There are more than 1.29 million blogs listed on Technorati alone. In 2010 there were more than 1.5 million regular bloggers. That number must have grown. So, it may be fair to say that every topic has been written about.

But with billions of people in this world, and the web a massively huge field to play on, people are still searching for credible sources and quality content.

So the question then becomes, How do bloggers go determine if they write for beginner or expertor some level in between?

Tight End To Wide Receiver

My blog topics come from:

• Questions posted on my Facebook page.
• Questions tweeted to me on Twitter.
• Inquiries via Email.
• Situations I observe in the real world.
• My own curiosities.

Yes, there are occasions when I find a new social network that I want to know about, or there is an online tool that I want to be more familiar with, and I research and test. Many times, I share that information in a post because I know it will be helpful to my readers.

When a question comes to me, I answer in as much detail as I can in terms my readers would likely understand, linking to new terminology, if available. Any writers goal is to be the credible source, so I will offer details of steps to follow next, or recommended other sources in taking the topic to the next level. Usually, I am fielding the most basic to the intermediate. Perhaps similar to a Tight End on the football field.

Occasionally I will pass off to an expert, for a quote or a guest post and let them carry readers through to a topic touchdown, much like a Wide Receiver.

In my opinion, bloggers should be very audience-centric.

But dont just take my word for it

First And Ten

Heres what Peg Fitzpatrick, a Front Lineswoman for 12 Most has to say:

"I pick topics that interest me and that are fresh. I really like new products and BETA everything so I like to try new things & when I like them I share the wealth. I read a lot of blog posts and check out lots of websites so I am familiar what is out and about. If you have a different slant on a topic, then create it but credit any sources that you use properly. If I have a great idea I go for it! Part of the writing process for me is the planning and I usually have the whole concept laid out prior to writing.

I usually write for beginners focusing on the posts that I wish I had read when I started out. Or alternatively, I try to share something new so everyone is a beginner. It makes me happy when I know that someone learned something from a post I wrote or thought more about a situation more deeply. My goal is to add value when I blog and to my readers.

Touchdown!

Christian Hollingsworth, Quarterback for Smart Boy Designs, advises this:

First, identify the audience you seek to attract to your blog. Do you cater to the expert small business owner? Are you writing posts for folks just stepping into the frigid SEO waters? Once youve identified your intended audience youll have a clear understanding at which level you should be writing posts.

Some blogs want to attract the entire spectrum of knowledge levels within a certain topic. I do. If this is the case then be sure to mix up your blog posts. I know successful bloggers who write a post for beginners on Monday, intermediate on Wednesday and advanced level topics on Friday. Its an effective way to share the coupe with all manner of individuals

When writing a post for a specific skill level I often keep the following questions in mind before, while and after Im writing:

'What information would I have loved to know when first dabbling in SEO? Is there a specific tip or task my fellow contemporaries may not be aware of?

Am I pushing the boundaries of this professions most skilled thinkers?'

In short, be helpful and call those readers of specific skill levels out from the crowd. If you write it they will come.

There seems to be a theme:

First, consider the reader.

Fans In The Stands

Just like football play to the fans! Isnt that why the Super Bowl has a half-time show??

Above are 3 super bowl style strategies to tackle writing blog posts for your readers.

What are your strategies?

Do you play to just one type of fan? Or do you play to all?

Image Credits: NFL Football Player, dascoop. Black Eyed Peas, Celebuzz.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

3 Super Bowl Style Strategies To Tackle Writing Blog Posts For Your Readers

Throughout my journey as an avid blogs reader, I have come across what I like to call: "The dumb, dumber and dumbest catastrophic blogging syndrome!" Let's discuss them one by one.

A Dumb Blogger Is Careless!

Some people see business blogs as a "fashion" or a trend! When blogs became popular, many businesses created blogs just to go with the flow and stay up-to-date.
The dumb blogger's only concern is to "dump" mediocre or poor content onto their blogs every blue moon!

The 5 No's of Dumb Bloggers

1. No Strategy
Dumb bloggers may (or may not!) know their target audience but when you ask them about their blogging strategy, their answer usually range between: "Huh!", "Say what?" or sheer silence!

