Are You A Winning Failure?

In all of my years of living I have experienced both winning and loosing. Even though my wins out weigh my failures, for some reason the failures tend to stick in my mind. I remember when I first got married I took pride in being a provider of my household. Within seven months of my marriage I lost my job. I struggled to survive and bring in money for my familly doing odd jobs until I found something else to bring in the income we once had. As time past, I could not find a job to make up for the loss of my income. Eventually, we lost the brand new house we were living in. I felt like a failure. Take away a man’s abillity to be a provider and theres a good chance you will destroy the inner man that drives him. After getting over that season in my life, by the grace of God I managed purchase FIVE more houses in a seven year span. Just win I saw myself as a winning failure I learned that failure is not loosing, but failing is refusing to get back up and try again. I heard a great man say once that failure is not failure but its the increase of wisdom in knowing what won’t work. One of the big things that hinders most of us from experiencing victory in accomplishing our goals is that we never develop the mindset to finish what we start. This is critical because along the pathway of reaching our goals we tend to run into road blocks and unsuspected challenges that if not dealt with properly, they have the abillity to crush our desires.

Today I want to welcome a guest blogger by the name of Bob Cox. Bob is a great motivator in pushing you to reach your goals. How to deal with obstacles that pop up along the way and press pass problems to reach prosperity. Put on your seatbelt and lock in. I think you will enjoy this one and learn something to make sure that this year puts you way past where you were last year this same time.

God Bless!!

5 Keys to Unlock Your “Completion Mentality” - the Door to Your Success

By Bob Cox

It is easy to get caught up in the supposed urgency of a situation. You start thinking, “I must get this done NOW or else.” But there are few times when you must do a task NOW. More often than not, it is a matter of making a good decision about when to do it.

Let’s say you discover that you have put about 5,000 miles on your car since your last oil change. You need to schedule an oil change. But you don’t need to do so this minute. The car won’t stop running right away. You have some time.

You know that it is a good idea to change your oil to keep your vehicle running as efficiently as possible. But the oil change is not so urgent that you must drop everything and run off to your neighborhood service station.

Keeping your car’s engine running properly is your motivation to change the oil regularly. By working this task into your schedule, your car will run smoothly, the engine will last longer, you won’t have to buy a new car for several years. If you didn’t have that motivation, you might push that non-urgent task to the bottom of your to-do list. You might even forget about it. It becomes non-urgent and non-important.

Your long-term goals are “non-urgent,” just like that oil change. But, like that oil change, they are important. You just need to find a way to motivate yourself to add those goal-setting tasks to your schedule and take action to complete them.

Here are five Motivation Keys you can use to activate your “completion mentality” and unlock the door to success:

KEY #1: KNOW WHY YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL

Ask yourself about the “whys” behind your goals. Perhaps you are a runner and your goal is to win the next Boston Marathon. Why do you want to accomplish this goal? Is it the health benefits of getting into shape? Is it the possibility of meeting new people? Or do you simply want to be able to say you participated? No matter what your motivation, you still have to endure months of disciplined, rigorous training.

But picking the right motivation is crucial to whether you actually follow through. If your motivation is to get into shape, for instance, you might find it difficult to push past the point of “being in shape.” After all, you’ll be fit as a fiddle long before you are actually ready to compete. If you hit a snag - maybe a week of being sick with a cold - it will be easy to fall behind on that goal. “I’m already fit,” you might think. “Why push myself to train for a marathon when I’m already in shape?”

KEY #2: HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS

A personal sense of accomplishment is very motivating in and of itself.

About two years ago, I set out to get a private pilot’s license. Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of taking off into a clear blue sky. Once I turned that dream into a goal, I achieved it in eight months.

I do not come from an aeronautical or engineering background, so learning this new skill was incredibly challenging for me. However, I was highly motivated by my own personal expectations. And once I became a licensed private pilot, I was even more motivated to continue the process. (In flying we say, “Once you have your private pilot’s license, you now have a license to LEARN flying.”)

Challenges make us define our commitments and implement a “do what it takes” attitude. Stretching yourself expands your horizons.

I obtained my private pilot’s license after about 100 hours. I now have over 450 hours under my belt that include too many joyful memories to share in this message. Suffice it to say that none of those memories would have been possible had I not started with lessons… had I not kept going and going… and going. The simple desire to accomplish this lifelong goal was huge motivation for me, and it powered me forward.

