Read Back Issues of the Successful Sites Newsletter!

The Importance of Advertising and Audience Targeting

If you have a resource site, you'll want to read this issue. Our first article has come great insights on effectively using the advertising on your site.

The second article of this issue deals with audience targeting- the strategy of focusing your efforts on your most profitable customers. Less can be better!

Paint-By-Numbers SEO and the WWF

Many people new to SEO believe there must be a magical formula for getting high rankings. They copy the SEO strategies of the top ranking site in their industry... and wonder why they can never beat them. Originality is the key!

What does the WWF have to do with search marketing? Matt Williams compares the two in this smackdown article and finds some interesting similarities! You really can learn from professional wrestling!

Cause and Effect in Search Marketing

Search marketers often have a hard time accepting things when they can't figure out why something happened. Often, you'll never know why. Applying a little common sense and testing can help you see what you caused and what is out of your control.

Optimizing your site for local search can be a real boon! Get the most out of local search with this informative article by Paul Jahn.

Target Audience- Tale of a Broken Light Fixture and Site Annoyances

My article in this issue talks about the importance of knowing your target audience and making your site intuitive for them- not expecting them to learn your ways. The very funny Diane Aull has an article based on a recent survey- what really ticks people off when it comes to websites?

Site Love, Errors and Abandonment

Do you really care about your visitors? Are you meeting their every need and watching out for them when errors happen? These two articles attempt to get you to put your visitors first and plan for contingencies so your visitors will know you care.

Using PPC for Effective Keyword Research and When to Hire a Specialist- Issue 017

The most widely used search engine in the world is Google- so why wouldn't you use Google for your keyword research? Here's the details on how to find those effective keyword phrases.

Are you wasting your time on things you don't entirely understand? Maybe it's time to get back to doing what you do best instead of trying to do it all. Specialists can help!

Submitting is a Waste and Driving an SEO Insane- Issue 016

You can't throw a rock without hitting some ad or spam mail for search engine submitting services. They are a complete waste, and this article lays it all out for you.

Diane Aull has a great article on ways to make your SEO pull out all their hair and throw things around their office. Want a successful web marketing plan? Don't follow these tips.

Linking Basics and Optimizing for Sales- Issue 015

Why are links so important? And what is the best way to go about getting them? This linking primer, Threads of the Web, gives you an overview of why you need links and where to find them.

Rosemary Brisco provides an excellent checklist for gearing up your site to sell, instead of optimizing it just for rankings.

Image Links, SEO, and Accessibility- Issue 014

Image links have been cast aside in favor of text links on many sites, however they can really help web marketers to increase the relevance of a page for specific keyword phrases.

Matt Bailey provokes some thought on accessibility in websites and why it should be an issue for every webmaster.

Search and Usability- Issue 013

What if search marketing isn't the answer for your site? Some other marketing strategies to consider before maxing out search in this edition. Plus, Kim Krause Berg gives us some pointers on how usability benefits search marketing.

Learning from Infomercials and SEO Spam Issues- Issue 012

Can the cheesiest marketing out there, the infomercial, teach you anything about structuring web content? Yes!

Jill Whalen sets the record straight on why some of the oldest tricks in the book really are a waste of time.

Competitors and an SEO Story- Issue 011

How do you stay ahead of your competitors when everything moves so fast? Some ideas to get you thinking.

Also, an SEO bedtime story- the Hungry Little Spider.

Copyright Issues- Issue 010

Copyright infringement is illegal. How do you turn copyright infringement into a link building campaign? Debra O'Neill Mastaler gives some tips. Also, how to find and report copyright violations.

Site Architecture and Newsletter Tips- Issue 009

The basics of site architecture for easy navigation and a great article on getting more out of your e-newsletter by Kim Krause.

Hiring an SEO and Keyword Research Basics- Issue 008

An overview of what to look for when hiring a search engine marketer as well as an article by Myla Kay Marks on researching keyword phrases.

Server Side Includes - Issue 007

A simple tutorial for using server side includes (SSI) on your site and a great article from Craig Geis on the importance of including navigational links in pdf files online.

The Secret Sauce- Issue 006

Kim Krause delivers a great article on some of the things that could be driving people away from your site. Scottie's article this week covers the secret of great websites- words.

PPC- Buying Your Way In- Issue 005

Ed Kohler reviews the basics of getting started with pay per click advertising and how it can help your business.

Web Stats, Tracking, and Benchmarking- Issue 004

Sally Falkow contibutes a great article on why you should be watching your statictics followed by a simple primer on web analytics terminology.

Content and Writing to Sell- Issue 003

Read ideas for getting fresh content on your site as well as Karon Thackston's article on writing about benefits, not features.

Content and Testimonials- Issue 002

What exactly is good content? What kinds of things can you add to your site to make it more interesting to your customers? This issue also includes a great article from Diane Aull on using testimonials to build credibility.

Website Readability- Issue 001

Is your web copy readable? Read this article from Christine Churchill to find common mistakes made when formatting text for the web along with suggestions to improve readability.