2. No Value
These bloggers write out of a sense of obligation but they have a clear direction. Even worse, they never bather to examine their readers' reaction to their haphazard content!

3. No Interaction
Dumb bloggers are introverts! They never interact with other bloggers, seek guest blogging opportunities or reach out to influential bloggers in their industry. They prefer staying isolated in their own world.

4. No SEO
Dumb bloggers are extremists. Some of them would "stuff" their unreadable blog posts with keywords hoping to be found by search engines, while others don't use keywords altogether!

5. No Promotion
Social sharing has no place in the dumb bloggers over-crowded schedule. It's enough that they took the time to write content that no one will read! How dare you expect them to share it as well?

Symptoms of Dumb Catastrophic Blogging Syndrome

Yes, you guessed right: Victims of this disease suffer from zero traffic!

A Dumber Blogger Is Deceptive!

Dumber bloggers are very active on social media. They share their posts all over the place. They also know how to track their target market and "entice" them to visit their blog using compelling tweets and blog titles.

People buy into their sweet talk and run to their blogs in masses only to realize that they have fallen prey to a phony blogger who promises his target audience the sun and the moon but never delivers!

Symptoms of The Dumber Catastrophic Blogging Syndrome

Very high targeted traffic and even higher bounce rate! Can you blame the bounce rate?

The Dumbest Blogger Is Unethical!

These bloggers bluntly copy other people's content word for word! Some of them are so lame that they don't even bather removing links to the original blog!

It did happen with Garious that one of our articles was copied without the slightest modification on a PR 4 site!

When I tracked down the site, it occurred to me to Google some of their other articles and realized that the site owners are stealing content in masses! So, I emailed the other victims to warn them about what was going on. In the mean time, I sent a very harsh email to the site owner and asked him to delete our post immediately and he did!

Symptoms of The Dumbest Catastrophic Blogging Syndrome

Getting showered with nasty emails from the original content owners and when some of them make their case publically, these poor dumbest bloggers can kiss their online reputation goodbye forever!

Why Did I Put Them In That Order?

In spite of their carelessness, I believe that dumb bloggers are the best of the worst here! Why? Because they are getting zero traffic! In other words, no one has seen their dirty laundry. So, once they learn the ropes and revamp their blogging strategy, they can rectify the situation.

Dumber bloggers, on the other hand, lose their credibility in a heartbeat due to their false pretense . In other words, all the disappointed readers who didn't find what they were looking for will never come back and may also spam the blog they hate and let the whole world know that dumber bloggers are full of it!

In this scenario, the dumber bloggers' task is more challenging as they will have to work super-hard to regain their readers' trust.

As for the dumbest ones, nothing scars anyone for life more than proving unethical! These bloggers must change their domain names and start allover again with a clean slate.

Where Do You Stand?

Perhaps I presented extreme examples here but I suppose that any blogger that is not getting the desired outcome out of his blog falls somewhere in the catastrophic blogging syndrome. Use the symptoms of each kind to find out where you stand.

• If you are not getting the traffic you expect, pinpoint which of the 5 "NOs" of dumb bloggers that you need to turn into a "Yes!" in order to get the traffic you expect
• If you enjoy high traffic rates but people tend to bounce-not-browse, try to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience in order to meet their expectations and win them over
• If you are using other people's content in a way that they don't approve of, you need to STOP immediately. And the good news is that there are legitimate content "stealing!" techniques that you can use instead.

Dumb, dumber and dumbest bloggers serve nothing but contributing trash to the web 2.0 information avalanche! Do NOT be one of them! Strive to distinguish yourself from the masses and raise the bar NOW! Good luck!

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

The Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest Signs of Catastrophic Blogging Syndrome!

Whether you are adding a blog to an existing website or starting a blog as the primary web presence for your small business, you are probably planning to take the least expensive route and do all the writing yourself. But you may wonder if your writing is good enough to pull it off. How can you evaluate your own blogging potential?

One way is to just jump in with both feet, start writing, and wait to see what kind of a response you get. However, if you don't already have an online following, it may be weeks or months before you get feedback because it can take that long for your audience to find your blog. A small initial readership may not be an indication of your lack of writing skill, but rather an indication of your lack of marketing skill.

