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- Quality content: Do some keyword research up front to understand exactly what phrases people are searching on that are related to the topic of your website. From that list, you can start building content. You can write this yourself. Around 300 words per page is enough content. You can go longer, but try not to go too much shorter – you want the content to reinforce the fact that you are an authority on the topic.
- Building relevant links: Your social media program can help here as you should be sharing links to your own content as well as to content from other websites your followers will find useful. I’d suggest maybe a 4-to-1 balance. For every one item you post about your own website, post four items to other related sites. You can offer to do some guest blogging for other sites related to your topic in exchange for a link back to your website. It’s a great way to turn 45 minutes of your time into a quality inbound link.
- Set up or claim your local listing with the major search engines. Bing recently launched the Bing Business Portal allowing local businesses to claim their listing, partake in “local deals” (think Groupon and Living Social) and even snag a mobile website, if desired.
- Optimize your website. This helps the search engines understand your site is a quality product and they are much more likely to rank you favorably. As part of your optimization efforts, you should ask yourself what else you can do to offer your website visitors the best possible experience. The engines want to show the best results, so quality content and an excellent user experience factor heavily into this effort.
- Get social! Don’t be afraid of participating at Facebook and on Twitter as a business.
- It’s changing the way governments, businesses, cultures, and people communicate. By not grasping how Facebook works, you come off as clueless and inflexible. Which are not the traits that employers are looking for.
- When your clients, potential employers, friends, and children make references to Facebook, you want to be able to participate in the discussion with an informed opinion.
- Using a company or government’s Facebook page can get you answers when email or calling fails. For example, Sharon Z. ran into problems trying to claim her weekly unemployment benefits, and despite herculean efforts to straighten it out through the Department of Labor’s toll free number, she suffered in messaging hell. Then, an idea. She searched and found the NY State Department of Labor’s Facebook page. She typed in her question and within hours, got an answer.
- To control who sees your information, you can customize your privacy setting by using the pull down menu tucked under Account -> Privacy Settings on the upper right side, very top
- You must give a complete birth date (including year) when registering for a Facebook account, but then you can set your birth date to show only “month and year” or no birth info at all, by clicking Profile -> the button Edit Profile
- The most complete list of how your information is collected and shared is here
- Whenever you add updates to share (ribbon at the top), look for the icon lock. Clicking on the lock will bring up a menu that lets you choose who will be able to see that particular post
- In the search bar at the top of the page, type in the person’s name. You will see the profiles (most with pictures) of the individuals. If it’s Jennifer Smith, however, you may get back a LOT of Jennifer Smiths. So another option.
- Go to: http://www.facebook.com/srch.php If you know what school or company your friend was part of (and they’ve listed it in their information about themselves), you can find them that way.
- If you don’t have a Facebook account, open it now, upload your picture (although not required, we most strongly recommend it — it’s FACEbook), and start to add details to your profile. You can finish up later if need be, just get it started
- Using the Share button below, share this post to your Facebook page, and see how it appears in your news feed
- Like Mojo40’s blog by moving all the way back up to the top of our blog — where you see the banner and logo, and on the right-hand column, within the Facebook box (with photos), hit the Like button to up the count. It’s a nice way to say thanks.
- See if you have a QR reader on your phone. You probably don’t so you will have to download one from your app store or market onto your phone. For more info on that, click how to download a QR reader app
- Once you have your QR reader app installed, click on the QR reader app icon on your phone
- Aim the camera so it looks like you’re about to take a picture of the code. You will hear a beep when it captures it
- The phone decodes the code
- It takes you to a website
- It can automatically dial a phone number (lame, if you are not warned ahead of time) when you scan it.
- You can buy things with it and it will charge your credit card account. So far only this only exists at a few places in the US. But it’s everywhere in Japan.
- You can use it as a boarding pass. The big difference here: You download the QR code to your phone and then scan that code in the boarding area. No need to download software since your phone isn’t reading anything. United, Delta, and American Airlines are doing this now. Others are adding it soon so check with your airline.
