Do I look like a people person to you?

I wasn’t going to publish this. It’s not my normal tone. I wrote it, in fact, because I just wanted to write the feelings down. In less than a month, I’ll be 50… never thought I’d hear myself say those words out loud, let alone write them down.

I’m not going to be the cheerleading squad of the fifty-plus generation. I’m not familiar with them. I don’t know them. Not to say I don’t see them, but none of the people I know or hang out with are in that age group. Okay, maybe I know a few but, I’m not around them and they are the cool 50 something crowd…You know who you are Cirouzzz, Martucia, which brings me to my other point. I do have another point you know.

I’m sure moving away from San Francisco has made me lose some of my sanity. I’m probably no longer in touch with the “real” world. I guess moving to a retirement community in the Red Neck Riviera five years ago hasn’t helped my mood today.

I’m not happy that the AARP has contacted me as if I were a long lost friend. Go. The fuck. Away. I didn’t ask for any group hugs and I’m not going to embrace the AARP community at large. Besides, how the hell do you know my age and why do you have my address?

I can’t be 50 yet. When I think of 50 I think of old people; walkers with worn tennis balls for wheels; white hair; lots of doctor’s visits. That’s not how I see myself, damn it. Yesterday I was going to nude beaches in the Bay Area, smoking and drinking while roasting my buns in the sun. What the hell happened? I blinked and here I am – a month away from 50.

Part of me wants to embrace the notion that now I am wise. I must be, by now; I’ve lived a life I should be proud of living. Shit. The last thing I want to do is be wise; I don’t want that responsibility…

I don’t like waking up and discovering I have facial hair, that’s just not cool. I realize hormones play a big part, but fuck it; I’m not taking medicine in order to stay young. I want to age gracefully, not use tweezers glued to my hip pocket like a damn cowboy.

Sometimes I wonder am I really missing that much? I want to still fit in my college jeans and stay out all night like I used to. I bet if I tried now, that two things would happen. One, I would look like a complete fool squeezed into torn jeans with camel toes. Two, the patrons of the club would think I was lost or – worse yet – looking for my kids.

Now, I don’t look old and I’ve never worn tight jeans, but damn it, that’s how people see me. They have the audacity to say, “Yes, Ma’am.” Who the hell is that? I’m waiting for the day to snap at one of these 30 something’s and say, “Don’t worry, sweet cheeks, you’ll be here soon enough, don’t blink.”

I do embrace some things about turning fifty. For instance, I can pick up a line of bullshit from a mile away. It’s not the obvious swagger, glasses, smooth talk, great sales or slick clothes. Now it’s the way they write, how they engage online in social networks and blogs, or how the show off at conferences. I’ve seen some that are so self-centered I almost want to throw up when I see their names. Yes, that’s harsh but hey, I’m turning fifty and I’m turning into my mother.

I’m even confused at the music I hear. I mean, I love a good rap song and an action-packed movie, but the shit I’ve been witnessing is beyond creativity. It’s negativity, hate, abuse, despondency, a complete disregard for women and humanity as a whole. That’s what we call entertainment, people. I won’t even mention the horrors I see every time I turn on the news.

I’m turning into my mother’s generation. I’m turning into the crowd that says, “What are you kids listening to?” “What are you reading?” You’ll see; if you’re 30 something and reading this, remember that you saw it here first.

I remember, and have lived, the leaps and bounds of technology. I’ve been entrenched in it! Nowadays, though, I hear shit like, “Do you want to wake up early? There’s an app for that.” “Do you want to meet new people? There’s an app for that.” “You want to get laid? There’s an app for that (it’s called Craigslist).”

Am I walking down memory lane if I say things were easier back then? You didn’t have to worry about the boogiemen online. The people using technology seemed cool with no bullshit. People online were there to exchange information, not sell you, spam you or give off an attitude that you were so lucky they talked to you.

Good Old Days

It sounds like an episode of “The Good ‘Ole Days”, but that wasn’t so long ago, really. I remember when I discovered The WELL. It was safe; we discussed business, health, music, politics, hobbies, software and so much more.

I’m completely blown away at such abandon towards social networks. Granted, I embrace the technology, but the world is giving their identity away to it! For instance, I’m not stupid enough to put up my nude pictures for the world to see. I don’t talk about things I don’t want the world to know about, and then bitch because the world found out. I guess that’s just something age has taught me.

I’ve tried to be reasonable with people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve held my tongue. I don’t see anything impressive anymore. Am I being a salty old woman? My generation joined causes and grass root movements because we wanted to make a change and felt the causes were right. It seems people join causes now because it’s the in thing, the cool thing, to do. Anymore, I don’t want to help the world; I tried to change it in my youth… believe you me; it’s gotten worse, not better.

I don’t care whether you like me. I say what I want to say, because I can pretty much bet I’ve been there and I’ve don’t that. You can’t show me or tell me anything that hasn’t been done or said already. I don’t worry about hanging out with the cool crowd, because I am the cool crowd. I’ve never been much of a follower – and guess what? Now that I’m turning fifty, I’m even less of one.

I don't care

This is a reality check, people, so listen up. I don’t want to be fifty in your “thirty-something” world. I’m not impressed by all your cool apps. I don’t care if millions of people follow you. You’re in a sad state if you don’t see how fast the world is passing by you.

