A lot of business owners must be in planning mode, because I’ve been receiving a lot of the same sorts of questions. Mainly, ‘how do I teach myself online marketing?’ and ‘how do I get my website ranking on Google without a budget?’. These are really big questions. At first I was stumped how to answer it without spending months recording an online educational course (which I’m actually in the process of, I just haven’t gotten to the in-depth marketing stuff yet, so watch this space!). There’s a reason why people pay for experts to do it for them, it’s a very specialised field. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to think about. How do I write a single blog about that? Then I thought, aha! Why don’t I share the resources I give to our Web123 geek newbies to learn all about online marketing and SEO. Would you like to see our master list? Sure you would…
Starting off with online marketing?
Unbounce makes some really effective landing pages as their core product, but you can get to that later. They‘re really into education, just like we are over at Web123, so I like them a lot. They offer an amazing resource that walks you through 6 months of how to become an internet marketer for your business. It’s so big I almost didn’t talk about it here as I worried it might overwhelm you, but I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t. Part 1 is a massive infographic that breaks down 50 tasks by discipline area. Part 2 is the massive instructional step-by-step guide.
No clue about SEO?
The Beginners Guide To SEO is the ultimate SEO bible and it’s created by one of the best in the SEO biz, SEOMoz. They’re an American mob that used to be a typical SEO company selling SEO packages directly to clients, then a few years back, they did a total 180 and now all they do is create educational material and sell the tools that a lot of SEO professionals now use. So grab that bible and while you’re there sign up to their blog, their Whiteboard Friday video tips are always spot on. Prefer video? Searchengineland has a good ‘what is seo’ beginner’s video. It also has a great forum for SEO professionals and savvy business owners to talk about SEO too. Do you think SEO is a mystical dark art? This infographic turns SEO ‘hocus-pocus’ into a science with a SEO periodic table of ranking factors. An interesting read, but wait until you’ve gotten at least one beginners guide under your belt! And of course, I couldn’t go a whole blog without mentioning all the practical tips and tricks we write about every day over at Web123. Our blogs on SEO can be found here.
How about keyword research?
Market Samurai is an Australian company and they’re doing great things making keyword research easier. If you’re doing a lot of keyword research on a regular basis, they have a great product you can buy which will make life easier. But before you get that have a look at their education videos, they’re really great. Especially their introduction to keyword research. Check it out!
On-Page Optimisation – It’s time to clearly signpost your website!
If you’ve already done your keyword research and decided what phrases you want to focus on, then it’s time to make the on-site changes to your website to optimise it for more Google-love. Speaking of love, did I mention the great stuff over at SEOMoz?
Need Content on your page?
Have you gotten through an SEO beginners guide or two? Yes? Feeling confident you get the ‘big picture’? Great. Now for content. That means your basic website pages need to be written with Google AND your visitor in mind. Oh and, if you’re really getting into it, some blogs too.
About half our clients ask our professional SEO copywriters to write it all for them, (admittedly it can be harder to write for yourself than someone else), but the other half do it themselves.
If you want to DIY your copy, the Content Marketing Institute has a link to a great blog and a content template that outlines what needs to go on your content pages and where. They also have huge resources to help you plan and write your blogs and articles. I also write a lot about content over in my education blog at Web123, have a wander around and you might find some quick and easy tips for writing better content too.
Off-Page Optimisation: Ready to start building links?
Before you start on links, make sure you feel confident you have a big picture understanding of how SEO works. OK? Good! Now you’ve created some quality content on your site, that means you’re ready to start building quality links. Pointblank SEO has written what the industry consider to be the absolute BEST exhaustive list on the web for link building ideas. So when you’re ready, go there! So there it is, our SEO and online marketing list of goodies. If you’re wanting to boost your website results and if you’re the go-getter DIY type I’m sure you’ll eat this up and be begging me for more soon. And, if youre very good, I might just give it to you in the next ABN blog! Until next time ABN’er, wishing you the online success you so deserve. Cheers, Bianca
