I am planning a wedding and social bookmarking is my new best friend! Whenever I am on the internet looking at wedding ideas and I find a website, or even a specific picture I can not live with out I can bookmark it to one of my favorite book marking sites and then I have all of my wedding ideas and pictures in one spot.

If you have not tried social bookmarking I suggest you give it a shot. It is a great way to organize all of your favorite websites and it is also helping your favorite websites out at the same time! A couple of my favorite social book marking spots is Delicious and Mixx. Both are great ways to organize your thoughts.

This is a great tool to download. It is great to see how your personal website or sites rank against other sites on the Internet. The lower the Alexa rank the better, so keep that in mind when you are looking at how your sites stack up. It is also fun to look at how all of your favorite sites rank.]]> Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:23:51 -0800 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/1049775 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/1028490 Whether you are a small company managing your own internet marketing or you are a professional internet marketer for companies that outsource help there is a basic set of rules that you should know and follow for success. The first rule is to research and have knowledge of Internet marketing and know how and why it works. After you research the next step is to take action on all of the information you have learned. Internet marketing is here to stay and the more knowledge you have about it under your belt the better! The more action you take now the more Internet marketing will pay off for you in the future! If you are on top of these two steps the rest will come easy.

Don't ever under estimate the power of the Internet. Bye bye yellow books, hello Internet for all your resources. After you follow through with the first two steps your next step is repetition. Now if you do not have the time for repetition that is where outsourcing comes in. Also if you do not have the time to research, or take action that is also where outsourcing comes in. Remember if you are doing something it is better then doing nothing!

The first step is deciding which book is going to be the right book for you. When you choose your book make sure that is a very specific topic. You do not want to choose a book that is to broad of topics because then you are learning a little about each topic compared to the topic you want to learn a lot about.

After you have chosen the right book make sure to set aside time at least a couple times a week to read the book. Have you ever started a book and never finished? Well it is because you did not plan a time to finish it.

The third step is key to getting the most out of your book, it consists of following along with any worksheets etc. that way you are getting more out of learning by changing to a more hands on approach.

The forth step is also very important, whenever you have questions always write them down. When you write down questions then you can always find answers for them somewhere down the road whether it is a close friend, family member or even just personal research. By writing it down you are sure to never forget the questions you have.

I hope these steps help you next time you are planning on reading a "how to " book.

1. Create a Google Account
2. Sign up for Google Ad words/Analytics
3. Add analytic tracking to client web site
4. Create a test campaign (make sure it is exact match with .05 min bid and a $5.00 budget)
5. Wait about 15 minutes until campaign is active on the web
6. Create a conversion goal in Analytics (ex: check out page after purchase made)
7. Search your exact match, click on test ad, follow through and complete goal (test purchase)
8. Wait about 1 hour then check Analytics to make sure it was tracked properly (purchase reflected properly)
9. Once confirmed that everything was tracked properly you are ready to create your ads!

I follow these steps for each Pay Per Click campaign I start with a client:) If you are doing your own campaign make sure to follow these steps to insure that your campaign is set up correctly and ready to track. It can be very frustrating if your information is not tracking properly and a big waste of time. So take the time to double check your work before you start.

One of the reports that I have created is called Initial SEO Evaluation and Assessment Report. I use it as a starting point for any of my beginning]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:28:45 -0800 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/926596 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/896469 I have recently been running a couple Ad Word accounts. It is interesting how everything works with Google Ad Words. I have a online store that is partners with US Outdoor store and I am trying to get a jump on the Ski and Snowboard season. I have 3 different campaigns that I am running and they each have 7 different Ad groups. Ad words can get pretty expensive if you are not monitoring your account. I check daily to make sure that I am with in budget. I also check daily to see if I need to make any changes or adjustments to my account to ensure I am getting the most bang for my buck.

You have to remember that Ad Words is not for everyone. A good way to look at Ad Words is by looking at ROI. If you are getting a solid return on your investment then it is something worth while. If you are spending more money on adds then you are making then it might not be good for your industry. If you are inexperienced with Ad Words I suggest you start out small with one or two campaigns and only one or two groups per campaign. I also suggest you bid very minimal at first and see where your market is at before you bid too much money. After you get your feet wet you can kick it more into gear but definitely get your feet wet first!