I’m not saying stop or even slow down, enjoy your family or enjoy your life. How you live is up to you. What I am saying, however, is your fifty degrees of separation isn’t that far away from being where I stand today. Your Foursquare reality is nothing more than another reason to allow your self-inflated ego. Do I care if you’re the mayor of a coffee shop, that you started a group or started a meet-up to see who can out drink the other?

No. The bottom line is I’m scared; I’m terrified of slowing down – that life will be robbed from me. All of a sudden, I don’t have that much time to do and see all the things I want to do and see in life. I’m too busy trying to get it all down to care about whom out drank who at the last meet-up.

Am I going to write a bucket list? Not a chance. The life I’ve had, places I’ve seen and things I’ve experience have probably been on several hundred peoples’ bucket lists. I’ve been to more places in the world than not – countries most people can’t even spell. I’ve had a wonderful whirlwind life I wouldn’t trade for anything and talked to people you’ve only dreamed of meeting. To the 30 something’s and younger, take your cool, hip life and don’t step on mine. You see, now I can say shit like that; people just blow it off because I’m old. Yes, I’m old enough to know that you’re a fucking idiot.

I’m old enough to know and realize that:

• Relationships don’t happen overnight
• You have to work for everything you own or buy in life
• No matter how many times you get people to listen to you, they still only hear what they want to hear
• Perception is 99% of one’s reality
• There’s nothing better than being with the person you love, respect and have fun with
• Millions of dollars won’t make you happy
• You can’t find happiness in bottles, pills or sex

I’m old enough to say anything I want with no fear of repercussion. That’s my favorite. See, I don’t like perfect; perfect is boring. It’s not human. I make mistakes because I’m human. I don’t harbor hate because it takes too much time. I forgive because I believe the apology, not because it’s “the thing to do”.

Is this a bucket list of sorts? Hell, no. I’d break into tears, if for no other reason than because everyone has already done it. They even made a movie about it that I never did go and see. Not a movie that would end up on my own list even, if I were ever to write one. Doubtful…

Dark Side of Real estate

In providing SEO copywriting, it’s imperative that you research the subject. We’ve talked about this in countless numbers of articles here at the Article Archive. Most of the time, the job is simply to research and relay the information in a way that the client’s target market can understand. SEO copywriting has a dark side, however.

Over the past several months, I’ve been researching and writing SEO-based content for the real estate industry. The client likes upbeat, perky articles. Three or four years ago, this wasn’t a problem, but then the real estate bubble burst. While researching, I’ve found out more information than I ever wanted to know about buying and selling a house – and therein lies the topic of this rant.

The dark side of SEO copywriting, from the copywriter’s point of view, is sometimes you have to find the loopholes in information to write the type of articles your client wants. For instance, a bright side in real estate is the mortgage rates are lower than they’ve ever been. That’s the story, and, for the client, I’m sticking to it.

The dark side is that banks want 20% down payment or more if you don’t have private mortgage insurance, 10% or more if you do. Credit scores have to be 670 or above. After years of giving credit and loans to whoever walked through the doors, the banks are finally dotting i’s, crossing t’s and, in short, making it hard to get a home loan. The dark side of the story is that it’s not a buyer’s or a seller’s market; it’s a stalled market.

It’s time for a dose of reality, people. The real estate market is dark and gloomy! Job security is shaky, the national unemployment rate is still at 9% or more, housing prices are dropping and more foreclosures are slamming the still staggering market. Sellers aren’t selling and many potential buyers can’t get past the red tape to buy. On top of all this, more sellers are actually putting their homes on the market because, for some unknown reason, they think now is a good time to sell.

Now, I know that some sellers don’t have a choice but to put their house up, for many reasons. As well, I’m not an economist or financial guru; I’m just an SEO and coding geek. However, I can look at statistics, read the information and put two and two together, and I have to ask the sellers that do have a choice…

With an already glutted market, why are you trying to sell your house? Why are you pricing it above its value? How can you think it would make the home more attractive in a day and age where foreclosures are the best deals?

Do you know who’s buying up most of the American real estate? The government, which is now the biggest real estate owner, investors and people from overseas – not, as the reports might seem to tell you, the average Joe American with 2.5 kids and a dog.

The Reality of the Situation

You know, “money makes the world go ‘round” is a quote used so often that it’s lost its meaning. However, money really does make the world go ‘round. Why aren’t job markets improving? Because Americans are worried they’ll lose their own paychecks so, instead of spending, we’re stockpiling. We’re saving every dime. Therefore, companies that don’t sell products can’t afford to pay wages and employees are laid off.

We’re a consumer society, though, and in a consumer society, you have to consume; you have to buy things to keep it going. Am I suggesting that you blow your savings and paycheck? No, but I am saying that if you don’t pay the economy, the economy can’t pay you.

It’s time for a mind-change based on “wants” and “needs”. For instance (and back to the original topic), if you don’t need to sell your home, don’t. On the other hand, if you’re still using a rotary phone because it’s serviceable, it’s time for an upgrade. Plain and simple, money has to trickle up before it can trickle down.

