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April Search Engine News From
www.searchengine-news.com
Google - preparing to purchase web analytics firm Urchin for a reported $30 million US. Google already has a pretty comprehensive web analytics program that they provide to AdWords advertisers for free. Their purchase of Urchin could take the web analytics capabilities for AdWords advertisers to a whole new level and, if Google continues to make it a free service (as an incentive for using AdWords), it could go a long way towards increasing their share of the PPC market.
Google has recently added new features to their Desktop Search tool and removed the beta disclaimer. The new features include support for .pdf files, multimedia files (audio, images, and video), and for cached pages in Netscape 7+, Mozilla, and Firefox browsers.
MSN - It's official: MSN will soon be rolling out its own Pay Per Click (PPC) service. This will put them in direct competition with Google's AdSense and Yahoo's Overture (soon to become Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions) PPC services. The news was revealed to MSN's most important advertisers on March 16th at the MSN Strategic Account Summit .
Yahoo - In their continuous bid to one-up rivals Google and Microsoft, Yahoo recently purchased Flickr, an online photo management and sharing site.
AOL - AOL search recently rolled out DSS – Dynamic Search Suggestions. This feature is similar to Google Suggest. When conducting a search at AOL Search, a new feature called a Smartbox drops down and offers search suggestions as you're typing in your query.
Overture - Overture to Become Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions. In a move geared toward simplifying their marketing efforts, Yahoo will be renaming their Overture services to Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions.
"4 Ways to Build Customer Loyalty" From
 By Laura Naylor
For any small or e-commerce business, finding new customers is an ongoing challenge. However it is done--word of mouth, search advertising, direct mail, e-mail, affiliate relationships, shopping engines, public relations, etc.--the costs add up quickly. While separating your operation from hundreds of competitive sites available to today's shopper is a challenge, obtaining new customers is necessary for every successful business.
Once that new customer makes a purchase, loyalty and repeat purchases are the keys to profits. As long as customers remain satisfied and interested in the product offerings, they will return. Merchandise selection, profit margin, transaction frequency, purchase volume, and other factors obviously affect the specific value of customers, but the worth of returning customers is undeniable. As Neil Kugleman, CEO of Yahoo! Store Goldspeed says, "It costs a great deal to acquire a customer, so once you've got one, whatever you can do to make it right is worth it."
1) Excel at Customer Service - Kugleman says that the unfortunate reality is that today's standard for customer service is low. But that means that a small business can stand out simply by doing many of the little things right. "When they get a phone answered on the first ring by someone who can help them and speaks intelligently, it makes a big difference," he says. "Most people are nice and decent. They like the personal service." ...
2) Empower Your Employees - Having good people on the customer service front lines is crucial, but equally important is giving them the tools and authority to make customers happy. The customer service representatives for Michaux's stores thoroughly know the product lines for which they are responsible, and are afforded the flexibility to offer free or upgraded shipping when the situation requires it. ...
3) Know Where You Stand - Central to being able to provide superior service is the ability for customer service representatives to get a detailed snapshot of the customer's history with the company. For both Kugleman and Michaux, the e-commerce solution must contain accurate, up-to-date information so the problem can be resolved appropriately, and the customer has confidence in your ability to service them consistently. ...
4) Execute Flawlessly - In the end, of course, every component of every business has to run without errors. Double- and triple-checking everything is part of Michaux's success, as well as a process that works for her organization. ...
And hopefully, that customer will share their experience and encourage others to become customers, as well.
Read the entire article here!
"How to Build Link Popularity" From
Link popularity is very important with regards to search engine placement or ranking. Most Search Engines including Google, place much importance in a Website's link popularity. They use the number of outgoing and incoming links to a Website to determine the importance ( relevance ) of the Website for a particular keyword or keyword phrase. However, incoming links are more important than outgoing links.
The search engine Google, uses its PagerRank (PR) as a measure of the link popularly of a Website. If you have the Google tool bar installed on your browser, you can easily see the PR of any site you visit on the Web. You can download it at: http://toolbar.google.com. The PR of a site ranges from 0 to 10. The higher the number, the better. A grey PR bar means the site has not been indexed, been dropped or has been banned.
