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.

The fact of the matter is that you may find that some SEO techniques work exceedingly well, bringing you and the client the best possible results, more so than you could have even anticipated. Then again, some techniques are failures before they even leave your mind. No matter how many times you try a certain strategy (and this can differ by situations and change easily with trends), it just won`t work. The advice for the latter is pretty simple: do something different. Throw that technique away, or shelve it as an SEO memorial of days gone by, and move on to something else. This is often a problem that you will run into and one that you must learn to deal with, for the health and wealth of your client.

Unfortunately for some, the strategy known as Reciprocal linking fits into this latter category. The practice of `swapping off` links to other`s pages in an effort to boost traffic and bring in more bang for the buck simply is an archaic method and needs to be let go. Put the High School track trophy into another room, and place this strategy on the top shelf of your study`s bookcase. It is old news. And it will back fire on you more times than it helps you. This is due to the fact that searchers who you use your links are really using you to cross-connect – to get somewhere else other than your page. They don`t and won`t stay long enough to look around and possibly buy. So don`t waste your or their time.

Now, a warning must be given: don`t turn a deaf ear to this; please listen. The temptation for those who are used to this strategy is to stop up their ears, turn the music up louder and pretend that you don`t hear me. If you do that, you won`t be listening or receiving the information that can (and will) give you the edge that you are looking for. Look, if I have said once, I have said it a 1000 times. The world of SEO is not a solid rock on which we all stand and bask in the sunlight. More times than not it feels more like sinking sand. To avoid losing your footing and to stay upright, you will have to be flexible. Don`t make things worse off or more complicated for yourself by sticking to what you think worked in the past. It`s just not that simple anymore.

Since I have been using Twitter, I have learned about new technology and kept up with the latest news. This includes finding out that Michael Jackson died before it hit TV. That moment will be etched in my memory like all things monumental. “Watching” it happen in real time, the furor, the rumors and finally the truth, was as striking as the day JFK was shot. Both are days I will never forget.

Using Twitter has made me re-think how I do business. It has made me a better writer, has given me inspiration and forged new relationships. I have been meeting new people not only through #FF but, at the various meet-up, webinars, conferences etc. Therefore, picking and choosing who I follow or recommend is more than just another reason to blog, but a reason to make recommendations  based on value. I hope you find some new people on this list to follow.

@wearethecure Dedicated to helping dogs with cancer. How cool is that? I am a pet lover and to me they are the best friends a human can ever have.  Sure a lot will argue that humans are more important than pets, sometimes though I wonder who is better for you.
@tommytrc Tommy is one of those nice guy with some great links. He is generous with his information and is a Mac user… What’s not to like? Sure being a Mac user is becoming more common these days, but hey it’s still cool.
@ashevilleallie Allie is someone I started following recently. She is extremely engaging, funny, witty and from what I have seen a great personality.
@JRMoreau James is a great guy indeed. A great writer and thinker…He is genuine, real, down to earth, extremely creative and fun to chat with. We have actually had a conference with a client while he was stuck in traffic, now that was something interesting.
@the_gman Gerald doesn’t really need my recommendation you see he  is one of the heavy hitters on Twitter. Great information, always shares links and has a great blog. One more thing I wanted to add he is an all around nice cowboy from Texas.
@KindaHibrawi What can I say about Kinda Hibrawi, but she is brilliant. She describes herself as an Arab American painter, but from what I have seen she is so much more. Take a look at her artwork, there you can see she is rooted passionately in her country for inspiration. It helps that I lived in Beirut and have a special place in my heart for Syrians.
@LibertyLady77 Someone that quotes Jimmie Hendrix on their profile is a Rock star in my book. Bottom line is she is creative engaging and someone I would recommend.
@pullmarketer Paula is a lovely lady to follow. She is very professional in her posts and is extremely helpful with her links.
@phxazlaura Laura is extremely smart and engaging. I have been following her for sometime & I enjoy her links including her recommendations.
@trinaunz This lady loves social media… you can tell by the way she engages in topics, shares links, and is not afraid to ask questions.
@Iconic88 Watching him post is like reading a book of inspiration. Always positive, fun, smart, and spot on with his 140 characters. He is a definite personality on Twitter.
@BradleyRoss A PR man with lots of great marketing and PR links.  I enjoy sharing his links since I find them valuable I am sure you would too.
@chrisjohnston Chris is a genuinely nice Geek. Okay so he deals with real estate but he is really engaging, smart, funny… & as I recently found out lives in Metairie, LA. Maybe I will meet him at the next New Orleans Twitt-up.
@XceptN You can see his bio is impressive he works for Oracle Corp. and specializes in Linux, Xen, Oracle VM, OCFS2. Wow this is one extremely helpful, very engaging and knowledgeable.

