We all know what keywords are, how to find them and why they are important. But are you sure how to use them? Here are a few ways that you can apply keywords to your site in order to make them work for you and improve your ranking.

Optimize your content. Keywords will only be helpful to you if they appear organically within your site content. What does that mean? It means they must be part of your copy without seeming forced or out of place.

For example: Take the keyword phrase “terrible twos”.

• Organic – “The terrible twos can be extremely difficult to manage.”
• Inorganic –  “A difficult toddler who has the terrible twos might be in the terrible twos stage.”

Believe it or not, search engines (particularly Google) are smart enough to recognize content that is inorganically loaded with keywords. Weaving keywords throughout your website content takes time, expertise and strong writing skills. If you are not equipped to do this, consider hiring a professional copywriter who is well versed in SEO and able to write quality keyword-driven content for your site.

Meta Tags. Meta tags are the information that is included in the header of your website on each page. Viewers to your website can not see meta tags, but they can be viewed in HTML. They provide information to browsers as well as search engines which ultimately impacts your rankings. If your meta tags are named correctly, they will help with your SEO efforts.

Meta keyword tags should always: include keywords that you have specifically chosen to optimize; be separated by commas, not spaces; only appear once; and are frequently updated and continually managed.

While keywords can be put to use in many ways, content and meta tags are a great place to start. Conquering these two aspects of keyword SEO is an essential piece to the puzzle and will help to ensure your SEO campaign is a success.

Download my free report:  Discover Why You Need to Do Keyword Research to learn more

Long tail keywords are simply expansions of basic or more generic keywords. Long tails may include a variety of combinations of keywords or keyword phrases, but are always extremely specific. In other words, they are the keywords and phrases people use to search for your business and/or products when they know exactly what they are looking for.

For example, a basic keyword phrase may be “organic cooking” while a long tail extension of this keyword phrase may be “organic cooking lessons in Rochester, NY” or “organic cooking for vegetarians” or “organic cooking made easy”.

The good news about optimizing for long tail keywords is that 1, they are much easier to rank for and 2, you are far more likely to see an increased conversion rate among keywords because customers searching for such specific keywords know what they want and are looking to buy it.

When using long tail keywords, it is also critical to assign a unique topic to each page of your website. Unique page titles make it easier for search engines to find and rank you, as well as trust the legitimacy of your site. So, while one page may contain the title and long tail keyword of “organic cooking for beginners” other pages might have titles and topics such as “recipes for organic cooking”, “why choose organic cooking” and “cooking organically for my family”.

As you can probably imagine, many people might search each of these long tails for various reasons. By anticipating these searches, you will put yourself ahead of the game and at the “top” of the charts.

Download my free Report, Discover Why You Need to Do Keyword Research to learn even more

Of course it is helpful to use a keyword generation tool to help you complete your keyword list. Not only will it help you round out your list with keywords and phrases you may not have thought of, but it also gives you ideas on what others may be searching around your topic.

Take the keyword “copywriting” as an example. A copywriter might think of obvious keywords to optimize for, like “copywriter” and “copywriting” but may not think to optimize for “copy writer” and “copy writing”. Believe it or not, people often search for products and services by using common misspellings and because they are misspelled so often, the search engines recognize them as actual searches. This requires creativity and know-how on your part.

So, for these reasons and more, keyword generators can be and are very useful tools. However, they are not meant to do your SEO work for you. In other words, they are there for guidance and word generation. They are not meant to serve as keyword managers nor do they have the ability to create entire SEO campaigns for your business.

Only you can create the best, most effective list of keywords for your website and it should be completely unique. Why? Because your business, although it may be one of many in its field, is one of a kind. Therefore, you should optimize it as such. After all, that is what sets you apart and will continue to set you apart as you gain new customers from well planned and effectively executed keyword optimization.

You don’t have to tackle the big, bad, SEO monster all alone. There are a number of useful tools available to you when it comes to brainstorming what keywords to use, as well as how well your chosen keywords are performing for you. These tools allow you to research potential keywords, find additional keywords that may work for you, and finally, keep track of the keywords you choose to implement.

