Many people know that increasing your “LD number” on that SEO quake bar is an important part of SEO, in fact, it is one of the most – if not the most – important factors. The number of links you get will always be a great determinate of how good your website is because Google knows that people naturally link to great websites. And for that reason, good backlinks will always be valuable in some way shape or form (link building was popular before search engines were even around).

However if you would like to start seeing some dramatic improvements in the SERPs for specific keywords then you have to do more than just link build with targeted anchor text.

Yes targeted anchor text is good, but there is such thing as over optimization, and though it may be a lot harder for Google to pick up on it when it comes to link building as opposed to over optimizing content (think the Panda update and what it did to the content mills of the world that were over optimizing).

Jumping from page to page can mean a lot of different things when you are in the middle of a link building campaign, or any other SEO campaign for that matter. You will want to remember that Google does at least one algorithm change per day, and over 400 per year, so what you are seeing in the search engines, whether it be improvement or not, may have nothing to do at all with what you are doing, but what Google is doing that day.

You should also know that jumping from say, page 15 to page 11 is a lot easier than jumping from page 5 to 1 in the SERPs. The higher you get up in the SERPs the harder it gets to outrank your competition. In fact, it gets exponentially harder.

Make Sure Your Link Building and Onsite SEO Line Up

The closer and closer you get to the top of the SERPs, the more and more the little things matter. This is why you want to make sure that your onsite SEO matches up with the the links you are building. Some high quality SEO companies that offer a link building service will make sure to work together with you to be sure that the onsite SEO matches up with the link building campaign.

How Do You Do this?

You do this in three important ways:

• Relevancy of the Web Site

• Relevancy of the Content

• Targeted Anchor Text Competition

Now of course, Google wants all link building to be natural, and many many natural links are not relevant, so it is always good to mix up your efforts and do a little bit of cross promotion. But at the same time you are going to want to try to build as much relevancy between your links and your content as you possibly can. This will ensure that Google can recognize what it is that you site is actually about.

Your on-site SEO for the landing page will be a huge part of allowing your site to rank well. Make sure everything is in coordination with what type of websites the latest big algorithm update likes, and make sure that you are getting a healthy density of the keyword phrase that you would like to rank for throughout the page and that they are placed in the proper places. These places include things like header tags, in the navigations, contextual links, and in the beginning and/or ending of paragraphs.

Making sure your perfect your strategies is what will allow you to beat out your completion in the end. If you can build relevancy with your links, with content that relates to your onsite content, you will have a great chance in doing so.

This article was written by Anthony Benedict. Anthony helps to run a white lable link building service, as well as many other top quality SEO services, over at www.iNetZeal.com. He likes to write articles about SE, SEM, and all things related to Internet business in his spare time.

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Whatever type of site you have and whatever you’re selling, without traffic nothing happens. So let’s take a look at seven good ways to drive traffic to your site.

1. Frequent content - you can skip the six ways below if you frequently update your site and by frequent I mean 3 plus times a day. This is hard and not for the faint of heart. Mostly the routine for gadget and tech sites, have a look at Gadgeteer, Mashable and Zedomax and you will see their aggressive content schedule. Many days they update 7 or more times. They’re constantly updating so Google is at their door day and night which is great for traffic, if you can update this many times a day, go for it and watch your traffic soar.

2. Press Releases - another good way to drive traffic to your site or blog is to create newsworthy events and then showcase them via a press release. My favorite is PR Log which is totally free and relatively easy to submit to, best part about this press release site is that they have analytics to accompany each release and over time you get to see how it’s doing in the search engines. As for how much traffic this method will bring depends on the news itself, if you deliver something viral – witness it take off like wildfire!

3. Email marketing – this method works if you build a list and in turn keep members regularly updated on what they signed up for. This could be anything from a weekly Q&A column, special offers, event notices, previous weeks blog articles and anything else members would be interested in receiving. As for how you build the list? That is another topic in and of itself, but one quick and easy way is to offer something of value for free in exchange for an email address. Or hold a giveaway which requires a newsletter subscription as part of entry to win the prize.

