Archive for December, 2009

SEO Techniques: White Hat Vs Black Hat

Posted by on Dec 30 2009 | SEO, SEO Copywriting

Search Engine Optimizing is backbone of Internet. With time SEO has attained a very high position in the web world. Many companies say that they provide SEO services but they are few which can provide the right technique and follow the right method. Those who follow the right method always promise late results but those results as valuable gives the page and the site a good ranking. Those who follow the Black Hat SEO Techniques do produce quick results but those results do not last long.

The White Hat SEO is non-manipulative and safe where as the Black Hat SEO is manipulative and not safe.

How White Hat SEO Is Done?

For White Hat SEO the website needs to be optimized by using META tags and Keywords. The URLs of the site along with the keywords should be submitted to different directories and creating keyword oriented content. Making sitemaps and obtaining links from sites so that the website has a higher ranking on the search engines. Search engines encourage such techniques and give site a higher ranking.

White Hat SEO is more time-consuming and yields better results which have a positive impact on the site. The sites which do White Hat SEO do not get removed from search engines results. The traffic generated at the site is always the right traffic.

How Black Hat SEO Is Done?

Black Hat SEO is redirecting search engine “spiders” to different pages. For Black Hat SEO lots of mass-posting “spam” comments are made in the blogs, different social forum and via articles. A keyword list is put at the end of the page in a very small font size. No doubt users visit those sites but no sales or business is conducted. The spiders keep visiting the site. This technique is easier and faster to implement but the search engine can easily remove the site from its list also. The spider is quick to detect which site is following the Black Hate technique and such sites are often penalized.

It is important to the use the White Hat SEO techniques correctly because if the technique is not used properly then it can turn into Black Hat Technique. Example: If you have to post a comment on the blog it has to be related to the topic and not diverting from the topic. Otherwise it becomes Black Hat SEO.

While doing SEO of any website or page it is important to draw a plan. The plan should mention the technique which will be used for SEO and how a good page ranking can be achieved. If once the site is penalized by the search engine then it is difficult for the site to get a ranking on the search engine. Select the write method for SEO as search engines spiders are technique very sound and can detect the method very aptly

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Donning the hat of a researcher.

Posted by on Dec 29 2009 | Content Writing

The particular assignment I am about to discuss in this piece is part of the various SEO oriented articles that I write. But this assignment is different from the rest as it requires a great deal of research that can at times make me feel like a reporter on a wild goose chase. The articles are essentially profiles of a certain industrial giant and require information of all sorts, from the financials to the board of directors’ composition, to be incorporated.

Research:

To get the profile right a prerequisite I have emphasized upon earlier as well is “Research”. Once you have your facts right, putting them together does not take much effort. However, the tricky part is the amount of time and effort it takes to get the right kind of information. This is a two way SEO exercise as the information one needs to gather surfaces only when the appropriate keywords are used, so make sure you are very clear about the information you need. And since this information is about such a reputed industrial house, cross-checking information is a virtue.

Financial Information:

Putting together the financial information is not about the words, rather the facts. Since this information is not quite readily available, be prepared to shuffle through some company audit reports along with websites with share market updates and other financial information.

It’s all about the facts:

Writing these profiles involves more of reporting and putting facts together, therefore the tone should always be informative. Since, SEO articles are all about marketing, most of us have become accustomed to that format of writing; however, when putting together a company profile such style of writing should be refrained from. Avoid rambling on or using frilly words as to-the-point information is much more appreciated.

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Landing the landing page right

Posted by on Dec 25 2009 | Content Writing

Marketers old and new who have either woken up or have become past masters in the game of online marketing through webpage copies will tell you that getting the landing page right in terms of content, and its positioning is half the battle won in a race to securing quick and sure conversions.

The landing page of website which could also in keeping with its character and function be called the leading page demands and deserves a content that requires innumerable writes and re-writes.

At the end of the day what decides how successful a landing page has been, and these are facts that can be directly quoted in numbers and hence tangible is the content that has influenced the mere visitor to become a precious customer.

In times when online privacy is increasingly becoming difficult to expect let alone rest assured, why would anyone, and I mean anyone want to leave their email address and name on the form?

Well, I ask again, why not? It actually helps at times to be led by your human instinct and know that a certain word, or a certain offer will effect a certain response. Some of the best marketing strategies while building on stats and figures are actually founded on our understanding and experience with the workings of the human mind.

