Good morning, fellow coffee drinkers, and welcome to the Traffic Generation Cafe!
A few months ago, I got myself one of those very nifty Nespresso single-serving coffee makers that brews a perfectly fresh and delicious caffeinated goodness one cup at a time.
I was hooked!
If you think I am too harsh sometimes, especially when it comes down to my Blog Audit Fridays, it’s most likely because I have coffee pumping through my heart.
That explains the “Cafe” part…
Anyway, I am happy to share my Sunday morning cup of coffee with you; some of you requested substitutions and that’s fine with me - however let’s stay away from vodka in coffee (you know who you are 🙂 ).
Here are the answers to some of the questions I got last week.
Sunday Coffee Questions
#1. Guest posting
Question from Lisa Dubec:
Happy 2011!! I wanted to ask you a question in regards to guest posting. I have received a few invites to guest post on some blogs…yay! My question is, do you have standards set for yourself as to which invites you accept or should I guest post wherever I am invited?
I actually had to face that decision just this past week myself, when I needed to choose between 2 seemingly great blogs.
Since guest posting is becoming quite a trend, I decided this topic deserves a post of its own. The post will be published this week; see the schedule below.
#2. Email signature
Question from my numerous email subscribers:
How do you add your signature in Gmail?
In case, you’ve never seen it, here’s a screen shot:
As you can see, not only does it have my signature per se and a picture, it also includes by social media buttons and my latest RSS update - quite handy!
What I use to create that is a free Firefox addon called WiseStamp. Feel free to Google it to down-load if interested.
Quick tip: even though you can use WiseStamp for all your email needs, I still do use at least a form of it in my Aweber emails, for instance. All you do is copy and paste the HTML code of the signature.
3. Gravatar
Question from my numerous “faceless” commentators:
How do you add your picture to a comment?
That picture is called “avatar” and it’s an absolute must for personal branding. Plus it’s one of the reasons your comment might not be accepted by the author of the blog - it looks a bit spammy when you don’t have an avatar, since spammers never do.
Read more on how to avoid being labeled as a spammer:
Back to the question: the best way to do this is to use Gravatar.com. It’s a free service that let’s you upload a profile image and “attach” it to your email you use for commenting purposes.
So every time you comment and use that email, your picture will automatically show up.
#4. In-post Notes
How do you add that coffee cup image to your headings within the post?
Those headings are called “in-post notes” and are a great way to keep your readers reading by providing them with a great way to break up the content into smaller chunks.
Here’s how you code that in Thesis theme, which is what I use in this blog:
.custom #content h3 {background: #fff url(images/note.png) center no-repeat; border: 0px solid #66CCCC; background-position: 5px 50%; text-align: left; padding: 10px 10px 10px 60px;font-style:bold;font-size:20px; }
Of course, you need to change the images/note.png to your own image.
And to implement the same in other themes just add:
.h3 {background: #fff url(images/note.png) center no-repeat; border: 0px solid #66CCCC; background-position: 5px 50%; text-align: left; padding: 10px 10px 10px 60px;font-style:bold;font-size:20px; }
Since all themes work differently, I can’t guarantee it will work on yours, but certainly worth the try.
This code snippet should go into your custom.css file.
The code was provided by Devesh of Technshare - thanks, Dev!
#5. Link Building
I have a brand new site. Any suggestions as to how to approach link building to start working on my keyword search engine rankings?
This question assume that you’ve already done your thorough keyword research and pertains to ANY website: old or new, with zero links or a whole slew of them.
The absolutely EASIEST and the BEST thing to do is to check up on your competition that’s already ranking in the first 3 spots for your keyword.
Hey, they already have the rankings, so they’ve done something right with their link building; why not “borrow” their success and follow it to hopefully outdo them?
I am going to show you 3 ways to do this: 2 paid and 1 free.
When I work on my own link building, I use both paid methods and never bother with the free one: too much work. 🙂 But hey, with a little leg work it’ll still do the trick.
I will list the methods in the order I prefer to use them starting with my top choice first.
Market Samurai
In case you haven’t noticed, this is my favorite software to use for just about everything: keyword research, ranking tracking, competition research, and much more.
Market Samurai makes the task of checking out your competition EXTREMELY easy and quick: with the click of a button, it tells me everything there’s to know about the first 10 sites ranked for your keyword: how many links they have, where those links are coming from, their PR and anchor text, and general domain info.
It looks something like this:
SEO SpyGlass
What I love about it (it’s a part of SEO Power Suite software I use and love) is the fact that among other things, it provides me with link value estimation for each incoming link, letting me make wiser choices as to what links I should really go for first.
