• Include a call to action such as Call Now or Join Today.
• Try for seven words or less — this will sift the important keywords and keyphrases to the top so that you are succinct and accurate.
• Catch phrases and deception will get you blocked as spam.
• Use numbers in your subject line, e.g., 5 Tips for Healthier Living or Only 3 Days Left. These make the project feel manageable.
• Look to other publications or try CopyBlogger.com for new ideas.
• Segment your list so that you can test several options.

Increase authoritative recognition

In addition to promoting your company, promote yourself or the company owners or managers as industry leaders and experts on topics within your industry. Do this by writing and publishing articles at your site and other sites such as Wikipedia, eHow, About, and Ezines. Each of these sites have rules about self-promotion, but you are allowed to include your information in the resource box. Use this space to link to your site or other articles that support you.

• Write articles about your industry or related industries using your keywords and keyphrases generously.
• Post the articles at your site first.
• Submit the article to information and reference sites on the web.
• Use the resource box to promote your company and you as the author.
• Include links to your social-media accounts.
• Case studies about your company solving a customer’s problem in a unique and innovative manner are often allowed, even at the most-strict, non-promotional sites.
• Send news announcements with a link to the articles published by recognized authoritative sites.
• Add links to the off-site published versions at the bottom of the version at your site. Update each time it is published.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing

Full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated
$54.99 + $4.95 shipping and handling (per book) within the continental US via USPS.

For shipping outside the US, email info@winningatwebmarketing.com.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing eBook, $17.99

If you enjoy the game of pinball then you are perfectly suited for web marketing and this guide will serve as your official rule book. Much like pinball, marketing efforts on the internet, become more successful the longer you can keep them in play. If you are an owner, or responsible for marketing a small company, the Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing will put you on the track to a successful self-promotion effort in as few as 30 days and for less than $300. Learn new concepts, vehicles, and tracking that are sustainable and scalable. In this guidebook for the entrepreneur, Shaffstall shares her secrets to successful self-promotion for small businesses. This book will get you excited about marketing!

Resource sites, copyrights, and credits

As you embark on a new web-marketing strategy, you may find helpful the resources below.

24-7 Press Release, an effective and affordable press-release distribution service.

About, The New York Times Company, an online neighborhood of hundreds of experts.

AddThis, AddThis, LLC, helps web site publishers and bloggers spread their content across the web by making it easy for visitors to bookmark and share content to their favorite social destinations.

Art Institutes, The Art Institutes International LLC, a system of more than 40 education institutions located throughout North America.

Ask, Ask.com, innovative search technologies that deliver fast and relevant information for millions of people every day.

BeeTagg, Convision, Ltd., makers of QR Code, BeeTagg Code or Datamatrix, and the BeeTagg Multicode Reader on your phone.

Bigstock, Shutterstock Images, LLC, a fast site that enables you to shop for very inexpensive images.

Blogcritics, Technorati, Inc., an online magazine, filtered microcosm of the blogosphere, and a full-service news and reviews source.

Constant Contact, Constant Contact, Inc., helps small businesses, associations, and nonprofits connect with their customers, clients, and members through the use of email and other services.

CopyBlogger, Copy Blogger, LLC, a blog dedicated to content strategies and copywriting skills.

Crazy Egg, Crazy Egg, Inc., simple and affordable heat-mapping tools that allow you to visually understand user behavior.

CSS: The Missing Manual, O’Reilly Media, Inc., explains CSS as a powerful design tool and how you can use it to build new web sites, or refurbish old sites that are ready for an upgrade.

Delicious , Yahoo!, a social-bookmarking service enabling you to save your bookmarks online, share them with other people, and see what others are bookmarking.

Digg, Digg, Inc., a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web.

Drupal, Dries Buytaert, an open source content-management platform.

eHow, eHow, Inc., an online community dedicated to providing visitors the ability to research, share, and discuss solutions and tips for completing day-to-day tasks and projects.

Ezines, EzineArticles.com, an online magazine where expert authors and writers are able to post their articles to be featured within the site.

Facebook, Facebook, Inc., a social network enabling members to share and make the world more open and connected.

FeedBurner, Google, Inc., an online service for RSS.

FileMaker Pro, FileMaker, Inc., a powerful, easy-to-use database software.

