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