Good luck and I hope my advice gets you off on the right foot.

It does not matter if you are the graphic designer or looking for someone to perform the work. The company puts you together with whatever you are looking for. The company is called 52ltd. They are local in Portland and are very helpful! With so many options out there be sure to do your research! If you are a designer looking for work or if you are looking for design work give them a call. They are a great resource.

Starting with Zorpia.com I created an account http://www.zorpia.com/CadetLady1. This social network site appears to be more like a dating site then anything else! As soon as I started my account I had 40 guys write to me in the first 15 minutes! Once you sort through all the garbage you do have the opportunity to meet a variety of people. You can share photos, videos, journals, events, gossip and music. Another thing you can do is join different groups according to different subjects. I created a water ski group but I am still the only member If you are a single girl looking to meet a variety of single men from all places in the world.... then this is the site for you! It is defiantly not the site for me!

The next social network site I signed up for is Tumbler]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:44:19 -0700 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/809633 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/797878 I went to a training recently and it was all about Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool offered by Google to help website owners better understand there website. It has the ability to run a variety of reports based on any specific information you want and need to know to improve your online business. You can get reports ranging from the number of unique visitors to which key words are being used to navigate through your site.

One of the most useful reports is a conversion report. The conversion report allows you to set certain goals you would like people to complete and then track the steps they go through to reach those goals. For example say your goal is that people that go on your site fill out a request for more information form. To see how many visitors complete this task you would put a code on the thanks for requesting more information page allowing you to document they completed the task.

Other helpful reports include one of my favorites the funnel report. The funnel report allows you to see data for each step to complete the goals. If you are loosing people on a certain page in the completion process this report will tell you when they are exiting your website. With this information you can make the necessary changes to improve your conversion rate.

The reason Google provides tools like this are because when your business does well Google does well. Make sure to take advantage of these reports. If you do not have time to go though these reports on your own give us a call and we can take care of your needs.

The seminar started at the very basics of Google AdWords including how to sign up for an account and progressed all the way writing are your own campaigns and ad groups. If you are not familiar with Google AdWords and are interested in learning all about it I recommend you look for an AdWords seminar near you! I went to the Double Tree in Portland, Oregon to attend the seminar.

The second day I learned about all of the different free tools that Google has available. I am very excited to apply all of my new knowledge that I have acquired now that I attended the seminar. I also learned how radio ads and TV ads work using Google AdWords, it was all pretty amazing!

It is a long 2 days but we had a great instructor who had a good energy that kept the whole class going. Next month they are offering another seminar on Google Analytics. I think I am going to attend so that I can brush up on my Analytics. If you are interested in learning about either of these topics research the internet to find a training near you! Good luck!

First the blog talked about an example of a hidden link and how it crosses the line of quality Google standards. An example of a big no no is white text on white background; it then discusses how Google is going to be keeping a close eye on paid links.

The last part of the blog talked about disclosing properly if you have paid links. Two things you can check to make sure you are staying in the lines is making sure the disclosure is human readable and at the same time machine readable. That means if you were thinking about putting the info into a fancy graphic you are out of luck!

If you want to read more visit: http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/hidden-links/

He always has great insight on different topics!

When it comes to short term goals these include pay per click advertising, blogging daily, and paying to stay on top. Your short-term goals are going to be the most expensive up front but down the road when your long-term goals start to kick in you are able to maintain the balance and start reducing costs.

That is when the long-term goals come in to play such as link building campaigns and organic search engine optimization. Link buildings campaigns help bring your blogs and other websites importance on the web. Organic search engine optimization has to do with planting all of the seeds in SEO so in the long term you do not have to pay the big bucks to stay on top. Organic search engine methods are free at the end of the day if you have prepared your campaigns correctly.

The more time you put into organic SEO the less amount of money you will have to spend later on to stay on top.

