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By Paul Marshall
Some website owners are more frustrated about Google optimization than for other search engines. They feel it is harder to perform search engine optimization for Google.
Whether you are making direct sales from your website or sales lead generation (or both), optimizing for Google doesn’t need to be that hard.
In fact, in time you may find it easier to perform SEO for Google than for other search engines.
With the popularity of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, you’d be foolish not to include an easy way for your content to be shared with others.
You’ll find many free services that will give you the code you need to instantly add a “share button” to your web pages so that visitors can instantly share them with their friends.
To generate your buttons see:
http://www.addthis.com/features
BY ANDY BEAL
>>Need help managing the reputation of your hotel or small business? I can help!<<
If you’re a small business–or one that operates only in a particular geographic region–you might be forgiven for seeing “online reputation management” and think it doesn’t apply to you. You’re not a big brand, you don’t have to worry about the Wall Street Journal or Newsweek writing about your business, so why worry?
While managing a national reputation may not be of concern, I’ll guarantee that there’s a local web portal or trade journal that keeps tabs on what your customers think about your business. No better example of this than the hospitality industry. Most hotel managers look upon online reviews as a thorn in their flesh–there’s just no pleasing some guests, so why even try?
ONLINE tourism services operator Roamfree Limited has been placed into administration, with Tim Michael and William Colwell of Ferrier Hodgson today placed in control of the company.
The collapse could have significant implications for the Australian travel industry, because Roamfree is the majority shareholder in Tourism Technology, which operates the Calypso reservation system used by most major wholesalers here including Qantas Holidays, Creative Holidays, Flight Centre
(Article by The Internet Marketing Center Team)
Today we’re going to tell you about 8 free sites that’ll help you explode your traffic…
AND get a better search engine ranking…
AND build a name for yourself as an expert in your field…
AND maintain better customer relations…
AND get new ideas for growing your business!
The sites we’re talking about are the ‘Net’s most popular social media sites. They’re online gathering places where people meet to share information and build relationships with each other. They’re also great places to meet potential customers and business partners.
… Plus, you can also build up a huge network of loyal customers who will do a lot of your advertising for you simply by raving about your product to all their friends and family. (And as you probably know, word-of-mouth advertising from a trusted source is the most effective kind of advertising you can get.)
And if some of these loyal customers start linking to your site from their sites, that can help you get a serious boost in the search engine rankings.
Read the rest of this entry »
“There is a real possibility that bounce rate is a significant ranking factor right now. Even if it isn’t, it is my opinion that it will be made a factor in the near future. Even if it is not a factor, and even if it does not become one, there are plenty of reasons to look closely a bounce rate anyway.” – Eric Enge; Search Engine Land
By Tom Shapiro
August 19, 2009
Are visitors abandoning your site shortly after arriving? Incorporate this analysis into your efforts to help maximize your paid search campaign’s ROI.
She was thrilled — not only was her new paid search campaign driving traffic to her website, but it was also generating online sales! Yet closer inspection revealed that the campaign wasn’t producing anywhere near the value it should have delivered. In fact, 75 percent of visitors were leaving the site immediately after arriving. In short, the site had a major bounce rate problem. As a result, the company was spending a lot of money to drive a subpar brand experience. Read the rest of this entry »
from http://www.webmasterworld.com/link_development/3932708.htm
It seems all the reciprocal linking is frowned up on these days. Getting good quality natural links is tough these days.
As the wise Yoda once said, “You must unlearn what you have learned…”
Engineers from some of the major search engines have made statements in the past regarding excessive reciprocal linking because some webmasters were abusing it. Abuse means high volume (hundreds a day) with low relevant sites. They didnt say “don’t reciprocal link”. Many have clarified “its ok to have reciprocal links” and “reciprocal links occur naturally on the web”.
It’s easy for self proclaimed experts to say “get one way quality links”. Easier said than done.
There is nothing wrong with reciprocals if you follow published guidelines which means maintain high relevancy and very low (natural) volume.
