Google Insights for Search: One Powerful Tool

While dinking around on the internet I found a tool from Google that is perhaps one of the most powerful and useful tools anyone involved in internet marketing or online business can use. It's Google Insights for Search and I can't believe I didn't know about this sooner. With this tool you can pull up information that Google has collected from the millions of searches. You choose the search parameters and dates that you want to cover and Google provides you with graphs and information that you can use to track marketing trends and hot topics.

According to the Google website the results include:

• a graph with the search volume, indicating interest over time (GMT) for your terms, plotted on a scale from 0 to 100; the totals are indicated next to bars by the search terms (read more about how we scale and normalize the data)
• a breakdown of how the categories are classified
• lists of the top searches and top rising searches
• a world heat map graphically displaying the search volume index with defined regions, cities, and metros

Google reminds you that the results are based on searches that have received a large amount of traffic so keep this in mind when you use the tool. Google can do this because they keep a record of each and every search ever done. After a specified amount of time the searches become anonymous, but until then Google keeps a record of each search you do on their search engine.

This has sparked some concern about privacy issues, but like I always say, if they've got nothing better to do than keep track of my mundane life, have at it. You may feel differently, but face it – are you that important that someone would care about your searches? But I digress on the subject of this post. That issue could fill an entire page of content...

Personally I love the Google website. Everything you need to get the most of their products is right there on their website. The transparency of the company amazes me. More large companies should be so free with their knowledge. Perhaps we all could take a page from Google's book and give away your knowledge top help our customers and site users. But there I go again, getting off topic...

Give Google's Insights for Search a test drive and see what you think. If you want someone else to do the leg work for you and perform your trend and marketing research, contact the professionals at The Cutting Edge Pros. If you use or have tried the Google Insights for Search, let us know how you like it and if it has helped your business.

How to Write Really Bad Content

Yes you read the title correctly. This is a post about how to write really awful content that will not only alienate your readers but strip them of the desire to ever want to go to your blog or website again. Prose so horrible that your glasses fog up and your eyes roll back into your head. Well...okay...maybe not THAT bad, but close.
Great content stands on its own and if you know what NOT to do you can avoid common mistakes that are made. These practices should be avoided at all costs because they not only drive traffic away from your website, they kill your SEO juice. You might as well stand outside in a driving rainstorm and yell into the wind if you practice any of these methods since you'd have a better chance of being heard. Okay on to the don'ts of content and blog writing...

1. Plagiarism. It's illegal, it's bad form and it's just plain wrong. Don't do it...ever! Copy and pasting other writer's work as your original work is not only bad form but it can be deathly to your SEO. The search engines know what is going on and so will any of your readers who have done research on the subject you are stealing content about. I have found duplicate content on websites from doing research for articles and it amazes me that people can't take the time to paraphrase an article and put it into their own words. It's not hard, not rocket science and don't even get me started on spinning articles. To me that is in line with copy and pasting. They never make sense and they're written for search engines.
   
2. Write for search engines. Never mind that human beings will be reading your content. Go ahead and stuff keywords and get them in there even if your content makes no sense at all. I've come across websites like this too that were nothing more than vehicles for backlinks and keywords. Today as I write this Google reads your websites like a human being and recognizes well written and original content and rewards it. It also recognizes content that is written with no regard to real readers. If you only want to use your pages for backlinks to get a higher page rank, by all means write for search engines. But if you want a long lasting website and a blog that become popular with REAL humans, don't do it.
   
3. Don't do your research. Use Wikipedia exclusively for your facts and figures. Take facts from other people's blogs and assume they are right. Wikipedia is a good jumping off point, but do some real research from reputable websites to get the right facts. Use .gov, .edu and .org websites.
   
4. Never update your website. Just let it sit and become stale. Also never post new blogs. Just let the old ones rot. Never check your links to be sure they still work and lead somewhere. Update your website as needed, usually once a month is good to be timely. Post new blog posts at least three times a week. This keeps you current and people interested in what you have to say. It also lets them know there's someone at the switch.
   
