Tag Archives: Reasons

Six reasons to build a blog for online marketing success

The rise and rise of blogging as part of the web 2.0 phenomenon has taken the Internet by storm. Savvy web marketers are now using blogs as an additional weapon to generate leads, add credibility and improve their search engine rankings. Here are six reasons why you should consider blogging.

It is fun. Yes, blogging can be great fun. Just open you posting window and go for it without the restrictions of corporate style guides and other impediments to creativity. Got something to say? Just say it. The other fun aspect of blogging is that people can post comments about your blog posts. You posts plus reader comments all become valuable food for the search engines.

It’s cheap. The most powerful blogging systems are free. WordPress seems to be the blogging standard and now comes standard with many cheap web hosting packages. For less than $100 per year anyone can get their own domain with blogging included.

I wouldn’t use one of the free blogging services unless you are really desperate. You can’t be sure if they will always remain free and your posts will be building up someone else’ asset rather than your own.

It’s fast and easy. If you can use notepad you can blog. The user interface is very intuitive and allows you to add and edit, text, pictures, videos, whatever you want. Want to change the look and layout of your blog? There’s literally hundreds of themes available that take less than a minute to upload and install.

It gives you products and services personality. People like to do business with people they like. By blogging you show your target market that there is a real person behind the company you represent. By reading you blog posts thet get an idea of what you’re all about – warts and all. The personal aspect of blogging is one of it’s most powerful characteristics.

Your blog site becomes another Internet asset. Some blog sites get thousands and thousands of readers each day. This traffic can be converted to hard, cold cash through Google Adsense advertising, affiliate programs and straight advertising space sale. Once you blog increases it’s Google PageRank, you also get the benefit of linking out from your blog site to other web sites you want to promote.

Search engines love blogs. It is said in many SEO forums that Google staff are great bloggers and subsequently Google spiders and indexes blogs more frequently that normal web sites. This may just be a rumour, but I have found it to be true in my case. If you blog every day there’s a good chance Google and the other major search engines will spider your blog every day looking for that new content.

Convinced? Give blogging a try. There’s stacks of free resources listed in article directories like this one that will help you get into blogging.

John Hacking is Marketing Manager for a Brisbane web site design company and Product Manager for a Brisbane SEO firm. He has just started an SEO blog.

No Google 1st Page Rank? Say Bye To Traffic. Heres 3 Reasons Why

No Google 1st Page Rank? Say Bye To Traffic. Heres 3 Reasons Why

Richmond, VA SEO Online Marketing Strategies – The Internet has changed the way that consumers think about businesses, how they search for products and how they find information. It has also changed the ways in which businesses market themselves and even how they interact with their customers. One of the most important things to understand in the modern world of online business and marketing is the importance of Google rankings. In essence, you need to be on the first page of Google search results for your local niche or industry.

Why do you need to be on the first page? Why isn’t the second or third page sufficient? There are several reasons for this. Below, you will find a bit more information to help you understand just how vital it is that you rank as high as possible in your local niche or industry.

Consumers Are Lazy
The first thing you need to understand is that most people searching the Internet do not want to look past the first page of search results. While Google might pull up 100 million search results for your targeted keywords, your searchers are only going to look at the first page in most instances. Some consumers will look at the second page of results, but these are few.

It Equates to Expertise
Whether right or wrong, most consumers see listings on the first page of Google search results as those most closely aligned with what they want or need. This might or might not be true, but it is the general perception. Therefore, they are far more likely to give credence to companies that rank highly, as opposed to those who do not show up until the fourth or fifth page of results. After all, isn’t that what Google is supposed to do – show the most relevant search results first?

It Boosts Traffic
Obviously, the higher your page rank for search results, the higher the chance that your company will be the one that a consumer selects. This increases the traffic to your page and boosts your profitability. Without a high Google page rank through natural search results within your niche, you will have a very hard time increasing targeted traffic flow to your website.

