Google's Keyword Tool is useful for people who are creating AdWords and for doing search engine optimization. But that's not all it's useful for. Here are 6 ways to use Google's Keyword Tool for your business:

1. To research your competitors: When you search for a keyword, you'll get a variety of synonyms you may not have thought of. These search terms can help you find competitors who are lurking just around the corner and scooping up clients who are searching for the very thing you're selling! Search for each of the top terms and take note of the top ten search results for each term. Any crossover will hint and a very successful SEO campaign and a key competitor you'll need to work hard to compete against.

2. To research your target market: When you search for a keyword, you'll also end up with a long list of related modifiers that you didn't consider. I found this in a recent search for my own business. I typed a keyword that I typically try to target and found a modifier – a second word – that is being searched by my target market but which I did not think of. Targeting this keyword can help to increase traffic.

3. To find content ideas: Sometimes writing a blog can end up being a little dull if you run out of ideas. You either end up not writing anything at all or writing nonsensical stuff that doesn't really matter. By searching for your keywords and drawing inspiration from some of the others that show up in the list, you can keep your ideas fresh and relevant to your target market.

4. To help your marketing planning: Identify the top 12 search terms that you want to be known for in 2010 and target one a month. Just focus all of your marketing energy on one search term a month and create tons of content around that term. Then move on the next term and the next and the next. You can always revisit your previously targeted work but this way you can find a balance between targeting several keywords and focusing on just a few.

5. To watch for trends: The keyword tool gives you monthly search volume. If you pick a few keywords and track this volume month after month, you can see how the trends change on those searches over time. The value here is to see growth opportunities before they happen.

6. To watch for "back doors". A back door is when someone gets to your blog because it contains keywords they're searching for… but with a different definition than how you are using. I had exactly this experience when I was marketing spicy food for a client and we were using the word "hot" as a key part of our AdWords… until we were reminded (with this tool) that "hot" has other meanings besides relating to food. We used some negative modifiers (vacation and girls, to name two) to eliminate searches and AdWord click-throughs that were getting to us when they intended to go somewhere else.

Press releases are still among the best ways to generate attention and traffic online. Articles are meant to be unbiased, knowledgeable content to position you as an expert and advertising is mean to be totally biased content to position you as the right choice for buyers, press releases fall nicely in the middle. On the one hand, they are more biased and "you-focused" than articles should be; on the other hand, they are more approachable than advertising and potentially more credible (because they aren’t quite as blatant as advertising).

But good press releases are hard to achieve. If you want to write better press releases for online distribution, this post will help you. However, you should be aware that press release distribution companies have their own unique preferences which might differ from the rules of thumb presented here.

1. Make sure that your press release is about a news item and not simply about your business. A news item could include: A recent success; a recent publication; a recent award; a grand opening; a sale; a marquee client; a major project completed. Write your main point in your title and carry that same point all the way through. Something like this might be a good title: "XYZ Inc. Names Bill Smith to the Role of CFO". Notice how that title is short, professional, in third person, and "newsy".

2. Remember that press releases were originally meant to tantalize reporters into learning more about you. While press release distribution has changed, the ultimate purpose of press releases hasn’t. Tantalize! Tempt! Write a little about your news and invite the reader to learn more.

3. Press releases should not be written to customers by the business. That makes it an advertisement. Many press releases are rejected by distributors because they contain the words "we" (for the business) and "you" (for the customer). A sentence like "we’re offering a great sale so you can enjoy huge discounts" is going to mean a rejected press release. Instead, try something like, "XYZ Inc. has recently reduced its prices so customers can take advantage of the savings."

4. Keep it short. Some press releases go on and on, simply because they can. But shorter press releases are more likely to be read. There is a trade-off but the best choice is to write a short press release and get lots of people to read it and a few of them to click through for more information, rather than a long press release that barely gets read by anybody.

5. Offer several ways to contact you. Leaving just a website address is a popular but faulty choice. It’s hard to measure ROI from click-throughs to your website. However, if you include a phone number and / or an email address, you’ll improve the likelihood that someone will contact you for more information.

6. Distribution. There are several distribution channels you can choose from. PRWeb (http://prweb.com) is among the best but there is a cost. However, when you buy a distribution package through PRWeb, you can also get access to analytics which help you to know how people are interacting with your release.

