Writing a Search Engine friendly article

Did you know that search engines read articles too? Offering interesting and informative articles on your website is a great way of building credibility and getting people to come back to your site to read them. It is also fantastic way of increasing your Google ranking.

The aim of increasing your website’s Google ranking is to feature high up in the organic search on the left hand side of the page. The right hand side is paid or sponsored ads – known as Adwords. In addition to search engine optimising (SEO) your whole site, you can write articles on the main keywords people use to search for you.

Choose your keyword
The first step is to determine your keywords. You can do this by looking at a keyword selection tool such as Google Adwords Keyword Tool or check your web stats to figure out which keyword you want to rank highly for.

You don’t want to place all your keywords into one article. Just like a website page, keep the article to one topic. Don’t try to jam 3-4 ideas into one; split them up and have 3-4 smaller articles, focused on one set of keywords each.

Article topics
Your keywords will be general such as public relations or marketing. When you are coming up with topics delve into more detailed topics under that more general one. For example, if you take a look at our resources section you will see we have written articles on specific aspects about PR including how to write media releases and case studies.

Key word density
Getting the keyword density ratio correct is critical. Google can tell when you are overusing keywords just to get your site to appear higher in search engine rankings.

Using Keywords in your Article is important – but remember ‘real people’ want to read the article too, not just Search Engine Robots. Avoid ‘Keyword Stuffing’ as this usually results in a fairly unreadable article for regular people.

Follow the simple rule of thumb of using a keyword no more that 3 to 5 times per 500 words. Aim to use your keyword in the heading, the first paragraph and last paragraph.

Write a great article
There is no point in writing an article that is poorly written – even if it does have keywords. I have read articles on websites that make me cringe as they are obviously written for search engines. If you are going to write an article it needs to be relevant to your audience and written well. For guidelines on how to write an article go to the CP Communications website.

Don’t just put it on your website
Sure you are writing a search engine optimised article for your website, but think about how to promote it. Tweet about it, post it on your Facebook page, put a link to it on your Linkedin status. We also place our articles on free article websites such as www.evancarmichael.com and EzineArticles.com. Your article on heaps of other websites with a link back to your site is even more Google SEO goodness.

Maximise the power of public speaking

Public speaking is a fact of life, whether we like or not. Whether you are doing a speech at a seminar or conference, or a pitch to clients at a workplace, somewhere along the line we have all done public speaking.

It is a known fact that the fear of public speaking ranks higher than the fear of death. This means most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy at a funeral! However public speaking doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience; in fact when done right, it can often be to the most effective form of communication. It is so powerful we build speaking opportunities into the PR strategies we do for clients.

Here are some useful tips for effective presentations.

Practice practice practice
If you are a nervous public speaker as most people are, the best way to overcome nerves is to practice your speech over and over. Practice in front of family and friends, the bedroom mirror – wherever.

Practicing a speech is the most important thing you can do before presenting. Familiarisation is the best deterrent to panic and anxiety. When you ‘wing it’ you’re guaranteed to stumble because of a lack of structure and constant over thinking. Remember the audience can sense your nerves and your ‘thinking.’ Practice the best deterrent to that.

Know the audience and the venue
Before your presentation find out who the audience will be and how much knowledge they will have on you topic so you can pitch it at the right level. It is essential that you tailor the presentation to the bulk of the audience and understand what makes them tick and drives them.

Familiarizing yourself with the audience and venue is a great way to decrease nervous tension. Get to the venue early, and speak to some audience members. Also check that your audio visual and PowerPoint presentation is working effectively.

Get to the point
Try and make the point at the beginning of the speech, and let that be the underlying theme that runs through the speech. This will give the speech shape and understanding, and it will allow the audience to connect.

The purpose of a speech is to inform the audience. Also, there is no need to tell the audience everything you know, rather, tell them what they need to know. The expression ‘less is more’ is pertinent in public speaking. There is nothing worse than sitting through a rambling long speech. It is important to be concise and brief.

Use efficient body language
Remember, 93% of communication is nonverbal. The audience will not just be looking at your face; they will be looking at your body as well. Be confident in what you say; stand up straight, look at the audience, and smile from time to time. Put your hands by your side, not in your pockets and not behind your back.

Don’t forget to dress properly and be comfortable as well. Getting your point across means showing the audience you are confident. Remember, presentation is not what is said but how it’s said.

Don’t read the whole time
Nothing is worse than listening to a speech where the presenter is reading the entire time. If you want grasp the attention of your audience you must keep the presentation interesting. Add some humour, talk to the audience, and use some visual aids. The purpose of the speech is to be relatable; the audience has to identify with you in some way. If you are reading the whole time, you are not identifying with the audience and your presentation will become meaningless.

Clients can share your story
Often co-presenting with a client, or using case studies or anecdotes will help reinforce your story and build credibility. Your clients have a unique perspective that is often more convincing and ‘real’ compared to your story. Often the audience want hear how your service or product was used in real life rather than just a simply description.

What is the future of journalism in the Social Media Age?

Australia’s leading journalists, broadcasters, social media advocates and media academics will particpate the Media140 conference.  It will be interesting to hear the debate about how journalism is being influenced by  Twitter and realtime social media platforms and practices.

Freelance Journo Mia Freedman, Mark Scott of the ABC, and Paul Cutler, head of SBS News, will speak at the Media140 conference. Media140 Sydney will investigate the issue of digital online media and online interaction, through important discussions intended to teach and encourage debate inside the media industry about a range of social media issues and practices.

As a reader of this blog you receive 20% discount on tickets.  If you wish to attend the event with the   discount, all you need to do is enter the CP140 code when registering.

Media 140 will take place on the 5 and 6 of November at the ABC Eugene Goossens’ Hall, Sydney.

For more information or tickets to the event, follow Media140 on Twitter via @sydney140.