- Check and see if your phone has a QR reader app, if not, download one now, and scan the QR code on this page
- Read more about QR codes in general and how they can be used in marketing
- Create your own QR code. As an example, try using your public LinkedIn profile URL or your blog as the destination. Then put the image onto your business cards, your one-page sell sheet, or a physical newsletter that you send out. That is, wherever you go that you meet people and it’s cumbersome to whip out a laptop or tablet, becomes a perfect opportunity for them to check their smartphone and see what you’ve got.
- Don’t take a non-response personally, but do understand it means “no”
- Commit to operating with more courtesy yourself, in the future
- Stop negative thinking, get inspired, and reinvigorate your work efforts
9 Insider Secrets to Becoming an Internet Marketing Expert
May 27th, 2011Sometimes it seems like search engines operate a little bit like the Wizard of Oz. Who knows what the %$#* goes on behind those digital curtains. Wouldn’t it be great to get the real scoop from an insider? Mojo40 was able to do just that. Here’s our interview with Major Search Geek, author, and the person who runs Bing’s Webmaster Tools Program, Duane Forrester.
Mojo40: Many of our users are setting up their first websites. What are the most common mistakes beginners make when trying to optimize their sites for search?
Duane: They get bogged down in too much detail. After researching search optimization, they become overwhelmed with all the advice. Worse, how do you figure out which advice to trust? The truth is, building a plan for optimizing your site can be pretty straightforward. Notice I didn’t say doing the work would be easy. I won’t lie, it’s a lot of work to optimize a website, but setting out the right plan ahead of time makes a big difference. So what should you focus on then?
If you focus on these two main areas, the rest of the chatter around optimization becomes manageable over time. Don’t kid yourself, though. Producing quality content takes time and commitment.
Mojo40: Some of our users are sole proprietors (note: think lawyer, architect, dentist etc.) so they are only interested in getting local business. They know about search but they have very little time for that and even less budget. What are the three most important things they should be doing to get local business?
Duane: Here’s my advice:
Mojo40: When I search on my smart phone, am I getting the same results as if I’m searching on my desktop? Is there anything I should be doing differently?
Duane: Yes and no. Due to the different user interfaces at play on a mobile device v. your computer, the results returned in mobile search favor websites targeted at mobile experiences. You can, and should, look into optimizing a website for mobile searchers. The differences are subtle and don’t really require you building an entirely new website. Don’t fear treading into the mobile space, as it’s the portal to local traffic. Most mobile searches are local in nature, so the two are very closely related.
Mojo40: How much do reviews– like for Yelp or Amazon– figure into search results?
Duane: They are signals. The engines use signals like these to help understand relevance and perceived value. If the reviews are positive, that’s a good indicator to the engines the result is trustworthy. It’s not the only, or even main signal applied, but certainly reviews can help.
Mojo40: For search– does wordpress.com or blogger.com make a difference?
Duane: What makes a difference is being able to control your web space. This means being able to access the root of your domain to upload items such as robots.txt files, sitemap.xml files and validation tags for services such as Bing Webmaster Tools. If a blogging platform can enable access for you to work with these elements, then you’re fine. Other than that, WordPress tends to offer greater control than Blogger, and there are a ton of great plugins available for WordPress such as Zemanta and the All-In-One SEO plugin.
Mojo 40: What search advice would you give to Mojo40.com?
Duane: Not much as it turns out. You guys are hitting the high points, the site looks pretty good and your social work brings useful items forward beyond just your own site content. I say, “Keep up the great work!” 
photo courtesy of pharmamkting.blogspot.com
Got more questions? Tips? Tell us in the comment section below.
The Easiest and Most Idiot Proof Guide to Facebook in the World
May 1st, 2011Although we don’t wear clerical clothing, take vows of celibacy, or baptize babies, we Mojo40 Mavens do have something in common with priests. We hear confessions. Intelligent and accomplished people confess to us that they don’t understand Facebook. In fact, some of them admit that they don’t even have a Facebook profile.