Of course, you should not rely on Google results solely for your success, but it is an essential consideration. Your local online marketing efforts should be strategic and diversified to help your site rank high in all search engines.

Here’s something for you to think about. If your website ranks number 1 on Google for a particular keyword, then your website will receive 41% of all clicks (or traffic) for that search. If you own position 2, then your website gets 12% of all clicks for that search. Position 3 gets 8.5%. Everything after those top three spots receives much, much less traffic. So just imagine if your website is ranked 15th for a particular keyword or phrase. By the way that’s page 2, if you didn’t know. Not a good image or feeling, is it?

Remember, consumers put more weight on natural search results than on anything else. If your potential customers, through your online marketing strategy and effortsScience Articles, cannot find you on the first page of Google or any other search engine then your website is not getting the proper traffic and you are potentially missing out on making money.

Melvin Pritchett runs VJM Enterprises, an online marketing and SEO firm in Richmond, VA. He’s in the business of acquiring paying customers, for his clients, through proven online marketing and search engine optimization / SEO strategies. Visit VJMEnterprises.com today.

7 Reasons You Need To Blog For Your Business

7 Reasons You Need To Blog For Your Business
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If you are not blogging for your business then you should be. While many people simply dismiss blogging because of its description as a web diary they are missing a lot of traffic and revenue generating opportunities every day. Are you one of those missing out?

In truth blogs are much more than a simple web diary. They are actually a content management system and/or an easy web site template. Blogging software allows you to begin posting your content to the internet in minutes and when you harness that ability with an RSS feed you have a powerful traffic magnet.

I have come up with 7 reasons why every business should have a blog and RSS feed.

1. Publishing a regularly updated blog helps you keep in touch with your existing audience and/or customer base. You can publish updates, news, or thoughts in your blog as well as answer questions.

2. A blog can help you attract new customers. Your blog entries (posts or articles) will become fodder for the search engines and will attract new visitors. If your blog answers the visitors question or attracts their interest you have just found another qualified lead.

3. Blogs and RSS feeds often rank higher in search engines than traditional web sites. Search engines love blogs and RSS feeds. If you design your blog properly then every time you update it the search engines are notified. Even if you don’t regularly ping most search engines will revisit blogs more frequently. Plus the very organization of a blog lends itself to spidering and good search engine ranking.

4. Blogs can help you establish or build your reputation in a particular field. As your blog grows you will demonstrate your knowledge in your chosen niche.

5. Blogs and RSS feeds are good revenue streams. You can add pay-per-click ads, affiliate ads, or sell ad space on your blogs. In fact, many PPC companies also provide the ability to add PPC to your RSS feeds.

6. Blogs are great ways to generate leads. Even if you don’t want to put any advertising on your blog you can use it to promote or capture leads for your own programs. These are great leads as the fact that they came from your blog means they are already interested in your topic and predisposed to your individual message.

7. Creating your own blog is the easiest way to establish a presence on the internet and creating an RSS feed is even easier. In fact, it is also the cheapest way to get started on the internet as there are a number of free blogging sites out there. I started out with blogger.com and usually recommend them but have heard others point to several other top blogging sites as well. The blogging software that I now use is WordPress and also happens to be free. In fact, most web hosts now offer WordPress (or other free blogging software) as a free site add-on through Fantastico. Installing WordPress from scratch is quick and easy but Fantastico makes it even easier. Blogs created at Blogger have an RSS feed created for them and WordPress also creates feeds in several variations automatically.

As you can see there are several benefits to starting your own blog and RSS feed. If you can count that many benefits from an internet marketing technique that is also free and easy then you are foolish not to begin using it for yourself.

