Your Business Can Do Better Than the Toilet!

You’re not going to believe what I saw when I was out to lunch today…

I headed into the ladies’ room to wash my hands before my sandwich arrived, and as I lathered up my hands, my eyes started to wander.  Right there, on the wall next to the sink, was a business card nailed to the wall offering SEO content writing services!

My first thought was, “Whoa!  A competitor of mine, right here in my neighborhood!  Who is it?”

My second thought was, “Why on earth are they nailing business cards to the wall in a public bathroom?”

Sure, you might get someone like me who’s a stickler for clean hands, gets bored waiting for the soap to rinse off, and stares aimlessly around the room.  And, yes, it’s certainly free exposure.   But what are the odds that anyone in your target audience is going to actually see that business card?

To me, what made it even worse was the fact that this person specializes in content writing.  That means their job is to make their clients look as smart, as professional, and as on-the-ball as possible.

And, yet, they couldn’t think of a better place to market their own services than a public toilet?!

Instead, why didn’t this person put their content writing skills to work?  Instead of “bathroom marketing”, they could be writing some killer guest posts, updating their own blog, or writing awesome SEO articles that other webmasters will syndicate.  That way, they could be showcasing their expertise, making a name for themselves, and getting a whole bunch of web traffic and new customers.

Even if you’re not a professional SEO content writer, it’s a great strategy!  In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one!

Let’s face it — the last thing you want as a business owner is to pin all of your hopes on a public toilet.  But by focusing on the right SEO content writing strategy, you can make sure that your business doesn’t get flushed!

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Standing Out in the SEO Content World

Talk about your SEO content working FOR you! 

If you’re a loyal reader of “Nicole’s Blog“, then you know I am constantly talking about publishing SEO content that establishes your expertise, sets you apart from your competitors, and grabs readers’ attention in a good way.

I live by that advice, too.  And, today, I’m happy to say that I’m reaping even more benefits because of it!

(drum roll please…)

I am really excited to announce that I have been invited to join Worldwide Who’s Who! 

Worldwide Who’s Who is an organization with about 500,000 members around the world, and they only invite people who have made an impact on their chosen field.  In my case, owning one of the leading SEO content writing companies on the web put me on their radar.

After going through a lengthy interview where I talked about Premier Content Source’s accomplishments, my vision for the future of the company, my views on the best way to serve my clients, and even some of my own accomplishments in the TV news business, I was officially invited to join.  (You can see my new profile page by clicking here)

I certainly didn’t start Premier Content Source to get pats on the back like these, but it’s always nice to know that other people respect your hard work and dedication. 

So, the next time you go to publish a piece of SEO content, think about what it’s saying about you.  Even if you’re not looking for awards and accolades, it’s always nice to be considered one of the top people in your industry.

After all, you never know who your words are going to inspire!

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How Your SEO Content Can Turn You into a Superhero

If you’ve ever watched a good superhero movie — like Batman, Superman, Captain America, or any of the sort — then you know that any superhero worth his salt has an awesome super power.  Without it, he’s just a weirdo in tights!

If you’ve always dreamed of being a superhero, now’s the perfect time to do it.

While you may not have super strength or a cape, you do have one thing that can be used as a super power — your SEO content.

Think about it…

Superheroes get all of the glory because they save people from the Bad Guy.  Out on the web, the Bad Guy comes in all shapes and sizes.  You’ll see Bad Guys that use ridiculous promises and outrageous sales copy to sell products that give people false hope.  Other Bad Guys are so busy trying to manipulate the search engines that their website visitors are left to deal with spun SEO content and other shortcuts.  Other Bad Guys are so desperate to save a few bucks that they publish stuff from a $2 content writer, even though the SEO content itself is terrible.

Want to save people from these Bad Guys?

All you have to do is publish SEO content that puts your readers first! 