4. Article Marketing – preferred by many long term site owners, article marketing involves creating strategic articles that get placed on good article directories like Ezine Articles and link back to your site or blog. This creates two good things for your site, one is you get approval from another site which Google loves and two you get traffic from those who seek the information you have provided in the article. This is why it’s important to create articles that have information or entertainment people seek. How-to articles are fantastic for article marketing purposes, write many of these and over time you will be rewarded with targeted website traffic. The best kind!

5. SEO - search engine optimization is the practice of delivering traffic to your blog via Google, Yahoo or Bing. If you set up content that others are looking for via keyword and phrase rich terms, the search engine will display your page and in turn traffic. One of the best resources on SEO for site and blog owners comes from well known and established blow owner Darren Rowse. He goes into great detail on how to optimize articles for the search engines along with further resources on the topic. Give it a good read.

6. Twitter – the tweet is a force to be reckoned with. Imagine writing an article and @GuyKawasaki picks up on it. You better hold on for the avalanche of traffic this tweet will send to your site or blog. It happens all the time to unsuspecting site owners. The best thing about Twitter is the immediacy of it, it’s instant nature. You write an article, tweet it out and it’s instantly there for the whole world to see and retweet. Great source of traffic for site and blog owners if used properly.

7. Facebook - you can’t discount this social media gauntlet no matter what you think of it. Everyone and their mother is on Facebook, and not only are they on it, they spend a lot of time there. Talk about a captive audience. Best advice is to create a fan page or group for your site or blog and update regularly to keep fans coming back for more. It’s not easy, but if you succeed you will have found a great big pot of gold in the form of traffic to your site.

Keep in mind that if you’re a new site or blog owner, best practice is to pick one or two of the methods above and work it, till it yields result. You can then move on to a more advanced way such as email marketing. If you try all of them, you will burn out. I speak from experience. Article marketing via Ezine Articles is my recommended first choice for you if you just created a new site or blog, but this method takes time, anywhere from 3 to 6 months. The more articles you write, the less time it will take. So its up to you and your team.

QUESTIONS?

What questions do you have for me. I’ll do my best to answer or direct you to a good source.

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Below are my top five SEO tips for WordPress bloggers.

1. Install an SEO plugin on your blog - such as the powerful All-in-One Seo or the newer more robust Platinum SEO. These two take care of alot of the basic onsite search engine optimization you need on your blog posts and pages. (this mostly applies to WordPress bloggers)

2. Get Backlinks – it doesn’t matter if your blog is a day old or 3 months old, you can never start too early to hunt down for link opportunities. Start with relevant directories.

3. Link To Yourself – Well not exactly. What I mean is make sure you regularly link to other articles, pages and blog posts you’ve written. This creates a spider web effect that search engines know and rely on.

4. Install a Sitemap – Sitemaps are literally maps to the content on your blog, and Google loves them. My favorite way to add a sitemap to my blogs is with the Dagon Design sitemap plugin. Fast, easy and free.

5. Use a Related Posts Plugin – this action produces similar results as installing a sitemap. It lets Google know of the content on your site and how it relates to the overall topic of your blog.

These are basic but powerful ideas, don’t underestimate any of these tips. If you haven’t yet added or practiced these SEO tips, now is a great time.

You’ll rise to the top in no time.

Next Article!

Our next article will touch on the topic of: traffic generation.

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How do you stay abreast of the various changes and ideas in the world of blogging? By reading blogs that deliver the goods. But which blogs? Below i share with you, the core group of bloggers i follow, who keep on top of changes within the industry and know the myriad of details that make up a good blog.

11 Blogs You Should Be Reading If You’re A Blogger

1. Problogger

Some say this is the quintessential resource for blogging, and i would have to agree. The sheer volume of information on this blog makes for a worthy addition to your RSS feed. Here you will find information and tips on any and every aspect of blogging. If you’re looking for a blog job, this one has a job board as well. The blogger behind this blog (Darren Rowse) wrote the book on blogging literally.

2. Performancing

This is a multi-author blog and is loaded with industry information and guides on how to become a better blogger. Industry leading, a must read.