Don’t underestimate the power of expectations. You have your own expectations of what you can accomplish. Plus, you have the combined expectations of your teachers, parents, friends, clients, employers, and colleagues. Research has shown that most people live up to these expectations. A sales manager who sets a higher standard than her counterpart will likely see greater production from her sales team than if she sets a lower standard. In other words, our motivation to meet the expectations of others - and those we have for ourselves - propels us to succeed.

KEY #3: KEEP UP A “CAN DO” ATTITUDE

Whatever you aspire to do, you must believe that you can do it. In reality, the bigger your goal, the bigger the obstacles you will face along the way. Having faith in yourself and your abilities is the key to success.

When you have a defeatist “I can’t do this” attitude, your negative expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sure, you may not be able to accomplish your goal right this second. But remind yourself that every goal is a journey, with many steps along the way.

Harris Rosen, one of the inspirations for my program, The Billionaire Way, started his career as a front desk clerk after graduating from a prestigious hospitality school. If he had not set about acquiring additional skills (learning everything about running a hotel, for example), he would not have become the owner of Rosen Hotels and Resorts, the largest privately held hotel chain in the southeastern United States.

I am sure Harris had mornings when he woke up with doubts. Had he succumbed to those negative thoughts, he never could have achieved his goal.

Fear and negativity limit your imagination and ability to “look outside the box.” Inspire and motivate yourself by maintaining a ” can do” attitude.

KEY #4: TAKE A LOOK AT THE LARGER PICTURE

Winning a sales contest or receiving a bonus is an incentive to achieve … but only in the short term. The key to sustaining your progress over the long haul is to have a larger picture of what you want to accomplish.

Let’s say your 2008 health goal is to lose 10 pounds. But that’s only a short-term, one-year goal. Your “larger picture” goal may be to keep healthy so you can live longer, which will allow you to spend more time with your spouse, children, and grandchildren. To travel the world like you always wanted to… to live out your retirement without heart problems or diabetes.

Focusing on the “larger picture” will get you over the inevitable low points you’ll encounter on your path to success.

KEY #5: TAKE ACTION

Only YOU can decide to be motivated. Nobody else has that power. Accomplishing your goals begins with your decision to take action. Yes, fear and lack of confidence can creep into your mindset. And, yes, those things can extinguish your motivation. Toss them out. Choose to be positive. Then take action. You’ll find that taking even a single small step toward accomplishing a goal will motivate you to take the next step.

You may be scared, but push on ahead into that joint venture or new job and see where it takes you. What’s the worst that can happen?

6 Motivating Questions to Ask Yourself

As you work toward your goals, ask yourself:

• Am I willing to challenge myself to reach this goal?
• Can I leverage my “ordinary” skills into extraordinary results?
• Do I know the “bigger picture” of what I want to achieve with this goal?
• Am I clear on why I want to accomplish this goal?
• Will I choose a “can do” attitude while pursuing this goal?
• Can I dig a little deeper to make this goal happen?

Answer these questions honestly and make a commitment to take action. This will put the “oil” in your motivational engine that will sustain your journey to success.

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Let me guess…..your blog is not making you any money!!! How about, there is a big chance that no one even knows yoru blog exist!!! This means that all of the hard work and effort you put into creating great blog post and listing information that could really help others is not being noticed. Not only is it not being noticed, but its not making you any cash. This is a major problem.

Well….thanks to this dynamic system, there is a solution to your problems. You can get a “Completelly Ready To Monetize Blog with everything already included. If You Can Upload One File, you have what it takes to Build A Profitable Blog. With this system you will start earning in 7 days or less, as long as you can copy and paste and follow a simple video. How much easier can it get?

Imagine, your business is finally getting the attention it deserves. Or maybe your just getting started and looking to get branded quickly. With this system you will be known across the internet and in your niche circles in no time. Others will begin to look at you as a authoritative figure in your niche.

According to “Blog World”, 89% of companies surveyed say they think blogs will be more important in the next five years. Over 57 million Americans read blogs. 1.7 million American adults list making money as one of the reasons they blog. These are hardcore facts. If you were to ask yourself the same questions, you would probably be able to include yourself in these numbers.