Let’s take a look at the three most popular keyword research tools available for you to use on the internet:

#3 Wordtracker

Wordtracker claims to “save you hundreds of hours on research” by allowing users to look up common keywords and keyword phrases and tracking their activity. While this is a useful service, it pales in comparison to the power of others.

#2 WordStream

WordStream not only offers a keyword research tool, but they offer additional services and complimentary tools that will help ramp up your SEO efforts. While much of their offerings are not free, they do provide helpful SEO services that many other keyword research tools do not.

#1 Google AdWords

Not only is Google AdWords free, but it is quite possibly the best and most powerful tool available to website owners and internet marketers. While every search engine is a force to be reckoned with, Google is the end all, be all of SEO. As a search engine, Google is smarter, faster and more reliable than any other search engine there is. And therefore, it’s keyword research tool is equally as powerful.

If you’d like to learn more think about downloading my free Report, Discover Why You Need To Do Keyword Research!

With all of the changes happening the social media landscape and everyone trying hard to find how they fit within this landscape, have you started to wonder when enough is enough?

I love the connecting aspect of social media, I love the idea that I can connect with people I otherwise would never have theopportunity to connect but as the major players (yes, I talking about you Facebook!) make their adjustments to function in new ways and of course to make money, I’m beginning to wonder when this idea of social media might just make some abrupt turn.

No I don’t think it’s going to go away, in the fast moving internet world I can’t see that happening.  How many stories have you heard where Twitter has helped someone in someway, but do you think that maybe it just might be trying to right itself and figure out how the phenomenon fits within the global landscape?

What does this mean for you the average business owner trying to figure it all out?  This I can say for sure, one thing has never changed.  Remain focus on who your audience is and learn how they like to communicate and then join them.  If your audience doesn’t use Facebook, don’t feel you need to have a Facebook Page.  If your audience are huge Twitter fans and are always busy updating the world in 140 characters or less, then by all means connect with them.  Maybe they like to spend their time reading eBooks, then get out there and write some eBooks to share with them (make it a combination of free and paid).  Or maybe, just maybe they like to connect face to face, if so get out of your chair find the networking groups that they hangout at and get out there.

What I’m trying to share here, is that just because huge right now doesn’t mean it’s something you need to do.  You should know your auidence best and because of that you should know how to connect with them best.  Remember you are in business for them, so make sure you’re making your audience and community happy.

The difference between a good website and a great one is the proper use and execution of effective SEO techniques, in particular the implementation of keywords. Keywords are the very heart of the Internet and are what keeps it alive and well. Without them, your website… and your entire online business… are sure to die.

I am about to share with you the #1 mistake most people make when approaching keywords: They take a quick fix approach.

It’s that simple. Too often, people spend less than 20 minutes developing their list of keywords and move on. This is the most common and most detrimental mistake you can make! In fact, developing your list is the most critical part of your keyword SEO efforts. This quick list should only be the very beginning of your work. What follows should be extensive research into the popularity of these keywords, how realistic they are to top, and what other related terms might work for you as well.

Now, this is not to diminish the importance of that original keyword list that you develop. However, while some of those keywords will in fact be critical keywords, some may not work at all. That is why you will need to employ a keyword research tool (like Google, WordTracker, etc.) in order to truly understand how these words may or may not be right for you.

If you are a large business with multiple locations and already have an established brand, you may be successful going after more broad keywords. But if you are small, start-up, then you will have to focus your efforts on a niche. Anything in between takes careful planning and a strong balance of both broad and specific keyword phrase combinations to truly target your audience.

Learn even more grab my free report and Discover Why You Need to Do Keyword Research



As a solo professional or freelancer,  I often have conversations with clients and colleagues on what we should do in our business versus what we truly enjoy doing.  I know for me, it’s something I’ve often struggled with both personally and professionally.  I had dreamed of being my own boss and being in control of my own destiny for years, but because of so many outside influences that I let effect my own personal decisions I delayed my dream for years simply because I didn’t think it was the right thing to do, or so I thought.

Fast forward a few years and now it becomes a struggle of whether or not I’m doing the right thing for my business.  The same struggles, challenges and voices remain but now it’s not simply whether or not I should have made the leap to become my own boss but what I should actually be doing as my own boss.