Deanna Mascle publishes the Establish Your Epresence newsletter which offers helpful tips and advice about internet marketing. Learn more at Epresence at http://Epresence.biz

Wp Review Pro – 4 Reasons To Make An Affiliate Review Site With WordPress Themes And Plug-ins

Recently WordPress has been widely used by numerous affiliates to make review sites. Why do so many affialites use WordPress to build review sites? While they can use HTML pages instead of it. WordPress is far more powerful than you can image. Now Let me tell you the reasons why so many affiliates pick WordPress.

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1. Easy To Install.

That is the main reason why it is so popular with affiliates to make review site. It’s very easy to install. You can complete a WordPress site within 10 minutes while it will take you days to design whole website if you use HTML pages.

All you have to do is to find a approprite theme/template and make some changes. It’s that easy! No special skills needed!

2. Fantastic Content Management.
Another reason is that you have full control over everything on your website! You can add, delete and edit anything you want including themes, text, links, pictures, audio, video and so on. It’s a powerful and fantastic content management systems to common people.

3. Great Expansibility Of Website.
It’s backed up by thousands of various powerful plugins. Whatever you want to do with your WordPress website, you can easily find a plugin that can meet your requirements. If you are using a WordPress you will know it’s very expand the functions of your webiste. There is no other website applications so powerful and easy to expand.

4. Enable Visitors To Leave Comments.
Your prospects are able to leave comments about the products and add star ratings. In the meanwhile, visitors to your website can see the comments from other people. Positive comments and high star ratings will absolutely strengthen the purchase decision of the prospects and increase your sales income!

Because of its attributes of easy-to-use and great expansibility, it’s adopted by more and more affiliates to build review sites. I also use WordPress to build my review site. If you use it once you will love it.

By: Jovi W

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

But to make a real review site and enable your prospects leave a comment and add rattings, you need to find a www.wpreviewpro.com/star.php“> WordPress star rating plugin that will enable your visitors to do that. Or you can click here to find some WordPress themes suitable for www.wpreviewpro.com/free-wordpress-themes.php“> making WP review sites. wpreviewpro.com

10 Reasons Why You Should Pay for Search Engine Optimization

Most people who are internet savvy probably would assume it is much easier to do search engine optimization themselves without the need to hire any professional search engine optimization assistance. In some cases this may work, but in most cases this is an absolute injustice for your web business. Marketing is an important and viable aspect of any business and without the proper marketing attention a business can easily fail. The following are 10 reasons why you should hire a professional search engine optimization consultant or SEO company.

Search Engine Optimization Takes Time, Effort, & Dedication

It takes an extreme amount of time, effort, and dedication to successfully complete a search engine optimization campaign. Search engine optimization consultants and companies usually have dedicated time to work on your search engine optimization project, thus giving you a controlled and managed search engine optimization campaign. Large companies as well as many small companies can provide your search engine optimization campaign the SEO effort and architecture it needs. Attempting to dedicate your own time can sometimes be overwhelming and without strict self-discipline you can easily get sidetracked. Additionally, progress for your search engine optimization campaign can take time to see any results, this fact can lessen your motivation to complete your own do-it-yourself search engine optimization campaign.

SEO Tools, SEO Strategy, & SEO Experience Goes a Long Way

The available SEO tools are ever-changing, but most skilled SEO’s have a suite of SEO tools which they keep up with and use to execute reports and other processes, such as keyword research, keyword density reports, keyword competition reports, traffic reports, etc. Like any profession you need the necessary tools and essentials to get the job done, the experienced use of SEO tools will aid in any SEO campaign. Professional SEO consultants and companies create SEO strategies and roadmaps to successfully market client websites, this strategic roadmap outlines in detail the planned effort to market clients’ websites. SEO strategy is essential for any SEO campaign. Having an experienced SEO professional on your side is always ideal. Experienced SEO’s stay up to date with the latest SEO trends and news. By having an experienced SEO your website can impressively gain ranking within a short time and much more effectively, providing greater Return on Investment (ROI).

