SEO: Positioning Matters!

Part 3 of the SEO tutorial will address Search Engine Optimization, or SEO positioning. Your goal, as you know, is to have your article, website, or salespage end up high in lots of people's search results. In order to do this, you've found some great keywords, evaluated your competition, checked to see if people are actually searching for those keywords, etc. Now, we're going to get a little deeper into details so you can make some real money.

First of all, when you're looking for an easy keyword, you may want to avoid search phrases that have a lot of competition. You pick your keyword, and enter it into Google Search with quotes around it, see something like 522,988 search results for that phrase, and immediately assume that it's not going to work for you- too much competition, right? Your SEO positioning will never be high with that keyword or phrase, right? Not necessarily.

SEO positioning is a matter of how well your article, etc. is positioned in the search results, and is affected by a number of factors, but the most important (after you have completed search engine optimization for your article) is competition. We've already discussed the competition as far as volume, but let's talk about quality... What are the other search results like? Articles? News Results? If the first page is full of Yahoo Answers, and 3 year old News Articles, it doesn't matter if there are 5 million search results- a well optimized article or webpage will hit the first page of those search results with no problem.

Key factors in SEO Positioning:

• Little competition for the front page- this can mean that there are few search results, or that the front page results are weakly optimized or not optimized at all.

• Keywords with:
• Lots of Advertiser competition
• High Cost Per Click
• High Search Volumes

Understanding SEO Positioning

Next article in this SEO Tutorial Series: A Well Crafted Title

What's My Credit Score?

Now that credit card companies are tightening their belts, so to speak, it's getting a lot harder to get credit. (Just when we consumers need it the most!) It's also getting more difficult to keep credit, and to keep it at interest rates that aren't punishingly high. In order to get the best interest rates, you need to have a high credit score. We're all entitled, by federal law, to a free credit report every year. The information found in those reports is invaluable when it comes to preventing identity theft- but does it help to answer the question, "What's My Credit Score?" Nope. Those credit reports help you to understand why your credit score is where it is, but that's it.

Your best bet, if you want to get your "What's My Credit Score" answer, is to go to each of the credit reporting bureaus, and check out their offers. At any given time, one or all of them will be offering a package deal that provides all three credit reports and a composite score for free**.
(The asterisks denote the fact that it's not really free, but you have fine print to read down below. In this case, you will have to sign up for a free trial of their credit reporting service, and if you don't cancel during the free trial period, you're on the hook for much more money than it would have cost if you had just bought the credit report straight out. Watch out for this!)

A good credit score is an important part of your overall financial health. If your interest rates go up, due to a lowering credit score, it can adversely affect your monthly budget. If you know your score is low, you can work on improving it- but first you must ask, and answer, the question: "What's My Credit Score?"

What's My Credit Score?

You want to get a freelance job? Promote yourself!

One of the most difficult parts of a job interview for most people is the need to talk about how great they are. Most of us were raised to be modest, and told not to brag- and then the next thing we know, we’re being asked to explain why we are the best person to do a certain job! If you want to get a freelance job, or any job, really, you will need to unlearn modesty, and learn how to brag.

First, make a list of all you good qualities, your skills, and your experience. Don’t leave anything out, not even the fact that you always keep your car spotlessly detailed. Everything you do can translate into a job skill that is valued by employers. (spotless car = attention to detail, dedication to quality, etc) This really applies to any job, not just a freelance job. In reality, however, trying to get a freelance job is just like trying to get a long-term job. As a freelancer, however, you have to go through the interview process for each new client. That is where your list of skills will come in handy.

Once you have your list of skills, translate each skill and talent into something work or business-related. You wrangle 5 kids to and from lessons, appointments, and playdates all day, and still have time to clean the house, cook meals, and shower once in a while? Excellent Time Management Skills! You do all of this without anyone standing over your shoulder, telling you what to do? Extremely self-motivated. You do all of this, including gourmet meals, are always on time, and the kids are washed and brushed? Detail Oriented!