Flash, Adobe Systems, Inc., the industry standard for interactive authoring and delivery of immersive experiences that present consistently across personal computers, mobile devices, and screens of virtually any size and resolution.

Four-Color Design, Four-Color Design, a Colorado-based design firm.

GoDaddy, The Go Daddy Group, Inc., reportedly the world’s largest domain name registrar.

Google Add URL, Google, Inc., an online tool to enable a user to submit a site’s URL to Google search tools.

Google Analytics, Google, Inc., an enterprise-class web-analytics solution that provides insight into a web site’s traffic and marketing effectiveness.

Google (XML) Sitemaps Generator for WordPress, Arne Brachhold, generates an XML-compliant site map of a WordPress blog that is supported by Ask.com, Google, Yahoo!, and MSN Search (Bing).

Google Webmaster Tools, Google, Inc., provides detailed reports about a site’s pages’ visibility on Google.

HugeDomains.com, HugeDomains.com, a premium domain-reseller.

iGoogle, Google, Inc., a customizable home page, which can contain web feeds and Google gadgets.

JavaScript, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (acquired by Oracle, Corporation), an object-oriented scripting language used to enable programmatic access to computational objects within a host environment.

JFM Concepts, JFM Concepts, LLC, a full-service, cross-media marketing technology firm.

Joomla, Free Software Foundation, Inc., an award-winning content management system (CMS), which enables the user to build web sites and powerful online applications.

Kaywa Reader, Kaywa AG, a quick-response reader for SmartPhones.

Kindle, Amazon.com, Inc, a software and hardware platform developed by Amazon.com for displaying of ebooks and other digital media.

KnowEm?, KnowEm, LLC, a web-based service that enables the user to check for the use of a specified brand, product, personal name, or username instantly on over 350 social-media web sites.

LinkedIn, LinkedIn Corporation, the world’s largest professional network with over 65 million members.

Lokas Software, Lokas Software, creators of stock icons.

Local.com, Local.com Corporation, the leading provider of private label local search.

MySpace, News Corporation, a social-networking site widely considered to be the pioneer to today’s social-media applications.

Network Solutions, Network Solutions, LLC, enables the user to find domain names, web hosting, and online marketing for web sites all in one place.

Plaxo, Plaxo, Inc., an online address book and social-networking service.

PRMac, MacScripter, LLC, an online news-distribution service primarily focused on topics relating to the Mac.

PRWeb, Vocus, Inc., an online news-distribution service.
QuarkXPress, http://8.quark.com, Quark, Inc., a leading desktop-publishing application; used to produce this book.

Quark Promote, Quark, Inc., a web-to-print solution that enables small- to mid-sized businesses to purchase printed products online.

RAGE Sitemap Automator, Rage Software, a software application used to create XML site map files to enable users to get their web sites listed in all major search engines.

Search Engine Watch, Incisive Interactive Marketing LLC, provides tips and information about searching the web, analysis of the search engine industry, and helps to site owners trying to improve their ability to be found in search engines.

Sir Speedy Centennial, Bighorn Graphics, a Colorado-based print shop that produces both print and electronic projects.

SurveyMonkey, SurveyMonkey, a provider of web-based survey solutions.

Table of Contents Creator (WordPress plugin), a WordPress plugin that automatically generate a table of contents of the site’s posts.

Team Dave Logan, a services-directory web site endorsed by Dave Logan that provides a list of home-improvement contractors put through an intensive interview and pre-screening process before being added to the online directory.

Technorati, Technorati, Inc., an online service to help bloggers by collecting, highlighting, and distributing blog posts.

TemplateMonster.com, Artvertex, Inc., a company that provides web design with an emphasis on affordable web design products and services including more than 20,000 web-site templates.

TinyURL, Gilby Productions, a free service for shortening long URLs into shorter versions.

Twitter, Twitter, Inc., a real-time information network that enables members to share and discover current events and topics.

VDPweb, JFM Concepts, LLC, combines email, SMS text, QR codes, variable video, video spokespersons, 800-number tracking, generic landing pages (GURLs), and more in one online platform.

Webconfs, WebConfs.com, provider of SEO tools and webmaster utilities.

WhoIs, Verio, an NTT Communications Company, domain-based research services.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a multilingual, web-based, free-content encyclopedia project based on an openly editable model.

WordPress, a free state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability.