Search Engine Optimization Is Not Easy

Search engine optimization is not simple, it’s not just starting a website and throwing around hundreds or thousands of links. Those days of search engine optimization are gone. It is now more about strategy, method, and architecture. Search engine optimization is a form of engineering these days. True search engine optimization engineers stay up to date with search engine algorithm and search marketing. Knowing the trends is important, but that doesn’t necessarily mean following trends, true search engine optimization engineers use experience, skill, historical methods, and best practices to successfully market websites. Researching trends and not just following trends is very important, a good search engine optimization engineer uses good judgment, to know what methods work and what is borderline unethical or useless methods.

SEO Services Do Not Have to be Very Expensive

Most full SEO campaigns are expensive, but relatively affordable compared to other advertising avenues, such as: print advertising, broadcast advertising, etc. Shop around for SEO Services which match your marketing budget and needs. Do not settle for the first bidder, compare the first bidders’ rate against other SEO companies and consultants rates. Contact various SEO consultants and SEO companies to receive a free custom quote. Negotiate the SEO rate and services until it fits your budget and needs. Get yourself a fair and honest deal that you are satisfied with.

Search Engine Optimization Can Take Your Website to New Heights

It’s no secret that having your site rank in the top 10 results on search engines is very rewarding and can provide you with herds of traffic, if you rank for the right keywords. Search engine optimization can excel your website through the ranks and land your website in the top search results for virtually any keyword of your choosing. It is important that the search engine optimization company or consultant you choose targets top search results for all 3 major search engines (Google, Yahoo, & MSN). By having top search results in all 3 major search engines for a popular search term you are surely going to increase website sales and exposure.

Professional & Experienced SEO Services Can Be the Difference Between You and Your Competitors

Most online businesses and services invest in professional and experienced SEO services. The top search results for popular keyword terms usually have professional and experienced SEO companies and consultants in their corner, leading their online marketing campaign. By having professional and experienced SEO’s working for you, your website will naturally outrank your competitors who use the do-it-yourself method of SEO services. It is always imperative to stay one step ahead of your competition and it’s more likely you will do so with the aid of professional and experienced SEO services.

Search Engine Optimization Gets You the Best Bang for Your Buck

When you compare search engine optimization with other media advertising efforts such as print advertising, television commercial advertising, and radio broadcast advertising then search engine optimization gives the best bang for your buck. While other advertising methods can cost hundreds of thousands for advertising, search engine optimization cost peanuts compared to these other advertising methods. Let’s say you spend $25,000 for a full search engine optimization campaign and you spend (let’s say) $100,000 for a television commercial ad which runs for 1 full week at prime time (I know that ad is a whole lot more than that, but this is just an example). The search engine optimization campaign is much cheaper and the return on investment is much greater for the search engine optimization campaign. Why? Because the search engine optimization campaign has a broader reach, it can reach anyone across the globe, while the TV commercial ad is specific for local or nation broadcasting within their network. Secondly, the search engine optimization campaign is much more targeted and relevant to the customer needs, because the customer actually initiated the search and was looking for you, while the TV commercial ad is an interruption to the customers viewing program and the customer is more likely to ignore the commercial ad, especially if it does not entice them.

SEO Services Can Help Increase Business Sales Drastically

Increasing business sales have never been easier. If you have a brick & mortar which sales goods, then it is advised that you also have an online store to sale your goods as well. Having an online business while investing in professional and experienced SEO services will help your business expand and grow drastically. Like any sound business decision, as a business owner you are always looking for new ways to monetize, expand, and stay ahead of competition, SEO services for your online business is the perfect solution for getting this done.

Professional Search Engine Optimization Can Increase Your Search Ranking in a Shorter Time Period

Professional search engine optimization services can get your website ranked in a shorter time than trying to do it yourself. With the aid of professional and experienced search engine optimization your website can rank within the search engines within weeks, maybe even days. Finding the right professional with the skill level you need can be quite rewarding.

