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Crisp fall weather has come again, and it looks like we’ve got a beautiful weekend in store! Before you put on the house robe and hunker down with a log of cookie dough and a new episode of Ugly Betty (What?! Isn’t that how you start your weekends? [No, I dropped Ugly Betty in favor of Numb3rs and Dollhouse. --Susan]) here’s a recap to ease your brain’s transition from work to weekend.

Google fans are excited about the new Droid smartphone for Google’s Android mobile operating system. Google skeptics, meanwhile, are finding solace in the fact that the company’s buddy-buddy relationship with the White House administration is getting some mainstream exposure.

The search engine and Internet service company has announced a new product for retailers. Google Commerce Search is a storefront that e-commerce business owners can put on their site to make searching for products easier. On first glance it looks like a pretty cool tool to offer visitors, but it sure does cost a pretty penny! Minimum fifty-thousand a year!

Digital marketing conference ad:tech is in New York this week. You can find assorted coverage across the Web, including Microsoft’s reporting of the State of the Industry panel and Bruce’s slide deck for his presentation on SEO best practices (pdf) as part of SMX@ad:tech.

10e20 compiled a list of November’s hot topics in social media. Knowing the popular topics of the day is a great place to start when aiming to create popular and sharable content. And who doesn’t love holidays, movies and the latest tech toys?

For a nostalgic stroll down the memory lane of toys, check out the most popular Christmas toys, going all the way back to the holiday season of 1960. In ‘69, were you all about the Hot Wheels, or does your best Christmas memory lie with the Care Bear craze of ‘84? [I totally remember getting a Cabbage Patch when I was little. --Susan]

Or wait, is social media actually the hot toy this holiday season? A report from Reuters suggests that consumers aren’t the only ones excited for what the holidays may bring. Retailers and brands across the country are relying on social media to be a strong team player over the next few months.

We’re also deep into American football season, so I’d be remiss not to include a football-themed post on the 10 fundamentals of local SEO. Thanks for the pep talk, David Mihm!

Social media super stars like Twitter and other status update services have seen a jump in users, says the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Younger Internet users, those connecting with mobile devices, and social network participants make up the three main groups driving the growth.

Over at Facebook, I’m willing to bet there’s been a good amount of head scratching and brainstorming going on following one spammer’s creepy confession. Dennis Yu walked TechCrunch readers through his process of gaming the Facebook ad system and flooding it with scammy, misleading, and highly profitable content.

Yu’s dealings make up but a small part of the aptly dubbed fakeosphere. The FTC is cracking down on ads (or more accurately, scams) parading as blog posts and user-generated testimonials. I know Halloween is over, but consumers beware.

That level of skeezy can only be followed by a unicorn chaser. Of course, I’m the one writing here, so you’re getting a baby turtle chaser! These kids are going to be such lady killers when they grow up. *Squeal!* Time to take a trip to Sea World!

Babies have definitely been cause for celebration in the search realm of late. Loren Baker, president of Search Engine Journal, found out he and his wife, Janna, have a boy on the way. Google co-creator Larry Page and his wife, Lucy, welcomed a boy into the world yesterday. WordPress developer extraordinaire Joost De Valk cuddled up with his new baby girl for the first time this morning. [And tomorrow, I'm hosting my sister-in-law's baby shower! Huzzah! --Susan]

Internet marketing newsletter and Web resource Web Marketing Today ushers in its 15th year on November 9. If you aren’t subscribed to Dr. Ralph Wilson’s power-packed newsletter complete with actionable articles and expert-laden video interviews, really, what are you waiting for? Congrats to all!

A thread on webmaster forum WebmasterWorld suggests that Microsoft’s search engine Bing is honoring 301 redirects after gaining a notorious reputation for not doing so. Wonder if it has anything to do with MSNBot 1.1 being put out to pasture. MSNBot 1.1 may not have been “old” but it sure seemed a little bit senile.

A new forum has been launched by SEO Phill Midwinter, and he’s come out the gate with a bang and unique insights into optimization strategy for semantic search. As Phill explains, Google uses semantic data (technology that identifies the meaning of words based on their relationship with one another) which we can see through Wonder Wheel, the AdWords Keyword Tool and related searches in SERPs.

