Search Optimisation Blog

Videos: How Design Your Site To Get More Traffic

2008-01-24T23:13:00.000Z

How to Design Your Site To Get More Traffic..

We all need more traffic. One of the ways we can achieve that is to design our websites the right way.

I found these videos from the BBO club that is run by Matthew Glanfield. These are excellent videos where Matthew uses camtasia videos to go through existing websites and offers advice on how each website could be laid out better to get the most out of their traffic and how they could be optimised better for search engines.

Matthew is a great teacher and these are well worth watching - even for seasoned web designers.

The BBO Traffic club is free to join. It does have paid membership modules but you can get quite a lot of Matthew's great tips (like these ones on this site ) in the free section.

Click on the videos and they will open up in a new page. They might take a minute or two to load depending on your internet connection. Just hit the back button on your browser to come back here and see the next one.

Videos

ECommerce Website Conversion Analysis Part 1:

If you have an e-commerce site and are struggling to make more sales, then this video is going to be perfect for you.

Matthew recently did a website conversion analysis on Terry Lewis' website www.silver-jewelry.ws. The site has a ton of potential, but lacked in many areas that were costing Terry a lot of sales and a lot of traffic.

In Part 1 of this video Matthew goes over how to increase sales on the site.

Info Product Website Conversion Analysis

In this website conversion analysis video Matthew goes over George's site http://www.forex-trading-made-ez.com, where he is attempting to sell an e-book about starting a Forex Trading business.

George has a very promising site with a lot of potential for sales and traffic.

The video will teach you how to create a powerful info-product website and covers issues such as squeeze pages, opt-in rates, sales rates, and confirmation rates, as well as how to make sure that you are not preventing your visitor from purchasing.

Collecting Leads Website Conversion Analysis

In this website conversion analysis video Matthew goes over Jim's site http://www.homesellersneeded.com, where he is attempting to collect leads for his real estate business.

The video will teach you how to focus your attention on how to guide your visitors to do exactly what you want them to do, even though there seems to be many choices on the screen.

Website Conversion Analysis - www.pickthebusiness.com

In this website conversion analysis video Matthew goes over Rebecca's site http://www.pickthebusiness.com, where she is starting to focus on teaching people how to build profitable websites.

The video will teach you how to focus your attention on specific subjects that will allow you to get more traffic and also get your visitors to do what you need them to do.

Remember, If you like these videos you can join Matthew Glanfield's BBO Traffic Club for free and get more content as he puts it online.

Should You Buy a .Com or .Co.uk Domain?

2007-09-28T13:46:00.000Z

While doing a couple of SEO projects we have noticed that if you buy a .com or even a .net name then your site will end up targeted pretty well for google.com - mainly the USA version of google.

If you go for a .co.uk name then the site sill end up more targeted towards the google.co.uk search results.

It's a useful tip to know if your keywords are very competitive. This came up while doing an SEO project on a popular ebook course. Client had a .co.uk name and when searching google on "pages from the uk" we managed to get the keywords on the front page pretty easily.

However searching google.com the page is not showing yet. It will probably come but it will take a lot longer.

So when considering a domain name it's always wise to consider where most of your market will be. If it's in the USA then I would advise getting some sort of .com or .net name - especially if you are in a competitive market. If your market is mainly in the UK then go for a .co.uk name.

Site Rubix - Online Web Site Builder

2007-09-28T00:03:00.000Z

There's a new web site builder that has just launched. It's called Site Rubix. There has been a little bit of a buzz about this Site Builder because the creators of the software, Kyle and Carson of Wealthy Affiliate, say that it is the easiest web building tool ever invented.

I can tell you now that I have seen it that it is very easy to use and completely drag and drop. It is primarily for people that don't know any html code and don't even want to learn. It is also aimed at people like web developers and internet marketers who need to be able to set up great looking, professional web sites very quickly.

There is a great video demonstration on the Site Rubix web site where you can join the mailing list and be notified of all the features and benefits that this new tool has to offer.

I'd say anything that helps us build websites quickly is a good thing. So well worth it to join the list to see what all the fuss is about.

It really is a fantastic tool. Certainly, well worth having a look to see what the buzz is about.

Who Loves Money

2007-04-28T13:05:00.000Z

Who Loves Money is a great new ebook that can show anyone how to make money online.

The best part is you can do it without spending a penny.

Kyle and Carson who own the Wealthy Affiliate Program wrote this book because there was so much rehashed crap out there in the Internet Marketing field .. and they wanted to show everyone the proper way to build a business online.

You can find out more about this excellent ebook here

Who Loves Money

Photoshop Tips

2007-03-16T15:03:00.000Z

Many web designers and photographers use photoshop to enhance and optimise digital photographs.

If you are struggling with the all-too-many functions of the software here's a great DVD that I recently found. It goes into all aspects of the program and you should be able to learn most of the functions from the video tutorials.

Photoshop Tutorials.

Search Engine Optimisation Case Study

2007-03-07T15:35:00.000Z

I just put up a video of an ongoing search optimisation project that we are doing. This video will give you an idea of the results we can achieve and the reports that you would get every month.