Treat Your Website Like a Business

If your website is going to be a part of your financial lifeblood then it is sensible to treat your website as a business and recruit professional search engine optimization services. Good business sense is to outsource or employ others to complete day to day task and projects such as search engine optimization and search engine marketing, so you can have more time to concentrate on running a successful business. Many businesses fail due to the do-it-yourself model. Doing things yourself is ‘okay’ if the task you are performing is your profession or relates directly to your business service, but trying to do things yourself because its your hobby, interest, or saves you money can be damaging to your business, as you need to treat your website like a business and only seek professional and experienced assistance for your business needs.

I highly encourage that any true website owner who is interested in reaching top search results seriously consider professional and experienced SEO services for a full search engine optimization campaign. SEO services may be an expensive advertising avenue, but as we discussed above it is much cheaper than its other advertising counterparts and the reward is much greater. Search engine optimization has long been a mystery to many people and is foreign to some, but with the help and aid of professional and experienced SEO services you will easily increase website sales, traffic, and exposure. If you employ the right search engine optimization company or consultant I can almost guarantee you will have a rewarding experience and will not regret it.

About the Author

Ant Onaf is the owner & founder of AntOnaf.com (http://www.antonaf.com), a provider of professional and quality SEO services. AntOnaf.com offers affordable search engine optimization services as well as custom SEO packages to fit your marketing needs. Ant Onaf ingenuity, dedication, and passion for internet marketing & technology has made him an monumental icon across the World Wide Web.

Reasons Why Blogs Rank Well In Search Engines Results

Reasons Why Blogs Rank Well In Search Engines Results

On the internet you will find that blogs are many and they rank well on the search engines results compared to websites. There are reasons that make them to be recognized faster by the search engines.

I understand that the word blog was derived from the word log. Someone sat somewhere and decided to be creative by playing with word logging. Indeed that person was creative and developing a version of logging. Since then that new version of logging has spread all over the internet. Almost any internet browser has used it in one way or the other. And to Individuals who enjoy blogging know that a well-written content can generate all kinds of traffic.

The number one rule in building your own is to be focused on one topic and anything that is related to it. In order to get the traffic you desire, you need to take advantage of the search engine (SE) marketing. This is where you utilize keywords to build your rankings in the search engines so that those interested in what you have to offer will be able to find you. Many people know this as Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Then of course you want to provide compelling titles so that people will be enticed to visit your blog over and over again.

So what it comes down to this is that you need to optimize your blog. When the search engine spiders visit your site they will look at the content from left to right. During this time they will find specific keywords to determine what your website is all about. Once this has concluded it returns to the SE so it can be indexed.

Enhancing Search Engine Marketing

When you see the advancement of blogs today you will find news websites and mini content centers. All of these contain significant information as well as several links. When blogs were first introduced, SE weren’t really interested extensively. However, in today’s world major news websites offer some of the newest information available online. In fact, there are many blogs that have brought forth fresh information to the public faster than media outlets.

This is why it makes sense to publish faster any newest information before others do if you want to get noticed more by the SE. You will find that SE look for the freshest, high-quality information first. Taking this route will allow you to gain more visitors in a short period of time from places like Google, Yahoo and several other search engines.

It is safe to say that blogs have a natural relationship with SE. So anytime there is an update on your blog the spiders will visit it more frequently. Best of all you don’t have to wait for months before your pages are actually indexed by the search engines. This can occur in only a matter of hours.

Reasons Why they Rank Well in Search Results

Blogs are built to meet search traffic and SE demands. They are a huge part of any niche and considered to be the best sources for up-to-date information on the internet today. They can also utilize keyword optimization, which will allow them to receive higher SE rankings. Oh, and if you are smart about distributing the keywords evenly you can help your blog rank much easier.