Why Link Popularity - Search Engine builders, continuously research ways to make their search engine result pages (SERPs) relevant to users. Different methods have been employed to determine the most relevant pages. Methods such as keywords in title, keywords in metatags, keywords in filename, keywords in headings, keywords in links, keywords in content of pages, etc.
Webmasters have found ways to manipulate these, thereby improving their ranking in the Serps. The latest method is link popularity. Obtaining quality links from good Websites is not easy. A good Website will only link to you if there is some benefit to that site or that site's visitors. However, Webmasters have again found a way of beating this latest hurdle. They do this through reciprocal linking. I see search engines rejecting reciprocal linking in future because this is an artificial way of boosting link popularity. The only sure way for search engines to ascertain link popularity will have to be one way incoming links.
Do's And Don'ts Of Site Linking
1. Don't do reciprocal linking with sites that spam. Your outgoing links to unethical sites could get you into trouble with search engines.
2. Don't link to FFA link farms. You might be penalized by the search engines.
3. Keep a close watch on your link partners always. Link to relevant and complementary sites. The higher the PR of the site, the better.
4. Obtain one-way incoming links when possible. It's the best. Use anchor text in links.
5. Most important of all, create good, original and unique content and one way incoming links will come naturally.
Reciprocal Linking - Reciprocal linking is simply exchanging links with other webmasters in order to boost link popularity. It involves sending e-mails to webmasters of sites with relevant and complementary content.
How To Do Reciprocal Linking - Write a nice and polite e-mail to the Webmaster you wish to exchange links with. However, take note of the following points:
1. Visit the sites you want to exchange links with so that you have an idea of what the site is about.
2. Before visiting the sites, download the Google and Alexa tool bars. The Google tool bar gives you the PR of the sites. The Alexa tool bar gives you an approximation of the site's traffic and sites that are linking to it. Download the Alexa tool bar from: http://www.alexa.com.
3. Mention one or two things about the site in your e-mail. Explain how beneficial a link exchange will be for both sites and site visitors. You can put a link to the site before sending your e-mail. Tell the Webmaster where to locate the link. Provide the keywords or keyword phrase with which you want to be linked.
4. Make it known on your site that you are willing to exchange links. You can use a "link to us" or "reciprocal linking" link. You can also use a web form so that potential link partners can fill in their details.
Points To Note - Most sites do not have their contact email on their sites because of spammers or email harvester software. You can contact webmasters through their "contact us" form or use www.whois.com to obtain information on how to contact the webmaster. You can run your link popularity campaign through third parties such as LinkExchange.com but their prices seem a little bit on the high side. You can also use software such as Zeus and Arelis. These software apps automate most of the manual tasks that go into building link popularity. However, care must be taken when using them. One could be labeled a spammer, if they are used incorrectly.
One Way Incoming Linking - One way incoming links, are the best type of links to have for your site. They increase your PR and link popularity. They indicate to the search engines that your site is an authority on the keyword or keyword phrase used to link to you. However, incoming links are the most difficult to acquire. You can build your one way incoming links using the following strategies.
1. Build good quality websites or web pages with original, unique content. With great content, other webmasters will naturally refer visitors through links to your site.
2. Provide a free, useful service or tool on your site. For example, a link popularity check tool. This will bring repeat visitors and other webmasters will refer visitors to your site.
3. Give away something for free at your site. It could be a quality e-book, a useful program, software trial download, or a gift in exchange for links. You may give out the gifts after ascertaining that they have linked to your site. Some webmasters might bring down the links after collecting the gift, but many sites will still retain your links. Although you might not get many high PR sites linking to you, lots of low PR sites will still enhance your link popularity.
4. You can organize an award so that winners will link to you before claiming their prizes. Be sure to make your policy on this clear enough.
5. Pay to be listed in niche directories. Provide good topical articles on your site with links to your home page. Give permission to other webmasters to use at their sites.
