0 How to Optimize your Blog or Website for Search Engines

SEO, also known as Search Engine Optimization is important for your blog or website, as it improves your performance and visibility on search engines.But treat it as a game, where you have to follow certain rules and always update it.Here are the most important factors, that play a major role in Search Engine Optimization.

• Domain Name :  Having a good domain is also important factor in SEO.There are domain names that just advertise itself.I mean if I wanted to look for some information about SEO, I would try looking up www.seo.com to see what I find.Make sure there are no similar domain names to what you chose.I have made that mistake by choosing a domain name which has a rival with very similar domain name.Because there is a similar and popular domain name already known, your domain will just be listed at the bottom of search results.But at the same time it may be a good idea, you may get mixed up in search results or mistyping domain could lead a visitor to your site =).Also putting a keyword in a domain name is also a good idea.

• <h1>, <h2>, <h3> Tags : These tags simply shows importance of a word or sentence.Make sure your titles or important keywords are in  <h1>, <h2> or <h3> tags.

• Keywords in  <title>< / title> : Title is an important factor in SEO.It is your title after all.That`s why it is important to title your pages, articles or posts according to it`s relevancy.An example would be, if you have a post explaining SEO, your title could be what is SEO or all about SEO.

• Title your links : Having a title for your links is also important.It gives a description of what the link is about.Such as <a href=” http://bloggermonkeys.blogspot.ca/ ” title=”Seo Money Blog”>Blogger Monkeys</a>.

• Kewords in Links : Always use keywords in your links.Example, www.example.com /target-keyword.html.Target-Keyword should contain your keywords related to the page, article or post.

• Meta Tags : Some people see meta tags less important, but I have to disagree.Meta tags still give information about what the webpage contains.After all you are using keywords relevant to your webpage content.

• Link Backs : Link backs is probably one of the most important aspects of optimizing your website or blog for search engines.Having link backs means popularity and reputation.It is even better if you can get couple link backs from popular websites.

• Content Quality : Well its not a surprise that content plays a major role in SEO.Having related and rich content is very important.You just have to keep couple key elements in mind.”What would people search for to find the content that I provide?”, “What are relevant popular keywords I can chose to use for my title and meta tags?”.Answer these questions as you write your content.Remember everyone can write articles and publish them.Some people can even write over 100 pages of content a day.But without relevancy and useful information, those 100 pages are just useless.Instead write couple pages but make sure it offers what your readers and users are looking for.

• Sitemap : Sitemap is a must have.It makes it easier for search engines to find all your links and speeds up indexing.

• Image  <alt> keywords : Having alt description or keywords will help your images be found on search engines.

8 Google Ad-Sense Guide – Ad Placement and Better Ad Performance

Whether you are new or old to webmaster world.If you own a website or a blog, you are probably thinking about making money from it one way or another, but the question is how.You may have heard of Google’s publisher program called, “adsense” at some point.It is a ad network that enables webmasters to earn ad revenue from their website’s by promoting advertisements on your site or any other form of web page.It is quite simple to use, they provide all the codes and tools you need to get started.Keep in mind though, not every website is eligible for adsense account.You may not get accepted if your website promotes;

• Adult content
• Content that advocates against an individual, group, or organization
• Copyrighted material
• Drug, alcohol, and tobacco-related content
• Gambling content
• Hacking and cracking content
• Sites that offer compensation programs (“pay-to” sites)
• Sites that use Google Brand features
• Violent content
• Weapon-related content
• Other illegal content

Also it may take some time before you are accepted to the program, so be patient.Now the exciting part, now that you have been accepted to the program.There are couple key elements you have to keep in mind when using ad-sense.First do a keyword search on popular terms and niches and find what is hot.Although you can still make a website on your own interests.You have to get relevant keywords and ads so people are interested in the ads.Relevant ads provide more information for your readers, and therefore will result in higher click rate.Also check the ad-sense hot zone image for better ad performance, below is an image that shows which ad placements are good for better performance.

As you can see above, the darker colors represent better ad location and performance.Try to aim putting your ads similar to what we see in the picture above.

Also do read the terms of service for adsense program.What may seem tiny to you may not be acceptable by Google.Of course do not promote others to click on your ads with such slogans as, “click for support” or “help us” and such.Do not click on your own ads, duhhh!This will get you banned sooner or later.Also you are not allowed to ask for donations.

As for earnings, it all depends on what ads you promote and keywords.An ad click can pay any where from $0.01 to over $20 per click, of course $20 and more is the dream of most webmasters.But it is nearly impossible to track down which ads and keywords pay the highest.Often you may even see a click in your reports but $0.00 earning, it is still unclear why this happens, but as soon as I get more info on this issue I will update it.

Usually traveling, insurance, health, and internet related ads seem to pay more.So you can aim for such niches, and of course always experiment.