While websites definitely offer their own benefits, blogs offer several publishing tools that are helpful. Since the coding “behind-the-scenes” is more light weight in a blog, it’s easier for the SE to see. They will be able to visit it frequently and send a spider over your content at a faster rate. It is the clarity that makes it easierArticle Submission, and this gives you a good interpretation of what your blog is about based on the content.

Article Tags:
Rank Well, Search Engines, Search Engine

10 Good Reasons Why Website Owners Should Use Google Analytics

Businesses and organizations who use a website as part of their marketing strategies are starting to realize the importance and power of the use of metrics in understanding the behavior of the visitor and the buyer.

So what are the advantages of using Google Analytics and why should business owners use web metrics?

1. It’s FREE
I can’t emphasize the importance of this fact alone; software that gives the detail that Google Analytics provides does not come cheap. It means it is accessible to small and large business alike, but particularly for small businesses this is important.

One other thing just because it is free don’t under estimate it’s power, this is why it has and continues to be used by large companies and organizations.

2. Easy Installation & Configuration
Setting up an account with Google Analytics takes a matter of minutes, your Google Analytics Account supplies you with a snippet of code that needs to be copied into the HTML source code (It is recommended at the end of the page before the

tag). If you are proficient with writing HTML code then just copy and paste the code in. Otherwise I would suggest asking your web developer to do this.

Additionally if you are running an ecommerce site and want details of individual transactions there is a special snippet of code with variables in that automatically populate figures in analytics this code needs to be placed on the checkout success page. I would recommend using a web developer configuring this coding as it is more technical.

3. Easy to Understand Dashboard
As you login to the reporting section of your analytics you are faced with an instant array of information in a compressed format to give you an instant performance appraisal. The great news is this dashboard is editable so you can add or remove reports up to a maximum of 12 reports. Sections of the dashboard can be moved by dragging and dropping the report to the position you want them placed.

4. An Extensive Reports Section
The reports section is very extensive with over 80 predefined reports and a section that allows you to create customized reports the possibilities are endless. The power of the reports is being able to cross segment data. Taking one report’s set of data and comparing it against another data set in the same report. Below is what I would recommend as the top 10 reports.

1. Visitors: Map Overlay
2. Ecommerce: Overview Report
3. Goals: Overview Report
4. Goals: Funnel Visualization Report
5. Traffic Sources: Adwords Report
6. Traffic Sources: Source & Medium Report
7. Content: Top Content Report
8. Content: Site Overlay Report
9. Traffic Sources: Adwords Position Report
10. Site Search Usage

One other notable report is the Content Report: $Index which helps establish the value of a page.

5. Captures Ecommerce Information
Once the ecommerce transaction code snippet is installed and successfully configured it allows you to analyze ecommerce transactions down to an individual transaction, which can be cross segmented against other data, it is possible to see what the customer searched for, search engine they used, the pathway they used to navigate through the website before successfully purchasing.

6. Software is automatically updated.
As bugs are discovered or new software updates occur they are automatically tested and updated by Google. In contrast many hosting companies consider software updates to be beyond their service agreements and charge extra.

If you then decide to move to a new web hosting company, you will have to go through the whole process of setting up and configuring again at extra cost. Moving a site that uses Google Analytics is simple and seamless with no loss of data.

7. Log Files Take Up Valuable Server Space
Using server based software requires the storage of server log files; these files are large and take up space which you are paying for. Although Google Analytics is restricted to two years of data, log files are restricted by space.

8. Google Analytics Tracks Users More Accurately
Many users access the internet from networks that share a single point of access to the internet, this means users in offices or buildings that share a point of access to the internet will skew the figures if using server statistics as the statistics count these connections as one user. Google Analytics counts each machine not each internet connection.

9. Google Analytics Can Track Events on Client Machines
Certain web site functions happen on the client’s local machine these include JavaScript, Ajax & Flash. These are not able to be measured by the server log file software but can be measured on the local machine by Google Analytics.

10. Tracking
Tracking does not have to be confined to referring websites or search engines, it is possible to use it to track specific links on sites, emails, affiliate sites and offline sources such as TV, leaflets, newspaper ads etc.