Rapid Takeoff of The Grampians Accommodation Website Suggests
Ample Opportunity for Licensees of the Proprietary Online Booking Software
August 10, 2009, Sydney, Australia – Accommodation Guru (www.accommodationguruinternational.com), creator of proprietary online booking software, is pleased to share a major licensee success story: The Grampians Accommodation website (www.grampiansvictoria.com.au), powered by the Accommodation Guru platform, has drawn tremendous response since its launch in 2008 from both property suppliers and deal-seeking travellers looking to reserve their accommodation online.
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English:
http://www.mailoutguys.com/itbyus/display.php?List=45&N=181 - Mar/Apr
http://www.mailoutguys.com/itbyus/display.php?List=42&N=218 - Jul 2009
French:
http://www.mailoutguys.com/itbyus/display.php?List=46&N=188 – Mar/Apr2009
http://www.mailoutguys.com/itbyus/display.php?List=60&N=219 – Jul2009
German:
http://www.mailoutguys.com/itbyus/display.php?List=46&N=191 - Mar/Apr
http://www.mailoutguys.com/itbyus/display.php?List=42&N=221 - Jul2009
Spanish:
http://www.mailoutguys.com/itbyus/display.php?List=42&N=223 -Jul2009
More Licenses Purchased Across the Globe
And our worldwide expansion goes on! Accommodation Guru is thrilled to announce the purchase of licences in the following countries:
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We’d also like to extend a hearty “congratulations” to Marcus & Janet Hooper atGrampiansVictoria.com.au. Based on their considerable success over the last year, they have decided to purchase another licence for Tasmania. Well done, guys! Read their inspiring story below.
by Marcus Hooper of www.grampiansvictoria.com.au
I’ve been running a successful holiday property in Halls Gap, The Grampians, Victoria for three years called Halls Gap Escapewww.hallsgapaccommodation.com.au. Back in January 2008, I was looking for some booking software to integrate into my website. I came across Accommodation Guru and Dave Upton. After reading about this unique business opportunity, I thought it might be “too good to be true.” But I decided that I may as well complete the enquiry form and see if I would actually be contacted as was promised.
To my surprise, I received a phone call the following day from Dave, who was on leave and travelling in the remote outback of Australia at the time. After speaking with him at length, I analysed Dave’s presentation and offer and worked through the pros and cons. I concluded that a larger opportunity had presented itself, beyond my original intent. That opportunity was to provide an online gateway for not only my property-but for all the properties in Halls Gap – the Grampians.
With some apprehension mixed with excitement, I decided to take the next step and purchase an Accommodation Guru licence for the Grampians area. By May 2008, www.grampiansvictoria.com.auwas launched. I started by just listing my own property and developed a “hit-list” of target properties that I wanted to feature on the site. Slowly but surely, I worked my way through the list, trying to persuade other property owners to subscribe.
Whilst waiting for Google to index my new website, I focused both on driving traffic to the site and ensuring that I had great properties to offer visitors. I executed this approach by complementing the launch with a Google AdWords campaign. But to my delight, Google quickly recognizedwww.grampiansvictoria.com.au based on the SEO recommendations of Dave and ItByUs. By June, the site was fully indexed on Google and receiving significant traffic.
I can recall the first day that the Grampians site took a booking. The feeling of success brought a smile to my face. After that, I was able to confidently approach more establishments, knowing the great potential the system offered suppliers.
The momentum of www.grampiansvictoria.com.au continued to build, with more properties listing and more booking requests flowing in. I began modestly with one or two requests a week. Now, twelve months down the track, that rate has grown exponentially to far exceed my expectations. The site is indexed on page one of Google for all keyword search phrases.
I now have over 35 suppliers in what was a very well-established market and I am competing with the “big guys” of online accommodation. My suppliers that keep their availability up-to-date agree that I have been instrumental in their business growth.