3. Daily Blog Tips

Daniel Scocco runs this blog and as the name implies it covers daily blog tips. He updates every day with about 2 to 3 posts and covers a wide gamut within the blogging field. Excellent tips can be found here.

4. About.com Weblogs

This blog is part of the About.com network and is also a fantastic resource. The site is part portal part blog, and contains lots of useful tips and information. This one is run by Susan and she does a fine job of keeping tabs on the industry. A good place to start if you’re a new blogger.

5. Blogging Tips

Another multi-author blog run by a neat guy named Kevin who dishes on all things that have to do with blogging. There is also a forum here that you might be interested in. Post a question, answer some, gain some tips. Get to know the community there, it’s a small but steady one.

6. Small Business SEM

What would a blog be without SEO? Yes, the blogs mentioned above do delve into the topic and cover search engine optimization tips, but this one focuses on it. Run by Matt McGee, this is a must add to your feed reader as well.

7. WordPress Hacks

All hail to WordPress. Woot Woot. Did you know that Wordress was founded by a 23 year old? Well now you know. That was just abit of trivia thrown in for the hack of it. WordPress is so robust and feature rich, thousands of blogs exist solely to cover this vast dimension of bloggery tech. Hack WordPress is a newer entry (having been around since 2007) in the blogosphere, but it contains a plethora of really useful tips on how to transform your basic WordPress install into so much more.

I guarantee if you visit this blog, you will fall in love with it. 100% guaranteed. (no i dont know the owner)

8. Zedomax Biz Blog

I am abit biased here on this, as the genius behind this blog is also technically my boss. But if the blog wasn’t valuable to bloggers, i would not include it in this round up. Max specializes in Adsense tips and Adsense optimization, and he delivers the goods. If you use Google Adsense on your blog, this one is a must read for you.

9. Weblog Tools Collection

WBT has been around for some time now, and it focuses on tools for bloggers. You will particularly enjoy the fantastic (and ongoing) collection of wordpress theme and wordpress plugin reviews. Plus it provides detailed information on what’s new with the latest versions of WordPress. This blog is always an interesting read. Great addition to your feed reader.

10. Blogger For Dummies

WordPress isn’t the only game in town? There is also the Google owned Blogger and the many who choose to go this route, have their top resources as well. I found this one which is shock full of hacks, tweaks, and tips for those on blogger. Lots of good stuff here.

11. Gear Fuse

Let’s face it. If you’re a blogger you’re most likely a geek too. I am the exception. LoL. Just kidding, i am a geek, and if not, i so want to be. The mavericks behind this blog are Steve, Vincent, and Ryan. Wow, did i really just say mavericks? Anyway, the talented nerdherd behind this blog is always fun to read. Ryan (along with the other authors) feature lots of tech goodness for us bloggers. Everything from eco friendly laptops to the latest cell phones and accessories. A fun blog.

Which Do You Read?

There are tons of blogs that i did not mention, as i plan to write a follow up post and include smaller blogs. But do share your personal faves below.

P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter. And please do link to this article if you think it is awesomely awesome.

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3 column wordpress theme nicknamed Mandigo, has all the features noted below, plus a nicely sized header space perfect for adding a custom logo. The Mandigo wordpress theme is donation supported, which means no footer links, other than one to the creator. Check out all the cool features below.

Features:

• 1 2, or 3 column configuration (2 column is default)
• SEO Ready
• Widget Ready
• 2 width choices: 800 or 1024px
• 7 color choices: red, blue, green, pink, teal, orange
• Good support from developer and community
• No ugly footer links
• Easy backend management in WP Dashboard

The latest release of the Mandigo Theme is version 1.37, which was updated September 6th. Great wordpress theme for those sites and blogs in the site flipping process.

Cost: Free

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It’s no secret that a guest post is one phenomenal method to get free backlinks from high PR blogs. Submitting a guest post on a blog in your niche is a free, quick, and relatively easy method to add to your link building efforts.

So with that said, if you want a free backlink from this PR3 PR2 blog, all you have to do is submit a fabulous guest post. What on? Well it has to be related, but the good thing is that this blog covers alot of ground. Below are some of the topics you can submit a guest post on.