Worldometers, The Real Time Statistics Project, making world statistics available in a thought-provoking and time-relevant format to a wide audience around the world.

Yelp!, Yelp!, Inc., an online directory and review service to help people find local businesses.

YouTube, YouTube, LLC, the world’s most-popular online video community.

Zoomerang, MarketTools, Inc., a powerful, self-service alternative for conducting accurate comprehensive online surveys with a minimum of cost and effort.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing

Full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated
$54.99 + $4.95 shipping and handling (per book) within the continental US via USPS.

For shipping outside the US, email info@winningatwebmarketing.com.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing eBook, $17.99

301 redirect (also: redirect; URL redirect; URL forwarding) — a technique for sending the visitor to a substitute web page.

404 error page — a page returned when a visitor types in a non-existent URL.

Addon (also: extension; plugin; widget; XTensions) — a small software application that extends the capabilities of a host application.

Alt text (alternate text) — text displayed when an image is missing that was used in an HTML page.

Analytics — the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage.

Article (also: post; story) — a document within a blog site.

Authoritative (authority) — in the context of this book, a person who was been verified by search spiders as a source of reliable information on a topic.

Avatar — graphical representation of a computer user. This might be an illustration, image, caricature, or abstract representation.

Backlink (also: hyperlink; inbound link; link) — a reference in an off-site source document that, when clicked, transports the user to a document or page within your site.

Blacklisted — a domain name that has been deemed as the originator of spam and therefore blocked by many email systems.

Blog — a type of web site usually maintained by a single person through the posting of daily stories. Entries are displayed in a reverse-chronological order.

Blog pages (also: pages; static HTML pages) — a generally static document within a blog site or web site.

Blogger — one who writes stories posted at a blog.

Body tags (* body *; * /body *) — a designated area within an html web site that contains the content intended for the visitor.

Bounce rate — the percentage of visitors to one’s web site that leave without visiting a second page.

Bot (also: crawler; robot; search spider; spider) — a computer application that indexes web pages for the purpose of returning them in search-engine results.

Call to action — a statement or request within messaging that directs the recipient act in some specific manner, such as “call now.”

CAPTCHA — a type of test used within web sites and forms to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. This is often a task such as typing the characters seen in an image.

Cascading style sheets (CSS) — a style sheet language used to format and provide consistent styling for html web pages.

Category — a grouping of pages within a blog site. Category names should match one’s keywords and keyphrases.

Click-thru — a count of the number of persons who have clicked on a link. It can also refer to the type of link or type of ad.

Comment — a message left by a visitor at a blog site in reference to a posting.

Crawler (also: bot; robot; search spider; spider) — a computer application that indexes web pages for the purpose of returning them in search-engine results.

Customer-loyalty campaign — a campaign that rewards customers for their relationship with a vendor; generally through the tallying of points that can be redeemed for products or as discounts off future purchases.

Deep link — a page within a web site that is not at the top level or directory.

Description (also: excerpt; meta description) — a descriptive summary of the content of a web page. Also used to describe the page in search-engine results.

Domain name — words, letters, and/or numerals, separated from the extension by periods, used to name companies on the web.

Drip marketing — a marketing strategy where one sends several consecutive promotional pieces to current and potential clients as a method of keeping the company name in front of the client.

Endorsement (also: testimonial) — text written by a customer, client, or visitor that validates something that you offer, such as services or products.

Excerpt (also: description) — a descriptive summary of the content of a blog post. Also used to describe the page in search-engine results and in rss summaries.

Eye-tracking heat map — a color-coded representation of a web page that identifies the areas that attracts the visitor’s eye.

Extension (also: addon; plugin; widget; XTensions) — a small software application that extends the capabilities of a host application.

Group — an online community of people that have a common interest.

Head tags (* head *; * /head*) — a defined section within an html page that contains information not visible to the visitor, but that provides instructions to search engines and other applications that can read this information.

Heat map (see also: eye-tracking heat map) — a color-coded representation of a web page that identifies the areas of click activity.

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) — a computer language used to create and represent web pages and emails.

Hosting provider (also: host; ISP) — a company that charges a fee in exchange for providing the customer with internet access which can be used for hosting a web site and/or email accounts.

Inbound link (also: back link) — a reference in an off-site source document that, when clicked, transports the user to a document or page within your site.

