Content Magician, Freelance web content writers

No SEO without standard

One of the biggest movers and shakers in the SEO world is Ron Jones who is a resident blogger (perhaps more) on www.searchenginewatch.com. If you know what you’re worth in the world search engine optimization, then you should put a note down in your journal or diary to catch a bit of what’s inside this guru’s mind.

As we’ve mentioned time and time again, tirelessly yet exhausted, that the standard for SEO must be set. There cannot ever be a pluck and stick method of writing because it corrupts of the article writing standards! Nobody ever wants to buy anything because of an article that doesn’t make sense. But as with anything else on the planet, they moment something works, the moment word gets out, everyone tries to fast-track everything and forgets about the quality of things.

It’s almost like when people figure out there are gems in an area, everyone flocks to it, people talk about it, everyone wants a piece of the pie and nobody slows down to see if the rocks are actually gems. Some would even fabricate tales and try to make top-quality gems out of complete rubbish!

That’s what’s happening to article marketing and the SEO marketing world.

Some of the articles that people are writing in the name of ‘traffic’ is completely rubbish! It makes us here, at www.contentmagician.com, ashamed to be associated with the activity that we used to be so proud of, article marketing.

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VALUABLE INSIGHT BY RON JONES from SEARCHENGINEWATCH

In our last two installments, I raised the question whether we should concern ourselves with, focus on, or even want SEO standards. I received many responses in the form of feedback, e-mails and thoughts posted on Sphinn. Here’s what I heard:

The Response

Overall, people were positive about standards. Most people agree that there should be some standards in place for various reasons. One important reason was brought out by Terry Van Horne, founder of SEOPros.org, when he stated, “Standards would be one way to get over the ‘credibility’ hump.”

Another reader echoed similar sentiments, effectively saying that without a standards, without a reference, it’s difficult to sell the service to skeptical people, and it’s nearly impossible to convince them that what they’ve heard from their buddy, who read some article, isn’t necessarily “best practices.”

Original blog entry here.

Are You a Ghostwriter?

One of the best jobs on the Internet just has to be ghostwriting. There’s a lot to like about this invisible career…no commuting, setting your own schedule, developing your own client list, developing your own creativity and getting paid for it, not having to “Dress For Success everyday.”

To some of you, this might sound like the perfect job straight from Heaven. Sometimes it is. Along with the benefits listed above, there’s a few negatives you have to deal with from time to time, like disappointed customers, clients changing the subject matter when the job is almost finished, those who will contest the payment with PayPal after you’ve submitted the finished product.

While all those glowing benefits will make you feel good and add to your bank account, the negatives can bring you down faster than a rock tossed off a cliff. Part of being a successful Ghostwriter is developing a positive mindset and good business practices based on impeccable customer service.

In the best of cases, disagreements will happen and most can be solved with a calm manner and strong customer service. Offer to rewrite the product and get a new list of requirements or improvements from your client. If a solution is not possible, the best remedy is to return the payment and cross that client off your list. Do not badmouth that ex-client on forums. Just move on to your next project.

Developing a ghostwriting mindset, however, is an entirely different thing. Without one, you will not be happy or that productive with your ghostwriting career. Sure, it is a worldwide dream of writing for customers on the computer in your bedroom and telling your boss goodbye. I had the same dream for years.

Registering Alternate Domain Extensions - A Good Move?

Note: Although this article rings of MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING and ADVERTISING, ADVERTISING, ADVERTISING….seriously, some of the stuff mentioned here are true. So, read it as it is. (-ed)

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In the early days of the Web, businesses and individuals wishing to register a domain had three options: .com, .net, and .org. As the Internet has expanded, many new domain extensions have become available.

You’ve probably seen some of them - .tv, .info, .ws, and .biz are good examples. In addition to these extensions, dozens more have become available. And with the explosive growth of the domain name industry, many useful domains have been registered by resellers who will often demand an unreasonable price.

Domain names are important, especially for a small business trying to create an online identity. Let’s assume that a small business, Rare Antiques, finds that rareantiques.com has already been registered. The business owner has two options - find an alternative .com name such as rareantiquesstore.com, or register an alternate extension such as rareantiques.net, or rareantiques.ws.