If President Obama makes time for Facebook, isn't it about time you did the same?
So we’ve collected your top questions and concerns and will answer them in a series of three posts. This post is about your personal use and why bother in the first place. The next post will focus on business use, and the last one on recent changes that affect everyone, even hard core users. For now, though, here are answers to the most common newbie questions.
Question: Facebook seems like a colossal waste of time. Why should I bother creating a profile?
There’s no way to understand Facebook without actually using it. And you need to understand it because:
Question: How did Facebook get so popular?
It makes sharing information incredibly easy. Whether you want to pass tips on a colicky baby or plan a revolution to overthrow a government, these messages can instantly be passed to your friends and those friends can pass it to theirs. If it’s really popular, it can go viral in minutes.
Q: I’m confused. There seems to be different kinds of pages on Facebook. What’s the difference?
Even long time Facebook users get confused by this. And technically, only one of them is a “page”. Here are the different types of presences that Facebook offers:
1. Personal profiles. This is what you would set up for yourself. It usually consists of a picture, some information about yourself, and the updates you write on your “Wall”. When you’re asking to be friends with someone, you’re reaching out to another personal profile. Profiles are just for individual people — not businesses.
2. Fan page/Business page a.k.a Page. These are different names for the exact same thing: a page for a company, a brand, a cause, etc. Think of them as mini-websites where the company posts updates and interacts with their customers or fans. For example, Zappos has a Page, not a personal profile. For a quick glimpse at some of the most successful facebook company pages, see Inc. magazine’s nominees from 2010.
3. Events. These are simply invitations for events ranging from a cocktail party sent by an individual (profile), or a large fundraising event sent out by a not-for-profit company (a page). To create one, just click on the Events icon in the upper left corner on your home page. (see graphic on left)
4. Groups. These are formed by other Facebook users. It could be a book club, alumni from a swim team, or people that love iguanas. To create one, make sure you are on Home and then on the upper left side you will see Create Group (see graphic). Click that and follow the prompts. Keep in mind that you can set your group to be open, closed or secret if you don’t want others to see what’s going on.
Q: I don’t want people knowing all my personal information and birthday. How do I prevent this?
This seems to be the #1 fear of people who have not signed up yet. And the main things to keep in mind are Facebook requires very little information from you aside from a valid email address (which is not shown) and your birth date (which you can choose not to show). That’s it. For all your other information that you choose to share, you can control who sees it. A few tips on this:
Q: How do I find friends?
Lot of options here. If you are looking for an individual you can try:
If you are looking for all your friends on Facebook, among your tabs on the upper left side is a link that says Friends. Click on that. It will take you here. Follow the links to import your contacts and then choose one by one whom you’d like to invite to be Facebook friends.
Q: How do I upload photos and videos?
Use the ribbon at the top which looks like this:
Then toggle among Status, Question, Photos, Links, and Video to upload whatever you want. Facebook prompts you each step of the way, and don’t worry if you make a mistake as you can take things down, too.
Q: Where do I go to create a business page, read the Privacy Policy, or find groups?
Scroll to the very bottom of any Facebook screen and on the right you will see small blue links. Click any of them and it will walk you through creating a page, the details of the privacy policy, and a whole array of groups or apps you can join or add.
Q: What’s the deal with the Like button and how is it different from the Share button?
There are two types of Like buttons. One that likes a particular post. And one that likes the entire site. We have both. When you hit a like button, it boosts the counter by one. If you are logged into Facebook, a message will also say on your profile Wall that you liked the post or the site, and that same message appears in the News Feeds of your Facebook friends. If you haven’t clicked Like for our site (located on the upper right side when you are the very top of the site) and this post, why not try it right now?
If you mouse over the Share button, also on our site, a little pop-up will open that gives you the option of sharing the post in several ways, including emailing it to a friend. If you pick the Facebook option, you can add a comment. The link to the post and the comment will then show up on your Facebook Wall, along with a graphic/video/text snippet. It’s a little different from the Like button in that it takes a couple of seconds more time, but you get to personalize it. Best way to figure it out? Try it right now on this post.