In a two part series, Phill breaks down his technical tactics for semantic search engine optimization. He’s explained the concept to me before, but getting a formalized version complete with diagrams did wonders to help deepen my understanding. The step-by-step process Phill outlines is primed for adoption and adaptation.

Next week Internet marketers will be converging on Vegas to attend the search, social media and affiliate marketing conference PubCon. I know super-bloggers will be reporting all the action live (or close to it) on Search Engine Roundtable and Outspoken Media. And if you know of other media outlets providing coverage, feel free to drop a link in the comments.

Not too busy gearing up for PubCon to chime in on a convo I started yesterday, Outspoken Media’s Lisa Barone challenged my admonition against the controversial, saying that strongly worded blog posts force readers to face assumptions, potentially leaving us wiser and more open-minded in the process.

Also challenging assumptions, keyword management platform WordStream offers up five SEO myths and proceeds to bust ‘em wide open with dynamite and rubber mannequins. …Or am I thinking of Mythbusters? Take a look at these common assumptions of the SEO’s handbook and consider what you believe and why.

Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:

• Mind control through sound and light? La la la… I’m not listening!
• It’s possible to make beautiful music resemble like an alien encounter.
• AT&T is suing Verizon for comparing apples to apples.
• How does China prepare to host next year’s World Expo? By banning pajamas in public, of course.

See the rest here: 
Friday Recap - Fine Fall Edition

That How to Get Started with SEO post that I published last week has a little backstory: It was inspired by a series of interviews I’ve done lately about SEO with members of the press. Each interview was about SEO and small businesses, and in each case I ended up talking about how a small business can begin to tackle SEO.

The fruits of each interview are now online, and if I had to pick a favorite, it would be this article from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It’s a profile of All About Spelling, a small business that I’d never heard of until the article was published online.

Possessing neither deep computer skills nor deep pockets, the Eagle River couple have built a thriving little enterprise on do-it-yourself Internet marketing.

After not quite three years in business, their home-based publishing house is bringing in $75,000 a month, supporting them and allowing them to live in northern Wisconsin as they always dreamed.

Small business owners — please read this article, and pay attention to the two-step process that this small business used when starting out online:

1. “… Marie put up a Web site and spent several months posting articles about spelling, reading and home-schooling.”
2. “Another tactic she employed was to contact bloggers on home-schooling and let them know about the articles on her site. The bloggers started mentioning Marie’s posts and providing links to the Rippels’ site.”

That second point is important, because writing great content isn’t enough; you have to promote it, too.

After you read the article, have a look at the All About Spelling web site. When I look at it, I immediately see a couple things on the home page that can be improved — the page title and the anchor text of the internal links, for starters. But there’s some good stuff going on here, too. Consider:

1. Keyword usage: The word “spelling” appears more than 25 times on the home page, but the text is still readable to humans. I think this is a great example of how to write and optimize content that’s good both for search engine spiders and humans.
2. Call to action: I love the “Free Report!” section on the left. It’s an immediate and compelling call to action, and helps this small business build out a mailing list.

If you’re a service-oriented small business, and expertise is your primary selling point, you should be able to learn some things from their web site.

Other Articles/Interviews

As I mentioned, there are a couple other articles online in which I talk about SEO and small businesses.

Digital Journal recently posted a Q&A with me. It’s an abbreviated version of the conversation, and I fear some important stuff got left on the editing room floor and/or lost in transcription.

I was one of several people quoted in a pair of articles about SEO that were recently posted by SmallBusinessComputing.com. Here’s number one, and here’s the second one.

Advertisement: WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool delivers more keywords, faster than paid tools and always 100% free. Try it today!

This is a post from Matt McGee’s blog, Small Business Search Marketing.

Meeting the Press, Talking SEO

No related posts.

Excerpt from:
Meeting the Press, Talking SEO

This is another addition to our ongoing series of tutorials and case studies on landing pages that work.

