• Let’s Take Another Look At My Keyword Rankings •
• Is Search Engine Optimization Working? •

Time flies by and I realized I need to write an update to my rankings. In an effort to honestly show you that ethical SEO techniques really do make a difference, I have promised to actually expose one of my websites and some of the keywords that are responsible for bringing me quality targeted traffic.

So, in the last post of March 26th I was holding down the #1 and #2 positions for the keyword phrase: hypertufa recipes

Good News! One month has gone by and I am still  holding those same top spots.

But I have mentioned before that you can’t sit back after finally attaining top search engine positions, expecting your web pages to remain at the top. No siree! Depending upon the niche you are in, you may find your rankings slipping over time, due to the competition (and other factors as well).

Even if you experience a long stretch of stable top rankings, I still suggest you write a new new page of content every now and then to help add value for your site’s visitors and to help reinforce your ranking position(s). 

To that end, I DO practice what I preach, and I wrote another good solid page of information the other day, utilizing this keyword phrase. I don’t want to get nudged out of my great ranking positions by those other people down below me.

Hey … have you signed up yet for my bi-weekly SEO newsletter?  Learn how to implement ethical SEO techniques on your website or blog! If you’ve not yet done so, click here and you’ll be taken right to the sign-up page!  Plus, you’ll get a FREE copy of my informative eBook “The SEO Edge”.

Not a bad deal if I say so myself!

• Run For Your Life (Grab Your Money, Too!) •
• Another Real Life SEO Con Job •

I posted the other day about an SEO firm that got fined by a Washington judge for ripping off clients because they “guaranteed” top ranking positions.

As I stated in that post … RUN FOR YOUR LIFE if any SEO consultant or agency promises you top rankings. NOBODY on this earth can ETHICALLY promise you that your targeted keywords will obtain top rankings! Plus, month after continuous month as so many of these unscrupulous people will claim.

Yes, it IS POSSIBLE to maintain top rankings (I have examples that I provide where I have accomplished that) for a very long time, but no ethical SEO consultant will ever make a flat-out promise like that.

Well … lookee here my friends … look what I innocently stumbled upon this morning while doing my usual research:

Take a CLOSE look at these screenshots. Take a CLOSE look at what is stated and what the monthly fees are. Do you think this reeks of a con job?? I sure do.

The only thing I don’t get is the fact that top rankings (especially for keywords that really do receive traffic) cannot be guaranteed, thusly within a very short amount of time, clients will likely see a drastic drop or total disappearance of their rankings. I know WHY he has to offer a guarantee (builds a comfort level for the potential client), but how CAN he offer a money back guarantee and stay in business very long?? Get my drift here?

I would think every (smart) client would end up DEMANDING a refund rather quickly!! Maybe there are enough gullible people out there that will continue to pay month after month, so he makes more money than he has to refund?? Beats me!!

Anyway … all he will be able to achieve for the long term is possibly top rankings for obscure keywords that have basically little to no competiton (and also not being worth anything as far as generating traffic to the client’s website). Who is going to conintue to pay for that month after month?

This has GOT to be a fly-by-night type operation. You know, I am almost tempted to call this guy and see exactly what he is promising. I’d like to see how he will make this blog rank highly over-night! And month after month, too! After all, this niche I’m in, the niche of SEO, is brutal competition-wise. (I cannot brag to you yet of top rankings. I am being honest with you!)

Anyway, I just had to show this to you. This site looks genuine enough, but there isn’t one other page of information to it. Whatever link you click on, you stay on the same page. That kind of sends up a red flag, too.

And I too can write the most glowing of testimonials in a matter of minutes if need be (hint-hint).

Because I don’t want to see any new web owner get taken by SEO con artists like this guy … I am posting this to educate that whatever SEO consultant you are thinking about using, please make sure “top ranking guarantees” are NOT in that consultant’s vocabulary.

