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SEO: Simple Tweaks You Can Make to Your WordPress Content So Your Clients Find You

2012/02/17 By Leave a Comment

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SEO… ugh

I know you’re probably thinking some or all of the following.

  • Search Engine Optimization is way too scientific for me–after all I’m an artist
  • SEO is way over my head–I’m a coach, not a techno geek
  • SEO looks incredibly boring. My eyes are glazed over even now
  • SEO is done by geeky guys who work in their parent’s basement and never see the light of day
  • SEO is illegal and, if caught, Google will banish you and your biz forever from search results

But in reality, SEO is a very powerful business skill that can get you a lot of traction in the competitive world of the internet. It’s really only a series of little tweaks you can make in your blog posts and on your pages that can amount to a huge rush of traffic, and clients that are finally able to find you in the search engines. (Of course, you can go much further than little tweaks and hire yourself an SEO strategist for big $$, but why not start small to see how it works?).

SEO is about “organic” search, meaning that you optimize your posts and pages for the people who don’t know a thing about you (eg: they are not friends on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites) They are the people who need you but don’t know it yet. They are the people who are in Google search right this minute, and are madly typing words into the search field trying to find a solution to their problem or answer to their question.

The words (keywords) they are typing into the search field are the only link between them and you (remember, they have never heard of you). If the words you use on your site (your keywords) match their search terms, then you will show up in the search results. The more exact your words match theirs, the higher you will show in the results.

You can probably see now that if you aren’t using the words (keywords) that this person is using to find answers, then you’ll never show up in the search results as a viable solution or answer to their problem(s). The better your site answers the searchers questions, the more Google will send you the highly coveted “organic” traffic.

So here is a summary of what SEO is:

SEO is the shortened term for Search Engine Optimization. As an online business and WordPress site owner, you need to know that SEO is what helps drive visitors to your website. And without visitors…well you know.

How Google Works

Search engines have names like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. When someone is searching for information on the internet, they type phrases or keywords into the Google, Yahoo, or Bing search field. They press “Enter” and receive a page with a list of search results.

SEO is “spoon feeding” your relevant content to the search engines so that it matches the searchers’ queries.

A search engine is a program that searches documents on the World Wide Web for a specific word or phrase. ~ Dictionary.com (SEO is tweaking your site to match those words).

Kathleen

PS: If you’d like to try your hand at Keyword Research, here is a free instruction guide: Keyword Research Tool and Instruction

 

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Filed Under: Business Tips, Keyword Research, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), WordPress Tagged With: , , , , ,

What Search Engines Do (and how this affects your website’s search rankings)

2012/02/16 By 1 Comment

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What IS a Search Engine?

A search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or “search engine results pages”. The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other types of files. Some search engines also mine data available in databases or open directories. Unlike web directories, which are maintained only by human editors, search engines also maintain real-time information by running an algorithm on a web crawler.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_search_engine

There are 2 main components to Google the Search Engines

English: a chart to describe the search engine...

1.  The Crawler (bots, spiders) go out to the internet and crawl the content they find.

2.  The Algorithm, or the ranking formula, that the search engines use to determine the relevancy of your content.

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How the Search Engines do their magic job:

 Indexing

This is very simplistic, but essentially the search engines, or Google, sends out its bots/spiders to crawl the internet every 28 days. It crawls the internet by following links (this can be from one page on your site to another (interlinking) or from one website to another).  The search engine then builds a database containing a copy of each page of the information it finds.

 How to ensure that your content gets indexed:

  • Search engine optimizing your content is like spoon feeding the crawlers/bots making their job as simple as possible.
  • Using keywords shows the general relevancy of your content, especially in searches
  • Creating remarkable content is how others find your content, acknowledge it as remarkable, and link back to you.
  • and others that will be the subject of a future blog post

Increasing prominence

A variety of methods can increase the prominence of a webpage within the search results. Cross linking between pages of the same website to provide more links to most important pages may improve its visibility. Writing content that includes frequently searched keyword phrase, so as to be relevant to a wide variety of search queries will tend to increase traffic. Updating content so as to keep search engines crawling back frequently can give additional weight to a site. Adding relevant keywords to a web page’s meta data, including the title tag and meta description, will tend to improve the relevancy of a site’s search listings, thus increasing traffic.  ~   http://en.wikipedia.org

In summary, taking the simplest SEO steps will help the search engines find and index your content. As a result, your audience (target market, customer, client) will be much more likely to find your content/site amidst a sea of others on the internet.

