Feature Article

Internet Presence - Anyone Can Establish a Visible Presence

by: Ron Bates Internet Presence

On-line networking platform members constantly ask me how to develop a visible personal Internet presence. This is becoming more important as more people actually care about being found when someone does a name search in Google. Learn how now.

It is one thing to have content on the Internet that you are associated with, such as press releases you are quoted in, blog posts you have authored or commented on, articles you've published on-line, webpages and websites you've created, and similar content others have written about you or that reference your name. It's another thing if any of that content surfaces to the first page of Google when someone does a search - only - on your name (i.e., they don't narrow/refine the search criteria by adding additional terms such as your employer or field of expertise, etc.). Someone searching on - only - your first and last name should be able to find you on the first page of hits.

It is one thing if your name is so unique that Google only surfaces 968 hits your name. It's another thing if you have a more common name like John Smith that surfaces 326 - million - hits. Someone with a name like John Smith has a lot more work to do to create a visible (key concept) Internet presence.

That's where some basic Internet marketing concepts come into play. Some people call it Search Engine Optimization, but that can have some cryptic technical connotations for those of us that don't wear propeller hats (having a Physics degree, I used to wear one). I prefer to look at Internet marketing in a more common sense fashion.

In the context of building a visible personal Internet presence, Internet marketing is quite simply - using the Internet to market - you - or more specifically associating Internet content to your name in the eyes of a search engine.

You can have all of the content in the world floating around the Internet; but if no one can find it when they perform relevant keyword searches in Google (or any search engine), none of that content is helping you create a visible (there's that concept again) Internet presence. You can waste a lot of time creating content nobody will ever see if you don't keep some basic Internet marketing concepts in mind along the way.

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Internet Marketing 101 - When it comes to building and establishing a visible Internet presence, it all starts with one fundamental concept: Your name - is - the keyword phrase you are focusing on.

That means you want to have your name in the title of the content you create whenever possible. Ideally, that means you want it to be between the HTML title tags of the webpage that displays your content. It also helps if your name is in the first 150 characters of the content you create as well.

Why? Because every search engine grabs a certain part of a document or webpage to use as the descriptive text which appears below the actual hyperlinked Title of the hit. Often, but not always, a search engine grabs the first part of your content to use as the descriptive text.

If you have a way of actually driving the META TAG "description" associated with the webpage displaying your content - obviously make sure your name is in the first 150 characters of that description. In addition, if you have the ability to select the META TAG "keywords" associated with the webpage displaying your content - obviously make sure your - first and last name - is one of the first 2-3 keyword phrases you select.

Are you going through a resume writing or on-line bio writing exercise and trying to increase your visibility? Absolutely make sure you take the above basics into account if you are looking to ensure a document so obviously about - you - is going to be found when someone does a search on your name.

So what do you do if someone else is writing the article? Ask them if they would craft the article and associated HTML such that your name appears where it will be beneficial to you and not disruptive to the objective of the content.

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What do you do if the content is already published on the Internet? You can create new content containing your - first and last name - hyperlinked to the associated URL of the content that mentions you by name. This is especially useful for women who go through a name change as a result of a change in marital status. Hyperlink your "current" name to content that references your "former" name. Basically you're building a keyword association with your "current" name and the associated webpage containing your "former" name in the search engines.

To accelerate your rise through the search engine noise to the first page of hits, you want to also consider where you are actually creating content. In other words, are you publishing new content on a website you've created, someone else's website, on sites that not only benefit from a lot of traffic but also benefit from a lot of constantly changing new content, blog sites, etc.?

From an article publishing perspective, ezine sites are an obvious great example of a site that not only benefits from a lot of traffic, but also benefit from a lot of constantly changing new content.

On-line blogging/networking platforms that enjoy a lot of visitor traffic, such as Ecademy, represent huge leverage and typically more than article posting sites. Why Ecademy and not LinkedIn? Because search engines like Google like blogging content specifically, and LinkedIn does - not - give you the ability to post new content beyond your networking profile. LinkedIn's lack of constantly changing new content is why your Ecademy networking profile will virtually always rank higher in Google than a corresponding profile on LinkedIn. As a result, Ecademy is a fantastic platform for creating a visible (there's that concept again) Internet presence in comparison.

If you keep in mind some of the basic Internet marketing concepts discussed above when you are creating new content and trying to raise the visibility of existing content, your efforts will quickly and easily yield a much more visible personal Internet presence.

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Ron Bates is an Expert in Mission Critical Retained Executive Search, and as a recognized expert in personal branding and building a personal Internet presence, Ron has been an invited speaker at venues such as the Marketing Executive Networking Group, British America Business Council, Expert Connections, and is a regular guest on Netshare’s "Ask the Coach". To learn more about Ron, just Google him.

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Second Article

Choosing A Web Based Photo Storage Service

by: Kadence Buchanan

As digital cameras replace film, more and more users are turning to web based photo storage services to manage their photo archives. There are a dizzying array of sites, all offering different services at different prices. Choosing a storage service can be a confusing process, particularly when you are choosing a company to entrust with your precious family photos. Here are some things to look for when you're choosing a photo storage service.

First, take a look at the interface. How easy or difficult is it to upload photos to the site? Most of the major photo storage sites offer the ability to download software that will let you upload batches of photos, but some sites still rely on web interfaces that are slower and more clumsy.

Once you've checked out the interface, investigate the pricing structure of the site. Compare costs carefully using a standard print size, such as 4x6 for comparison. The difference in printing costs can vary wildly from one site to another, from as little as 12 cents at one site to as much as 29 cents at another. Don't forget to consider traditional sources of photo-processing like drug stores. These companies are making it easier to place photo orders over the web by offering storage and customization of photos and frequently cost less than dedicated photo storage services.

Continue to investigate pricing. For example, is there a cap on the number of photos you can upload for free? How much does it cost beyond that? Compare priced for specialty items like calendars, greeting cards and enlargements. Finally, compare shipping and handling costs, which are often a hidden source of profit for many companies.

Of less importance than cost, but still an important consideration, is whether a photo storage service allows you to create custom items. Almost all sites allow the user to customize items like greeting cards, but some offer a wider array of products than others. If this is important to you, compare the number of products offered and the interface used to create custom items.

Finally, be sure you completely understand how long a photo storage service will host your photos. Some have a set time limit, tied to the last time a user logged in to their system. Never completely rely on an online photo storage system to store your photos. Always keep a backup copy of your photos on external media in case of problems.

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Kadence Buchanan writes articles for
1st-computers.net/>1st-computers.net/
In addition, Kadence also writes articles for
fortheloveofscience.com/ and 4educationinformation.com/

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