Bing Search Engine Optimization

Rank on top for today’s latest search engine

By Michael Fleischner

Now that new search engines like Bing are being talked about more readily, it’s clear that people want to know how to optimize for Microsoft’s latest introduction to search. Those who visit Bing will find that the site provides general search and a category search. Other than a large graphic, the search engine doesn’t appear to have a lot behind it. However, Microsoft has reported a more intelligent search engine and new search experience.

The question that website owners want answered is how the new engine produces results differently than the previous search engine and what optimization techniques should be used compared to those used for Google and Yahoo! I’ve done quite a bit of research on the subject and it appears that there are only a few factors that might influence Bing results compared to Google. The thing to keep in mind is that following SEO best practices will rule the day.

When looking at top ranked websites, an in depth analysis can be done to see which factors vary between top results. A recent comparison that I viewed showed that the number one ranking website on Bing was able to keep a leg up on the competition by having an older domain age, and having inbound links from websites that included the primary keyword in the referring site’s title tag. In short, the top web site was successful in building inbound links from other SEO sites and directories as opposed to being from unrelated websites.

What I find particularly interesting is that Bing is relying on many of the same factors that Google has been using from day one. The factor you should be most concerned with is inbound linking. Both search engines like inbound links. More importantly, they like relevant in bound links. Use this information to guide your SEO campaigns and determine which sites to target for link exchanges.

Organic search should be at the top of your list. If it is then you know where you need to focus, inbound linking. If you haven’t gotten on the organic rankings band wagon, then start with on page optimization. Once your site is formatted appropriately, start with off page optimization and link building.

The other place you want to focus is content. Quality content is vital. But trying to attract users with quality content alone is not enough to rank on top for competitive keywords. Make is easy for others to link to your content and give them a reason to do so. Add time to your daily efforts to acquire links from relevant and authoritative sites to increase your rankings and keep you on top of search engine results.

You may be asking yourself which search engine you should be optimizing your web site for. Based on what I’ve seen, I’m encouraged by preliminary Bing related findings. I believe that Bing is using many of the same factors that Google uses to evaluate a site’s relevance to a search query. As always, focus on white hat methods to optimize your site and follow SEO basics.

If you’re looking for a quick way to rank out on top for Bing, Google, or Yahoo! for that matter, consider leveraging existing websites that has some age, a number of inbound links from authority websites, and quality content.

About the Author

Michael Fleischner is an author and Founder of MarketingScoop.com. If you’re looking for an SEO training course or wish to Learn SEO with the help of leading search engine optimization experts, then check out the leading SEO software with MarketingScoop’s SEO Elite Software Review and turbo charge your search engine optimization.

©2009 MarketingScoop.

Making the Most of Photos in Your Blog!

It’s a fact! People love photos! Bloggers have found that by adding photos to their blog posts people are more likely to read it. Even if the photo is only slightly related to the article itself, it draws the reader into the story.

If you have a digital camera and photo-editing software you already have the tools to begin adding images into your blog easily and quickly. Getting your photos uploaded is incredibly easy to do. Whether you store your photos on your computer or on photo-sharing sites such as Flicker or PhotoBucket, getting your images, and videos, into your blog doesn’t require a Masters Degree!

The main tools to have on hand are:

1. a digital camera, or if you have a camera which takes film – make sure you have the developer burn the photos onto a CD for you.
2. A way to get your photo from your camera onto your camera, such as a USB cable or scanner
3. Image-editing software so you can crop, resize and even touch up your photos such as Adobe Photoshop Elements (most blogs will only take jpg or gif format – 72 dpi)
4. Optional: A photo-sharing service (Flicker, PhotoBucket). You will need YouTube for videos;however. YouTube will give you the embed code to use in the HTML end of your blog post (really, it’s not difficult).

Once you’ve got your photos uploaded to you blog, add tags/keywords and give your photo a description. The tags and keywords are needed for the Google spiders to search and the description is needed just in case your photo’s link is broken and all you have left is a little red X in the box where the photo was supposed to be.

Give your photo a link to either your website (recommended) or to another online resource where blog readers can lean more about your blog subject. Google spikers love links too, so don’t just add them to photos. Add links throughout your blog post!