By having content that presents hard-core facts in an interesting way, you’ll be giving your readers value.  You’ll be answering their questions and solving their problems.  You’ll be able to build relationships.  To internet searchers, if you can do that, you’ve just saved the day!

As long as you have a smart SEO content writing strategy, there’s nothing to stop you from becoming a superhero.  As long as you have the power of great content, nothing — not even Kryptonite — can stop you from saving the world wide web from Bad Guys

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What Should You Sound Like in Your Online Videos?

If terrorists ever needed to squeeze top secrets out of me, they could get me to crumble by forcing me to listen to the sound of my own recorded voice.

Seriously.

I hated having a desk next to our TV station’s promotions director, because every time I had to be in a new promo, it meant listening to him edit the tracks over… and over… and over.  I wound up listening to the sound of my own voice for more hours than I care to remember.  Eventually, I started nit-picking and found 1,000 things I didn’t like about what I was hearing.

Rationally, I knew there was nothing wrong with my voice.  After all, I was a main news anchor, and ratings were at an all-time high.  Obviously, no one else was cringing at the sound of my voice!  It just goes to show you… We’re all our worst critics.

Now you’re probably wondering, “Great!  She talked on camera for a living!  What on earth am I going to sound like in my online videos?!”

Instead of focusing on tiny details and silly insecurities, focus on what you’re trying to accomplish.  The best online videos don’t necessarily come from people with the best voices.  Instead, the best online videos come from people who have something interesting and informative to share with their viewers — and who say it with confidence.

Sure, I could share all kinds of voice tips with you.  In fact, if you’re a loyal reader of “Nicole’s Blog“, you know I’ve already shared some tips from a voice coach who works with tons of TV stations around the country.  Plus, I’ve given you a list of things that will have your viewers scrambling for the “stop” button.  But that’s not what we’re focusing on today.

Instead, I want you to take a deep breath, and remember one thing — confidence.

If you can speak with confidence in your online videos, you’ll be miles ahead of your competitors.  While they’re stammering over “umms” and “uhhs”, you’ll be presenting your message in a way that encourages viewers to keep listening — and to consider you an expert.

That’s why great online videos never come from someone who’s “winging it”.  Instead, they’re a product of well-written video scripts and some practice time.  By having an interesting and informative video scripts laid out in front of you — and knowing that you’re comfortable reciting it on camera — you’ll naturally sound more confident.

And that’s all your viewers are looking for!

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Google’s New Change Has Turned SEO Content into the Wild West

Flip on the TV early on a Saturday morning, and you’ll see one of those old black and white movies that pit the Good Guys against the Bad Guys in the Wild West.  But if you want to sleep in on Saturday, you can still catch the Good Guys taking on the Bad Guys — right on your computer screen!

That’s because Google just made a big change that’s turning SEO content into its own form of the Wild West!

Dubbed the “Webspam” update, Google says the latest change to its algorithm is aimed at punishing website owners that are up to no-good — specifically, in the form of keyword stuffing, link manipulation, and other tricks that are used to fool the search engines.  In fact, Google’s Matt Cutts admits that he wants the “Good Guys” (his words, not mine) to win.  That’s why the world’s largest search engine is doing everything it can to make sure that the Bad Guys (the “Webspammers”)  are nowhere to be found in the search results.

According to Google, the Webspam update will affect 3% of English searches.  It’s not as drastic as the first Panda update was back in early 2011 (that one affected 12% of English searchers), but it’s still a major algorithm change.  (And, to throw in an interesting twist, Google says it rolled out a brand new Panda update just a few days ago — right around the same time that Webspam started to take effect.)

So, how do you make sure that your SEO content doesn’t get penalized by the Webspam update?

According to Cutts, you should be “thinking about creative ways to make a site more compelling.”

How do you do that?

By publishing plenty of fresh SEO content that gives your readers the answers and solutions they need, in an easy-to-understand, fun-to-read way.

