How many of you make a concerted effort to ensure that you have the right keywords in each of your articles? I’m not even referring to keyword stuffing in your content, metatags, titles, headings, and so forth. I’m talking about just using the right keywords when appropriate, using good anchor text (inbound links and deep links), and perhaps even using a plugin like All-in-one SEO or Platinum SEO.

Almost everyone who makes an effort to do just a little SEO research realizes that keywords cannot be completely ignored. I don’t worry about keyword density (you probably shouldn’t either!) but I do make sure that I use relevant words and phrases within the proper context. Much of this happens organically but if you’re not used to writing, using keywords when appropriate might not come naturally to you.

Short history of keyword usage

Back in the day, say circa 1995, you could actually target “handbags”. In the process, you’ll include other keywords in your article like “pocketbooks” and “purses” and you can get away with it since it was internet infancy.

So by 2000, people realized that those terms were too broad and it made more sense to use keywords for your specific niche. You could use more targeted keywords that was relevant to your geography like “handbags in new york” or those that are relevant to your products like “coach purses” or “fendi bags”.

But then even niches became ultra-competitive. It got so crazy that about five years later, around 2005, sub-niches were all the rage. That’s when niches got so over-crowded that people were using things like “imitation coach purses” and “real fendi bags” (BTW, you couldn’t use “genuine” because people can’t spell it!).

Today, if you do some of those sub-niche searches, you’ll find that even they return hundreds of thousands of results! So what can you do? This is where sub-keywords come into play.

Using sub-keywords is easy as pie

I have to wonder why new sites today even bother with keywords like “handbags”. Obviously it has a lot to do with ignorance but it seems that many of us have big egos and we think we can actually get on the first page of Google for “pocketbooks” by sheer dumb luck and a little bit of effort.

Well, the good news is that it’s never too late to update your keywords or at least start writing content that uses sub-keywords. Let me give you a few common ones:

• How to
• Tips
• Help
• Free shipping
• Buy

Essentially, you’re just using generic add-on words to enhance the types of searches that potential visitors might use.

Bear in mind that many of these are already near saturation but if you’re looking for a keyword edge and don’t want to deviate too much from what you’re already positioning your site for, then adding some of these would make total sense. Something like “coach pocketbooks free shipping” or “how to spot fake handbags” could shoot you right up the search results pages pretty fast. Just make sure that when you lace your articles with these sub-keywords and phrases that they are actually relevant to the rest of your content.

What sub-keywords can you come up with that could help your site?

• Really, you need to care about your topic!
• How to start a WordPress blog
• The MMO ebook of all MMO ebooks

• How To Measure Keyword Density For Your SEO
• 6 Tips For SEO
• Popular Search Engine Optimization Misconceptions

About a decade ago, I worked with an interactive agency and one of the add-ons to our offerings was what we called an admin tool. We sold these left and right because there was a need for business users to update content, such as adding copy/images or introducing a new product, and they didn’t want to rely on an actual developer for these minor edits.

Since that time, Content Management Systems (CMS) have replaced those types of admin tools. In fact, CMS has allowed many business owners to self-serve so even the least tech savvy users can get by with little to no help. I’m not saying that we can cut professionals out completely but the point is, almost anyone can have something — how good it is is another story. (A perfect example is that anyone can use a pencil but the actual picture drawn with it can vary drastically depending on the skill of the user.)

There are so many CMS choices today: from free (Posterous) to low monthly fees (Typepad – under $10/mo.) to crazy expensive (Vignette – over $200,000!!!). What I’d like to do with this article is compare some of the more popular free CMS offerings: WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. Keep in mind that when I say ‘free’, although you’re not paying for the CMS platform, there may still be costs such as domain name registration, hosting provider fees, and maybe even some design and development investment.

I know, here comes the peanut gallery about WordPress being a CMS. It’s like saying Excel is a database which is always open for interpretation and interesting arguments (I’m on the side that Excel is a database, even though it’s not a relational databse). Sure, WP started as a blogging platform but it has evolved into a pretty robust CMS over the years. So much so that when small businesses look for a CMS for their websites, WP is often on the list of potential candidates!