Once you have a good number of links to your site Goggle will recognize you as the authority in that area. What does that mean for you? It means more quality traffic directed right to your site! What else does that mean, well it means more cha ching in your pocket. When you have quality visitors that come to your site looking for what you sell you are going to make money!

Next time you are trying to get more quality leads to your site give link building a try, you will not be disappointed! If you do not have time feel free to email me and I can give you an idea of what it would take to get a link building campaign started for your own site!

One of the most important parts of your website is the title pages. For each web page you have a separate title page. For each title page the most important thing is that the title is keyword rich, but at the same time still descriptive of the specific page. For each page the title page should bring in all aspects of that page. The title pages should be short but be a complete thought, most search engines only allow 40 to 60 characters. The last thing to remember to not over do it with keywords. You want to connect to your intended audience.

When you are coming up with keywords there is a variety of methods that works for coming up with a good list. One way is to pretend that your are the searcher and in the market to purchase this product, what keywords would you use? Another way is to think of the need your product fills for example someone that sells baby clothes could use the keywords "baby shower gift." Think about your product in a seasonal sense does your product vary from season to season? Do not forget to embrace misspellings and slang. Using misspellings is a great way to catch people!

Keep these thoughts in mind and you will be on the right track!

I am a search engine marketer so I perform the concepts 8 hours a day! I like how the book starts with the basics and then helps you work your way up to the big projects. Also it walks you through how to address SEO with the other members of your work team. For example how to work along side the current marketing department so that you do not offend them but help them clearly understand where you are coming from.

It has you use your current business or the current business you are working with if you are a SEO professional to learn from. Each activity you participate in is helping you grow you current business. It walks you through each activity and gives you the prospective from both "right brained" and "left brained" thinking.

So far I am very pleased with the book and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve there web presence them self's, or for an SEO professional who wants some fresh ideas for there SEO practice.

Most Recent Google Page Rank Updates:
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Step Outdoors- A Blog About Outdoor Activites
Check out different outdoor activities that you can do yourself. Read Alyssa's ideas and personal insight on fun things to do outside.
http://www.step-outdoors.com/

Bridal Talk Wedding Blog
Get great advice on planning your wedding from a Bride. Read Alyssa's journal as she details her own experiences and insight.
http://www.bridal-talk.com/

Choice Cosmetics - A Blog About Cosmetic Choices]]> Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:22:48 -0700 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/660652 http://virb.com/semplistic/posts/text/637016 In the world of Marketing you hear a lot of jargon from people that can often complicate things more than help, but at the end of the day - if you are not up to par on your Marketing Acronyms then you will probably miscommunicate with other marketers or worse loose a client because you could not talk the talk. I searched the web and gathered as many Acronyms associated to Marketing as possible.

TRADITIONAL MARKETING

B2B- Business to Business: trade between businesses rather then between business and consumers.

B2C- Business to Consumer: businesses selling products or services to end-user consumers.

CRM- Customer Relationship Management: improving interaction with customers through better understanding with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.(increasing profits)

ROI- Return on Investment: What profit is made after advertising and other costs are subtracted. It measures how successful a marketing campaign is when looking at returns on money spent.

USP- Unique Selling Proposition: The reason people should by form you and not your competition. The unique benefits you offer compared to others.

INTERNET MARKETING

SEM: Search Engine Marketing: Similar to SEO. Used to emphasize that generating quality traffic is of greater importance then simply obtaining higher ranking.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization: Process of optimizing web pages to reach higher rankings in search results of search engines. the goal is to attract more visitors!

SEP- Search Engine Positioning: getting your page listed on the search engine results page. Similar to SEO.

SERP- Search Engine Results page: the page of listings displayed upon completion of a search at a search engine.

SE- Search Engine: A searchable database of pages on the web. Different then an index like "Yahoo" in that pages are not reviewed by a human editor before inclusion.

PAY PER CLICK MARKETING

CPC- Cost Per Click: Cost to an advertiser for each click on a promotional link by a site visitor or newsletter reader. (also used to describe advertising employing this model)

CPL- Cost Per Lead: Advertising cost to obtain each new lead.