If you are going to use a photo from a source other than yourself, please make sure you check to see if it is protected by a copyright. Unless the creator of the photo has given you specific permission to use his/her property, you cannot use it. And if you do get permission, best practice is to link back to the original image. Keep in mind that this is also true for ANY content you find on the Internet.

To find out is the creator has given permission for it to be used, go to ww.creativecommons.org or contact the owner of the photo directly.

Happy Blogging!

Do you have a favorite photo source?

Is Social Media Networking Usless? Hear what Seth Godin has to say!

Seth Godin, marketing guru, says that social media networking may be a waste of time. A recent post on Small Biz Bee’s blog talked about how having hundreds of Facebook friends, or thousands of followers on Twitter may not be as valuable as having a handful of deep relationships you can count on, people who will be there when you make the big ask.

Seth points out that networking is always important when it’s real, and a useless distraction when it’s fake. The internet has allowed an enormous amount of fake networking to take place.

Watch the video to hear for yourself. I tend to agree that social media is wasting your time – UNLESS you give it you 100% and make those all important genuine relationships AND use it as a tool to connect in a “real world” setting. Send me your feedback!

Well, did you agree with Seth? What’s your take on the whole social media scene? Share your thoughts!

Are YOUR Lights On?

Today I would like to tell you a little story about one of my clients. She hired me to help her increase her web presence using social media as a tool.  When I took on this particular client, she already had a blog and accounts in LinkedIn, Facebook, FriendFeed, Twitter and a host of other social media sites.  Profiles were written, photos were uploaded and she pretty much ready to go. We discussed strategy and I told her what I would be doing and what she needed to be doing.  This morning my client emailed me and wanted to know why, after only a few weeks, she wasn’t seeing any results.

Well, aside from the fact that social media networking can take some time to kick in, I was curious to see if my client was holding up her part of the bargain.  Ta Da!  Guess what I found? Not much!  Her interactions with her online connections were minimal and when she did post something she didn’t follow up on the comments made back to her.  She dropped the conversation!

Contrary to that famous quote in the film, Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they will come”;  people won’t come unless you ask them to! My client had the tools in place…the system was built, but she wasn’t asking anyone to come.  Sure, I was posting status updates in Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for new blog articles and videos I just uploaded, but she wasn’t taking any initiative to help move it along.

Why wasn’t she reaching out to her online community? I explained to her that she needed to post updates, comment on the posts of her ‘friends’, confirm new connections and search for new ones?  I explained to her that social media is a two-way street? A street which requires each driver to communicate with each other often so trust could be built? Or did she think that because she had some tools in place that business would just happen? 

What if you opened up a new shop?  You stocked the shelves with your products, and opened the doors for business. Then you left. You walked away from your shop.  People knocked on the door and came in, but you weren’t there.  They were ready and willing to see what you offered, but you were gone. What do you think will happen next? Come on, you know just as well as I – they will leave.

This same scenario applies to the social media landscape.  If you are not active, if you don’t follow the rules, if you ignore everyone, then you’re not going to get anything out of it. Why would you turn on the social media lights and then walk away?  

Social media networking is based on building relationships. You must be willing to put yourself out there and work the system.  Everyone knows that people buy from those they know, like and trust. By being actively social online you allow others to get to know who you are. It’s the same when you are networking face-to-face.  You must first build relationships and then the business will come once people see you as someone they can trust.

 And again, please don’t believe that success will happen overnight. If you do then you will be greatly disappointed.  You must be willing to commit your time and be an active community member. 

The lights are on, but are you open for business?

Eydie

7 Key Networking Tips: Don’t Network Without Them!

Be Friendly and Approachable

Networking is a crucial aspect for any startup business or seasoned entrepreneur.  It is a necessary duty for business owners to engage in if they want to grow their business. 

The trick to networking is not just showing up to the mixer or meeting; it’s being proactive while you are there. This means that you need to do more than just reacting to what is happening at the event. Networking means you need to go beyond your comfort zone and challenge yourself. 