To view the video click here.

It is a camtasia video and might take a second or two to load.

Writing SEO Web Copy

2007-03-05T13:42:00.000Z

I found this excellent article in SiteproNews about writing copy for search engine spiders. I have reproduced the full article here as it gives an excellent prospective on how to write proper copy that your visitors will understand - yet giving you a little advantage in the search engines.

Visit the author's copywriting website for more information on how to write proper copy for the web.

Stop the
Slaughter of Innocent Copy!
By Karon Thackston (c) 2007 All Rights Reserved

It's one of the worst things to ever happen in the search engine copywriting field: the discovery of keyword density. I won't venture off into a discussion about whether keyword density is still a valid measure of search engine optimized (SEO) copywriting success. I will say, however, that the mere introduction of this concept led to the mutilation and destruction of innocent copy all across the globe. Without any regard to flow or customer experience, website owners around the world began shoving keyphrases into their copy like wild men. The results have been disastrous! Otherwise wonderful content has been utterly destroyed. This slaughter of innocent copy must stop!

All joking aside, the realization several years ago that keyword density was a factor in search engine rankings instantly transformed the landscape of copywriting for the engines. That lone concept lit a fire under people who absolutely butchered their copy for the sake of the engines. A pity really because it doesn't have to be that way.

Keep It Sounding Natural

One primary goal is to write copy so that the keyphrases are virtually undetectable when read by someone with no knowledge of SEO. One vital step in making this happen is to carefully research and select your keyphrases.

If you're writing a page about wedding gowns, it would be complicated to include keyphrases such as "wedding reception music" or "wedding caterers." The amount of traffíc these terms might bring would be offset by the awkward fit with the focus of your page. Instead, opt for phrases that lend themselves directly to the topic of wedding gowns.

One common mistake many site owners and newbie copywriters make is to replace every single instance of a generic key term with one of their chosen keyphrases. Doing this in moderation is certainly acceptable, but frequently copywriters get carried away with tragic results.

For example, you would not want to have the following copy on your site:

Spanish Villas For Rent If you are looking for Spanish villas vacations, search our site for the best deals in Spanish villas. No other Spanish villas site has the selection of premium Spanish villas with the most sought after locations that we have. View some of our Spanish villas pictures or take virtual tours of our Spanish villas today.

Whew! I get tired just reading that! Not only is it extremely annoying to read, but also many of the phrases are used incorrectly, making it look as though there are typos on the page. Not a pretty sight!

To keep your copy sounding as natural as possible, you need to think outside the keyword box. Most often, people believe that writing in a similar manner as the example above is the only way to use keywords in copy. Not true! In fact, far from it.

Let me share three of my favorite tips with you for creative writing with keyphrases.

Don't Use Keyphrases To Describe Your Products/Services

That's right, I said DON'T use keyphrases to describe your own products or services. Instead, use them to describe what your product or service is not, or what it is similar to or what it is better than.

An example of this is any keyphrase that begins with the word "cheap." "Cheap insurance," "cheap sunglasses," "cheap software" - the líst is endless. It's simply not a good idea to call your own product cheap. Yes, I understand that people are looking for cheap things, but that is because they don't want to pay a lot. When THEY call your product cheap, it is in relation to price. When YOU call your own product or service cheap, it degrades the product or service's perceived value.

Instead, let others know that your product is NOT cheap. For example:

Unlike cheap travel insurance offered by other underwriters, our policies have provided long-standing, publicly held companies with a history of exceptional customer service. You get affordable coverage and peace of mind.

The phrase is highly relevant to the page, you get to attract lots of visitors, and the copy is set to convince them that "cheap insurance" isn't what they really wanted after all.

How about this one? I got an email from a student asking me how to use the phrase "doggie litter box" in his copy even though that was not what he was selling. His product was a replacement for the doggie litter box, so I suggested he use the phrase in exactly that way. Here's what I would have done:

Here's a great solution for that messy doggie litter box. Attractive, compact and easy to use even in the smallest apartments, [Name of Product] is destined to replace the doggie litter box forever!

See? You aren't calling your product a litter box; rather you are positioning yourself against it to show how you are better.

Add A Word

Another frequent stumbling block for SEO copywriters is the use of phrases that seem to end abruptly. In these cases, simply add a word to the end. Here are two examples.

The phrase "web design for small business" seems out of place because, most often, we would use the plural term (small businesses) when we were writing. To correct the problem, just add a plural word to the end of the phrase. Perhaps you might talk about web design for small business startups or web design for small business owners. You get the idea.

Break It Up

When the phrases get too long, it is often best to break them up. Search engines don't pay attention to standard punctuation marks or line breaks. They read right through periods, commas, semi-colons and the like without hesitation. That means you have a lot more flexibility than you might think.

One keyphrase I had to work with was "Texas Hill Country real estate." That would get pretty cumbersome if it were left as it is seen there. But by breaking it up with some punctuation, it sounds perfectly natural. Here's how it can be done.

