Article & Journal Resources

If you have a small business blog, or are thinking of starting one, you should be aware of the ways you can use your blog to drive traffic to your Website. It's simpler than you think.

The first thing to understand about your blog is that each entry is counted as one Web page. Even if you have your blog set to display 10 blog posts on the same page, each of them is counted as a separate Web page by the search engines. That's why it is important to treat each blog entry as an SEO tool. The following tips should be kept in mind for each blog entry in order to optimize them for the search engines and drive more traffic to your Website from your blog:

1. Optimize each blog post around a single keyword
2. Make sure your keyword is in your blog post title, preferably at the beginning
3. Use subheads with or tags that also use your keyword
4. Include 1-3 keyword links (anchor text) in your blog posts
5. Sign every blog post with a signature link that uses your keyword
6. Use bold and italics effectively to emphasize certain keywords and phrases
7. Be sure to ping the directories
8. Include tags for all of your blog entries
9. Use categories effectively
10. Make links appear natural by linking to internal pages of your Website

Because each blog entry is a separate Web page, the search engines will crawl them and index them just as they do your Web pages. Optimize each one heavily around a specific keyword related to your Website and that's an extra doorway into your Website for each page indexed at the search engines. Also, by adding anchor text to a couple of those keywords and pointing those links to relevant internal Web pages of your Website you are improving the SEO effect of your blog entry. A poll of top SEO experts by SEOmoz revealed that a majority of those SEO experts said these type of keyword links are among the top 10 most important SEO factors for ranking Web pages. Don't give up on keywords and anchor text.

You'll also want to include keyword tags with each blog entry. Those tags will be used by the search engines to index your pages appropriately for your keywords. Also, social bookmarkers will find it easier to tag your blog entry if they like it and this makes it easier to share among their social group.

Your blog category should indicate an important element of interest as well. Unlike tags, you should only choose one category for each blog post. Don't use "main" or "uncategorized." Those are too generic. Use a specific keyword-related category as that will make your blog posts more crawlable by the search engines.

There are more than 100 blog directories that you can ping to let them know you have updated your blog. I suggest you do this every time you update your blog. With WordPress, and several other blogging software platforms, you can input each directory into a field and the software will send out an automatic ping each time you update your blog. If you are not using WordPress you should go to Ping-o-Matic and use it to ping your blog for free.

Finally, if you sign your blog posts with a keyword-rich signature that points to a relevant internal page of your Website, this will make your Website more crawlable and give you another anchor text link. Use something like, "Find Out More About Keyword." Then add another link that points to your home page.

The important thing to remember about keywords and links, whether on your blog or your Website, is to make them appear natural. The benefits are enormous.

Whether you have an established large-scale business or whether you are a one-person start-up, it is important for your website to rank high in search engine queries for your important keywords and search phrases. If you are not ranked properly you will not get much traffic, and if you depend on Internet traffic, then this can mean failure for your business. One of the best ways to improve your ranking in the search engines is by applying the methods of search engine optimization to your website. Here is a guide to search engine optimization that can help you to get started in this important task:

1. Start with a clear and simple website design

A good website design should be easy for your human visitors to enjoy and understand, and it should also be intelligible for the search engine robots that also visit your site. What looks good to the human eye may not look good to search engines. If your site is 100% flash then it may impress your visitors, but the search engines will not find text and will not be able to properly classify your site. Similarly a site designed with frames is also search engine unfriendly. Check with your web designer and make sure that the design you are getting is user-friendly and search engine friendly as well.

2. Focus each of your web pages around one or two distinct concepts

A well-organized site will help you to get better search engine rankings. Suppose you have ten different products. It may be difficult to get number one rankings for all of these products from one single page of your site. However if you make sub-pages for each different product and optimize those pages to highlight the particular product or service on that page, then those sub-pages stand a good chance of coming up in search engine queries. Remember, people do not enter your website only via the main page; rather they often enter via the "back" and "side-doors." Prepare all the pages of your website properly and you will get more traffic.

