The Keyword Game Basic SEO Tips - The Writers For Hire

THE KEYWORD GAME: BASIC SEO TIPS I recently attended another webinar, this one through PRWeb entitled â€Å"How to Use Your News to Bring Customers Straight to Your Door.† As you know, SEO is the name of the game in establishing a strong online presence – whether you’re selling running shoes or life coaching services. Janet Driscoll Miller is President and CEO of Search Mojo, and a bonafide guru when it comes to all things related to search engine optimization. The foundation of any SEO program, she says, is keywords. Making sure you find the best keywords for your business is the easiest way to optimize your website or press release so that your name comes up first in Google or Yahoo! searches, driving traffic to your site. Keywords need to be: Researched: Google has a free tool here: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal. This tool allows you to look up keywords to see how often they are searched for on Google. Just for giggles, let’s say you have an online store that specializes in key duplication. Your website may be optimized for â€Å"key duplication,† but the Google tool says that â€Å"key copy† is a much more popular search. A smart businessman would change his optimization to â€Å"key copy† immediately – and then sit back and watch traffic to his site spike. When you use the tool, try a couple of different keyword combinations to find the most popular. Targeted: You don’t want to have a keyword that’s too broad or generic like â€Å"purses.† You’ll likely find that the competition is too stiff when your keyword is overreaching. Make sure you target the keyword to your specific product or service – something more like â€Å"eco-friendly purses.† Dense: Optimum keyword density is anywhere between 2% and 4% per page on your site. You don’t want to overrun your site with keywords, because it makes your content unreadable – and hurts your search engine ranking. Open-minded. Ok, little joke. Your keywords don’t have to be open-minded, but you should be. The best keyword for your business might not be what you have branded on your website – for instance, your business may sell â€Å"preowned vehicles,† but the fact of the matter is â€Å"used car† is a more popular search. You may have to bite the bullet and optimize for a keyword that you don’t have branded on your website – but it’s going to work. In addition, there are many professional search engine optimization services that can help optimize your website or press releases. These are just a few tips to get you started on SEO for your website and press releases. Have any questions – feel free to ask!

How to Differentiate Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume

How to Differentiate Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume You might think when setting up your LinkedIn profile that all you have to do is copy and paste things from your resume. But that would be a mistake. First of all, a resume is a private document sent directly to potential employers. A LinkedIn profile is public. Here are a few other key differences that will help you differentiate and make these two media work for you. 1. Keeping It Concise vs. Room for DetailYour resume has more space constraints than your online profiles, as it should ideally fit on one page. There, you need to use pithy language that describes your accomplishments as concisely and descriptively as possible.In LinkedIn, you have more room. Instead of a one-line description, try making it two or three lines that  really sing the story of the big picture.2. Tailoring to the Job vs. Casting a Wide NetYour resume should be reformatted and written for each individual job you apply for, tailored exactly to meet those requirements and needs.Your LinkedIn profile is ther e to establish your wider appeal and brand. Keep your net broad, and show how your unique skills and interests are versatile enough to apply to a wide range of industries and positions. Show yourself to be the flexible superstar you know you are.3. Showing vs. TellingIf a fact is on your resume, people have to take your word for it. But in LinkedIn, you actually have room to add proof. Show, don’t tell your, accomplishments for your profile. Put your money where your mouth is. For example, if you claim to be a good writer, include links to a few of your articles.4. Informal vs. FormalIn LinkedIn, avoid the robotic third person language of your resume. Make it a bit more personal. Use a conversational tone; don’t sacrifice propriety or effective communication, but let your personality shine through. Also remember that a LinkedIn profile can be much more broad and general when compared to the focused information you include on your resume.5.  Getting a Job vs. Building a NetworkA resume is geared specifically to getting the interview and getting hired. Your LinkedIn profile is much more about building awareness and adding to your network. Stay in the loop. Get connected with others in your industry. Be part of the conversation. You can also have a LinkedIn profile that helps you keep an eye on new opportunities without tipping your boss off that you are â€Å"looking.†6. No Photo vs. PhotoIt’s no longer standard to include a photo on your resume, as that can be linked to discrimination. Your LinkedIn profile, however, can and should include a profile picture.