Try these tips:

1. Set a goal for yourself. Make a point of meeting and connecting with at least three to five people you’ve never met before.  Don’t sit or stand with the people you already know otherwise you must might miss out on that key strategic business partner or new client. Unless you make meeting new people a habit you will always gravitate towards the people you already know.

2. Visit new groups each month. Most networking or leads groups allow you to visit once or twice before being asked to join. This gives you the opportunity to meet new people and to stretch yourself out of your comfort zone.

3. Carry your business card where ever you go. You just never know where and when you might run into someone who is looking for your product or services.

4. Don’t sit down. When you arrive at a mixer or meeting, don’t make a bee-line for a seat at the table. Take advantage of the networking time you have BEFORE you have to sit down once the meeting or program begins.

5. Get active. People want to do business with leaders. Chair a committee, become a board member, volunteer for non-profit organizations. All these give you more reasons to talk with others to get to know them better. It gets you involved in the inner workings of your group, provides you more visibility and it renders you as the expert in your field.

6. Be friendly and approachable. It’s up to YOU to make newcomers to you group feel welcome. Greet them and ask them questions about who they are and what they do. Introduce them to others. 

If YOU happen to be the newcomer, don’t be afraid to begin a conversation with someone. And please don’t stand against the wall with your arms crossed. Crossed arms set a tone and suggests that you don’t want to let anyone in and you’re just not interested in connecting.

7. You need to give before you can receive. Networking is a two-way street. Please don’t expect new contacts to shower you with leads and referrals. You need to give referrals in order to receive them. And once you’ve been given referrals, make sure you follow through in a timely manner.

Do you have a favorite networking tip you would like to share? Please send us you tips and success stories by commenting below.

Eydie

Eydie Stumpf is a Virtual Assistant based in Corona who specializes in creating an Internet presence for business owners using social media and e-mail marketing platforms.Visit her website at www.eydiesoffie.com. Eydie also writes a weekly column for The Business Press called, “Ask Eydie”.  You can email her at askme@eydiesoffice.com

Use Caution When Tweeting; Too Much Information Can be Risky

In the news recently I read an article of a man who posted a Tweet on Twitter about being on vacation and while he was away, his home was burglarized. The gentleman is now blaming his post for the unfortunate event.

We really do need to be careful about what we post anywhere online. When we go on vacation we take the necessary steps to ensure our homes safety, but social networking is still so new and we’re so excited about building our lists and learning about what others are doing that we forget we are making connections with total strangers!!!

I, too, have been guilty of posting I’m away from my house. My intention is to tell people where I am and to engage in conversation! When I took a recent day trip with my husband I posted on Facebook, “On my way to the Aquarium of the Pacific. What’s your favorite exhibit?” I received posts from Facebook Friends about their aquarium experiences! Isn’t that a fun way to engage in conversation and build up relationships?

A few months ago, one of my Facebook friends took a family road trip from Southern California to Washington. She posted numerous; fun updates every day about their experiences! I actually felt I was on the trip with her. And the interaction with other Facebook friends was phenomenal.

One might say we told the world our homes were empty, making them vulnerable to burglary. However, every time you leave your home you’re at risk. But, if we think like that, we’d never go anywhere. Posting your whereabouts at any given time may not be the best idea, but we can’t live in fear either.

The gentleman who was burglarized while on vacation may not have paid attention to those precautionary details we all should follow before venturing out on vacation, therefore any good, neighbor thief would have seen the signs. It might have happened even if he didn’t post his vacation plans on Twitter, and we’ll never know. I have to tell you though; the victim certainly knew enough to leverage this unfortunate event to gain some valuable air time! A smart vacation planner he’s not, but a savvy business owner he is!

My suggestion is to use caution. Be conscious of what you post and what the consequences might be. If you’re not comfortable with posting your vacation plans, children’s photos or other personal tidbits – then don’t! Remember that anything you say on-line can, and will, come back to bite you in the butt…whether tomorrow or next year!

And as for me, I’ll continue my Facebook day trip posts with my husband, but I will be a bit more cautious. My next day trip post will be, “Fishing off the pier in Newport Beach. Scarface, my Rottweiler, will be protecting the house!”

What do you think? Are we becoming too trusting?