Its pretty simple. I have taken all the risk of sampling this dynamic product that simplifies the process of not just creating a blog but getting it fully monetized. I must say that I was a little skeptical at first, but after saying my prayers I launched out on faith and hit the Buy Now button on a product that has literally gotten me some good attention. After all, you are reading this aren’t you?

Ok, lets look at it from another angle. If you were to start out blogging with a free service, most of them have a clause when you first sign up. The clause says something like this, “you may not use this system to create or sell products or services.” Daaaaah….anyone in business is either offering a service or offering a product. Now you can continue to use the service and promote your product or service. However, once the host provider finds out about your blog they will can you in a minute. I know what your saying……How do you know? Because it happened to me. I had a very nice looking, content rich blog site through a free service that I found. It took about 3 months before they found me and canned me. I was somewhat upset because I had some really good material that was posted and now I can’t even get to it. Its hard but fare, they tell you upfront in the registration agreement. You simply can not afford not to own your own blog.

I can honestly say that I have never come across a blog or blogging product that not only makes promises but over delivers. I promise you that once you see what this product can do you will be amazed and somewhat stunned at its ability. I’m still seeing its power and I have been using this product for about six months now. The funny thing is that even if I go days or weeks without posting, the way that the blog is configured it still attracts the attention of the search engines and demands my prospects to come a little closer.

-LaMarl aka “The RichBum”

P.S…….Get a towel, you may find yourself sweating after feasting your eyes on this product….CLICK HERE

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This year is already sky rocketing past us.  We are moving into the second week of January.  Keeping and staying focus is critical to your business breakthrough this year, its tough……Success does not come easy to everyone but it does visit those who are diligent in persuing their goals.

Today I want to hand the wheel over to a guess blogger.  You will be seeing alot of this from me this year.  I realize that I dont know everything and I value the critical information that others have that could not only help me, but also others.   Enjoy my guest today…..she is really good….  See You On Top!!!

7 Foolproof Ways to Increase Your Market Presence and Build Your Business

By Wendy Montes de Oca

Whether you’re talking about the articles you include in your e-zine or about your sales message, one thing is certain: Content is king. The written word has the power to educate and inform… as well as create buzz about your website, product, or service. That’s why one of my jobs here at Early to Rise is to circulate our e-zine articles through multiple delivery channels. Reaching potential subscribers this way helps us increase our readership and, ultimately, our revenues.

ETR’s publisher MaryEllen Tribby and I are firm believers in leveraging our marketing message too. By circulating it in multiple channels - online, e-mail, print, direct mail, and so forth - we are able to touch our prospects through whatever medium they prefer. And for those who like to receive their information through more than one medium, our message is re-enforced every time they see it in another channel.

I strongly encourage you to take this multi-channel marketing approach with your own online business. Here are seven of the best and most cost-effective channels to include in your marketing plan:

1. Paid Search Ads (Pay-Per-Click)

Google and Yahoo are the Titans of the paid-search ad world, with nearly 70 percent of market share. But there are other search engines that have a loyal following, such as MSN.com (with 16 percent market share), AOL.com (with 9.6 percent), Ask.com (5.1 percent), Infospace.com (1.1 percent), and Lycos.com (0.9 percent).

Pay-per-click (PPC) ads with any of these search engines is a cost-effective way to target prospects looking for your specific product and get broad exposure. You create a text ad, then bid on keywords (the words or phrases your target audience will be searching for) to determine your ad’s placement.

PPC paid search ads are perfect for acquiring new customers. That’s because leads that come in this way are searching specifically for your information (via targeted keywords). This makes them highly qualified prospects. For ETR’s sister publication, Total Health Breakthroughs,PPC represents more than 30 percent of its online marketing mix.

2. Organic Search Results (Search Engine Marketing)

Search engine marketing (SEM) has a nominal cost. Annual fees with search engine networks or directories typically range from $25 to $95 per year.

Some consumers give organic search results more “credibility” than paid search ads. And because they “trust” the results of an organic search more, they are more likely to click on an organic link. A recent survey by Jupiter Research illustrated that 80 percent of Web users seek organic search results. Their rationale is that organic results are un-biased. The marketer didn’t pay for that ad space. So the link’s appearance in the search results is based purely on various search algorithms and Web crawlers.

Your goal should be to balance your online presence with both paid ads and organic search results. Alexis Siemon, ETR’s Search Engine Marketing Specialist, optimizes our efforts by (among other things) making sure we have keywords in all the right places. That includes our title tags, URLs, and inside the ETR articles themselves.