And the arrow that inevitably and most assuredly (if rightly targeted) hits the conversion rolling is content. The better the content and the more engaging it is in generating interest and evoking curiosity in the reader, the better the expected ratio of conversion/visitor success.

The content in a landing page is usually accompanied and/or followed by a graphic, so the writer who is developing the content must make sure that he/she is completely conversant with the product on offer. The content developer too plays an important role in strategizing with the marketing team as to what landing page copy will prove to be most result bearing.

Most landing page copy as a fundamental in marketing techniques is made to go through a split testing process, where variants of the same copy are put across to a testing team and the effects of each copy is noted. And it so happens than more often than note the winning copy has been the one with crisper and customer curiosity driven content and not necessarily a better graphic.

The content drives the landing page copy, it influences the visitor on the webpage and most importantly in the long run stands as a testimony to the long term goal of the product to gain a certain brand value as well as influence consumer decisions.

Quirky, spirited, interactive, staid, tried and tested, fresh, raw, practiced- you never know what kind of content will work. The challenge is to repeatedly try and come up with fresh ideas and respect the significance of brevity in the entire exercise.

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How to write on electronic gadgets

Posted by on Dec 24 2009 | Ad Copywriting

Writing on various electronic gadgets is very different from writing on general products. While writing on various electronic gadgets we need to mention their technical specifications as well. However, many readers may not be familiar with all of these technical specifications. So if the review of an electronic gadget does not describe the functionalities of all these specifications in detail, then the review may not attract more readers. Thus, it is necessary to write a review on any electronic gadget in a layman’s language where all technical features of the products will be mentioned in a simple yet an attractive way.

For example, you are writing on a LCD television. Your review on a LCD television will remain incomplete if its technical nitty-gritty is not mentioned. Now, if you just mention the features, then many readers won’t understand how all these features will improve their entertaining experience. And here comes the tactic of explaining all these technical details in a simpler way. For example, if you are writing on the contrast ratio of a television, you should say what the function of the contrast ratio is, how it will improve the picture quality. Definitely, it will make your review readers’ friendly.

You may think that writing a review on any electronic gadget is a difficult job and for that, sound technical knowledge is required. However, it is not true. You do not need to be a rocket scientist if you are planning to write on electronic gadgets. The main thing which is required for this job is your research skill. You should research on the product as much as possible and it will enable you to collect more information on the particular product. And after that, you just need to pen down all those details in an interactive way.

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Content Writing Jobs in India

Posted by on Dec 23 2009 | Content Writing

Content writing is basically a service which is offered to website owners all across the world. Outsourcing content writing has given rise to content writing jobs. The benefits of content writing have been identified by a number of countries. Now the question would arise as to why is content writing so popular nowadays. The answer to this question is pretty simple as companies all across the world have felt the need and profits of maintaining their website. As the scope for content writing is increasing similarity the scope for content writing jobs is also increasing. You will be amazed to know that India gets a huge chunk of content writing work from all over the world.

This is the reason why content writing jobs in India are increasing at a rapid rate. Content writing has basically provided the much needed opportunity to thousands of qualified youngsters all across the country. The content writing jobs involve website content, blog articles, SEO articles, etc. It is true that there is an abundance of content writing jobs but finding the content profile which suits you is very difficult. A professional content writer must have spectacular writing skills. You should also be acquainted with internet research in order to become a successful content writer.

Each and every one of us can write an article but what makes the difference is whether you are able to hold the attention of the reader. The most common content writing jobs that you would come across are in the fields of website content, SEO articles etc. Some content writing jobs would also include writing as ghost writers and adcopy writers. You should only apply for those content writing jobs that are actually in complete tandem with your writing skills. If you have the calibre of dealing with some technical topics then you can also apply for writing research papers.

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Product Reviews: Write To Sell

Posted by on Dec 22 2009 | Web Content Writing

If company is to manufacturing products, then writer is to selling the products. Promoting the products for the layman is an uphill task and the real challenge emerges when you have to glorify the product with your words. Do you want to write a good product review? Trust me; go ahead with it because it’s not too hard. As a writer, all you have to do is to discover the basic elements that you must comprehend in order to write well.

