Standing out in a crowd is a difficult task, but new blogs are started everyday that go on to become social hubs and sources of influence. Successful bloggers often have a plan and an understanding of what the right move should be. These five tips will help any new blogger find their way towards success.

1. Focus on Building an Audience

Every day, millions of people use Google, Bing or Yahoo to find information on all types of topics. Because of this, many bloggers start optimizing their blogs for search engines, and not for people.

This is an approach you should avoid.

People make links, share on social bookmarking sites and social networks, and they leave comments and spread stories by word of mouth. People make up an audience.

Look at two important resources for guidance.

One is Facebook. When starting a Facebook Page, one of the available tabs says “Build an Audience”, which is code for “run ads”. The key word is audience. An engaged and responsive audience is the most important factor in a blog’s success, so optimize for people.

The other is Google Analytics. The traffic statistics are presented as “Audience Overview”.

2. Learn the Basics of SEO

Your main focus should be creating content for people, but this does not mean that Search Engine Optimization is to be ignored.

There are a handful of steps that a new blogger should take to set up their blog for maximum search engine exposure without using shady tactics.

• Keyword research using Google’s Keyword Tool to find relevant terms with reasonable search volume. Anything over a couple hundred searches is plenty.
• Optimize the meta title tag and meta description to include your targeted keywords.
• Emphasize your keywords in the content by using an H1 or H2 heading title tag.
• Optimize your images by utilizing the ALT tag.

SEO can be far more advanced and complicated, but the fundamental basics are good enough for most bloggers.

3. Design is King

Powerful and engaging content are vital, but an ugly design will never entice users to bother reading what you have to say. Take the time to find a clean and easy to navigate theme that is free of clutter and any other confusing elements.

Making sure that your blog is also set up to recycle visitors through social sharing and eventually email opt-ins is an important element of blog design. Take the time to measure social sharing and email opt-ins to make sure your design is optimized for both audience experience, as well as retention.

4. Master the Art of Writing Headlines

It does not matter what masterful point you may make in your blog posts if nobody bothers to read them. Headline writing is key to getting clicks from search engine users, as well as social media and (eventually) email subscribers.

Headlines are far more than article titles. Learning how to write effective headlines can lead to spikes in traffic and significant buzz around a new blog.

There are a number of resources to help you learn to write good headlines, but the best resource is practice. Before publishing an article or post, write several headlines, narrow down the best two or three, then work on those until they’re perfect.

Headlines are often the key to new blogs generating off-site discussion and achieving near instant success.

5. Be Yourself

It is fine to be a novice on some, or even all, of the topics your blog covers. Not everyone is an expert, and readers can tell when a blogger is faking expertise for whatever reason.

However, bloggers who are genuine and are obviously putting in the work to learn more and present useful content in a unique way will eventually become an authority on their topic.

More importantly, they will earn the trust of their audience and build a brand. When a blogger becomes seen as both a person and a brand, the ultimate success has been achieved.

Building Something Worthwhile Takes Time

Popular blogs do not sprout overnight. Not usually. To grow a blog, it takes a clear and focused plan, patience and determination to make something that others believe is special.

As a final tip, a successful blog requires a certain level of daring. Great design, slick headlines, and an engaged audience are all more likely to happen when you dare to make something great.

The post From Nobody to Influencer: 5 Tips to Building a Successful Blog appeared first on AddMe Blog.

What is Responsive Design?

Responsive web design is simply a webpage designed to respond to a specific screen size, whether a computer, smart phone or a tablet. Instead of having two versions of a page for mobile and computer users, the same page is shown with small variations based on the type and size of each screen.

Why Responsive Web Design is Vital

There are several major benefits offered by electing to implement a responsive design over other mobile friendly options.

The first is the issue of branding. A website’s design is an important part of the company brand. The colors, design, and functionality of a website influence how users recognize its brand online and offline. A mobile site may preserve some of this, but a responsive design does so in a much more complete way.

