| LED Digest 2625: Using LinkedIn Properly |
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The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom http://www.AudetteMedia.com : the LED's Publisher Boutique Internet Marketing: SEO, SEM, Social Media http://www.SEOToolSet.com/training/ : the LED's Premier Sponsor Bruce Clay's Search Engine Optimization Training & Certification ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. April 15, 2008 Issue no. 2625 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ====== NEW ====================== --== How to Use LinkedIn Properly ==-- ~ Grant Crowell "Put some effort into it. Don't use the default form." ==== CONTINUING ================= --== Guaranteed (and Automated) Rankings ==-- ~ Kym McLaughlin "There are no guarantees when trying to achieve a front page listing..." ~ Chris Nielsen "In most cases [automated submissions do work], and can provide links and traffic..." --== Online Backups ==-- ~ Alicia Lane "For those using Macs, Site Sucker..." ========= NEW ===================================== From: Grant Crowell Subject: New Topic - Don't be a "Linkedin-grate" Since I joined the business directory Linkedin, I've found that more often than not, the invitations I've been receiving from others to be part of their "professional network" leave a lot to be desired. Most of the invitations I receive tend to just be Linkedin's default form letter invitation: "I'd like to add you to my professional network on Linkedin." If its from a colleague I know well and regularly correspond with, then that can be forgiven. However, I've been getting these invitations from people that I've had very little contact with, and admittedly my memory fails to serve me sometimes on when was the last time I had contact with them, or even ever at all. Just this week, I received two new invitations on there, both from people who used the default stationery and no effort put into it whatsoever. I emailed both people as to refresh my memory of how they knew of me, since neither name was familiar. Only one of them got back to me, and mentioned that she worked with me back when she was the Head of PR for a major search engine. That would have probably been at least 5-6 years ago. I would like to offer these tips on how I recommend others should go about requesting adding someone to their professional network on Linkedin. -- Put some effort into it. Don't use the default form. You are expecting something from someone else, so clearly state in your invitation about your work experience with that person. (When it was, what you did with them, etc.) -- Make it a real business interest. Don't be adding someone if you haven't ever had any actual business dealings with that person, or if both parties express an interest in planning to have them. Just adding someone for quantity is cheap. (And it can be pretty obvious if you're just going through the list in your email database.) -- Don't make the request if your negative experience with that person outweighs the positive. I've received an invitation from a former business prospect, who contacted me 6 years after they passed over my company's proposal and decided to do the work in-house. And yes,tThat invitation was the only contact I received from that person after 6 years. -- Offer a recommendation. If you really want to have someone in your network, you need to be willing to put in some extra effort in advance. Remember that person I mentioned earlier who worked in PR for a major search engine? After she explained to me about her position and how she met me, I asked he to write me a recommendation for my page, so she could help refresh my memory about what I assumed was her positive work experience with me. After I made what I thought was a very reasonable request, I've haven't heard back from her since. This should all be considered basic, professional etiquette, in my opinion. Sometimes the ease of contacting people in popular business directories, liked Linkedin, makes it too easy for some people to lose that sense of etiquette. I hope others who would consider adding myself and others to their professional network will follow these guidelines, so we don't come across as "Linkedin-grates" in the eyes of others. Grant Crowell CEO – Grantastic Designs http://www.linkedin.com/in/grantcrowell ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Kym McLaughlin Subject: Guaranteed rankings > Does anyone have experience with > IBusinessPromoter Software? It guarantees: > "Top 10 rankings on Google or money back!" - Jim Berry, LED 2623 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/2038/190/ "Top 10 rankings on Google or money back" would cause the warning bells to go off for me. When I receive calls from potential clients stating they have talked to other company's, have seen or received advertisement such as you are describing, I send them straight to Google's Webmaster Help Center (http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35291). Google states "Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google.." There are no guarantees when trying to achieve a front page listing on Google. More often than not, when using SEO in a box type programs you will end up with more frustration than quality page listings. Kym McLaughlin Advanced Internet Marketing http://www.top20promote.com -------- new post - same topic -------- From: Chris Nielsen Subject: Guaranteed rankings I wanted to respond to the original post about the "IBusinessPromoter Software", but as I correctly assumed, others would jump in on this. But I was disturbed by some of the responses and now feel I must comment. We used to use a submission program for many years, but we also did hand submission as well. We felt this provided the best of both possible worlds for our clients. For about 3 years now we have only used hand submissions. This is not because automated submission do not work. In most cases they do, and can provide links and traffic to sites that are promoted in a reasonable fashion. This means making sure the information you are submitting is like what is needed for DMOZ.org and don't submit more than once or twice a year. A single submission is generally enough at sites that are well run. Our submission program was not supported any longer, and hand submission services started springing up that made outsourcing a good choice for us. I have never seen a site submission that did not result in an short initial jump in traffic to the site, followed by a gradual increase as listings on search engines and directories are published. The initial surge in traffic is exciting, but it's only the result of site editors reviewing the site to make sure it complies with their rules or a visit by their spider. It take a number of weeks and months for the "real" traffic to develop. When someone says they had the site submitted but saw no benefit, I can certainly accept the idea that it was submitted badly, if at all. But if the site was really submitted, there should have been some benefit. My thought then turns to the site itself. Were there some problems that held back sales or conversions? Perhaps the problems were not with the submission at all, but the offer? A SEO company should ALWAYS review a client's site not just for optimization, but also for potential customer conversion. Sadly, most smaller companies do not do this and just focus on the optimization and ranking. They use ranking as a method to determine project success, when what the client uses to measure success is conversions and sales. Top rankings do not always equal clicks, and clicks do not always equal conversions. If the SEO company does a super job but the shipping cost on the items are too high, the navigation is confusing, or the checkout process to complicated, the customer is going to blame the SEO company. It's true that most sites will be picked up and indexed without submissions by the larger search engines. But there are many other sites that do not spider unless you submit to them. Then there are all the directories that will not list you unless you submit to them like DMOZ.org. Ignoring these resources is an option, but not one that I would advise unless you have all the traffic you need. Thank you, Chris Nielsen -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Alicia Lane Subject: Online backups > In the case where a backup is needed and > the need to maintain the site as it has > been in the past is a secondary concern, > the use of a web site copier program can > save the day, although with some > limitations. There are a number of programs > available, but I can highly recommend > HTTrack... - Chris Nielson, LED 2624 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/2039/190/ This is a great suggestion and a method I use myself. For those using Macs, Site Sucker (www.sitesucker.us) is a similar program. Alicia Lane http://www.alloutsuccess.com (c) Copyright 1995-2008 Orange Wheel, LLC. 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