The best option depends on your long term goal for the site. If you choose to register the same name in a less popular extension, there are some things you should consider:

• Alternate extensions are not as popular with users. Most people will only remember the name of your domain, and not the extension. If you register rareantiques.net, many potential customers will mistakenly visit rareantiques.com out of habit.
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The Mistake a Web Content Writer Should Never Make

Everyone tells you how to do this, how to do that, how to find clients, how to write kick-ass copy, how to entice the customers to buy stuff from you just from the stuff you’ve written, how you can make millions writing ebooks…blah blah blah.

But no one bothers to tell a freelance writer the mistake is for a web content writer….one that he/she should avoid making at all costs.

The mistake is….to stop writing for yourself!

Listen, we’ve been in the freelance writing world ever since forever (it’s not true but it feels just about right) and we’ve made every single mistake there is to make in the freelance world because no on bothers to tell us and when we started out, all this freelance web content writing thing was…like….an illusion. Everyone wished that it could be the very platform that they can use to launch their products or services or start a business or earn some income from their websites, but no one dared trudge this way because only stoopeed people do.

The smart ones let the dumb ones go first.

Copywriting - Write Newsletters For Top Pay

Want to make great money as a copywriter? Get into the newsletter writing business. Custom newsletter copywriting demands both writing skill, and public relations flair.

Although many companies hire public relations firms to produce their own newsletters, there’s plenty of room for freelance copywriters on long term contracts.

How to Get Hired

The easiest way to get hired to write newsletters is to propose a newsletter to one of your current copywriting clients. They already know the value of staying in touch with their customers, and they know you - but perhaps they don’t know that you can provide them with newsletters.

Google It

I was sitting in Starbucks chatting with a bunch of designers straight out of design school abaout logos last night. Along the way, we discussed the latest Jimmy Choos, the current economy crisis, rising gas prices, etc. But the amazing thing that tickled me pink was the fact that every time we mentioned something new, we would mention something about ‘googling it’. Do know of any Greek gods? Google it. Do you have pasta recipes? Google it. Do you know how to fix a broken toe nail? Google it.

You get the picture.

It nothing new. We’ve all accepted the fact that ‘google’ is now usable as a verb, as with a noun, not yet an adjective.

In the Internet business and online promotion world, businesses won’t survive for very long if they don’t have a widespread marketing campaign. Well, they don’t have to rank very high for keywords that is highly competed for but at the very least, they should make an effort to work Google for important ‘local’ keywords.

For example, if you can’t get to the top of Google with your content marketing campaign for ‘real estate’, try ‘Canada real estate’. If you can’t get to the top for ‘ladies handbag’, try ‘NY ladies handbag’…even then I think you might need to narrow down the NY bit because I think every single moving human being in NY either have their own website or blog or is somewhat in touch with the search engine marketing business. Google-ing is what they do best.

Well, that my bit today for search engine marketing and article writing.

Oh, I have something to say about writing and all of that stuff, nothing jazzy but I couldn’t quite agree with how some people are actually trying to market their stuff online via article marketing. It really miffed me off. But it’s their style, not mine and I will keep my teeth out of their shoulder.

–Marsha–

SEO and the law of averages

If you want to succeed in your online business, the first thing you’d need to understand is this….search engines will bring you tons of traffic ONLY IF you know how to work the game. You can be standing at the front doorstep of a local mall handing out brochures or call cards for weeks and you don’t get the same results or success rate as selling yourself or your online business through the search engines.

I’ve dabbled a little in network marketing before and even though it didn’t work out for me (time concerns), I still believe in their principles and the concepts. People selling through people, networking amongst each other, leveraging on each other, you win I win…you know, all those success talks.

Well, with an online business, it’s pretty much the same thing! Getting the word out and getting to as many people as possible is an important part of SEO and it’s an important part of your online business.

How does the law of averages come in? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out so I won’t pretend to be a really good thinker or a genius of any kind. You don’t have to own an online business to know this – in business and in SEO, it’s all about the numbers. In network marketing, they tell you that for every 100 people that you talk to, one would say ‘yes, I would love to explore that idea of yours’.