The second is the impact on user experience. Mobile sites may load quickly, but navigation can be difficult, and they also put a limit on some of the ability of today’s powerful smart phones and tablets. Since a responsive design adjusts to screen type and size, it allows the a page to stay nearly identical, and for the power and speed of any device to perform at its peak.

The third important point is that some of the biggest brands have moved to responsive design in favor of dedicated mobile sites. International news sites like the BBC are using responsive design on some sections of their sites. If small brands should look to big brands for cues to success, then web design is an easy trend to identify and follow.

Are there Drawbacks?

The main drawback is that a responsive design may result in slower website load speeds. A slow loading website can result in lower search engine rankings, as well as a poor user experience.

In order to make a website responsive, additional code must be added. This code is then called upon every time a page is loaded, regardless of what a visitor is using to surf the web. A mobile design relies on a script or a website plugin to detect whether a visitor is using a mobile device, and then to redirect them from the standard page to the mobile version. This helps to minimize load times as extra code is not loaded on each and every visit.

In most cases, concerns about slow site speeds are overblown. In situations where a site is loading slowly for other reasons, this will not help matters. However, in almost all cases, any loss of speed will be so small that search engine rankings and user experience will be unaffected.

The Way the Web Should Work

In short, responsive design is the way that the web has evolved to work. Mobile sites may load quickly and be simple to set up, but as mobile devices become more powerful, responsive design will only grow in importance.

The post The Important Shift towards Responsive Web Design appeared first on AddMe Blog.

These changes are not implemented to destroy SEO, but to knock out the algorithm chasers that are trying to use SEO tactics meant to manipulate their algorithm. Rather than focusing on fundamental SEO practices and a positive user experience, they manipulate inbound links, guess at what may be penalized in the future, and sacrifice relevance and quality for volatile and short term gains.

The Fundamentals are Enough

The fundamentals of SEO are fairly easy to learn. Advanced SEOs will have more tools for beginners when it comes to mining keywords and spotting technical issues, but the fundamentals are fine for almost every website.

These fundamentals include well written and keyword rich title tags and meta descriptions, fast page load speeds, resolving any duplicate content issues, and using descriptive ALT tags for images and anchor text for internal linking purposes and navigation. There are some additional fundamentals, but these are quick, actionable and provide large results for little effort. If all of these are taken care of, then the final step is to conduct keyword research and create useful and dynamic content around those keywords.

Find the Users and Find the Keywords

Keyword research can be done using a number of research tools or even Google’s own external keyword tool. These are fine, and for many terms, they provide great information, but there is a better way to do research that will pay off with users, and ensure that the search engines never target your site with their next algorithm change.

This technique for finding great keywords that potential visitors are using is to take part in the conversation. Taking part in the conversation means becoming active in relevant forums, joining Facebook groups, following Pinterest boards, an interacting on sites like Twitter and Tumblr.

Many of the keywords found through most research tools are only good for the search engines. The keywords extracted by paying attention to current discussion are great for the actual humans that may visit a site. Fresh, relevant, unique and optimized content improves the chance of creating a great user experience and building authority in the eyes of the marketplace.

Building Engagement and Relationships Beats Building Links

The algorithm chasers look for manipulations in anchor text and link variety to outrank their competitors. The webmasters that focus on engagement with their users and who build relationships with other webmasters don’t bother.

Provide Value and be Rewarded with Traffic

If SEO teams continue focusing on every new algorithm shift, their efforts will eventually go to waste. A focus on appealing design, easy to understand site navigation, and content that is useful and also optimized to be easily understood by the search engines will have an incredible return.

The user’s opinion of a website will eventually dictate how the search engines see a site as well. Keeping humans in mind acts as a shield against algorithm shifts because the social signals sent and the links built by happy users results in authority and loyalty. When the next shift happens, those who focused on the user won’t even notice, while the search engine algorithm chasers will wonder what techniques they will need to learn next.

The post It’s About the User: Don’t Be A Search Engine Algorithm Chaser appeared first on AddMe Blog.

Why Split Tests Fail:

Invalid Testing:

A very common error is to run an invalid test. This boils down to ending the experiment before statistically significant results have been obtained. When the initial results are positive, a enthusiastic webmaster might abandon the testing process. This can produce an invalid conclusion and, ultimately, a failed test.

