RFOLKDESIGN

Link Building Using Blog Posts

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:04:14 +0000

The most important thing to understand about SEO is that building links to a site is extremely important for ranking highly in search engines. The number of links pointing to a site (the link popularity of a site) and the quality of those links (the anchor text used, the page and site the link is on) impact directly on how a site ranks in the search engines.

One great source of links is from blog posts. They have several advantages over traditional sources of links such as directories and text-link ads.

They are often indexed quickly by the search engines because they love the new content they find in blogs.
The links appear more ‘natural’ because they are embeded within text and don’t have any of the tell-tale paid link signs (e.g. a list of links under the heading ’sponsors’).
If the whole post is about your site, the links are in context and can naturally use keyword-rich anchor text.
If the whole blog is about the same theme as your site, the link becomes even more powerful.
Posts first appear on the front page, so a site is initially linked from the the page which gets the most traffic and usually has the highest PageRank.
Posts are then usually archived into categories, which means it will be on the same page as lots of related content and links.
Finally, a post usually has it’s own page, where the links to your site will remain forever.

So where do you find blogs willing to review your site? There are brokerage sites that act as middlemen between bloggers and advertisers. A couple of examples include http://www.reviewme.com/ and http://payperpost.com/. You pay a premium for this type of service, but the available blogs are of good quality and will usually provide traffic as well as link popularity. Another advantage (or disadvantage) is that the blog posts are clearly identified as paid reviews.Another source is specialised site review blogs like this one at digitalpoint.com. These are often cheaper than blogs found through a middleman andsome allow you to write your own post. Good ones have a number of categories for posts, which keeps them with relevant content once they are off the home page. PlanetStrange is one that has categories ranging from building and construction to food and drink.

Another approach is to use blog networks. These are groups of blogs , sometimes containing hundreds of sites where a posts are published automatically. Sometimes the post is written by the network owner or can be provided by by the site owner. The problem with blog networks is that they could be considered spam and can contain links to poor quality sites that you would not like to be associated with. There is also the issue of duplicate content. The search engines may identify posts on the network as being duplicates and discount the links from them. Some of the more advanced networks allow you to submit a number of different versions of a post or can automatically generate variations. It is probably better to use these networks or to only use small networks, for example 10 or 20 sites.

Probably the best, but most time consuming method is to search for relevant blogs and directly approach the blogger. It may be neccessary to be more flexible about your requirements, i.e. the number of links to your site, the anchor text used and deadlines, but it could be worth it for a very natural link back from a highly relevant site.

Free SEO Advice

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:02:39 +0000

You probably wouldn’t think it, but SEO companies are a pretty good source of advice for DIY SEOs (and professionals). Many of them try to explain the processes and techniques they use to give themselves credibility and you can glean valuable information from them.

Seo-watch.com is an interesting site that provides a lot of detail about SEO marketing with a particular regard for e-commerce sites. Right on the homepage, they point out the benefits of scripting to rewrite dynamic URL’s into search engine friendly URL’s.

They provide the usual web optimization and marketing services – on-site optimisation, search engine submission, PPC campaign management and directory submission – but there is also detailed info about how to optimise content management systems and other resources, such as lists of search engines and directories.

It’s not often that you can get valuable information for free so make the most of it.

How to Design a Website for Beginners

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:59:53 +0000

A few years ago, when I was first introduced to the world of Internet site design, I thought it would be impossible to learn everything there is to know about building a website from scratch.

It all seemed so overwhelming! I still haven’t learned “all the facts” about Web design or the Internet, but I did make one important discovery on this journey – I didn’t have to know everything about how to create my own website to build a very effective and intriguing Internet presence.

The Webmaster Course website is living online proof that, with minimum Internet knowledge, beginners can design an efficient Internet site in just a short period of time. Throughout these web pages, you’ll find the resources and step by step instructions you will need to design your own complete business or personal Website.

Designing Your Own Website is the First Step Toward Reaching Your Goal

Whether you’re thinking of starting an online business or just adding your “personal” touch to the World Wide Web, designing your own Website is the first step toward reaching your goal. You could hire some fancy designer to create your site for you, but that’s no fun. Besides, you want your Website to reflect your personality, your decisions and hard work, and your unique design style, right?

Here are just a few ideas to get your wheels turning…

Below are ideas both for developing a personal or business Website. With these ideas, you’ll be able to develop a basic outline for your new Website.

Your Personal Website:

Share your family tree with others and find long, lost relatives.
Build a site around your favorite hobby. Let others in the world know your expertise and knowledge about how to do it better. You can include pictures, demonstrations, and detailed instructions.
Start a community for your family. Update family reunions (photos, minutes, dates, locations, and times), keep a database of birthdays and “new” births, have a “kids’ only” section, and even start a family picture album for all the different members of your family – there’s tons of unique ways to build your family community!
Offer a volunteer Website for your Church or your favorite organization – Learn how to design a web page for boy/girl scouts, charity events, cancer foundations, etc…

If you’re still not sure about the theme of your personal Website, go here for 101 Personal Website Design Ideas.

Your Internet Business Site:

Turn your favorite hobby into a part time or full time Internet business after taking these web design classes for beginners. If you’re good at sewing, homeowner repairs, cooking, exercising, camping, traveling, crafts, music, writing, accounting, etc., you’re the perfect candidate for an online business and this web design course. Did you know that your unique experience and knowledge can turn into profits on the Internet?
You may already own a business and would like to transfer it to the Web or add an extra value to your company. Either way, you can achieve your desired goal with the simple Web design resources provided here for you.
Perhaps you have a product or personal invention in mind that you would like to promote on the Internet? There are many very successful Websites that promote only one or two products.

Still not sure what to market on the Internet? Go here for 101 Business Website Ideas.

Interesting fact: Sites with very specific and unique goals tend to be more successful than companies which “carry” everything from toothpaste to brakes for your car.

Just thought I’d add that in for a little encouragement. The Internet is not much different from the “brick and mortar” world when it comes to business. Offering the right product to the right market is still the most effective way to gain success online.

Other people just like you are creating web sites everyday and you can do it too!

Two Important Points

There are just a couple of things to remember before you begin designing your very own Website.

1. The Internet is an ever changing market. To stay on top, you must stay informed. Within this site, you’ll find many useful resources to help you keep informed about Internet changes and news.

2. Your Website’s success depends on your willingness to add new updates, delete old news, find helpful resources for your visitors, deliver what you’ve promised, and provide a useful and informative contribution to the World Wide Web.

Okay, ready to learn web design?