Back in the old days of the web, the search algorithms were simple and the meta keyword tag was offered as a way for webmasters to let search engines know what their site was about.

It was simple. People liked meta tags, and they were easy to fill in with related data.

Unfortunately, spammers took advantage and started stuffing the keyword tag with unrelated words that they thought people would search for on the internet. If they thought people would search for “healthy hair,” then they would add that into their keyword tags even if their site was really about cars.

Spammers sometimes want traffic even if it’s junk traffic. I have no idea how this really helps their sites. To each his or her own.

What do you use instead?

Instead, you can start by become an SEO expert, writing stellar content or hiring an SEO copywriter. Content is king, my friends, and it’s hard to go wrong with quality content that people want to read.

By spending time in online marketing forums, you may find you absorb a lot more search engine optimization (SEO) information than you realize. When I joined my first tech forum, I was baffled by the techie language. Within a few months, I could hardly believe I’d ever not understood what they were talking about.

This article shares seven SEO forums and two excellent online marketing blogs with you.

On SEO forums, you’ll find a mix of people managing niche websites, people wanting to market their brick and mortar, black hat SEO types, and prominent leaders and “gurus” in the SEO field. As with anywhere in the world, some people will be kind and others rude.

Read on to get the list of seven SEO forums and two blogs.

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Recently, someone emailed me to ask what resources I use and think are best for learning about search engine optimization (SEO). With some of these resources, you may wonder what is the relation to SEO. Magazines.com may seem like an odd choice, yet it works to help you with your website and SEO if you let it.

Below are the first nine of my top 27 resources, including websites and online training, that have helped me develop my skills.

This list is in no particular order. Here you go! (more…)

Not everyone who visits here is a tech geek, so I’ll explain quickly that “open source” defines software, developed by programming volunteers, that people can use for free.

Now on to the reasons why I think you should at least consider using WordPress to run your website:

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I’ll share a few of their ideas and then a few of mine: (more…)

1. What steps to take for LinkedIn success.

2. How to use LinkedIn for networking, new work, and collaboration.

3. When you should use Facebook instead of LinkedIn.

When I first joined LinkedIn, I just didn’t get it. I signed up, plugged in some of my information and let it sit. Where was the magic I expected?
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Has this ever happened to you?

It was August and the scent of lavender and mint blew in through an open window. Somewhere a neighbor was mowing a lawn, and I could hear children at the playground. Ah, the sounds of a home-based office.

And then I wondered:
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As a home based business owner, you’ve already got a head start since you won’t be paying rent. Other ways you can save: (more…)

That’s what a friend of mine said when I told him I use Twitter, a microblogging tool.

What he doesn’t realize is that this tool is useful for marketing, staying in touch, getting ideas, and receiving breaking news. Consider it like a mini-newsletter or mini-blog that allows you to reach people in a friendly way to share what you know and getting the same in return.

Instead of writing longer posts, Twitter allows you to share a post in 140 characters. See my Twitter as an example and follow me if you like what I’m saying.

Are you wondering why Twitter matters? (more…)

Since it’s that goal-setting time of year, I’m sharing three ways to keep your business and personal goals realistic and possible. (more…)