Search Engine Optimization SEO Secrets Part 3

[tjwindart]

Sorry that it took me so long to get this part 3 out but as many of you already know I have been very busy. I know I was planning to use some seller's stores in this part but I decided not to at this time as critiquing another store wouldn't be right when I need to do so much work to my own store. Disclaimer: The information provided in this Search Engine Optimization post is information I have gathered through reading information that is readily available on the internet and on eBay. Many will say I'm full of it and I will have to agree. Use this information at your own discretion and enjoy reading. This topic is continued from SEO Secrets and Tips Part 1 and SEO Secrets and Tips Part 2 Search Engine Optimization SEO Part 3: In part 2 I made mention of meta tags but failed to fully explain meta tags. Meta tags are controls that webmasters and site owners use to tell search engines what they want the search engines to do. The Meta Keyword and Meta Description tags have been widely used by webmasters to tell search engines what information their page is about. As you have probably already figured out, meta keywords and keywords are relative terms and this is why I failed to talk further about Meta tags in part 2. In the eBay system we need to concentrate on our keywords because we only have the ability to alter our meta keyword tags which will help you and your products in many search engines. For more information on META TAGS: Back to Basics: META Tags How To Use HTML Meta Tags Search engine optimization is not only about keywords, title tags, and alt tags. It is about getting your links out on the web. Quite simply, the more the search engines find your links on the internet the more weight they will apply to store, site, and your products in the results. There are many ways to accomplish this. The best way seems to be to associate your products with an article about your product. A 300-600 word article is usually sufficient in accomplishing this. Where do you put your articles, you ask? EVERYWHERE you can! Put your articles in blogs such as the eBay blogs. Write a guide about your products and put it in the eBay guides section. Be sure to use item specific keywords and provide a link into your store category for that item. I would suggest that you only write one article or guide per item type. Example: Ball Caps Write a guide about how to properly size ball caps or about the quality or maybe even the history of them. (Something that is on my long to-do list.) MySpace and Facebook blogs are another great place to leave your articles as long as you are courteous about it. Many have been spending time using the comments section of MySpace which does create traffic and is beneficial in that way. But, if you are looking for a stronger and more consistent flow of traffic you need to use the blogs to move your products into the top page or two of the search engine results. Another useful SEO secret is that many of your competitors writing quality articles and submitting them to free article submission sites. If you do a Google search for free article submission you will find an endless number of sites that provide this service for free. One major caution! When signing up for any of these services make sure you use any alternative email account that you might have access to. Gmail, yahoo, or msn email accounts will serve well in preventing the spam that you will receive from several of these free services. Yes! I am speaking from experience. Whenever possible always use some type of signature with a link that sends potential customers directly to your products or store. A new item that I have just learned about is the usage of keywords in the naming of your image files. This is suppose to provide additional keyword descriptives to your products, store, or web site. I was not aware of this until Steve with Steves Coins and Supplies provided me with a link to eBay's Seller Outreach. Thank you, Steve, for providing this important Search Engine Optimization information. After spending much time reviewing the stores of the many who have been participating and enjoying my writings about Search Engine Optimization and SEO Secrets and Tips, I have been very impressed at how many of you have spent time applying my rants. Don't get frustrated when the results don't happen over night. Just keep working at it and get those KEYWORD LINKS out there and THEY WILL COME! ;-) Happy Selling! Mr. tjwindart -- BALL CAPS, BOONIE HATS, MILITARY BALL CAPS, and WIND SOCKS
-- Edited by tjwindart at 04/23/2008 8:52 PM PDT -- Edited by bunnies28 at 12/23/2008 11:21 AM PST

[tjwindart]

msleo, We have that little cutie pie back at my home 20 to thank for that one. I just passed it along for all to see. I will have to agree that it was a gold mine discovery! Bravo, to Jodi!!!! Way to jump in and help! Mr. tjwindart (The arm rest for Mrs. tjwindart):-p Just teasing, honey! Can't send me to the doghouse cause I'm already here. -- BALL CAPS, BOONIE HATS, MILITARY BALL CAPS, and WIND SOCKS

[nnnlingerie]

LOL Trent...your funny! -- You don't stop laughing because you grow old; You grow old because you stop laughing!

