How to Focus Your SEO Efforts

by Melanie Rembrandt, www.rembrandtwrites.com on February 3, 2012

Overwhelmed with SEO Options?

There are many choices available when it comes to search engine optimization, or SEO, and you probably have many questions:

  • Should you do your own SEO or hire a firm?
  • Is SEO worth it?
  • Will you be able to get to the top of the search engines?

With all of the services, tips, articles, expert insights (including mine!), updates, and more, it’s enough to make your head spin. If you are starting to feel overwhelmed, but feel you need to take advantage of SEO to get more people to your site, here’s a simple question that will help you focus:

What are you trying to accomplish?

If you are a new organization, and you simply want to get people to your site, ask yourself these questions:

  • Do we have a budget to hire a professional SEO expert?

If you don’t have any funds to hire an expert, know that SEO takes time and effort.

  • Can we use other tools to get people to our site more effectively?

You may want to look at direct mail campaigns, public relations and other, marketing activities. Spend some time thinking about what you want to accomplish and how you can reach that goal. If you are only thinking about SEO, you may close your mind to some other activities that will help you save time and money, and reach your goal faster.

Keep it Simple.

This blog is short, but it’s a reminder to focus. Start your SEO efforts by thinking about your overall goal. Then, you can research all of the information and services available to see what will work best to get the specific results you seek.

 

Do you need help getting organized with your SEO, social media and SEO activities? Please let me know here.

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5 Reasons to Use the Phone Instead of E-mail

by Melanie Rembrandt, www.rembrandtwrites.com on January 25, 2012

If you are an SEO copywriter, love technology, or just don’t like dealing with people, you may be using e-mail too much and missing out on some important opportunities and communications. If you haven’t picked up the phone in some time, here are…

5 Reasons to Use the Phone Instead of E-mail

1. You have a long message to share.

If you have a lot of information to share with someone, pick up the phone.

After all, it takes time to write a lengthy e-mail, and the recipient may not even read your entire message because it’s too long. By having a quick conversation via phone, you’ll be able to convey your message and get an immediate response.

2. You need to react to someone’s response quickly and accurately.

If you are trying to sell something, share an idea or get feedback, pick up the phone.

You’ll be able to hear how the other person responds to your information right away. Then, you can provide an appropriate response to get your point across.

3. You want to promote your company.

If you want to promote your business to the media, pick up the phone.

The only way to form long-lasting relationships with specific media-members is to get to know them, find out what they want and provide it. Plus, it’s much easier to share your passion and excitement about a story idea via the spoken word.

4. You need to discuss a touchy subject.

If you need to talk to someone about a sensitive work or personal matter, and cant’ meet with them in person, pick up the phone.

No one wants to find out they’ve been fired or dumped via e-mail! Show some courage and have mature discussions about touchy subjects via phone, not e-mail. By hearing what someone else has to say, and how they say it, you’ll have a better chance of solving problems, improving relationships and showing empathy.

5. You have business contacts that you’ve never talked to on the phone.

If you have business contacts you know only via e-mail, pick up the phone.

Being successful in business is about building relationships with the right people, communicating and doing well at providing a particular product or service. How can you network and give your target market what they want if you don’t communicate with your business associates in real-time?

Make the Effort.

Yes, many of you hate to talk on the phone and would much rather stay at your desk and type. (You know who you are, you SEO copywriters and techies out there!)

But if you make the effort to communicate with people via phone rather than e-mail, you’ll save time and effort. Plus, you’ll be able to give better responses to improve sales, media hits, relationships, and overall results for your business.

“Ring.” “Ring.” “Ring.” Is that your phone? Maybe you should answer it?

 

For help with your SEO copywriting and communications, please contact me here.

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