As you go through the web, running your e-business everyday, you will discover that the most successful sites are those that give something away for free. Sites that are an authority in their segment of the market are those that provide useful content, or free tools, service, and/or software. Building such sites takes a lot of patience and perseverance, but, in the end, the reward is immense.
Other Link Building articles
"Linking is Queen"
Better Reciprocal Link Counter
"Link Popularity, What is It?"
"Link Building for Top S.E. Placement"
Are You Popular? Why Does it Matter?
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Link Popularity Checker!
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Reciprocal Links! Absolutely Important!
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"Seven Non-Verbal Secrets for the Sales Person" By Patti Wood - From
You’ve studied your sales material, you’ve researched your prospect
and you’re excited about what you’re going to say about your company,
product or service. You’re now ready for your sales call—well, at least
15% of it.
The newest research says that most face-to-face buying decisions
are made within the first three to five minutes of the call. That means
that 85% of the buying decision is based not on what you say, but what you
do nonverbally. Consider the following silent signals that can increase
your chance for sales success:
1. Get a Grip.
Practice your handshake! The average American handshake lasts three
to five pumps. The more formal or urban the corporate culture, the more
pumps.
A good handshake has a lot of palm-to-palm contact in the grip, as
well. It’s not the grip but the lack of palm-to-palm contact that makes
people cringe when receiving a wimpy handshake, and it’s no surprise that
more than 80% of men surveyed will not do business with someone who has a
wimpy handshake. When someone keeps their palms open and in contact with
ours, we feel subconsciously that they are not hiding anything—such as a
weapon or a secret—from us.
2. Get Comfortable.
If you’re nervous in a sales situation, you typically sit down and
close down your body. You cross your legs and arms, you take up very
little space, you tense up, you make yourself the smallest target
possible. Like a closed palm, this makes you look like you have something
to hide, or that you’re not confident. Instead, relax and open up. Another
reason to relax: when you hold any body language posture, that posture
signals your brain to create the chemicals that match that state. Within
as little as a fortieth of a second, those chemicals are shunted into your
bloodstream to make you feel the way you are holding your body. Tense
posture equals tense chemicals. This affects your image and the quality of
your sales interaction. So fake it till you make it.
It’s okay to cross your legs, but if you’re asked a complex
question, uncross them. Brain research indicates it’s easier for us to
process information with legs apart and both feet firmly planted on the
ground.
3. Match the Energy.
Match the energy, friendliness or formality of the greeting you
get. You may have heard of matching before, but you might not know that
the most important time to match is at the beginning of the interaction,
especially the first three to five minutes. People trust people like
themselves. They are often afraid of “strangers,” and your prospect will
keep their guard up if you seem very different to them. So match their
energy level. Pay attention to their body language, enthusiasm, pace,
amount of movement—and mirror it.
4. Smiling Eyes
Generally, it’s helpful for men and women to smile, especially in
those critical first three to five minutes. It’s the most important body
language cue in initial interactions to show you’re friendly. It’s more
important for women to smile since men tend to think women are mad if they
don’t. Once you’ve quoted a price or proposed a deal, research says both
male and female sales people should NOT smile. It makes it too easy for
the prospect to turn down the price or renegotiate.
5. Hands Down
Don’t put your hand to your mouth. If you’re unsure of your
response or not very confident about it, your first impulse will be to put
your hand to your mouth. Don’t do it! This is perceived as being
deceptive.
Try to gesture with your palms open. Again, this indicates you are open
and willing to self-disclose. Make sure to avoid pointing. Pointing is
read subconsciously as a symbolic weapon.
6. Leaning for Meaning
When you feel emphatic about something and want to indicate such,
lean forward in your chair. When you want to show that you’re
knowledgeable and confident, leaning back will symbolically indicate your
confidence and expertise.