3. Put your main keywords in the meta-tags of your web pages

Once you have decided what will go on your web pages, then you have to optimize each page separately. Never use the same meta-tags for all the pages of your site. If your page is about "Riding Lawn Mowers," then put these words in the Title, Description and Keywords meta-tags of your website. The title tag is the most important of the three tags, and your keywords should be right at the front. Resist the temptation to put your company name first! If you are new, then no one knows about you and they are searching for Riding Lawn Mowers and not you. Do your branding elsewhere, not in the meta-tags

4. Put your keywords in the headlines and sub-headlines of your web page

A search engine is trying to find out what your page is all about. If you want to know what a magazine article is all about, without even reading it, the first thing that you would do is scan the headlines. Search engines do the same thing. Put your most important keywords in a headline right at the top of the page. Mark the headline with an H1 tag (ask your web designer to help if you do not know what this is). Make sub-headlines using an H2 or H3 tag. Putting your keywords in headlines is a vital part of search engine optimization.

5. Place your keywords strategically in the text of your web page

Write naturally and logically and you will succeed with your web page optimization. In the first paragraph mention your main concept, and then develop your ideas summarizing in the last paragraph what you have said on that page. Your keywords should appear in the beginning of the document, and they should be repeated at the end. As mentioned in point 4, they should also appear in headlines and sub-headlines. The keyword density should be between 2-5%. If you write 400 words then your keyword can be repeated 12 times without any problem.

6. Include your keywords in link text on your web pages

When you link to other sections of your website you should pay attention to the clickable portion of the links. Instead of making a link that says "Click Here." Make a phrase that says click here for more information about "Riding Lawn Mowers." The clickable portion of the link should be your keywords and not click here!

These are the main points that you need to take care of when optimizing your website. If your small business is Internet-based or in any way dependent on search engine traffic, then it is imperative to apply the best methods of search engine optimization to each and every web page of your site.

There is only one thing that all webmasters agree upon... They all want to be at the top of the search engine results for search terms that will drive traffic and consumers to their website.

The truth is that the search engines are like our childhood game of King Of The Hill. Only one person can be at the top of the hill and the top of the search results. Only ten websites can be on page one of the search results. When a new website moves into the top ten, another must be removed.

For any given search term at any given time, there are only ten web pages on page one of the search results, and there are millions of web pages that did not make page one, who may or may not catch a few stragglers from the search engines.

How Can A Website Break Into The Top Ten?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an industry that has sprung up around the concept of helping their clients improve their rankings in the search engine results.

When you talk to SEO professionals, they generally point to a two-pronged approach to search ranking optimization. A website owner needs to optimize their on-site real estate for the search engines, and they need to build inbound links to their website.

On-Site Search Optimization Challenges

The trick with on-site search optimization is that you must cater to multiple audiences on your website.

* You must provide simple navigation and an attractive interface to the human visitor;

* You must provide good sales copy to your human visitors, for the purpose of converting them from shoppers to buyers;

* You must provide text copy for the search engines to read; and

* You must optimize your content to help the search engines know what topics and keywords they should pay attention, so that they can give their users the right web page for the right search terms.

A web page that draws good search rankings is useless if the web page cannot convert the human visitor to a buyer. Many website owners get caught up in the process of optimizing a web page to get it to the top of the search results, and they forget that the human visitor knows where the Back Button is in his or her browser. Once your visitor has hit the Back Button, they will go to someone else's website and buy from them, instead of you.

Most website owners have the alternate problem. They consistently convert a significant number of visitors to buyers, but they have to rely on various forms of paid advertising to get visitors to their websites, since they do not rank in the search engines.

I recently spoke with an individual who spends ,000 per month on pay-per-click advertising to get targeted traffic to his website. He said he consistently earns back his money, but he was still looking for a better way to get ranked in the search engines, so he joined my client list.