A product review written for the online medium is really useful for all those who are trying to know the worth of a specific product of their choice. So, in this case, being too creative can prove fatal to the value of your review since it requires to be reader-centric and informative. Are your words true, factually correct and convincing enough to convert the readers into buyers? This question must be haunting you as a product reviewer and by following certain tips; you can improve your writing in case of product reviews.

Know Your Attitude – The writer should judge his own attitude while shaping the words for a product review. Your perception, opinion, thought or preference should not overpower the factual expression of the article because this common error can deviate from the main purpose of writing for the readers. If the writer adheres to this attitude, then your article will be a value addition to the existing knowledge of the readers. Do not think that ‘reader’ as same as ‘you’ because ultimately ‘you’ cannot be a reader and vice versa. More often, writers get carried away with their writing and try to give their side to the review which is crucial to the article. Trick is to understand ‘who is your reader?’ and frame the sentences accordingly.
Know the Product – A complete research is required on the specifications of the product to be reviewed. While writing a product review, the writer should step into the shoes of researcher so as to understand the product from every angle. Since it’s a product review, the writer should focus on explaining the product with each minute detail while keeping certain factors in mind including honesty, truth and brevity because long articles usually have less reading prospects. The writer is actually the salesperson who is telling exact specifications of the product to the readers through his words. Not misleading the readers by focusing on product’s strength is the key.
Know the Reader – Are you just writing or do you know who are you writing for?Because product review makes sense when it is framed according to the needs of target readers. At times, it might happen that the product you are writing on is of no use to your readers, and then whole exercise of product review writing goes in vain. Knowing your readers is quintessential to successful, effective and good product review writing.

Product Review Writing should be informative, brief, crisp and useful to the readers so that you can target your readers in a style like no one else.

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Tell a story to your readers while promoting a product

Posted by on Dec 19 2009 | Product Descriptions

In my last article I have already discussed about product promotion. You must have got a pretty good idea how to promote a product through your writing. However, this method may not work all the time, especially when you are dealing with a common product like perfume, toys and many others. It is indeed useless to tell your readers why they will use perfume, why they will buy toys for their kids. Therefore, a different approach is required here to help the manufacturer help convert through content. Why don’t you tell your readers a story related to your product? You may be surprised, but this idea really works and will definitely lure your readers to buy the product.

Christmas is knocking on the door and the ring of the Christmas bell is getting louder. Did you buy anything for your beloved wife? If you have not bought anything, then you may buy a perfume and add fragrance and freshness to your festivity- no doubt, if you write on a perfume sticking to this idea, it will definitely entice your readers into buying the product. Similarly while writing on a bubble mower, which is meant exclusively for kids, you just try to make your readers feel how enjoyable it would be when their kids try to catch the bubbles but cannot do that. Indeed, a well-written story always tickles readers’ fancy for a product and ultimate boosts the sale.

Nevertheless, the popularity of a story intending to promote a product is largely dependent on the adoption of a right approach. While you are plotting a story on a product, you should keep in mind two basic things; your idea should be clear and your language should be as simple as possible. Needless to say, if your idea is not clear, you cannot intrigue your readers and it will not make your story as well as your product popular among readers. Similarly obscure language will distract your readers’ attention from the story and will ultimately create a big hindrance in your effort to make the product sell. Therefore, if you want to promote a product just by narrating a story to your reader, first think of the plot and then write it in an interactive way.

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Chalking the Whitepaper right……

Posted by on Dec 18 2009 | White Papers

A Whitepaper can make your business presence felt on the World Wide Web. Whitepaper has created more reading audience as it clearly brings out the idea the company wants to sell to the world. Some tips to help you create an effective whitepaper:

Audience Identification

Before writing an idea for the whitepaper you should know what genre of people you are catering to. You should know exactly which section of the industry is going to read your whitepaper. When you identify your audience you should then work on the idea. When a whitepaper is published it is read by students as well as industry experts’. The information in the paper should cater to the needs of everyone who is reading it. It is very important to know what the reader wants to read and what the reader doesn’t want to read. The information should be delivered in-depth and to explain each point, bullet points should be used. You should research the topic well and the latest facts and figures should be mentioned.

Create A Title

There should be a title for the whitepaper. The title should not be more than 20 words. The title should grab the attention of the reader for him to read further. If you want to create a memory appealing title it should not be more than seven words.