Conversely, if you already have an online following or are particularly good at online marketing, you may enjoy an initial burst of traffic to your blog either in response to an advertising campaign or out of loyalty or curiosity. Again, that might not be an indication of how well liked your writing is.

A web statistic that is more useful for evaluating your writing skill is the average length of time a visitor spends on a post. Most stats programs provide that information. If readers are clicking away after a few seconds that is an indication of disinterest. But if the average time spent on the post is the few minutes, it's likely that people are interested enough to stay long enough to read it.

Comments on your posts are another clue that your writing is good enough to engage readers. Just be careful to evaluate whether they are real comments by those interested in the topic, and not just auto comments left to get backlinks. Also keep in mind that lack of comments doesn't necessarily mean no one finds your posts worthwhile. Many readers never leave comments on blogs they enjoy.

If you prefer to get some feedback about your writing before you start your blog, ask a few people to read and critique one or two samples of your writing. Family and friends are usually more than willing, but because they are so supportive and inclined to praise whatever you do, they may not be the best judges of your ability. Perhaps you can approach a neighbor or someone at your spouse's office who can be more objective.

You can also seek out online writers' forums that offer peer critiques or online services that will evaluate an article. Or see what kind of response you get to a short piece or two on your social media pages and busy online forums.

Another option is to submit a couple guest posts to other blogs. Look for quality blogs that specify criteria for acceptance and that have an active readership. A blog that accepts any and all submissions won't provide the feedback you need.

With each critique be sure to seek out more than a just review of spelling, grammar, and structure. Ask whether your own voice and style come through, if you make your point clearly and concisely, whether you evoke an emotional response or encourage action, and whether the reader is interested enough to want to read more of your work.

If you initial responses aren't as favorable as you would like, don't be too discouraged. You can develop your writing skill either through practice or training. And in the meantime you can start your blog using other writing sources including hiring a writer or editor, using guest bloggers, or using private label rights articles.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Should You Write Your Own Blog Content?

84% of the surveyed B2B buyers indicated that they are very likely to click through industry news and articles from vendor sources.

Still, many B2B businesses fall prey to some ethical and SEO related myths that force some of them to avoid content curation altogether!

This article will address the 7 most common B2B content curation myths and offer bulletproof answers to them.

B2B Content Curation Myth 1: Curating 3rd Party Content Drives Traffic to Their Sites

That's a common misconception of content curation effect. Here is the deal: if you managed to consistently publish relevant content to your target audience, you will earn their trust.

In fact, they will be appreciative of the fact that you saved them time and lifted the burden of finding quality content off their shoulders.

In doing so, you will position yourself as a thought leader in your industry and will expand your branding and social reach accordingly.

B2B Content Curation Myth 2: Content Curation Is Unethical

There is a huge difference between curating content and "pirating" content! Here are some ethical guidelines to help you out:

• Give tribute to the original content owners by mentioning their names linking to their content sources
• Do NOT republish an entire third party story and make it your own. Simply quote few paragraphs or summarize parts of the content, making a clear reference to the content owners
• ALWAYS create DOFOLLOW links to their content and rest assured that your SEO will remain intact ( Check myth # 5 for more details)
• Finally, add value to the original post by offering your own tips and insights on the topic discussed. Intelligently building on curated content makes your final output authentically yours. I love that thought!

B2B Content Curation Myth 3: Hosting Curated Content Can Affect My Page Rank

This claim is sheer bogus! After Google Panda's algorithm update, hosting curated content on a separate domain that relates to your main topic will actually increase your SEO landmark. On top of that, it will magnify your chances of outperforming your competition in search results.

B2B Content Curation Myth 4: Having Duplicate Content Can Have serious SEO Ramifications

This argument could have some grounds to it if you are going to copycat 3rd party content word-for-word WITHOUT referencing the original creator! By sticking to guidelines presented in # 2 will make your content curation process perfectly ethical and worry-free.

B2B Content Curation Myth 5: Outbound Links Hurt SEO

Outbound links to original content resources will turn your site/blog into a valuable resource and as many happy audience start sharing your content and linking back to it, your inbound links will skyrocket.
Again, think of the branding rewards of being a trusted source of information in your industry.

B2B Content Curation Myth 6: Third Party Content May Overshadow My Content!