On-Site Search Engine Optimization Basics

According to the search engine companies, there are more than one thousand calculations that determine how well a website will rank in their search engine result pages (SERPs).

The Google engineers are fond of saying that if you build your website for human beings instead of search engines, then your website should rank well in their algorithms. To a certain degree, this is a good strategy.

Think about how magazines are constructed:

The Table Of Contents shows story titles, brief descriptions, and page numbers telling you where you can find a story.

On the story page, the title will be in big, bold font. Sometimes, the magazine will include a brief blurb about the story, in italics or font that is a bit bigger than the story font.

Pictures support the story with captions that further develop the story, by describing the picture.

Major subsections of the story have their own subheadings. And, the primary body of the story is in regular plain text, with only an occasional bolded or italicized word or phrase.

By analyzing the title and other large text on the page, a person who is flipping through the pages of a magazine can quickly assess the story content and make the decision as to whether they want to read the full story.

In the most simplistic way, this is how the search engines analyze a websites' content to decide which web page will best serve their users' needs.

Off-Site Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Basics

Since the inception of Google, and with Yahoo and MSN recently, the number and quality of links pointing to a website play a significant role in determining how well a web page will rank in the search results.

I have heard people suggest that as much as 75% of the value given to a web page in the search results is based solely on the number and quality of links pointing to a web page. I tend to believe a more conservative number (50.1%) will apply.

Inbound Links Are More Important Than Page Content

To prove this point, type "click here" without the quotes into Google, Yahoo and MSN and check the Adobe pages that come up in the search results: #1 in Google, #2 in Yahoo, and #1 in MSN. When you pull up those pages, search the page to find the individual words "click" or "here" in the text of those pages. They are not there. This has happened because millions of people have linked to these Adobe pages with the embedded anchor text, "click here".

Next, let's analyze those specific web pages from the perspective of each of the search engines:

* Google's #1 result - Google PageRank 8. (www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) Links to this web page: according to Google (31); according to Yahoo (nearly 12 million); according to MSN (6,400).

* Yahoo's #2 result - Google PageRank 10. (www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer) Links to this web page: Google (15,200); Yahoo (700 thousand); MSN (32).

* MSN's #1 result - Google PageRank 8. (www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash) Links to this web page: Google (0); Yahoo (2.9 million); MSN (778).

On Google's top result, they show 31 inbound links total for that web page. But, Yahoo claims that there are more than 12 million links to this page. That is a huge difference.

On Yahoo's #2 result, MSN gives 32 links, Google gives 15,000 links, and Yahoo claims it has 700 thousand links! That is another huge difference between the link counts from the search engines.

On MSN's #1 result, MSN shows a strong link count, but still nowhere near Yahoo's 2.9 million links. But, how does a web page with zero links in Google get a PageRank 8?

What Do These Numbers Mean?

Google has always said that they will never show us all of the links that we have pointing to our websites, because anything we can see in the public search results, our competitors can see also. So, for me it really is no surprise that we cannot see all of the links that point to Adobe pages, or to the links we have created that point to our clients and ourselves, by querying the search engines.

Also, the sheer numbers of inbound links do not rule the roost. Google's #1 result (PR8) is actually shown in Google, before Yahoo's #2 (PR10) result.

The Proof For Link Building Is In The Search Engine Rankings

Recently, a fellow who works as a SEO "professional" told me that be believed my link building system was a sham.

I showed him that on the top 51 keyword phrases we use to market our original commercial website, we had 11 number one results, 31 top five results, 34 top ten results, 47 top thirty results, and 51 top 100 results within the Google search results. Additionally, it was shown that only three of those results competed with fewer than one million search results according to Google, with the remaining 48 pages competing with one million to 533 million pages.

Ole boy tore up Google trying to track how it was possible for me to have accomplished what I claimed. He finally concluded that since Google would not show HIM how I was able to rank so well in their search engine results, then I must have been lying.

