Wordtracker: The first and most important step in any search engine positioning campaign is identifying keywords for which you should optimize your site. WordTracker's keyword research service is only one on Internet that will provide a comprehensive and powerful database of most popular keywords in your industry. It has features that all other keyword research tools lack - for instance, it will help you identify related keywords that you would otherwise never have thought of, it differentiates between singular and plural keywords and tells you which version is more popular, it helps you identify popular mis-spelled keywords (which generally have very little competition) in your industry etc. It has a free trial version which will help you identify a few keywords. However, we recommend that you subscribe to its paid service as otherwise, you will not be able to discover quite a few keywords that can turn out to be extremely valuable to you. You can find more information on WordTracker at http://www.1stSearchRanking.com/t.cgi?5043&wordtracker/

Optilink: Link popularity has quickly become one of most important factors that influence your rankings in search engines. What is important is not only number of sites linking to you, but quality and relevancy of sites that are linking to you. If you are trying to improve link popularity of your site, until now, there has been no easy way of checking quality and relevancy of sites that are linking to you or quality and relevancy of sites that you are thinking of asking for links from. You could have done it manually, but it would take a tremendous amount of time. However, a new software product called Optilink automates this process to a large extent. In addition to doing an excellent job in helping you determine quality of sites that already link to you or might link to you, it also does following:

i) analyzes link structures of your top ranking competitors and tells you why they rank well, so that you can emulate same tactics that your top ranking competitors are using.

ii) allows you to do "what if" analysis - it tells you what sort of rankings you can expect if you adopt a particular linking strategy.

iii) monitor sites that you have exchanged links with to ensure that they are still linking to you and are linking to you way you want them to.

Tip 1. MARKET FOR YOUR DESIRED PROSPECTS, NOT FOR YOURSELF

What looks good to you is not necessarily effective for your desired audience. This is biggest mistake I see people make over and over again. They come up with an idea, they think it’s great, a few friends, family or nontarget market people give them thumbs up and they run with ball.

When it doesn't work, they just can't understand why.

Do market research and test your strategies on your target market. Big companies do lots of market research before launching a product or service. The little guys don't have resources to match this but that doesn't mean you omit it. Even if you are an independent professional, you need to do marketing research. And market research isn't a one-time deal. It needs to be incorporated into your marketing system and it needs to be ongoing.

Tip 2. YOU MUST ANSWER THESE FOUR CRITICAL MARKETING QUESTIONS

Question 1: WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?

Is it immediately clear to reader what is being offered? Any opaqueness, confusion, or question marks in their mind, even for a second, and they have moved on. Don't be cute or clever. Make it simple and clear. Cute and clever has a reference point now with S*P*AM or hype. Don't let them place you into that category.

Question 2: WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

The big benefits are very clear and directly stated... not implied; reader doesn't have to guess. The listener doesn't have to guess. They come to you from all different stages of readiness and desire levels.

How do you handle each one when they arrive, makes what occurs afterwards critical? It isn't what you perceive that they want, it is what they perceive they want. Stop guessing just because you are too lazy to do legwork. Start asking and don't ever stop.

Question 3: CAN I TRUST YOU?

How do I know you are safe and credible? Can I find out easily enough if I want to? Is your photo and contact info prominently displayed so I can build a relationship with you? Put your photo on every web page. It doesn't matter if they are different pictures.

People don't trust any more especially if all your contact information isn't on your web site. Put your phone number and address on ever page. It says you are credible. Put them in every ezine, in fact, add them twice -- beginning and end.

Create a safe place for them to be in -- a comfort zone. If you offer a complimentary session, realize that people don't immediately sign up for these because they aren't comfortable yet. It doesn't matter if you think you are safe, it’s what they think. Step them through becoming safe with you.

People are either boulders or blue birds. Blue birds are easy to convert to clients. Boulders need to know that they have a safe place to roll to before they will move.

Question 4: DO I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS?

Do I WANT to engage you? Do I feel COMPELLED to click or pick up phone (or whatever call to action is)? Do I feel good about myself in deciding to engage you? Can I trust that I'm making right decision? What's my motivation? Am I being motivated by fear, shame, or being empowered to make a good choice? Am I so excited that I want to tell all my friends?

Lots of questions need to be answered to deliver emotional needs people have before they buy from you. Don't leave these out.

Tip 3. ALWAYS INCLUDE THESE THREE KEY ELEMENTS IN YOUR MARKETING MESSAGES