3. Banner Ads

Running banner ads on other websites can be another cost-effective part of your online marketing mix. The pricing model for this is typically CPM - a specified price for every 1,000 impressions/views you receive (usually between $3 and $10).

Your media budget for banner ads will vary by:

• website
• ad unit size/type (300 x 250 typically performs best)
• location on website (home page, inside pages)
• whether the ad is targeted to a specific page or is on every page of the site
• the time of year the ad is running

Online ad networks are a cheaper alternative. Their CPM usually ranges between $2 and $6, and they have a wider reach. Some networks to consider: Advertising.com, ValueClick.com, and FastClick.com. You can find a full list of sites here: imediaconnection.com/resourceconnection/adnetwork.asp.

4. Reciprocal Ad Swaps

Some of your best resources will be your fellow publishers. This channel often gets overlooked by marketers who don’t give it the respect it deserves. In the work I do for ETR and Total Health Breakthroughs, I spend a good portion of my time researching publishers and websites in our industry. I look for relevant connections between their publications (print and online) and ours.

Let’s say I come across an e-letter about marketing that has a list of readers similar in size to ETR’s. Since many of ETR’s subscribers are interested in marketing, they might be interested in a product offered by that marketing e-letter. And that publisher’s subscribers might be interested in one of ETR’s marketing products.

Swapping ads will save you money on lead-generation initiatives. Since you won’t be paying for access to the other publisher’s list of subscribers, you can get new customers for free. The only “cost” is allowing the other publisher to access your own list. It’s a win-win situation. This technique also opens the door to potential joint-venture opportunities.

5. Co-Registration

Marketing expert Andrew Palmer defines co-registration - or “co-reg” - as “the practice of referring leads, subscriptions, or memberships in conjunction with another registration process.”

Co-reg ads use a CPL (cost per lead) payment model. You pay for the leads you capture. Your text ad and a small image of your publication appear on a webpage on another publisher’s website after a primary transaction occurs. Your ad shares the page with other publishers looking to build their own e-mail lists with free subscriptions to their e-letters or free e-reports.

To make this work, I’ve found that you need to send special introductory “bonding” e-mails to the people who sign up for your newsletter before they get added to the general circulation. This helps them remember that they signed up for your e-letter. (So when it shows up in their inbox they won’t think it’s spam.) And it helps increase the potential that those subscribers will convert to paying customers.

For more about this channel, check out Andrew Palmer’s ETR article about using co-reg to attract customers.

6. Direct Mail

Direct mail is still a consumer favorite - and another good way to get your sales message out. It can be especially effective used in concert with another effort, such as an e-mail campaign. A recent survey published in DM News indicated that 70 percent of respondents preferred receiving unsolicited correspondence via mail vs. e-mail.

As with any marketing medium, though, you can end up paying a lot. The most costly direct-mail packages are magalogs and tabloids (four-color mailers that look like magazines). However, 6 x 9 postcards, tri-fold self-mailers, and simple sales letters are three low-cost ways of taking advantage of this channel.

Although 100 percent ROI (return on investment) is what you should aim for, many direct mailers are content with 80 percent. This lower figure takes into consideration the lifetime value of the names that come in from this channel, because they are typically reliable buyers in the future.

7. Print ads

This is another channel that’s gets a raw deal. One reason is because it can be costly. To place an ad in a high-circulation magazine or newspaper, you could shell out serious money. But you don’t need a big budget to take advantage of print ads. If you don’t have deep pockets, consider targeted newspapers and periodicals.

Let’s say you’re selling an investment report. Try using the Internet to research the wealthiest cities in America. Once you get that list, look online for local newspapers in those communities. These smaller newspapers hit your target audience… and offer a much cheaper ad rate than some of the larger, broad-circulation publications. You end up getting quality rather than quantity.

I once paid for an ad in a local newspaper in Aspen, CO that had a flat rate of less than $500. My ROI on this effort turned out to be more than 1,000 percent. How’s that for a positive response rate!

The seven marketing channels I’ve just described can help you reach more customers… and eventually add dollar signs to your bottom line. So start the Near Year off with a marketing bang. By leveraging the seven channels of multi-channel marketing, I’m confident you will be amazed by the results.