Index — the listing of a web page’s content for the purpose of returing the page to a user during a search on word or phrases used within the page.

Internet service provider (ISP) — a company that charges a fee in exchange for providing the customer with internet access which can be used for hosting a web site and/or email accounts.

JavaScript — an object-oriented scripting language used often within web pages to create special effects or action features.

Keyphrases (see also: meta tags) — a series of words that are used to identify important features, services, or products of a company. In a list of keyphrases, the phrases are separated by commas.

Keywords (also: meta tags) — words that are used to identify important features, services, or products of a company. In a list of keywords, the words are separated by commas.

Link (also: hyperlink; inbound link; backlink; outbound link) — a reference in a source document to another document that, when clicked, transports the user to destination document.

Link farm — any group of web sites that all hyperlink to every other site in the group. This is an undesirable state.

Meta data — text, audio, or video that describes what the audience will see, hear, or experience. In the case of web pages, meta data is generally text descriptions of the content of the page.

Meta description (also: description; excerpt) — a descriptive summary of the content of a web page. Also used to describe the page in search-engine results.

Meta tags (also: tags; keywords; keyphrases) — a series of words or phrases that are used to identify important features, services, or products of a company. In a list, commas are used to separate individual keywords and keyphrases.

Micro-blog — a form of blogging where the content is typically much smaller, shorter, or limited in character count. Twitter is probably the best-known micro-blog.

Multi-touch campaign or marketing — a single marketing effort that integrates a number of messaging vehicles, e.g., direct mail, email, news announcement, and social-media postings.

Nurturing campaign — an on-going marketing effort that proactively guides contacts through a process of awareness, interest, preference, and purchase or investment.

Open source — describes a philosophy or methodology in the production and development of software or solutions that promote access to the end product’s source materials.

Opt-in — the condition of explicitly subscribing, joining, or permitting the inclusion of one’s contact information in company’s mailing or emailing list.

Opt-out — the condition of explicitly unsubscribing from a company’s mailing or emailing list.

Outbound link — a reference in your site or document that, when clicked, transports the user to destination document.

Page title (also: title) — a text tag of a web page that identifies the page to the search engine and that displays at the top of the browser window.

Pages (also: blog pages; static html pages) — a generally static document within a blog site or web site.

Pay-per-click (PPC) — the process of charging fees based on the number of times an ad or hyperlink is clicked by viewers.

Personalization — the process of adding individual customer data to each piece of a campaign.

Personalized landing page (PURL) — a web page that is dynamically or manually created and named using personal information of the recipient (usually their name).

Pingback — a method for web authors to request notification when another site links to one of their documents.

Plugin (see: addon; extension; widget; XTensions) — a small software application that extends the capabilities of a host application.

Podcast — a single or series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web.

Post (see: article; story) — a document within a blog site.

Privacy policy — a legal document posted at your web site that discloses some or all of the ways a you retain, process, disclose, and purge customer’s contact and personally identifiable data.

Private registration — a service offered by a number of domain name registrars where the registrar replaces the user’s info in the WHOIS with the info of a forwarding service.

Really simple syndication (RSS) — a family of web-feed formats that are used to publish frequently updated works in a standardized format, e.g., blog posts, news headlines, audio, and video.

Reciprocal link — the process of creating a link within your site in exchange for and directed to a site that has posted a link to yours..

Registration form — a form posted within your site for the purpose of collecting contact information or survey responses.

Redirect (also: 301 redirect; URL redirect; URL forwarding) — a technique for sending the visitor to a substitute web page.

Relevant — a page’s state as designated by a search spider in being appropriate in the return of SER.

Robot (also: bot; crawler; robot; search spider; spider) — a computer application that indexes web pages for the purpose of returning them in search-engine results.

Safe-sender list — a list of senders you identify in your email software from whom you believe you receive virus — or spam-free email messages.

Search-engine marketing (SEM) — a form of web-based marketing that seeks to promote web sites by increasing their visibility in search engines through organic or paid methods.

Search-engine optimization (SEO ) — the process of increasing visitor traffic or the quality of traffic to a web or blog site by affecting where in the search-engine results a company is listed.

Search-engine results (SER) — the listing of web pages as returned by a search engine in response to a user-defined search.