Bjorn Furuknap wants to improve the work lives of SharePoint users with great information. I don’t know how many tech-types use SharePoint, but as a major Microsoft product, I’m thinking big numbers.

So two things occur to me:

• There’s a pretty big prospect universe of SharePoint users to draw from.
• There’s gotta be a lot of competition for the SharePoint user eyeball.

Despite the obvious competition, Bjorn’s online journal, “Understanding SharePoint”, should be a bigger sales winner than it is.

 Let’s look at the stats and see what we can do to pop the numbers for Bjorn.  

• The Goal: Increase subscription sale conversions from a current base of 500 unique monthly visitors.
• The Problem: Conversions are low. A few newsletter sign-ups, but not sure as to what the main problem is - which is why he’s asking the Copywriting Maven for advice!
• The Current Landing Page: http://www.understandingsharepoint.com/journal/volume-1/issue-1
• Value: $14.95 per issue? **

** My confusion will be addressed below.  


The Maven’s 10-Point Critique

Bjorn has published additional issues since he asked for a makeover. The landing page listed above reflects only his first issue. Subsequently, each issue has it’s own ‘landing page.’ After navigating his site for a bit, I found this page on my own, and this kind of page should be the primary landing page. It’s where prospects can see the benefit of the journal as a whole, as opposed to a series of parts.

I strongly recommend Bjorn combine the elements of these two pages into a single, more effective landing page for the journal. (He can keep the individual pages per issue but sell the journal as a complete concept.)


Click image for larger view

#1 - Declutter your landing page of all distractions - sidebars, widgets, etc.



If there’s any song I sing more than any other, it’s this. A cluttered page will distract your visitor from even the most compelling selling message. I realize, of course, that as more of us use WordPress and other CMS platforms, getting to a clean, pristine field of white nothingness isn’t easy. But there are ways around it. Use the “page” as opposed to “post” format - some CMS-themes will allow you to specify how many columns/which widgets are used where. Or create a static html landing page and link to your main CMS from there.

But if you’re serious about landing pages, you gotta clear and clean the decks so that the only “shiny, sparkly” object on the page is the copy/design elements that direct them through your sales message toward your conversion flavor. Also, remove the Comments function from the page, as well. A landing page is a solo act with a single voice.

#2 - Create a headline that immediately addresses your prospect’s “pain point.”

If everyone knew everything, no one would have a reason to buy information. We’d all be wise and wonderful. But since we’re not, pain is usually the main driver toward an information product sale.

Prospects want to do something easier, faster, better. Perhaps they want to be the SharePoint Hero/Guru at work. Whatever the core reasons, Bjorn’s copy has to show how “Understanding SharePoint” will help lead to a happier, more productive SharePoint user experience. That’s the job of your headline. Begin the promise of pain relief and connection right upfront.

#3 - Define the product you’re selling and specify your offer … and test.

Even if each issue covers a different topic, what can a reader expect in every issue? What are the common elements? How can you pull individual issues under a single umbrella? An easy, every issue of “Understanding SharePoint” contains (or covers): 1 … 2 … 3 …, etc.

In reviewing your site, I wasn’t sure whether I’m being asked to pay for $14.95 per issue or for a full subscription of XX issues in Volume 1. (If it’s there, I missed it. If I missed it, so have thousands of other prospects since you launched.) I’d recommend a simple, 2-tier subscription model. Order individual issues at $14.95 or a full volume/XX issues (depending on how many issues in a specific timeframe), a $XX annual price. Test price-points and time-frames.

#4 - Show the product with a strong visual.

If it’s a journal - print or online - it has a cover. Even if you can’t tell a book by its cover, show one anyway. It makes “real” a virtual purchase. Add a little depth to the cover, give the impression of pages. (You have a 60+ page periodical. Don’t be afraid to give it its due.) 


Click image for larger view



#5 - Promote your value proposition early and upfront.

I talked about competition for the SharePoint user eyeball in my introduction. There are books, ebooks, and a ton of available information. Some of it free, some not. So, where’s the “Understanding SharePoint” value proposition? There’s a dry, little bit of business on the welcome page. But you’ve actually written an effective value proposition elsewhere.

