Do a search for “SEO software” and you’ll find the same site that’s been number one for just about forever… SEO Elite – http://www.seoelite.com.

You’d think that because they’ve ranked #1 for as long as I can remember (and I’m pretty old), that it would without a doubt be the best software available.

Think again.

Digging Into the Guts of SEO Elite

In its prime (4-5 years ago), this software was definitely at the top of the heap. Of the three major categories of SEO software (analyze your site, improve your ranking, and competitive/historical analysis), this one fits into categories two and three.

SEO Elite is primarily designed to help you improve your search engine ranking. In fact, if you go to their web site, their headline says, “Who else wants to get a #1 Google Ranking in as little as 7 days?”

When this software was first distributed, they had a shot at fulfilling their promise. Not anymore. The whole fabric of space and time in the search engines has changed, and the software hasn’t changed with it.

What SEO Elite Does

SEO Elite has eight functions:

1. Analyze blinks using a specified search engine (Google, Yahoo!, AltaVista, AllTheWeb and MSN).  [Right there you can see how they date themselves...]
2. Get Links to your web site. [You give it a list of web sites, it tries to find the email address and name of the owner, and lets you send an email requesting a "link exchange"]
3. Analyze AllInAnchor, AllInTitle, or AllInText. [You provide a keyword phrase, and it gives you a list of the top 10 web sites with that keyword phrase in one of the three categories. These, presumably, would be sites to which you'd request a link exchange.]
4. Verify that link partners are still linking back. [Self-explanatory]
5. Find where your site is ranked for a given keyword. [They maintain a database of past results so that you can see your progress (or regression) over time for each keyword phrase - in my opinion, the only reason to buy this tool]
6. Find out how many pages are indexed of your site.
7. Find possible authority sites. [By keyword phrase on Google, Yahoo!, MSN]
8. Submit your articles to article directories. [Very rudimentary, not updated, and subject to duplicate content.]

Their primary claim to fame is the semi-automated link exchange system. They’ll help you find high PR (Page Rank) sites and give you a semi-automated way to send the site owner an email to request a link exchange.

Perhaps you’ve seen these emails. My response used to be “Please send me a quality article to post and I’ll be happy to include a link to your site.”  Now my response is to hit the Delete key.

What SEO Elite is Good For

Bear in mind that this is my personal opinion. I don’t believe that SEO elite does anything useful that you can’t also do with free programs or tools.

Perhaps the most useful feature is the ability to track your ranking for a given keyword over time, but as you’ll see there are other tools that do the same thing, and perhaps do it better.

Should You Buy SEO Elite?

Short answer: No.

Longer answer:  There are other tools that do far much more for the same price or less. The only real advantage of SEO Elite is that it’s a one-time price (no recurring monthly fee), but in this day and age, I’m not so sure that’s an advantage.

I do have an affiliate link, and if I were smart I’d share it with you, give the software a rave review, and hope that you still like me when it’s all said and done.

I’d rather tell you what I think, even if it ticks off the creators of the software.

While some folks will still do link exchanges, they’re old school. Yes, you can request link exchanges, and if it’s with a high PR site, it may do you some good. But the truth is that you’ll get far more out of social media syndication, article syndication (without duplicate content), video syndication, and other “content” syndication techniques.

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Why?

There are two very good reasons they’re wary, and rightfully so. However, both of these reasons can be eliminated, or at least minimized with just a little bit of strategy and some elbow grease. The payoff can be huge, but my guess is that the bigger the business, the less likely they’ll be strategic.

How to Solve the SEM Blues…

Like anything in business, ideally you’ll start with a vision. From that vision emerges a strategy, and from the strategy a plan.

But SEM (search engine marketing) tactics like PPC (Pay-Per-Click) are just too darned easy.

There’s no huge production costs like with a TV commercial. You can change your ads on the fly. You can create many ads to see which ones work.

SEM is really the marketer’s dream. It’s also become the lazy way to sell products for many businesses because they lack the time, inclination, or knowledge to do things more strategically.