In regards to the dark side of SEO copywriting, well, putting the best face on things is part of the job – and I’ll continue to do that job to meet client needs. However, I ask that you keep in mind who is writing whatever you’re reading. Most bits of information are biased for or against a topic. Research and get both sides of the story before making decisions that affect your family, your job and your life.

End of rant. Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to add your own rant to the discussion!

Whatcha doing?

It’s been several weeks since I last did a list of Follow Friday favorites. Now, I realize that a lot of people think this is a waste of time, and to some it may very well be. The way I see it, though, it’s my small and humble way to help the thousands of readers joining Twitter every day by sharing the best of the best on Twitter. I’m sure you’ve noticed – on Twitter, they now give you a list of top tweets. How they come up with those, I’m still not sure, but I do know that it’s a Twitter “verified account” and it follows everyone. Therefore, you can go through their list. However, I doubt the verified account is actually engaging with those on the list or giving the sense of a real connection (who can engage with millions of users?).

Since I first signed on to Twitter, I’ve gathered tons of great resources and great people to follow. I’ve had some laughs and even done business through Twitter. I can’t tell you how many inspirational stories I’ve read that I might not otherwise have ever come across. They’ve made me cry; they’ve pushed me to make a change. Okay, so it may not seem like much to some people, but sooner or later, you start to realize that it’s the small things in life that make a difference to the big things. There’s no doubt in my mind that the people on these Follow Friday lists are among the best resources, the nicest people and the most engaging!  On to the Follow Friday list:

@jrpittman I have to start this list with one of my favorite persons on Twitter. She is not on there often since I keep her busy with work lolol. But I would be a fool to think I can run Level 343 without her. She is an amazing writer, editor, mother, and friend. Her bio reads “Mother, site administrator, SEO copywriter, project manager – constantly running” No need to explain why you should follow her other than she gets it even though she won’t admit it.

@lizstrauss Liz Strauss needs no introduction from me. She had me at hello, what an amazing social media mentor. Am I putting it on thick? No I am really genuinely impressed with her credentials and she has them. If you know me you know, I am not easily impressed. Unlike a lot of the “other” women that have achieved fame from the Internet she is still approachable and connects with every day people. That’s what makes her so amazing. Her bio reads “Founder of SOBCon, brand strategist, It’s only fun when it’s brilliant strategy, high return, AND connects customers in a meaningful way.” I don’t need to recommend this woman only to say Liz thanks for being part of my Twitter feed.

@lateaserikard what an amazing connection this has been. She is always there to support you with RT including actually having conversation in 140 characters Her bio on twitter reads “Blogging what I know about social media. App developer on Facebook.” But don’t let that business exterior fool you. This woman has had her hardships in life and still make every day an awesome day. Don’t wait. Follow her now.

@italofileblog I recently started following Melanie Renzulli. & I have to tell you I am thrilled to have found another American who loves my country. Her bio reads “Italy travel tweets and more. Visit my website at italofile.com or visit http://italofile.ning.com to connect!” It’s all about connection and sharing her adventures in the boot. Her website is an amazing gift to those who want to see Italy from a local point of view. Go ahead you know you want to follow her.

@seobelle the name says it all. That sounds sexist I know but, she is bella and does SEO… her real name is Sadie Sherran.  Some people would ask why would you follow your competition? Well I don’t see it that way; I see it as a woman I respect in the industry. Her links & knowledge are apparent. Her bio reads “Girly, purple, a little bit geeky I like Crisps and all things SEO/SEM” Her conversations and links are always spot on. The fact she is across the pond will keep me updated on what the UK is doing. A definite Follow any day.

@GRPasswater George is one hell of a guy. He is engaging, smart and a lovely man. His bio reads; “Owner – @PasswaterMedia. Special Needs Dad – @DadWritings. Entrepreneur. Writer. Blogger. Technologist. Consultant. Mac geek . Animal lover.” You can imagine he is not shy about connecting. George is one of the few people on Twitter I can always count on to help me pass out great links. One last thing about George he never forgets to say good morning. How can you not follow that type of energy? Positive all the way.

@Nylons I have been following Nancy Lyons for some time and have always admired her interactions. It wasn’t until recently I found out she is an American that would love to retire in Italy. Her Bio read  “Boss of Clockwork, Geek Girl, Mom. Partner. TechEvangelist. public speaker. I try to bring the funny.” From what I have seen and read she is immersed in what she loves to do. That in itself is refreshing with a wonderful attitude.

@Jane_Howitt Jane is another great woman I have been connecting with. She has helped me with my efforts of starting a #Honoring Women Wed on Twitter. To some it may seem silly but to me that’s how important connecting is. Her bio reads “Internet communicator: copywriter, Social Media disciple and Trainee Encyclopedia. Oh, and in love with Macs” Something about mac lovers we seem to buzz around each other.

@imrogb I met Roger Byrne while he was living in Egypt. He is smart, funny, and full of great ideas. He is one of the few Twitter personalities that get’s it. He is humble without being cocky (too much) he is generous with his time and most importantly he knows about Social media. His bio reads “ Social Media, Advertising, Photography & Design, sharing inspiration. English but currently sprechen sie deutsche in Leipzig, Germany.” He does not need my help get more followers…He has close to 20K, that in itself ought to tell you something.