Yes, this could be the case if you curate great content and create mediocre content! Why not raise the bar and create equally outstanding content of your own?

In fact, if some visitors were initially drawn to your blog because you published some influential figure's content, your great content can win them over.

In other words, think of your curated content as a "teaser" that will bring audience to your blog. Once there, your killer content will make them browse-not-bounce.

B2B Content Curation Myth 7: I Hate To Be Labeled a content farmer"!

Trust me. no one wishes to be slammed as a content farmer! Content farming is a black SEO practice that pushes massive amounts of pirated and poor quality content to drive search traffic.
Again, if you stick with guidelines presented in myth# 2, you will be nothing remotely close to a content farmer!

Key Takeaways

More B2B businesses are starting to realize the unquestionable significance of content curation to their overall marketing strategy.

If done right, content curation can create massive branding and SEO rewards for your business.

Did you have previous reservations about content curation that this article cleared up for you? Do you still have some lingering myths you wish to address? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Your valuable contribution is much appreciated.

Image: Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

7 Common B2B Content Curation Myths & The Bulletproof Answers To Them!

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post suggesting that bloggers could basically ignore optimizing their sites for Bing. My rationale was that Bing/Yahoo generated such a small percentage of total traffic to a sampling of blogs that I analyzed that it did not really merit a significant effort. This advice is probably still appropriate if your target keywords are competitive generic terms related to topics along the lines of blogging, affiliate programs, SEO, etc.

However, a post I recently wrote that targets a "news" related item ranks on the first page on Yahoo (which is powered by Bing), while the first news page of Google is filled with nothing but links to mainstream media outlets. This result demonstrates that the specific keyword term you are targeting has an impact on which search engine offers better rankings. The increased weight the Google algorithm is placing on domain weight has tilted the playing field for news related queries so far in favor of main stream media that the results returned are nothing but a collection of plain vanilla sites.

The specific term that was targeted in the blog post was "Illinois State Bill 512", a piece of legislation that recently was passed out of committee for a vote in the Representative chamber. Check out the Yahoo links for the bottom of the first page of a news seach. The results include two WordPress blogs, a Facebook posting, and my Blogpspot post.

As the above results show, for keyword terms for which Bing and Google return differing results, Bing does matter to bloggers (or at least for post targeting news related keyword terms. Thus, the case can be made that if you are a blogger posting on news related topic, Bing is friendlier than Google.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Has Bing Become More Blogger Friendly Than Google?

Most of our company blog's traffic comes from people who are interested in SEO, internet marketing and social media. Makes sense, right? But we also get a significant amount of visitors each month because we are the web's authoritative source on a subject that has nothing to do with that field: summary of Paul McHenry Roberts' essay about writing college compositions entitled, "How to Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words."

Where did that come from? you ask. And how on earth can you title yourself "the web's authoritative source" on it?

The first question is easy enough. Back when the post on How To Say Nothing in 500 Words was published, our blog was less a company blog focused on internet marketing and more a collage of posts about "SEO, QA, and Life." So, as the original post says, "[I] was pleasantly surprised to find a subject that suits everything I am involved with now-a-days (in no particular order): Blogging, SEO, QA, Testing, and Business! No surprise really, because good writing skills are important for so many things in our daily life."

That's how it got published. How it got to be the web's authoritative source was the vanishing of other sources on the internet, namely the two we had linked to in the blog post: doshdosh.com's article about the essay, and the full essay itself on a college student's website. Both pages are now defunct: doshdosh.com is no longer in existence – to the chagrin of many in the internet community – and the student's website? Well, maybe he graduated and left his website behind. The link doesn't work any more.

(If anyone happens to be interested in reading it, the only working link I could find among a few others that didn't – this essay has bad luck – is a Word file download from clayton.edu. The URL is abbreviated in the search results, otherwise I would put it here, but if you google "how to say nothing in 500 words", I see it as the third result.)

So if you google "how to say nothing in 500 words summary," we come up first. And we get traffic from that and all sorts of variations: "how to say nothing in 500 words by paul mchenry roberts," "how to say nothing in 500 words outline." We used to get more traffic from "how to say nothing in 500 words by paul roberts," but we get less now, probably because more posts were written over the years, one very recently which is now ranking the highest for "how to say nothing in 500 words."