Search spider (also: bot; crawler; robot; spider) — a computer application that indexes web pages for the purpose of returning them in search-engine results.

Self-promotion — marketing efforts designed to promote the professional aspirations of a person.

Segment (segmentation) — the process of dividing one’s customer-contact list into groups to enable the tracking and analyzing of customer behavior.

Site map — a list of pages of a web or blog site accessible to spiders or users.

Sliced image — a single image sliced or divided into multiple images typically for the purpose of faster page loading or the ability to attach different hyperlinks to each slice.

SmartPhone — a mobile phone that offers advanced capabilities — such as email and web browsing — comparable to a computer.

Software as a service (SAAS) — a model of software deployment over the internet that enables customers to use it as on-demand service, either through a time subscription or a pay-per-use model.

Search spider (also: bot; crawler; robot; search spider) — a computer application that indexes web pages for the purpose of returning them in search-engine results.

Static HTML pages (also: blog pages; pages) — a generally static document within a web site.

Sticky (post) — a type of post or topic in a blog that remains on the front page while others around it change. Forums also can have sticky topics which remain on the home page.

Story (also article; post) — a document within a blog site.

Subdomain — a domain that is part of a larger domain, the only domain that isn’t also a subdomain is the root domain, e.g., http://blog.xraymag.com is a subdomain of the root domain http://www.xraymag.com.

Tags (also: keywords; keyphrases; meta tags) — a series of words or phrases that are used to identify important features, services, or products of a company. In a list, commas are used to separate individual keywords and keyphrases.

Targeted landing page — a customized and dedicated page within a blog or web site designed to supplement and expound upon the information found at the source of the hyperlink.

Template (also: theme) — a collection of files that work together to produce a the look and feel of your blog without affecting the underlying structure.

Testimonial (also: endorsement) — text written by a customer, client, or visitor that validates something that you offer, such as services or products.

Theme (also: template) — a collection of files that work together to produce a the look and feel of your blog without affecting the underlying structure.

TinyMCE — a platform-independent web-based JavaScript/html wysiwyg editor typically used within blogs and other saas.

Title (also: page title) — a text tag of a web page that identifies the page to the search engine and that displays at the top of the browser window.

URL forwarding (also: 301 redirect; redirect; URL redirect) — a technique for sending the visitor to a substitute web page.

URL redirect (also: 301 redirect; redirect; URL forwarding) — a technique for sending the visitor to a substitute web page.

Value-proposition — offering a reward, discount, or other benefit in exchange for an action (such as posting a link).

Validate (validating; validated; validation) — the process of confirming the veracity of site content and elevating the ranking of that site within search-engine results (SER).

Variable data — the process of creating individual marketing pieces customized for each record in your data set. Usually this mean that you have each piece imprinted with a single customer’s information and that typically it includes information beyond just that of their address.

Viral marketing — marketing techniques that use social networks to elevate brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through the passing of information.

Web 2.0 — web applications that enable interactive information sharing and collaboration on the web or between the web and devices.

Widget (see: addon; extension; plugin) — a small software application that extends the capabilities of a host application.

Wiki — a web site that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages using a web browser.

XML (Extensible markup language) — a set of rules for encoding documents electronically and often used to create site maps for submission to search engines.

XTensions (see: addon; extension; widget) — a small software application that extends the capabilities of a QuarkXPress.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing

Full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated
$54.99 + $4.95 shipping and handling (per book) within the continental US via USPS.

For shipping outside the US, email info@winningatwebmarketing.com.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing eBook, $17.99

What: The electronic-marketing landscape

Today’s marketing is a lot like playing pinball. It’s not a straight shot; you have to bounce around a lot to really rack up the points and since some pins are worth more than others, you need a certain amount of skill and luck to be able to ping them more than once. In this book, I’ll teach you the basics, some game strategy, and a few tricks, but mastering pinball — web marketing — will depend entirely on how long you can keep the ball in play. (I’ll also try not to wear out the analogy.)

Download the PDF of Chapter 1 — What: The electronic-marketing landscape

This guide is not intended to teach you how to build a WordPress® site, how to read Google® Analytics, or even how to join Facebook®. Each of these applications have well-written and complete help files and documentation. Rather, my intent is to introduce you to self-promotion tools that are free (or very inexpensive) and readily available. In the pages that follow, you should gain an understanding of tools that will make you more successful in your entrepreneurial endeavors. You will learn to market, maintain, and grow your company for less than you can imagine – in most cases for less than $300 a month.