This requires some time, effort and research, but the benefits are many. In the best possible world you would have used these SEO strategies before your built your site. But it is never too late! There are both free and paid plugins that you can install on your WordPress site that will help you to use SEO strategies on each post and page of your site.

HINT: your content can be re-written too!

Contact me if you’d like some help with any of the SEO plugins that are available.

Read the first post in this series on SEO

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6 Simple Tips to Writing Search Engine Optimized WordPress Blog Posts

2012/01/24 By 2 Comments

1.  Use your keywords in the title of your post

The Savvy VA, WordPress Strategist

Keys to SEO success

Keywords (actually keyword phrases) are the words you use in your business to attract your target market, audience, and/or niche. These are the carefully researched phrases and terms that you use in all of your writings so your content shows up in search results. Think of them as the words that your potential customers/clients are typing into the search field when searching for answers. It is particularly important to use keywords in the title of your post because the title of your post will also show as the title in the search results (there are ways to modify this, but that’s another post).

2. Write WordPress blog posts that matter

First and foremost, your content has to answer the questions that your target market (or niche) has. People search the internet for information and solutions to their problems. Provide answers to their problems and there is a high probability that even a random search will result in your post showing up in the search results.

3.  Write your headlines so they include your keywords

WordPress offers a very simple method for creating headings and subheadings. The option is in your WordPress editor and are called H1, H2, H3 etc (the dropdown menu is beside the “Paragraph” option).  Each heading is a different font size and, depending on your theme and/or your theme tweaking ability, they can also be from different font families. (I suggest only using H2 and smaller because the title of your pages and posts are already H1 and you won’t be competing with the post or page title).

4.  Write your headlines so they include a benefit.

It’s from copywriting 101. Include a benefit in your headline wherever possible.  Why would someone want to read your post (or even the next paragraph)? How will it benefit them? Does it save them time? Are there tips that can be read and then implemented quickly? Will reading the post save them money?  Spell it out in the headline.

5. Use keywords throughout the post

And use your keywords early in the post. The first sentence is optimal, but at the very least, use your keywords in the first paragraph. You don’t necessarily have to use the same word over and over (which could be detrimental to your SEO efforts) because synonyms will also be recognized by the search engines.

6. Break up your writing with subheadings (paragraph subtitles).

SEO writing includes a technique where you break your content up with subheadings.  The search engines bots look for anything “unusual” in your post. Subheadings are “unusual” and they cause the search engine bots to pause and take notice.  They also make your writing easier on the eyes of your audience by providing some white space where the eyes can rest.

Have you taken the necessary time to do your keyword research?

Keyword Research Using Wordtracker’s Free Tool

One of the most significant keys to success is getting website traffic.  The more visitors you have, the better your sales and profits.

For maximum results, create a traffic and SEO strategy.  Outline your plan and your goals and then take the necessary action, but begin with keyword research.

Presumably you have a niche and you know your keywords, and regularly conduct keyword research to stay on top of what’s popular.  Right? If not, here are several tools that are great for not only doing your keyword research, but for learning everything there is to know about keyword research.

Enjoy,
Kathleen

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Save Time by Scheduling (Post Dating) Your Blog Posts

2012/01/19 By Leave a Comment

Scheduling Your Posts in WordPress


You’re busy — so busy, in fact, that you’ve got enough tasks to keep you busy til the end of time.

But we also know how important it is to write blog posts. It’s how you stay in touch AND in the forefront of your niche’s mind. It’s also a key factor in how much money you make (or not).

So how can you carve out the time to write these posts?

Well, WordPress has a great little tool that will make the job a little easier.

It’s right there in the “Publish” capsule to the right of your editor, and it’s uses are many.

You can:

1. Write a draft and edit it when you have a little time

Perhaps you’ve just thought of something brilliant, but you don’t have the time to write a complete post.  You can type that brilliant thought into the editor and save it as a draft. Come back later and it’s still there, reminding you of the post you wanted to write (how often have you had a brilliant thought like that only to forget it because you didn’t write it down).

Add to your brilliant thought and save as a draft once again. Do this as many times as you need until it’s ready for publication.

2. Set your post to publish at a later date (in an hour, a day, a week, nine days…)

You may want a post to publish at a date or time that corresponds with a launch or an event, and this is very simple to do.

