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Wednesday June 20,2002                Issue: #004 ISSN 1539-056X
(c) Copyright2002 - http://flashmarketing.com      Editor: Flash
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                The FlashMarketing Newsletter(tm)
                   ~Simple Steps to Success~
                  Marketing Online Since 1997
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Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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                          Contents
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1. Editor's Notes

2. Feature Article - Increase your Click-Throughs With Killer
                     Title Tags

3. Software Tip - TrafficSeeker Keyword Density Analyzer

4. Doctor's Advice - Customers Want It NOW!

5. Useful Links


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1- Editor's Notes
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Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter. The feature
article this month is right out of the current issue of
MarketPosition Monthly.
http://webposition-gold.com/newsletter-dlr.htm

I know a lot of you read MarketPosition every month but this
subject is important. It won't hurt you to read it again!

Everyone else should use it to increase your targeted traffic.
It's often overlooked. You should also subscribe to
MarketPosition Monthly!
http://webposition-gold.com/newsletter-dlr.htm

-The Editor
The FlashMarketing Newsletter

[ Back to Contents ]
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2- Feature Article
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Increase your Click-Throughs With Killer Title Tags

By Robin Nobles

As you probably know, the majority of engines place considerable
relevance on the HTML title tag, making it generally the most
important tag on your page.

You also probably know that title tags appear in the search
results for most of the major engines, making the tags even more
important. But, have you ever taken the time to learn how to
create killer title tags, tags that will boost click-throughs, or
traffic, to your site?

To make a point about how important titles are, let's look at some
sample search results. In a search for "low cost life insurance"
in one of the major engines, here are some of the titles from the
top ten results.

  * #1 worldwide travel insurance quotes!

  * Untitled

  * Oklahoma Insurance Quotes Auto Home Health Life Business

Do any of those titles appeal to you? Notice that the first
example has a misspelled word, which doesn't elicit much
confidence in the site. The second example isn't even using a
title tag, which is why it's listed as "untitled." The third
example is simply a listing of capitalized keywords, which isn't
as easy to read.

Now, let's say that the next three titles on the page are:

  * Does your low cost life insurance policy give you the
    coverage you need?

  * Low cost life insurance at a price that's right for you!

  * Stop paying too much for "low" cost life insurance!

Would you skip over the first three listed titles to visit one of
the titles above?

My point is, if your title is more effective than sites that are
actually above you in the ranking, you may get the traffic
anyway, simply due to the effectiveness of your title tag.

Furthermore, offering something for free almost always improves
response rates. For example:

  * 21 Ways to reduce your life insurance costs for free

Notice how the above title emphasizes a benefit (i.e., saving
money) while mentioning it is FREE. The "21 Ways" quickly defines
what they'll be getting to achieve the benefit.

Top Tips for Creating Killer Titles

Let's look at some tips for creating killer title tags, and then
some mistakes that will cause your site to be passed over in the
search results.

1. Use compelling or "charged" words in your titles that will
   draw the user in to your site. Examples are: breakthrough,
   incredible, how-to, announcing, and revealing. Avoid over-used
   words and adjectives.

2. Use the power of questions when creating title tags. When you
   ask a question, you force the reader to stop and mentally
   answer that question, which boosts your chances at a visit to
   your site.

3. Use your important keyword phrase toward the beginning of your
   title tag, but use the phrase in a way that will pull in
   traffic.

4. Begin the title with a capital letter, and then follow with
   all lower-case letters. Why? It's easier to read than titles
   with every word capitalized.

5. Treat title tags as if they're advertisements for your online
   business. Make them short, snappy, and easy to read.

6. Write your title in a way that makes the user believe that the
   site will solve a problem or help the user in some way.

7. Create a sense of urgency in your title tags, when possible.

8. Make sure to use a title tag on every page of your site, and
   make sure that the title tag is the first tag on your page.

Top Mistakes Made when Creating Titles

1. Don't use just a series of keywords in your title tag. It's
   unprofessional and difficult to read.

2. Don't use complicated words in your title tag, unless those
   words are  commonplace to whoever would be visiting your site.