Not one to rest on my laurels, I still look to improve the content on my site, grow my supplier portfolio and work with existing suppliers to maximize the site’s output. I really love the fact that I can watch my favourite football team play and come home to see that my site has generated revenue (it feels even better if my team has won!). I now only need to spend a couple of hours a week on my website to maintain its current momentum.
Having been so successful with the launch of the Grampians site, I began talking to Dave about further opportunities in other tourist areas. Assessing different options, I took on the larger project of the entire state of Tasmania. www.booktasmaniaaccommodation.com.au was registered at the beginning of June 2009.
A few late nights later, I had shaped the content and look of the site using the simple CMS software. Within 7 days, I was approaching suppliers and offering them the opportunity to list on the newly-created site. On night one, I sent out a little over one hundred emails and the following day, the phone did not stop ringing with suppliers interested in listing. Four weeks into the project and forty suppliers later, the booking requests have already begun.
My “success story” is not yet over. In fact, it has only just begun. With some strategic planning and focus and by following the steps and principals provided by Dave and Accommodation Guru, I am confident that the www.booktasmaniaaccommodation.com.au site will replicate and hopefully exceed the success that I have had with the www.grampiansvictoria.com.au site.
To anybody looking for a home-based business with genuine income potential, I suggest you stop and take a look at what can be achieved from an Accommodation Guru licence. Like everything in life, you get out what you put in. But with some hard work, the rewards are there. I am proof!
A Licensee’s Perspective from Kim Michelmore & Malinda Melbourne
As Accommodation Guru reservation system “pioneers,” Malinda and I went through a lot of trial-and-error as we discovered the very best ways to utilise its powerful attributes. So we’ve come up with some proven pointers for fast-tracking your success:
Tips and Tricks for Better Search Engine Visibility
Get Your Suppliers to Add This Cool New “Widget” to Their Website-and Reap the SEO Benefits
Accommodation Guru has created a “supa-dupa useful” widget or tool that you can ask your suppliers to add to their website. The widget will benefit their site visitors by displaying the following information:
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What’s in it for you? By providing a link back to your site, the widget will enhance your Search Engine Optimization efforts. The more suppliers you can get to add it to their site, the better!
Example: http://www.bookathenshotels.gr/
Get the full details here:http://www.licensee.english.accommodationguru.com/upload/documents/accommodationguru/Widgets.pdf
Ways We’re Making It Easier for You to Succeed!
The Accommodation Guru Blog is Here!
Never to be one excluded from the party, I have added a blog to thehttp://www.accommodationguruinternational.com/ website (right-hand column) or direct link:http://www.blog.accommodationguru.com/.
I do a lot of reading and research and have endeavoured to include relevant, useful articles and snippets that I believe you will find helpful in building your Accommodation Guru business. A couple of recent posts include: 5-Minute Credibility Booster for Your Site and Tales From The IMC Testing Labs: Our Experts Share Their Latest Findings.
Please visit the blog and feel free to share your comments!
PayPal’s New Split Payment Feature Getting Rave Reviews
I’m getting lots of great feedback from licensees who are excited about PayPal’s new split payment feature. Now you can send instant payments to multiple recipients instead of having to send funds individually.
What’s in it for you?
The best part is that PayPal’s split payment capability incurs absolutely no additional cost to you or your suppliers.
Ideas, Tools and Advice for Growing Your Business
Fantastic New Google Tools to Check Out
If you’re looking for a lightning-fast Internet browser, I highly recommend trying Google Chrome. It’s a new web browser for Windows and combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.
In addition to the Google Keyword Tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal that I use continuously, may I also recommend having a look at Google Insights. With Google Insights for Search, you can compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties.Full Details: http://www.google.com/insights/search/#
Would you like a sneak-peak into the near future to see how your life is going to change? Google Waveis a new tool for communication and collaboration on the web, coming later this year (possibly as early as October). Watch the demo video below, sign up for updates and learn more about how to develop with Google Wave.
