• Writing Good Content Usually Means Keeping It ‘Real’ •
• Write It Just Like You’d Say It! •

More often than not, I must coach new clients to help them get their website content whipped into shape. This just happened with my client “Sue”. Though “Sue” is a pretty good writer I could see many areas where, with a few tweaks and improvements, she’d do a much better job at “talking to” and really relating to the visitors that will land on her website.

In many instances, I found her content rather stiff and boring. It didn’t get me too excited about her really great products. Since I so often see this mistake in my client’s website content, I thought I’d touch upon it in today’s post.

Project Your Speaking Style Into Your Written Words!

If you were standing face-to-face with a customer, you would certainly know how to talk to them; how to explain the benefits of your products or services; why, you’d even be able to answer any objections or concerns they’d raise, right? Sure you would.

Well, since the content on our sites is really our only way to communicate to a potential client … do you understand how to effectively translate the spoken words (your conversation) into great written words? Is your content written in very much of the same tone and demeanor as it would be if you were actually speaking face-to-face with the person? I highly suggest that it should be.

You know, I often am complimented on the way I write. Whether on my hobbyist websites, business websites, or right here on my blog, I tend to use the same tone and attitude with the written words that I would be using if we were chatting. I do my darndest to impart “Claudia” into all aspects of my written words.

I receive compliments because there is genuineness to what I write. I’m not stiff in the way I say things. Think about this … don’t you find it easier to read content where the person writing it seems to be letting the words flow from their mouths, rather than stiffly from their “heads”?

Loosen Up & Keep It Real

I just want to remind you today to loosen up a bit when you write content. Try to pretend you are in the room with your visitor, having a friendly conversation.

As example, if you knew me personally, you’d probably say that I use lots of hand gestures, facial expressions and voice inflections when I communicate. We’d call that “demonstrative”. I don’t think anyone would accuse me of being “dry”. But that’s OK, that’s me. 

Thusly, I use a lot of punctuation and italics and such that perhaps you don’t normally see in other people’s online content. But I do this for a reason … I’m trying to get my verbal style of speaking and communicating across to the person reading my posts or articles.

Remember … I did tell you my readers really like my style.  So for me, my approach works.

And along with this, I try very hard to type it out as close as I can to the way I’d be verbalizing it. Yes, this often can be hard, and yes it may take those of you heeding this advice some extra time, but I guarantee if you try the “natural” type approach to your writing, you will get the hang of it in not too much time.

“Sue” caught on quickly, and when she sent me back her tweaked content, it was dramatically improved. I was able to tell her that now she sounded like she was writing in a style and language that I knew her prospective customers would truly relate to!

So, as I said in the beginning of this post … as much as it makes sense and is possible … write it just like you’d say it !

• How Do I Edit HTML Pages With My Macintosh Computer? •
• There are Some Free Downloadable Tools That Will Do The Job •

I had a meeting yesterday with a potential new client who not only needs my SEO services, but also will need a website redesign. She is a small business owner with a brick and mortar location, so only desires top-ranking local search visibility. As I told her, achieving fantastic ranking positions for many targeted keyword phrases will almost be a no-brainer, because right now, she has absolutely zero competition in town, and very little in surrounding communities.

But her finances are quite tight and she cannot afford my services at this immediate time. I understand this, of course.

How Can I Edit HTML Pages On My Website With My Mac?

In the meantime, she has a bit of a dilemma, as far as being able to update information on her website right now. You see, she had a friend “design” (if you can call it that) the site, and he used a PC. All pages are in HTML code. So, she’s stuck right now. She doesn’t have access to a PC. She asked if I knew of any free tools she could download that might allow her to use her Mac and deal with HTML.

First off, I have to say I have no experience with using a Mac. However, I am aware of alternatives that Macintosh owners can use to work around the situation for free.

She did say she was looking at a product called “Sandbox” that is around $75-$100 and it is what she’d need to be able to work with HTML pages. I will take her word on this. Just mentioning it in case this information might help someone else.

So, as I always try to be as helpful as I can to other online business owners, I offered to provide her with links to some freebies that just might fill-the-bill, and allow her to not have to purchase “Sandbox” right now since her finances are tight.

I thought this information might be helpful to any newbies out there, trying to deal with a situation like this. So, here were my suggestions. NOTE: I’ve no relationship with any of the organizations that offer these tools, so please investigate and then use at your own risk. You understand Mac’s, I don’t!

• Install the browser “iCab”.  It is a Mac-friendly browser and evidently takes the place of Firefox. Look at options #5 & #7 on this page: iCab Info Page. It seems that by being able to download an HTML file, and then having a WYSIWYG, it is possible to accomplish simple HTML web page changes via a Macintosh computer.
• Install a WYSIWYG:  in order to change the content on an HTML page, you need a web authoring system. These two are about the best freebie WYSIWYG’s around and both offer versions for Mac. So check-out: Nvu or KompoZer
• Install an FTP client in order to upload the HTML files onto your website. Here is a great freebie that has a version for Mac: FileZilla — look at the #3rd option. I use FileZilla and many millions of others do too. It’s reliable and easy to use.

Master The Learning Curves and HTML Woes Should Be A Thing Of The Past!