@RyderMedia Erika Kristen is a great find. I have been following her for sometime and to be honest with you it was an instant connection for me. Her links are no nonsense, but that’s not to say she does not have some funny links. Her ability to handle her business successfully is one of the reasons you should follow her. Her bio is simple but clear it reads “Social Media/PR 2.0 Specialists” She definitely understands relationships and is an awesome follow.

@PrayMaddyMcCann To be honest with you there is no name connected to this account but if you keep up with the news then you can never forget the story of this lovely child Maddy McCann. Her family has been through hell. When it comes to the opinion at large the world is paying attention. Will she be found? Who knows we can all hope that she is one of the lucky children out there. My reason for following this account was purely emotional to start. But when I see such love and effort by one person I cannot help but admire their tenacity and selfless act. The bio reads appropriately “I Follow Back! & List Back! ♥ I’m Helping Find Madeleine McCann! ~ Let’s Make a difference to our World! ~ (If you DM me please let me know by tweet!)” It’s apparent they are doing everything they can with the power of Social media.

@robsellen Rob Sellen is another passionate Social media enthusiast. We actually had quite the conversation on Twitter. He is very committed to his ideas, and is not afraid to disagree. His bio reads “A deaf father of two teenage sons! Blogger, stonemason, nice bloke! ;o)” Now that should tell you all you need to know. He is genuinely a nice guy and is not afraid to engage. So go ahead, start following him I am sure you will find his links valuable.

@24donne Monica D’Ascenzo is a wonderful, lovely, woman. She is Italian and it shows. Not only in her look but her love of politics, women’s issues and life discussions. Her bio reads “woman, journalist, mom, dreamer. Not necessarily in the same order.” Her generous links and passionate discussions about local events around Italy are my link to the Italian community. It helps that I think she is funny, and cute about her outlook on life and her children.

@Monicutza03449 From the day I started following Monica it has been amazing. She is funny, engaging and can keep you laughing with each of her RT’s. Personally I have known a few European women that understood my sudo American humor. She is real and down to earth. I love that. Her bio reads “Contradiction is my name: humanity, economy, India, US, Internet, opera, romance, cars, Holly/Bolly, Mozart, Nightwish, writer at times. Interested in ppl, not feeders.” Her links are always so refreshing, a must follow.

@SteveAkinsSEO Steve makes you want to hug a stranger. Seriously, this guy has such a kind face & disposition. I am always looking forward to his links. They are diverse, fun to read, and he is generous with his time. Now this guy gets it. Social networking is not about what you can get from someone, but what value you share with them. His bio reads “SEO, Developer, Entrepreneur, Struggling Poet , Gastronome, Explorer” A high quality follow in my opinion.

If you love reading more great Follows here are the previous recommendations I wrote. If you want to share some of your great followers please let me know, and we can feature them in one of our on coming #Follow Friday list.

"I Wasn't Born To Follow" by: sonja_pinion

I have stated in the past my Follow Friday list has to mean something to me. I wish I could spend more time looking into the reasons why and how I follow people but then I catch myself and think furgit about it. It shouldn’t be that complicated.

Granted, I don’t follow blindly anymore I actually do take the time to check people out. As a matter of fact stop wasting time with spammers on twitter. True Twit will validate your followers so you don’t have to. This little jewel of a tool has been very helpful in keeping the spam crap and bots off my twitter list.

I have never had a very strategic plan about why I follow people outside the obvious.

We. Connect.

But this is not about me and for the sake of starting my list and picking up where I left off here it is. My 1st, Follow Friday list 2010.

@ MARCOME what a pleasant breathe of fresh air. I have to be honest with you, I am not into what “New Age” music but I was pleasantly surprised. Her profile reads I’m a Canadian singer songwriter & musician. I do a mixture of pop world music mixed with new age, jazz & ambient voices. My name is pronounced Marko-may. I bet the fact she is so approachable, engaging and just down right the darling of social media with over 34,935 Followers has a lot to do with her charm. Then again her personality shines through a must follow if you aren’t already!

@linksgiving what can I say about him but a brilliant Italian, gentleman and yes geek suprimo! His profile is typically Italian (inside joke) it reads, Linksgiving Web Directory at Twitter. Alberto Rinaldi, its founder, is a computer, SEO, Internet marketing enthusiast, Web designer, yoga lover, and musician. How can you not be a geek when you manage and build a freaking directory?  Great conversations, and he is just adorable.

@BlondeByDesign Now there is a fresh approach to Twitter. Her profiles reads, An Evil person or situation may dominate time, but a Good Person or Positive Action Owns ETERNITY. Sounds earthy crunchy California? Sure, but she is wonderful strong woman as a matter of fact you can almost smell the sunshine. She is engaging, fun, witty, sexy, silly, and can hold her own in 140 characters!

@lookadoo this woman is generous with her time and knowledge. Her profile say’s it all it reads, SEO, User Engagement + all things Search support my Cycling habit. Let’s ride! … Launching YoYoSEO.com in March – @YoYoSEO. We actually spent time on the phone talking about everything from SEO, to California. There is nothing better than connecting right off the bat. She has clocked years as an SEO professional, including most recently as the founder of @Yo!Yo! SEO Word-of-Mouth SEO – Optimize the Conversation. Something she is very proud of, a must follow to all.