According to Yahoo, we have over 12,000 links from third-party websites. According to our site statistics, we received traffic from more than 16,000 unique web pages during 2006. And Google still swears that we only have 42 inbound links to our website!

Magic Fairy Dust

My nemesis concluded that since HE could not prove through Google how I was successful in getting good search rankings, then I could not have accomplished such results by the methods I claimed.

Okay, I admit it.

I used the exact same method that Adobe used to get to the top of Google's search engine rankings. I have a pocket full of magic fairy dust. Whenever, I do not like how my websites rank in the search engines, I sprinkle my magic fairy dust on my modem.

If you don't like where you are ranked in the search engines, then I suggest you forego the search engine optimization companies altogether and instead run over to the corner store to get your own magic fairy dust. You might have to shop around a bit, but it is out there.

Why Your Web Site Needs Consistent Branding

Be consistent with your branding as it is the key to company recognition. You have a position in the marketplace and your web site should reinforce your position.

Branding and your positioning statement

Your web site must deliver your brand’s positioning statement, starting with your headline, the most important element on your site. Your logo and your tagline should “be the brand”. The web site images, copy and graphics must support your position.

“Positioning should be expressed through a short simple statement. It should not be confused with a slogan, though if the positioning and the slogan can be the same, wonderful.” – Drayton Bird

Specifically, the following elements of your web site need to be consistent with your brand’s position.

1. Brand logo

2. Brand name

3. Key messaging

1. Positioning statement

2. Tagline

3. Body copy

4. Graphics – the look and feel

1. Colors

2. Proportions

3. Motion

4. Fonts

Your web site visitor needs to know immediately where they are. If they don’t know you, this is your opportunity to introduce your brand in a manner consistent with the rest of your marketing.

Customer focused branding on your web site

Your messaging and overall branding, as reinforced by your web site, needs to focus on your paying customers. This is true even if your audience includes customers, media, investors, employees and competitors. Every single member of your audience *wants* you focused on your customers, particularly your smart investors and employees!

It is easy to spot a self-absorbed company that has lost its way from the 30 second Flash intro that features the amenities of their new building. If you want to increase sales make sure your branding message is customer benefit focused and consistent across all of your marketing.

Web branding and the search engines

Top positioning on the search engines has been shown to deliver qualified traffic and increase revenue. It also helps determine your brand position in the mind of new customers based on the search engine result set they view for their key search terms.

For example, a search on “interior paint” shows a URL for Sherwin-Williams Paint. And the folks at Sherwin-Williams were marketing savvy enough to use their brand name in the title tag so it shows up “Sherwin-Williams | Interior | Paint …” Clicking the link shows a page that is completely branded with the Sherwin-Williams look and full of great details on interior paint, as one would expect.

If Sherwin-Williams tried to reposition themselves as the leading provider of “interior liquid wall coverings,” they would disappear from the search engines for the search term “interior paint”. Therefore, be careful trying to reposition your brand on the Internet as you may adversely affect your sales. Optimize your site and brand to use the key search terms that identify your current position in the mind of the consumer.

Web branding and the media

If you are fortunate enough, or creative enough, to be the focus of media attention you will quickly find your web site an invaluable resource. The media will rely on your web site to confirm the information they receive on your company.

Many articles appear in the media with sections that are clearly based on text from a web site even if the article was written from a first person interview. This makes sense because journalists really do *want* to be as accurate as possible. It is reasonable for them to assume you have honed your consistent brand message on your web site. Have you?

Web Marketing Branding Summary

Branding and positioning are not rocket science, but they do require a superhuman level of consistency communicating your message. Your web site is visible 24 x 7. It is therefore working tirelessly to deliver more qualified search engine traffic and reinforcing your brand message for direct visitors. Or it is not. Be consistent with your branding at all times, and particularly with your web site.

Since some colleges start posting available work-study positions as early as the summer, students looking for first dibs on campus jobs in the fall can get a leg up on their competition by hammering out that perfect résumé and cover letter now. According to NextStudent, a leading Phoenix-based education funding company, work-study programs can be a great option for students who need a little help meeting their college expenses.