I found it in your introduction to Volume One. Use these ideas for the core of your promotional copy and accessorize from there.



#6 - Highlight all the “sweeteners” that helps to reduce perceived risk and smooth the way to conversion.



Use subheads, bolded text and image elements to highlight the Free Issue Preview and your money-back guarantee. Add testimonials from everyone who uses your material. (Bonus - don’t forget to “ask for the sale” on the last page of the free preview!)

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#7 - Have all content proofed by folks with standard English spelling and grammar skills. Use standard nomenclature.

I appreciate anyone who’s more than merely functional in one language. Two or more languages? You are a person to be respected! (My grandmother was fluent in 5 languages as her little corner of Hungary was an intersection of several other central/eastern European countries.) But when you’re committing to print, you need to up your spelling and grammar game.

There are typos and some odd turns of phrase in the copy that made me stop and re-read sentences. You don’t want to throw any obstacles in the way of your prospective customer. (I’m the world’s worst proofreader so please do as I say, not as I’ve been know to do. :)

I wasn’t sure if your $14,95 was done purposely or not. To my eye, it looked like a typo. That made me stop. Again.

#8 - Listen to your customers. Give them what they want as long as you can still make $$$ from it … and test.

I noted in a comments section that users were asking about permission to share an issue. (How honest!) You responded that you were working on finding the right model. Don’t work on it too long. Start testing some possibilities now. 

In the traditional B2B publishing world I grew up in, we had different subscription rates based on whether the subscriber was an individual, or representing a corporate or not-for-profit organization. How did we know? We looked at where the subscription was registered, residential or business address. Is there a way to translate that to today? Corporate credit card versus an individual PayPal account? A corporate email address vs a hotmail account? Does the software-model work better for you? Ask your subscribers with a short survey. Who’s buying and for whom? Find out what they want, and if you can, begin delivering it immediately.  

#9 - Make your order buttons larger, brighter and test the button copy.

Prospects can’t click what they can’t see. (Why does Amazon use orange? Because it’s bright and jumps off the page. You just can’t miss it.) Also test your button text. You’d be surprised at the differences in click-thru rates just by testing this one element alone.  

#10 - Enhance readability with more contrast between text and background color

Designer aesthetics aside for a moment, if you’re serious about closing sales, you want to do everything possible to increase readability. Darken the text, lighten the background. I might also pop the point size up a little. Don’t make it hard for your visitor to read your material.

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BONUS: Be strategic in your use of pop-ups/pop-unders … and test some more.

When I visited your original landing page, I got a pop-up in my face well before I had the chance to read word one of the page content. Very oft-putting to me. (For some visitors, it might be reason enough to exit the site right then and there.) It interfered with my ability to engage with your message. I also noted that the pop-up didn’t support a sale, but offered me the chance to get on your mailing list - again, well before I had enough information to make a decision about you, your product, or your company.



I’d recommend testing some sort of “pop” when a visitor tries to leave your page. You could use the pop as a reminder about the free, no obligation preview or, to help ensure folks don’t leave without leaving something of themselves behind, invite them to join your mailing list. Keep the message short, concise and to the visitor’s benefit. 

My thanks to Bjorn Furuknap for his supreme patience and support of Heifer International. Look for my next makeover in approximately 4 weeks.

Here’s your chance to be the Copywriting Maven’s next landing page makeover!

Got a landing page that’s more poop than pop? Willing to share with Copyblogger readers? Prepared to put a little of your own “skin in the game” for a Maven Makeover? Then follow your click to Maven’s Landing Page Makeover page for all the details.

(The response to the return of the Copywriting Maven Makeovers has been tremendous - thank you! The downside is I’m booked for new gratis critiques until 10/15/09. If you’re interested in a private critique/makeover or other services, please email me directly.)

About the Author: Roberta Rosenberg is The Copywriting Maven at MGP Direct, Inc.

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Continued here:
Landing Page Makeover Clinic #18: UnderstandingSharePoint.com