Demo Video: http://wave.google.com/
by Laurie Sullivan, Yesterday, 3:59 P
Knowing how consumers research and gather information as they make plans to travel for business and pleasure can help marketers plan campaigns better. The study, “The Traveler’s Road to Decision,” released Tuesday from Google and OTX, reveals consumer research and buying habits across the Internet.
Business travelers are more likely to seek out money-saving packages, access travel sites, and become a rewards travel program member. Read the rest of this entry »
Pssst… Want to completely KILL all of the credibility that you’ve worked so hard to develop with your website?
Then we highly recommend putting up a site that’s FULL of grammar and spelling errors!
Seriously! A couple of spelling mistakes on your website may not seem like much of an issue in the overall scheme of things, but to a lot of your visitors, these small errors will be an absolute deal breaker.
That’s because many people assume that the quality of a website’s products is only as good as the quality of the site itself…
This is doubly true if you’re promoting an ebook that you wrote yourself. Who will feel confident in your skills as an author if you can’t even produce a homepage that’s error-free?
Now that’s not to say that you have to be a professional writer to write error-free copy.
You can still create your own correct copy, regardless of your skill level. Just use your trusty spell checker, plus this quick guide to the most commonly misused and misspelled words we’ve found on other people’s websites.
The Internet Marketing Center Team
Want to know exactly what’s working online this minute?
Here at the Internet Marketing Center, we employ an entire team of “real world” experts.
By day, this dedicated group of Internet marketers works in the trenches, giving our customers one-on-one help to build their Internet businesses, often starting from square one and completing their sites just five days later. Read the rest of this entry »
Some countries have certain rules which make it harder or more expensive to get a local domain than a global one. For local search queries sites which match the local domain extension or are hosted on a machine in that country may get a boost in relevancy over global domains. (ie: .uk may rank well in UK, .de may rank well in Germany)
Google can use the increased price of local hosting and/or the rules associated with gaining a local domain extension to assume that locally hosted or locally registered domains may have a greater local relevancy.
Likely due to less spamming incentive, a smaller content base, and a lesser understanding of local language many of the filters that are applied to the global search results may not be applied to some local results.
Posted by Valeriya Tselebrovskaya
When people hear about internet marketing, they often think of two of the more popular methods used to enhance visibility on the web, namely search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click advertising (paid search).
In an ideal world both should be used strategically to maximise your site’s profile and ROI.
The Top 200+ POWER Words for Salescopy that will Guaranteed to Explode Your Sales!
When you sit down to write your salescopy, you of course want to ensure that your copy is packed full of juicy benefits and provides as much information, excitement, and appeal as possible each step of the way… But did you ALSO know that there are a number of words that pack far more power and punch than your average, ordinary writing?
Be sure to cram your copy full of the following PROVEN attention-getters to ensure your copy sizzles — and sells. Read the rest of this entry »
I found this useful article the other day:
5 Reasons Why Most Internet Marketers Fail
By Titus Hoskins (c) 2009
When it comes to starting any endeavor, whether it be
learning a new hobby or starting an online business, we all
have to start at ground zero. We all have to start at the
very beginning from the very same place. Granted, we each
bring different skills and backgrounds into the mix, but
for the most part we are all on equal footing at the
starting line.
by Lee Odden on Apr 29th, 2009
Over the next 10 business days I will be posting a series of SEO tips focused mostly on how to employ search engine optimization tactics for online PR benefit. This Top Ten SEO Tactics for PR Professionals series is centered around a presentation I am giving at the PRSA Digital Impact conference. If you’re attending that event, you’ll get the best of both worlds by reading this series as a complement to the in-person presentation.
Driven by customers and the consequences of not doing so, the public relations industry has warmed in recent years to the power of search engine optimization for growing the impact of pull based PR efforts.
Now more than ever, journalists, bloggers and industry influentials use search engines to find subject matter experts, research companies, locate past media coverage and to track topical trends. In fact, a recent survey on journalists’ use of search by TopRank reports that 91% of those journalists, reporters and editors surveyed use search engines to do their jobs.
