Archive for Writing
Duplicate Content and Article Marketing Exposed
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There is a lot of confusion about duplicate content and article marketing online, especially when it comes to whether you should publish an article on your website and then distribute it to article directories. As most of us know, the king of search engines is Google and getting your content to show up in key word searches is crucial.
So, I’d like to do a little debunking and get some answers.
Duplicated or syndicated content has been frowned upon because it can take away traffic away from your website. For example, if you submit an article on ezine and have a duplicate article on your website, you don’t want all the traffic to go to ezine, right? In the same respect, you also want your blog posts, press releases, forum posts, social networking, and the like to be working for you, not competing with your primary website.
Here are some ways to duplicate content and article marketing work for you:
Repurpose: The idea of repurposing is to take one idea and rewrite or repurpose it in various ways. If you repurpose an article, you can be strategic about your content and drive traffic to your website first and foremost.
Repurpose tip: Your website should have the original and best version of the article. Your job, then, is to take that article and make a few subtle changes. One suggestion is to change the headline, first paragraph, and those final sentences where you emphasize your point for the last time.
Don’t duplicate on your website: What this means is that if you have two web pages on your domain with virtually the same content, Google is going to get confused and ignore one of them.
Duplication tip The most important part here is actually your titles and meta tags. Make sure they are different on each page. If you’ve got duplicate content due to having a printer friendly version of a webpage on your site, do Google a favor and block search engines from indexing the printer friendly version. In this way you’re actually going to get more hits on your content because the page you want people to find is getting indexed correctly. Also, be sure to use relevant keywords and descriptions—and make sure each of your web pages is unique.
There are many article directories out there and ways to truly leverage great content. Make sure your duplicate content and article marketing efforts are distributed and repurposed correctly for best results.
Do You Really Need a Privacy Policy for Your Website?
Posted by: | CommentsAsk yourself this: do you ever bother to visit a website’s tab labeled “privacy policy,” even when it’s right there, on the site’s home page? Most likely, the answer is no. So why then should you bother to invest your precious time and internet real estate on a post explaining your own website’s privacy policy? Is having a privacy policy on your site’s home page really that important?
The simple answer is yes, absolutely!
A well-conceived privacy policy not only protects your users, but also your company and your website. The question then becomes, what should you include in your website’s privacy policy?
If you actively collect data from your visitors, such as an newsletter sign-up form, then you must announce this in your privacy policy, however redundant this may seem. You also need to state what you will do — or more importantly, what you promise not to do — with their personal information. But what if you don’t have an email submission box on your website? Are you then exempt from this disclosure?
The simple answer is no, you are not!
For instance, do you use an analytics program, such as Google’s? Most webmasters do, and that constitutes user information collection, however indirectly.
There are basic elements that should be included in every website privacy policy:
- Basic Terms & Conditions (note that any changes to these must be posted immediately)
- Notice of User Consent
- Description of the Information Collected
- Explanation of How that Information is Used
- Contact Information with E-mail Address & Phone Number (should the user have privacy questions or concerns)
While it is fine to borrow the basic language of another website’s policy when formulating your own, it is crucial that you tailor it so that it reflects your site’s own, unique policy. It is a good idea to check with the privacy policy requirements of any advertising and affiliate programs your site employs, to ensure you’ve covered your bases.
As with most legal documentation, you may only need that website policy once in a blue moon, if ever. But, like an insurance policy, come the one time you do need it, it will be there to protect your users, your business, and your site!
Is This the Year You Write Your Book?
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There is a saying that everyone has a book in them. I think this is true. We are all experts at something and there is a sense that when you write a book you are expressing that knowledge in a written format that is accessible and valuable to others.
You know you have a book in you when you start to look at all the work you have done and realize it could be organized together between pages. Books can be a teaching tool, an entertainment tool, or a place to share information. When you write a book, it usually begins with one small idea that explodes into other ideas. That first idea could be as simple as taking one thing you have written (even just a sentence) and building it just like you would build rooms in a house.
There is the foundation that goes into writing a book—that is, the articles, seminars, speeches, and research work you have done up to this point. There are the walls, which are the outline that will make up your book. And of course a house wouldn’t be complete without furniture and accessories, which you can think of as the pieces of the puzzle (chapters, sentences, paragraphs) that make your book complete.
While it can be overwhelming to write those first words, realize that you probably already have them in your mind or that you have something similar you have written already. They certainly won’t come out just by thinking about your book idea, so get writing and see what happens. Remember, even though it takes weeks, months, or years to build an entire home (or write your book), that first idea for the foundation can come at any moment. So maybe it’s time to ask yourself: Is this your year?
For more publishing tips on writing and publishing your book this year, read my article: What You Need to Know About Publishing Your Book
Make Your Blog Stand Apart From the Crowd
Posted by: | CommentsDoes your blog need a makeover? Perhaps you are burned out on great ideas or maybe your blog is missing that dynamic factor that makes readers want to tune in? If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to make your blog more interesting and fun to write, I have a few ideas. There are a few ways to captive your audience and also make the writing more enjoyable for yourself.
Keep a List of Topics on Hand
When you sit down to write your blog, have a list of topics on hand and ask yourself “why should I write this?” and “who would want to read this?” The answer to those questions is often a good springboard. As you write one blog, you will likely have ideas for others—so keep that list handy. There will be days when the creative energy is low, so that is a perfect time to find your list and charge yourself up.
Be Curious About Everything
Just like an investigator, answer the questions of who, what, when, why, where, and how. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a journalist, go ahead and pretend you absolutely have to get to the bottom of your topic. Each of these questions will get you deeper into a subject matter.
Mix it up
Often, as you begin to write you’ll end up deleting your first few sentences and starting your writing somewhere in the middle. This is normal. Writing is not necessarily a linear process. When you get to the end of your blog, however, go back to the beginning and do a check for repetitive words and read it out loud. Also, don’t underestimate the power of the thesaurus. Your readers’ eyes are going to glaze over if you don’t vary your vocabulary. So mix it up!
Get to the point
Do you use long sentences over and over? Try challenging yourself to write shorter ones. Readers like it when we get to the point and do it quick. If a sentence is getting out of control, turn it into a series of bullet points.
Choose active verbs
One last bit of advice about the mechanics is to use active verbs instead of passive ones. Try to avoid “was” and “were” followed by the “ing” verb form. Staying in the present tense keeps your voice strong. And above all, have fun with writing and encourage commentary from readers to get comments for feedback.