Click here to check out my Ebay Store

[nd4steve]

Don't let them know that they are one of the largest flea markets you will probably ever see. They might start calling Ebay in real life. P.S. If Jodi really wanted you to feel like you were in the Dog House, her would wish you a slower than dial up connection to the internet. Steve -- NGC Silver Eagles, NGC Coins,
Air-tite Capsules, and Coin Supplies

[mikesgirl425]

Hello Trent and Jodi, Susan here from Rug Haven. I thought that I had asked this yesterday, but I can't find it, so I am resending it. I believe that I read a comment from Trent recently, something like, "this may be a good time for us to take advantage of eBay's vast resources". I would like to know, in order of priority, what you consider as eBay's vast resources, that we sellers should be taking advantage of? Curious as to what are they, and what should we be doing to take advantage of them? Pretty please. I sure hope that this question is relevant for this thread. Thank you. Susan:) -- FREE SHIPPING SALE - No Price Increase!

We pay the shipping on all items! YOU SAVE $$!

[tjwindart]

Hello Susan, Yes you did ask this question in the topic eBay Research Survey. I have copied my answer from there to here as it fits this topic much better. Susan, My comment about riding out the storm was my way of trying to put some fun with all the changes within the eBay market place. It is a good thing that so many people are watching critical areas of information and posting links to these for us all to stay abreast of our future so we can hopefully be better prepared for the next round or rounds of changes. As with all changes, some may benefit one seller and cause many problems for another. Hopefully we can all make the new changes work to our benefit. Many have found that things are not just as easy as just opening up a store. Unfortunately it involves a great deal of work to help point the idea of success in your direction. Unless of course you happen to stumble on a great market nitch like rugs. '' The benefit to it is that you are able to constantly better yourself through educating yourself. A brain is a terrible thing to waist. Now to the vast resources. Wow! You hit me with a mountain. This is probably better defined in what is best for you, as we all have very unique needs and products. That is what makes eBay so fun! I can make a list of resources but in no way will they be in the order of importance. I have included some important links in "SEO Secrets Part 2" and "Search Engine Optimization Part 3" if I recall correctly. There are also some really good links in the discussions that came after. If you look at the top right hand corner of your eBay pages you will find a link that says, "Site Map". Your wealth of information begins there. You will find a huge number of links and resourcess in the site map and each area that you click on will provide even more links. Before Jodi and I started our store on eBay, I spent 3 months going through the site map to figure out what I was going to get myself into and I only scratched the surface. For those who are thinking of opening stores or are new and wondering what you have gotten yourself into. Things are not nearly as complicated as what they might appear or as my ramblings might make them appear. There are some basic things that will drastically assist you in making sure that when you open your store it will take off in an all out run. Most of us began our stores without any knowledge of these resources and have done quite well. Most of the other things being discussed are areas you might want to address as your store and it's needs grow. Hopefully I've answered your question. I know for me to put together some kind of list would just take me an enourmous amount of time to do. Which I really am unable to do right now. Mr. tjwindart -- BALL CAPS, BOONIE HATS, MILITARY BALL CAPS, and WIND SOCKS

[mikesgirl425]

Thank you Trent. You answered it very well. I really didn't expect a huge list, I just wondered what you might consider some critical resources that we should all avail ourselves of, and you have provided many in the other parts, and what you said here is useful! I don't want to miss or overlook anything crucial to us as sellers, but you are correct, each have different needs. Actually, I think your comment of riding out the storm was spot on. Now that's an excellent challenge, to make the changes work for us, because I have not yet been made to feel that way. We just changed over our Store items to free shipping, in an attempt to keep our necessary exposure for our listings, and to try to keep our feedback healthy. With that change, so far, we are thankfully selling more of less expensive items, working harder and making less. But, we are bringing in necessary income, and many sellers are not bringing in the sales. I'll shut up now. But, thank you. Your input is invaluable. Sincerely, Susan:) -- FREE SHIPPING SALE - No Price Increase!