A well-researched test is essential if you want valid results. The more you put into your test design, the more informative your results will be. Test design should include:

• Clickstream analytics
• Click Tale Aesthetics
• User testing
• Heuristic usability
• Previous test results
• Editorial staff input

Not Testing Different Variations:

Making small changes to the variation page and then running s split test will often show the original page as outperforming the variation. Feel free to make small changes in a split test, but don’t ignore larger changes that could increase conversion just because you’re afraid of failing the test!Because split testing is an A/B test, it won’t tell you which aspects of the variation page are responsible for increased page performance. Multivariate testing is a better way to identify small changes that have a positive effect. Testing the entire page will reveal information you can use to design a high-performance web page.

Profiting From Failure

A failed A/B test doesn’t mean there’s nothing of value in the results. Studying the analytics can yield critical information. Examine how visitors navigated your site with behavior analytics. Use clickstream analytics to isolate any positive aspects of the failed variation. You might learn that although your variation landing page did not increase sales, it did generate more traffic.

Test … And Test Again

Although it’s satisfying to perform an A/B test that delivers results you want, many webmasters have created remarkable success based on failure. Think of A/B testing as way to root out what’s not working. It’s natural to want good results, but some of the most notable achievements in history were built on a series of failures. What you learn from a failed test could ultimately lead to a significant accomplishment.

The post Turning The Failed A/B Test Into an Ultimate Success appeared first on AddMe Blog.

Optimize Your Ad Groups

On the face of things, the keywords that are included in an ad group may seem very relevant to one another. Upon further analysis, however, this often turns out not to be the case after all. If the keywords in question aren’t quite related enough, the effectiveness of your landing pages will be diminished. Remedying this is fairly simple. You need to obtain the average quality score of each group. Next, you need to get the standard deviation of all of each group’s keyword quality scores. If the standard deviation is high, the keywords that point to one landing page are too disparate and should be split off in some way.

Of course, when you suggest splitting these keywords off, you’re likely to experience resistance. That’s where your data will come in handy. Have your numbers at the ready to prove your point. You’re more likely to get what you want by doing that.

Automated A/B Testing

The importance of A/B testing cannot be emphasized enough. Comparing your landing pages on a side-by-side basis is critical. A/B testing can be used to propel conversion rates and revenues per click. In turn, clicks can be split between several landing pages, reports on the ensuing results can be made and traffic distribution can be automatically optimized.

The goal here is to quickly detect statistically important results from various landing page changes and tweaks and to act upon them quickly. This kind of insight is absolutely invaluable, and it will make or break your search engine marketing efforts.

On the off-chance that you have direct control over landing page content, your work will be a little easier. You’ll be juggling all three balls, so to speak, but you’ll still need to prioritize the performance of your landing pages in order to achieve ongoing success.

The post How Effective is Your Landing Page? appeared first on AddMe Blog.

Why do I use the term “SEO-manipulated?” The answer is because Google simply doesn’t like that awkward-sounding, keyword-laden copy anymore. Sure, ten years ago during the infancy of internet marketing, you could repeat a certain keyword on your page many times and then stick it in the page’s title, and voila! you were suddenly at the top of the search engine rankings!

But, that kind of copy doesn’t work anymore.

Why Doesn’t Keyword-Stuffed Copy Work Anymore?

The truth is that you don’t even have to perform tests to know this is true, although you can if you would really like. A simple analysis of various statements Google has made will show you exactly why this is true. Take a look at a few of the guidelines I’ve located below to help demonstrate this point:

1. “Webmasters who spend their energies upholding the spirit of the basic principles will provide a much better user experience and subsequently enjoy better ranking than those who spend their time looking for loopholes they can exploit.” If this doesn’t make it clear that spammy, keyword-filled copy would be pushed lower in the rankings, I don’t know what does. You can find the statement in this article.
2. If you need direct and explicit confirmation this is true, take a look at this directive: “Filling pages with keywords results in a negative user experience, and can harm your site’s ranking.” You can find that phrasing on this page. If you had any questions regarding keyword-stuffed copy, they should be answered now.
3. “We want people doing white hat search engine optimization (or even no search engine optimization at all) to be free to focus on creating amazing, compelling web sites.” Matt Cutts made this statement at the Google Webmaster Central Blog, and you can find the original article here. Google doesn’t seem to be at the point where it ranks sites that don’t have any SEO well, but based on these statements, and the Penguin, Fresh, and Panda updates in the past 18 months, it is clear this is where the company is heading.