@regalaffair hello Twitter, now this is a woman to follow! Sassy, smart, engaging and yes, has a lot of knowledge when it comes to connecting. Her profile is short and sweet Destination Wedding & Event Planning based out of Texas serving brides world wide. The fact I am not getting married any time soon still doesn’t stop me from enjoying great information check her out.

@casettadelborgo there are two reasons I followed this feed, they are in Italy, and they live in my house! Okay maybe not but my dream is to go back home and retire with a small B&B. If you love Italy or you want to discover it’s beauty start here. Check out their Villa in  Italy, you can’t resist booking your next vacation there. Their profile reads, Holiday Accommodation San Gimignano Holiday Apartment in Tuscany with private garden & pool in Resort Borgo la Fornace with SPA & Restaurant & Tennis. Don’t take my word for it start following them today.

@mwilton13 we have just recently started following each other. I have to admit for a young buccaneer he knows his links. Extremely engaging and very generous with his RT’s. He describes himself as Search Engine Marketer and Social Media junkie by day; Blogger and father by night. (I think that’s sweet) Friend to nature and striving to live green. The last part requires further study.

@sharonmostyn if you aren’t following this lady, then you must. Sharon is a valuable connection. She actually had someone from Miami call when I volunteered to go down to Haiti during the recent Earthquake. Now that’s Social media working right in front of my eyes. Her profile describes her as a Marketing mgt at MEDEX & Inbound Mktg Cert Pro – ecommerce (email, SEO/SEM, affiliate, social media), DRTV, online & offline media buying. That’s impressive!

@AngsCopywriting Something about Canadian writers invading the US. What a wonderful find. I met her through another group I joined a while back, and have enjoyed getting to know her. Her profile reads, Copywriter, Coach & Content Consultant who likes SEO, SM, business & marketing. Also a bookmark addict & (coffee) bean brat So yeah you guessed it she’s a brilliant writer and extremely gracious with her time.

@RedheadWriting No introduction needed for this firecracker. Wow, Zing, Biff, Bang, is all I can say… add sassy, sexy, deliciousness to her writing and you have one hell of a twitter feed. Almost as good as sex, well maybe not but a definite MUST follow. Her profile aptly reads, Writer, disruptive presence, devil’s advocate (the devil, on occasion), snarkmeister, hash tag abuser in a 10 step program because I can’t commit to 12.

@marketingintell this young lady is smart from head shot to links. When I do catch links they were always spot on. Her profile reads, CEO, Marketing Intelligently, LLC. Marketing consultant for small businesses. Personal branding expert. 20-year marketing vet, Brit abroad. If you know me then you can see the fact she is a Brit is already a passing grade for me!

@nicktadd I will admit I had to do a double take when I started following him I think the Mohawk threw me off.  Yes, he is a geek and very engaging, take a look at some of his video links. His profile reads, Landlord and exponent of technology to further learning and visibility… aka web geek! Fascinated by the optimisation of social media. Will follow back. At first you may think huh? Qu’est que c’est? No need to question, just follow you’ll see.

@smallbizanswers yes, I am a sucker for puppies especially cute ones. Don’t let that picture fool you, there is a pit bull of information under that soft brown exterior. Awesome links and great resources. The profile reads, Providing the best small business related stories from across the web. Tons of topics… profiles, sales, marketing, employees, finance, legal, social, etc. I will admit every link I have clicked I more often than not RT. The good thing is they are always informative.

@kjwelborn my list would not be complete without this wonderful woman. Granted we have worked and are still working together, but that’s not why you should follow her. Her profile says it all Marketing Consultant (TV, Film, Nonprofit, Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Lifestyle) + Director of D/FW Multi-Cultural SIG, American Marketing Association. We are talking heavy hitters when it comes to positioning her clients. What are you waiting for?

@massimopaolini this gentleman is into analytics. This my dear readers is the golden grail of SEO. Granted half the time we have no clue what they are talking about, however if you follow him you’ll be a lot closer to figuring it out. His profile reads, Passions: web analytics, social media, public speaking, startups, bootstrapping, balanced life, leadership, family. A great addition to your follow list, and keep up with one of the best in the industry.

That’s it for now, I will try to do another 15 soon. By the way do you recognize any of these names? Tell us about them, what are your thoughts…

A blog is an informal platform to share thoughts, ideas, opinions and information. At first, blogs were used by individuals more as online journals; the bloggers recorded day-to-day activities to share them with their friends. Now, however, blogs have turned into a marketing platform for businesses, products, events and ideas.

Blogging has taken over the social media world and has become one of the main market tables for shared information. There are many benefits to having a blog and using it for SEO purposes. Below is just a handful:

1. Greater Opportunity for Inbound Links: Blogs, unlike websites, more easily link to each other, creating more traffic within a network. They also connect many times to social news and social media websites. The more media, the better, creating greater opportunity for links back to your website.