Also interesting: check out the visitor pattern for this post since March 2009 (when we migrated the blog to our website).

Not major traffic until that first big spike around September 2010, again in January 2011, and our biggest season ever in August 2011. Notice a pattern? That would be when college semesters start – and How To Say Nothing in 500 Words is an essay on writing college compositions well. Who's guessing that some college English professors out there are giving an assignment to read and write something on this essay? And some students don't actually want to read the whole essay…?

So why am I sharing this with you? This blog is about internet marketing – what does it have to do with that?

Many website owners see internet marketing and SEO as getting more traffic to your website. But if you get lots and lots of traffic like the traffic we're getting to this post – you got nothing. I'm sure most people reading this blog are aware of this in concept, but it sometimes helps to have a very obvious case to show clients – or to remind ourselves.

In an attempt to try to get something out of all that traffic, I put a Kissinsights survey on the page (great free program, by the way – if you haven't seen it yet, worth checking out) asking visitors what they were hoping to find. I thought maybe if I got a response, I could figure out some way to convert this traffic, turn them on to something we offer, get them to subscribe to the blog…

Well, about two months later and 210 views of the survey – no one has responded. I guess this traffic is very interaction-resistant. Which makes sense – they probably have only an hour or so left to finish that assignment before they have to go to class.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Get Lots of Traffic To Your Blog – So What? (A Case Study)

Bloggers strive for success, and success means a large and consistent reader base. You want as many people to read your blog as possible, and you want them to do it over a long period of time. You hope to attract new followers every day, and you hope that they will return tomorrow. If your blog is very successful, this will happen consistently for as long as your blog remains online.

How do you get the large and consistent reader base you want? -With your content. What you post is what will draw in readers and entice them to come back so the key is to make your content durable. How do you create content that is evergreen, not time sensitive? What should you write for your blog that will be long-lasting rather than transiently interesting? Here are some tips and things to keep in mind for writing durable content for your blog.

Timelessness

The best posts are ones that can be read at anytime and still be relevant. Write content for your blog that is timeless. To do this, imagine you are reading your post a year in the past and a year in the future. Does it still make sense? Can it be understood outside of the context of current events? Is it something that people will want or need to read about at anytime? If your writing relies too heavily on hot trends or current events, chances are it won’t be relevant for very long. Timelessness is the fundamental building block of durable web content.

Create A Resource

If you want new people to be discovering your blog all the time, cater to their quest for knowledge. Make your blog into a vast resource of information. Have a niche and create content that will always be needed. For example, if your blog is about saving money, you will want to write about absolutely everything you can that will help people save money. People should be able to come to your site and research ways to save money and find everything they need in one place. From saving on groceries to purchasing a car to creating a budget, your site should be an invaluable resource for the money-saver. The more you have to offer your readers the more long-term success your blog will have.

Teach

One type of writing that is always relevant is the how-to. Write about how to do something that people always need to do, and you will always have new readers. Instructional writing is very durable, especially when writing about how to do things that don’t get updated very often, like how to change a tire.

Expand

Consider other forms of media, not only just writing articles. If you not only tell someone how to do something, but you show them in an instructional video, you will be increasing the durability and appeal of your site.  Make content that your readers can use to their benefit anytime they want to. Going along with the money-saving example above, one idea for creating durable content would be creating downloadable worksheets that your readers can use to help them personalize their budget.

Strive For Excellence

Create a checklist that covers all the facets of excellent content. This includes relevance, accuracy, durability and quality. Cite sources, check for plagiarism and ensure you are using proper grammar via a reliable grammar checker. When possible ask a knowledgeable friend to serve as editor and provide you honest feedback.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Writing Evergreen Content for Your Blog

If, like me, you’ve been using Creative Commons for far too long and need another resource for sourcing free photos for use on the internet, here are five alternatives that I’ve found to be particularly good.

1. Stockvault.net

Stockvault.net claim to have 27,000 free images on their site! What’s even better is that you don’t need to register to download images at will. Here you can find a vast wealth of images from photographers and designers that are free to use for personal and non-commercial work. The site can be a little deceptive as a number of images displayed on a page redirect you to dreamstime.com where you have to register to gain access to the image, leading us nicely on to the next source…..