Traditionally, search engine optimization efforts have been managed by corporate marketing departments – either in-house or through an outside agency. However, will all the opportunities to create value in the form of increased online brand visibility, reputation management and internet based media coverage, public relations deserves a seat at the corporate SEO table.
To achieve that, it’s important that PR professionals understand the foundation of SEO tactics as well as the business benefits for PR efforts as well as to the larger organization. The upcoming series of posts will outline SEO and PR tactics with the most impact, how to choose the best keywords, on page SEO and link building best practices as well as measuring the value of SEO to public relations efforts. It will also cover when PPC is a better fit than SEO, how to combine SEO and social media promotions and the finer points of selling the benefits of SEO to decision makers.
Corporate web site optimization projects require an equal measure of search engine knowledge, understanding of corporate messaging and ability to appreciate and acquire links from credible sources. By learning the fundamentals of SEO and the possible impact on public relations effectiveness, PR departments can demonstrate their competitive advantage.
To that end, here is the schedule of SEO for Public Relations posts that I’ll be doing in the coming weeks:
Keep in mind that while these explanations and examples will be centered around PR and news content, many of the SEO and social media marketing tactics can be applied to any kind of content whether it be job listings, FAQ/Knowledge Base info or products/services. As each article is posted, I’ll link to it from the list above.
By Wendy Roth
1. Sending email they didn’t ask for
2. Sending unexpected email that’s different from what they did ask for
3. Sending email that can’t be deciphered on a smartphone or cellphone
4. Sending an email full of broken links and images
5. Foiling unsubscribes with a complicated process
6. Sending emails to re-engage when they’re already engaged
7. Sending way more email than expected
Something Useful I picked up the other day:
Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.
Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older. I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.
• Hard work: All hard work brings profit; but mere talk leads only to poverty.
• Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.
• Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income.
• Spending: If you buy things you don’t need, you’ll soon sell things you need.
• Savings: Don’t save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving
• Accounting: It’s no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.
• Auditing: Beware of little expenses; a small leak can sink a large ship.
• Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet.
• Investment: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
I’m certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I’m equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health. Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.
Warren Buffet
List your property on Promcountry.com.au – No. 2 on GoogleNumber 2 in Google, with 22,000 unique visitors in the last 3 months
The bad news!!
Business dropped off during the fires.
The Good News!!
PromCountry.com.au
Whilst a bit of a brain strain, if you are serious about Search Engine Marketing, I can highly recommend the following papers by www.SEOmoz.com
SEOmoz.com serves as a hub for search marketers worldwide by providing education, tools, resources and paid services to help make every SEO the best they can be.
They have put together a series of papers that I have listed below that you will find most useful. Some of them are free, and some will incur a cost.
The other alternative is to sign up for their ‘Pro’ service at US$79 per month ongoing.
Once you have red all the guides and feel that the subscription is no longer of use, you may cease the subscription at any time.
Measure Twice, Cut Once
I promised to give you a valuable 17 Point Checklist to getting your client’s and prospect’s attention… Why? Because in difficult times like ours, there will be a direct correlation between your success, and your ability to get your client’s or prospect’s attention.
So let’s mush on…
Before sending out any direct mail offer (a printed ad, an email message, etc.), you’ll want to review your effort to make sure that you have applied each of the following 17 points properly. These will significantly enhance your chances of having a successful response rate.
Remember that any marketing you do, and any money you spend on that marketing is wasted unless it grabs your prospects attention and gets them hammering on your door wanting to do business with you.
PAYPAL SPLIT PAY
PayPal now allows you to send multiple payments instantly – saving time, money and the hassle of having to individually send funds to every payment recipient.
Major Benefits:
No additional cost to you or the property (no double dipping by PayPal).
The list of videos and associated resources are as follows:
To access these videos:http://www.accommodationguruinternational.com/help-admin2
Login: hotel
Password: hotel
There is Also an Option to Reduce the Number of Images Displayed on The Results Display Page.
This facility is designed for Administrators who feel that the download of their Initial Search Results Page display is being slowed down by thenumber of images being displayed.
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