Over the years that I’ve been doing online marketing, I’ve found several sites that have proven to be useful for a number of reasons. And I’ve bookmarked them. Here they are,  for your convenience. Now, instead of having a dozen or so bookmarks for yourself, you only need to bookmark this page and revisit it for all of your online marketing needs!

PRChecker.info. PageRank, named for Larry Page, is that magical Google ranking based on several mysterious variables (and you can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank). Watching your site’s PageRank and striving to improve it is a helpful way to measurable improve your site’s credibility. In theory, higher Page Rank means higher placement in searches (although that is not my personal goal with the sites that I watch PageRank on). PRChecker.info will check the PageRank of any site you type in. Very handy.

Google Webmaster Tools. Google Webmaster Tools is the first of two Google tools I like. Using Google Webmaster Tools, I’m able to have Google diagnose my site for me and tell me any problems it has while it is crawling the site. This has been helpful in the past when a site I had wasn’t indexing properly: I used Google’s Webmaster Tools and was alerted to the problem quickly. This is also the place where you can submit a sitemap to help Google crawl your site more effectively.

Google Analytics. This is the other Google tool I like. You put a code into your web pages and Google will record every time someone clicks on your page. You can do so much with Google Analytics, like see where people are clicking from, and when. You can see what it is that they are looking at on your site and how they got to your site. You can see what pages they clicked to and from, and what pages they are leaving from. In particular, I really like the Google Analytics goals tracking where you can assign goals to different pages on your site to track people through your sales process.

SEO Toolbar. This isn’t so much a bookmark as it is a browser toolbar. I like their keyword research tool which cross references keyword information from a number of sources. They’ve got free training and competitive research – it’s a good tool to add to your browser.

Textalyser. Keywords are key in online marketing. You need to make sure that you’re highlighting the right keywords so search engines correctly list you with other relevant websites. I’m sure there are other tools out there but I’ve come to enjoy textalyser.net which is rich in information but painfully simple to use. Whenever I need to write something for a site and it needs to be keyword friendly, this is my go-to bookmark.

These are just a start. You might find more sites or you might find applications that you prefer over the ones I’ve listed here. Or, your business’ needs might be different from mine so you might need to invest in something else. But for many businesses, this list covers the basic online marketing needs they have.

@ContemporaryVA on Twitter.  Follow the team to stay updated on business resources we deliver that cover strategies and tips, social media and more!

Google Analytics is a great way to monitor who is on your site, for how long, and what they do while they’re there. Yes, there are other analytics service providers out there but Google can’t be beat for free, robust data.

If you’re like most users, you add the Google Analytics code to your site and visit your Analytics account page from time to time to see who’s visiting. Lots of colorful charts and eye candy, and some helpful stuff too!

But if you’re not using one specific Google Analytics feature, you’re missing out! We’re talking about the "goals" feature.

Setting up goals helps you to track progress through your site (which you could already do, of course) but with an eye to watching specific interactions that your visitors are having on your site.

Let’s say that you want to measure how many people are clicking from your welcome page to your products page then to a specific product then through to purchase. Of course, you could just look at the stats for each page and compare it to purchases, but there is an easier way that gives you some real numbers to work with.

By creating a goal and a funnel, you tell Google what steps you want it to watch for and it measure how many people click from one to the next to the next. So you would notice if lots of people are visiting your welcome page then your products page but few people are going beyond that. (Hint: there’s a problem with your products page). By having your funnel and goals all set up you can make changes and see how traffic is impacted as a result.

Google also lets you assign a dollar value to your goal. So, let’s say that you have a 3 step funnel where people can

(1) view some information,

(2) request information, and

(3) see a thank you page. And you know that by the time people see the thank you page, they are likely to spend $100 in the next year, you can make some good estimates. If you can find a way to get more people to click "submit" when they request information, there’s a likelihood of increased revenue.

Contemporary VA

@ContemporaryVA on Twitter.  Follow us to stay updated with our many resources that include business, accounting and bookkeeping, social media, and much more!

Webinars are a huge marketing opportunity and, in our opinion, underutilized. If you want to create a meaningful, multimedia interaction with prospects and clients, webinars should be on your list. In this blog, we’ll talk about the types of webinars, how to get started with a webinar, how to get the most from your webinar, and some resources to consider.