There is no more beautiful place than the Texas Hill Country. Real estate listings in this area are filled with stunning homes that.

Do you see what happened? I broke the phrase up using a period. In the eyes of the search engines the phrase is still intact. They don't even notice the period. That period, however, causes the reader to take a mental pause and helps alleviate any repetitive feel to the copy.

If you take the time to look at SEO copywriting as an art rather than an assembly line task, your content will sound more natural, will convert better and will help prevent further additions to the already overcrowded collection of tortured copy everywhere!

About The Author
Having trouble with natural keyword use in your copy? Karon's guide "How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy" can help with 11 easy ways to incorporate keywords. Find it at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

Do You Squidoo

2007-02-24T01:05:00.000Z

Have you ever heard of Squiddo.com? It's a social networking type of site, a bit like myspace but more for marketers or affiliate marketers.

When you sign up you get your own page. It's totally free and you can elect to sent any payments you make to charity. Your own page is called a Lens. In the lens you have affiliate modules where you can add amazon links, ebay links, cafepress links etc. If anyone clicks on these links then you get a 50% share of the affiliate fee that comes out of it.

The idea behind Squidoo is a social network site where people come along and visit your lens. If you are an expert on some niche and write a useful page then more people come along and add comments and links - the more popular your page becomes you move up the ranking and more visitors arrive!

You can see an example of a lens that I did here http://www.squidoo.com/design-a-website

As a web design agency I get asked a lot from clients how they can design their own sites so I decided to stick up a squidoo lens with some useful resources so I can just refer anyone to it.

The great thing about it is that there is a text module where you can add your own affliate links that you don't share with the squidoo team. You are free to add what you like and of course you can add the shared affiliate links from amazon and ebay.

It's certainly something that people should use. The social networking part of it alone should get you some hits - especially if you tag your lens properly.

The other great thing I am told about it is that if you use keywords in
your tags and make some link backs to your websites in the text then, because
the squidoo site is a PR6 site, you are more than likely to get a
little boost in pagerank to your own websites.

There's a lot in it and worth checking out. As you know social networking is the buzz word these days.

http://www.squidoo.com/

Technorati Tags: squidoo, social networking, pagerank, seo, search engine optimisation

DIY Web Design

2006-11-27T01:58:00.000Z

If you are new to the web and have no idea on how to build a website I have posted a review of a couple of great software packages on my other blog.

You can view the review if you click here

Should You Design for Search Engines or End Users

2006-11-24T02:34:00.000Z

Google Questions and Answers

2006-11-24T02:16:00.000Z

In this video Matt Cutts explains duplicate content penalty and if there is an y difference between the indexing of blog or web sites.

Some Search Engine Myths by the Google Guy

2006-11-24T02:09:00.000Z

Google Optimisation Questions and Answers

2006-11-24T02:03:00.000Z

Some more questions and answers from "google guy" Matt Catts

Google Optimisation Questions

2006-11-24T01:54:00.000Z

Listen to Matt Cutts "the google guy" giving some tips and trick on how to optimise your website for google.

Creating Your Own Graphic Header For Blogger Beta

2006-11-13T13:13:00.000Z

When designing this blog in Blogger Beta I found that it's really easy add your own header graphic into the template. This will make your blog much more like your existing website.

I picked the "Denim" template and used the easy drag and drop module to get the blog looking the way I wanted.

To add the header graphic that is on my site at Top Search Positions - all I did was clicked on the template html tab in the blogger control panel.

Once the code comes up if you look down until you find the command...

->header {

You will need to have your header graphic hosted on another website or on some free webspace that you have access to. In this case because my SEO site was already established it was just a question of adding some code into the Header CSS Code to make it show on blogger.

Here's the code that you need to change. The text in red is what I added into the template.

->#header {
->width: 760px;
->height: 185px;
->background-image: url(http://www.topsearchpositions.co.uk/images/header5.jpg);
->background-repeat: no-repeat;
->margin: 0 auto;
->background-color: $headerBgColor;
->border: 1px solid $headerBgColor;
->color: $headerTextColor;
->padding: 0;
->font: $headerFont;

That's it. Just save your template. You now have a nice header to match your site in your blogger template.

Just make sure that your header is the right size in this case 760px wide. (You might need to use a graphic program to change your header size - if you have to do this just upload the new graphic and give it a new name ie header2.jpg onto your existing website)

.. and make sure that you have the exact path to your background-image. Also I noticed that the code for the background - image: url has wrapped in the post above. This should all be on one line when adding the code to your template..

Guaranteed Top Search Engine Positions

2006-11-13T13:02:00.000Z

Welcome to our Search Engine Optimisation Blog.

We set up this site in conjunction with our Top Search Positions Website to be able to offer you some tips and tricks to help get your site ranked at the top of the engines.

As we explain on our website you can do all the SEO stuff yourself, however this does take a lot of time. We have a service on our site where we are able of offer guaranteed top search engine positions at very affordable prices.

This takes a lot of time to do and depending on how much your time is worth it might be an idea to check out our service.

You can pick up the website at by clicking this link. Top Search Positions.