WordPress

Why it’s awesome
It doesn’t get any easier than this! If you’re looking for something that’s realtively simple to use, read no further. That said, you still have to know your way around admin interfaces a little bit. And if you want to make your site look different from the plethora of cookie cutter ones, get ready to do some fine-tuning. The best part is the incredible number of plugins that are at your disposal and the vast support community that can help.

Why it fails
WP isn’t a great tool if you’re looking to have total control like you would with a blank sheet of paper. It starts you with a framework to build off of, which is a great thing for some, a not-so-great thing for more techie folks. It’s also not as mature when it comes to ecommerce as Joomla and Drupal.

Joomla

Why it’s awesome
Joomla gives you a lot more customization options than WP with just a slightly greater learning curve.

Why it fails
The development community is lacking compared with WP and Drupal. The good news is that you don’t have to be as technical as someone who uses Drupal. The bad news is that if you’re stuck, it’s possible you’re on your own.

Drupal

Why it’s awesome
This platform can do just about anything and has an amazing support community.

Why it fails
You better be willing to pay for a tool that can do anything. Not in money but in time! Drupal requires a bit more technical knowhow than Joomla and it’s a mountainous technical gap from WP.

CMS Wrap-Up

It’s impossible to pick a winner here since it really depends on your needs.

In short, how savvy are you? In order of simplicity, WordPress is probably best for the “every-man”. Joomla is for those who are a bit braver, looking to do a bit more, and have graduated beyond minor code edits. Leave Drupal for the advanced folks who are looking for a challenge who also happen to be control freaks.

• Blog spam: Yuck!
• I use a frugal theme and couldn't be happier
• Ping over 20 top search engines in less than 1 second

• Twitter Just Saved Me Money: Quickbooks Pro Free Today Only ($199 Savings)
• Why I'm Looking For A Job and Why Adsense Rules!
• A Few Great Paraben Free Products For You To Check Out.

How many times have you mentioned your blog or website to a family member, a friend, or a potential customer and didn’t have anything to give them as a take-away? We all know that you have to treat your site as a business but would you take any business seriously if the owner spoke to you on a chance encounter and when you asked for a card, he replied “uh, I don’t have any on me”.

That means one of two things: (1) he hasn’t made any money so he doesn’t have business cards or (2) he actually didn’t bring any cards with him. Both are downright scary and sure sign that you won’t be the first sucker on his site.

If you plan on marketing your site, how can you totally ignore offline marketing? Everyone writes about online marketing strategies but it’s amazing how often we underestimate the power of a face-to-face encounter. Something as easy to get as a business card is such a small investment but could make such a big impact.

Funny thing is, when you actually do decide on getting business cards, here’s my suggestion: don’t make them yourself! Forget about the hassle of trying to line things up and buying the right stock just to be left with perforated edges!

Enter Next Day Flyers

When I first started my own businesses, one of my the greatest moments is seeing a business card that I helped create. Seeing my name and logo on a little 3.5 x 2 inch card may as well be my name in broadway lights. What Next Day Flyers can do is get you that very same feeling I had for less than a the price of a movie, drink and popcorn.

Let me run an example by you. Let’s say you want 1000 business cards in full color front and even a black/greyscale back (perfect for printing your URL). You’ll be getting that for $16.95, or less than 1.7 cents a card! I’d bet the last time you felt foolish that you didn’t have a business card you would’ve traded two cents for something to hand them.

Here’s the best part, you don’t even have to start from scratch. I mean sure, you could start with a logo but even if you don’t have anything other than your name, URL and email address, you can leverage their templates for free! Their business card template is super-easy to use. Trust me, this might be a partner of mine (read my disclosure) but I walked through the entire process myself. Those of you who know me know that I would never post an article blindly.

So stop waiting around and go get yourself a nice set of business cards so the next time you talk to someone about your site or blog, you don’t look like such a fly-by-night. And if you have them already, check out what these folks can do with brochures!

What have you done to market your site in person?

• Alexa rank: What you need to know as a new blogger
• Who's afraid of outbound links?
• Even some of the brightest people have no clue when it comes to new media

• Harley Davidson Collectibles
• Why Your Internet Business Needs A Marketing Budget
• Should I Use Savings to Pay Off Credit Card Debt?