The Problems With SEM Today

There are two major reasons that companies are rightly wary of SEM today, and both can be minimized or eliminated with a good strategy and a little bit of elbow grease:

1. There’s a back end?

When you focus on the advertising and forget about the destination of the ad, you’re decreasing your chances of landing a lead or making a sale by a factor of 100 or more. Send them to a page with other products, offers or diversions, and you’ll lose them in an instant.

Your prospect clicks on the ad because he or she is looking for a specific answer to a specific problem or question. Your destination landing page MUST provide the answer to that specific problem or question, or you’re flat out of luck. Bye-bye Mr. or Ms. visitor…

2. Put down the sign, already…

Think about when you do an internet search. Either you’ve got something specific in mind, you’re looking for a bit of entertainment, a little fun, or to “escape” from your cubicle and connect with others.

When you land on the SERP (search engine results page), you’ll have what you know are advertisements on one side (and the top), and the “real” search results on the other side. Most people will look at the search results first and the ads second, perhaps even scrolling through two or three pages of results before paying attention to the ads.

In other words, clicking on the ad is usually what happens when they don’t find what they’re looking for in the first few search results.

Now, and this is important… even though they KNOW they clicked on an ad, they still unconsciously want to be entertained, educated, or otherwise wined and dined before they’re sold to.

Companies forget that just because someone landed on their page, it doesn’t mean that they’re in a buying mood.

Here’s How to Solve These SEM Challenges:

1. There’s a “Bulls-Eye” for a reason…

If you want more points, aim for the bulls eye. Target your landing page. Make it specific to whatever it is that your prospect wants.  People who make their income from selling other people’s products (or their own) through PPC will often create a separate landing page for EVERY keyword phrase.

They’ll use dynamic PHP programming to alter the keyword phrase within the content of the page so that the phrase the user sees is the SAME phrase they used in their search.

While you don’t have to go to this extreme, it’s a good idea to at least create separate pages for each PPC ad group. This way, the pages are targeted directly to the specific needs or desires of the reader.

2. It still comes down to experience…

I mean, the USER’s experience.  Your landing page should add value to their experience. Be entertaining. Be learned and wise. Create a connection. Give them something of value for free in exchange for an agreement to hear more from you.

And, yes, you can even entertain while selling. Add a little light-hearted humor to your sales copy and you’ll find that your sales conversion rates go up. There’s no reason at all to be dry and boring. People WANT to be entertained online. They CRAVE this kind of diversion.

Always think about the landing page from the visitor’s perspective. What EXPERIENCE will encourage him or her to want more from you? Get creative. Be bold. Add a little spice and adventure to your writing. Use pictures that ENHANCE the experience, while interrupting the boredom of reading.

That is… have some fun. Don’t take yourselves so dag-nabbed serious!

P.S. As a side note, eMarketing also reported that Chief Marketing Officers (CMO’s) cited “lack of imagination” as one of the key reasons their SEM efforts are failing to meet expectations. Go figure.

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If you’re bored by the idea already, don’t you worry your pretty little head. I’ll have some treats for you as well. Let’s face it…

SEO (search engine optimization) for most people is about as much fun as eating  sand. And, a series of articles reviewing SEO software isn’t going to win any literary awards for that matter, either.

But hey… one never knows. Someone may pick up on the idea and create a great horror flick featuring the Googlebot and his minions. I’ll try to make this at least marginally entertaining.

And with that, let’s talk strategy…

If you’re going to review anything, it’s best to have a checklist. If you’ve ever gone into a grocery store hungry, you know what happens. It’s the same with reviewing software, web sites, or someone else’s copy… without a checklist, our emotional brain takes over the whole evaluation process, and we end up missing the whole point.

It’s why pilots have a checklist, and surgeons are beginning to catch on to the concept.

For SEO Software, as with any software tool, the tool is only as good as your knowledge and use of the tool. SO, going into your review, it’s good to know that SEO software is designed to do one or more of the following:

1. Some provide your current optimization status…

Most tools do a decent job of telling you where you’re at SEO-wise. They’ll give you a long list of things you can or should do to improve your SEO. That’s good, but these tools often don’t help you to actually improve your ranking. They might offer suggestions, like “get more quality links back to your site”, but unless you have some idea how that works, you’ll be left hanging high and dry.