3. Don't use all caps in your title tag. In other words, don't
   yell at your potential visitors!

4. Don't slap up a dull and boring title. Spend some time creating
   an effective online marketing plug for your site.

5. Don't use your keyword phrase more than once in your title tag.

6. Don't use your company name in your title tag unless you use
   your important keyword phrase as well.

7. Don't use yellow page tactics when creating titles in an effort
   to get to the top of the rankings. In other words, don't add a
   "!!!" or "AAA" to the front of your title to try to get higher
   in the alphabetical order. It won't help you with the engines,
   and editors at the directories won't allow the tactic anyway.

8. Don't use passive verbs like is, was, and has. Try to use
   active, exciting  verbs like launch, catapult, and unleashes.

In Conclusion . . .

Create your title tags in such a way that they will serve as an
online marketing campaign for your site. Remember that a well-
written and effective title can make up for a lower search engine
ranking.

Spend a lot of time on your title tags, and it ultimately will pay
off for you in renewed traffic to your site.

Robin Nobles is Director of Training for the Academy of Web
Specialists. Robin has taught well over a thousand students in
her online and onsite search engine positioning courses during
the past several years. Check out her latest book, Web Site
Analysis and Reporting:
http://flashmarketing.com/se-training/wsar.htm

as well as her past book, Streetwise Maximize Web Site Traffic:
http://flashmarketing.com/se-training/streetwise.htm

Visit the Academy's training site at:
http://flashmarketing.com/se-training/ to learn more about
their search engine ranking courses and products.

For more tips on writing effective title tags, see the
WebPosition Gold Page Critic:
http://webposition-gold.com/product-dlr.htm

[ Back to Contents ]

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3- Software Tip
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TrafficSeeker Keyword Density Analyzer

When I write a page, I focus on a keyword phrase that I feel
the customer will type in the search engine. I use it in the
title tag, description tag, the heading, etc.

I always figured that keyword phrase would have the highest
keyword density. Not necessarily. When I ran a newly created
page through the Keyword Density Analyzer in TrafficSeeker
Platinum, I was surprised to find my targeted phrase
down the list a bit.

If you are building pages in the hope of high ranking under
your keyword phrase, be sure to run them through a keyword
analyzer such as the one in Trafficseeker Pro or Platinum.
You can make adjustments as needed.

http://www.trafficseeker-platinum.com/

[ Back to Contents ]

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4- Doctor's Advice
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Customers Want It NOW!

by Kevin Nunley

It took Internet businesses to figure it out: one of the main
reasons people buy at local stores is they can have the product
NOW.

There is no waiting.  You walk out the door with your gizmo
2000 and start using it immediately.  And you don't care if you
had to pay a higher price, state tax, and drove 40 minutes to get
to the store.

If you own a business with a physical location, stress this
immediacy in your advertising.

Meanwhile, Internet businesses are doing everything they can to
boost their ability to deliver quickly.  One of the reasons
several large online firms did not show bigger profits last year
was that they were investing millions in this important issue.

They were busy delivering products faster at no extra charge.
For a long time, Amazon.com habitually upgraded all orders to
Priority Mail.

I find that many packages can be sent Priority Mail for the same
price as slower First Class.

You can also give the image of quick delivery by immediately
emailing a report that relates to the product.

Make more sales with professional web copy and sales letters.
DrNunley's office of top writers create sizzling copy fast and
at low cost.  See our special package prices for writing multiple
pages at http://flashmarketing.com/copy/

[ Back to Contents ]

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5- Useful Links
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WebPosition Gold - Submitting your site is a waste of time if
the search engines don't like it. Build pages the search engines
love. Optimize them with: http://webposition-gold.com

TrafficSeeker - Mega-Submitter - 799,000 sites. Free your time
with automation: http://trafficseeker-platinum.com

MYSS! – The "must have" Internet Selling Manual
http://flashmarketing.com/myss.htm

Dr. Nunley - Never Underestimate the Power of Words
http://flashmarketing.com/copy/

ScamFree Zone - "Internet Success Blueprint" - Highly Recommend.
http://flashmarketing.com/sfz-isb.htm

[ Back to Contents ]

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(c) Copyright 2002 All Rights Reserved
FlashMarketing(tm)