How many of you care about your bounce rate? Generally speaking, many bloggers and webmasters love looking at bounce rates with a high level of scrutiny. Personally, not only do I not really use it, I totally ignore it!

Quick bounce rate explanation

First, let’s make sure we know what a bounce rate is. If you use a tool that tracks your site metrics, I use Google Analytics, a bounce rate can show you how many people leave after visiting just one page. In other words, if Visitor A lands on your home page (can be any page really) and leaves to another site while Visitor B and Visitor C land on your home page and click on another article on your site, you have a bounce rate of 33%. Visitor A left and the other two stayed. It doesn’t matter what the duration is as long as they went to another page within the site.

We’re led to believe that a low bounce rate helps us understand that visitors are staying around your site and reading multiple articles, pages, and whatever else you have going on. Think really hard. Is that really helpful? Maybe, right?

Why bounce rates may matter

For some folks, a low bounce rate might be a goal you want. For example, if you have a marketing or SEO campaign that directs users to a specific page but then need them to drill down to another page to purchase or sign up for something, then a high bounce rate hurts you. You don’t want them leaving until they get to the page where they can do what you want them to do.

Why some of you shouldn’t care about bounce rates at all

Consider this, how many times have you been to a site and browsed for what seems like an eternity but didn’t actually buy anything (visitor who didn’t bounce)? Now think about how many times you’ve popped into a site to get information, like directions, hours, etc (visitor who bounced). Which of those scenarios is better for the site owner?

In many cases I believe if you set up your pages right, you could get your visitors to your goal without having them click anywhere else! I mean, I think it’s great if a visitor spends an hour on my site reading twenty different articles but is that better than a visitor clicking on one of my affiliates? I mean, my call to action is basically asking for visitors to click on those links when I’m trying to sell something.

Of course, there are some huge buckets of exceptions like if you’re running an ecommerce site where a lot of browsing takes place or a company/organization site where you want visitors to explore and learn about your offerings. That said, neither of those are me!

Bounce rate isn’t really a great metric

You might call it short-sighted but the truth is, branding and loyalty doesn’t pay the bills unless you’re well-known. Besides, those things will come in time and a bounce rate can’t measure them well. The point is, bounce rates are situational and may not be relevant depending what you’re trying to achieve.

So come on in, click on an ad, and then come back tomorrow to do the same thing. If everyone did that, I’d gladly take a 100% bounce rate!

Like I said, I don’t use it as a measurement and lowering it isn’t part of my strategy but, for those who are curious, freebloghelp.com’s bounce rate is 67% over the last 12 months.

What’s your bounce rate? And more importantly, is it even useful for you?

• Affiliate marketing - the nutshell version
• What is Digg and why is it important to bloggers?
• The key benefits of gaining a high PageRank

• My Lowest Interest Rate Loan is a Payoff in Progress
• The Author’s Site Is Your Success Into Online Business.
• Make Money Blogging Online.

How many of you wish you had a higher PageRank(PR)? Those of you who said yes, read on. The rest of you who think that Google PR is worthless, then feel free to continue to ignore the only search engine that matters. I’m not here to argue whether PR is useful or not, rather how to increase your PR.

Due to the algorithm black hole that PR is, there is so much bad information floating around out there today. I’m not even sure where some of those rumors got started but there’s no question that there is more bad information than good.

Although no one other than a select few at Google knows the algorithm for certain, there is a track record of what goes into that nebulous formula. I’m not going to be as definitive as some other experienced bloggers who see things as very black or white. That said, I will tell you that the biggest factor – and by a huge margin – is getting inbound links.

Before you scream Captain Obvious, I know that it’s no secret that these inbound links, AKA backlinks, are what drive your PR up. When it comes to inbound links, the obligatory “relevant is better than non-relevant”, “higher PR is better than lower PR”, and “the more the better” statements still hold true.