2. Some help improve your ranking…

These tools, as you’ll see, will help you to gain back links, build your “SEO backbone” and improve your search engine ranking. They are labor intensive, even for tools, but they can save a tremendous amount of time.

3. Others provide competitive and historical information.

Competitive information can be useful because you’ll discover ways to beat your competition at the SEO game, find back doors to more web traffic, and find ways to improve. They help you to get more traffic from long tail keywords and put less attention on the more competitive keywords.

As far as I know, no tool does all three. Some do #1 and #2, others #1 and #3, and a few just focus on helping you to improve your search engine ranking. (Those are the most complicated tools and require an advanced degree in Geekness).

I like to keep things simple, so here are the three areas in which I’ll be ranking the various tools:

1. Ease of Use.  I’ll rank each tool in terms of ease of use. How much do you have to know to use the tool?  How hard is it to use? How much time does it take to get what you need, whether it’s information, status, keyword research, or an update on your progress.  In the case of the tools that automate the process of ranking improvement (usually link-building tools), I’ll pay particular attention to the ease-of-use factor. I want to know if this is something that a novice can handle, or if it’s got to be performed by an SEO-literate, certified nerd.

2. Bottom line performance.  I don’t care if it has a zillion features. Will it help me to get ranked higher for my selected keyword phrases?

3. Cost-Value ratio.  Some of these tools have a hefty monthly subscription fee. Others are the “buy once, get updates forever” type of software.  I’ll look at the annual cost versus the value in terms of how well the product can help you increase your search engine ranking.

A tool that is easy to use, helps drive more traffic to the web site by giving me higher search engine ranking for a number of keywords, won’t cost me a fortune over time, and can be handed over to a subcontractor to run for me would be the ideal SEO software tool.

Does such a beast exist?

We shall see…

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Source: How paid and organic search relate

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Among the companies with access to tons of this type of data is AddToAny, makers of one the most popular widgets that lets content sites provide their readers with an easy way to share stories across multiple social media sites.

According to AddToAny, Facebook now dominates sharing, with 24 percent of shares from the widget consisting of users posting items to the social network. That handily beats out email (11.1 percent) and Twitter (10.8 percent), making the world’s most popular social network also the most popular service for sharing content. This is undoubtedly welcome news at Facebook, as the site continues to emphasize sharing and readies its own real-time search engine.

Interestingly, if you combine all of Yahoo’s properties – Delicious, Yahoo Bookmarks, Yahoo Buzz, and Yahoo Messenger – it accounts for 14.4 percent of sharing, making it second on the list. Less surprising, MySpace has fallen well down the ranks with just 5 percent of shares. Other notables include Digg at 4.4 percent, Bebo at 3.1 percent, and LinkedIn at a mere 0.4 percent. Meanwhile, the demise of email sharing isn’t all that surprising considering that on the whole, social networking now has more reach than email worldwide.

Here’s the full breakdown:

Reviews: Delicious, Digg, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter

Tags: AddToAny, email, facebook

Source: Sharing on Facebook Now More Popular than Sharing by Email

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It’s something at which pitchmen like the recently departed and beloved Billy Mays was an absolute pro in answering.

And yet… few businesses even bother to look at the question, let alone put forth any effort in answering the question. Those who do answer the question only do so half-heartedly, as if it’s a stupid question.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s also the toughest questions to answer, particularly for a new company or business. I’ve struggled with it myself. But answer this question well, and you’ve handled at least 50% of the sales conversion process.

Case in point:

I was invited to review a demo of some new SEO software. The software looked fantastic – easy to use, comprehensive analytics, and helpful advice. All the features were there… everything, except the answer to this one lingering question…

“Will it really do what you say it does?”

Watch some of Billy Mays’ ads.  You’ll see that he does two things within the first 30 seconds:

1. He clearly identifies the problem.

2. He demonstrates that his product solves the problem.

Back to the SEO software for a second…

When I did a search for “SEO software”, the new software I reviewed was nowhere to be found. Granted, they’re new. But haven’t they been in development for the past year (or more)?  You’d think they would have been using their software and expertise to get into the top 10 for their primary keyword phrase.

