Tool: Google Keyword Tool (A Beginner's Guide)

In an earlier post, Keywords: The Amazing Category, I mentioned how important keywords are.

They are important to the Internet Searcher, because they keep the Internet from being littered with too much junk. We all use the Internet, because it usually is such a useful tool to help us find whatever we need. If we kept getting answers to every question, EXCEPT the one we’re asking, we’d stop using the Internet. It would no longer by useful to us or anyone else.

They are important to the Internet Marketer, because it helps us avoid doing a lot of work without there being any chance of giving us the results that we want. Even if we are not lazy, none of us want our work to be wasted.

Understanding keywords help us work more intelligently.

Quick Tips: Google Places (Google Map)

Google Places/Google Map are an entirely different animal, it seems.

While nobody ever REALLY knows what Google values, many of us have pretty good ideas.  Many of these are derived from a common sense perspective.  Essentially, we figure Google to like what us, as readers like.

We like to read at pages that answer the questions we wanted to find.  It helps if a lot of other people have had good experiences with this before we ever got there.  We like it to be easy to read the material, and we want to be able to find everything we want without having to strain ourselves.

Google (and the other search engines) cover this pretty well.

However, the rules seem to change for Google Places listings (which also go to Google Maps, too).

Comment: Google Places Listing (Google Map)

A relatively new concept in Internet Marketing is getting an account within Google Places and placing your business on the Google Place listing or even sometimes on the Google Map listing.

Actually, it's a great idea.  There are just some things to consider.

I think that every business should do it.  It's free, and often you will notice that Google Places and Google Map listings are ahead of the other organic (free) results.  This is not always true, though.

Here are a couple of examples of searches within Flint:

Link: "What is Affiliate Marketing?"

Looking for a topic to discuss, I ran across a pretty good one for beginners.

In an earlier post, I tried to answer this question by comparing it to other computer and/or marketing terms that are not the same but are often confused with Internet Marketing.

Affiliate Marketing is something that can be done offline or online, but today it is most often done online.

Here is a link to someone else's explanation of Affiliate Marketing:
http://www.rickhorning.com/affiliate-marketing/what-is-affiliate-marketing-3.html

Let me know if you want me to put together my own explanation for this.

Offsite SEO: Forum Commenting

Here is another offsite search engine optimization (SEO) to do.

Forum Commenting

It is similar to Blog Commenting, another effective and easy to implement.

There are fewer forums, but sometimes, you can get a forum on a well-established website.  What this means to you is that you MIGHT be able to make a backlink to your site from a somewhat high-ranking keyword related website.

There is one difference between Blogs and Forums.

Advice: Form a Study Group

This is not new advice, and it is not specific only to trying to learn Internet Marketing.

The wisdom is new for enough people that it is worth a mention.  I see a lot of people who need this reminder.  Likely, it will not be the last time you read or hear me say this.

Forming study groups are a great way to learn a lot in a short time.

What are the benefits to forming study groups?

Offsite SEO: Blog Commenting

There are two names to the Offsite SEO game:

1. Generate Traffic
2. Create Backlinks

Now, "Generate Traffic" could be an immediate response, or it could be a slow cooking approach with a lot of branding.

The main thing, though, is creating backlinks.

We can use OTHER people's blogs to create backlinks or generate traffic to our site.  We can simply leave comments on their blogs.

Careful!  There is a right way and a wrong way to do this!

Should we just post comments, anywhere?