It’s what’s fantastic about being a solo professional and freelancer, I am in control of my decisions and how I choose to build my business.  Businesses evolve and change, my skills and the types of services I can offer change.   I started my business with an idea of who I hoped to work with and what type of services I hoped to offer and while the ideal of who I enjoy working with most hasn’t changed the business structure and services are evolving.   I’m not ready to make a full blown announcement, but know this…my current clients – I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere.  I enjoy the work I do with you and I look forward to a great prosperous relationship with you.

New clients – I’m excited to seek you out and offer these new dynamic services in the very near future.

Just like any business as a solo professional it’s important to take some time to assess where you’re at, how your business is evolving and what direction you see your  business going.  These are some of the things I  do on a regular basis:

Step back and think – take some time at a regular interval to simply step back and think.  Think about what’s been going right, what I’d like to change, what I enjoy doing, what I’ve been doing and would now like to change.

Review my processes – when you start out in business you’ll often use what others do to get your business processes in place, but it’s okay to change, it’s okay to make them work for you.

Think about my rates – am I happy with what I’m currently charging?  Am I charging enough, just because someone offering a similar service charges a certain rate doesn’t mean you need to charge the same.  Maybe you need charge more, less?

Lay out a plan – It’s important to write things down.  Yes thinking about it is good, but writing it down and laying out some deadlines and goals around the changes helps to solidify the ideas and helps you get focused.

So what do you do on a regular basis to support your business?

I recently had a conversation with one of my clients and she mentioned to me that her husband has now admitted that he really does need an assistant to help him with his business. She believes he needs two assistants for the simple reason that some of the tasks fall in the general administrative role and the other tasks are are more technical and quite specialized to the type of work that he does, I agree with her knowing the situation.

I told her that I know you can find the types of VA’s that your husband needs, and she responded with a very surprised, “Really?”. Questioning the idea that it would even be possible.

This got me to thinking, that if my client and her husband are in this situation, it’s likely there are other enterpreneurs and business owners having the same issue.

So How Do You Hire A Virtual Assistant?

And more importantly how to hire the right virtual assistant?  While I’d like to say, it ‘s just a matter of putting out the request and that great virtual assistant will show up on your virtual doorstep it doesn’t happen that way.

Finding the right person to join your team, is like trying to find that last  missing puzzle piece.  Well okay maybe not quite, but to find the right virtual assistant to join your team does take planning, dedication and focus.  If your desired outcome is to have someone join your team that is excited about your projects, wants to see you succeed and is passionate about helping you increase your revenue, keep on track and make your working life easier then you can’t go about it haphazardly!

What’s exciting for me, is this conversation with my client gave me the idea to create a great step by step product that will walk you through the process of finding just the ideal Virtual Assistant for your business because they do exsist you just need to know how to find them.  In the meantime, while I’m developing the product (and BTW if you want to know when it’s released be sure to sign up on right to get my updates!) here are a few tips to help you in your process right now…

• Take time to plan. Yes, you know you need to hire a virtual assistant.  Stop.  Sit Back and spend 30 minutes to an hour thinking and more importantly writing down exactly what you’d like to see your Virtual Assistant do.
• Ask Around. Referrals are often the best way to find a Virtual Assistant.  If no one in your immediate networking is using a Virtual Assistant, then ask your extended referral network on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter.  It’s possible someone that you follow or have connected with can offer suggestions.
• Don’t rush. Just because you know you need a Virtual Assistant don’t jump at the first one that comes knocking.  Take the time to have a conversation with them, get to know them, check out their blog, do a Google search on them, see what they’ve been doing on line and if for any reason it doesn’t seem like the right fit then move on.
• Post an RFP. There are many great sites out there than allow you to post an RFP (Request for Proposals) for exactly what you are looking for, but be prepared for some additional work or even now responses at at all if you are too detailed or not detailed enought the Virtual Assistants may choose not to respond.  Some sites to consider: International Association of Virtual Assistants, Virtual Assistantville, Virtual Assistant Forums,  VA Networking, and International Association of Online Business Managers

While this is no where near exhaustive of the steps necessary to make your first hire a success it does give you an idea of what to start looking for when you do choose to have some one join your team.