Yes, it’s one of the more competitive keyword phrases, but NOT seeing them anywhere near the top 10 raises some doubts at an unconscious level, even if my conscious mind can rationalize the fact that they’re new.

Your prospects buy – or not – based on these unconscious signals… a fact that Billy Mays new well. He knew that he had to quickly dispell any doubt that the product would handle the toughest stain, hold an elephant by a thread, or do any other kind of miraculous thing.

Even if consciously the prospect is saying, “that’s bogus,” on an unconscious level, he’s saying “that’s really cool.”

This is what I found in the number one position in Google for “SEO software”:

Note their claim. Do I believe them?  In the immortal words of a retiring governor, “You betcha!”

Don’t underestimate the power of demonstration, and I don’t mean a “demo” of your product or software that shows how it works.  I’m talking about a real, live demonstration (ala Billy Mays) that proves your product DOES work. It does what you say it does.

And that gives me an idea…

Starting next week, I’ll be reviewing the top SEO Software tools, using their Google ranking as part of the equation of whether or not they do what they say.  I’ll separate out the tools that “tell you what’s wrong” from those that help you to improve your search engine ranking.

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Today, I learned on the front page of the Oregonian that almost 3,000 people showed up at midnight downtown because they heard on Twitter and Facebook that there’d be an impromptu performance by Dave Chappelle. Dave appeared at 1am, totally blown away by the size of the crowd, and unable to perform because all he had was a megaphone.

Apparently, there are good, sound business reasons to use social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. You can reach thousands of people in a matter of minutes, get feedback on your products, announce your new over-hyped mega-program, and give lots and lots of value to those who eventually buy your over-hyped mega-program.

But business aside, here are five (very) tongue-in-cheek reasons you might want to start using Twitter…

1. Look at me! I’m popular!

Wow… imagine having 10,000, 20,000 or even 100,000 friends and followers! Even the most resolute wallflower can feel the power of having thousands of followers. Who said that the cheerleaders get all the attention?

Now, anyone, regardless of looks, intelligence, or even talent can be popular. Heck, you don’t even have to be clever. All you have to do is Tweet, follow as many people as possible, and have them follow you back.

Re-tweet other, more witty people. Tell people what you’re reading so that you sound smart. My goodness… the ways to reach out and touch people are endless.

2. Hey, I’m cool, too…

Who didn’t want to be part of the in crowd in high school. Even if you WERE part of the in crowd (loser!), now you’re a NOBODY.  At least, you’re not as cool as we are because WE are informed.

We know about ALL the cool stuff happening around town, like Dave Chappelle’s impromptu and SECRET performance. Did you know about it!  Like I said… loser!

3. Objects in this mirror are smaller than they appear…

It is SO awesome that you can Tweet your little heart out to thousands of adoring fans who think you’re the best thing to come along since little Harry Potter.

It doesn’t matter that you haven’t accomplished squat in the world, don’t get more than 5 visitors a month to your blog, or have never owned any kind of business that made you money.

YOU can be a star on Twitter and Facebook!  People who follow you will amaze their friends when you send them a personal Tweet. “OMG! She talked to ME!”

You can become SO big, famous, popular, and RICH beyond belief… The possibilities are simply mind-boggling.

4. Take THAT Match.Com

But maybe you don’t want to be famous. You just want to be loved. You want someone to pay attention to you.

There’s not much in this world that can be more depressing than posting a profile on a dating site and getting little or no response.

“I guess I’m unlovable.”

Well, wipe those tears away, sweetie… Twitter is here to take away your loneliness. Granted, when you first get started, sending out Tweets is like shouting into an empty stadium.  But it does get better…

Before you know it, your witty remark will be re-tweeted across the world. People from places you’ve never heard of will follow you, send you love notes, and let you know that truly… you are not alone.

5. But I REALLY am a business person!

OK. Maybe you are in it for the business and not for the personal glory, power, fame or love (liar!).

