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SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com1Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.AboutMeBeforeyoureadonyoumaywanttoknowwhoswritingthis.MynameisRyanBowmanandyouprobablydownloadedthisguidethroughmysiteWebEminence.com.Readmoreaboutmehere.ThroughWebEminence.comIbuildsimpleandaffordablewebsitesforsmallbusinessownersandentrepreneurs.SincemanyofmyclientsaskmehowtheycangetmoretrafficfromthesearchenginesIwrotethisguideforthemandanyoneelsewhocarestoknowtheanswertothisveryimportantquestion.PayWhatYouWantAfterwritingthisguideIwastryingtodecidehowmuchtosellitfor297590IknowthisinformationisveryvaluableandIplannedtogiveitawayfreetomyclientsandmakeitavailabletoeveryoneelseataprice.Ieventuallydecidedtogiveitawayfreetoanyonewhowantstoreaditandletyoudecidehowvaluableitis.ReadenjoyandallIaskisforyourfeedbackattheend.Illalsogiveyouachancetopayforthisguideifyouthinkitsworththemoney.IacceptVisaMastercardandshamelesspromotionsNopressurethoughJustreadandenjoyTableofContentsPage2IsThisGuideForYouPage3WebsiteTrafficBasicsPage4SearchEngineKeywordsCompetitionPage8GettingSomeGoogleLovePage11-AnatomyofaLinkPage12LinkandLearninOnlineForumsPage14OnlineDirectoriesareNotUselessPage16ArticleMarketingPage17LinkBuildingServicesPage18TakeAdvantageoftheBloggingExplosionPage23BeSocialPage24ManualLinkBuildingPage25BuildRelationshipsOnlinePage26BlogCommentingPage28-PressReleasesPage29AnalyzetheCompetitionPage32NewLinksvs.CumulativeLinksPage33PayPerClickMarketingPage35OtherTechniquesPage36SEOChecklist SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com2Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.IsThisGuideForYouThisguideisforyouifyouhaveawebsiteandarelookingtogetmoretrafficfromsearchengines.Itswrittenespeciallyforsmallbusinessownerswhoknowverylittleabouthowsearchengineswork.EvenifyouthinkyouknowALOTaboutsearchenginemarketingImconfidentyouwillstilllearnafewnewstrategiesthatcandrasticallyimproveyoursearchenginepresence.Thisisnotanexhaustiveoverviewofsearchenginemarketing.ThesearethemethodsIusetoexpandmypresenceinthesearchengines.Iftheyworkformetheycanworkforyoutoo.Mygoalistogivesmallbusinesswebsiteownersabasicunderstandingofhowsearchenginesworkandalsogiveactionablemethodsthatyoucanstartworkingonimmediately.IknowsmallbusinessesdonthavethebudgetsandstaffthatlargercompaniesdevotetoSEOSearchEngineOptimizationsothisguidewaswrittenwiththatinmind.LetsgetstartedNewWebsiteInstantTrafficItistruethathavingapresenceonlineiscritical.Evenifyouarenotgettingthousandsofdailyvisitorshavingaprofessionalwebsitelegitimizesyourbusinessandgivesyourprospectsandcustomersmoretrustinyou.Manypeoplebelievethatalltheyhavetodoisputupawebsiteandthefloodgateswillopenaswebsitevisitorspourintotheirnewwebsite.Unfortunatelyitsnotsoeasy.Thetraffictoanewwebsiteisusuallybetterdescribedasatrickle.Theslowtricklewillnotbuildintoatidalwavebyitself.Strategicpromotionisnecessary.Youmaynotimmediatelygetthefloodoftrafficyouwerehopingforbutwithalittleeffortyoucancreateasteadyflowofvisitorsthatcansolidifythefutureofyourbusiness.TIPIfyoudonotyethaveawebsitebutareinterestedingettingoneyoumaywanttofirstreadmyBeginnersWebsiteGuidefortipsonhowtogetawebsiteupandrunning. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com3Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.WebsiteTrafficBasicsWhereDoesWebsiteTrafficComeFromIfyouwantvisitortraffictoyourwebsiteyoufirstneedtoknowwherewebsitetrafficcomesfrom.Websitetrafficgenerallycomesfrom3mainsources1.SearchEnginesMostpeoplegotoamajorsearchengineGoogleYahooorBingwhentheyaresearchingforsomethingonline.WiththeexplosionofsmartphoneusagethenumberofsearchesisgrowingsinceeveryonenowhasGoogleintheirpocket.Linksfromsearchengineresultspagesaccountfor80ofmostwebsitetraffic.Thisiswhygettingyoursiterankedhighinsearchengineresultsissoimportant.Searchenginesarenotgoingawayanytimesoon.2.LinksfromOtherWebsitesItscalledtheWorldWideWebbecauseeverypageonthewebisconnectedtootherpagesvialinks.Ifyoursiteisonlinebuttherearenolinkspointingtoititsjustfloatingoutthereincyberspaceandevensearchenginesmayhavetroublefindingit.SinceyouclickonlinksallthetimeIthinkyoualreadyknowwhatalinkis.Butjusttobecertainwebsitelinksareanyimageortextthatishyperlinkedtoanotherwebsite.Whenyouclickthelinkyourbrowserdisplaysthelinkedwebsite.Linksfromwebsitesotherthansearchenginesaccountforabout15ofwebsitetrafficonaverage.TheselinkscouldbeonlargewebsiteslikeFacebookandTwitterorsmallersiteslikeyourfriendSuzysblog.Gettinglinkstoyoursitefromrelevantwebsitescanbeagreatwaytogetsomeextratrafficbutitalsoplaysamajorroleinboostingyoursearchenginerankingsmoreonthatlater. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com4Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.3.DirectEntryOnaverageabout5ofwebsitetrafficcomesfromawebsiteURLdirectlytypedintotheaddressbarofabrowseroralinkclickedinanemail.ThismayoccurifsomeoneseesyourwebsiteURLinanemailhearsitspokenorfindsoutaboutitsomeotherwayandthentypesitintotheirbrowser.SomecommonexamplesmaybeseeingaURLonthesideofacontractorstruckoronabusinesscard.Directentryaccountsforasmallpercentageoftotaltrafficbutifyoudoalotofpromotionsinprintorbywordofmouththismaybeamajorsourceoftrafficforyourwebsite.SearchEngineKeywordsandCompetitionDoyoueverwonderhowsearchenginesworkWhydocertainsitesshowuponthefirstpageofresultswhileyoursiteisonpage42Thefirststeptounderstandinghowsearchenginesworkisunderstandingkeywords.KeywordsarethephrasesthatpeopletypeintoGoogleandothersearchenginesbeforeclickingthesearchbutton.Afterawebsiteispublishedonlineasearchenginewillfinditanddecidewhetherornottoincludeitintheirindex.Thenthesearchenginestopsecretalgorithmsgotoworktodeterminewhatkeywordsearchesthewebsitemightberelevantforandhowhightorankthesiteforthesekeywordsearches.Wellneverknowexactlywhatisincludedinsearchengineformulasforrankingsitesespeciallysincetheyarechangingallthetime.ButwecanlearnalotfromlisteningtowhatthesearchenginecompaniesDOtellusandlookingatthetypesofsitesthatconsistentlyrankonthecovetedfirstpageofthesearchresults.Welltalkaboutall3sourcesofwebsitetrafficinthisguidebutsinceSearchEnginesandLinksFromOtherWebsitesaccountfor95ofwebtrafficthatswherewewillfocusourattention. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com5Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.WatchthisvideobyGooglesMattCuttsifyouwanttoknowallthedetailsofhowGooglecrawlsindexesandrankswebsites.OnekeycomponenttounderstandwhenuntanglingthewebofkeywordsandsearchenginerankingsisCOMPETITION.Somekeywordshaveverylittlecompetitionandsomehavemanywebsitescompetingforpositioninginsearchengines.Itsmucheasiertogethighrankingsforkeywordswithlesscompetitionobviously.Howevertheselesscompetitivekeywordsalsohavelesssearchvolumeeverymonthandlesspotentialtocreatetraffictoyourwebsite.ForexamplesinceIbuildwebsitesforsmallbusinessclientsIwouldlovetoberankedonthefirstpageforthekeywordsmallbusinesswebsitewhichisapopularsearchtermwiththousandsofsearcheseachmonth.Howeverthatkeywordissosuper-competitivethatImayneverbeabletocompetewiththelargecompanieswithbigbudgetsvyingforthetopspot.SinceImasmallbusinessIwouldprobablyhavebetterresultscarvingoutanicheinlesscompetitivekeywordslikeaffordablesmallbusinesswebsiteorsmallbusinesswebsiteonabudgetthatarestillcompetitivebutnotnearlyascompetitiveassmallbusinesswebsite.Whatareyourdreamkeywordsthatmaybetooultra-competitiveforyoutoevergetyoursiterankedSearchforthesekeywordsinGoogleandlookattherelatedsearchesforaquickideaofsomelesscompetitivekeywordsearchesthatyoumaybeabletotarget.Illmentionsomemorerobustkeywordresearchtoolsinthenextsectionforthosewhowanttodomorein-depthkeywordanalysis. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com6Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.SearchEngineCompetitionContinuedToexplainhowsearchenginekeywordcompetitionworkswithanotherexampleIwilluseaclientswebsite.Thisclientsellshoghuntinglightssoonebroadkeywordishuntinglightsandamoretargetedkeywordishoghuntinglight.Thehuntinglightsoldonhiswebsiteiscalledtheterminatorhuntinglight.IfyousearchGoogleforterminatorhuntinglighthiswebsitewillprobablyshowuponthefirstpagebecausethereislittlecompetitionforthatveryspecifickeyword.ThereprobablyarenotanyotherpagesontheinternetaboutTerminatorHogHuntingLights.Howeverifyousearchforhuntinglightorhoghuntinglighthiswebsitemaynotshowupinthesearchresultsbecausetherearealotofcompetingwebpagesforthesekeywords.MoreworkneedstobedonetorankforthesecompetitivekeywordsbuttheyalsohavepotentialtogeneratealotmoretrafficWhenyoufirstpublishawebsiteonlineyoucanusuallyexpecttorankforlow-competitionkeywordslikeyourownbusinessnameandproductnameswithinthefirstmonthprovidedyoursiteissearchenginefriendlymoreonthatbelowandtherearenootherproductsorbusinesseswiththesamename.Butitwilltaketimeandefforttogetrankedformorebroadandcompetitivekeywords.SohowdoyouknowwhichkeywordsarecompetitiveandwhicharenotThequickandeasywayismeasurethelevelofcompetitionforakeywordistodoasearchinGoogleforthekeywordandseewhatresultsshowup.Therearetwothingstolookfor1.Iftherearealotofsponsoredpaidadsinthetopandrightsidethatisasignthatitisacompetitivekeyword.2.Iftherearealotoflistingsonthefirstpageofsearchengineswiththeexactkeywordinthetitleofthepagethenitisacompetitivekeyword.Therearemanytoolsandservicesformeasuringkeywordcompetitionandsearchvolumebutmanyofthemrequireyoutosignupforafreeaccountorpayafeetousethem.TheGoogleKeywordToolisapopulartoolbutwillsoonbeonlyavailabletoGoogleAdwordsadvertisers.AnotherfreetoolistheKeywordToolfromSEOBook.com.Itdoesrequirethatyousignupforafreeaccount.Thesetoolsarebeyondthescopeofthisguidebutforthosewhowanttogettheirhandsdirtywithkeywordresearchtheyarevital.Ifyouareoneofmyclientsyouareinluck.Illdothiskeywordresearchforyouwhilebuildingyoursite. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com7Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.Ifyoudecidetodosomeresearchonkeywordsearchvolumeandcompetitionherearesomegoodbenchmarks....Anykeywordunder2000searchespermonthIwouldconsiderlowvolumeand2000-20000searcheswouldbethemediumrange.Anythingover20000searchespermonthisahighvolumekeywordbuttheycangoupintothemillions.YoucanbecertainthatkeywordswithsearchvolumeinthemillionsarelikelytobeVERYcompetitive.Asasmallbusinessitiswisetotargetkeywordsthatareinthemediumrangeforcompetitivenessandsearchvolume.Andyouwillfindasmostwebsiteownersdothatover75ofyourtrafficcomesfromacombinationofmanylesscompetitivekeywordsthatyouneverthoughtofuntilyoulookatyourtrafficstatistics.Thesearecalledlong-tailkeywordsandusuallyaremadeupof3wordsormore.Lookatthelistofsomeofthekeywordsthatresultedinvisitstomywebsiteinarecentmonth.Youllseetheyareall3wordsormoreandeachresultedinonly1visittomywebsite.Whenyouhavehundredsorthousandsofthesekeywordsitreallyaddsupandusuallybecomesalargeportionofyourtotalwebsitetraffic. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com8Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.GettingSomeGoogleLoveSincethemajorityoftrafficcomesfromsearchenginesandGooglehasadeathgripon80ofallsearchesitsprettyclearthatgettingyourwebsiterankedinGoogleistheultimategoalfornow.TogetsomelovefromGoogleyouhavetogiveGooglewhatitwants-1goodqualitycontent2acleansitethatisengagingandeasytonavigateand3incominglinkstoshowthatyoursiteisvaluedbyothers.AndwithgoalsliketheseyouentertherealmofSearchEngineMarketingSearchEngineMarketingSearchEngineMarketingSEMisaformofinternetmarketingseekingtoraisethevisibilityofyourwebsiteusingSearchEngineOptimizationSEOandpaidadvertising.Illtalkaboutallthreeandshowyouhowyoucanusethemtoboosttraffictoyourwebsite.SearchEngineOptimizationSearchEngineOptimizationSEOisoneofthemostimportanttoolsyoucanusetogetmoretraffictoyoursite.SEOseekstooptimizeawebsiteinordertoacheivehigherrankingsinsearchengineresults.SEOincludeson-pageandoff-pagetechniques.Asyouwouldexpecton-pagetechniquesarethosethatarecompletedONyourwebsiteandoff-pageoptimizationaretechniquesthatareemployedOFFyourwebsite.Off-pageoptimizationmostlyentailslinksfromotherwebsites.On-PageOptimization-MakingSureYourWebsiteisSearchEngineFriendlyIfyouareaclientofWebEminenceyoureluckybecausemostoftheon-pagesearchengineoptimizationisalreadydoneforyou.WebEminencecreateswebsitesusingSearchEngineFriendlytechniques.Youcanreadmoreaboutthisonmybloghere.Tosummarizeon-pageoptimizationincludeshavingwell-writtencodespeed-optimizedcontentandasitethatissimpletonavigateandkeepsthevisitorsattention.Youwanttoincludetargetkeywordswithinyourcontentnaturallywithoutusinganyoldschoolkeywordspamtechniqueslikewhitetextonwhitebackground.IfawebsiteisSearchEngineFriendlyitwillusuallybeindexedquickly.Beingindexedsimplymeansitsincludedwithinthesearchenginesresults.Beingindexedmeansyoursiteisincludedinsearchresultsforakeyword.HowhighyoursiteisrankedintheresultsisdeterminedbyotheraspectsofSEOthatwewilltalkaboutinthisguide. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com9Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.On-PageOptimization-ContentIsKingGooglelikescontent.SitesthatarecontinuallyupdatedwithfreshcontentaretypicallyratedhigherbyGoogleandwebsitevisitorsthansitesthatareoldandstalewithoutnewcontent.Thisiswhyitisimportanttocontinuallyaddcontenttoyourwebsiteonaregularbasisifpossible.Ifyouhaveasimple4or5pagewebsitethismaynotbeapriorityforyou.Butevenupdatingyoursitewithnewcontentafewtimesperyearcanmakeadifference.Oneofthemostpopularwaystoaddfreshcontenttoyourwebsiteistoposttoablog.Forexamplemyclientwhoownsahoghuntingwebsitemightwriteablogpostonceamonthabouthoghuntingnewstechniquesrecommendedproductsetc.Readmoreonbloggingonpage18Off-PageOptimization-GettingLinkstoYourWebsiteGettinglinkstoyoursiteisTHEmostimportantaspectofSEOandIwillfocusonitforthemajorityofthisguide.Incominglinksarevitalbecausetheycanbeasourceofwebsitetrafficwhenvisitorsclickthelinks.ButmoreimportantlyGoogleandothersearchenginesdeterminewebsitevalueandauthoritybasedonthenumberofincominglinksfromotherwebsites.AnincominglinkisessentiallyaVOTEforyourwebsiteandthesitewiththemostvotesusuallywinsintheGooglerankingsThisisnottheonlyfactorinsearchenginerankingsbutitisthemostimportantrankingfactoratthistimeandcannotbeignoredinoptimizingyoursite.TIPTherearemanyaspectstobuildingaSearchEngineFriendlywebsitethatarebeyondthescopeofthisguideandnotnecessaryforyoutoknowifyoursitewasdevelopedbyWebEminence.IfyouarebuildingawebsiteonyourownyoumaywanttoreadtheSearchEngineFriendlychapterintheSEOMozSEOBeginnersGuide. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com10Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.Wiki-DominanceHaveyouevernoticedthatWikipedia.comranksveryhighusuallyinthetop3formanysearchesTakealookatthenumberofincominglinksWikipedia.comhasatthetimeIwrotethisguideandcomparethattoabrandnewwebsiteIcreatedforaWebEminenceclient.YoucangetthisinformationfromOpenSiteExplorer.orgexplainedlateronpage30.Wikipedia.comTotalIncomingLinks1500000NewSiteTotalIncomingLinks2Whichwebsitedoyouthinkhasabetterchanceofrankinghighinsearchengines...thewebsitewithover1millionincominglinksorthesitewithonly2linksBythewayIhatetobreakittoyoubutifyoursiteisnewyouprobablyonlyhaveacouplelinkstooWikipedia.comisrankedveryhighinsearchenginesmainlybecauseithassomanylinkspointingtoit.OtherwebsitesfindtheinfomationonWikipediasousefulthattheylinktoitoftenandeachlinkisavoteinGoogleseyes.AsaresultGooglehasdeterminedthatforcertainsearchesWikipediahasproventoprovidethemostusefulinformationandsoitislistedhighintheresultsveryoften.Nowmostwebsiteownerswillnotbeabletoincreaseincominglinkstoover1million.Howeveriftheownerofthisnewsitecouldincreasethenumberoflinksfrom2to200inthenext12monthsitwoulddefinitelyhaveanoticeableeffectonsearchenginerankings.SothenaturalquestionisHowdoyougetmorelinkstoyourwebsiteImgladyouaskedbutletsfirstlookatthestructureofalink.TIPWhilemostofthisguidewillbeaboutbuildinglinkstoyourwebsiteoneofthemostimportantaspectsofbuildingapopularwebsiteiscreatingcontentthatiscompellingandusefulsothatyourvisitorswillwanttoreturnandshareit.ThisisthemostnaturalwaytocreatelinkstoyoursiteinthelongrunanditswhyWikipediagetssomanyincominglinks. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com11Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.TheAnatomyofaLinkTounderstandhowlinksworkinsearchengineoptimizationyouneedtoknowthestructureofalink.Onthewebthemostcommonlinksaretextlinksandimagelinks.Theyallowyoutoclickonanimageoranchortextandbetakentothelinkedwebsite.BelowisanexampleoftheHTMLcodebehindatextlinkCompleteWebsiteTheURLinredisthewebsitewheretheuserwillbetakenwhentheanchortextisclicked.Theanchortextinorangeiswhatisdisplayedusuallyinblueandunderlinedfortheusertoclick.TheoutputofthecodeabovewouldbeCompleteWebsite.Youllseeifyouclickonthatlinkyouaretakentohttpwebeminence.com.ThekeyaspectoflinkanatomytograspforthepurposeofSEOistheanchortext.TheanchortextisamajorcluetoGoogleastowhatthewebsiteisabout.Iftherearehundredsofwebsiteslinkingtomysiteusingtheanchortextcompletewebsitethereisabetterchancemywebsitewillrankwellforthesearchtermcompletewebsite.Foryearsmanywebsiteownersusedthistotheiradvantageandfocusedononeortwokeywordsandusedautomatedprocessestobuildthousandsoflinkstotheirwebsiteusingtheirtargetkeywordastheanchortext.Howeverin2012Googlereleasedanupdatetodiscounttheselinksorevenpenalizewebsitesthatusethesameanchortextthousandsoftimestotrytoinfluencethesearchengineresults.Nowthebestpracticeforsearchengineoptimizationwhencreatinglinksisusingvariousanchortextstokeepitlookingnatural.ForexampleinsteadofusingcompletewebsitepackagethousandsoftimesImayusethefollowinglistformyanchortextandvaryitwitheachlinkcompletewebsitepackagecompletewebsitesimplewebsitesimplewebsitepackageaffordablewebsiteItsalsosmarttouseyourwebsiteURLorevengeneraltermslikeclickhereastheanchortextbecauseitshowGoogleexpectsnaturallinkstoappear.SoinmycaseIwoulduseWebeminence.comastheanchortextonsomeofmylinks.Sothemoralofthestoryiswhenyouareincontrolofalinktoyourwebsiteyoushoulduseappropriateanchortext.Ifotherwebsitesarelinkingtoyouandyoucannotcontroltheanchortextthenthereisnothingyoucando.Sincetheselinksarenaturalincominglinksyoushouldnthavetoworryabouttheanchortext.Justbethankfulforthelink SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com12Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.RelevantLinksRuleVerysimplystatedthemorelinksyouhavethehigheryoursitewillrank.BeforeIgetintoalonglistofdifferentmethodstogetlinkstoyourwebsiteitsimportanttomentionthetypesoflinksthatarebest.Almostalllinksaregood-exceptlinksthatcomefrompenalizedsites.HowdoyouknowifasiteispenalizedbyGoogleYoureallydontjustmakesureyougetlinksfromreputablesites.Stayawayfromgamblingsitesadultsitesandothersitesthatappearquestionable.Relevantlinksarebest.Thismeansthatifyouhaveahuntingwebsiteyoudratherhaveincominglinksfromhuntingwebsitesthandatingormusicwebsites.LikeIsaidalllinksaregoodbutrelevantlinksaremorevaluabletohelpyourankforyourtargetedkeywords.NowthatyouunderstandthebasicsofSEOandwhyincominglinksTOyourwebsitearesoimportantwecangetintothepracticalstuff-howyoucanACTUALLYstartgettinglinkstoyoursiteNOW.LinkLearninOnlineForumsOnlinediscussionforumsaretypicallyhigh-rankingwebsiteswithGooglebecausetheyareusuallyveryactivewithnewcontentaddeddailyasuserscreateposts.Youcangetincominglinkstoyourwebsiteinonlineforumsbytakingadvantageofthesignaturefunction.Mostonlineforumsallowyoutoaddasignaturetoallyourpostsandincludealinktoyourwebsite.Thefirststepistofindanappropriateforumforyourniche.InthecaseofhoghuntingIwouldsearchGoogleforhuntingforumandfindahuntingforumthatappearstobeactivewithalotofmembersandrecentposts.Thendetermineiftheforumsallowsignaturelinks.Youcandothisbybrowsingthepostsandcheckingtoseeiftheiraresignaturesundertheposts.Onceyoufindagoodforumthatallowssignaturelinksyoucanregisterfortheforumandbecomeactive.Checktheforumdailyorasoftenasyoucanandjointhediscussion.Donttrytosellyourproductorservicebyjustpostinglinkstoyoursite.Thatmaybeconsideredspamandmightgetyoukickedoutoftheforum.Justjoininthediscussionandtrytoaddvaluetotheconversations.Ifyouarebeingaconstructivememberintheforumothermembersoftheforumwillnaturallywanttoseeyourwebsiteandwhatyoudo.Youcanthenaddyoursignaturetothebottomofallyourpostsbyeditingyourprofilewithintheforum.Allonlineforumshavedifferentruleslikerequiring10postsbeforeasignatureisallowedsoyouwillhavetodosomeresearchoneachparticularforum.Itisbesttohavealinktoyoursitewitharelevantkeywordastheanchortext.ForinstanceforHogHuntingLight.netImightwantthelinktobeHogHuntersLovemyHogHuntingLight. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com13Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.Heresanexampleofwhatmysignaturelookslikeinanonlineforum.IchangeitoccasionallybutthisonewaspromotingablogpostIwroteoncreditcardprocessingfees.Thesignatureisbelowthelineinredandblue.Ifyouareactiveinaforumandhavealinkinyoursignaturetheresultcouldbetensorhundredsofincominglinkstoyourwebsitedependingonhowactiveyouareintheforum.SomesearchengineexpertsargueaboutthevalueofthesesignaturelinksbecauseGooglecaneasilytellthesearesignaturelinksaddedbyyou.Plusthehundredsofsignaturelinksonyourpostsmightonlycountasonelinktoasearchenginesincetheyareallcomingfromthesamesite.IstillrecommendbeingactiveinforumsforseveralreasonsThelinkscannothurtandtheyprobablywillhelpYouwilllearnalotandmeetsomepeopleinyourindustrybybeingactiveinforumsYoullgettargetedtraffictoyoursitethroughyoursignaturelinkIhavebeenactiveinforumsandreceivedalotoftrafficandafewclients.Ivealsolearnedalotfromjoininginthediscussionswithmanybeginnersandexpertsinmyfield.Myhoghuntinglightclienttookmyadviceandbecameactiveinforumstoo.Asaresulthereceivedmostofhistrafficandsalesfromonlineforumsinthebeginningstagesofhiswebsite. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com14Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.OnlineDirectoriesAreNOTUselessBeforesearchenginesonlinedirectorieswerethewaytofindwhatyouwantedonline.Althoughtheyarenotusedasmuchnowduetothegrowthofsearchenginestheyarestilluseful.Onlinedirectoriesaregreatplacestogetfreelinkstoyourwebsite.AgainSEOexpertsargueaboutthevalueoftheselinksforsearchenginerankingsbutlinksinqualitydirectorieslikelinksinforumscannothurtandprobablywillhelp.TherearelargegeneraldirectorieslikeDMOZandYahooDirectorywhereeverywebsiteshouldwanttobeincluded.Butevenbetterisfindingspecificdirectoriesinyourniche.ForexampleIfoundadirectorycalledWebsiteDesignersList.comthatappearedinsearchengineresultsformanysearchesIwastargeting.IdiscoveredIcouldgetafeaturedlinkintheirdirectoryforafewhundreddollarsperyear.Spending200mayseemtooexpensiveforsomepeoplebutithasbeenagreatvalueforme.Iget4-5clientsayearfromthatlinkanditsoneofmyhighestreferrersoftraffic.YoucanseeismydirectorylistingonWebsiteDesignersList.comshadedinredbelow. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com15Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.Manylocalserviceslikedaycareorchiropractorshaveonlinedirectories.Allittakesisaquicksearchtofindthem.Somedirectorieswillhavefreelistingsandsomeonlyofferpaidlistings.ManypaidlistingswillbeworththeinvestmentbecausetheywillgeneratetargetedtrafficeandproducearelevantincominglinktoyourwebsitethewayWebsiteDesignersList.comdidforme.Besidesspecificdirectoriesforspecificindustriestherearealsothousandsofgeneraldirectorieswhereyoucangetyourlinksforfree.Thesearemorequestionableintheirvalueastheywillnotprovidemuchtrafficbutsincetheyarefreeitisusuallyworthitjustforthelinksbacktoyourwebsiteespeciallyifyoursiteisnew.Itwouldtakealotoftimetogetyoursitein100directoriesbutthisissomethingIhaveoutsourcedusingtheDirectorySubmissionservicesfromSubmitEdge.Theywillonlyincludesubmittingyoursitetofreedirectoriesnotpaidones.IfyouhaveanewwebsiteIwouldrecommendtakingadvantageofthisserviceoncetogetagoodbase.IlltalkmoreaboutSubmitEdgeandotherlinkbuildingservicesonpage17.WARNINGIfyouarenotoverwhelmedyetyouprobablywillbeinthenextcouplepages.Ifyouhavereadthisfarinonesittingyoumightconsidertakingabreaktoponderwhatyouvereadsofarandtakeactiononsomeoftheitems.Ifyoureadthroughthisentireguideatonceyoullprobablybesooverwhelmedthatyouwilldonothingatall.Realisticallythethingsinthisguideshouldtake12monthsormoretoimplementwell.Sodontfeellikeyoucanunderstandallofthisandimplementitinoneweek.Itwilltaketimeandyoumayneedtoreadcertainsectionsmorethanonce. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com16Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.ArticleMarketingOneofthemostpopularlinkbuildingtechniquesamongsearchenginemarketersisarticlemarketing.Therearehundredsofarticledirectorysitesonlinelikeezinearticles.comandgoarticles.com.Authorscansubmitarticlesfreeandthearticlesarethenpostedtothearticledirectorywebsitewitharesourceboxatthebottomofthearticlethatincludesalinktoyourwebsitealongwithashortbio.Thepurposeofthesearticledirectoriesistoallowwebmasterstofindfreearticlestouseascontentontheirwebsiteandintheirnewsletters.SowhywouldyouwanttopostarticlesonthesedirectoriesOneresultofpostingyourarticlestothesedirectorysitesislinkstoyoursitefromthearticledirectorywebsite.Ifyourarticleispickedupbyanycontentpublishersthatwillincreasethelinksbacktoyourwebsiteascontentpublishersarerequiredtoalsopublishyourresourceboxwiththebioandlink.Whilearticlemarketingcanhavepositiveeffectsontrafficandsearchenginerankingsitcanbealotofwork.Youneedtowritearticlesandsubmitthemtopopulararticledirectorysitesmanually.Luckilythisissomethingthatcanbeoutsourcedtoo.SinceIvementionedoutsourcingacoupletimesnowletstakesometimetolookmorecloselyathowyoucanoutsourceyourarticlemarketingandotherlinkbuildingefforts.TIPTherearemanyfreeandpaidarticlesubmissionsystemsthatwillsubmityourarticlestomanydirectoriesatonce.Theconsensusseemstobethatmanyofthesesystemsarentreliable.IcantsayforsurebecauseIhaventusedanyofthemtosubmitarticlesinrecentyears.IfyoudontwanttopaytooutsourceyourarticlemarketingasIdiscussbelowthenthebestoptionistomanuallysubmityourarticlestoabout10articledirectories.Doagooglesearchfor10toparticledirectoriesandyouwillquicklyfindthemostpopulararticledirectories. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com17Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.LinkBuildingServicesIvealreadymentionedtheservicesofSubmitEdgeandIwillmentionthemagainhere.Someofthemethodslistedinthisguidecanbeemployedwithlittleornomonetaryinvestmentbutifyouareseriousaboutrankingyourwebsitehigherforyourtargetedkeywordsitmaytakemoretimethanyouareabletodevote.IfyoudonthavealotoftimebuthavesomemoneytoinvestinSEOIwouldsuggestoutsourcingsomeoftheworktoanSEOfirm.IhaveusedSubmitEdgetobuildlinkstomanydifferentsitesforseveralyearswithgoodresults.IdontrelyontheirserviceentirelybutuseittosupplementmyownSearchEngineMarketingefforts.SubmitEdgeoffersanArticleSubmissionServicewheretheywritearticlesandsubmitthemtoseveralpopulararticledirectoriesasdescribedabove.TheirservicereportingandresultshaveproventobeworththemoneyformeandaretheyuseacceptablepracticesthataresafeforrankinginGoogleandothersearchengines.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutusingtheirservicesyoucancontactme.Theyhaveawidevarietyofoptionsbesidesarticlemarketing.Someareworththeinvestmentandsomenotinmyopinion.Itsbesttouseseveraloftheirservicesincombinationifyoucanaffordtheinvestment.ButcontactmebeforeyouchooseandIcangiveyousomeadvice.IamanaffiliatewithSubmitEdgesoifyoupurchasethroughmylinkIllreceiveasmallcommission.AsathankyouIllbehappytohelpyouinfillingouttherequiredformsafteryourpurchaseaswellasadvisingyoubeforeyourpurchase.ImalwaysinvestigatingnewcompaniesandnewwaysofoutsourcinglinkbuildingandSEO.Contactmeonmywebsiteorcheckoutmyblogforthelatest.AwordofcautionregardinglinkbuildingservicesItsimportantforincominglinkstoappearnatural.Itwouldbearedflagtosearchenginesifyournewsiteallofasuddenhad10000links.Forthisreasonifyououtsourceyourlinkbuildingeffortsitssmarttospreaditoutoverlongerperiodsoftime. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com18Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.TakeAdvantageoftheBloggingExplosionIshouldnthavetotellyouthatbloggingisHUGE.Imsureyouvenoticed.Wordpress.comapopularbloggingplatformthathostsaround40oftheblogsontheweboffersthesestats.AsofthetimeImwritingthisthestatsshowthatthereareover65000000blogshostedonWordpress.comand368millionpeopleviewingblogpostseverymonth.ThatsmorethantheentireUSpopulationSoifyoudidntknowitbeforeyouknowitnowBloggingisHUGE.HowdoyoutakeadvantageoftheexplosivegrowthoftheblogworldHerearetwoways1.PostToYOURBlogThemostobviouswaytousebloggingtoyouradvantageisprettyobvious.AllyouhavetodoisPOSTTOYOURBLOGSoundseasyrightInmyexperiencewithclientsandevenmyownsitesIvefoundthatmostblogsfailbecausetheyarentpostedtoregularly.YoumayhavelandedonablogbeforewiththelastpostbeingfromDecember2007.NotveryenticingisitTypicallyyoudontseemanyblogswithoutnewpostsinthelast5yearsbecauseGoogleissmartenoughtoexcludetheseoutdatedblogsfromtheirsearchengineresults.Theywouldratherincludefreshblogswithupdatedcontent.Thatswhyitssoimportantthatyouposttoyourblogregularly.Notonlywillthiskeepyourwebsitelookingfreshtothesearchenginesbutitwillgiveyoumoresearchenginepositions.Idefineasearchenginepositionasatop10rankinginasearchengineforakeywordsearch.Heresanexampletofurtherexplainsearchenginepositions. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com19Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.Letssayyouhavea5pagewebsitedescribingyourHeatingandAirConditioningbusiness.Froma5-pagewebsiteyouwillbeluckytoget10searchenginepositionsonthetopicofheatingandairconditioning.BUTifyoucreate50blogpostsonyourblogthisyearyouaredrasticallyincreasingthenumberofpositionsyoucanhaveinsearchenginesaseachoneofyourblogpostswillhavethepotentionaltorankfordifferentsearchenginekeywords.IknowwhatyourethinkingnowHowcanIcomeupwithtopicsfor50blogpostsRegardlessofwhatyourbusinessisthereareprobablyhundredsofthoughtsthatflythroughyourbraineverydaythatcouldpotentiallybeturnedintoblogposts.Trykeepingapaperandpenhandyoratextdocumentonyourcomputersoyoucanjotdownpotentialblogpostideasbeforetheyescapeyourmind.IfyourheatingandairconditioningbusinessisinAtlantayoumightpostonthefollowingtopicsHowAtlantaweatherpatternswillaffectACcostsnextyearBestfilterstouseinfurnacesHowtomaintainyourfurnaceandairconditionerCasestudiesonhownewACunitssavehomeownersmoneyThegoalofyourblogshouldbetocreateuniqueandusefulcontentforyourreadersandvisitors.Yourblogpostsdontneedtobetargetedtospecifickeywords.Ifyouarewritingonyourtopicthekeywordswillnaturallyflowintoyourcontent.Butitdoesnthurttomakesureyoureincludingkeywordswithinthecontent.Justmakesureitisnatural.TIPAgreatwaytocreateblogpostsistousecontentalreadycreatedwithinyourbusiness.WhattextcontentiscreatedinyourbusinessReportsCaseStudiesProductReviewsPromotionalMaterialsVideosCananyofthiscontentbepublishedasblogpoststoincreasethecontentandsearchenginepositionsofyourwebsiteManypeoplearealreadycreatingcontentdailyintheirbusinessformultiplepurposes. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com20Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.2.GuestPostonOtherBlogsMostblogownersthatareSUPERsuccessfulprobablyutilizedthestrategyofguestpostingatsomepointinthelifeoftheirblog.SowhatisguestpostingManyblogownerswelcomeotherwriterstosubmitpostsontheirblogasaguest.Theydothistocreatefreshcontentontheirblogwithouthavingtowritethecontentthemselves.Thebenefitforthewriterofaguestpostisincreasedexposureandlinksbacktoyourwebsitewithinthepostorinthebylineatthebottomofthepost.ForexamplelookatmybylineonawebsitewhereImakeguestblogpostsbelow.ClickheretoseeoneofmyguestpostsliveonBusiness2Community.comAsyoucanseeinmybylineIamabletoputabriefdescriptionofwhoIamandwhatIdo.Theauthorresourceboxalsohaslinkstomywebsiteandsocialprofiles.Thisisjustoneexample.Theresourceboxorbylinewilllookdifferentondifferentwebsites.AsaresultofguestpostingIreceivetraffictomysitefromvisitorswhoclickmylinksandtheselinksalsocountasincominglinkstohelpbuildmysearchenginerankings.TheamountoftrafficandsearchenginebenefitIgetfromtheincominglinkdependsonthepopularityoftheblogImpostingon.Thebestwaytomaximizetheeffectistoguestpostonactiveblogsthathavealotofcommentssocialsharesandtraffic.YoucancheckablogstrafficandpopularityusingSEMRush.combeforedecidingtosubmitaguestpost.MoreonSEMRush.comonpage31.Obviouslyanysmartblogownerwillnotletjustanyonepostontheirblog.Andusuallythehighestqualityblogshavestrictrequirementsforguestbloggersthatmakeitdifficulttogetpublished.Theymaywanttocheckyourcredentialswritingqualitywritingexperienceetc.soyoumayhavetoputforthsomeefforttosellyourself.StartSmallIfyoureinthetechnologynicheyoureprobablynotgoingtobeabletoguestpostonatoptechnologybloglikeMashable.comforyourfirstguestpost.Youmayhavetostartwithsmallerwebsitesandbuildupyourwritingreputation.Andyoudontneedtopostonmassiveblogstogeta SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com21Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.benefit.Mostsmallbusinessownerscangetgreatexposureandsearchenginebenefitsfromguestpostingonsomeaveragesizeblogswithintheirindustryevenafewtimesperyear.Youllwanttofindblogswithinyourindustrynichetogetthemostbenefitfromlinksandtraffic.Iftherearenoblogswithinyourindustrynichethenyoucanexpandyoursearchtomoregeneralindustrytopics.Notfindinganyblogswithinyournichewouldalsobeagreatreasontostartyourownblogtofillthevoid.FindingGuestPostingOpportunitiesIfIwasanairconditionercontractorIwouldfindguestpostingopportunitiesbysearchingGoogleforthingslikeairconditionerguestpostorairconditionerblog.Manyblogownerswillhavelinkstosubmitaguestpostandiftheydontyoucanjustemailtheblogownerandaskthemiftheywouldallowyoutocreateablogpostthatwouldbevaluabletotheirreaders.Youcanincludesomepossibletopicsyouwishtowriteontogivethemanideaofyourexpertiseandwritinginterests.Makesuretoincludeincentiveforthembyexplaininghowtheycanbenefitfromyoupostingontheirblog.Thebiggestincentiveforthemisfreefreshcontentfortheirblog.WhatifICantWriteIfyoudontthinkyoucanwritewellorjustplainhatewritingthatsnoexcusetonottakeadvantageofblogs.Itdoesmakeitmoredifficultbutnotimpossible.Thereareafewwaystogetaroundthisroadblock.FirstofallistheresomeonewithinyourcompanythatcanwriteblogpostsIfsoconsidertakingadvantageoftheirabilities.Ifyoudonthaveanyonewithinyourcompanywiththetimeandabilitytowritethisissomethingyoucanoutsource.TherearetonsofwritersonElancethatcanresearchandwriteblogpostsforyouonyourtopics.Thecostusuallyaveragesanywherefrom20-80perarticle.Itswellworththemoneyevenifyoucanonlyaffordtodoonearticleeveryfewmonths.JustsignupforElancefreeandwriteadescriptionofthetypesofarticlesyouneedwritten.Youllgetseveralproposalsfromqualifiedwriters.YoucanwatchmyvideoandreadtheaccompanyingblogposttoseehoweasyitistopostaprojectonElance.PromoteYourBlogPostsSoyourepostingtoyourblogGREATYoureprobablydoingmorethan80ofotherblogownersouttherewhohaveblogsthataresittingstagnant.Nowheresthenextcommonproblem.HowdopeopleseeyourblogManyblogownersputtheirheaddownandcommittowritinghundredsofblogpostsandhopethatGooglerewardsthemfortheirdiligentcontentcreation.Thisislikehavingagaragesalebutnotputtingoutanypromotionalsignsonthebusystreetsnearby. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com22Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.BeforewritingmynextblogpostIoftenaskmyselfIsthereanythingelseIcandotopromotemyPREVIOUSblogpostMytimemaybebetterspentpromotingmyrecentpostsratherthancreatingnewcontent.IfyoujustkeepcreatingnewblogpostshopingtogettrafficyoumaygetluckyORitmaynevercome.Ratherthanrelyingonluckabetterapproachwouldbetopromoteeachofyourblogpostsusingallthemethodsdescribedinthisentireguideandsomeothermethodsthatarespecifictoblogs.HerearesomeideasforpromotingyourblogpostsPostthelinktoyourTwitterFacebookLinkedInandothersocialprofiles.ThiscanbemadeautomaticusingtoolslikeFeedBurnerandlinkingyoursocialaccounts.PutarecentblogpostinyourforumsignatureslikeIdo.Commentonotherrelevantblogsandshareyourblogpostonlyifitisrelevanttotheconversation.Seethesectiononblogcommentingonpage26.SharethepostwithotherwebsiteownersinyourindustryandaskthemtoshareitwiththeiraudiencePosttheblogtospecialtyblogbookmarkingsiteslikeBlogCatalogandBlogEngageThepossibilitiesforpromotingyourblogpostsareendless.Youdontwanttospend6monthspromotingoneblogpostbutthekeyistofindbalanceinwritingnewblogpostsandpromotingyourpublishedposts.Ifyoucantfindagoodreasonandvenueforsharingyourblogpoststhenyoumightquestionwhetheryoushouldhavewrittenitinthefirstplace.SorrytosoundharshbutitsthetruthTIPIfyouareseriousaboutbuildingthepopularityofyourblogBlogEngagewillplaceyourblogpostsinfrontofalargecommunityofotherbloggerstohelpgiveitakickstart.IhavepaidfortheirupgradedmarketingservicesandasaresulteverytimeIpublishablogpostitissyndicatedon3blogwebsitesandsharedonmultiplesocialprofilesmanagedbytheownerofBlogEngage.com.Itisblogpromotiononautopiot. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com23Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.BeSocialAfterbloggingexplodedinpopularitysomethingelsetookoffthenextexplosionwassocialmediawiththegrowthofFacebookandTwitter.IfyourereadingthisandyouhaveapulsetheresaprettygoodchanceyouhaveanaccountonFacebookTwitterorboth.ThereareentirecourseswrittenonmarketingonFacebookandTwitter.AndifyoureinterestedIwouldrecommendSmallBusinessSocialMediaMarketingCoursesbyLauraRoeder.Ivereadalotofherstuffincludinghercoursesandcanconfidentlysayitisworththeinvestment.Herpricesandoptionsmaychangefromtimetotimebutatthetimeofwritingthisyoucanpayonemonthlypricetogetaccesstoallhercourses.Itisnotcheapat90permonthbutyoucanpayafewmonthsjusttowatchallthecoursesandthencancelifyouwant.Thatwouldbemorethanworththepriceyoullpay.YouwilllearnthefundamentalsandadvancedstrategiesforusingsocialmediainyourbusinessthatincludesTwitterFacebookLinkedInPinterestandmore.Idontgetcommissionsforrecommendingherservice.IjustrecommenditbecauseitsGOODYouDontHaveToMasterSocialMediaJustUseItEvenifyoudonthavetimetoharnessthepowerofsocialmediawithanexpansivemarketingstrategyandtakingcoursesitisstillcriticaltounderstandtheimportanceofsociallinksandmakethemworkforyou.Googlehasstatedthattheyplacehighvalueonlinksfromsocialwebsitesanditaffectstheirsearchrankings.Soifyoudonthavelinksonsocialmediaplatformsitsgoingtonegativelyaffectyourrankings.OrtostateitpositivelyifyouDOhavelinksinsocialmediaalongwithalotoflikesandretweetsitwillpropelyouhigherinthesearchenginerankings.Ifyoutweetedalinkanditwasretweeted500timesitcanhaveahugepositiveeffectonyourrankingswithinamatterofhoursIknowitsnotthateasytoget500peopletoretweetbutyoucanstilldolittlethings.IfyoureonFacebookorTwitterpostalinktoyourhomepageornewblogpost.TrytobecreativeandencouragefriendsandcustomerstoretweetitorlikeyourlinkonFacebook.IfyouknowsomeonewithahugefollowingonFacebookorTwitteraskthemtopostyourlink.IactuallyusedaservicecalledJustRetweettogetretweetswhileIwasbuildingupmyfollowingonTwitter.Socialmediaismovingconstantlyandchangingfast.GoogleknowsthisandmonitorssocialmediatoseewhatishappeningEVERYSECONDItseasytobeoverwhelmedbythesizeandspeedofthesocialmediaplatformsandDONOTHING.Dontbeoneofthosepeople.Evenhavingasmallpresenceonsocialmediacanboostyoursearchenginerankings. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com24Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.ManualLinkBuildingOneofthemostobviousandpowerfulmethodsofbuildinglinksissosimpleitisoftenoverlooked.IcallitmanuallinkbuildinganditinvolvessimplysearchingGoogleforyourtargetkeywordsandseeingifthereareanysiteswithinthefirst2-3resultspageswhereyoucangetlinks.Thesitesrankedonthefirst2-3pagesforyourkeywordsobviouslyhaveagoodreputationwithGooglealreadyandalinkononeofthesesiteswouldbeahugevoteforyourwebsitetoberankedforthesamekeywordsalso.Linksonthesesiteswillprovideasecondbenefittoosincethesetopsitesarealreadyreceivingabulkofthetrafficwhenyourtargetkeywordsaresearchedhavinglinksonthesesitesisgoingtogetyouasliceofthetrafficpie.SowhatkindofsiteswillyoufindonthefirstfewpagesofGoogleforyourtargetkeywordsandhowcanyougetlinksLetstakeadaycareserviceforexampleIfIsearchseattledaycareinGoogleIseethefollowingGeneraldirectorieslikeYelp.comSpecificdaycaredirectorieslikeCare.comLocalGooglePlaceslinksCompetitordaycarewebsitesPreschoolwebsitesCraigslistclassifiedsGovernmentsitesonchildcareThequestionIaskmyselfis-HowcanIbeseenonthesewebsites...CanIgetalistingonYelp.com.Care.comorGooglePlacesHowaremycompetitorsgettingrankedsohighinsearchenginesSeeAnalyzetheCompetitionbelowCanIlinkupwiththepreschoolwebsitetobecomearecommendedafterschooldaycareIsitworthitformetoadvertiseonCraigslistDoesthegovernmentsiteallowdaycarestoregisteronalistandpostalinktomywebsiteArethereanypersonalblogswrittenwithinmyindustrynicheMaybeIcanconnectwiththeblogowner... SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com25Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.DontexpecttogetlinksoneverysitethatyoufindinthetoppageofGoogleforyourtargetkeywords.Someofthesesitesmaybedeadendsbutconsideringeveryanglemayallowyoutofindonelinkthatwillresultinjust100visitorsamonth.ThatonelinkandextravisitorscanmakeahugedifferenceinyourbusinessBuildRelationshipsOnlineSincetheinternetrunsontechnologypeopleforgetthattherearerelationshipsbehindallthebytesandbandwidth.Dontbeafraidtoreachouttootherwebsiteownerswithinyourindustrynichewithanemailorphonecall.Youneverknowhowyoumightbeabletotakeactionthatismutuallybeneficial.Maybeitwillbeareferralalinkoraguestpost.Youneverknowuntilyouask.Manypeoplewhoarehavingmassivesuccessonlinebecamesuccessfulbecauseofasinglelinkonapopularwebsitethathelpedlaunchthepopularityoftheirownwebsite.Hereareafewthingstokeepinmindwhencontactingpeople.RecognizewhattheyaredoingonlineFIRST.Dontjusttalkaboutyourselfandwhatyouaretryingtodo.PeoplewillappreciatethatyoureunderstandingtheirwebsiteandtheirbusinessOfferincentiveItsprobablynotworthcontactingpeopleunlessyoucanofferthemincentiveforworkingtogether.MaybeyoucanpaythemforreferralsoroffertorecommendtheirproductorserviceinablogpostoronFacebook.Considersendinganemailjustaskingaquestionfirstbeforehittingthemwithaproposition.Iftheyrespondandyoustartaconversationbyemailyoullhopefullycreateanaturalopportunitytoworktogether.TIPWhendoingmanuallinkbuildingdontsearchGoogleforonlyyourexacttargetkeyword.Makesuretoalsosearchvariationsofyourkeywordtofindalltheopportunitiesforconnectingwithotherwebsites.Ifyouneedmoreideasforkeywordstosearchusetherelatedsearchsuggestionsonthesearchengineresultspage. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com26Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.BlogCommentingRememberhowwetalkedabouttheexplosionofblogsinrecentyearsOneofthereasonsfortheirpopularityisthecommentingfunctionthatallowsreaderstoposttheirowncommentsandgetinvolvedinthediscussion.Itcreatesinteractivitythatkeepsvisitorsinterestedandengaged.Imsureyouveseencommentsonblogsbefore.Itsthesectionatthebottomofablogpostthatallowsreaderstopostcomments.Heresanexampleofhowthecommentsectionlooksonmyblog.CommentingonotherblogscanbenefityoubecausecommentsectionstypicallyallowyoutoincludeaURLbacktoyourwebsiteorsomekindofpersonalprofile.Thenamesinblueintheexampleaboveareclickablelinks.Thislinkbacktoyourwebsitewillallowpeopletoeasilyclickandheadovertoyourwebsite.ThesecondarybenefitisthatitwilloftencountasalinkbacktoyourwebsiteforSEOpurposes.Manypeoplewillquestionthevalueofblogcommentlinksbecausethelinksaremadeintono-followlinksbyaddingasmallpieceofcodetothelink.Thisbasicallymeanssearchengineswontcountthelinkasavoteforyourwebsiteandit SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com27Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.wonthelpyoursearchrankings.Ifyouwanttoreadmoreaboutthevalueofno-followlinksyoucanreadagreatblogpostonthetopicherebutitsbeyondthescopeofthisguide.Eventhoughmanyblogcommentlinkscanbeno-followIstilllikeblogcommentingandrecommenditforafewreasons1.Imreadingblogsanyway.Idontusuallydevotespecialtimetoblogcommentingforlinks.ButsinceImalreadyreadingblogsImightaswellleaveaconstructivecommentandgetsomeexposureandtrafficbacktomysite.Idontcareifthelinkisno-follow.Iactuallythinkhavingalotofno-followlinkslooksnaturaltoGoogle.Andnaturalisgoodwhenitcomestosearchengineoptimization.2.Ilearnalotfromreadingtheblogpostsandblogcomments.3.TherehavebeenmonthswheremylargesttrafficreferrerswerefromcommentsIpostedonpopularblogs.4.Itcanthurt-anditprobablywillhelpSoifyourereadinganinterestingblogpostandfindthatitallowscommentsattheendgoaheadandleaveausefulcommentaddingsomeconstructiveinformationoraskingaquestion.MakesuretoputyourwebsiteURLintheURLfieldifprovidedbutdontpostyourlinkinthecommentsectionunlessitisusefultothereaders.Otherwiseitmaybeviewedasspamandyourcommentwillprobablybedeleted.TIPOneofmyfavoritewaystomakemyblogcommentingmoreefficientissettingupGoogleAlertsfortopicsIaminterestedinortopicsIhavewrittenblogpostsonmyself.GoogleAlertswillemailmewhenanewpageorpostispublishedonthetopicandIcanbethefirsttocommentonit.Thisisagreatwaytogettargetedtrafficonspecifictopis.SometimesIevenincludealinktomyrelatedblogpostwithinthecommentifitisappropriate. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com28Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.PressReleasesExtraExtraPressreleasesweretheholygrailofSEOseveralyearsback.Thereisalotofdebateovertheirusefulnessnow.TheyareanotherexampleofanSEOmethodthatcanthurtandprobablywillhelpsoIwantedtomakesuretomentionthem.PressReleasesaresimilartoarticlesubmissionmentionedabove.TheyareshortpressarticleswrittenasanewsstoryandsubmittedtonewswiresiteslikePRNewswire.Journalistsandnewsoutletsallovertheworldscourthesenewswireslookingfornewsworthyarticlestopublish.Iftheyfindyourpressreleaseinterestingyoumightgetpublishedonahighrankingnewswebsite.Evenifyourpressreleasedoesntgetpickedupbyanewsagencyyoustillgetthebenefitofgettingyoursitelinkedonthenewswirewebsites.ThesenewswirewebsiteshaveahighreputationwithGoogleandyourpressreleasepagecanrankhighinthesearchenginesonitsownforcertainkeywords.Thelinksbacktoyourwebsitefromthepressreleasepagewillhelpyourownwebsiterankhighertoo.InmyexperiencetheeffectofpressreleasesisoftenshortlivedbutthecumulativebenefitissomewhatunknownsoIrecommenddoingthemoccasionallyasyourbudgetandtimeallows-andasyouhavenewstoshare.SimilartoarticlesubmissionIuseSubmitEdgesservicetowriteandsubmitaPressReleaseformeandtherearemanyotherservicesonlinethatwillsubmitapressreleasetothenewswiresites.Youmaywanttowritethepressreleaseyourselftomakesureitiswell-writtenandwillhaveabetterchanceofengagingjournalistsandbeingpublished.Youwillprobablywanttodosomeresearchonwritingapressreleasebeforedivingin.Itsaspecificstyleofwritingandtherearewaystomakeyourpressreleasemoreenticingtonewsagenciesandreaders. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com29Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.LinkToYourselfInternalLinksThewebconsistsofwebpagesconnectedbyinternalandexternallinks.Sofarwehavebeendiscussingexternallinkswhicharelinksfromonewebsitetoanother.Internallinksarelinkswithinyourwebsitefromonepagetoanother.ForexampleyoumayhaveablogpostthatlinkstoyourAboutpageoryourAboutpagemaylinktoyourContactpage.Theseareallinternallinks.IfyousearchforcompletewebsitepackageinGooglemysitewillprobablycomesomewhereonthefirstpageifnotletmeknowbecauseIhaveworktodo.Thereareafewreasonsforthis.IhavealotofexternallinkstothatpagewiththeanchortextcompletewebsitepackageandIalsohavealotofinternallinkslinkingtothatpagewiththesameanchortext.Acompleteandoptimizedsitewillhavealotofinternallinkstootherpageswithinthesitethatwillbeusefulforthevisitor.Internallinksdonthavetheabilitytoboostyourrankingsasmuchasexternallinksbuttheycanhelpsearchenginesknowexactlywhatyourpageisaboutandgivemoreweighttoyourtargetkeywords.Makesuretolinktootherpagesonyoursitewheneveryoucanduringthecreationofyoursiteandwhencreatingnewpagesorblogposts.AnalyzetheCompetitionAbigpartofmarketingisknowingyourcompetition.IfyoureinanindustrywhereyouaretheonlyplayerthanyouareVERYLUCKYUnfortunatelymostofusareinvolvedintoughcompetitiononlinewithmanyotherwebsites.DoyouevergettiredofsearchingGoogleforyourtargetedkeywordandfindingthesamecompetingwebsiteinthetopspotEverywonderhowtheydoitYoumaynotbeabletofigureoutexactlyhowtheydoitbutyoucanprobablygetagoodidea.Thereareatonoftoolsonlinetoanalyzeyourcompetition.IvegravitatedtowardstwotoolsoverthelastfewyearsandIllsharethemwithyouhere.Theybotharefreebutofferpaidversionstoexpandtheirservices. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com30Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.1.OpenSiteExplorer.orgbySEOMoz.orgMOZformerlySEOMozisoneofthemostrespectedSearchEngineOptimizationauthoritiesonthewebtoday.TheycreatedanawesometoolcalledOpenSiteExplorerthatisbasicallyasearchengineforlinks.Youcanfinditathttpwww.opensiteexplorer.orgYoucaninputanyURLanditwillgiveyoualistofallthelinksthatarepointingtothatwebsitealongwithalotofusefulmetricsyoucanusetotrackyourownsitesprogressandcomparewithyourcompetitors.YoucansearchanyURLbutitsmostusefultosearchyourownsitescompetitorsitesorothersitesinyourindustrythatarerankingwellinthesearchengines.ToanalyzethecompetitionjusttypeinoneofyourcompetitorswebsiteURLsandbrowsethroughtheirincominglinkslinkspointingTOtheirwebsite.Youllseefollowedlinksandno-followlinks.Youllprobablywanttosetthefiltertoshowonlyexternalandfollowedlinks.Thiswillgiveyouthemostusefulinformation.Ifthecompetitorswebsiteisrankingwellinthesearchenginesyoushouldseealonglistofincominglinkspointingtotheirwebsite.Lookforwebsitesinthelistwhereyoumightbeabletogetalinktoo.Andlookforthetypesoflinkstheyhavepointingtotheirsite.AretheydirectorysitesreviewsitesblogsornewssitesAnalyzingyourcompetitorslinksmightopenyoureyestonewwebsitesandindustriesyouveneverthoughtofinvestigatingforlinksbacktoyoursite.OpenSiteExplorerisfreetousebutthefreeversionlimitsthenumberofsearchesyoucandodailyandthenumberofresultsshown. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com31Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.2.SEMRush.comSEMRushwasbuiltpreciselyforAnalyzingtheCompetition.SEMRushoffersasleekinterfacethatseasytouseandoffersatonofgreatinfoforfree.JusttypeinyourownURLoracompetitorsURLandletitdoitswork.Itwillchurnoutusefulmetricsonanywebsiteliketotaltrafficfromsearchenginestopkeywordsnumberofpositionsinsearchenginesadvertisingdollarsspentinsearchenginesandalotmore.SEMRushalsohasinfoonincominglinkssimilartowhatOpenSiteExploreroffers.ItmaybeeasytogetoverwhelmedwiththeSEMRushreportbuthereareafewthingstofocusonwhenanalyzingacompetitorswebsiteonSEMRush1.TrafficRank-HowdotheirtrafficmetricscomparetoyoursYouwanttoanalyzecompetitorsthataredoingmuchbetterthanyouandignoretheonesgettinglesstrafficthanyoufornow.Theresnopointinimitatingpeopledoingworsethanyou.2.TopKeyword-WhatareyourcompetitorstopkeywordsAreyoutargetingthesekeywordsalreadyordoyouneedtostart3.Advertising-IsthecompetitorusingadsWhatistheirbreakdownoforganictrafficvsadtrafficHaveyouconsideredadvertisinginsearchenginesYoumightbeinterestedinmyPayPerClickManagementserviceonPage33. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com32Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.NewLinksvs.CumulativeLinksIfyouarewillingtodedicateacertainamountofmoneytoinvestinbuildinglinkstoyourwebsiteIwouldrecommendspreadingitoutoveraperiodoftime.Forexampleifyouwishtoinvest1000inlinkbuildingservicesitwouldbebesttospreadoutthespendingat200permonthover5months.Buildingtoomanylinksatoncelooksunnaturaltosearchenginesandcanactuallyhurtyourrankings.Itsbettertobuildlinksslowlyovertime.Whileitisimportanttoalwayshavefreshnewlinksthenumberoflinksyougainovertimewillhaveacumulativeeffectofboostingyourrankingsoverthelongterm.Soifyouconsistentlyinvestinlinkbuildingeffortsovertimeyoushouldseethebenefitsofhigherrankingsinthesearchengines.Allinvestmentsyoumakeinlinkbuildingnowshouldproducelastingbenefitsasyoursearchenginerankingshavethepotentialtocontinueformanyyears.Itisaworthwhileinvestment.Youmayeventuallybeabletolowertheamountoflinkbuildingandonlydoenoughtomaintainyourrankings.HowFastWillMyRankingsChangeEverysearchengineisdifferentandhasdifferentalgorithmstodeterminetheirrankings.Thesealgorithmsarechangingallthetime.Googleandothersearchenginesareconstantlyspideringtheinternetlookingfornewsiteslinksandcontent.IfyoudoalotoflinkbuildingyoucanexpectthechangestobetakenintoaccountbyGooglein30-60daysandusuallyfaster.IvefoundmostothersearchenginesincludingBingtendtobesoslowinupdatingrankingsthatIdontevenworryaboutthematthispoint. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com33Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.PayPerClickMarketingWebsiteownerswhodonthavethetimeorpatiencetowaitforGoogleandothersearchenginestoincreasetheirrankingshavetheoptionofpaidadvertising.InthesearchresultsforGoogleyouusuallyseesponsoredadspaidlistingsatthetopandrightsideofthepagetheareashighlightedinthescreenshotbelow.TheseadsareplacedbyGoogleAdwordsadvertiserswhopaytohavetheirsiteslistedinthesepositions.Itisbasicallyanopenauctionwhereadvertisersbidacertainamountperclicktohavetheirsitelisted.ThewebsitewiththehighestbidamountperclickANDmostrelevantwebsiteaccordingtoGooglewillbedisplayedintheresults.Theadvertiserisonlychargedwhenthelinkisclicked.TypicalcostsperclickinGooglerangefrom0.05to2.00dependingonthekeywordsearch.TherearemanybenefitsofpayperclickmarketingincludingFastinclusioninsearchresultsusuallywithinhoursBidonasmanykeywordsasyouwantStartandstopthecampaignanytimeorscheduleitforcertaintimesofthedaySetdailyandmonthlybudgetstolimittheamountyouspendTestdifferentkeywordsandseehowyoursiteisconvertingsalesandleadsTargetthewholeworldorsmallgeographicalareascountriesstatescitiesetc.Asanexampleletslookagainatmyclientwhosellshoghuntinglights.IfIwastosetuppayperclickadvertisingforthiswebsiteImightchoose30keywordslikethefollowing SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com34Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.HoghuntinglightHoghuntinglightsHoghuntlightsHunthogslightHogfeederlightsHuntinglightsIwouldthenchooseabidamountperclick.Letssay0.10perclick.IfIweretosetmydailybudgetat10.00Icouldthenget100clicksinonedayfor10.00.Those100clickswouldbepeoplewhotypeinthesesearchtermssoIknowtheyhavesomeinterestinhuntinglights.Ifonepersonoutofthe100visitorsbuysfrommywebsiteandImakeaprofitof20onthesalethenImadea10profitfromthesale20revenueminus10advertisingcost.Ifpay-per-clickmarketingisconsistentlyprofitableonadailyormonthlybasisyoucanincreasethedailyandmonthlyinvestmenttoincreaseprofits.Howeverifyouinvestmoneyonpaidadvertisinganddonotgetpositiveresultsitmaymeanthatyourwebsiteoradvertisingcampaignsneedtobeoptimizedtoincreaseyourreturnoninvestment.Pay-per-clickmarketingcanbeverycomplicatedwithalotofvariablesthatneedtobeconsideredtoproduceasuccessfulcampaignthatminimizescostsandincreasesprofit.IsimplifiedtheentireprocessintheexampleabovetoexplainhowPayPerClickadvertisingworks.ItisactuallyfairlycomplextoadvertiseinGoogleAdwords.IfyouwishtotryitforyourselfyoucansignupforaGoogleAdwordsorBingAdsaccount.AdwordsistheadvertisingplatformforGoogleandBingAdsisforadvertisinginYahooandBing.IwouldrecommendtryingAdwordsfirstandexpandtoBingAdsifyouhavesuccesswithAdwords.IfyoureinterestedinhavingsomeonesetupGoogleAdwordsadvertisingforyouIwouldlovetohelpyouout.IamaCertifiedGoogleAdwordsConsultantandamtakingon50clientstomanagetheirPayPerClickadvertisingatacostthatismuchmoreaffordablethanwhatyouwillfindelsewhere.CheckoutmyPayPerClickManagementServiceandseeifitsagoodfitforyou. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com35Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.AFewOtherTechniqueseverylittlebithelpsEmailsignatureOneotherpopulartechniquethatcanproducesometrafficispostingyourlinkinyouremailsignature.Dependingonyourwebsiteandthenumberofemailsyousendthismayormaynotproducetrafficforyou.Ifyouresomeonewhoemailshundredsofpeopleeverydayitmaybeaverygoodideatoaddyourwebsitelinktoyouremailsignature.Thiswillnothaveaneffectonyoursearchenginerankings.Itisjustaneasywaytoproducesomeextratraffictoyourwebsiteanditonlytakes5minutestosetup.PrintandvisualadvertisingWhileprintandvisualadvertisingisnotamajorsourceoftrafficformostsitesitcanbesignificantforsomebusinesses.Youmayhaveatruckorvehicleforyourbusinessthatyoucanputyourlogoandwebsiteon.Ormaybeyoudotradeshowsandcanhandoutbusinesscardsorflyers.Thinkofwaystoincorporateyourwebsiteintothingsyouarecurrentlydoingsothatyoucanincreasethetraffictoyoursite.IhaveusedVistaPrintmanytimestogetbusinesscardsorpromotionalmaterialscreated.Theyareaffordableandmaketheprocessveryeasywithpre-designedtemplatesandfastproduction.DoNothingExpectNothingTherearenoguaranteesinthefieldofSearchEngineOptimization.TheonlyguaranteeIcanmakeisifyoudonothingyouwillprobablynotincreaseyourrankingsinthesearchengines.Thereisalotmoreyoucanlearnaboutsearchenginemarketingbutmygoalwastogiveyouaquickoverviewandsomeactionableitemsthatyoucanputtoworkrightawaytoincreaseyourrankings.Thekeyisdiligenceandconsistency.Iunderstandmostsmallbusinessownerswontbeabletodoallthesethings.Thekeyistofigureouthowmuchtimeandmoneyyoucanspendanddoitregularlymonthlyoryearly.Ifitsonly100yearor30minutespermonthitcanstillmakeatremendousdifferenceoverthelongtermifyoudoitconsistently.Thisisaninvestmentinyourbusinessandfuture.Iam99certainifyoutakeactiononsomeofthesestategiesyouwillseeresults.Seethechecklistonthenextpagetohelpyouvisualizethesteps. SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com36Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.SEOChecklistTohelpyoudoSOMETHINGinsteadofNOTHINGImprovidingthishandychecklisttorecapthedifferentstepsyoucantaketostartimprovingyourrankingsinthesearchengines.Ifyoudontrememberthedetailsofanyofthesestepsyoullhavetogoreviewthatsectionintheguide.BecomeactiveinonlineforumsinyourindustrynicheResearchonlinedirectorieswhereyoumightgetalinkSubmityourfirstarticletoarticledirectoriesConsideroutsourcingyourlinkbuildingWriteablogpostforyourblogorwriteaguestpostSignupforTwitterorFacebookifyouhaventalreadyContact5peoplefollowingmyManualLinkBuildingapproachCommenton3blogpostswithinyourindustryWriteandsubmitapressreleaseReasearch2competitorsonOpenSiteExplorerandSEMRushConsidermyPayPerClickAdvertisingServiceSetascheduleforthemonthyearforyourSEOactivities SearchEngingMarketingGuide-WebEminence.com37Copyright2013-RyanBowman-AllRightsReservedWorldwide.WhatsYourTOPSEOStrategyIfyouareasmallbusinesswebsiteownerandhavehadsomesuccessinthesearchenginesIdlovetohearfromyou.IwouldliketofeatureseveralpeopleinthissectionwhoarewillingtosharetheSEOstrategiesthathavehelpedtheirwebsitegetbetterrankings.Ifyouhaveauniquetipthathasworkedforyouandhasnotbeenmentionedinmyguidecontactmeandletmeknow.IfIlikeitIllfeatureitinthissectionandincludealinktoyourwebsite.ClickheretoreadtheTOPSEOstrategiesthatweresubmittedtomeandfindotherupdatestothisguide.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorcommentspleasecontactme.RyanBowmanwww.WebEminence.comryanwebeminence.comDidYouFindThisGuideHelpfulPleaseClickaButtonandLeaveFeedback