Using a clever combination of redirects, dedicated URLS and tracking URLS it is possible to track all sorts of data in Google Analytics. Try searching for the Google URL Tool Builder it’s a really useful tool.

Google Analytics Training
George Venables is an Online Marketing Consultant and Trainer working for Digital Marketing Strategies giving Google Analytics Training.

Top Reasons To Market With Article Directories

The quest for better marketing tools to promote your website is a never-ending odyssey that may reveal some surprising options for your promotional needs. However, one of the most potent weapons in your arsenal is article marketing, through submitting to article directories. Why should you use article directories in your drive to your bussiness to the top? Why is article marketing such a potent force in the world of online marketing? Let’s take a brief look at the subject.

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Article marketing provides you with numerous benefits. For instance, an article with submission to EzineArticles.com (one of the top-tier directories), will give you several benefits, including:

* Free Links to Your Website – Each article has a resource box at the bottom of the article. This is where you put your author bio, as well as a link to your website. The author box must remain intact if the article is used outside of the article directory (such as in an ezine). Some article directories will allow additional links, but the bio box is the one you can always count on to give you extra inbound links.

* An Expert Reputation – An article with submission to EzineArticles.com or another leading article directory can do a great deal to establish you as an expert in your industry. No matter what your niche, providing informational, accurate, interesting content will help ensure that you are regarded with respect and that your opinion carries the appropriate weight with readers.

* Free Marketing – An article submitted to article directories can provide you with enormous marketing potential. First, there are the tens of thousands of potential readers in the directory, itself. Then there are the additional readers generated through the article being syndicated on other websites. This equates to free marketing for you and helps build your business.

As you can see, an article with submission to EzineArticles.com, GoArticles.com, ArticleDashboard.com, ArticleClick.com or ArticlesBase.com (the five top-tier directories) has much to offer you in terms of benefits. However, if you do not feel that you are able to create content that fits the guidelines of each directory (and they differ a bit from directory to directory), the best option is to ally yourself with a professional writing service who offers article submission to the top directories. In fact, this is the best option to ensure that your content is accurate, compelling, grammatically correct and enjoys the best keyword density and implementation.

By: Troy Mellema

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Words You Want is your one stop resource for all of your writing needs. Words You Want offers a variety of services including SEO packages, article directory submission, SEO article writing, ghostwriting, eBooks, travel writing, equine writing and more.

7 Reasons Every Writer Needs To Blog

If you are a writer and you are not blogging then you should be. While many people simply dismiss blogging because of its description as a web diary they are missing a lot of traffic and revenue generating opportunities every day. Many internet entrepreneurs work hard to publish their blogs but as a writer you have the ability to easily create the content you need without needing to hire out. In fact, publishing a blog can be the perfect way for you to profit from your writing.

In truth blogs are much more than a simple web diary. They are actually a content management system and/or an easy web site template. Blogging software allows you to begin posting your content to the internet in minutes and when you harness that ability with an RSS feed you have a powerful traffic magnet.

I have come up with 7 reasons why every writer should have a blog and RSS feed.

1. Publishing a regularly updated blog helps you keep in touch with your existing audience. Whether they come for your style or subject matter, your readers will appreciate having ready access to your material.

2. A blog can help you attract new readers. Your blog entries (posts or articles) will become fodder for the search engines and will attract new visitors. Once a reader has found something of interest in one blog entry they are likely to move onto other entries as well.

3. Blogs and RSS feeds often rank higher in search engines than traditional web sites. Search engines love blogs and RSS feeds. If you design your blog properly then every time you update it the search engines are notified. Even if you don’t regularly ping most search engines will revisit blogs more frequently. Plus the very organization of a blog lends itself to spidering and good search engine ranking.

4. Blogs can help you establish or build your reputation in a particular field. As your blog grows you will demonstrate your knowledge in your chosen niche.