There is one really good business reason to get involved in social networking: money.

Yes, dearie. You, too can become a Social Media consultant. You don’t even have to be old enough to drive or drink to become a social media superstar. Just start amassing a big enough following. Once you’ve got enough people following you, simply start doling out the advice.

First, you give it away because you’re just that kind of person. Then, and ONLY because your adoring fans insist on it, you create a small course. That, of course, leads to a longer seminar… and THAT leads to a monthly membership into your exclusive club.

What are you waiting for?

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A friend and colleague gave me a not-so-subtle reminder about effective web copywriting when he reviewed something I’d written for a client.

He converted my gab fest into this: “Want more customers? Get some here…”

There’s a beauty to this kind of simplicity. It addresses the primary concern of the target market and says, “get your solution here.”

And It’s All About the Desire

Advertising legend Eugene Schwartz said that you can’t create desire in your prospect. You can only connect with and amplify an already existing desire.

Although Schwartz never sold anything online, the principles are the same.  Here are a few bits of advice – things I’ve learned from what works and what doesn’t.

B2B Copywriting Tip #1: Find the already-existing desire.

It’s simple… and it’s not. What is the core emotional desire held by your target market?  Fame… popularity… to end loneliness… to be special?  These are the things that your customers really want. They are the CORE emotions that drive all of us to distraction and beyond.

They want more customers… but why? What’s the underlying motivation for getting more customers? More customers can mean more work, so maybe what they really want is the peace of mind that comes from not having to worry about money, and they know that more customers means more money.

So, perhaps the question I would ask for my client isn’t if their prospect wants more customers. Maybe they really want peace of mind.

B2B Copywriting Tip #2: Speak directly to their CORE desire.

You can do this through metaphor, story, or directly. Stories often work best, but the direct approach can work as well: “Follow these investing tips, or you’re likely to lose every penny of your retirement in the next ten years.“

Customer stories are great for speaking to the core existing desire. “Harry spent just one week using our secret process, and without knowing a thing about the internet made his first $467 online.“

The idea is that you don’t pussyfoot around with the core emotion. You hit it directly, and you hit it hard.

B2B Copywriting Tip #3:  Show, don’t tell.

Where possible, demonstrate proof that you can fulfill their dreams by showing instead of telling. Schwartz offered this example:

… Just picture the scene as these college horticulturists began this amazing flowering test of roses. For here gathered in a test field were all the highly-praised queens of rosedom… floribundas, hybrid teas, polyanthas… Just picture the astonishment on these experts’ faces when in the first month alone, Nearly Wild produced over 15 times more blossoms than the average of all other roses combined…”

Isn’t that more powerful than saying “Nearly Wild will produce 15 times more blossoms…”?

B2B Copywriting Tip #4: Pull the weeds.

My second draft of web copy is usually about half the length of the first. The third draft is even shorter.

Even when they’re reading an intriguing story, people tend to skim online. My friend was right-on when he cut my copy down to just a few words. You want to use enough words to paint a clear image in their minds, but not so many that their eyes go somewhere else on the page.

When they read a book, all they have is the book. Online, they’ve got ads, Twitter, E-mail, and a whole host of distractions. Give ‘em what they want and do it fast.

B2B Copywriting Tip #5:  Design matters.

And finally, design does matter. Eye tracking studies show that our eyes first go to the dominant image on the page, then to the dominant headline, and next to the site navigation (It’s like a big letter “F”).

If you use an image, make sure that it leads to your headline. Have your headline lead to the subhead, and the subhead to the body.

Put as few distractions on the page as possible. That’s why simple landing pages work so well to capture leads. They’re only one thing for them to do on the page – enter their name and email address.

On longer sales pages, use breakout boxes, blockquotes and images to break up the text on the page, making it easier to read and follow.

In other words, you’ve got to get their attention and hold it long enough to get them to take a desired action.

It’s not easy, which is why conversion rates online are getting smaller. There’s simply more competition for their attention.

Which brings me to the bottom line…

Want to be a copywriting rock star? Follow your customer’s already existing core desire…

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