5. Be academic. Write in a stiff impersonal way to really alienate your readers. The internet is all about connecting with each other. Write like you're talking to a friend and write with confidence. Be in the active voice as much as possible.
   

Hopefully this will help you to avoid some common and not so common mistakes people make when writing content and blog posts. Read your writing out loud. Yeah I know, you'll feel silly, but you'll also hear how your words have the right rhythm and if not you can fix them.
One other word of advice. Write. Put words on paper or on your monitor and start writing. You can always edit and silence your inner critic. All good writers know that the first draft is just that, the first draft. So get on with it and get some content up and out there. If you need help, the professional writers at The Cutting Edge Pros can provide you with original and dynamic content for your website or blogs.

5 Ways to Be a Better Blogger

A  blog can serve many purposes for you. It can be an SEO tool, a platform to state your opinions and it can also help to set up up as an expert in your field. Blogs are powerful tools to drive traffic to your website, build community and connect with your readers. If you want to be an effective blogger there are some things you can do to improve your blogging skills.

1. Read. Read other people's blogs, read the papers, read books, read anything you can get your hands on. This not only makes you more intelligent, but helps you to be exposed to different writing styles. Keep track in a notebook of any words or phrases you find interesting. I like to collect words and their meanings. This expands my vocabulary and for me is just plain fun. I know, kind of weird, but I've found some great words in my collection.
2. Make use of Google Alerts. Go to Google and set up email alerts an any subject or keyword and receive a daily email of the top searches for these words. This is a great way to stay current and know what is being said about your topics.
3. Be personable. Don't be stiff in your writing for your blog. Save that for your technical articles. Write like you are speaking to a friend. After all you want your readers to feel part of your community so write in a relaxed personal style, you know like you're having coffee and discussing the news. 
4. Do your homework and make sure your facts are correct. Take time to do research if you are unsure of the facts of your story. You want to sound like you know what you're talking about so don't guess and use reliable sources not just other blogs. 
5. Write. Practice writing. Join a writing group and write. Post a new blog everyday if you can, a paragraph or two is enough, or at least three times a week. Not only does this increase readership but your blog will be picked up by the search engines if it is active. 

 These are 5 easy ways to become a better blogger. The main thing is to start. Jump on in there and you will get better as you post more entries. Like the Nike commercials say, "just do it". If you don't have time or don't feel you have the talent to write your own blogs, the professional writers at The Cutting Edge Pros can help you out. 

To Blog or Not to Blog

Should you put a blog on your website or not? This is a question that many people ponder as they plan the design for their new website. A blog has many benefits. Namely it is a chance for you to express your opinions, tell folks about new products and services and create a sense of community on your website. A blog doesn't have to be full of long drawn out posts. Say what you need to say and then ask for comments.

 Another benefit of maintaining a blog is to get a discussion going on your website. This in turn creates traffic and loyal followers. This does take time so don't put up a blog and then expect to go viral within a few days. No it takes patience, regular posting, bookmarking on the major social media sites and quality content. Face it, no one wants to read crap and a blog is no different.

So get out there, put a blog on your website or sign up at a site like this one and get writing. Don't want to do it yourself? Contact the experts at The Cutting Edge Pros for a free consultation.

Keyword Research is the Basis for All Things Internet

Keywords can mean the difference between getting indexed and getting buried on the internet. The right keywords can lift your site up in ranking and get it in front of the people you want. Keyword research is key -  yes I said it - to knowing which words carry the most SEO juice and power for your site. It is more than just plugging words into a search engine and notating the amount of hits they get, it is well thought out and requires a bit of planning and time commitment on your part.