2. Dreamstime.com

Dreamstime is an excellent resource and the free photo section on the site has a huge range of images in a variety of resolutions that are ripe for the picking. Dreamstime also offer images for sale, but these can be as low as $0.20 USD each so even the paid images are incredibly reasonable. The only down side to this site is that you have to sign up to gain access to their image stock.

3. Morguefile.com

MorgueFile is perfect if you are looking for images that are a little more creative then the usual stock photos that are littered throughout the internet. The site has a bit of a clunky navigational structure, but searching for the type of image you want usually throws up a gem or two.

4. Lomography.com

For the hipster in you there is lomography.com. Here you can find a variety of analogue photographs in the sites ‘photo’ section. Photos are organised into five separate categories – tags, cameras, films, countries and cities. This resource can be a bit hit and miss but is particularly good if you are looking for images of cities. If you’re looking for high-res pictures then this isn’t the resource for you.

5. Photorack.net

Photorack is a superb resource with a very good site structure. Here you can drill down through very specific categories to quickly find the right photo you’re looking for. With close to 30,000 images in the site, you’re bound to find something suitable. You don’t have to register to gain access to the photos and the images are watermark free.

If you have a preferred free photo resource that isn't listed, why not share it in the comments below?

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

5 Of The Best Royalty Free Photo Resource Sites

This statement beautifully sums up how Steve Jobs revolutionized Apple and justifies why he was so adamant about tossing away market research!

In fact, he made this point crystal clear in an Interview with Business Week in 1998:

“A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

A Word Of Caution: Do NOT Try This At Home!

Did Steve Jobs create a need for Apple's products or did he feed an existing hunger?

Probably both! The bottom line is that Jobs' "Hello intuition, goodbye market research!" tactic  worked for him – the same way ignoring the Twitter bird is working like charm for Seth Godin!

Could these outrageous deviations from the "norm" work for you and me? Nah! Let's get real but…

The good news is that Jobs' rich history is loaded with precious lessons in product creation that you can incorporate into niche blogging. The key is to think of your blog as a product in order to follow Job's recipe for massive success.

But before getting to that, here is a great Infographic that encapsulates the life of Apple's legend – click for large version:

Steve Job's Timeless Recipe For Niche Blogging Success

1. Strive For Impeccable Design

Look at any Apple product: it exemplifies the epic of design beauty and has such an irresistibly hypnotizing effect that "haunts" you until you fall prey and buy the product.

Suddenly, IPhones became indispensible and one can't help but wonder: How did our grandparents survive without them?!

Does your blog has the same "You Gotta Like me Coz I'm Hot!" appeal?

2. Create Exceptional User Experience

Think of your blog as a virtual Apple tile in a retail store. If you take a close look at their tiles, you will notice that they are spacious enough to allow as many shoppers to try out their products.

In fact, they handpick their tiles and intentionally hide cash registers, wires and other distractions to enable their happy visitors to focus on what matters most – the products.

3. Consistently Deliver Outstanding Content

If you aspire to create the kind of blog content that will turn blog visitors into subscribers and subscribers into customers, go ahead and Subscribe to Apple's sales letter. You will be glad you did!

"Brief and to the point" is their mantra. Apple's sales letters are visually compelling and decorated with pictures. In addition, their 3-to-4 sentences sales copy is beautifully flavored with a humorous touch!

Take my word for it: if you get in the habit of reading Apple's sales letters, your blogging style will improve in no time.

A Final Whisper From Steve Jobs…

Steve Jobs was a huge advocate for simplifying Apple's brand message. Think about it: Simplicity attracts and complexity confuses and distracts. Keep your brand message simple. Even better, craft a genuine brand story.

Enough said! Let Steve Jobs do the talk…

Well said, Steve. You are a legend and inspiration for many generations to come. Thank you for being you and thank you for illuminating our lives.

Feel free to share your tributes for Steve Jobs in the comments below as well as your thoughts about the article. Your valuable contribution is much appreciated.

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

Steve Jobs Timeless Recipe For Niche Blogging Success…

It seems like a new tool or technique comes out every day. A new social media tactic, a new SEO tool, a new online service that everyone thinks will be the next BIG THING.