[Ed. Note: Wendy Montes de Oca is ETR’s Vice President of Marketing & Business Development. You can meet all your marketing goals - and achieve all your personal, social, financial, and business dreams - with the help of ETR’s Total Success Achievement Program. Learn more by clicking here]

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Web 2.0 Traffic Secrets Revealed

Before I break into the meat of this post, allow me to introduce myself. My name is LaMarl Richardson aka “The RichBum.” When people see that name they immediately think money. The truth of the matter is that the name represents the first part of my last name (Richardson) and the second part represents the originall Niche that I started marketing with ealier in 2006 (Bum Marketing).

The reason I have tagged this post “The Naked Blogger” is because #1 Transparency is priority in my life. #2 You can never make it to the top unless you help someone else get where they are trying to go, and the only way to do that is through being transparent with my methodology of online marketing. One thing that I have noticed in this business is that everyone has got a secret to their success. Now I do understand that we are all in business to make money, however helping others develop a solid foundation never took money out of anyones pocket. I am a strong believer that when you make something happen for others, God will see to it that someone makes it happen for you. In my 38 years of living I have never seen that concept fail. Now, with that being said, let’s get down to business shall we. SUBSCIBE TO THE RICHBUM NEWSLETTER!!

Web 2.0 Gone Wild

One of the most popular websites on the net is a “Social Network” (Web 2.0). Social networking is one the most common ways for people to network and share information. If this is the case, why arent you using it to your advantage? You want traffic? Hop on one of these methods that I am going to reveal to you and see what happens. Now dont get it twisted!!!! Its not a get rich sceam but business over time concept. This is the one that will outlast the get rich scam. Why? Because you build your business with a solid foundation. This is critical to your longevity. Lets go over the Web 2.0 tools that you can use to elevate your traffic:

1. Blogs: Having your own blog is a absolute necessity. If you dont use any other tool, a blog is the one you dont want to be without. Search engines are absolutely in love with blogs. They attract web crawlers like magnets and they dont require much work to get one started. I suggest you use Wordpress because of the branding theyhave already placed on the net. Wordpress is a free softwared and totally customizable which is a feature that bloggers love by the way. If you are looking to dive into via wordpress. I highly suggest you spend a measley $67 bucks and by the Web 2.0 Wealth System. This systm will not only show yoiu how to install Wordpress on your host server, but it will step you through full optimization and monitization. This is extremely important because if done right, this alone could pay your mortgage every month.

2. RSS Feeds:

RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. Wordpress comes with a RSS feed. RSS feeds allow those who subscribe to RSS to be updated every time the blog is updated. This is a very nice feature and will work in your favor. Once again the Web 2.0 Wealth System assist you in setting this up. If you are using Firefox, there is a plug in that you can download that will allow you to submit your RSS feeds to over 100 directories:Get Firefox Get Plug In

3. Forum Marketing:

This is where you will make a great deal of your sales if done correctly. There are so many forums on the net that apply to your niche that if you did a search for (your niche) forums the results would probably be overwhelming. There is no need to jump into a bunch of forums, the best thing to do is to join about 3 and post on them daily. It only takes five minutes to post or respond to a post.  Try to help people where you are knowledgable and you will be greatly rewarded.  Be sure to add your link at the end.

4. Squidoo

Squidoo is a great place to pick up search engine rankings really quick. I have created several lenses on squidoo and have seen them rank in the top 7 on google in less than 24hrs. It makes me think that Google is married to Squidoo. I would not be surprised if Google buys them out. Can you say Cha Ching to the owners…LOL!!! However, one hard fast rule on Squidoo is that after you have created about 10 lenses, create another account. You never want to appear abusive to Squidoo’s power. The Squidoo regulators will find you eventually and kill your account. Once you creat a lense Digg it, Stumble it, Onlywire it, Feedshark it, IPings it, Pingomatic it, and last but not least Pingoat it…….I could keep going but I would be here a while, so I think you get my drift.

I could really keep going but I just wanted to give you a few solid ideas that you could put into action immediately and watch the money pile up.

Please leave your comments on this article. Also if you have any questions please feel from to contact me.

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Ordinarilly I would hate to be in this picture!!! However, in the realm of the web, this is a marketers dream!!!

