Choose from 3 free holiday templates -Happy Holidays from Best Real Estate Postcards!

It seems so early, yet that time is coming up fast, and you need to make your holiday marketing plans soon.

All you have to do is click to download the templates (one or all, be my guest) from the site.

Instructions for getting your postcards printed are included in the article.

I've also included a link to help you personalize the back of your postcard without having to use a graphics program. It's very easy to do. I think I messed that up on the Thanksgiving postcard.

I hope you enjoy using them!

Kay

SEO Diva

Psst... Do paid links work? Will you go to hell if you buy links for your web site?

Take a quick peek over at my SEO Diva post Paid Link Marketing - Gasp! to find out.

After a year of silence on the subject, you may be surprised to learn what the SEO Diva really thinks of paid links.

If you're into direct mail marketing, like sending out marketing postcards, I have a free real estate postcard template for Thanksgiving available for download at Best Real Estate Postcards.

The front is ready to print - full bleed, 4 color CMYK...just upload it to an online print shop. You'll want to personalize the back of course, and there are directions on how to do that in various formats.

I plan to offer more templates in the future, so if you use this one please let me know how you like it.

P.S. The original article was incorrect on setting up the back of your postcard. I've incuded better instructions on the article Free Holiday Postcard Templates.

Here's an easy way to win an 8gb iPod - all you have to do is send in a story about SEO stupidity you've encountered.

I know lots of you have those kinds of stories!

Click on the link at SEO Diva, hop on over to Scott's blog, and send him your most crazy SEO experience.

There are a couple of new posts on SEO Diva that will help you with increased traffic to your blog as well as a way to to have the Google SearchBot shine upon you.

For increased blog traffic and comments, read Choose EntreCard for Great Traffic

For increased site and blog rankings, read SEO Benefits of Video

Have a great weekend!

Kay

I decided to change the focus from my real estate postcard printing site to one where I offer marketing advice, showcase companies that offer valuable services, explain how some of those marketing services work, and so on.

The site is something of a hybrid. It's a good example of a static WordPress site. However, I did enable comments and pingbacks.

Static WordPress sites are a relatively easy and inexpensive way to set up a web site, with or without a blog. I haven't decided whether I will also add blog posts to this site, but knowing myself, I probably will!

Please do me a huge favor and visit my new site, Best Real Estate Postcards. It would be a big help to me if you would:

1) Vote in the marketing poll

2) Leave a comment on one of the pages
    [Note: at this time apparently that's not an option after all! I'll be working on this feature.]

Thanks for your help - I hope you enjoy the site! Suggestions are always welcome.

Do you know how to get extra SEO juice when you sign up for Knol, Squidoo, Zimbio, and other content syndication sites, or create a social media persona?

If you use your usual email, your real name, or even your online nickname when you sign up, you are missing out on some serious SEO benefits. For best SEO action just follow the guidelines below.

1. Sign up for a new gmail account using your business name or keywords. For example, if you’re a Realtor, make your first name “Phoenix Homes” and your last name “For Sale.” If you’re selling blue striped widgets, make your first name “Blue Striped” and your last name “Widgets.” If you want your business name to be used for branding purposes, the same technique applies.

When you sign up for Knol, your gmail ID is what is used as your name. So every time you write an article about your area of expertise, the credit will go to the author, whose name will be Phoenix Homes for Sale or Blue Striped Widgets. Capiche?

Tip: Use this gmail account for all your social media accounts - you’ll have it all in one place and won’t clutter up your personal inbox. This advice comes from the experience of one who currently has 3,000 unread emails in her inbox.

2. When you sign up for Squidoo and Zimbio, you’re asked for your desired username. This is when you don’t use your usual nickname of “amysgrandma2007″ but instead either a “keyword name” or business name.

3. The same advice above applies to your username for social media sites. Since they are more “social” you may want to use a somewhat friendlier appellation, like “phoenix realtor” or “blue widget” as your username.

From my blog: SEO Diva - White hat SEO advice and tips.

Sign up for my RSS feed so you don’t miss out on any SEO advice and tips from the Diva!

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Google’s new service, Knol, is their version of Wikipedia - a repository of knowledge that people can create and add to. But that’s not all it is.

You can create a page, which is a standalone article, on any topic. Others can contribute to your page if you allow them to. Or not. Others can also comment on and rate your page.

How to Use Knol

Knol is totally simple to use. Click on the “Write a Knol” button, give your page a title (which of course contains relevant keywords), a subtitle if you wish (containing more keywords), and a summary; then place your content in the body section. You can add links and relevant images. Click “Publish” and you’re finished. You have several options you can choose, such as enabling Google Adsense, controlling the authors to your page, and inviting others to review your page.

More focus is placed on the author than in Wikipedia. You can complete a bio (there is a simple verification process via a PIN code through your cell phone, if you want to utilize it). Another difference between Knol and Wikipedia is that whereas Wikipedia is strictly factual, the author of a Knol page can express an opinion or point of view.

Another Squidoo?

Some are comparing Knol to Squidoo, but I don’t think that’s a valid comparison. Squidoo lenses tend to be light-hearted, with lots of pictures, polls, guestbooks and other fun modules. Where else can you write a page totally dedicated to your Blackberry Pearl cell phone? Knol pages tend to be more educational and formal.

SEO Benefits

Where this will go is anybody’s guess. Knol may be a huge success, or it may disappear in time. Nevertheless, as an SEO strategist, I recommend taking advantage of Knol. It’s one more way of getting info about your company or service and links to your site into the webosphere. You can add pages using relevant keywords as time permits, eventually building up a nice portfolio of articles.

Google promises Knol pages will be indexed and will appear in search results. So of course you want grab your business name. If you’re selling real estate, now is the time to snag your target city. If you’re selling a product, snap it up! If you’re late, you’ll lose - don’t let that happen.

Be sure to read my next post on Creating Your Online Persona and get the most SEO benefits out of your Knol articles.

From my blog at SEO Diva - SEO advice and tips

Come one come all for your free domain name from GoDaddy!

Shoot on over to SEO Diva for the link - you can also get a 15% off coupon code for GoDaddy purchases.

It's a limited time offer; I don't know when it ends - so don't delay.

P.S. Yes, you do have to sign up for their email communications, but that's not for all eternity, if you catch my drift.

P.P.S: I am SO SO SORRY! The link to the offer was messed up, but it is working now.

Semenvironment just came out with the very handy Keyword Research Wordpress Plugin.

I've borrowed a couple of screenshots from their site to show you how it changes your admin when you write a post.

As you can see below, it gives you links to 3 popular and free keyword tools right there...with one click you can open up a new window or tab to your favorite tool and check on the keywords you should use in your post content (don't forget to optimize your title too).

Links are also located in the sidebar of your admin's post page, saving you the effort of having to scroll back up to the top of the screen while in the middle of writing your blog post.

All you have to do is download the plugin, ftp it to your blog, and activate it. Easy peasy!

No more excuses when you're writing an article and aren't sure what keyword phrase is actually searched for, and which one is something you just made up (a fatal error).

From SEO Diva - White Hat SEO Advice and Tips