The Naked Truth About SEO

I'm very sure that thousands of bloggers who blog on a regular basis are familiar with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which is taunted as being one of the most critical aspects of successful blogging. Bloggers are probably just as familiar with the gurus out there whose personal businesses are designed to educate the public on the "how-to's", "wherefores" and "end results" of do-it-yourself marketing.

Whether we blog for profit in our private business, for pleasure, or as an employee of a company whose assignment is to post daily blogs about certain products, advances in the world of e-commerce, or keeping a column in a newspaper or online magazine; the hard fact is that these gurus proclaim that without a sterling way to promote your work, get it out there in cyberspace (which is the place to be nowadays since the days of hard copy articles are getting shorter) and draw in hundreds of readers a day you won't get the attention you deserve. No difference on how well written and knowledgeable your work is, or how extensive your subject matter is.

Have you ever came across a non-business blog; one written for entertainment or general information and gawked at the high number of visitor traffic that comes to the site? And...what is even more extraordinary is the keyword list. I have actually read blog posts randomly by bloggers I am not familiar with, on subjects that I have no knowledge of and been blown away at the fact that there are hundreds of visitors per day, and most of the posts had a maximum number of six keywords. Six single keywords that signaled the search engines to direct traffic to this site.

How did the blogger accomplish this? Is it really as simple as choosing the right tags? Or, are there factors hidden from the naked eye that deceive us into buying into the seeming simplicity of it all? Not every blogger will reveal their secrets to success. There are several ways that this high volume could have been generated. Let's take a closer look at some of them.

1. Hiring the services of a professional marketer. They usually charge high fees by the hour, supposedly to get maximum exposure for your blog through the use of a multistage program they have designed. They tell you to post often (several times a week is great) and to attract readers by the use of giveaway incentives. You'll hear lots about inbound/outbound marketing, backlinks and the importance thereof. They also recommend conducting surveys and polls on your site, and to incorporate the use of keyword tools when writing your posts. Google offers up a free trial period of a keyword search site that is available for a limited time. It gives plenty of examples of keyword variety that is better suited for the search engines, and are most likely to turn up in a search.
2.  Professionally designed templates have "built-in optimizers" that are designed to give your blog higher SEO rankings. This means that you only get this benefit if you purchase a professional template. Don't expect such illustrious results from the freebies.
3.  Also, there are supposed to be "SEO Friendly" web images for purchase at different sites available on the internet. Like the templates, these images are designed to increase viewer traffic. What I found out was that I had to use a "plug-in" to use these images, and that WordPress says they don't allow plug-ins to be used on their sites.
4. I've run across some websites that will sell links and provide traffic to your site for a fee.
5. Lastly there's Google Analytic that help to boost site traffic if your blog is about your business. Lots of impressive report generators and terminology to learn about, but phenomenal results are hawked.

And I don't have any evidence to support this, but I've been wondering if what precedes the ".com" part of your URL has any effect at all on any one of the above. What I'm saying is, are personal domains subject to better rankings, more traffic and higher reader volume that those that are not? Soon I will do some research to address this idle thought, and I will share my results with you.

We shall see.

Dear God, Why am I Needy?

This post is being written from the perspective of the central character in my book. She is writing a letter to God. These are her thoughts and what she would say if she were writing this post. If you are moved by these words, read more about her and her story in the book "Not Easily Forgotten" on sale now online in the Create Space e-store. http://www.createspace.com/4341572.

Dear God,
You know that Christmas is my Daddy's favorite time of the year. He really loves this holiday so  much. He always takes me and my little brother out to the woods behind our house to cut down a beautiful cedar tree. Then we help him carry it back down the hill and Daddy puts the tree in the big metal Christmas tree stand so it will stand up straight. Daddy laughs a lot when he is cutting down the tree and he talks about the decorating he is excited to do. Our whole house is decorated with colored lights that twinkle on and off. Daddy puts lights on the front porch rails, on the bushes in the front yard and around the front door.

The tree is always decorated with red and gold ornaments and colored lights. My brother and me get to throw the silver tinsel on the tree after Daddy finishes the decorations. Momma always sits back and watches us, sometimes she hands Daddy stuff, but mostly she watches.