Acceptable (guest-post topics) you can submit to G34 Media:

WordPress Themes

WordPress Plugins

Site Flipping

Net Marketing

Blogging Tips

Make Money Online Resources

Social Media

Cool Tools For Bloggers

As you can see the topic gamut runs wide and deep. Submit a guest post today and it will be featured on the homepage for several days, as i’m busy with my army of blogs. It’s quite easy, read on below for how.

How To Submit Your Guest Post?

To submit your guest post, write it and then send it to me via my contact form.

What Are The Guidelines For A Guest Post?

It’s simple. Make sure your guest post has:

• Good English
• No spelling mistakes
• Atleast 150 words (yeah, i’m easy)
• One image (optional)
• Your blog must be a a minimum of PR 2
• Link to your source(s)
• No affiliate links
• Family friendly language
• Covers a topic from the list above

That’s it. Submit it, then await approval. If it meets the easy guidelines above, it should get approved.

Great way to get a free high pr backlink. Try it now!

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Consumers with the bad economy and rising fuel prices, are flocking to the web more and more, to do their shopping. Online shopping is expected to be very popular this holiday season.

Online Shopping Portals Popular, Plus ExplorZ Review

I want to review shopping portals, and one in particular ExplorZ. This is an SEO optimized site that allows small shop owners to feature their products on the web. This creates excellent search visibility of your products.

How Does It Work?

Essentially the way it works is you register up an account, set up your store details through their interface, and then list your products via easy to submit RSS feeds.

Store Directory

I browsed through the store directory, and randomly picked a store. I found one called Blue Dragons Gifts. This store sells collectibles and hard to find gift items, such as glassware, 45 RPMs, vhs tapes, books, postcards, 33 RPMs, dvds, and figurines.

SEO Friendly Pages

If you take a look at the products featured in this store through Explorz, you will notice that each item get its own page, and carries an SEO friendly title on each page. What does this mean? It means that with proper marketing and promo, each page (and hence the products) will be found by web searchers. This is good.

How Much Is It?

There is no cost to list your store, or your products. According to the About Us page on the site, the service is 100% free. I can tell they make their money based off of banners on the site. There is no cost to sellers or buyers.

Final Note

My final comment on this site, is on the design. It could use a different sized width, as i quite dislike scrolling side to side to see what is on a page. This can easily be remedied, with some minor site modifications.

Let me also mention, that the site is web 2.0 enabled, as it features store reviews and ratings, tell a friend buttons, and has social networking built-in, via its community forum.

To wrap up, if you have an online store and are wanting another venue in which to showcase your products that is search engine friendly, give ExplorZ a try. If you do use it, let me know your thoughts and experiences with it.

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For those that aren’t familiar with Digital Point, it is a forum aimed at net marketers and online entrepreneurs. It is a very active web-based community, with thousands of daily visitors and interactions.

my avatar on digital point – (can you spot me?) 

I am a member, you can find me there regularly creating and or joining in on different discussions. My favorite spots are the Marketplace, Programming, and Design spots.

What is DP good for? Here 8 Reasons to Join Up:

1. design work: such as banners, wordpress themes, or programming stuff
2. freebies: they have a freebie section, where you can ask for stumbles, digg votes, technorati site exchanges, and lots more
3. networking: meet other net marketers, writers, programmers, designers, etc
4. selling: you can sell your site, themes, scripts, ebooks, a variety of things
5. content: you can recruit bloggers and writers, or you can list yourself as a content provider
6. knowledge: ask questions about SEO, PPC, Blogging, Making Money Online
7. community: make friends, share, learn, participate
8. money: i have made money through DP, and you can too. How? by selling advertising space on your site or blog, writing for others, placing an affiliate ad on your signature, by selling your sig space, it goes on and on. (lol)

Why am i telling YOU about Digital Point Forums?

Because it’s a valuable place, plain and simple. There is no cost to be a member (or post) actually it is completely free. So head on over to DP, and join.

Till the next update,

Missy.

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