Now that you have a long list of skills and talents that look impressive, even to you, read them out loud to yourself. Keep repeating them, until you feel comfortable saying these things about yourself. Work them into a sentence. “I am extremely detail oriented, a self starter, and I have excellent time management skills.” Write them into a paragraph about how great you are. Once you believe it, you can start evaluating your own skills, to decide which jobs are right for you.

When you have found some freelance jobs that look inviting, apply. Some will require a resume, some will ask for work samples, some will want an interview by phone, etc. Your resume should reflect the skills you outlined in this exercise, and you should feel comfortable enough with them that a phone interview will go smoothly. Remember- you have to sell yourself if you want to get a freelance job!

Play the Freelance Game

Freelance Work Online

Quit your job, and make a million dollars a year by working at home!
(Send $19.95 and we'll tell you how)

Sounds great, but is it real? Everyone wants to get rich quick, but in real life it takes work. It is, however, possible to find quality freelance work online that will allow you to support yourself in a reasonable manner.

The first step, as always, is RESEARCH! I know, you got tired of hearing, "Do your Homework" when you were in school, but seriously- it has to be done. What you're looking for is valuable information that will save you time, effort, and probably money. (and since time IS money, and your personal effort is WORTH money, one could argue that this information is even more valuable than the $19.95 you'll save by not buying into any scams) If you start searching around on the web for places to do freelance work online, you'll find lots of telecommuting ads, lots of craigslist ads, etc. How do you know if the job is legitimate?
1. Does the potential employer have a website listed with the job?
-if not, do a Google search for the name of the company and see what comes up.
-if so, look through their website
2. Does the employer's website clearly define their function and purpose?
-If the company is advertising for people to do freelance work online, for example, does their website just talk about how people can work online for them and make lots of money? If so, they're probably a scam. Are they treating potential freelance workers like customers? (While it's nice to be treated well, if the company is devoting too much attention to you, it's possible that you ARE their customer, and they expect to make some money from you if you sign with them) If the company's webpage is about their products and services, but has a section for careers, etc. they may be legit.
3. Does the company require any money to apply for the position, or require you to read an e-book (which you just happen to have to buy) or sign up for a membership (which you just happen to have to pay for)? If so, it is probably a scam.
4. Even if everything else seems perfect, always do a Google search for the company's name along with the word "scam", "fraud", or "cheat".

Identify a Work From Home Scam

Once you have found some good freelance work positions, it'll be time to work on the biggest hurdle for many people. I'll address that hurdle in the next post: Shameless Self Promotion

Writing Online

Writing for profit online requires a combination of skills. It's not enough to just be able to write well, when you're writing online- unless you're doing it as a hobby, and you don't care if you make any money or not. Personally, I enjoy writing- but I also want to make money, so I divide my efforts. Some of my writing is for personal enjoyment. This blog, for instance, makes mere pennies! I do, however, want to be able to consolidate all of the helpful information I have gathered and uncovered during my writing journey, so I keep it up anyway. On the other hand, writing articles online can actually make some real money... There are several ways you can do this:

• Write on requested topics for content companies
• Write on requested topics for private individuals/companies
• Write on your own topics for different article posting sites
• Adsense revenue from blogs
  

Each of these requires its own set of skills. Here I am posting a couple of how-to's that apply to writing topics for article posting sites, such as e-How and Suite101. Search Engine Optimization is the key to this type of online writing. Search engine optimization basically means that you want to find a word or phrase (more often a phrase) that lots of people are searching for, but few people are writing about. Then, if you use your word or phrase correctly throughout the article, your article will show up higher in Google search results, and it will be your article that they click on. If your article is viewed by more people, there is a higher chance that they will click on some of the ads on your page, or your affiliate links (if you have them). The more clicking they do, the more money you make. That is SEO in a nutshell!

Google Adwords Keyword Search

Understanding Keyword Search Results