Rembrandt’s Blog

It’s early in the morning, and I just got off the phone with a potential client. She is interested in my search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting services but is afraid that her Website copy will sound like an advertisement.  I assured her that if the copy is written well, site visitors won’t even know it is optimized!

By adding appropriate keywords to all of your online copy (Website pages, blogs, newsletters, articles, e-mails, case studies, etc.), you have a much better chance of “being found” by the search engines and potential customers looking for your products and services.

It’s a very cost-effective marketing tool that your competitors are probably using right now. (See http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/918-Chart-of-the-Week-SEM-SEO-Most-Important-Marketing-Tactic.)

But SEO is not just a matter of finding keywords on free services like WordTracker, www.wordtracker.com and KeywordDiscovery, www.keyworddiscovery.com, and plopping them into your copy. It takes a little more time and effort, http://www.seomoz.org/blog/what-makes-seo-sem-so-damn-hard.

A good SEO copywriter can help:

• Find the right keywords for your business or organization;
• Insert the appropriate number of words into your copy;
• Create pertinent codes in your copy for the search engines;
• Write content that provides valuable information to your target market;
• Monitor results and make changes on a regular basis; and
• Build awareness online.

Good SEO provides information and value. And the search engines recognize blatant keyword use…so if you don’t think SEO will work because you want to stay honest and avoid “advertising” your business, you are missing out on a cost-effective opportunity to build buzz and sales. Instead, find a good SEO copywriter who can help optimized your copy the right way!

And if you have SEO copywriting or public relations questions, and would like some free information, please let me know below or at www.rembrandtwrites. I’m here to help! Thanks.

After months of hard work, I was finally able to take a break and just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia to dive The Great Barrier Reef. It was a fantastic experience. And two days after getting back to the States, I was off on another trip to celebrate a big, family birthday.

A big fish comes up to say hello!

It was an exciting whirlwind, but I was ready to get back to work. And wouldn’t you know it? On Monday morning, I woke up with a bad cold. And with my jetlag, the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed!

Well, the good news about owning your own business is that you don’t have to call in sick. But most of the time (as I’m sure most of you can relate), you end up working just to keep your clients happy and things moving forward. And right now, I still have a few sniffles, but my business is going strong.

Want to know my secret?

Prepare Work in Advance.

We can learn a lot from the Boy Scouts and their “Be Prepared” motto. This simple slogan has saved me a lot of time, money and undue stress.

After all, before I went on vacation, I took care of all of my current assignments and worked on several, upcoming projects in advance. This way, I was ahead of schedule when I returned from my trip.

Sure, it took extra time and made my workdays a little longer, but I didn’t need to stress over deadlines when I returned. (And I was able to squeeze in a few naps to help get over my cold.)

And with today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s important to stay ahead of the game… so keep this in mind as you start your day. There are always unexpected activities lurking around the corner.

Why not spend a few minutes each day working on future projects?

After all, you never know when you’ll get sick, have a family emergency or a last-minute client issue that requires your attention. Plus, if you fall behind, you can be sure your competitors will be right there snapping at your heels!

Need help getting organized and learning how to prepare in advance? Check out these helpful sites:

http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Organized

www.pinkmagazine.com

http://www.abc15.com/content/financialsurvival/yourjob/story/Work-at-home-5-ways-to-avoid-burnout/8AaWX6JvTkCpsda9Yry_Wg.cspx

www.startupnation.com

And if you need assistance getting more people to your site with SEO copywriting and PR, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!

As you begin to write a press release, it can be easy to fall into the standard, template form. But before you send it out, ask yourself these questions:

• Is this newsworthy?

If you are announcing a major news event, statistic, research result, or other important activity, that’s fantastic. But many times, you will write a press release simply to announce a new staff member, upcoming event, partnership, etc. These announcements are not newsworthy to everyone so it’s usually best to send them to a limited list of pertinent investors, partners and media members.

Another idea is to simply post the release on your site. After all, you want reporters to take notice when you have a big story to report. And if you just send out press releases to everyone on your media list all the time, they may stop listening to you all together.

• Is this boring?

Are other people really going to care about what you are saying? Check to see if you are focusing on facts alone without providing any benefits. You can significantly increase the odds of your release being read if you offer unique and interesting information that is pertinent and valuable to your audience.

• Do your quotes offer value?

If the quotes in your press release include, “we are excited,” “we are thrilled” or “we are honored,” please change them. Of course you are thrilled, excited or honored with the news. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be issuing a press release!

It’s best if your quotes provide new information, a specific opinion or other, newsworthy information.

These are just three simple reminders to help you get more publicity for your business without wasting time, effort or money. If you have questions or need some free tips regarding your PR and copywriting efforts, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help! Thanks.