What’s the Future of Keyword Density?

As you can see in point number three, Google’s focus is on ranking valuable content well. In an ideal world, this would probably mean the targeted keyword is used once or twice, and a number of semantically related terms help Google understand how to rank the article. So, to future-proof yourself, you would be best off writing valuable content, and if you really need the numbers, a .5% keyword density maximum.

If you would like a quick keyword density check of your web page to make sure you don’t stuff too many in, check out this tool.

About the Author:
Dan Stelter: Dans SEO Copy Writing

The post Keyword Density: Like All Areas of Life, Moderation Works Best appeared first on AddMe Blog.

1. Post With Purpose
No matter where you post, keep this as your cardinal rule: All posts need a purpose. Show off new product designs, pass on informative tips, or give a shout-out to happy users that have submitted photos. If you don’t know why you’re posting something, don’t post it, period. Haphazardly posting can make you look confused, which is never a good message to send your users.

2. Promote, Don’t Push
Pushy businesses won’t win social media fans. It’s fine to promote your business and products on social media, by posting pictures of items or tweeting about upcoming sales, for example. Avoid hard selling by creating a feed that’s all about your products with nothing else. Users will run in the other direction from this type of content. Social media is all about connection, so keep this in mind as you post.

3. Stay Alert and Bring Your A Game
Keep an eye on emerging social media outlets, then become an early adopter. Arriving to the party early gives you an edge on the competition. Your next customer could be anywhere. If this sounds daunting or overly time consuming, remember to bring your “A game” or find someone who can. Social media isn’t a simple task best left to an intern. It’s a powerful marketing vehicle that can help you promote your business and connect with fans.

4. Be Alert, and Gracious With Complaints
Monitor your social media presence regularly. Not only will this give you a better ear for where your customers are coming from, but it can help you put out a fire when someone complains. In case of a complaint, such as a tweet about a negative experience or a bad Yelp review, react early and graciously. Don’t get angry; this won’t help the situation. Offer to help the customer in any way you can, and try to follow up via email or private message to keep the complaint off of the social network.

About The Author:
John Zwissler from AddMe.com – AddMe is a resource for free search engine submission and online marketing tools. Try our free search engine submission and subscribe to our bi monthly newsletter.

The post Social Media Rules of Engagement appeared first on AddMe Blog.

Popularity

The usefulness of Facebook as a marketing tool requires an accurate estimate of the number of small businesses that use this form of social media. This number is difficult to estimate due to the large variation between sources. Almost 50 percent of small businesses don’t use social networking at all according to Hiscox, an insurance company for small businesses. Facebook only accounted for 19 percent of the businesses that use social media in this survey. Palore is an Internet marketing firm that surveyed small businesses about their use of social media. This survey showed that 54.2 percent of small businesses have a Facebook page and 22.3 percent of small businesses have a Twitter account and a Facebook page.

Customers

Customer engagement is a primary factor in determining the effectiveness of a marketing strategy. Facebook is more likely to be useful for large businesses that have stores in many locations. The Roost Local Scorecard is an analysis of Facebook pages for small businesses. This analysis found that an average of 15 percent of the “likes” on the Facebook page for a small business were from local users, which means that a Facebook page would provide little benefit for small businesses.

Budget

A business must consider the cost of a particular marketing strategy, especially small businesses with limited financial resources. Facebook does not charge a fee for creating a Facebook page, but a Facebook page used to market a business requires a substantial investment of time and money. This includes the resources needed to update the page with fresh content and respond to comments. A large business typically hires consultants to maintain a Facebook presence, but small businesses often must perform these tasks themselves.