By introducing Webspam, Google has sent a strong message — focus on giving your visitors the very best experience possible.  You simply can’t do that with SEO content that has so many keywords in it that your eyes bleed, or with SEO content that’s chock full of fluff instead of facts.

If you’re not focusing on publishing great SEO content, get writing — or hire a quality content writer to do it for you.  Otherwise, you’re going to be pegged as one of the Bad Guys!

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Does Mo’ Money Equal Mo’ SEO Problems?

If you’re a business owner who’s working feverishly to make ends meet, you probably don’t understand what the heck the Notorious B.I.G. was talking about when he sang “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems”.  But, the more big companies I see, the more I realize that so many of them are spending money on SEO because they think they have to — not because they understand what’s really behind it.

Here at Premier Content Source, we deal with a number of big companies who “get it”.  They understand that all web searchers really want is an answer to their question or a solution to their problem.  Sure, they might have the money to order 10 times the SEO articles that you do, or five times as many press releases, but their SEO strategy isn’t all that different from yours — establish yourself as an expert, build relationships with people, create things that people want to link to, and the search engines will reward you for it.

Then, there are the companies that don’t get it.

They have a big budget to play with, and they see all of the “shiny objects” out there — like backlinking packages, blog commenting software, article spinners, and keyword density checkers.  They’re so fascinated with buying the “next big thing” that they completely lose sight of why people are actually searching the web in the first place.  They spend all of their money on flash and razzle dazzle, but there’s no real substance behind it.  They try to buy their way to the top of the search engine rankings, but they never get there — because they’re not offering the user experience that the search engines want.

Like I said… Mo’ money, mo’ SEO problems!

Before you hand over your hard-earned money, make sure that the product or service you’re buying fits in with your overall SEO strategy.  If you can’t figure out how the product or service is going to benefit your visitors, you don’t need it!

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Take a Lesson on Writing SEO Articles from Jack Handy

“When you read a good book, it’s like the author is right there in the room talking to you — which is why I don’t like to read good books.”

Seriously, who can resist a great Jack Handy quote?

Although he’s a fictional character created by the folks over at “Saturday Night Live”, you can learn a lot from Jack Handy — as long as you know how to separate the sarcasm from the wisdom that’s buried deep beneath the punch line.

Good ol’ Jack made a heck of a point with this one.  Great authors make their content come alive.  It doesn’t matter if you’re reading a novel, an article, or a blog post.  If the author is truly talented, you’ll get a whole lot more out of it than just words on a page or on a screen.

And when it comes to writing SEO articles, you need to think of Jack Handy’s quote every time you publish something new!

After all, a big part of writing SEO articles is to establish yourself as an expert.  Sure, anyone can rattle off facts, but if you can publish SEO articles that take those facts and present them in a compelling way, you’ve just set yourself ahead of the pack.  Your readers will feel like they’re sitting in the room listening to you — and they’ll remember you when it comes time to spend money.

Plus, great SEO articles make readers feel like you’re talking to them one-on-one, not a nameless, faceless “target audience”.  They’ll feel personally connected to you.  By reading your SEO articles, people will see that you truly understand their problems — and you know how to solve them.

If you’re an internet searcher with a problem, it doesn’t get any better than that!

So, the next time you come across a quote from Jack Handy, don’t just chuckle and dismiss it.  After all, Jack’s pretty smart!

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My Kitten Just Turned One – Does That Mean Her PR Went Up?

My family celebrated a very special birthday over the weekend.  My beloved kitten, Bella, turned one!  If you’re a loyal reader of “Nicole’s Blog“, you’ve heard about some of Bella’s antics — like staying up all night and swinging from my living room curtains.

In between the cake and the balloons (that poor Bella was afraid of!), I couldn’t help but chuckle that if Bella were a website, her PR would have just gone up.  After all, older pages tend to have higher PR than brand new ones.