2. Easy to Access URLs: Websites and blogs are found on search engines by what are known as spiders. These spiders look for URLs and content applicable to the search keywords. The more complicated a URL is, the harder it is to search for a spider. Fortunately, blogs typically come with less complicated, thus more crawlable URLs.

3. RSS Feeds: Blogs can link to RSS feed URLs that build up link popularity, especially if the RSS content is cited on other blogs. This all helps to boost traffic.

4. Fresh Content: Because blogs require regular maintenance and routine updates, fresh content will come (ideally) every couple of days. Search engines, as well as readers, reward fresh content with repeated visits. This brings more traffic, as well as boost crawlability.

5. Word-of-Mouth: A great blog gets talked about, and mentioned, and recommended, and reviewed. These non-tangibles are just as important as, and ultimately lead to, repeated visits, which show up as increased traffic. The more people talk about your blog, the better. The best thing a company or product can do is invest time and energy into an informative, up-to-date, sleek blog that will get people talking. More traffic is sure to come.

Blogging has become a stable method in SEO, and for good reason. A good blog works well. After all, your thoughts are still worth money. You might be surprised to find out just how much. So stop worrying about who is reading your blog. Just know with a good plan and strategy in place you can talk directly to your market.

Are These SEO Services What You Really Need?
It goes without saying that there are going to be many SEO services that will not suit your needs or will even make sense to you. Don’t be alarmed by these or get down-hearted and stop searching. The right company is out there for you, so just ignore those that you do not have any need of, and move on. Once you find a couple sites that seem good to you, click on each link to check to see if they are what you need to be able to get yourself up and running and/or keep your SEO Articles and web content fresh and up-to-date. Once you have looked the websites over and have decided which of these will be exactly what you need in terms of making yourself more noticeable in the world of SEO and all over the Internet, it is time to contact them and find out as much information as you can about them.

Make Sure That the Particular SEO Services Provider is Available When You Need Them
The next thing to look into is how easy is it to contact the SEO services providers that you have decided that you are going to be working with. Is there an e-mail address and a customer service department or technician’s e-mail address and/or phone number that you can use to easily get in touch with the customer service department and/or technician when you need them?  Most SEO Services providers have this information available to those who want to work with them. How are you supposed to get your SEO related problems solved if you cannot even get in touch with the team that deals with SEO matters?

Make Sure That Link Building is One of the SEO Services
Finally, make sure that Link Building is part of the package. Almost all of the present SEO services will provide link building services as part of their SEO tools, and almost everyone that has ever built a website, business or personal, needs access to the link building services so that you are getting the best SEO services.

Some of these services are a good start. What I tell most my readers looking for an SEO service provider is to make sure they understand what is being offered. One thing I have learned is to communicate as clearly as possible to clients. Samples of what is being offered is not a bad thing. The problem is most SEO service providers don’t want to share their nuts and bolts with “potential” clients. I firmly believe as long as the provider sends you the right information specific to your needs there is no reason why finding the right company should be a huge task.

I have found the various functions that occur on Twitter, like #Follow Friday, is a great concept. Think about it. You are being offered a free ticket to one of the biggest events, every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Think of it as a huge cocktail party. You now have a choice of whom you follow and whom you want to talk to. There are so many users that don’t engage, no matter how many times you chat with them. Are they worth it? Hey that’s up to you. Would you continue talking to someone if they never responded? That’s one of the reason I don’t follow any of the A-Listers; you know, the Super Stars, Rock Stars, or self proclaimed Guru’s.

The information I have been able to gather by being a passive watcher is amazing. Therefore, as a Twitter user my time  fluctuates with the projects we have at hand. I have tried to continue my end of sharing some great names, but the busier we are, the harder it is to really engage on Twitter. Again, Twitter gives you back as much as you put in. To some it’s a waste of time, while others (in my opinion) still don’t get it. But as we all know, every one has an opinion (we won’t talk about what else everyone has).

I follow a little over 2600 people (on two accounts); our accounts are followed by a little over 3700. We are not crunching numbers; we are following real people. I don’t mean to say that people who follow over 10K are not doing it right, but our company’s strategy is really simple. There are thousands of people using Twitter worldwide, but our focus is on a certain target of that market. How we find them is not easy.

We know that Twitter is a great tool that continues to drive traffic to our site. What we offer is not only unique, but we are driven by the client’s success. What and how I use the Follow Friday list is time consuming yes, but well worth the effort.  I am still testing different approaches. I can tell you #Follow Friday used to be one of the ways, but now it seems most recommendations come as a long list with @yourname @hisname @theman etc. I have to admit, that just doesn’t look very personal. Maybe if people would use a header like “this is a list of my favorite graphic designers ” or “women that rock” would be more palatable but, as it stands, people have ruined the personalized experience.

Now that I have time again, the first thing I changed was the way I use Twitter. I have stopped following people just because they follow me. I grit my teeth when someone DM’s me with complete nonsense and immediately unfollow them without wondering why they turned out to be such a looser. As soon as a new person engages me, I engage them (by engage, I do NOT mean with a “come check out my site” Or “lets play Mafia wars“, or worst yet the consummate spammer that inevitably sneaks into your list of followers and swears they have the answer to all your woes for $19.95).

