Google Docs - An Essential Blogging Tool?

In managing my blog one of the tools I rely on is Google Docs. In this article I provide an introduction to Google Docs and explain its advantages to those running an blog.

What is Google Docs?

Google Docs is best summarized as a completely web-based, simplified, free version of Microsoft Office. It provides basic functionality such as word-processing, spreadsheets and presentations. The fact that it is an online service gives it a number of advantages, but there are also one or two disadvantages you need to be aware of.

Web-based service

The fact that Google Docs is an online service has a great advantage, you can work on a document from anywhere you have Internet access and a browser. This is more convenient than it sounds. For example, I have several computers and, using OpenOffice, I might create a Word-compatible document on, say, my desktop computer. If I am then on the road I don't have access to that document from my laptop as the document might still be on my desktop computer's hard-drive.

There are ways to transfer between computers, and one technique I used in the past was to email the document to Hotmail. This ensured that I could access the document from any of my computers and it was backed-up by Microsoft. This wasn't convenient though as I ended up having several versions of the document on different computers and keeping track of the current version proved difficult. Google Docs solves this problem as all the documents you create are hosted by Google. You can access your documents from any computer that has a browser and Internet access.

Summary

I would say I am addicted to Google Docs and find it to be an essential part of running my blog - it is one of the main reasons I use Blogger. It is convenient, easy to use and being able to store your documents (and publish them) on the web is a huge advantage. I no longer have to transfer documents between computers or worry about issues such as versioning. It is very easy to be able to export the documents to a local file, such as a PDF. So far, I have found Google Docs to be invaluable.

Google Docs can be found at http://docs.google.com

Tony Bedford first started blogging in March 2000. Tony currently maintains a free guide to more profitable blogging at http://the-business-of-blogging.blogspot.com

How to Get Number 1 Rankings on Google, Yahoo and MSN Using Video Hosting Sites

Proper tagging elements include coming up with a TITLE for the Video, a DESCRIPTION, and TAGS or KEYWORDS. Let me say a little about each area.

The TITLE tag is the #1 most important tag. It's the one the search engines will display in the search results. If someone searches for "free home based business dvd" in a search engine, and you are offering a free home based business dvd, you want your website to come up, as well as your video. So tag your Title well, with up to 3 phrase or keywords you are hoping to be found by. As a marketer, you can find out what are the most popular keywords by simply looking at Google's Trends website. Search for Google trends and they tell you what is hot right now in search.

The DESCRIPTION tag is the #2 most important tag. I always recommend, if you are plugging a website or are marketing something, put the URL as the first thing people see in the description slot, follow by a logical telling of what the video is about, being mindful of good keywords and phrasing. Make sure the URL begins with http:// in the front, as some movie hosting sites will turn it into an active an hyperlink, while sometimes they won't. I dunno why they work sometimes, and then not work others.

The TAGS are simply the keywords and phrases to plug your video with. Don't be stingy with your tagging. Get em all in there so you might be found, but try to be a relevant to the video and do not tag spam!

Finally - Make sure all your login and pw info is stored correctly in Tubemogul so that your videos will post correctly to the video hosting sites, and then push the button that makes this machine come alive and within hours, you'll see your videos posted in their appropriate places in your accounts. I love using tools which can easily automated task one used to have to do by themselves.

Do a quick Google search, using the title of your video and see how fast Google has indexed that video. When I did this last time, within 24 hours, I had the top 3 listings for the keywords I wanted to be found and listed with.

So, making a video or using audio and pictures to make a video is really simple. Once you have your video made, upload it to Tubemogul, tag it and post it and within hours your videos will be all over the search engines bringing you free leads and traffic daily.

SEO, the HTML Source Code and Competition

You have a business, and ever since you started the SEO campaign, business has been good and most of your business enquiries have been coming via your website. You are getting professional SEO support and an ongoing SEO program takes care of all your SEO work.They have optimized your website and now it attracts a fairly good quantity of relevant incoming traffic which has been resulting in good business enquiries and sales. Now, suppose you have other competitors for your business in your region and would like to know if your competitors also have an SEO campaign going on with their website. As you are ignorant on this issue it has been making you anxious. They have always been your stiff competitors so you can't just call them up and ask about it! So what do you do?

Ok, if you want to find out about your competitors are also optimizing their website it is a very simple process to find it out. It is not necessary for you to send some one out to spy on your competitors to get this information because it will only take you a few minutes to find out and confirm this information online. All you need to do is just go to your competitor's website and check on its HTML source Code!

This is how one should go about it. Go to the concerned web site's homepage on the browser and click on "view" and choose "source" and the HTML source code page opens up. If you are using Internet Explorer 2.x, right-click on the web page, and then click View Source. To view the HTML source code for a web page that contains frames, right- click the web page in a frame, and then choose "view source". Looking at this page you will be able to get the required information.

On this HTML source code page, just see if there are main keywords in the header tags KEYWORDS , the title tags , and in the image alt tags KEYWORDS . These are always located near the top of the source code. Also if the content on the webpage has been optimized for the search engines, you will find that the text on the web page contains a minimal repeated use of the keyword. These clues are more than enough to confirm the fact that your competitor is also smart enough to have gone for website optimization. (Now you have another new area of competition and must outsmart him)

The author of this article is Ricci Mathew of Outsource Strategies International (OSI), a US based company that offers services in Search Engine Optimization, SEM, PPC advertising for clients across the US.

Pay Per Clicks

There are many advertising options out there for small and large businesses alike. A new phenomenon that has recently hit the scene is the use of sponsored link searches for advertising needs. Are sponsored links really the best way to allocate valuable advertising dollars?

A re occurring complaint I hear from many of my customers is that sponsored links are not developing the return on investment they desire. There are several key reasons to why this may be occurring. Sponsored links, or pay per click advertising, are links on the right hand side of most search engines. These links, historically, are only used by approximately 30% of the online search market. By using only sponsored links in your online marketing campaign, you have essentially cut out 70% of the market that may be searching for your business. Further, did you know that there is a constant bidding war on the sponsored side of the page? Business are having to spend valuable working time managing their sponsored link page to make sure the are staying on the first page, while not breaking the bank. Because most consumers don't search past the first page of search engines, it is a constant war to "out bid" your competitors and stay in those valuable spots. But what is to keep your competitors from clicking your links and costing you tons of money and headaches? Thankfully, Google (among others) have allowed you to set certain limits on the amount of money you wish to spend monthly on sponsored link searches. While pay per click ads may get you some form of business, I do not believe they are the end all in online marketing. It is important to recognize several key factors when thinking about investing in pay per clicks.

1) How can I minimize "fraudulent" clicks by my competitors

2) Are their other online options, for around the same cost, which can give me a better return on investment? and

3) Am I willing to cut our 70% of the search market by spending money on sponsored links?

For some businesses, pay per clicks work. I am not advocating that they don't. The law of "big numbers" may come into play here where if you do something long enough, the average return will be worth the investment. I have found other advertising mediums that allow my customers a better, more stable, return on their investment. Diversity is the key to the marketing game and in order to advertise to all corners of a market, it is necessary to weigh your options and decide if you have the time, and money, to play the "big numbers" game.

Chad Sandifer
http://www.tenlist.com