  1. Write your post and instead of clicking the blue “Publish” button, click on the “Edit” link to the right of the “Publish immediately” option.
  2. You’ll now see a drop-down menu where you can choose the date and time that the post should publish. (I know, it’s like magic…)
  3. After you’ve chosen the date and time, do NOT click on “Publish” button, but instead select the small gray “OK” button.
  4. The “Publish” button will then change to “Schedule”.  Click that button and your post will go out at the appointed time and day.

3. Spend some time pre-loading posts

Just follow the steps above. If you try to publish a post every week, schedule your posts to publish one each week. If you pre-load just 10 posts, this will free your from having to write blog posts for 2.5 months!

Don’t even have time for pre-scheduling posts? Get some help and outsource this task. Contact me with the form below (the message will go directly to my email inbox). I have affordable monthly packages just for this purpose.

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How to Easily Add an Image to Your WordPress Sidebar

2012/01/16 By Leave a Comment

Adding a Graphic to Your Sidebar Widget

Question!We all know that images are extremely important little additions to your WordPress posts, pages and sidebar.  They create interest, allow the eyes to rest in big blocks of content, and generally create visual appeal. And they are easy enough to add to a page or post.

But if you’ve ever tried to figure out how to write the code to add an image to your sidebar, then you know how frustrating  scary this can be. It IS code after all!  And who knows, maybe you’ll take down the whole internet if you get it wrong. Right?

Well here’s a crazy simple way to do it that will leave you smiling all the way to your dashboard.

  1. Create a new post (do not publish)
  2. Change the editor from visual to HTML
  3. Upload a photo into the post
Now look at the code. You’ll notice that it starts with <a href=”http://.  This is the HTML code that will make your image visible in the sidebar.
  1. Copy the complete line of code. 
  2. Drag a text box widget to your sidebar
  3. Paste the code into the text box.
  4. Click “Save”

Now go to the front page of your WordPress site. You should now be able to see the image in your sidebar.

and?before you forget, delete the fake post you just wrote.

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Have you been the victim of content theft from your WordPress website?

2012/01/13 By 3 Comments

Protect the Content on your WordPress Site


All right, everybody be cool, this is a robbery!Have you stumbled upon a website (WordPress or otherwise) where you, shockingly, see the content that you sweated bullets over while writing it? I know I have, and I’ve had a few clients tell me that they’ve seen their content out there on other sites as well.

Most people are pretty honest and wouldn’t think of stealing your content, but unless you take measures to prevent someone from copying and then pasting your content onto their site, your site is free game for the dishonest of the world.

But there is a solution to prevent those who are brazen enough to copy and paste  plagiarize your content. It’s a very simple little WordPress plugin called Blog Protector that:

  • disables right click on your site.
  • disables selection of text on your site

No more highlighting text, copying and pasting  stealing from my site.

To install Blog protector, go to Plugins –> Add New.  Then type “Blog Protector” in the search box. Install it and voila!  Just one more level of protection for your business.

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WordPress 3.3

2011/12/14 By Leave a Comment

The newest, and long awaited version of WordPress has been rolled out.

WordPress 3.3, also known as “Sonny”, has been named to honor of the great jazz saxophonist, Sonny Stitt (all major releases are named in honor of a famous Jazz musician) .

WordPress 3.3 offers added simplicity to the dashboard area in terms of tips, navigation and uploading media. This will be an especially welcome change for the new user and their experience in getting to know WordPress.

To quote the people from WordPress:

For Users

Experienced users will appreciate the new drag-and-drop uploader, hover menus for the navigation, the new toolbar, improved co-editing support, and the new Tumblr importer. We’ve also been thinking a ton about what the WordPress experience is like for people completely new to the software. Version 3.3 has significant improvements there with pointer tips for new features included in each update, a friendly welcome message for first-time users, and revamped help tabs throughout the interface. Finally we’ve improved the dashboard experience on the iPad and other tablets with better touch support.

For Developers

There is a ton of candy for developers as well. I’d recommend starting your exploration with the new editor API, new jQuery version, better ways to hook into the help screens, more performant post-slug-only permalinks, and of course the entire list of improvements on the Codex and in Trac.

They’ve also created this quick video that gives a really good overview of the changes.

Need help updating your site to the new version?

Contact me via the form below. It goes directly to my personal email address.

PS:  Tomorrow, December 15th  is the last day to enter the draw to win a complete WordPress Website from The Savvy VA. Click here to find out more: thesavvyva.com/wordpress-website-giveaway/

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How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting

2011/11/28 By 2 Comments

When choosing hosting for their WordPress website people often go with whoever is cheapest, only to regret that decision later.

