BlogRush : blog syndication network

BlogRush is a free service that was created to help bloggers solve their #1 need:
More Readers For Their Blog.

By adding the BlogRush Widget to a blog, a blogger can get instant distribution for their latest blog post titles across a network of related blogs.

BlogRush users earn "syndication credits" (the right to have their blog post titles shown inside a widget on another related blog) based on their own traffic (loads of the widget) as well as the traffic of other users they refer to BlogRush. Users can automatically refer others to BlogRush via special links on the widget, as well as through the promotion of a special referral URL they are given.

BlogRush is a "Cooperative Syndication Network" that rewards its users for their contributions to the network -- from the impressions they provide of the BlogRush Widget to the referral of other users through 10 'generations' of activity and the impressions of the widget that they provide. BlogRush was designed to be incredibly viral and to provide its users with tremendous distribution leverage to receive exposure for their blog content (onto related content blogs) that they could never achieve on their own; at least without a massive advertising budget.

BlogRush is the brainchild of Internet entrepreneur, John Reese. Mr. Reese is the founder and CEO of Income.com, a soon to be launched social network and media company for entrepreneurs. BlogRush is the first Web property of the Income.com Network, a network of sites and services to help entrepreneurs and business owners succeed. Income.com is based in Orlando, Florida.

Why YOU Should SEO

Why YOU Should SEO

I speak to prospective clients every week about Search Engine Optimization and many aren’t familiar with the concept. Those that are usually tell me how gung-ho they are about it, but when the time comes to talk about implementation it’s the last thing they want to spend their money on. It always comes down to cost and instant gratification.

SEO takes time to implement and weeks or months before a client usually sees results. On the other hand, a client can spend the same amount of money on paid search and see results immediately. The question then becomes do you want to lease search engine traffic or buy it? When you pay for SEO, you are making a long term investment in keeping your business visible in organic search rankings on Google and Yahoo. Essentially you’ve earned the ranking you’ve worked hard to obtain. When you do straight paid search, you may be at the top of the heap, but that only lasts as long as you choose to pay for keywords. Both techniques are important, but SEO should be the foundation of any sound Internet marketing strategy. Besides building brand awareness and reinforcing the perception that you’re an expert in your field, there is an inherent amount of trust gained when a perspective visitor to your website finds you on the first page of Google vs. being the first banner ad on the page.

So now that I’ve sold you on SEO, you naturally want to know what sort of techniques work to get your site the attention it deserves.

• Make sure your site can be easily “crawled” by Google and Yahoo spiders. Often, we design a website to look appealing to human eyes, but the tools that search engines use to actually learn what your site is about can’t read the content because all your text is buried in graphics.

• Know which keyword terms you should be targeting. Do research on your competition and see what is working for them. Type several search queries into Google and see how your site ranks. If you’re on the first results page, then you’re doing something right. If not, then you have some work to do.

• Update your content regularly. Search engines want their results to be fresh. Just because you published your website to the world doesn’t mean you don’t have to update it for a year. Ideally you should be adding new content every week.

• Become an expert in your field. Google and Yahoo want to highlight the experts in a given industry. By writing articles and blog entries on topics relevant to your business, you establish yourself as a thought leader. That leads to better page ranking.

• Don’t try and “game” the system. Tricks and other “black hat” techniques may work for while, but search engines will catch you if you try and cheat the system. That means no link farms, no keyword stuffing, and no hidden text on your site. The only thing harder to overcome than a low Google ranking is a low Google ranking on a site that’s been penalized for cheating the system.

Hopefully the items above give you a starting point in regard to mounting a successful SEO campaign. If you decide to outsource your SEO (many companies do), make sure you do your research and find a company that won’t do more harm to your business than good. Beware of firms that promise the #1 spot on Google, or guarantee a time frame in which you’ll see results. SEO, when done properly, takes weeks and often months. There are no shortcuts. Set aside a budget, and give your SEO firm six months. You’ll be amazed at the return on your investment.

Scott Parent is the Vice President of Search and Social Media Optimization at MediaTrust. His division specializes in Search Engine Optimization and Marketing, and Social Media Production and Optimization.