We all tend to tilt our heads as we listen to people. Women do this
more than men, and in excess it can be a problem. A straight head is
powerful, but when the head is held tilted to the side, you are seen as
weak or subservient. When you tilt your head while speaking, the message
can be perceived as being off center or crooked. Comprehensive research
from the last 40 years on everything from political speeches and
television broadcasters to couples indicates that it does.
7. Sounds of Silence
Do not be afraid of silence. It’s a powerful nonverbal
communicator. Some prospects deliberately create silence to see what
you’ll do with it. Use silence to your advantage. First, it allows the
prospect to talk. Second, it shows you are strong. When we are afraid, the
sales call is not going well, we want to fill up the silence with chatter.
Claim the power in the silence; Always stay silent after you state your
price or deal. By making the moment uncomfortable, you make acceptance of
your deal a way to release the tension and be comfortable again.
These techniques can help you on your next appointment, sales call
or interview. By paying attention to your nonverbal messages, you can land
more deals and close more sales by harnessing the power of the silent
sell.
"3 Zero-Cost Ways to Get Visitors to Your Site" From
You have to laugh when you hear about the elaborate schemes people cook up in order to get three or four clicks through to their site, when there are plenty of legitimate ways to get attention for your web site - from dozens to hundreds of interested prospects. It's one thing to think creatively - it's another to try and buck the system for a few hits from people who won't subscribe, return or buy.
Speaking of creative thinking, one of the ways you can get above-board, quick and free traffïc is from using link services. Without even a hint of abuse, you can use these services to bring visitors to you - in minutes sometimes.
The first two services that you and I can use without stepping on any toes are the two link services at http://Furl.net and http://del.icio.us.
Also called "social bookmarks managers", these sites allow you to start up a free account where you can start a link collection which can be sorted by theme. Using a system that makes use of categories - at del.icio.us they're called a "tag" - there are times when it is quite acceptable to include your own site. Both make use of RSS to allow you to keep track of either your list or someone else's - you can even subscribe to any public collection.
So where does the traffïc come in? Sign up with either of these services, and start collecting links on the same topic as your site, sprinkling in your own links. ... Notice I said "sprinkling in".
Treat this as you would a blog - you don't want post your sales page. You'll just get put on public link lists that collect sp@m entries - bad publicity may be great in Hollywood, but online it's an income killer. So again, do not gratuitously begin to link to your entire site and think you're helping yourself.
What typically happens is one of three things.
1- Your link will be displayed on sites that share these tag lists with the world,
2- Your site will be visited by someone who is interested in the tag you've chosen, or,
3- Your link library will be so diverse, varied and helpful that other users will subscribe to your tag to find new links to add.
I find it a good practice to use your real name or your site name as your login because it shows up as part of your link collection's name. You can also use your own name or very targeted keywords to create custom tags.
As you're adding the links to your collection, be sure to add a topic or tag to target your desired type of visitor. As an added bonus, if you use FeedBurner.com to study your feed statistics or to reduce your bandwidth load, you can integrate these link collections into your own feed as well.
So should you use Furl or del.icio.us for this? If you are going to be making personal use of this link collection, want the 5GB archive space and a place to save an archive snap shot of a web page, Furl is for you. Want to keep it simple? Stick with del.icio.us.
You can also use the Bloglines clip service, with or without Feedburner, to achieve similar ends - if you're more focused towards blogs than RSS, you'll probably have more success here. The Bloglines clip service is more geared towards the verbose user, as it is set up much like a blog.
The third tool you can use to draw traffïc is at a site that blatantly asks you to use it, and they've created it solely for that purpose - to connect certain kinds of web readers and publishers.
The catch? Unlike the other three services, this really can only be used by bloggers - you'll have to verify that you own the blog in question just to participate. Good news if you blog though, or plan to - the web resource in question is run by one of the most important sites a successful blogger needs to be visible in.
In mid-January 2005, Technorati.com took the idea of tags to a global level.
If you're writing about travel, you can appear on their travel tag page automatically. You can bet that your post will cross the paths of blog enthusiasts who are specifically interested in travel. This works on any claimed blog in the blogosphere, on every platform. And it's so easy to do.