Q: What if I have other questions about Facebook?
If you’ve mastered everything here, try Facebook’s online help, which appears at Account -> Help Center in the upper right, very top. Or leave a question in the comments below. One of us will answer it. Or, perhaps one of our Mojo40 users will, if they see it first.
Present your best self, and don’t put up anything verboten
Last caveat: A woman was seeking a job with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Alas, they looked at her Facebook profile, found pictures of her drinking, and dropped her (as a candidate). Seems intuitive, but don’t put up anything that will trip you up down the road or go against any business where you work, or seek work.
Mojo Moves
Tech Tip: What Are Those Black and White Square Patterns and Why Should I Care?
April 23rd, 2011Suddenly, they’re everywhere. Those little squares that look like a crossword puzzle mated with an ink blot. And as you look closer at one you are probably thinking, “Sheesh, is this another tech thing I have to learn? Do they actually do anything? Isn’t this just some trend among Hipster marketers?” Answers: Yes, Yes, and A Little Bit for Right Now.
What the *&# is this?
You’re probably not thinking, what are they called? But I’ll tell you anyway, so you can impress your friends and the hipsters. They actually have several names: QR codes (for Quick Response), Mobile Tags, and 2-D Bar Codes (1-D being the bar code the cashier swipes).
Before getting into more specifics, how about a little demonstration?
Creative example of what you can do with a QR code
Creative fodder for how you could use it in your job search. Before that, though, you need to learn the basics of how it works, and set it up.
How do QR codes work?
First, you need a smartphone since these QR codes require a camera and web access. You also need an app that can read it. Don’t know where to get one? Don’t worry, we’ll ‘splain.
And that website can be a page featuring a special offer, your portfolio, or a video.
Besides taking you to a website, what else can a QR code do?
So far in the States, that’s the most useful thing it can do. Once again, look to Japan to see what can be done.
Mojo Moves
Find this helpful? Be sure to click the Like button, email it to a friend. Got other questions or comments about QR codes? Spill below.
“Yes” Comes Quickly, “No” Never Comes
January 14th, 2011In Japan it is considered impolite to say, “No”. So if a Japanese company decides after a lengthy presentation that they do not want your product, instead of saying no, they will politely gush over how wonderful your product is. And then never contact you again.
Are your interviewers turning Japanese?
Perhaps a recruiter calls you, interviews you twice, and tells you that you’re a perfect match for the client, and then … you don’t hear back. Or, you do a phone screen with an HR director, take two hours to complete their online personality assessment, and then … the long, dark rabbit hole of incommunicado.
What gives? Why is everyone turning Japanese when it comes to saying no? What can you do about it?
“Yes” comes quickly, and “no” never comes
In almost every situation, if an interviewer or client is interested, they will get back to you right away. And if they don’t, you will never hear from them again. This seems to be the accepted practice in dating, business, and the entertainment industry as outlined by a screenwriter in The Happiness Project. You don’t have to like it, you just have to accept it.
Why no one says “no”
If you are still ticked off about people not following up with you after the three interviews or even the online application, think about the way you say no. There are emails you never respond to, phone calls you didn’t return, RSVPs you didn’t reply to. Or worse, you said yes and never showed up. You were too busy or felt uncomfortable saying no. Same with those employers or recruiters.
If having some empathy with the employers doesn’t work to reduce your anxiety not hearing back, then take three minutes out of your day to become more inspired.
Change the way you act
To paraphrase Gandhi, make it your business to become the change you wish to see in the world. From now on, when you are looking to hire someone or select a vendor, always let the candidates know the outcome. The longer you spent talking to them, the more personalized the response should be.
Mojo Moves
Got a story about non-responses? Tips on how to deal with it? Share below.
Photo courtesy www.cartoonbank.com, all rights reserved.