The Federal Work-Study Program makes part-time jobs available for both undergraduate and graduate students with qualifying financial need. A work-study job allows students to earn a paycheck while usually still giving them enough flexibility to navigate their class schedule. Students might work on campus or off, honing in on a career in a job related to your major, or testing out a new career path by stepping into a position completely different from anything they’ve done before. Work-study jobs are required to pay at least the current federal minimum wage, but students might earn more, depending on the type of work they choose and the skills they bring to the table.

The Advantages of Work-Study

 Flexibility. Work-study jobs are often much more flexible than other part-time work. Where students in non–work-study jobs might run into long work days or overtime that can compete with school, work-study employers tend to be more accommodating, offering less rigid hours, especially around midterms and finals. And to help keep work-study from interfering with classes, schools will typically cap an undergraduate student’s work week at 20 hours.

 Convenience. Students who snag a work-study job on-campus pretty much have it made. They save on gas money, they can take a ten-minute walk to work straight out of class or out of bed, and they can make plans to meet their friends back at the dorm another ten-minute walk after their shift ends.

 Variety. Since work-study can take place either on- or off-campus, students have a wealth of options available to them. Work-study positions can range from research assistants to elementary school tutors to art gallery docents. Some financial aid counselors and work-study employers will encourage students to apply for those opportunities related to their major or to their field of interest And if students can’t find a work-study position they like, they can always go to a campus department to discuss creating a new position that fits their skill set.

 Experience. Work-study allows students to start building their work history while still in school, and can help put them a couple steps ahead of those students who chose not to work. When the post-graduation job-hunting starts, prospective employers may look more favorably on graduates who were able to balance the demands of their schooling with the scheduling requirements of work.

Applying for Work-Study

Students interested in work-study positions must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and mark “yes” when asked if they are interested in student employment. To qualify, students will need to demonstrate sufficient financial need, enroll in a minimum number of credit hours, and meet other requirements.

Students who qualify for work-study will be notified by their university’s financial aid office. A work-study award is not a guarantee of employment, so students need to be diligent about pursuing and applying for available work-study positions. Students who don’t receive a work-study award and believe they are eligible to receive one should make an appointment with a financial aid counselor to discuss their options. Some schools may offer to put students on a waiting list.

NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and it is dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about Student Loans (http://www.nextstudent.com), Private Student Loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/private_loans/private_loans.asp) and Student Loan Consolidation (http://www.nextstudent.com) at NextStudent.com.

With computers in every type of workplace from the high-rise office to the post office, an information technology degree is simply one of the most useful qualifications available. A dependence on computers has created a need for those who understand the inner workings of various information systems. IT professionals not only get networks up and running, they keep them running and are able to create resourceful solutions on their feet.

Whether one chooses to work in network engineering or security, management information systems or computer programming, there are many different areas of IT that require just as many different skills and abilities. While a love of computers is certainly a necessity, attention to detail, abstract thinking ability and a good memory are also requirements. Individual preferences for certain IT areas also come into play.

By getting an education in information technology, students can learn how to take their best abilities, merge them with state of the art skills and apply them effectively. As many come to find, the scope of IT is extremely wide allowing specialized skills to be used in a number of different places. A career in IT means never being forced to stay in only one aspect of the industry.

It is widely known that IT professionals have the benefit of a higher than average salary than other careers, even when first starting out. Plus, with computers used in every single area of life, there is hardly anywhere on the map a person could go in search of a job that doesn't need IT professionals in some manner. With technology consistently changing and updating, the demand is greater than ever.

A good information technology program teaches the latest in Microsoft, Cisco, Security Certified Professional and even cyber security. Prospective employers often look for and prefer individuals who are well versed in working with these programs. Not only is an information technology degree important, certifications in Cisco's CCNA or Microsoft's MCSE are also sought after skills.

