Archive for the ‘twitter’ Category

The website optimization strategy in the SEO for 2012 Report tutorial released last month works, and this case study provides evidence. You must invest time to improve and promote your website to achieve online success.

A recent custom cms web design implementing the principles in that seo search engine optimization strategy blog post has performed beyond expectations in less than 2 months.

Launched on 4 December 2011, the new dog rescue custom cms website for Lifeline Dog Rescue, a division of Central Florida Weimaraner & Dog Rescue, Inc., demonstrates remarkable success.

In summary, the first strategy for attracting search engine traffic begins with providing a positive visitor experience by creating high quality original content often. You cannot launch a new website and then ignore adding fresh content if you want to motivate happy visitors to return.

Likewise, a dynamic site that changes often will attract search engines to return and index updates frequently.

The second strategy is creating off site content in social communities that directs visitors to your website. The seo report recommends becoming active on social network websites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even Flickr. A key feature on this new custom cms web design is social network icons linking to those sites and social bookmarking sites.

Those icons and links make social interaction easy. Being active on social networks and interacting with your contacts provides real time off site quality content that enhances your positive reputation for visitors and search engines.

Consider the following milestones achieved with the custom cms web design and social network accounts for Lifeline Dog Rescue. Clues to the success may be found by viewing the social site icons and statistics at the bottom of their home page.

In less than 7 weeks as of 31 January 2012, the stats show 92 likes on Facebook, 146 tweets on Twitter, 2 Google plus one shares, and 16 links to social bookmarking sites. Keep in mind those numbers are just for their home page.

Next, consider Alexa traffic numbers for the Lifeline website. Lower ranking indicates higher traffic in comparison to competition between 100+ million other websites. Lifeline launched ranked at 16 million. As of the date of this post the rank is 797,404. Any number under 1 million puts your website in the top 1%.

Stats tracking likewise shows 1) a steady increase in traffic, 2) a very low bounce rate meaning visitors land on one page and continue to expore more pages, plus 3) the rate of return visitors continues to climb which indicates popularity.

Why does this seo search engine optimization strategy work so well? It depends on quality content and natural methods for attracting search engines. The strategy is forward looking and considers the importance of human interaction and not just mathematical algorithms of Google crawlers to determine website ranking.

Is it simple? Yes. Is it easy? Not really. You must still invest time on website content and social connections. Site owners who recognize and implement this simple strategy will reap the benefits of staying ahead of their competitors who do not.

View and download the 2012 SEO Design Strategy Tutorial (pdf, 13 pgs., 96kb) and then apply these principles of website success.

FireFox browser users may share online gems with a tweet on Twitter or post a message on Facebook while surfing the web as you share page content instantly. In addition you can quickly email links to the content via GMail, as well. The following graphic illustrates how the F1 FireFox extension may be used in Twitter, Facebook, and GMail.

The tiny “V on its side” icon (left) takes up very little real estate in your FireFox browser menu toolbar. While on a page of content you want to share select the “V” icon and choose from Facebook, Twitter, or GMail (center). Finally, insert a message and hit the share button (right) to instantly share the link.

The Facebook post will include a snapshot from the page, the Twitter tweet uses bit.ly shortened URLs to save characters, and the GMail option automatically inserts the URL into the message body. Download and then install the F1 social sharing FireFox extension or watch the video and begin using it now.

Frustrated or overwhelmed managing large numbers of followers and people you follow on Twitter? The Twitin Twitter online tool from Buzzom.com may be the solution you need to get back in control.

A novice Twitter user may look at the stream of tweets flying by 24/7 when they have 1000+ friends and think it’s like a freight train passing at 100 mph and you’re expected to read the grafitti on each train car. Strategies for following, unfollowing, reciprocating, and then communicating with Twitter friends in your new social circle will be easier using an online tool like Twitin.

There are many tools you could review and choose, and after trying several I am most impressed with the Twitin Twitter online tool. As shown in the graphic above, you have choices that are automated to figure out people you follow who do not follow back, who follows you that you may have overlooked following back, and a bunch of other tools for very advanced Twitter account management.

Besides automating the routine functions just mentioned that allow you to match up people to follow or unfollow, another option suggests a list of Twitter people that are very likely to follow you back. After using their tool for about an hour, I permanently blocked a handful of people following me who tweet content that I found too offensive. I reciprocated with 200+ followers who I didn’t realize were following me unnoticed because that freight train is moving so fast. In addition, I unfollowed about 100 people who I chose to follow who did not reciprocate after several months.

Next, a real cool online tool at Twitin that I recommend is their “Cross Follow” option. Input the ID of a person on Twitter who you know and respect with similar interests for your niche, and Twitin allows you to review the unique people in their followers and following lists for consideration. The list leaves out known matching contacts to those you already follow.

Review 50 names at a time that include data on followers/following and other detials, and then select check boxes for ones you want to follow. When done, press the follow button to automatically follow persons on the list. When that task is complete you get instant feedback on the success rate.

Finally, Twitin has a locking tool that allows you to selectively lock people on your lists. You can set IDs that you never want to follow as well as those you will never unfollow to prevent deleting them by mistake later. Twitin is great. Don’t get too carried away because Twitter does have API call limits, yet if you do get an error message in Twitin you can likely return an hour later and continue.

The choice to follow back “a select group or all” should depend on your reason for being on Twitter. I prefer a network of people in web design or graphics to learn trends for my core business, plus meet interesting or entertaining people. I’m on Twitter to learn and contribute as I interact on a professional level plus more informally on a personal level to keep it real.

I’m not selling, so I’m not building a list or feeding the ego by acquiring a large following for the sake of numbers.

I don’t follow back 100%. If a follower tweets to provide value and interact on a personal level (even if not directly to me), that’s ok. Others who don’t reveal a real name, company, or organization, never @ or RT, only tweet hard sell and self promotion, or offend my sense of morality won’t be followed.

While the real character of someone you follow on Twitter can be disguised behind false information like age, gender, job title, photo, and more, I tend to follow those who I would be just as likely to entertain or interact with in a real world situation and assume their online personna is accurate.

I have talked by phone or Skype with a handful of followers, and actually met the very first person who followed me when they visited Florida recently. Their real information was easy to confirm, and the nature of their tweets was mature and professional. Still, we met over breakfast in a public setting as opposed to a truly private meeting. Otherwise, I urge caution for anyone considering a one on one tweetup.

Want to learn more about my tweets or those I follow? View my web design related Twitter account @JimDegerstrom for a preview.