The importance of your web presence

It’s easy to underestimate the power of the web when it comes to your self-promotion but at a time when yellow-page directories are finding their way more quickly to recycle centers, in order to survive and grow your company you will need to recognize and embrace new tools.

As an entrepreneur, it’s not just your company’s presence on the web it’s also your personal presence.

This guide is a well-rounded presentation of web tools and processes. It also focuses on the value of optimizing your professional visibility so that whether you are starting a new company or starting a new marketing program for an established company, you will know how to use the tools to your advantage. Just as importantly, you will also learn to be careful about posting too much content.

Where are you now?

When you search using any of the popular search engines, the information returned is called the search-engine results or ser. When you, a business associate, or potential client, search for your name or your company’s name, are the ser favorable?

If you are an entrepreneur and have approached an important potential client is [s]he able to find you on the web and come away feeling confident that you are an industry leader? Would they believe that you are very capable at providing the services that you have asserted?

SER are often hit-or-miss propositions, but they don’t have to be completely arbitrary. There are thousands, maybe millions, of people and companies who specialize in manipulating search spiders to provide higher ranking for people, companies, products, or services. This process of manipulation is called search-engine optimization or SEO. To be effective at self-promotion, you must identify your current SER and affect that SER by populating the web with a great deal of positive content that is congruent with your goals. I_will show you the methods for doing that, but the real work will be up to you. Your success will depend upon how much time you dedicate to the self-promotion process.

Search engines

The concept of search-engine technology is not new, it was first defined in 1945 by MIT Professor Vannevar Bush. In 1987, Gerard Salton, a Cornell University professor, authored a book, A Theory of Indexing, which describes many of the tests on which today’s search engines are still based. With a foundation supported by such experts, one would think there would not be much deviation, but the fact is that there are many people who consider it an art to trick the search spider into favoring their products in ser.

There are three types of search-engine indexing:

• spiders (also known as crawlers, robots, or just bots),
• human indexed
• hybrid of spider indexed and human indexed

If you follow good SEO practices, such as those outlined in this book, you will rank well without regard for the type of indexing performed. Search spiders are by far the most common of the three types and the type that we will discuss here.

Search spiders are only effective if they return relevant results to a search consumer, so think about this: if you use a search engine to find information about your teeth, but the ser lists sprockets (with removable teeth) as the most relevant, you might decide to use a different search engine – one with a more logical approach and that appropriately guesses that you are searching for information about the teeth in your mouth, not the teeth on a sprocket.

If you leave one search engine to try another, and the original search-engine provider loses you as a customer for future searches, this has a real impact on their revenue. While searching is free, having your company featured is not. Search engines retain and gain market share by providing you with relevant results so that you continue to visit their pages and continue to read the paid listings and ads.

In 1998, Jeffrey Brewer presented the idea of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Today you see this as the favored listings on a Google page. Companies listed in the yellow-shaded area at the top of the SER and along the right margin have paid Google to list them with this priority placement – to cut them from the herd, so to speak. This is called search-engine marketing, or SEM, though SEM can be achieved through both paid and organic methods.

While PPC is one method of gaining high rankings for a person or product within SER, it is only one part of a very big picture. Not only that, research has shown time and time again that people primarily focus on the organic listings directly below the paid searches, for a number of reasons. One important reason is that the search-engine user knows that the sponsor of the PPC listing has paid for that placement, so there is an element of distrust.

According to Nielsen® the top search-engine market share as of August 2009 is:

• Google 66%
• Yahoo 16%
• MSN 11%
• AOL 3%

Many companies rely solely on Google since they hold the majority share of the search-engine market, but not all search spiders are programmed in the same way. In fact, search spiders are an unpredictable lot and good SEO/SMO consultants change and adapt as they discover new ways of attaining exposure.

I first began working with SEO after 9/11 threatened my company and I needed to increase marketing exposure at a time when revenue was declining. I worked hard to gain an understanding of how the web could be used to keep my company profitable in such a challenging time. The changes that have occurred in the decade since are astounding, and what was a sure-fire method just two years ago will now get you penalized in the world of search-engine placement.

