2010 JanuaryMirna Bard

5 SEO Scams to Avoid
Posted Jan 28th, 2010 By Mirna Bard in Internet Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) With | 7 Comments

As a business owner, you know that search engine optimization (SEO) is important. Without it, your website will languish in anonymity. It can be very easy to get obsessed with getting higher rankings and more traffic, something that everyone wants. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people out there who prey on those desires to make your website the best that it can be and they set up scams to trap unsuspecting website owners.

It’s easy to be lured by a site that offers extra traffic or better SEO and while there are certainly plenty of legit operations out there. Here are five scams that you should be aware of.

1. Submitting to thousands of search engines.

This is a scam that has been around for quite some time. You pay a sum of money (usually astonishingly low for the service) and your URL will be submitted to not 10, not 50, but hundreds or even thousands of search engines. It sounds great because you figure that you’ll be covered no matter where people are searching, right?

Wrong. Most of the sites your website is submitted to are actually spam sites that may even pay the scammer for your site. You’ll be getting hundreds of spam emails from them which are a waste of time and energy and certainly not worth paying someone for.

2. Your URL submitted to 500 directories.

We all know that getting backlinks is very important and can raise our value in the eyes of the search engines, but just how smart is it to submit to 500 directories? Not very. The reason for this is because first of all, there aren’t that many good directories. The vast majority are link farms (yes, they still exist) which can actually lower the value of your URL. Google in particular notes when your URL shows up in “bad neighborhoods”. The second reason this is a bad idea is that Google gets suspicious when a brand new site abruptly gains 500 backlinks within 24 hours. You could end up in the sandbox or otherwise penalized for your “SEO” techniques.

3. An insider.

You’ll actually find that some SEO companies claim to have someone inside Google. This can be pretty appealing for several reasons, but it is 99.9% unlikely to be true. Even if someone were spilling the secrets of the search engine giant, it is an every changing algorithm, meaning that it would be virtually impossible to keep up with the changes. The algorithm is also far more complex than most people imagine, making it virtually impossible to crack completely and actually implement everything.

That being said, having someone on the inside could be useful in making sure your site is in the top results for your chosen keyword, but what happens when the mole is discovered, as they always are? Play it safe and stick to real SEO tactics.

4. Guaranteed top spots in Google.

Every website owner dreams of seeing his or her site in the top results for their chosen keywords, but the truth is that this is just not always possible. It’s quite ridiculous for anyone to promise it, since they can’t actually guarantee anything when it comes to Google. Even the masters move up and down in the rankings on a consistent basis and that is totally normal . . . but unpredictable.

Something else to look out for is which phrases they are guaranteeing top ranking for. Often these will be long tail keyword phrases that no one is actually looking for. You could easily rank for these on your own with minimal effort, but what’s the point?

5. Trade Secrets

Run away from anyone who claims it’s too complicated to understand and they fail to fully disclose and explain everything that is being done to your site. They tell you these are trade secrets; they can’t discuss their proprietary technology, or speak in quasi-mystical jargon and non-specific terms.

Real SEO experts have a true interest in their field and enjoy educating their clients about the details. They don’t hold anything back and more than willing to share the whole process with you.

What other SEO scams have you heard of?

Win Free Social Media Coaching for Your Business!

Posted Jan 23rd, 2010 By Mirna Bard in Social Media With | 4 Comments

I am planning to make it a MIRNAriffic 2010, and I want all my Internet friends, fans and followers in on the FUN. You all have been AMAZING with your supportive comments, compliments, retweets, and referrals. I truly appreciate all of you.

NOW, it is my turn to give back through this one-of-a-kind giveaway!

On March 1, I will select one LUCKY winner to receive 10 FREE hours of social media coaching ($3,000 value) with me, Mirna Bard. The winner will also receive SURPRISE bonuses (another $500 value) to help reach their social media goals.

That’s $3,500 in savings that you can get right here!

My plan is to assist at least 1,000 businesses in 2010 to maximize their social media strategy by building profitable relationships and IGNITING their business results.

Do YOU want to be one of those businesses?

It’s simple! To enter all you have to do is complete the form below. All submissions must be made by February 28, 11:59 p.m. PDT. Entering to win will take less than 2 minutes and could lead to amazing and profitable results. All social media coaching will take place virtually in March. Throughout the first hour of coaching, I will analyze the business’ current (or non-existent) social media strategy, and during the remaining nine hours, the winner can choose what to focus on.

Enter NOW, before February 28, and be sure not to miss out! Please also forward to anyone who may benefit from FREE coaching.

7 Signs Your Social Media Consultant is Really an Expert
Posted Jan 19th, 2010 By Mirna Bard in Social Media, Social Networking With | 12 Comments

No one wants an amateur to run their social media campaign, but with everyone and their dog claiming to be an expert these days, how can you tell who is legit?

Here are 7 signs that your social media consultant is who he or she says they are.

1. They are active on social networking sites. No one can be an expert if they aren’t actually using social media, so perform a little check and see where your consultant is active. Chances are they will be on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, at the very least. However, remember that social media is not about social networking sites only.

2. They have good reviews. Check out other clients and find out what they have to say about the service. Did they feel the consultant got good results? Were they pleased with the service? Testimonials from happy customers can tell you a lot.

3. They explain their latest projects. If they can’t describe it to you or give you an example of how they used social media to draw attention to their client, you should probably look elsewhere.

4. They share their expertise elsewhere. Anyone can set up a blog and start writing posts on social media, but a true expert will not just be on their own blog. They will have guest posts, podcast interviews and even text interviews on other people’s sites and blogs. This is a very good sign that your expert really is an expert, when others trust them to share information.

