| My inbox this week provided glaring examples | | | | 25. Don't stop until you have at least 100 |
| of three all too common rookie search engine | | | | pages of hot content.Remember, two or three |
| marketing mistakes. What you could call | | | | word keyword phrases are usually your best |
| three deadly search engine marketing sins. | | | | bets. And I really like keyword phrases that |
| Starting with===> Inadequate Keyword | | | | are actually several keyword phrases in one. |
| ResearchHey! If you're going to spend hours | | | | For example "irish setter dog dishes" gives |
| developing a web site, isn't it smart to | | | | "irish setter", "irish setter dog", "dog", |
| invest some time to insure you're focusing on | | | | "dog dishes", "setter dog dishes".===> Site |
| the most traffic laden keywords?Especially | | | | BloatTwice this week I was asked to look at |
| when typically the plural form of a keyword | | | | sites that would have let me read War and |
| phrase generates way more traffic than the | | | | Peace while waiting for them to come up. |
| singular form. For example "dog dishes" | | | | And no visitor is going to have a copy of |
| rather than "dog dish".Yet just this week I | | | | that handy.To avoid losing any precious |
| was asked to look at a site that had focused | | | | visitors lose the huge graphics. One of the |
| on the singular form. Evidently the owner | | | | sites had a graphic 501K in size! No wonder |
| hadn't bothered to do any digging to make | | | | it took nearly two minutes to load up on a |
| sure that was their best keyword move.Look, | | | | 56K modem.Then too lose the Flash - unless |
| you'll never know for sure unless you | | | | you have a very good reason for using it. |
| research it. Besides, you can access | | | | Even then lose the Flash.If you're wondering |
| Wordtracker, the tool of choice for what? a | | | | how your site's download time measures up |
| measly $7 a day.Even better here's a quick | | | | test it here: won't cost anything to find |
| and dirty way to get the most out of that | | | | out. But a slow loading site can cost you |
| day.Search for your target keyword in | | | | plenty. Because as the Net Mechanics follow |
| Google.Visit the top ranking sites. Use the | | | | up reports says, it's a good idea to keep |
| "View Source" feature of Internet Explorer to | | | | your page load times under about 12 seconds |
| check out the keyword meta tag of each site. | | | | on a 28.8 modem. Otherwise your visitors will |
| You're looking for a site listing lots of | | | | be wearing out the back button trying to |
| keywords there. Do this with each of the top | | | | escape.===> Too Few LinksDid you know links |
| listings or until you find one stuffed to | | | | can account for up to 80% of your success |
| the gills with keywords. Ah-ha! There's | | | | with Google? Yet someone else complained to |
| your starting point for your list of likely | | | | me about how much work it took to get |
| keyword phrases.Repeat with a couple of other | | | | them.Well doh! Ever think that maybe that's |
| sites and you'll soon have a long list of | | | | why (in part) Google assigns so much value to |
| candidates to check out in | | | | links? Because you can't quite as easily |
| Wordtracker.Enhance your list further using | | | | game links as you can on page content? |
| this tool: will give you more keyword ideas | | | | Meaning you actually have to work to get |
| from Google and Overture.Now you're ready for | | | | links. Both by having link worthy content and |
| Wordtracker.Once you've compiled your | | | | by actively seeking them out on a regular |
| Wordtracker results, you could simply sort by | | | | basis.It's a given that most niches require |
| KEI and then by searches per day.That gives | | | | you have a healthy collection of links to be |
| you the strongest keywords with the most | | | | competitive. Yet if you're lucky enough to |
| searches. (And yes, I realize KEI assumes | | | | be in a niche that doesn't, but you do, then |
| all search engine listings are of equal | | | | you can easily dominate those rankings.Anyway |
| value. But I did say this was "quick and | | | | in a nutshell you can easily avoid these |
| dirty" didn't I? However if you want another | | | | three search engine sins. Do your keyword |
| approach that improves on KEI there's a | | | | homework. Keep your pages on a strict diet. |
| spreadsheet available at once you're sorted | | | | And don't forget link up with as many other |
| your keywords in some way to highlight the | | | | quality sites as you can.Do all that and |
| most profitable, simply take the top 25 on | | | | you're well on your way to search engine |
| the list and create content for those first. | | | | success. Ignore this advice and you're, well |
| No, not every one will be a natural born | | | | you know, your Google goose is probably |
| traffic magnet. But enough of them will be | | | | cooked. Leaving you perpetually stuck in |
| to get the ball rolling.Repeat with the next | | | | Google purgatory. |