Darren Contardo's Netrepreneur

Swicki

Cool community search tool Swicki you can even add to Typepad. Cloud search tools are new, but gaining popularity as the "wisdom of the crowds" theory continues to gain popularity.

Web CEO

Web CEO is giving away some free search optimization software right now. The software is decent and seems to compare against Webpositiongold, but I'm a bit weary of the accuracy of the KEI ratings. The KEI ratings vs WPG were completely different, so it remains to be seen which is accurate. Another good tool is Traffic Blazer. This search optimization software is completely web-based and very simple to use. I highly recommend it.

PR is Web's best friend.

PR is Web's best friend.

Many people don't know this, but according to some studies from Shop.org PR is the second best driver of web traffic after word-of-mouth (WOM). Knowing this can be a powerful tool in your marketing aresenal because most PR is free!

Want proof? Check out MSN's latest searches

Top 5 Search Movers

1. Natalee Holloway
2. NBA
3. Tom Cruise
4. Nicole Kidman
5. Demi Moore

Obviously, the items in the news generates discussion, so people look to the web to learn more information. Don't you want to see what the buzz is all about? Even if you are a small player, you can use this tactic to your advantage. Afterall, there are local papers and local searches at your disposal. Good luck!

Google Sitemap Generator BETA version

Google Sitemap Generator BETA version

Get your site indexed quickly, efficiently, and effectively with an XML Site Generator. Yes, Google is at it again, but this time it will help your bottom line significantly and you don't have to spend the next three months figuring out the alogorithms.

Search Engine Strategies and Keyword

Search Engine Strategies and Keyword Density?

OK, everyone knows now that you need to optimize your website for search, but how? Well, first figure out what you want to accomplish:

1. Lead Generation (B2B)
2. Brand Awareness (new product/service launch)
3. Product Sales
4. Content Syndication/Generation
5. Event Promotion
the list goes on.

Now that you have that figured out, what keywords are you going to focus on? Not sure? Well, here's a trick to figure it out:

1. List all the keywords or phrases that relate to your business (this could be 10 or 10,000)
2. Narrow the list down to the top 25 that you feel best represent your company/product/service
3. Now run those top 25 through the following tools: overture keyword suggestion tool, Google Adwords suggestion tool, and WordTracker.
4. Now that you have the rankings of your keywords, list the top 5 in popularity.

Those are now your TOP 5 KEYWORDS to focus your Search Engine Optimization strategy on.

So now what? How do I optimize? Well, the best way to do it is to increase your keyword density. Try this free keyword analysis tool that enables you to test your body copy relative to your keyword.

In addition to optimizating your body copy, do the following:

1. Have the keyword in your title tag...the closer to the beginning the better
2. Include the keyword in the H1 tag
3. Have the keyword close to the beginning of the body copy and dense throughout it (have inbound links to it as well to increase your Page Rank)
4. Include the keyword in your META description tag

If you have flash or a dynamic Site, the best thing to do is mirror the pages with static content and create a site map for the search robot to spider (search spiders get lost in endless loops of dynamic pages).

If all else fails, try WebPositionGold 3.0 and use it religiously.

Organic or PPC Search? So

Organic or PPC Search?

So you want to focus on search to gain some web traffic? What do you go with? Do you focus your efforts on an Organic Search strategy or do you focus on a solid PPC campaign?

The answer? That depends, but I'll tell you what's best.

80% of all search traffic is from Organic Search and of course 20% is on PPC. Since PPC is a variable expense and can ramp up to thousands a month, I'd say to develop an Organic Search strategy that focuses on a good link strategy, great body copy, relevant H1 tags, and title tags. Then top off your search performance with the same keywords your trying to get with Organic Search in Overture and Google Adwords. Hint, Overture ends up being cheaper in the long run. Another good PPC vendor that is cheaper then the two above is Adsonar.