Traffic, Traffic, Traffic……….We all need it and those of us who get it love it….”Its Money In The Bank.” The most popular tips in blogging are the ones that have the abillity to increase your traffic. The truth of the matter is that ” It All Comes Down To Traffic.” Your success in this Internet Marketing arena is measured by how many visitors you can pull to your site. That being the case there are three things I would like to recommend that will guaranty your success:

1. Understand that Web 2.0 methods of marketing can be your very best method that generates the most traffic. What is Web 2.0 you might ask? Its using social networks to spread the word about your service or product. The most popular Web 2.0 method and by far the most viral and catchy is the Blog. Blogging will bring more attention than you can shake a stick at. However, your Blog must be configured properly. This is why my blog system of choice is Wordpress. Hands down the best and by far the most popular. The most important thing about wordpress is that it has the abillity to attract traffic if configured properly. This is why I recommend the Web 2.0 Wealth System. The best “how to” monitize your wordpress blog tutorial on the market. Other systems talk about it, but Alex shows you how to do it via some great video that produces results. Im a witness!!! Get It Right NOW

2. You really need to create somewhat of a chain reacting system that will drive traffic to your site even while your sleeping. This is not extremely difficult but takes patience and persistence. Without these two ingredients you will find yourself in the land of frustration and may even quit. Most people who get rich quick in this business are one hit wonders, now thats the truth, forget the hype and the sales pitches. If you really want to build a successful business in Internet Marketing you must follow a proven system that works over time. You want residual income. Money comeing in whether you are working or not. This only happens when you build a solid foundation and learn the ropes that will allow you to kiss success right in the mouth. I will let you in on a secret formula that I use that brings in a decent amount of traffic to my blog. As a matter of fact there is one method in particular that could give you so much traffic that your blog or website probably could not handle it unless you are on a dedicated server. Im talking about server crashing traffic.

A. After each blog post I do the following:
1. Check the Web 2.0 Wealth System for any new insider secrets that could make a difference in my traffic. This is critical because the creator of the system Alex Syseof is constantly giving his subscribers killer insight to generating more traffic. You talking about over deleiver…..

2. I ping my blog using four different killer sights that are extremely powerfull. You can learn about these for free by subscribing to my newsletter.

3. Last but not least you need to do some social networking.

a. http://www.onlywire.com (Powerful Tool)

b. http://www.digg.com

c. http://www.stumbleupon.com

There are several other locations that I submit my blog to socially that really make a difference in my traffic. I could write a book as a post but my fingers would not be able to take it…LOL!!! However, Im open to give general assistance to who ever needs it. My time is limited so bare with me. I’m working on starting a mentoring program for those with a passion to persue a business in Internet Marketing. Once everything is setup I will be sure to let everyone know. I can tell you however that I will only take a few at a time so that I can give you the attention you need. Im not chasing money however I will have to charge for my time. Let me assure that it will be worth it. Look for this sometime in 2008.

Subscribe to the Richbum Newsletter

Well….enough of my talk…..grab the Web 2.0 Wealth System and get the blogging the right way……

See you on top!!!

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Are getting any traffic to your blog? Have you been blogging for more that thirty Days? Are you frustrated and wondering if this blogging thing is really for you? Before you quit….Let me help you turn your blog around!!!!  CLICK HERE

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Your website’s ranking on search engines is a key element
of your overall marketing strategy, and there are key ways to
improve your link popularity and notariety through legitimate methods. Unfortunately, the Internet is populated by a host of
dishonest webateers seeking to improve their link
popularity by playing tricks on search engines.

However, the good news is that search engines have figured this out.
They now on guard for “spam” pages and sites that have
increased their rankings by artificial methods. Once a
search engines tracks down this type of site, that site is
demoted in page ranking or completely removed from the search
engine’s index. Who wants that? No one!!!

The bad news is that some high quality sites being mistaken for these web page criminals. Your page may be in danger of being caught up in
the “spam” net and tossed from a search engine’s index,
even though you have done nothing to deserve such harsh
treatment. But there are things you can do - and things you
should be sure NOT to do - which will prevent this kind of
misperception.

Link popularity is mostly based on the quality of sites you
are linked to. Google pioneered this criteria for assigning
website ranking, and virtually all search engines on the
Internet now use it. There are legitimate ways to go about
increasing your link popularity, but at the same time, you
must be extremely careful about which sites you choose
to link to. Google will accasionally imposes penalties on sites
that have linked to other sites solely for the purpose of
artificially boosting their link popularity. They have
actually labeled these links “bad neighborhoods.”