We pay the shipping on all items! YOU SAVE $$!

[dejacreations]

Thanks Trent for the flea market info. I'm hoping our travels will be an adventure. Hubby has 3 more years to go and then he can call it quits. I'd like to keep a travel (b)log so all our friends and relatives can keep up with us. DejaDeb --

[tjwindart]

Susan, You hit it right on the head. Just play around with things until they fit your needs and best suit you. We have been trying to figure out what we are needing to do. Hoping to have our decision made by the time I get home next week so we can get cranking. Our sales have dropped along with most others but we have just kicked the promoting of our store into high gear to try and bring things back up. I guess that's what you mean by work harder and make less. :| Times are interesting (challenging) for most of us and it is up to us to keep our heads held high and our shoulders up to show our strength. Mr. tjwindart -- BALL CAPS, BOONIE HATS, MILITARY BALL CAPS, and WIND SOCKS

[mikesgirl425]

Yes, we must evolve with the times, or be left behind. I know that people are just not buying many, if any, bigger size braids, it's just not us. If we had not gone 'free shipping', most all of our recent sales would not have materialized. Exactly what I meant, harder work and less revenue. And, eBay now rewards us and other sellers with better listing exposure, etc., who implement the changes that they desire, to make it a totally positive buyer experience for buyers. We just opened up a ProStore also. It's free for a few more months, and we'll see if it's true that it will receive increased automatic feed with Google, quick start feature, etc., and up to seventy percent more traffic. That is what our eBay rep told me. If that is true, then I know that our sales will rise. So, we're loading up twenty items, and giving it a go. The conversations going on here and elsewhere, with my fellow sellers, has been encouraging and strengthening to me. It's always comforting to know that we are not going it alone. My best wishes to you and Jodi for your new upcoming changes in your business. Yes, times are challenging, and from what I've always heard, only the strong survive. Susan:) -- FREE SHIPPING SALE - No Price Increase!

We pay the shipping on all items! YOU SAVE $$!

[frstyfrolk]

Thanks for all this information. I will try and use it in my store re-vamp! Smiles, cyndi -- ~Make Memories because no one can take them away~ smiles, cyndi

[tjwindart]

A quick update to comment #25 with the link to an article on Search Engine Optimization. At a quick glance this article looked to be really good. However, when I found time to really read it carefully, I found some highly questionable tactics such as the 16% keyword saturation. This is the first and only time I have ever seen any SEO article recommend this level of keyword saturation which is usually considered spamming. To break it down this would be 1 in every 5 words being a keyword. There are some websites with levels not quite that high but they are top level sites with a very large number of backlinks which tends to outweigh the spamming issues in the case of these sites. Sorry for not reviewing it closer before posting it. Mr. tjwindart -- BALL CAPS, BOONIE HATS, MILITARY BALL CAPS, and WIND SOCKS

[pacmom2008]

Thanks Much for the information! Rhonda

[gretasgifts]

as a late comer to this thread, trent & jodi I want to thank you so much for taking the time out to share! You definately are an example of my quote! Your info is clear and understandable. Look forward to expanding my banner! TTYL! XOXO oh trent p.s.! I almost forgot! My hubby likes being in the dog house! LOL So whenever Jodi wants to put you in one, you can always stop by mine! here is a pic! LOL TTYL -- "Think deeply, Speak gently, Love much, Laugh alot, Work Hard, Give freely and BE KIND -- Edited by insatiablegeisha at 05/06/2008 10:17 AM PDT

[tjwindart]

I've noticed your quote and like it very much. I am all too jealous of your hubby's dog house. At least it doesn't rock when the wind blows and it looks like he has a little room to stretch, also. Trent -- BALL CAPS, BOONIE HATS, MILITARY BALL CAPS, and WIND SOCKS

[gretasgifts]

lol! ;) -- "Think deeply, Speak gently, Love much, Laugh alot, Work Hard, Give freely and BE KIND