And, of course, in addition to her age, Bella has plenty of experience creating quality SEO content!  She sits on my desk while I write SEO articles for clients, she bangs on my keyboard when I’m writing blog posts, and she even opened up Google all by herself one day and searched for “ssssss”.  It wasn’t exactly the caliber of researched I needed for my article, but I appreciated the effort!

If you’re not working as hard as Bella is, you’re making a big mistake.

After all, age alone doesn’t guarantee SEO success.  Google wants to see that you’re providing a good “user experience” — in the form of informative SEO articles, interesting blog posts, and even kick-butt online videos.  If you just sit around and wait for your website to get older, you’re never going to be seen as a true authority.  Instead, you have to work at it.

So, what are you waiting for?

Get out there, and publish the very best SEO content you can!  Devote yourself to answering your target audience’s questions and solving their problems.  Become the expert you need to be by creating an awesome user experience and encouraging return business and word-of-mouth advertising.

After all, you don’t want to get out-worked by a cat, do you?!

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If You Write It, They Will Come

This time of year, I can’t help but think of the movie Field of Dreams.  After all, baseball teams are back on the diamond, the smell of hot dogs is intoxicating, and the crack of the bat is the sweetest sound around.

Like most people, one of my favorite parts of Field of Dreams is when Ray Kinsella keeps hearing someone whisper, “If you build it, he will come.”

Guess what?

The same philosophy applies to writing your SEO articles!

OK, so you might not wind up with a bunch of ghosts playing baseball on a field in the middle of Iowa, but publishing the right SEO articles can give your business just as big of a boost.

After all, buyers head online for one very important thing – information.  They’re desperately searching for someone who has the solutions to their problems and the answers to their questions.  They’re willing to spend their hard-earned money on a product that will make their lives easier.

By writing the right SEO articles, you can be the answer to their prayers!

Good SEO articles address everything that buyers need to know.  Plus, they’re proof that you know what you’re talking about and that you’re miles ahead of the 9 million other people out there competing with you.

If you write SEO articles that are chock full of important information and get them syndicated in front of targeted traffic, buyers will come. 

And, if you can provide a great – equally knowledgeable experience on your own website – you’ll get loyal buyers that sign up for your email lists, share your name with their friends and family, and follow you on Twitter.

Next to a hot dog and a cold beer during the 7th inning stretch, is there really anything better than that?!

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What Do Your Online Videos Say About You?

When you venture into the world of online video marketing, you have a whole lot more to worry about.  After all, anytime people can see and hear you, there’s a lot more to be conscious of.  If you’re not careful, your viewers may get the wrong impression of you!

Now, I’m not talking about having a professional set, designer suits, and flashy graphics.  What I am talking about is using your online video marketing strategy to come across as a confident, legitimate expert.  Having a bigger budget doesn’t automatically give you a better reputation.

No matter how much money you may be spending on your online videos, there are plenty of little things you could be doing that are preventing people from thinking of you in the very best way.

Here are some that I see all too frequently:

-  The “Umm Disease”

Nothing is more annoying than watching a video where the word “ummm” is used every two seconds.  Usually, this happens because the person in the video decided that he would talk “off the cuff” – without the benefit of any kind of script.  Unfortunately, that’s like taking the express train to “Umm Land”.  It makes you look like you don’t know what you’re talking about.  It also makes you boring.  And, there’s a good chance that you’ll forget to mention an important fact if you just talk off the top of your head.

-  Eye contact woes

Some people rely on their online video scripts too much – and simply read off a piece of paper, instead of talking to their viewers.  If you can’t make eye contact (by looking directly into the camera), you automatically look shady to your viewers.

You can easily solve this problem by copying and pasting your video scripts into an online teleprompter website and setting your monitor up in front of the camera, so that you can talk directly to your viewers.

-  Poor posture

How many online videos have you seen where the person in them is leaned back or slouching in his chair?  If you want people to take you seriously, sit up straight.  Leaning and slouching can make you look lazy, instead of the confident, legitimate expert that you are!

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