Then, Momma will slowly start to put presents under the tree after she wraps them. She always wraps them so pretty. They have different colors of wrap and she always ties big pretty bows on the gifts. And of course on Christmas morning, Santa has left toys under the tree for my brother and me. Santa always eats his ham sandwich and pound cake Momma fixes for us to leave for him. We leave the snack in the living room on the coffee table.

But this Christmas my Daddy won't be here. He is in jail. Momma says there won't be much for us under the tree. She can't have enough money to buy us a lot of presents, and to pay for Santa. It's okay. All I really want for Christmas is my Daddy to come home.

Last night some white men came to our house. They looked at our house funny. They acted like they didn't want touch nothing, and that made my Momma feel bad. They brought a few toys for me and my brother. They said they brought them from the Needy Children Fund what buys toys for children who are needy at Christmas.

The toys looked funny. They won't wrapped in pretty paper or nothing. It was four little boxes. Two boxes with pink labels said "Girl child " and two blue labels said "Boy child". Dear God, I know I'm a girl, and I know Stevie is a boy. But what I didn't know is that we was needy. Dear God, I miss my Daddy. Please send him home in time for Christmas.

Your friend,

Deana Williams

Virtual Book Launch Party!

 Welcome to the official book launch party for my new book, "Not Easily Forgotten". I've always        been a bit of a maverick, and I could say that is the reason why the launch is coming after the book is on sale, but the truth is; I simply forgot to pull my launch together in time. Forgive me! Either way, its here now, so come on in, mingle and look around. Eat your fill of the tasty treats we're offering and wash it all down with some bubbly and some wine. We hope that you like the pink balloons.

Mmm...you've got to try these grilled shrimp on a skewer! Delicious. While you're mingling allow me to remind you to become an email subscriber. This is the only way you can be eligible to receive a free party favor. Ten favors will be given out at the beginning of October. Guests will be notified via the email address they register with. Just click on the button to the right of this page to sign up. That's all there is to it. And the really good part is that you may unsubscribe at any time. No pressures, and your email privacy will be respected. 

 Assorted nuts are always good at a party. The pecans are glazed and the mix of salty and sweet is fabulous!

By now you're probably quite thirsty! Have a glass of perfectly chilled champagne or a wonderful glass of red wine.

Isn't it fabulous when the bubbles tickle your nose? I absolutely love that! Now that you've had a glass or two, I'd like to tell you something about my book. Here is a brief description of the premise, and why I'm so excited.

A young girl faces a very rude awakening into the real world outside of her cozy family nest when she wakes up one morning to discover her beloved Father has suddenly disappeared. Right away, there are no answers, or explanations. Her Mother is heartbroken and sick with worry and has no clue what to do next. A few days later, the truth begins to take shape for the family. A heartwarming, and emotional story about how this young girl faced the consequences of the truth, and how God's love and his mercy kept their family from being torn apart. 

 In my case, "Not Easily Forgotten" works double duty. First of all, it represents the fact that what happened to our family as it is told in the story was indeed hard to forget and to move past. The stigma remained with us for years.The second represents the essence of the man involved in the story...my Father. It was only years later after I had grown into an adult, that I was able to fully appreciate what he had gone through, but most importantly; the circumstances that set in motion what happened.
It is a story about healing, forgiveness, strong faith and unwavering love.

Just go online and make your purchase. You can click on this link, and it will speed you there in a blink!!
http://www.createspace.com/4341572.

Here is a little something about me (the author). Wow...I'm an author!

Wiladene N. Keen is a dedicated believer in the power of imagination. Her own has served as fodder for two blog websites, two children's books, a plethora of short stories and articles. She writes her articles for her own column on 'Wikinut.com', takes part in submitting answers to a variety of questions on 'Answer.com', and has written a pilot script for reality television. Her current project includes writing her next book to be released Spring 2014, and a new website dedicated to blogging about her favorite places in Charlotte, NC.

Oh look, we've just put out these scrumptious canapes, and you must try them!

And please; before you go, please take an extra moment to sign our guestbook. Your visit was valuable to us and we'd love to know who stopped by. Click on the guestbook icon at the top right side of this page, and you'll find yourself ready to sign!

Looks like we've covered everything. Thank you for being our guests and hopefully you had a good time!

E-Store Link

Here is the link to purchase my book "Not Easily Forgotten" available now online in the Create Space e-store. Only $5.99 and it will be delivered in 5-7 days.

http://www.createspace.com/4341572.