.

When you do, you see thumbnails of the sites you visit often. Mine has AWeber, StomperNet, The ListBuilding Club, this blog, Blogging4Boomers admin, AdWords, SEOBook, and others. And it’s so cool. When I want to create a broadcast message for my list, I just jump onto AWeber by clicking the thumbnail. I love it!

I got a few other add ons last week, too:

Bookmark Duplicate Detector: Who needs more than one bookmark for the same site?

Shareaholic: Allows me to Twitter, Digg, and other sites with the click of my mouse.

Foxmarks: I’ve had this one a while, but it’s really cool. It syncs up my desktop bookmarks with my laptop whenever I turn my laptop on. If it were only that easy to sync up all my files without paying through the nose, that would be sweet.

ColorZilla: Allows me to get R,G,B and HTML color codes, just by placing my mouse on a color I want to duplicate. I love it!

But I also love Pixie by Nattyware. It’s a tiny little program that does the same thing as ColorZilla, but you can use it outside your browser. Get it at http://nattyware.com

For someone who went into Firefox kicking and screaming, I couldn’t be happier with this browser. The only trouble is that IE doesn’t always display code the same way; so, when I’m developing a page, I have to remember to check it in both browsers to make sure it looks the way I want it to in IE.

Grr… I forget a lot.

But, there’s another add-on called IE Tab that you can get that allows you to switch rendering engines with a click. You don’t have to open a new browser, and I’m lazy. It rocks.

Anyway, I’m not just a convert anymore. Now, I’m a damned evangelist for Firefox. If you don’t use it, start. You’ll be amazed at how much better it works and how you can adapt it to do just about anything you want.

Popularity: 50% [?]