Happy Tweeting!

Eydie

Searching for the Right Candidate for Your Job Opening Using LinkedIn

Are you hiring? Great news!  Let me be the first to congratulate you on your business growth. The next step is post your open position. But where? In the newspaper, at the unemployment office, Monster.com, or CareerBuilder.com?  All excellent venues to search for the perfect employee!

But did you know you can use LinkedIn as another source?

Use LinkedIn to find your ideal employee!

You can post jobs, review applications, perform reference checks, and manage it all inside LinkedIn. By using LinkedIn for your hiring needs you aren’t limited to the applicant’s one or two-page resume, but also to a host of information including recommendations from those who have worked with him/her in the past.

Although LinkedIn is a free business networking site, there are some paid upgrades to this outstanding service. It just so happens that posting a job listing is one of them. Get out your credit card because it will cost you $195.00 for one standard 30-day job listing. To save money, you are able to purchase additional credits for multiple listings which could save you up to 40%.

Now let’s get started. After you’ve signed into LinkedIn, in the top navigation bar you will see a link which says ‘Jobs’ with a drop-down arrow on the right. By clicking the drop-down arrow you will click the link called ‘Hiring Home’.  This page will give you a brief overview of options. Click either the bright yellow button which says, ‘Post a Job” or click the ‘Post a Job’ tab in the blue navigation bar.

You will be brought to the ‘Compose Job’ screen. Once you’ve filled in all the job and contact information you will be ready to advertise your listing within your network. 

LinkedIn will notify you via email when an application arrives and the ‘Manage Jobs’ page allows you to review each application as they come in.

By following a few LinkedIn reference check and screening strategies finding the right person for the job will be more effective.

1. LinkedIn suggests you begin by checking the applicant’s profile and compare it to the resume he/she sent you. 
2. Has the applicant received recommendations? Read them thoroughly and follow through by contacting those who made the recommendations.  
3. Check to see if you are connected to the applicant by two or three degrees. If so, contact those connections to get further assessments of the applicant.
4. Look at the big picture! Read the applicants profile to see if he/she has any hobbies, interests or skills which would compliment you and your business. After all, you want to hire someone who is well-rounded and has a full array of skills and talents, personality and integrity.
5. You can do a Reference Search in LinkedIn by clicking the ‘People’ drop-down arrow then ‘Reference Search’.  Fill in the form and click ‘Search’. This will bring up a list of people who might have worked with the applicant.

LinkedIn is equipped with a pretty powerful search engine brimming with the information you need to fill your open job positions. And when you’ve found your ideal candidate for the job, save the information you acquired from the other applicants for future job openings.  Used properly you can save yourself lots of time and money by using LinkedIn as your search engine.

View the LinkedIn video demo of Posting a Job: http://tinyurl.com/ooqveh
Reviewing Job Applicants: http://tinyurl.com/othaxo

Success,

Eydie

Don’t Quit, You Might be Just Three Feet Away from Success!

Don’t we just love technology?  Technology helps us to communicate with just about anyone on the planet who is willing to listen to you. It entertains you, educates you and engages you in a myriad of games, social sites and other applications.  We would be lost without technology. Technology helps to make our lives easier….until, of course, the technology takes a dump!

This week, my most prized possession became incapacitated!  My PC, on which I depend on a daily basis to help me run my business, is now pretty much dead in the water right now.  It’s a temporary setback…at least I hope it’s temporary. After talking to my IT guy, whom I call Super IT Tim,  my hopefulness for repair is fading quickly.

After whining about my situation to anyone who came within earshot of the sound of my voice,  and battering myself with all the, “I should have done this” or “I should have done that” negative talk, I came to the realization that my beloved PC may not come out of this alive and all my files will become innocent victims of my PC’s fatal condition.  

But wait… What did Napoleon Hill say about quitting?  In his book, Think and Grow Rich, Mr. Hill told the story about R. U. Darby, an insurance sales man who was caught by the ‘gold fever’ during the gold rush days. After digging and digging, he finally found his gold. Darby borrowed money from family and friends to purchase the equipment he needed to bring the ore to the surface.  After some success, the vein of gold disappeared. His team drilled and drilled but began to lose hope. Darby eventually sold the mine and equipment.