It is not uncommon for those who work in the information technology field to eventually move on to managing their own IT division. This means the complete coordination of a company's information technology department, from planning to directing. This is a great position for those who also have great leadership skills. It is also a position that has one of the highest salaries in the IT industry.

A Bachelor's degree is generally the most basic qualification necessary for many entry-level IT positions. It allows one to develop basic programming skills and learn the ins and outs of different networks. Data administration and business skills are also common subjects.

One can also earn their Master's degree in information technology. The newest cutting edge skills merge with a further understanding of market demand and other business aspects to create a well-rounded education. The higher the education, the better an individual's earning power will be.

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to see one's work have a positive effect and make a difference. It provides not only confidence but also a sense of accomplishment. Those who work in IT can rest on the knowledge that theirs in an industry with a strong future.

With dependence on computers growing every day, it is no wonder that so many have decided to seek out an information technology degree. While it is a chance to provide oneself with a solid future, it is also a chance to stay at the forefront and take part in the newest of technologies. For those who truly love the ever-changing world of technology, that is the best part of the job.

{IBAN = International Bank Account Number)

Starting from the first quarter of 2006, Swiss banks will be bringing client bank account numbers into line with international IBAN standards.

This step is aimed at simplifying and speeding up money transfers within Switzerland and abroad.

Some helpful tips and practical information

1) Notify your partners of your IBAN immediately.

2) Replace your red paying-in slips and order new ones that show your IBAN.

3) Orange paying-in slips (paying-in slips containing a reference number) are

not affected by the IBAN, so there is no need to change them.

4) For payments from abroad and payments to be made abroad, you will need the BIC

(Bank Identifier Code) in addition to the IBAN.

5) Consequently, you should always notify your partners abroad of your IBAN and the

BIC for the Bank (PICTCHGG) when receiving payments from abroad.

Your client and deposit numbers are not affected by this change.

Advantages of the IBAN for our clients

- Only one number is required to identify the bank and the account of the

beneficiary.

- The bank clearing number (BCN) is included directly in the IBAN.- The account

number has a uniform appearance for money transfers in Switzerland and abroad.

- The country and banking establishment of the account holder are easily

identifiable.

- Straightforward and automated processing of payment orders for persons receiving

funds in Switzerland or in a Eurozone country.

- Data entry errors are identified immediately thanks to the check digit.

Copyright 2007, Pictet & Cie, Private Bankers

Private Banking, Wealth Management, Asset Management, Geneva, Switzerland.

International Bank Account Number Rabu, 2007 November 21

{IBAN = International Bank Account Number)

Starting from the first quarter of 2006, Swiss banks will be bringing client bank account numbers into line with international IBAN standards.

This step is aimed at simplifying and speeding up money transfers within Switzerland and abroad.

Structure of the IBAN account number (example)


Some helpful tips and practical information
1) Notify your partners of your IBAN immediately.
2) Replace your red paying-in slips and order new ones that show your IBAN.
3) Orange paying-in slips (paying-in slips containing a reference number) are
not affected by the IBAN, so there is no need to change them.
4) For payments from abroad and payments to be made abroad, you will need the BIC
(Bank Identifier Code) in addition to the IBAN.
5) Consequently, you should always notify your partners abroad of your IBAN and the
BIC for the Bank (PICTCHGG) when receiving payments from abroad.

Your client and deposit numbers are not affected by this change.
Advantages of the IBAN for our clients

- Only one number is required to identify the bank and the account of the
beneficiary.
- The bank clearing number (BCN) is included directly in the IBAN.- The account
number has a uniform appearance for money transfers in Switzerland and abroad.
- The country and banking establishment of the account holder are easily
identifiable.
- Straightforward and automated processing of payment orders for persons receiving
funds in Switzerland or in a Eurozone country.
- Data entry errors are identified immediately thanks to the check digit.


Copyright 2007, Pictet & Cie, Private Bankers
Private Banking, Wealth Management, Asset Management, Geneva, Switzerland.