5. Blogs and RSS feeds are good revenue streams. You can add pay-per-click ads, affiliate ads, or sell ad space on your blogs. In fact, many PPC companies also provide the ability to add PPC to your RSS feeds.

6. Blogs are great ways to generate leads. Even if you don’t want to put any advertising on your blog you can use it to promote or capture leads for your own ezine or newsletter. These are great leads as the fact that they came from your blog means they are already interested in your topic and predisposed to your individual message. If you have ebooks or other products to sell then you can use your blog to promote these as well.

7. Creating your own blog is the easiest way to establish a presence on the internet and creating an RSS feed is even easier. In fact, it is also the cheapest way to get started on the internet as there are a number of free blogging sites out there. I started out with blogger.com and usually recommend them but have heard others point to several other top blogging sites as well. The blogging software that I now use is WordPress and also happens to be free. In fact, most web hosts now offer WordPress (or other free blogging software) as a free site add-on through Fantastico. Installing WordPress from scratch is quick and easy but Fantastico makes it even easier. Blogs created at Blogger have an RSS feed created for them and WordPress also creates feeds in several variations automatically.

As you can see there are several benefits to starting your own blog and RSS feed. If you can count that many benefits from a tool that is also free and easy then you are foolish not to begin using it for yourself. I don’t know a writer who isn’t looking for additional ways to profit from their writing and blogging is the perfect solution.

Deanna Mascle shares more writing advice in her blogs Your Route To Internet Writing Success and Word Craft

5 Reasons To Use Css Layouts Over Content Management System

As technology advances, more and more Content Management Systems (CMS) were being developed to help Webmasters to create websites. Some of the more popular CMS include WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. However, not all CMS were developed for the users in the first place, some are too difficult to use and some just could not get the buy in from the consumers. This article discusses some of the advantages that a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) has over usual CMS.

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The first advantage for using a CSS template is fast performance. Most CMS has terrible loading speed as they have a great deal of functions and reference to create for every click from the users. Using CSS for website development will reduce most of the unnecessary loading time for a web page. A pure CSS template can be loaded at least twice the time faster than a conventional full-fledged CMS.

If you have used a CMS before and has tried to tweak the layout of the CMS, you will know that it is not a simple task especially if you are using that CMS for the first time. All CMS has their own standard and guidelines to design the templates and hence, you will have to follow and pick up their guidelines if you want to improve the layout. However, if you are using CSS template, you can simply change any element in the style sheets and it will reflect across the site straight away. CSS templates allow a greater flexibility when it comes to customization of design elements on a web page.

The third advantage boils down to templates availability. Most CMS do not have a wide range of templates for the users. They leave it to the users or open source community to contribute. Hence, you will seldom find a nice template for your site unless you are using popular CMS like WordPress or Joomla. On the other hand, CSS templates are widely available and most are free as well. You do not have to pay for most CSS templates online.

The fourth advantage for using CSS templates is that you do not need to continue to update patches or download new versions. All CMS are ‘live’ and they continue to update their software security so it is important for CMS users to maintain and update the version regularly. For CSS template, you only have to download once and use it forever (if you intend to stay with the design).

The last reason to use CSS template is that you can optimize your site for search engines effortlessly as compared to CMS. Most CMS do not have the flexibility to change the URL structure and other search engine critical elements on a web page. Using a CSS template will allow you to have 100% freedom to control every element of your web page.

To conclude, CSS layouts is a good choice if you already possesses some web design skills and do not intend to have a lot of functions in your site. However, if you are new to website development and in need of many functions for your new site, then a CMS is recommended regardless of the above advantages.

By: Roberto Bell

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The author is an Internet Marketing Consultant who teaches people how to generate online income without much money. He also runs a high traffic web design site for free CSS layouts resources. Visit 5 Advantages To Use CSS Layouts Over Content Management System.