The good thing is that you cannot be penalized when a bad neighborhood links to your site; penalty happens only when you are the one sending out the link to a bad neighborhood. But you must check, and
double-check, all the links that are active on your links
page to make sure you haven’t linked to a bad neighborhood.

The first thing to check out is whether or not the pages
you have linked to have been penalized. The most direct way
to do this is to download the Google toolbar at
http://toolbar.google.com. You will then see that most
pages are given a “Pagerank” which is represented by a
sliding green scale on the Google toolbar.

Do not link to any site that shows no green at all on the
scale. This is especially important when the scale is
completely gray. It is more than likely that these pages
have been penalized. If you are linked to these pages, you
may catch their penalty, and like the flu, it may be
difficult to recover from the infection.

There is no need to be afraid of linking to sites whose
scale shows only a tiny sliver of green on their scale.
These sites have not been penalized, and their links may
grow in value and popularity. However, do make sure that
you closely monitor these kind of links to ascertain that
at some point they do not sustain a penalty once you have
linked up to them from your links page.

Another evil trick that illicit webmasters use to
artificially boost their link popularity is the use of
hidden text. Search engines usually use the words on web
pages as a factor in forming their rankings, which means
that if the text on your page contains your keywords, you
have more of an opportunity to increase your search engine
ranking than a page that does not contain text inclusive of
keywords.

Some webmasters have gotten around this formula by hiding
their keywords in such a way so that they are invisible to
any visitors to their site. For example, they have used the
keywords but made them the same color as the background
color of the page, such as a plethora of white keywords on
a white background. You cannot see these words with the
human eye - but the eye of search engine spider can spot
them easily! A spider is the program search engines use to
index web pages, and when it sees these invisible words, it
goes back and boosts that page’s link ranking.

Webmasters may be brilliant and sometimes devious, but
search engines have figured these tricks out. As soon as a
search engine perceive the use of hidden text - splat! the
page is penalized.

The downside of this is that sometimes the spider is a bit
overzealous and will penalize a page by mistake. For
example, if the background color of your page is gray, and
you have placed gray text inside a black box, the spider
will only take note of the gray text and assume you are
employing hidden text. To avoid any risk of false penalty,
simply direct your webmaster not to assign the same color
to text as the background color of the page - ever!

Another potential problem that can result in a penalty is
called “keyword stuffing.” It is important to have your
keywords appear in the text on your page, but sometimes you
can go a little overboard in your enthusiasm to please
those spiders. A search engine uses what is called
“Keyphrase Density” to determine if a site is trying to
artificially boost their ranking. This is the ratio of
keywords to the rest of the words on the page. Search
engines assign a limit to the number of times you can use a
keyword before it decides you have overdone it and
penalizes your site.

This ratio is quite high, so it is difficult to surpass
without sounding as if you are stuttering - unless your
keyword is part of your company name. If this is the case,
it is easy for keyword density to soar. So, if your keyword
is “renters insurance,” be sure you don’t use this phrase
in every sentence. Carefully edit the text on your site so
that the copy flows naturally and the keyword is not
repeated incessantly. A good rule of thumb is your keyword
should never appear in more than half the sentences on the
page.

The final potential risk factor is known as “cloaking.” To
those of you who are diligent Trekkies, this concept should
be easy to understand. For the rest of you?cloaking is when
the server directs a visitor to one page and a search
engine spider to a different page. The page the spider sees
is “cloaked” because it is invisible to regular traffic,
and deliberately set-up to raise the site’s search engine
ranking. A cloaked page tries to feed the spider everything
it needs to rocket that page’s ranking to the top of the
list.

It is natural that search engines have responded to this
act of deception with extreme enmity, imposing steep
penalties on these sites. The problem on your end is that
sometimes pages are cloaked for legitimate reasons, such as
prevention against the theft of code, often referred to as
“pagejacking.” This kind of shielding is unnecessary these
days due to the use of “off page” elements, such as link
popularity, that cannot be stolen.

To be on the safe side, be sure that your webmaster is
aware that absolutely no cloaking is acceptable. Make sure
the webmaster understands that cloaking of any kind will
put your website at great risk.

Just as you must be diligent in increasing your link
popularity and your ranking, you must be equally diligent
to avoid being unfairly penalized. So be sure to monitor
your site closely and avoid any appearance of artificially
boosting your rankings.

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