Search spiders are very sensitive to manipulation. If your SEO/SMO efforts seem unscrupulous, provide results contrary to the relevancy of the search term, or seem pre-programmed to interfere with natural results, you will be penalized and your product moved to the end of the list — or worse.

Purchase

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing

Full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated
$54.99 + $4.95 shipping and handling (per book) within the continental US via USPS.

For shipping outside the US, email info@winningatwebmarketing.com.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing eBook, $17.99

Pre-order QuarkXPress 9: production tricks and experts’ tips

Full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated
$54.99 + $4.95 shipping and handling (per book) within the continental US via USPS.

For shipping outside the US, email info@winningatwebmarketing.com.

Pre-order QuarkXPress 9: production tricks and experts’ tips eBook, $17.99

QuarkXPress 8: production tricks and experts’ tips

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QuarkXPress 8: production tricks and experts’ tips eBook, $17.99

If you’re launching a new company or becoming a self-employed entrepreneur, then this book is for you. Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing will help you to understand the electronic and traditional marketing landscapes and show how you can use them to benefit and grow your business.

Today’s marketing is a lot like playing pinball. It’s not a straight shot — you have to bounce around a lot to really rack up the points and since some pins are worth more than others, you need a certain amount of skill and luck to be able to ping them more than once. In this book, you’ll learn the game basics, some strategy, and a few tricks, but mastering pinball — web marketing — will depend entirely on how long you can keep the ball in play.

I’ve spent 30 years as an entrepreneur — where you do it yourself because you don’t have the budget for otherwise.

There are thousands of search-engine optimization services that you can enlist, but you should understand the options available. There is so much where you can contribute and this will reduce the financial impact on your company that expensive contractors can have.

This book starts with your web site and rolls right on through social media, social bookmarking, blogging, press releases, news announcements, printed material, QR codes, and much more. Don’t flounder — you don’t have time. Get this book and win at web marketing.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing

Full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated
$54.99 + $4.95 shipping and handling (per book) within the continental US via USPS.

For shipping outside the US, email info@cshaffstall.com.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing eBook, $17.99

If you’re launching a new company or becoming a self-employed entrepreneur, then this book is for you. Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing will help you to understand the electronic and traditional marketing landscapes and show how you can use them to benefit and grow your business.

Today’s marketing is a lot like playing pinball. It’s not a straight shot — you have to bounce around a lot to really rack up the points and since some pins are worth more than others, you need a certain amount of skill and luck to be able to ping them more than once. In this book, you’ll learn the game basics, some strategy, and a few tricks, but mastering pinball — web marketing — will depend entirely on how long you can keep the ball in play.

I’ve spent 30 years as an entrepreneur — where you do it yourself because you don’t have the budget for otherwise.

There are thousands of search-engine optimization services that you can enlist, but you should understand the options available. There is so much where you can contribute and this will reduce the financial impact on your company that expensive contractors can have.

This book starts with your web site and rolls right on through social media, social bookmarking, blogging, press releases, news announcements, printed material, QR codes, and much more. Don’t flounder — you don’t have time. Get this book and win at web marketing.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing

Full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated
$54.99 + $4.95 shipping and handling (per book) within the continental US via USPS.

For shipping outside the US, email info@winningatwebmarketing.com.

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing eBook, $17.99

There are just so many more options these days.

The Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing will help you to understand the electronic and traditional marketing landscapes and learn to use them to benefit and grow your business.

This book starts with your web site and rolls right on through social media, social bookmarking, blogging, press releases, news announcements, printed material, QR codes, and much more. Don’t flounder — you don’t have time.

Get this book and win at web marketing!

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing: full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated.

Team Dave Logan visitors and members, click here to save 40% off the cover price — just $32.99 until 30 June 2010.

There are just so many more options these days.

The Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing will help you to understand the electronic and traditional marketing landscapes and learn to use them to benefit and grow your business.

This book starts with your web site and rolls right on through social media, social bookmarking, blogging, press releases, news announcements, printed material, QR codes, and much more. Don’t flounder — you don’t have time.

Get this book and win at web marketing!

Small-business Guide to Winning at Web Marketing: full-color, 8 X 10, 158 pages, illustrated.

VDPWeb users, click here to save 40% off the cover price — just $32.99 until 30 June 2010.