5. They maintain an active blog. It’s important that anyone you are looking to hire is actually keeping up with their blog and putting out quality content on a regular basis. This is very easy to check but doesn’t mean they need to be posting several times a day, about twice a week is more than enough.

6. They talk about more than just Facebook and Twitter. A good social media expert should be able to guide you through many social media categories (i.e., crowdsourcing, podcasting, blogging, livecasting, etc.) without a problem. If they are stuck on just a few tools and sites, you may have an issue. You need to look for someone who has a comprehensive understanding of social media, and knows how each piece of the puzzle fits together.

7. Their strategies include a range of categories. An expert in social media will want to know what your goals are for social media and then work with you to create a strategy to accomplish those goals. This could include market research, marketing, advertising and customer service, just to name a few.

Not everyone online is an expert in social media. Just because they have a blog and a Twitter account with thousands of followers, it doesn’t mean someone should be considered a guru. Be careful when finding a consultant and check to make sure that they really are living the life of an expert and have the experience to back them up.

You will be able to find people who have approximately five years experience with social media. However, it will be a while for anyone to be considered a “True” expert since we are all learning from each other. I learn from my clients as much as they learn from me!

How do you define a social media expert?
10 Ways to Use Social Media for Public Relations
Posted Jan 14th, 2010 By Mirna Bard in Social Media, Social Networking With | 6 Comments

Traditionally, public relations was very expensive and not interactive in the slightest. More recently, companies are finding that promoting their business through social media is one of the best public relations techniques they can use. In fact, it is rapidly becoming the preferred method of interacting with potential clients and the media.

Here are a few ways you can start incorporating social media into your PR campaigns:

1. @replies or direct messages to media. Most big names are on Twitter these days, so direct a message at the media person you are interested in. Chances are far more likely that they will respond to a short 140 character message than an email.

2. Make valuable connections. It’s not always about making pitches. Really befriending people and getting to know them on a personal level can be a great way to make some great contacts for the future.

3. Create customer surveys. Whether you post the link to a longer survey or just ask questions one at a time via Twitter or another network, this can be a great way to gather information.

4. Get reviews. Ask for testimonials or get creative. Some businesses have great success getting people to submit videos of themselves using a product. Videos rapidly become viral, spreading your message everywhere.

5. Let people know what you’re up to. Social media can be a powerful way to build a buzz around a new product or service, particularly if you have others in your network who will promote it for you (your influencers).

6. Give something away. Freebies almost always go viral. Everyone wants to promote them, so if you are giving something away, you can be sure that people will spread the message around the net.

7. Arrange for interviews. Social media gives you access to a number of journalists and if you play your cards right, you can interest them in interviews for added publicity. Often, requests will go out on sites like Twitter when someone needs help with a news story and if your company fits, you could get extra exposure.

8. Offer videos. While text messages are great and articles can be an effective way to get your point across, there is a definite interest in video these days. A huge number of Internet users prefer video to any other medium, so reach out to them.

9. Respond to concerns and compliments. When someone says something about your business on social media, you should know and be able to respond to them. If they are having a problem with your product, solve it. They’ll be impressed with your customer service.

10. Arrange offline meetings. Social media is great, but sometimes you need to meet up with others in the business or even clients in real life, as well. You can use the sites to invite your networks to join you at a restaurant for an evening of talking or a more formal event.

Whether you choose to use one or two of these methods, or all ten, you’ll find that your PR campaigns have much better success when you use a little interactivity. People love companies that are accessible and making it easier to contact you is the best thing you can do to increase respect and interest.

What ways are you using social media for public relations?
5 Ways to Spot a Social Media Scam
Posted Jan 11th, 2010 By Mirna Bard in Internet Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking With | 4 Comments

We all know that there are scams everywhere these days, but most people don’t really know what to look for in social media. How do you know when something is a scam or when they are actually as expert as they say? It can be difficult, but there are a few signs that will let you know when something isn’t right.

1. Promises of earning money. Social media is great for networking and making valuable business connections. It’s not great for earning money. If someone promises that you can build a full income with their help on Twitter or Facebook, steer away. You may earn indirectly, by driving traffic to your website or email list, but actually earning with social media is not very likely and people who suggest this are usually trying to get your information or charging a fee for their “expertise”.

2. Too many automated announcements. Some people do use auto announcements on Twitter or other forms of social networking sites, but if you see one particular program being used everywhere and the same exact message is sent out, you should investigate before falling for it. Many scams have been perpetuated this way, with the same exact message being sent out through hundreds or even thousands of users. Do your research, and then check out the actual site if you feel it’s a good idea.

3. Links take you to different sites. In some cases, what is being announced on the social media network doesn’t match the link. The text is only designed to make you want to check out the link, where you may be prompted to download something or sign up for something to give away your personal information.

4. People befriend you only to pump products. It’s happened to all of us, you start following someone who followed you on Twitter and they start sending you DMs trying to sell you something. While this could just be very aggressive marketing, in some cases, it is far more serious and can lead to actual scams that people are promoting. Pyramid schemes are particularly popular for this since they get people to sign up under the belief they can earn hundreds by following a few simple steps, which unfortunately involve spamming everyone in their social network with the scheme.

5. Ask you to give out too much information. Facebook is particularly bad for this in that many apps there feign harmlessness but request far too much information for their purposes. Be careful whenever anyone is asking you for information that could be used to guess your passwords or even your “secret question” for recovering passwords on some sites.

Social media is a great way to brand yourself, get your business recognized and drive traffic to your site, but the fact remains that these sites are also ripe with scams. A little common sense and some investigation can go a long way toward preventing problems with scammers, so stay alert!

What scams have you seen on the Internet?