Impressive Introduction

In the introduction you should put forth a problem so that the reader goes further to read the solution to the problem. The introduction should not be more than half a page otherwise the reader will lose interest. Identify the topic you want to discuss and give a brief history of the problem which will grab the attention of the reader and then summarize the whole problem by providing a solution. The solution should be put in such a matter that the reader implements your suggestions.

Conclusion

It is important to provide a conclusion to the whitepaper. In the conclusion you should mention all the major points and give a final perspective to the reader about the entire content. The whitepaper should sell to the targeted audience and should have innovative ideas so that it becomes a success among the audience.

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The Art of SEO-centric Rewrites

Posted by on Dec 17 2009 | Content Writing

Now, most of you would wonder what’s in a rewrite? Simply jumble up the words, add a little jazz and voila, you have a wonderful potpourri of a re-written article. Right? Not really!

The Catch

The re-write is all about making it an SEO article for the promotion of something or someone. That something could be as mundane as a health issue we read about in the daily paper or as bizarre as an engineering advancement in the field of aerodynamics.

The Solution

  1. Keep it simple: From the language to the concept, keep it extremely simple. Even if yours is the first article picked up by Google, a reader would abandon reading if the first few lines do not make sense.
  2. Appropriate keywords: The keywords should not only be appropriate, but also be well placed. Since half the job is already done with the reference material right in front of you, the placement of the keywords should be such that it does not meddle with the flow of the piece. This would not only ensure a smooth read but also accomplish the incorporation of keywords in a meaningful way.
  3. Be original: Even though the material is readily available, the re-written piece should have an element of “you”. Make sense of the information and formulate the piece as though it were to be written for the very first time. Resist the temptation of putting in synonyms and simply jumbling the order of information.
  4. Experiment, though within limits: Experiment a little with the way you want to present the information. Treat the source article as just a guideline and source of information. Pick your own theme and flow for the article along with making the keywords fall in place at appropriate intervals.

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Of wall art, wall’s art and wall arts

Posted by on Dec 15 2009 | SEO Copywriting

Writing as a process is never ending and when it has to team up with the need to support an effective SEO process, the aim is to make the writing conducive to the requirement that the client has enumerated and also make sure in every which way possible that the writing comes across as reasoned out.

A particular exercise that had the entire writing team engaged in every possible way and had the individual writer in splits as to how to creatively position content was when a client requirement was to get hardcore SEO articles written.

Search Engine Optimization introduces and justifies itself as a process that businesses have woken up to, realizing the importance of optimized content and how it is important that their virtual faces be dotted with content that occurs at a certain reasonable frequency all the while making sure to be comprehensive and informative

There are a few essentials that this writer learnt the hard way, but these have greatly helped in the long run to write great SEO articles

Know the client- There are clients and there are clients and then there are clients. Every client will come with their quota of specifications in terms of what they expect of the content.

The trick is to put yourself in the client’s shoes, if possible try to understand why the client is in need of the particular content and finally take a call on how you would want to approach the writing.

More often than not, the client requirement is not too stringent in the sense that they do not require the content to be extremely superior in terms of quality. While for a professional writer, irrespective of the client’s expectations of the content, the need is always to write content that personally satisfies him, in this case the writer can take it a little easy

Know the content- Marry keywords and sensibility into a bind without faults and there is no looking back when it comes to writing successful SEO articles.

Since keywords are constructed on the basis of a mechanical understanding of the thought processes of the human mind, the best way to tame the Google spider and let it stay with your site for a while is to understand the nuances of how keywords are formulated.

There may be a set of keywords where the entire set comprises of various tenses of the same word, or the case of the word- plural or singular. Grammar is the fuel that runs writing and the idea is to make sure that this fuel is never exhausted.

Know the basics of SEO- Writing is an engagement that requires the writer to be introduced to the subject of his writing as deeply as possible. It is an intelligent exercise and hence the writer must be able to know the ‘who’s’ and ‘why’s’ of the writing. Reading up on SEO and its workings helps the writer to add more dimensions to his writing

Patience- The winning formula behind all great SEO writing is the patience that the writer is able to exercise. Sometimes when the client requirement is in bulk and one has to write more than 5 or 6 of these articles, the writer must be patient. If need be the writer may have to take a clinical approach, the goal is to write the article in a comprehensible manner and incorporate all the keywords at the decided keyword density.

SEO article writing can be interesting and engaging and if written in the right way they can prove to be a part of an effective SEO exercise.

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