Top 11 SEO tips in 2021

From the obvious to the “Hey-I-never-thought-of-that-great-idea-before”, here are 11 of the top tips to optimize your website for its turbo-charge rocket ride up the rankings…updated!

There must be 1001 ways to optimize your website for higher rankings, then more after a well-deserved nap. Here are 11 of the top SEO tips that still work well in 2021 – some things never change.

To be sure, there are also vital newer steps to take, such as being mobile-friendly, tweaking for voice search and using a secure server. But these 11 tips haven’t changed all that much over the years. These are the timeless classics. Search engines change their algorithms, but fundamental SEO doesn’t change all that much. [Read more…]

Keywords are the currency of online communication

Keywords are the currency of online communication. Here’s how to invest wisely and reach your target market.

The path of any action online is either random or purposeful. Random means that people are just clicking around, hoping to land on a funny meme, video or … something. Random is boredom. A purposeful path is when somebody has a goal in mind, and they follow a process to accomplish that goal.

The goal often begins with a “keyword” or a question. [Read more…]

Make front page news by NOT inviting the media (a media relations success story)

We wanted media coverage. So we were, counterintuitively, very careful not to let the media know we would be in town. And we got covered in every media outlet. How did we succeed?

Not a single reporter showed up at our media event. And we were thrilled.

Not a single photographer showed up to capture the moment. And we were pleased as punch.

Not a single newspaper knew about the event. And we received front page coverage in every one! [Read more…]

Top tips to work with a ghostwriter

When you hire a ghostwriter for your book, you still have a role to play. Here’s how to work with your ghostwriter.

Strictly speaking, ghostwriters are hired hands. They take no publishing credit for the book (or speech or screenplay), nor do they share in the profits. The writers are like ghosts. They are there, but not seen.

However, there are many variations of ghostwriting, and sometimes credit is given or profits shared. That remains your prerogative when negotiating with the writer. The ghostwriting contract will specify the terms.

There are many reasons for hiring a ghostwriter, but the two main ones are: [Read more…]

Office policies for the home office

Most home offices are sadly lacking in office policies. This national travesty must end! Here’s how you can help, right now.

Every office needs office policies, if for no other reason to keep employees from scratching each others’ eyes out or “borrowing” company equipment.

The home office is no exception.

If you are wondering why somebody barricaded alone in his basement needs a policy to keep him from stealing his own office equipment, you have obviously never sat alone in your basement 23 hours a day, day after day, in front of a computer screen that freezes every now and then just out of sadistic spite. [Read more…]

My SEO predictions for…2003?!?

I’ve been known to make a few predictions in my time. Here are some SEO predictions I made in 2003 that actually came true!

NOTICE This article is republished without a single word changed since 2003. The images below are of a few places that it was syndicated.

November 2003 might go down in history as the month that Google shook a lot of smug webmasters and search engine optimization (SEO) specialists from the apple tree. But more than likely, it was just a precursor of the BIG shakeup to come.

Google touts highly its secret PageRank algorithm. Although PageRank is just one factor in choosing what sites appear on a specific search, it is the main way that Google determines the “importance” of a website. [Read more…]

The better way to get relevant backlinks that you actually deserve – a step-by-step guide

There are tried-and-true ways to land relevant backlinks through competitor research. But there are ways to improve on the obvious tactics. This is your better backlink strategy.

Anybody concerned about their search engine rankings is on a constant hunt for high-quality and relevant backlinks. They aren’t that easy to acquire. After all, if landing top-tier backlinks was easy, every website would rank #1.

And that would be awkward. [Read more…]

The work-from-home pajama office fashion primer

For some reason, work-from-home hermits, freelancers and digital nomads have a “thing” for working in their pajamas. Here are our top tips to rock those PJs.

I recently reported how writers, stay-at-home parents and online marketing geeks had chosen careers as professional hermits.

Thousands of work-from-home hermits responded, confessing that they were wearing their pajamas while reading my column. Fortunately very few sent me photos. Instead, they sent me questions. Here are some of the questions they asked: [Read more…]

Top six branding factors to consider when designing a logo step-by-step

Want a logo for your new business? There are fun ways to do that, without breaking the bank.

The first most important thing about branding is your logo. Make no mistake, your logo is not your brand. Your brand is how people feel about your company or products. It’s how they react when they see your store or hear your name. Or when they see your symbols.

Those symbols include your staff uniforms, your slogan and your colors. But your logo is the most important symbol of your brand, so you had best get it right.

Here are six things to watch for when creating a logo:

[Read more…]

My career as a professional work-from-home hermit

Freelancers and digital nomads don’t “go to work”. But they still work away in their caves. Welcome to my career as a professional hermit.

You’ve seen them, those work from home ads:

“Work from home. Make big bucks in your pajamas.”

Quick. What do writers, stay-at-home parents and online marketing geeks have in common? I mean, besides insanity, and presumably a pajama fetish?

They are all hermits. [Read more…]

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