We get distracted by the next shiny object and lose sight of the essentials – the key things we need to keep continued focus on in order to succeed online.

So, what are the essentials for success online?

Well, you could debate that question endlessly, but here are my three:

1. Create Great Content

The foundation of your online presence is quality content. Not RSS feeds to fill your blog with recycled content. Not articles created by content spinners. Not PLR content or thin articles with bad grammar written in the Philippines for $4.

We're talking about original, insightful content about something you care about. There are no shortcuts.

The fact is, publishing insightful, original content to your blog on a regular basis will do more for your traffic than any of the "tricks" Internet Marketers talk about and try to sell you. Your content can be written, it can be audio, images or video. The point is, Google is continuously tweaking its algorithms to ignore crappy, thin and duplicate content and reward the good stuff.

You need a base of content that expresses who you are and what you stand for on your blog or website in order to start building an online business.

I really like Chris Garrett's Killer Flagship Content as a model for creating great content.

2. Build Your Email List

Despite all the attention social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are getting, email is still the most powerful tool for connecting with your audience and boosting your traffic and revenues.

Are you building a list on your website or blog? Imagine this: on the average website, 70% of your visitors will never come back. (Just look at your % of new visitors in your analytics.) Can you imagine running a business where you knew 70% of the people who came in the door would never return? You have to work really hard to find another set of customers like that every day.

Building an email list to capture readers who are interested in your content and bringing them back over and over again is probably your biggest opportunity to build an audience and readership. Building a list does take some work, but the payoff is huge. Many blogs I know get 30% or more of their traffic from their email list.

So how do you build your email list? Here are a few key elements:

1. Create a compelling offer. Offer something that is irresistible to your target audience. Like an eBook or video that answers some of their most pressing problems or issues. Spend $30 on a nice eBook cover. This is how you convince people to sing up for your list. (Having great content on your blog helps with this too!)
2. Invite readers to join. Place your sign up form prominently on your blog. Some good places are at the top of right hand sidebar, and after every post. Even though they are effective, I don't like automatic pop-overs. I think tools like HelloBar are a classier way to invite users to sign up than the pop-overs some people use.
3. Communicate regularly. Once people have joined your list, communicate with them regularly. If you don't, they will forget they signed up for your list and unsubscribe. And when you do communicate, make sure every email provides value. The key to a good email list building relationships. Email services like AWeber and MailChimp allow you set up a series of emails that your subscribers will automatically receive on a scheduled basis called Autoresponders. You can also use the Blog RSS capability in AWeber and other services to automatically create newsletters out of your blog posts. This way you can leverage the great content on your blog in your email newsletter, and keep your subscribers coming back to your website.

3. Engage With Your Audience

Ok, so I just bagged on Social Media a little bit and said email was better. It is. But here's the deal – the major search engine ranking factors are changing. Backlinks from quality websites are still key to great rankings, but engagement is quickly becoming another distinguishing factor rankings going forward.

So not only do you need great content on your blog, but you want to get your readers to engage with it. By engaging and sharing, you will naturally get more links to your site too. Here are a few tips for building engagement on your site:

• Make it easy to share your content. Use a social media sharing tool like Digg Digg to make it easy for people to share your content on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. A recent survey showed that 40%+ of sites are not even doing this yet. The survey also showed that sites that make it easy for people to share their content got more social media engagement and more traffic.
• Respond to *every* comment on your blog. People want to be heard. If they take the time to leave a comment on your blog make sure you respond to them! People are more likely to comment on an active discussion. If you are using WordPress, I've found that the Subscribe to Comments plugin is a great way to keep the conversation move along and bring people back for more comments.
• Answer every email from your readers and email list. Many times people will respond to your email newsletter. This is a great chance to build a relationship with individuals on your list. Make sure you respond to people who take the time to email you.
• Set up Google Alerts so that you know when people mention you online. Reply to Tweets, Facebook, and Google+. If someone retweets one of your posts, thank them. If they connect with you on Facebook or Google+ make sure to reciprocate.

Just like getting backlinks, engagement is going to continue to become more important to your rankings.

Ok, those are my essentials. What are yours?

Post from: Search Engine People SEO Blog

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