CPM- Cost Per Thousand: The cost charged per thousand impression showings of an ad. ("M"- is the roman numeral for 1,000) Whilst websites sell ad impressions in groups of 1000, with newsletters the number of subscribers determines the price. (also used to describe advertising employing this model)

CR- Conversion Rate/Ratio: The percentages of respondents to an ad, or readers of a sales message that complete the action desired: example- making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter.

CPA- Cost Per Action: Cost to an advertiser for each visitor that takes action in reaction to an ad, examples include: subscribing to an ezine, request a free trial, or making purchases. (also used to describe advertising employing this model)

CPS- Cost Per Sale: Advertising costs divided by sales generated to determin the cost to make each sale. (the commission payable for each sale generated by an affiliate)

CTR- Click Through Rate/Ratio: Percentage of website visitors who click on particular link. A way to measure response to ad or sales message.

PPA- Pay Per Action: Affiliate commissions where a set amount is paid for generating a specific action. Examples: taking a free trial, subscribing to something.

PPI- Pay Per Impression: when an advertiser pays for each individual showing of their advertisement. (banner ad)

PPL- Pay Per Lead: when a commission is paid to an affiliate for each individual sales lead generated. A "lead" is described as someone signing up for a free trial, or requesting more information.

PPC- Pay Per Click: When affiliate is paid a set amount for each link clicked on by a consumer.

PPCSE- Pay Per Click Search Engine: Search engine where results are composed of advertisers who pay a fee for each click on their listing. Using a bidding system, the advertiser willing to pay the most ranks highest.

PPS- Pay Per Sale: when a commission is paid for each sale generated by an affiliate. The commission is usually a percentage of the sale, but sometimes it is a fixed amount.

RON- Run Of Network: where ads (usually CPM- cost per 1,000 banners ) are rotated across the pages of entire network of sites owned by a company, or specific advertising network. Cheaper then having the ad appear on selected sites.

ROS- Run Of Site: when ads are rotated across the page of a certain site. Cheaper then having the ad appear only on certain pages.

GOOGLE SPECIFIC

TBPR - Tool Bar Page Rank is a method of checking current public Google Page Rank for a specific page on the web. Be aware that this number (1-10) is a measure of value according to the most recent release of Google's algorithm and is subject to change.

PR - An assessed value according to Google for a specific web page, based on a scale of 1 - 10. You can find out this measure of value by downloading the Free Google Toolbar that can be attached to any Firefox or Internet Explorer web browser tool set.

BL - Back Links are an assessment of hypertext links to a specific web page from other web pages on the internet. In the past, you could check the back links for a webpage and it would show you all the web pages that linked to that particular page. Today the back link results from Google are merely a sample of links pointing back to that specific page - so take the given value with a grain of salt.

LINK SPECIFIC

FFA- Free for all Links: web pages that let anyone add a link back to there own website in exchange for accepting a promotional message from FFA page owner.

PFI- Pay For Inclusion: Paying to have a web pages included in a search engine's database and regularly updated.

COMPUTER SPECIFIC

ASCII- American Standard Code for Information Interchange: what people call plain text.

CSS- Cascading Style Sheets: used to globally define how elements in a web page are displayed instead of relying on HTML code in the page. Makes designs more flexible and reduces HTML file sizes.

FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions: A list of common questions asked by visitors.

SSI- Server Side Included: The way a web server includes variable values and information from an external source into a web page as it is requested by the browser. Uses include automatic display of data like the Last modified date of the page, storing common page elements in their own files, enabling site-wide updates by modifing a single file.

XHTML - Extensible Hyprtext Markup Language - think of this as regular HTML, the stuff that codes our web pages, only with a nice upgrade that helps web developers keep a set of standards for programming.

W3C - World Wide Web Consortium - this is a league of super geeks that helped formulate the standards that web developers use to program their websites. Many people ask if your website is "W3C compliant" which basically asks if your website is written in standard coding practices.