If you have the category capability built-into your blog software, you need only claim your web log and ping Technorati with updates using your blog software, if it's set up to auto-ping, or their form: http://www.technorati.com/ping.html. How easy is that?
If you use Blogger or some other system that doesn't include categories, never fear. You can come to the party.
From now on, when you post links to your blog, you'll want to include the special tag code. It works with any link, or you can link to Technorati - see an example of it on their site: http://www.technorati.com/help/tags.html.
With a little time and patience, Bloggers especially can use any of these methods to bring free targeted traffïc to their doorsteps. Bottom line : don't be tempted to cheat at traffïc generation - there are so many ways to get better results honorably.
Writing Effective Web Copy From
Writing effective web copy begins with an understanding of what the goals of your web site are. Are you trying to get your visitors to purchase something or have them sign up for your newsletter? Remember you are trying to get someone you can't see and have never met take a step towards building a relationship with you or your company.
1. Create a customer profile – try to find out what are the needs and desires of your visitors. Here are some examples of questions you could ask:
Are they young, middle aged or senior?
Are they primarily male or female?
Are they financially secure or budget-minded?
What gets him or her excited?
What are his or her most pressing concerns?
Try to brainstorm a list of topics that might interest your target audience.
2. Create a Unique Selling Position (USP) – This is a statement of 2-3 sentences that explains why you are different from everybody else. This is the unique factor that sets you apart from your competition. Make this the first thing your visitor sees when they arrive on your home page.
3. Focus on benefits – most web users want to find the information about the product or service they need as fast as possible. If they land on your site, they want to know how they will benefit from buying your product or subscribing to your ezine. You will need to answer that question as clearly and concisely as possible or you will lose that visitor.
4. Use the inverted pyramid style – provide a summary of your information by clearly communicating the direction of your discussion. Use informative headings and subheadings with a paragraph of 4 to 5 lines that supports them. You only have a few seconds to grab your visitors attention. Most will simply scan for the information they are seeking.
Use bulleted or numbered lists, boldface or colored font to emphasize the points you wish to make. Include links at the end of your paragraph (or within the text) to direct visitors to other pages of your site for more in-depth information.
5. Write in an informal or personal style – write in a unique way that differentiates you from other small businesses in a similar business or niche. It doesn't have to be elaborate or super-creative. You simply provide a style that gets the attention of your visitors.
6. Keep your sentences simple – you are not writing to impress. You are writing to communicate. You want to pre-sell your product or service, therefore write as if you are talking to a 13 year old.
Don't use large words but opt for strong verbs over weak ones. Use the active voice instead of a passive one. i.e. Instead of "a good score was achieved by the team"...say "the team scored a season high". Speak "to" but not "at" your visitor. Keep your sentences short and snappy.
7. Include searchable keywords – use targeted keywords in your web copy that will allow the search engines to find your site. Include these keywords in your meta tags, links and file names also.
8. Eliminate the fluff - don't waffle on in your writing. You will only bore your visitors and they will click elsewhere. Try to remove filler sentences that contain phrases like "for those of you" and "all of you".
9. Proof read your web copy – errors in your web copy give the impression of being unprofessional or sloppy. Read the copy aloud to yourself or get someone else to proof read it. Often they will find more errors because they are more objective.
Use the spell checker but don't rely on it. Often it doesn't pick up all incorrectly spelled words. Print a copy of your content. It's easier to find grammatical or spelling errors on a hard copy.
10. Take a break – revise your web copy after taking a break from it for several hours or a few days. This allows you to see it from a different viewpoint. You may find a better way to say something to further improve your copy.
11. Use images sparingly – images should only be used if they relate and support your web content. If not, they will only distract the visitor from reading your web copy. Too many images will slow down the time it takes for your visitor to load your site in their browser.
12. Use effective navigation – your navigation bar should help visitors easily find the main sections of your site. Read: How to Create an Effective Web Site Navigation Structure.
336-408-9075
Rich@RichsWebDesign.com
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