I’d love to hear from you what do you find you struggle with most when it comes to bringing someone new on to your team?

’til next time,

Renee

This past weekend I had the great opportunity to attend a friend of mine’s workshop called eBook Jumpstart, it’s facilitated by Peggy Richardson of Wizard of eBooks and well worth your time to attend if you are thinking of getting your own eBooks and info products out on the web.

Attending this event I quickly learned was how many people weren’t yet aware of a powerful Google Tool called Alerts.  So this got me to thinking that though it’s something I access and use everyday, maybe some of my readers as well as my clients we’re yet aware of this great tool.

It’s a pretty simple concept in it’s idea, but extremely powerful and limitless in it’s use. The basic concept is this, you tell Google Alerts what you’d like it to search the web for (a great one to start with is your name), be sure to put quotations around your topic so that Google Alerts only search for that combination, see the example below

I have quotations around my name so that only instances of Renee Shupe will appear in the email that I receive.  The Type, How Often, Email Length and Deliver To are all customizable options.

Using Google Alerts automatically updates you on any terms you choose and you can have an infinite amount of alerts set up.  The value in this gives you the opportunity to not only see what is being said about you, your business but others in your industry and niche, fantastic for competitive intelligence!

Don’t be limited to names and companies, think of niche terms, industry jargon, products, others in your industry that you’d like to know what’s going on with them.  It ‘s really whatever your imagination chooses, but ultimately it’s a vital application to have in your toolbox for your business.

You can find Peggy on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn as well at her website www.WizardofEbooks.com

Everyday we manage mulitple responsiblities, some of us excel at taking care of the details and thrive in such an environment. While others struggle trying to keep track of the details and truthfully dread having to do any kind of follow up.

As an Online Business Manager and Virtual Assistant I often find myself in the position of managing many aspects of my clients business, especially coordinating and following up with other freelancers and outsourcers that my client has on their virtual team.

That’s the fantastic thing of being an Online Business Manager I can directly support my clients in getting more things done, but taking care of all of the administrative aspects of their business and let my client focus on what they do best and what brings in the revenue for them.

So when I step into the role of managing my clients virtual teams I often try and follow these tips to keep things on track focused on the projects at hand.

Tip #1 – Establish Objectives

Whenever a new team member is brought on board or we are about to start a new project I take time to ensure that everyone understands their role and their work within the project scope.  Sometimes this is just a quick email to the team or if it’s more elaborate I might organize a team meeting or individual meetings to cover objectives and roles.

Tip #2 – Bring Everyone Together

Yes, we might all be individual contractors but we’re all working on a common goal for the client.  If everyone knows they are part of team working on a common objective and deliverables I find that everyone feels better about their work and they are often more collaborative with everyone on the team.

Tip #3 – Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

When you are working with team members virtually everyone needs to know the importance of communication.  Part of my keys jobs is ensuring that everyone is on board and in loop.  Whether it’s a quick email or gathering a team conference call.  This is probably one of the most important tasks that any Online Business Manager, Virtual Assistant or Project Manager needs to do and if this is something you struggle with consider hiring  someone to manage this process for you.

Tip #4 – Manage the workload

It’s important to stay on top of what tasks are completed, near completion or maybe slipping through the cracks and stepping in to help the outsourcer with their workload and refer back to Tip #3

Tip # 4 – Assign Shorter Assisgnments

Think of this if you give someone a task or project that will take 6 weeks to complete and if it goes off track you might not know for 4 weeks or so and that makes it difficult to make up for lost time.  So instead, think of any longer term projects and break it down into shorter manageable chunks, then you can keep track of the work and know the work is being completed.

Tip #5 – Provide Systems For The Team to Connect

Technology is making it easier and easier for teams connect and stay in touch.  There are many great collaboration applications available now that allow for teams and clients to connect.  Services like Basecamp, DeskAway, My ClientSpot all offer ways for teams and clients to manage tasks, projects and communication with one another.