Objectives

The effectiveness of Facebook also depends on your specific marketing objective. Small businesses typically rely on sales leads more than brand awareness to increase revenue. Facebook can be highly effective in building brand awareness, but it is less able to generate sales leads. A lead generation program that consists of rewarding people for referrals is often more beneficial to small businesses. These businesses may generate leads with a direct mail campaign. Webmaster tools can also allow small businesses to implement pay-per-click and SEO campaigns.

The post Is Facebook Marketing Good for Small Businesses? appeared first on AddMe Blog.

User Experience

Any web property that you operate should have user experience at the top of the priority list. It’s very likely that your target audience members can find the same, or very similar, service or product that you offer elsewhere. Don’t frustrate them with a poor layout or navigation. The same theory applies when it comes to your content. Any interaction with your brand should be easy. A website or blog visitor should never have to think too much because if they find themselves thinking too hard, you’ve lost them. A blog should be easy to navigate and include post categories and archives by date. Including social share buttons also makes it easy for them to share the content with their fans and followers. If these buttons aren’t included, it’s unlikely that someone is going to take the time to open up a new window, sign in to their account, and copy and paste the link. This doesn’t mean that they didn’t find your content “shareable”; it just means that they didn’t feel like spending that extra time to share it.

Improve Brand Visibility and Reach

The ultimate long term goal of any content is for it to rank organically in the search engines for targeted keywords. But this takes time. If you create quality content, don’t you want people to see it immediately? This is why it’s important to have a robust social media presence and a respectable amount of followers. A simple post or tweet will share your fresh new content with the people that care about your brand or industry the most. But you don’t want it to stop there. Hopefully, your content is good enough that they will want to share it with their own fans and followers, which will improve your brand exposure. Including social share buttons increases the likelihood that this will happen.

Social Signals

Social media is no longer just a brand building and communication tool. A social media presence, or lack thereof, now has search engine ranking implications. If a link is shared frequently in social media, the search engines determine that it is a valuable link, which can result in better search engine ranking position. Since including share buttons increases the likelihood of a blog post getting shared, it also increases the likelihood that it will improve your search engine optimization efforts.

The post Why Social Sharing Buttons are Important appeared first on AddMe Blog.

Let’s jump right in and look at five easy fixes:

1. Format your text using CSS.

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are the way to go – use one style sheet and control how text looks on your entire site. Make a change to the style sheet and your whole site is updated. It makes life a lot simpler.

2. Make the font size big enough to read.

Consider your target audience. Even if they are a group of teenage girls looking for new shoes, it’s never a good idea to use tiny type. It doesn’t have to be enormous, but up to a point, larger type is better. 12-pt Verdana is better than 8-pt Verdana.

3. Make the text contrast with its background.

The more contrast, the better. Black-on-white or white-on-black are examples of the highest contrast you can get. Use colors if you like, but if you squint at the page and your text basically vanishes, there’s not enough contrast.

4. Give the lines room to breathe.

Don’t stack lines on top of each other. Use the line-spacing directive in CSS and give it some space; I’ll often set line-spacing to 140% of the height of a typical line.

5. Break text up into chunks.

No matter how good a writer you are, people don’t want to read endless pages of text. Break it up by using headlines that reflect the subject of the paragraph(s) to follow so people can scan down to the parts that really interest them, or use bulleted lists to change the pace of the writing and slow down the scanning.

And finally (not one of the 5 Easy Ways to Improve Legibility but still quite important) check your spelling. Nothing irritates me more on a web page than spelling errors – it simply makes you look like you don’t care enough to get it right. Use that ubiquitous spell check tool.

Making your websites content more legible is easy. It doesn’t take a lot of time, mainly common sense. The payoff will be text that’s more readable, customers that stick around long enough to get your message, and improved credibility with your visitors.

About the Author:
Sohpia Alexander is a contributing writer for http://www.trifectaky.com/

The post 5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Website’s Legibility appeared first on AddMe Blog.