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First make a list of the words you think will do well. Now expand that list into words that are related to these words. Don't forget the variables and plurals. Once you have this list go to a keyword research tool like Google's Adwords Keyword Tool. These tools don't really tell you the hits that keywords get, they tell you the expected hits that these words may get based on recent searches.

As you go through your list you'll find more words to explore. Keep a list and edit it as you find different words that will work for your site and delete the ones that are not expected to perform well. Once you have a master list of keywords you're ready to write your content.

Now, listen carefully! DO NOT use keyword stuffing! Did you hear me? No matter how tempting it may be to string a list of keywords together...don't do it! The other day I was doing research for an article and I came across an article that was almost totally made up of keywords and search phrases (search phrases will be covered in another post). Did I stay on the page, of course not! Did it rank well in the search engines...well yeah...but it was used as a vehicle for backlinks. Absolutely useless for a human visitor and in time it will be useless for the search engines spiders. This type of page brings quick results. The page was in the top 5 listings, but now long will it be there? If what Google publishes on their Webmaster pages is correct, not long at all.

When you write your content let if flow naturally. I know I've used the word, keywords, quite a bit in this post, but it isn't forced and the prose - hopefully - flows naturally. Good quality content is one of the most powerful SEO tools your site can have. If you don't want to do keyword research, it is time consuming and a tad boring, hire professionals to do it for you. If you don't want to write your own content, hire professional writers to do it for you. See the drift here? If you don't have time or don't feel like you have the talent, there are qualified professionals who do this for a living that can help you out.

So remember, keywords are key - I did it again - and using the right words can make or break your SEO juice. The right words can also move your visitors to stay on your site and become customers. The Cutting Edge Pros can help your with your keyword research and provide you with quality content to make your site rise to the top of the SEO pile. 

5 Tips for SEO Anyone Can Use

So called web experts would have you believe that SEO is akin to magic or a dark mysterious art. No, it’s not. Organic SEO is straightforward and is not hard to do for the average person. It does take work and it will produce results. Here are five things that you can do on your website to increase its page rank.

1. Place good content on your site. Good content can do more for your SEO than anything else. What do I mean by good content? Interesting and engaging content that is well written and has the proper keywords and search phrases. Do keyword research and keep your most effective keywords and phrases near the top of your pages. Search engines read pages and sites from top to bottom and from front to back. Don’t write for search engines, write for people and keep your site up to date.

2. Include location names in your pages and keywords. Google puts a heavy weight on locations. Include locations in your page names and in your content to get your site in front of people in your area.

3. Do your links work? Periodically check the links on your site to be sure they aren’t broken or lead to nowhere. Search engines follow your links and penalize you if they are broken.

4. A blog improves your SEO if you post at least three times a week. This shows the search engines that your site is active and can help to build a community on your site. Make your posts interesting and not just commercials for your products. Be creative and add images and videos. Ask for comments and join in the discussion.

5. Post original high quality articles on article directories with links pointing back to your site. This gives you the power of inbound links and can create interest in your site. Use articles to become an expert in your field and write about a variety of subjects relating to your industry.

All of these tips you can do yourself or you can hire an experienced SEO firm to do the work for you. One other tip to add is to make use of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. These are powerful SEO tools that can help your page rank and draw visitors to your site.

Keep Church and State Separate

The recent news of the Texas legislature approving the ban on textbooks that put Christianity in a bad light is a giant red flag to the rest of the country, or at least it should be. We are a nation founded on religious freedom. Yes most of the founding fathers were Christians, but they had the foresight to know that a state mandated religion was bad news. We need to look no further than the Taliban to see what a forced religious mandate does to a country and a people. As American we should be diligent to see that the separation of church and state is maintained.

I am a Christian and my faith is very important to me and yes I wish everyone believed as I do. But I know they don't and all of the laws and force in the world will not change that fact. In my opinion it is my Christian duty to treat everyone with respect. And part of the involves respecting their beliefs. I may not agree with you and I may tell you my beliefs, but I am not going to force them upon you.