TYPES

There are a few different ways to present your webinar but we believe that the two most effective ways are pre-recorded or live-and-interactive.

Pre-recorded. Okay, the purists among you will point out that a "pre-recorded webinar" is just an online video of you talking. Fine. Sure it’s no different than creating a video that you might post on YouTube, but sometimes that’s all you need. You don’t have to go high tech, especially if you’re not comfortable with a live performance. If you want to have the freedom to do a couple of takes and then edit the best together, or if your content is demanding and complex, and perhaps not easily "digestible" in a live setting, try pre-recording your seminar.

Live-and-interactive. Live webinars, for those who are comfortable with that kind of delivery, offer a meaningful way to communicate and interact with your audience. You can have camera on your for some of the time, you can show your desktop or some other presentation tool, and you can field calls and written questions.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Creating your first webinar is easy. Don’t bite off more than you can chew to start. Consider doing a pre-recorded seminar where you talk at a camera, save the file, and then post that file on your website. That will get you started. Then, get a small group of peers together and lead an online meeting (which is basically the same thing as a webinar). This will give you the feel for the interactive nature and technical demands of a live webinar. Then, schedule a webinar and invite your customers and prospects to attend.

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR WEBINAR

Make sure your webinar is about a specific topic and prepare what you want to say ahead of time. It’s helpful to know more than what you want to cover so that you can fill time if necessary or answer questions effectively.

Prepare your presentation materials beforehand but don’t distribute them. Expect people to sign in and watch. Afterward, offer people the option to download the presentation materials.

At the beginning of your webinar, after you greet everyone, tell people what the webinar is going to cover, how long you expect to be, and when you will answer questions. In other words, set the scope so people know what to expect.

Stick to the time you committed to. Don’t go over, especially if you have clients or prospects on the phone, and especially if those clients and prospects are business people.

If you are delivering a webinar for customers, create a limited-time bonus link and tell your audience that you will give out the bonus link at the end of the webinar, in order to encourage people to stay through entire thing.
Record your life webinar and add it to your website for people to view later.

RESOURCES

The three leaders in online meetings and webinars are: Webex.com, GoToMeeting.com, and Adobe Connect. These three offer rich interactivity and are very userfriendly.

Contemporary VA

@ContemporaryVA on Twitter.  Follow us to stay updated with our many resources that include business, accounting and bookkeeping, social media, and much more!

I was talking to one of my friends last night and I was trying to teach her a little bit about Internet Marketing so she could get started with learning how to make money online. She asked me how I knew all this stuff.

Well, first of all, I don’t know "all this stuff". Like everyone else, I am constantly learning, constantly reading, constantly trying new tools and constantly seeking updates and new information. Internet marketing is ever-changing, especially when you factor in the "social media" aspect so I don’t think any one person knows it all, all of the time. The key is to stay informed and stay updated.

But, what I do know is that it’s important to have good resources. There are a lot of great resources when it comes to marketing online but I wanted to share a few of my favorites that focus on specific aspects of marketing rather than "in general marketing".

The Copywriter’s Roundtable is a place I really enjoy. There are so many good ideas and insights there. I suck at copywriting. I’m aware of my strengths and weaknesses and copywriting is a weakness for me. So, although I don’t plan to become a genius copywriter, I do know it’s important to have some knowledge about it. I’m always eager to learn a little bit more so that maybe one day I’ll at least not suck so much! And they have a bunch of other valuable tips there too.

Problogger is run by Darren Rowse and he is THE expert when it comes to making money with blogs. Lots of great info here.

Paul Colligan’s blog on "The Business of Podcasting and New Media" has some good information on new media networking and advertising.

There is a lot of information out there to soak up when it comes to marketing online. Some sites provide general information that covers a variety of topics and some are more focused on one topic in particular. It’s important to have a good mix of knowledge and to have a "valuable" mix of knowledge.

There are too many fakes out there who really have nothing of value to offer but make it appear that they do to the untrained eye. The blogs I just pointed you to are run by reputable people with longevity who have valuable information to share on their topic so I hope you enjoy!

Do you know of other blogs that deliver valuable content to the community and focus on a specific topic? Please share!

Karen J. for Online-Marketing-Wizards.com