Did the Penguin give you “happy feet” or the cold shoulder?

by Melanie Rembrandt, www.rembrandtwrites.com on May 8, 2012

Did you notice that your site rankings went up or down right around April 24th? That’s because Google changed things again with their “penguin update.” They are really cracking down on sites built solely for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes.

But there is no need to worry. If you follow a few simple rules that I’ve mentioned previously, you’ll be o.k., and your target market will continue to find you online.

The key is to provide value to your customers. And to do this, ask yourself a few questions:

•    Is your copy just about your SEO keywords?

You need to include your SEO keywords throughout your copy… just don’t overdue it. If you use too many keywords, you’ll actually have a negative reaction with site visitors and the search engines.

•    Is your copy easy to read?

When you read your copy aloud, how does it sound? Do you find that you are repeating your keywords, stumbling over sentences and having a difficult time staying engaged?

If your copy is difficult to read, re-write it and focus on your key messaging rather than your top, SEO keywords.

•    Are you talking to your customers?

When you’re writing, think about your target-market first. You want to provide them with engaging information and talk about all of the benefits they will receive from using your products and services. If you write for the search engines, you may lose site of what your customers want.

•    Do you have a call-to-action?

When site visitors finish reading the copy on your site, do they know what they are supposed to do next? Don’t leave them hanging! Guide them through your copy and send them to another link on your site to fill out an order form, get more information or take another action.

Make it easy for site visitors to purchase your products and services and get to know your organization. Then, track what they click on to see what’s working and change what’s not.

No need to where a tuxedo.

When it comes to Google’s penguin update, there is no need to “dress up” your Website with extra, SEO keywords just to impress the search engines. Instead, focus on providing valuable and engaging information to your target audience. Add the appropriate SEO keywords without overdoing it and guide your customers through your site.

This way, you can say goodbye to the chill and have your customers, and the search engines, feel warm and fuzzy about your site!

For additional help with your SEO copywriting, click here.

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Spring Into SEO and PR Action!

by Melanie Rembrandt, www.rembrandtwrites.com on May 2, 2012

Spring is here, and it’s time to take action before the “slow days of summer” arrive (when you’d rather be outside than behind your desk).

With this in mind, what actions are you going to take right away to make things happen with your PR and search engine optimization (SEO) activities?

Here are 3 ideas to help you get going:

1. Send out a press release optimized for the search engines. Make sure it provides valuable information to your customers and the media.

2. Write an original article or blog and see if a media venue would like to post the content. If not, post it on your Website and add your top, SEO keywords to the copy.

3. Create a targeted pitch for a specific media member and call that person on the phone. You have nothing to lose, and some potential publicity to gain.

Just by taking a few, simple actions, you can get your Spring activities in full bloom so you’ll be ready for summer. Take some time to plan what you are going to do, and then do it! You may surprise yourself at the results!

What about you?

Do you have some good advice on taking action and completing goals this Spring that you’d like to share? Please let us know below or on Twitter.

 

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