As with any new piece of software and such, there is always a bit of a learning curve. But I assured her (and you) that she should be completely able to make the changes she wants for now using the above freebies.

If anyone out there has any other ideas about this particular situation, I’d love to hear them. You can help educate me with your suggested Macintosh computer tips! 

• I Want To Warn You Against Trying SEO Ranking Methods Like This One •
• New Website Owners Are So Taken Advantage Of!  •

OK … this is a blog devoted to everything SEO, website building and online marketing information and how-tos. If you’re not yet aware, I do gear a lot of the information here to newbies. I also have a real desire to protect newbies from the c**p and baloney that many unethical people and companies are promoting. These people know darn well that a newbie can be very very gullible. Of course! There is so much to learn once you have registered your domain name and are ready to start getting your new website up and running online.

It is overwhelming, as far as all the different things you must learn to become successful online. At least it was for me in the beginning (and sometimes I am still overwhelmed with the next learning curve that I must tackle … as I think most all of us are, if we are honest amongst ourselves).

I know for a fact that the newbie website owner can be very vulnerable to being ripped off, not only in what they may pay for website design services; what they may pay for SEO consultations or actual optimization of their website; what they pay for software that they don’t need, or will never be able to master how to use … yes, you know … the list can go on and on.

I know this as fact because I personally am told incredible stories almost every day of wasted money for horrible website design; wasted money for SEO work that was performed by people lacking the proper education and knowledge of the craft; wasted money on all sorts of other “deals” that a newbie gets sucked into because … because they are not knowledgeable enough to know what is good from bad; effective vs. not effective, etc.

Let Me Educate You About A Worthless SEO Rankings Service

In an effort to continue to bring to light what I perceive as plain and simple SCAMS, but what I know to a newbie website owner can sound like a very affordable and pretty great service … I want you to read the following abbreviated example of a REAL “SEO services” website’s sales pitch that very clearly explains a WORTHLESS service.

But how would a newbie (maybe you?) really know it’s worthless? You probably wouldn’t, because your SEO learning curve normally isn’t to the point where you can spot the red flags sticking up all over the place on this rip-off “SEO service for guaranteed top rankings”.

What have I told you to do when you see any SEO service stating they will GUARANTEE you top rankings?? Hmmmm? Yes! Run, run, run the other way with your money!!

OK … let’s read the first part:

After reviewing your site’s coding, we submit your website to over 300 search engines and will continue to submit it every month. You can purchase our six or twelve month plan.

Red flag #1!  There is absolutely NO use nor benefit to submit to 300 search engines! Nor to continue to do so on a monthly basis! Basically, if Google, Yahoo and MSN find and then begin to index your new website, well you’re good to go with all the other small, smaller and obscure search engines! Don’t get suckered into the value of being submitted to “300 search engines”.

News flash! For FREE you can help get your site indexed (visited by the spiders) in Google, Yahoo! and MSN quite quickly by submitting an XML site map. Read how to utilize an XML file to help your new website get spidered faster. And remember … you can do this for FREE!

We basically submit all the “text” on your website and your keywords come from there.

Red flag #2!  OK! Everybody STOP HERE for a moment! I have no clue as to how, as a professional SEO consultant, I could “submit all the text on your website” to get a client’s new website ranked. And I do not understand the gibberish that further states “and your keywords come from there”. Say what?

I do know as part of the very necessary optimization I must perform for every client’s website that I work on, that the Title tag, and Description and Keyword Meta tags must be properly optimized using the appropriate keywords I’ve uncovered during my research. But to just “submit text” and my clients sites will get ranked … WOW! This is a new flim-flam on me.

Let’s continue:

Although it greatly depends on your site, most clients can expect to see anywhere from 5-15 keywords showing up within the first one - three pages of Yahoo and Google within 30 business days.

Pleeeeeease … more bull-pucky! (Notice how they’ve covered their behinds with the wording in this statement in case you don’t get the rankings they’re trying to promise you?)

You can also suggest keywords to be submitted. You will be asked for keywords you want to include after your order is completed.

This is worthless gibberish.

You will continue to have Google and Yahoo rankings for as long as you are a client.

Yet another red flag!  So, as long as you keep paying for their “service”, you will be able to rest easy that your website will have rankings??  Umm … what about optimization of all the tags; what about having high quality keyword focused unique content (and the more of it on your site, the better!); what about internal linking; what about in-pointing links … and all the other REAL things  that contribute to solid, on-going search engine rankings?

EGADS! These people sure have a song-and-dance going!

Sure you’ll “have Google and Yahoo rankings”!  Are they talking about holding top-ten rankings, or finding yourself in position #1,235? Come on! Normally, most new websites all have some kind of search engine ranking if they are coded properly so they can be crawled by the spiders. But whether the ranking position is #1 or #1,235 … well it is still technically a “ranking”, isn’t it? Uh-huh …

I am so sickened by companies like this who offer worthless SEO rankings services and truly take advantage of people with new websites who aren’t yet knowlegeable of what can and can’t be achieved via ethical SEO services. I hope this little rant of mine has truly educated you and possibly has helped you keep more money in your pocket.

Please don’t hesitate to take advantage of my complimentary, no strings attached free SEO phone consultation. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and will try to steer you in the right direction for whatever services or help you may need.