Unfortunately for Darby, he quit too early. The new owners hired a mining engineer and they found the gold vein…just three feet from where Darby gave up!  Darby’s riches were only three feet away. 

I know that I am ‘three feet away’ from the solution to my computer dilemma and I’m not going to quit. Super IT Tim has a huge challenge in front of him….and so do I. Although I have set my intentions and have asked the universe to help me solve  the problem, and I believe that Super IT Tim CAN repair my PC, I’m ready to recieve the good news!

On the other hand…this setback COULD  be a sign of new opportunity. That elusive open door to make some changes in my business and follow my definte major purpose.

Success,

Eydie

Is Print Marketing Dead?

Magazines and newspapers are feeling the pinch.

I hope not… and I want to hear your thoughts!

 These days everyone is talking about social media word-of-mouth marketing.  It’s free, you can effectively direct your marketing efforts to your target industry, and you can reach a larger geographical market area at a moment’s notice.

 Magazines and newspapers are feeling the pinch. Top selling magazines, Business Week, Forbes and Fortune are seeing that they can’t continue to operate the way they used to. Business Week has seen its advertising pages fall 16% in 2008 and their ad pages went down 38% through the end of April 2009 (Read the full article).

In my humble opinion, traditional print media marketing and the quickly exploding social media marketing landscape should be working hand-in-hand whenever possible.  I don’t think print marketing is dead, I think it’s just somewhere in limbo and we need to figure out how we can effectively blend these two worlds. 

 To further explore this topic, I would love to have your feedback. My plan is to interview some of my readers, especially if you are in marketing, advertising, printing/publishing or social media, and publish the results. 

 Please reply directly to: eydie@eydiesoffice.com

Success in 2009!

Eydie

Blogging for Business

This article appeared in the May 4th issue of The Business Press

Dear Eydie,

Q. I’m ready to begin marketing my business online, but with so many options available I don’t know where to start. Do I start networking on LinkedIn? Colleagues of mine tell me I should sign up for a Twitter account first. What do you suggest? 

Thank you, Gina

Blogging for Business

A. You are right Gina! There are many options for us to choose from and very often I’m asked the same question.  “Where do I start?” Business owners who haven’t started marketing online, other than with their Web sites, are being told they need to get with it and begin networking and building relationships online, but no one is telling them where to start.

I’m here to tell you that, as a business owner, your starting point should be creating a business blog!

Now you are asking, “How do I network on a blog and how will a blog work for my business?”  Well, let’s take a look at the big picture. 

1. Google search engine spiders love blogs. They love the fresh, consistent content. They love the links, they love the images! Blogging is the best way to organically optimize your Website.
2. With the right keyword-rich content, a blog will attract your target clients to your website.  People who are searching the internet for your products and services will use specific keywords to find what they are looking for.

When writing your blog article the subject matter should be helpful and informative. Educate your readers about what is happening in your industry, product uses, how-to information or anything which makes your readers see you as the expert in your field.  People love doing business with experts.

1. Blogs are interactive.  So by funneling your LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook connections to your blog you can continue your conversations by giving more information and helping them solve problems. In addition, the continued conversation contributes to the fresh content which the Google spider bots love!
2. Collecting e-mail addresses on your Web site? Great, collect them on your blog as well. Give them something free in exchange for their e-mail address, like an industry report or a free e-book.
3. A business blog is also a way for you to learn about your clients and potential clients. Listen to what they have to say about their needs and about how they feel about your products and services. Put on your thick skin and be ready to hear the bad comments as well as the good ones! However, take the bad and use it to make your business better.

Business blogs are here to stay and they are an ideal tool for you to use to demonstrate your expertise and increase your credibility. Someone once told me to think of it as gifting your readers with your knowledge and wisdom.  Blogging is your opportunity to capitalize on all the knowledge and skills you have accumulated over the years by teaching what you know to others who need and want information.  While not giving away the farm, help others to solve problems and overcome challenges while building relationships, loyalty and trust. Because we all know that people do business with people they know, like and trust!

Successful Networking,

Eydie Stumpf