Which brings me to the reason I insist on continuing to share my picks for the week of great people to follow on Twitter. Because they’re worth it. These people continually and consistently have knowledge, humor, questions and theories to share. They make me think, smile, listen and often teach me something. Thank you, my #FF list!

@nicole_harrison Her posts have been entertaining. One thing I can tell you about her when she sets her mind to something she is an Eveready battery.  Does Kutchner ring a bell?
@MarjyMeechan Out of Fort Lauderdale this woman has some great posts. She is engaging, smart and always ready for a dip.
@Nicolamenicacci A countrymen and a wonderful writer. He & his business partner run a coaching consulting firm. As they say in Italian “Qualcuno da seguire” Grazie.
@StaceyHood I really love this guy’s site.  Stacey is from the Deep South you can hear his Southern hospitality. Great find if you want to add value to your twitter feed.
@soultravelers3 Would love to do as much traveling as this family of three. She always has a kind word and some great links. For example “I am sitting outside at night here in Italy w/ 5 other folks from several nations, each with a laptop, chatting & working. Small world! ” How could you not dream with a post like that!
@Santamistura Patricia is my favorite DJ on Twitter. She is also a great textile designer. Always has great tunes & amazing links to share. Granted she doesn’t do much talking (I think her English is not up to par) But who cares when she has great music, videos, design, trends, fashion, illustrations and great links.
@Spideas Scott Peters a wonderful fun guy to follow. Great ideas man that sends out interesting links. Always a kind word very engaging on Twitter. Check his site out.
@RyderMedia Erika has a great personality and is extremely engaging. As a social media consultant she always has great tips. Great thing about following her is her noise is minimal … unlike mine on some days lol
@Joycebossom I started following Joyce because of this post “My false sense coolness has been crushed…
@eFusionman Okay so he doesn’t share a link to his site… but, he is very funny. What value is he adding to my day you ask?  “Q: Do you know how to save a drowning lawyer? A: Take your foot off his head.” Classic funny guy lol.
@KimBrater There is something about Oregonians and dry sense of humor that go hand in hand.  She shares some funny videos, and  has a great sense of humor.  A marketing lady who is the Co-founder of Ant Hill Marketing, Certified Brand Strategist and news junkie. So what’s not to follow here. After all we are on Twitter to forge relationships.
@medlinksolution These guys are serious when it comes to information. A medical SEO copywriting company is rare in my industry. I am still amazed that doctors twitter from operating rooms.
@LouPage Lou is down to Earth. He always has nice things to say, with informative links. One thing that was nice to see was his “if you desire, in your walk with God. (Don’t worry, I promise not to be obnoxious about it.)”
@SocialNetworkTV William is someone you should follow if you want updated news on Social media, marketing, and someone who doesn’t produce noise. He has over twenty thousand followers and has only posted over four thousand posts.

Keywords, meta tag descriptions and top ranking – this optimization tutorial is what it’s all about. I am giving the love away… Can you feel it? Okay, then, let’s get down to work.

I’m sure you have wondered why some pages are ranking higher than others, right? Especially if you’re in this business. I’m also sure you’ve heard and seen 100 ways to get all your pages ranking well, and you’re still wondering why it’s not working for you or why you only see a minimal change in your traffic.

Well, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, seen that and done it. Read on. You’ll see what it takes and then wonder why you didn’t think about it. It’s so obvious it’ll make a grown man cry. Well, maybe not, but you will feel better.

Here are the 10 rules or commandments you should use to SEO your pages for keywords and meta tag descriptions:

Rule #1. Let’s say you already have your page created. Remember, this isn’t a tutorial to build your website. It’s a guide for SEO.

First off, the entire page you’re creating should determine the amount of content. For instance, a landing page (or sales page) should normally hold no more than 1500 – 2000 words. Here, you would describe the advantages of the service you’re providing along with how they are a solution to the consumer. Testimonials are a great additional feature, so place them appropriately. You could go as far as telling a story of how a client had “pain” in their sales effort and how it was solved by using your service. Don’t blabber – get to the point and make it interesting.

Your product page will be different that your sales page. This should be 500 – 700 words. On this page, what you’re trying to accomplish is selling your product. If your user gets to this page, you know they want specifics. The job is convincing the user that your product or service will take the” pain” away.

If you have an article page to match your product or service, don’t worry about length. People are coming to find out information, and now’s your chance to give it to them. Some may argue with this, saying that Internet users have a short attention span, but if the visitor has already looked at your product and is looking for more information, you want them to find it on your site. This way, they can order from you once they find out what they’re looking for.

Rule #2 The keyword your page is based on should match your page name. The search engines will match up your keywords with the page and give the page a higher relevancy spot.

For example: “copywriting”

Your URL and page name might read something like this copywriting.com/copywriters.php

Rule #3 Do not use more than 5 keywords on your page. More specifically, pick a main keyword and then use other keywords to support it. For instance, this page is about SEO; therefore, SEO is the main keyword. However, I might also use optimization, optimizers and search engine optimization as well. All the words are derivatives of the main keyword.

Rule #4 When writing your meta description, remember that users come first. You want to use your main keyword (at least) in the description, but only if it doesn’t compromise the overall read. This is your first handshake with the consumer, so write the description with this in mind.