PHP Elephant

It’s important to know that WordPress requires the most recent PHP version (your eyes are probably glazing over about now, but stay with me) to run optimally. And then there are the Linux servers and… But that’s too technical for this post — just know that not all hosting companies have the minimum requirements for WordPress.  The following quote will prove what I am saying…

 It is recommended you use a robust platform comprised of the Linux
operating system, and either the Apache web-server or the NGINX web-server.
Almost any server that supports PHP and MySQL will work.  ~  Wordpress.org

You see what I mean. The above geek speak quote proves that WordPress.org sites have special requirements. And apparently they know what they are talking about.

But in all seriousness, you will be having a long term relationship with your hosting company — make sure it’s someone you are going to love. I do know from experience that it’s very important to get the hosting thing right in the beginning. It’s not easy to change hosting companies later.

What else should your hosting company provide to make both you and your visitors happy? Your hosting company must provide you with speed that allows your site to load quickly. There are a few hosting companies I’ve worked with recently who could not provide the speed that you come to expect with a WordPress site. I know my clients’ sites will load frustratingly slow forever — and maybe even get worse over time.

You might be surprised to learn that one of the ones I am referring to is actually one of the Big 3 hosting companies. I have come to believe that they are failing by success (my humble opinion of course).

When you have just seconds to capture someone’s attention on the internet, you don’t want those seconds to go to waste while your site loads… and loads… and loads. Your visitor/potential client/customer will click away and probably never return.

So price is definitely not the most important factor. Here are some other very important factors to consider:

  1. Is their control panel easy to use?
  2. Can you upload your files easily?
  3. Are they big enough for your needs?  (Look for data space, bandwidth and file size limitations.)
  4. Do they have the tools, features and functions you need?
  5. Are they well reviewed? Do they have a reputation for good customer service?
  6. Are they reliable?
  7. Are they secure?

I recommend Bluehost because they can fulfill the requirements that WordPress needs to run optimally, they’ve got all of the features above and some, and their customer support is second to none.  At just $6.95 $5.95 per month, what else could you need?

You can check out what Bluehost has to offer you by clicking this link:  BLUEHOST

Links Disclaimer: Links mentioned within this post are my affiliate links and I may be compensated for recommending this product. However, I will never recommend anything that I don’t personally believe in.
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Filed Under: Business Tips, The Savvy VA, WordPress, WordPress Tips Tagged With: ,

Announcing an Amazing Sale Over at the Studiopress Workshop!

2011/11/22 By Leave a Comment

Save 25% on all of your purchases at StudioPress!

Imagine getting the:

1. Genesis Framework for only $45.

2. Most Genesis / design combos for a song (save close to $20).

3. StudioPress Pro Plus All-Theme Package at 25% off. This means you’ll get the Genesis framework AND every design (Child Theme) they’ve ever made AS WELL AS every design they’ll ever make in the future!  You’ll save more than $74 on the cost of the Genesis Framework, and over $875 off the retail price — (and that’s just the existing 43 designs)!

Just use the code THANKS at the check out and get the savings automatically (25% on anything and everything at StudioPress.com).

This deal ends promptly at 7:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, November 28, 2011. Hurry up and claim your new WordPress theme before the code expires!

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How to Make Your Posts and Pages Print-Friendly

2011/11/22 By

Another simple and easy way to make your content even more user-friendly

Your WordPress site is a go-to place for your clients. You post great, instructional content and people come back time and again. They read your posts and follow along as best they can under the circumstances.

But it’s not easy to go back and forth between your site and theirs as they complete the steps. 

Now imagine them being able to print your content as a PDF and have your content at their fingertips in under 30 seconds!

How cool is that!

First a little history… There have always been plugins that allow the visitor to print your content. Add to any, Add This, and Share This type plugins come to mind. But they don’t allow for your document to be printed out as a super organized and branded PDF.

Print Friendly Plugin Button

Print Friendly Button

Print Friendly (the name of the plugin) is a great little addition to your WordPress site if you want your content to be printable in a really nicely formatted style. (And with your domain name at the top and bottom of the printed document.)

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It’s as simple as this:

Your visitor clicks on the Print Friendly button, a new window opens where they’ll see the following 3 options:

1.  Print (your blog post) as a PDF

2. Save to their computer as a PDF

3. Email it to someone as a PDF

They can also choose the font size (save paper), as well as choose to print with images intact or to remove the images in your post.

And that’s it — another simple and easy way to make your content even more user-friendly (and share-able).

To have this or any other plugins installed on your site, contact me today.

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