Off-site Optimization

·Exchange links with other websites that are relevant to yours. Be sure that these sites have a Page Rank of at least 4. Google’s search engine crawlers measure popularity and relevancy of those sites that link to you. ·Be sure to include keywords/key-phrases within anchor text of hyperlinks that lead to your site. ·Building an “info-site” to lead visitors to your main website. This is a powerful tool for increasing number of targeted visitors to your site. This includes both on-site and offsite optimization techniques. Below are steps to lead you through process.

1.Register a domain that contains exact keyword/key-phrase that you wish to optimize and separate these keywords with hyphens. Remember: it does not matter if this domain is long because visitors will be clicking over from search engine to your site, not typing out URL. For instance, if our website sells web marketing consulting services and we wish to optimize key-phrase web marketing consulting we may choose a domain such as: web-marketing-consulting-resources.com 2.Be sure to include text links to every page on your site with page names displaying keywords that you are optimizing. Many sites bury page links within images and crawler cannot read these. By including text links to each page you can overcome this problem. As far as names of your pages, include keywords within page names. For instance: web-marketing-consulting-resources.com/web-marketing-consulting-portfolio.html 3.Each page should have a keyword/key-phrase density of 3-10%. Be aware that if you go much higher than this your pages can be red flagged as “over optimized” and may be punished by search engines. Also, be sure to include keyword/key-phrase within title portion of each page (the upper left most corner of browser window). 4.Include a resources section within this info site that provides articles and links to other relevant sites that you have traded links with (they should have a Page Rank of at least 4). Write as many articles as possible and include them on this page along with a brief bio and a link to your website. The remainder of articles should come from other credible resources within your industry. 5.Include a graphical link on every page that links over to your main site. For instance, going back to our web marketing consulting business: If our company name is XYZ Web Marketing, we would include a link on every page that states “We recommend XYZ Company for all of your Web Marketing needs”. Somewhat like a sole advertisement for your business contained within this “info site”. 6.Continue building your Resources page until it is packed with articles and quality links. I recommend having over 100 high quality links and at least 35 articles directly related to your industry. 7.After and only after you have fully completed these steps should you submit your website to search engines.

“It is not strongest of species that survive, nor most intelligent, but one most responsive to change.” - Charles Darwin

Commandment #5. Wear a CLOWN SUIT! It’s hard to ignore!

The cheapest and easiest marketing in world is free advertising. How do you get free advertising? Wear a clown suit! Do something OUTRAGEOUS! Become news worthy. How?

When Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream first tried to expand to a nation-wide operation, it had trouble finding distributors. They determined problem was that Pillsbury put out word to all distributors not to work with Ben & Jerry’s. Pillsbury’s edict effectively blocked Ben & Jerry’s from services of national distributors. What to do? Put on a clown suit!

Ben & Jerry’s set up a one-man picket line outside Pillsbury headquarters. The picket sign read “Who’s Doughboy afraid of?” The result? National-wide FREE publicity on television and newspapers. Publicity they couldn’t afford to buy.

In order to differentiate yourself from crowd of competitors, you MUST be DIFFERENT! Design your own clown suit and wear it proudly!

Commandment #6. NEVER Give Up!

Albert Einstein said, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up“.

In marketing, everything you do moves you forward. If one campaign fails, you are that much closer to one destined to succeed. Watch others. Learn from others. Learn from your own mistakes. BUT KEEP GOING!

Commandment #7. Always Be Closing

“Always be closing” is often referred to as “ABCs of sales”. However, it also applies to marketing. The objective of marketing is to increase sales. Not to “inform”, “educate”, or “entertain”. I repeat: The objective of marketing is to increase sales.

Therefore, this last commandment directs us to write all marketing copy with sale in mind. Only information that moves a potential customer toward a sale is allowed in our marketing copy. How do we know what should stay and what should go in our marketing materials? Read through it asking yourself one question – “So what?”

Another way of stating “so what?” is asking “why should customer care?” You’ve been in business since 1972. So what? Your product folds flat. So what? You’re a family owned business. So what? The alternative?

“We have been in business since 1972 so you’ll always know where to find us. Since we are a family-owned business, you’re always talking to an owner who can answer your questions and solve your problems. Our product folds flat to save you valuable office space when not in use.” See difference? Now you’re talking about customer’s issues, not yours.

There you have my seven commandments of marketing based upon 33 years of business experience. “Commandment” is defined as “A formal pronouncement or rule”. Keep in mind and put into practice these seven commandments of marketing. When you do, your marketing efforts will result in only true value of marketing – increased sales!

Michele Schermerhorn has over 30 years experience in the business world and over 12 years running her own successful online businesses. She is President of Online Business Institute Inc. (www.obinstitute.com) and regularly conducts free online seminars. Online Business Institute Inc. exists to “Create Successful Online Business Owners One Person At A Time”.