Rule #5 Your meta description should be no more than 146 characters, counting the spaces. Not words – characters. If you want to write more, that’s fine, but make sure your main message is in those first characters. The rest may be cut off in the search engine listing.

Rule #6 When you are setting up your meta description, do it so it looks like a sentence. Search engines don’t read it like this, but people do. Keep it professional, with proper grammar and punctuation.

Rule #7 Read your content at least 3 times. Check spelling, grammar, placement and paragraph description. Once you’re confident with your page, proofread it again and focus on you keyword placement and repetition. You want your keywords placed in your content sparingly.

As well, read your content aloud. When a person reads their content silently, they may not catch spelling errors or may miss hiccups in the word flow.

Rule #8 Place your meta description in one line in your html code. Do NOT use a hard enter; let it naturally flow. Some search engines will miss the second line. I have seen it happen.

Rule #9 If you choose to put links in your page, try not to use more than 1 link per 100 words. The links can be close together, even right after one another, but keep the links down. For instance, if you have 500 words, use no more than 5 links. (This is only if the links are for SEO purposes, not if they are actually relevant to the page)

Rule #10 Use your primary keyword in the first and last paragraph of your page, as well as the header. The search engines will give more relevance to your page if they find your keywords at the beginning and the end of your page.

Extra Kudos for you –

Get a bookmark widget on your page. This makes it easier for your visitors to bookmark and save your site. In conclusion, use your keywords wisely. Content is king – keywords are just a bonus.

• Does the professional SEO consultant know his or her business?
• How long have they been doing this type of work?
• Do the SEO writers write their own SEO articles?
• Do the SEO writers know about article submission and directory submission and how to use SEO tools in order to maximize effectiveness?
• Does the professional SEO specialist make pie in the sky promises, or are they very realistic and based on experience?
• Do they know the top ways to get Google ranking?
• Is the professional SEO consultant aware of the latest trends and knows just how to get clicks to your website by using Meta tag descriptions and top ranking?
• Do they offer SEO services that are custom built to you and your needs?
• Are their prices and services reasonable? What approaches and strategies do they employ to raise your search engine position? Does the company use doorway pages (the answer should be no)
• Is the professional SEO specialist willing or not to work with your competitors? (This is a must know! This must be agreed to before you let them work for you. Have the guarantee in writing and make certain that it is legally binding for the professional SEO services that you are thinking about choosing.)
• What are the SEO service provider’s track records? (Find out what search engines they have had success with and what keywords and phrases they have had the most results with. Also, find out if they have good results over an entire site.)

When dealing with a professional SEO specialist, you need to make sure that they have done the work they say they have done.  Ask your consultants if they can show you a report that shows rankings through many search engines for six months. Make sure the report that is shown to you is in a format that you can easily understand. SEO services are not cheap, so finances will have to figure into the equation. Most professional SEO consultants will also happily give you references and will answer any precise and specific questions. Finally, you will need to find out whether or not the professional SEO specialist’s work results/end in a higher rate of return.

These are just some general guidelines to go by when looking for a professional SEO specialist. If you get all of your questions answered, references checked and reports verified, then you are well on the way to hiring a true winner. By choosing the right consultants, you will not only be assured of a better return, but also you will be dealing with someone that is ethical and willing to do business just for you, not your competitors. One last thing to keep in mind is just because you have a higher page rank or are on Page #1 on Google does not mean you will get conversions… that has to do with online marketing and social networking not SEO. Choosing the right company can be a little bit of a hassle, but it is well worth it.

Top ways to get top Google ranking

• Lets start by directory inbound linking. Basically Google liked those because it shows Google you have some weight with someone. Almost like an endorsement. I am sure you have seen the DMOZ. Org this is the Open Directory Project. As a matter of fact they power Google so how do you like that for endorsement.
• When you get to the various directories make sure you link your site properly. There will be a Paid Submission, which we want to stay away from but in case you have a few bucks (most of us don’t) and for the sake of being thorough in this article I should mention it can cost around $300 (Yahoo Directory) up to a thousand dollars with other commercial sites that will review and then submit your link.
• Next is the Free Submission. Yeah pretty amazing there is anything left Free on the Internet. But there are a few it will just take some time for you to find them or you can read my articles blogs and reap the benefits. So the big ones are going to be Google, Yahoo, AOL, Alexa, Dmoz.org, Not necessarily in that order but as long as you include you link on those sites and make sure you place them in the right directory half your efforts will be taken care of. Just like anything else however make sure you go back and check in a couple of weeks.
• Getting a featured link or paid link inclusion. Once again I have to mention all of the options. Basically this can be a paid inclusion or you can do an exchange of banner with some sites. Some are better than others and some will charge you some money. But if you know how to Shmoozle also known as Shmooze in other parts of the country you can get this done by sharing a page with some of your shmoozle efforts. (In case you don’t know what shmoozle is it’s scratch my back, scratch your back concept, some call it mafia, some call it politics, I call it shmoozle.)

I have discovered the top 5 Directories but now I have to get some work done therefore I cannot give them to you. But I promise you come back I shall give you the list and how to do it again. A step by step tutorial on how to gain ground in the World of Google ranking and all your SEO efforts.