As I was cleaning this post I was trying to make sure I had all the correct links. Guess what Twitter is down. Not something we enjoy. So rather than getting frustrated I wanted to share a link with everyone in case you do run into that problem. Here you can get any and all updates on why Twitter is down.

Her you can find the previous #FollowFriday list.

I keep thinking one day I will get through all the wonderful people I have in my Followers list. But what I have noticed is as weeks go by I am finding it difficult to add new people to this list. Not because I don’t have a great followers list to choose from but, because I keep removing names once I see certain posts. Let me explain, for those familiar with Twitter you have seen spammers on your feed. I used to add people as soon as they added me. It seemed easier than looking for people to follow.

Look you have your strategy I have mine. I stopped manually following everyone who followed me about 2 months ago. My reason was simple, what I have noticed is some of the people I was following started spamming. Well okay what I thought were great people and automatically followed turned out to be total duds. To tell you the truth I don’t follow any of the big names. The media Guru’s they are predictable and in my humble opinion boring. Self entitlement is unattractive in my books.

So lately I actually spend about an hour or so removing followers rather than adding them. You are probably saying I am wasting too much time thinking about my follow strategy… Maybe I am. But for every “great” person I follow the better my chances are to making Twitter a dialogue and not a monologue. I hope you find some great people in this weeks Follow Friday.

@MichaelHartzell I really enjoy his comments & posts. One day I was surfing the net & noticed his posts on his blog “Never Forget: Knowledge Empowers so Learn & Teach. Did I mention he is a great writer?
@AlanHowarth A great follow from the UK. A talented photographer I enjoy his posts, links, and conversation.
@AuctionDirect Okay you may be thinking car salesman on Twitter? There is more to this guy than cars… He is engaging, smart and always ready to join in the conversation.
@naomimimi A very creative writer, who is not afraid to speak her mind. I have enjoyed reading her posts and her links. If you want spontaneous then you must follow Naomi.
@knealemann This is a great guy to follow I should know I spoke with him. As a Marketing and Media Strategist he is extremely knowledgeable, and very passionate about helping you succeed. An idea man, who is not afraid to share his thoughts. Check out his blog… see for yourself.
@kristofcreative Here is a man who is not afraid to share great links. “I eat SEO for breakfast” is something I enjoy about him. A definite SEO geek.
@mayhemstudios A funny fresh follow for sure. Always has great design links, a great list of followers and of course all around nice guy. He definitely doesn’t need my recommendations just take a look at his followers.
@AndyWendt A wise man with loads of great links. I enjoy his links, conversation and information. Oo did I mention I like what he writes and how he writes.
@SEO_Web_Design You are probably thinking Ohh lord not another SEO geek? Yeah that’s him a sweet guy who is always ready to share & listen. A true Gen-Y with a great attitude.
@sillycows Two great gals from the UK. Not sure who I am talking to most of the times but it doesn’t matter. They are both very funny, creative, mooo girls.
@JeffHurt You want to know about non-profit? Well then Jeff is the guy… has great insight, very smart & always has great links to share.
@sethjenks A Young hip designer. Always has nice things to say, is very engaging talented and believe it or not knowledgeable.
DerekShowerman Here is someone I definitely recommend. Smart, creative thinker and a witty writer. Needles to say he is a great Social media strategist with great insight.
@toddvo What a great artist he is. I enjoy the links he shares and his artistic perspectives. Great follow if you are into design or just want to get inspired.
@LandinPageDzner I have to tell you it’s not easy designing landing pages. He is very good at what he does. Great links & info. There is no doubt he is a landing page design inspiration, optimization, testing ideas and ready to try them all out for you.

If you’d like to see the other weeks click here