0 How to become a good Blogger

How do you define a good blogger?What is a good blogger?As most of you know, there are many bloggers out there on the net today.But not all of the blogger share the same success.The reasons is, most people just blog for one goals, while leaving out the most important aspects of blogging.Most bloggers often focus on certain goals such as, how to earn money online, how to drive traffic to a blog, how to write lots of articles and etc…

But here is a list that will make you a better blogger in every way!

• Get a web host : Remember, being cheap doesn’t always pay-off.If you are serious about blogging, you should consider getting a web host for you to host your blog on.This will show your readers that, you are serious about what you do.
• Get a good domain name : This is a must!But more importantly choose a domain name related to your blogs content.Also aim for a domain name which will be easy to remember.
• Choose your blog platform : Figure out which blog platform is best for you.Most people these days use WordPress as their blogging platform.
• Template and design : Get a template that is nice and clean.Buy a premium template if you need.
• Blog settings : Before you start publishing articles, you should first understand your blogging platform and template settings.Play around with all the stuff and experiment.Make sure before you start, all your settings are setup the way you want.
• Sign up to social networks : Keep in mind, getting the word out is the first step in blogging.This is why, you should sign up with the most popular social networks on the net and create a profile for your blog.Having followers and fans is a key element in success.
• Set up a feed burner : Let your readers follow up your blog by feeds.
• Be yourself : Do not copy others, what works for others may not work out for you.That is why, you should be original and creative.People love to read and see something new and unique.
• Ignorance : Do not ignore your readers and viewers.Always reply to your comments and mails.This shows dedication and professionalism.Once you start to ignore your readers, they will go somewhere else.
• Updates : Always write something new and keep your blog updated.Fresh is good and that is what people want.
• Free tools : Make use of all the available tools online for improvement.Tools can be used for keyword research, search engine optimization, to understand your visitors, where your visitors come from, how do people find your blog and content and etc…Also keep in mind, there are many free tools on the net today.
• Freebies : Once in a while give away freebies.You can do a contest or a competition between your readers.Freebies do put make people smile.
• Related articles : Always have related articles, so your readers can continue reading your content and not leave.
• Tagging : Use tags and keywords relevant to your article.This will result in better traffic from search engines.
• Advertisement : Well we all want to earn money from our blogs at some point.But you should also consider some sort of advertisement yourself.Advertisement will spread the word faster and help you become known.
• Partnership : Exchange quest posts with other bloggers of same niche.
• Google : Apparently Google will become your new best friend.Google provides many tools available to people.Take advantage of Webmaster tools and Google analytics.
• Determination : Well this is the most important part of becoming a good blogger.Be determined and never give up.

0 Blogging platforms?

So what are blogging platforms?This is rather a simple question to answer.A blogging platform is in other words the “software” used to create your blog and help you publish your articles online.There are many blogging platforms available to choose from.But determining which platform will work out for you is the main challenge.Because all blogging platforms have different styles, setup, tools, power and capability.Some of the most known blogging platforms include WordPress and Blogger.But there are many other blogging platforms, which are less known and used.That doesn’t mean those other platforms are useless or wont perform good.

Here are some important factors to look for, when deciding a blogging platform.

• Can you get your own registered domain name.
• Can you upload or change the template of your blog.
• How much can you modify your blog.
• What are the restrictions of your platform.
• Check for limitations.
• Check for loading and performance speed.
• Read reviews about the platform before you choose it.
• Is it SEO friendly.
• Is it safe and secure.
• Is it known and used by many people.
• Are you allowed to put ads or affiliate links on your articles.

I hope this articles helped you on what a blogging platform is and what to look for when deciding a blogging platform.

0 What is a Blog?

Blog…blog…blog…what is a blog?When it comes to what a Blog is, everyone has their own idea and understanding.In my opinion Blog is a platform, used for sharing ideas, opinions, information and building a community.Blog is about getting together with similar minds.

The true definition of a Blog comes from the term “weblog”.But in time, bloggers have shortened the term “weblog” into blog.What separates a Blog from a website is it’s way of organizing information in a chronological order.The possibilities with a blog these days are almost endless.

As you can do much more with a blog now then you could before.You can write and publish written work, share images, videos, links, downloads, projects, and much more.You can even use a blog to earn online revenue through many methods.

Lets understand some of the terms used in a Blog. A blog is a website or platform, where written work is published.The person who writes and publishes the written work is called a blogger.The written work which is published by a blogger is called articles or posts.

A Blog has it’s own unique way of organizing and sharing information.Such as, archives, recent posts, recent comments, popular posts, categories or labels.I should also mention that, there are more people using Blogs as their publishing platform, rather than websites.Also if you surf the net, you will realize that, many of the big websites, writers, publishers use blog’s as their platform.

An example of a Blog would be the site, which you are viewing at the moment.I hope this clears up all your questions regarding to what a blog is.