• Who Do You Turn To For Answers? •
• What Resources Do You Use To Help Further Your Online Success? •

I’m posting today in response to a private email I received from a newbie (my favorite kind of internet marketer!) the other day, asking me how I have “gotten as far as I have” with my online business, and how they might be able to speed up their learning curve.

Let me state right here before I write another word, I am nowhere near the top of my game. But I am getting closer every day Yes, I sure do have many learning curves ahead of me, such as:

• I don’t know everything there is to know about the MOST effective ways of online promotion for the particular niches that I market to, but I am testing the waters and like everyone else, I keep an eye on the pros and cons of my efforts and tweak things.
• I don’t yet know how to build a membership site, but I will one day as that is something I hope to get into place for my online SEO business.
• I am still honing my skills on how to write the most compelling sales copy.
• I am still learning how to make more money via AdSense.
• I often stumble through learning yet another behind-the-scenes technical coding issue that is necessary to improve one of my sites.
• And the list goes on and on (whether I like it or not! lol)

However, I am at a point where I can offer a whole lot of no-nonsense practical, sound advice to new online marketers. I always tell folks, “Why sit there, trying to figure out something, or go ahead and blindly implement something to your new site, only to find out it was a huge waste of time … when all you had to do was ASK FOR HELP or ADVICE first!!”

Do You Seek Out Help And Guidance?

I ask this because you really ought to find someone or somewhere you can go to, to receive help and guidance through the full-of-hype maze called internet marketing!

Have you found a forum (or two or three) that is full of helpful people who generously answer your questions without trying to jam a product down your throat? Yes? Great! Not yet? Well, keep nosing around the ‘net. You will be able to tell very quickly how sincere and helpful the other participants are just by reading a few threads.

Search Hint: to zero in on a specific forum theme, type into your favorite search engine: type-of-forum + forum *** Example: seo + forum

You know, I certainly continue to visit and participate in a small handful of forums that I know I can gather sound advice and help from. Sure it took me a little time to find them, but not too long. And I do try to offer help and answers when it is appropriate for me to do so, too.

You Could Find Great Help Via Someone’s Blog Posts, As Another Example

With the boom of blogging nowadays, there are some highly informative ones out there. (Mine being one of them, I hope!) With the personal spin a blog encourages us to put into our posts, I have found that there are a few I like to regularly check in on because I always pick up a valuable morsel of information.

Plus, I just like the way the authors express themselves, which in turn helps me think about how I express myself on my blog. Another win-win situation … I read their blog and maybe leave a comment; and I learn new things.

Along The Way You Just Might Actually Find A True Mentor You Can Learn From One-On-One

This happened to me. I am blessed, I really am. Through the situation of finding a quality forum that addressed the needs I had in a particular area of my marketing, and because I posted questions in order to receive the help I needed, I ultimately struck up a relationship with someone who happened to be extremely helpful, patient and just all around nice.

One thing led to another, and now this individual is truly my mentor. He is light-years ahead of me with internet marketing knowledge. I honestly soak up everything he freely offers to me. He has taken me under his wing and is slowly guiding me in building my online business (affiliate and otherwise).

I have no qualms in telling you all this, nor did I hesitate in stating this to the individual who wrote that email to me, asking about how they might possibly be able to shorten their learning curve.

Before I stop here, I’ll share this thought with you. Maybe it seems too elementary … maybe some of you are reading this and thinking “DUH! That’s just plain common sense, Claudia”.  But then again, maybe many of you really don’t realize this fact (which I do find to be true), and that is:

I’ve seen this mentioned time and again when I read about the top internet marketers and how they got to where they are today:

They all state that they received help, direction, mentoring, and resources from people that were already successful. They all say they had their own mentors in some way, shape, or form that helped guide them to success.

If I can help you, please do not hesitate to leave a comment, or send me an email. It is my pleasure to try and give back what has been, and continues to be so generously given to me … expert, no-hype, internet marketing knowledge.