Forget all of what you read about other PR tactics

My main point is that you shouldn’t even think about all the other things that you read about. That means when it comes to PR, you should NOT even think about the following:

• Who your domain registrar is
• How long your domain has been registered
• Switching your domain registrar
• Who your hosting company is
• Switching your hosting company
• Changing your server or moving to a dedicated server
• How your site is site structured
• How fast your site loads
• How frequently you post articles
• How well-written your articles are
• The number of words your articles have
• The number of keywords and phrases you have
• How accurate your content is
• Having duplicate content
• Having broken outbound links
• The number of pictures on your site
• The number of comments you have on your articles

That doesn’t mean you should completely ignore some of these since they may benefit your users, your other rankings, your other SEO activities, your marketing, and so forth. Furthermore, there’s still no guarantee that none of the aforementioned matters to PR; it’s just that there’s no substantial evidence that they have any impact so why waste your time?

Take it from someone who actually worked with Google early in its heyday over a decade ago and has had his fingers on the PR pulse for many years, when it comes to increasing your Google PageRank, getting as many quality, relevant, inbound links as you can should be your only concern.

Are you satisfied with the number or quality of inbound links that you have?

• Who needs a low bounce rate anyway? I certainly don’t!
• 3 darn good reasons to buy a domain today
• Found a web scrape thief - now what?

• Corporate Blogging Link Building Strategies
• SEO: Tricks With Reference To Getting A Joomla Site On Google Page One
• Optimization For The Yahoo Search Engine

First, if you don’t have a gravatar already, please go to gravatar.com and get one. It takes all of five minutes.

• 9 simple things to make your site more usable
• I don't target my Twitter followers and I like it that way
• Philadelphia Eagles sign Michael Vick!?! What's the blog lesson here?

• Woodstock Percussion Folk Guitar
• Give gifts that deliver good value
• How To Make Web Traffic Greater By Creation A Quality Article Or Blog.

Those of you who have tried Google AdSense (let’s face it, who hasn’t?) had to make an important decision at one point — “Should I go with an all text ad or an image ad?” Ironically, many people start by letting Google choose by simply selecting the ‘Text and image ads’, which is the default setting. Is that bad?

Well, yes and no. I get asked that question from time to time and it really all depends. If you do a little research on what has been successful for others, you’ll find a mixed bag. For instance, some say that text ads are more effective because they blend into the rest of the site. Conversely, others claim that image ads bring in more revenue since they are more visually appealing.

Let’s look at some of their pros and cons:

Text ads

Pros

• Can be configured to blend in with the site content
• Almost all advertisers have text ads available
• Take up minimal space per advertiser, leading to more per ad block

Cons

• Looks very bland and generic

Image ads

Pros

• Can be visually attractive
• Are larger and easier to see
• Can tell a story through basic animation

Cons

• Fewer advertisers can be displayed since one image could replace up to five text ads
• Some visitors are “blind” to image ads (they have been conditioned to ignore banners)
• Can limit the number of advertisers since not everyone has an image ad

One way to determine whether text or image ads would be better is simply looking at your market. Niches in glamorous industries would benefit from sexier ads, where image ads excel. Conversely, blogs that focus on topics that visitors just want to read through quickly, text ads are probably more appropriate. Below are some examples of categories where one type of ad may have an advantage over the other type are:

Text Ads: Business, Science, Careers, Politics, Self-Help, Making Money, Health, Educational

Image Ads: Gaming, Sports and Fitness, Music, Movies, TV, Fashion, Arts, Celebrity News

Text and/or Image Ads: Technology, Auto, Pets, Food and Drink

By no means are the aforementioned gospel but it gives you a starting point. You may have a micro-niche that bucks the trend.

In short, the question of text vs. image doesn’t have a clear cut answer. It really depends on what type of site you have, what you’re trying to accomplish with the ads, and who your audience is. Personally, for Google AdSense, I prefer text ads because I already have sponsors with image links throughout the page. I choose to display text ads with a look and feel that’s similar to the rest of the site. Although that has worked well for me, I may still use an image ad from time to time, just to test its effectiveness. Like all other moneymaking tactics, a lot of trial and error is involved. Experiment to see which works better for you.

• 9 things you can do to speed up your site
• Meet the FTC disclosure requirement in under a minute
• Super quick lesson in SEO

• Google AdWords Management - Knowing The Lifetime Value Of Your Customer
• Create Good Content And Your Site Will Be Popular.
• Ad Revenue From Corporate Blogs