It takes a while longer to collect that information than Market Samurai does, since it goes a bit more in depth, but I still use it almost on a daily basis.
Here’s a screen shot of the SEO SpyGlass at work:
As yo can see from the image, PageRank (PR) is not the sole indicator of link value - by far. SEO SpyGlass definitely has my back covered in that area since there’s no way I can do this kind of calculation by hand.
Yahoo Site Explore
This is the free version of doing your competition spying.
You can find this tool at https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/search.
One thing I highly recommend you do when using this method is to install a free Firefox addon called SEO Quake first. Since Yahoo! Site Explore won’t give you any information about the links, just the number and the URL, SEO Quake will provide the missing pieces.
#6. Blogger Hacks
If you are running your blog on Blogger platform, here’s a list of some of the best Blogger hacks out there.
Traffic Generation Cafe Posting Calendar
Here’s what I have in store for you this coming week on TGC:
Monday: Keep Your Money, Honey: Which Internet Marketing Products Are Not Worth Their Salt
Tuesday: Guest Posting: How To Successfully Borrow A-list Bloggers Traffic
Wednesday: What You Don’t Know About Your Target Market Is a Lot
Friday: My Blog Audit Friday
Saturday: Always a day off here at TGC. If you want to take up the spot with your guest post (a bloody good one though! 🙂 ) - be my guest.
Sunday: yeah…. you know what happens on Sundays now.
A Word About My Blog Audit Fridays
There’s a new criterion to qualify for a free one: BE ACTIVE ON TGC!
Get involved, comment, help other readers, guest post - show me you are a part of the community, in other words.
Starting in February, I will have to cut down to 2 blog audits per month, but that’s OK - all the more to look forward to. 🙂
Guest posting is the best way to get a high quality backlink and build steady traffic..
“Black Seo Guy “Signing Off”
Shane says
Great post. I’m into the whole Nespresso thing also and anything to do with coffee. As for some of those tips, I’m loading up Wisestamp right now. Thank you.
That’s great, Shane. See you around 🙂
Aha… So we are on the same page then; I am talking about KW research for anchor text. Anchor text is the one thing that will connect all the link juice the keyword you want to rank for.
So links in themselves, without any anchor text, won’t get you ranked for your specific keywords; anchor text links will.
So my point was that with SEMrush, you don’t have to do KW research per se; you just steal your competitors’ keywords and rank your site for those.
Hi Ana,
This is looking to be a great series. I can see the advantages of doing a video instead of skyping these sunday morning coffee sessions. You can build up several questions over the course of a week to answer and have some great content to put into the videos.
I did look into the possibility of doing skype after discussing it in your other introductory post. It is possible, if you chose, to add a skype me button to your blog if you wanted to do that for these sunday video sessions.
I can see how that would be a big decision, and may or may not be better than the video sessions that you are doing now. But I thought I would follow up on that train of thought and just drop a note to let you know it can be done.
Anyways, great first Sunday coffee session. I look forward to many more!
Thanks so much for following up with me on that, Richard - very nice of you to remember.
I think this week I will plan on doing the live broadcast on my Facebook fan page - I found some great application that will do that.
Hope to see you there!
Ana
Frieke Karlovits says
Ana - can’t repeat enough how much I like your input. Roday I have question which may sound ignorant - but what is the benefit of Thesis themes over wordpress themes?
Thanks for your in put!
Frieke Karlovits
Thanks so much, Frieke.
I will get back to your question next Sunday, but for now the short answer is because it’s coded correctly and search engine spiders don’t have any problems crawling it.
Ana
Frieke Karlovits says
Hm - thanks Ana - so far I always got the impression that we use wordpress for that reasosn 🙂
I am always on the written site on here - I am in Europe and timing sometimes is a challenge 🙂
Cheers
Frieke
No, WP provides a platform. All your blog coding is in your theme, so we need to choose very carefully which theme to use.
I’ve made some unwise choices before I came to Thesis! 🙂
Frieke Karlovits says
hm - very interesting - I have not a clue how to determine what I have got and if it works -all I know is that it should be a dofollow blog 🙂
Thanks a lot
Frieke
Frieke Karlovits says
mind you to ad done more - I have wordpress implanted in my own hosting but I am using a wordpress theme.
Frieke
You are definitely on a self-hosted WordPress platform, and looks like your WordPress theme is called First Prime Payday - never heard of it before.
Not that it’s bad necessarily, but usually those kinds of themes are not very well-coded and are link generators for their creator, since every blog that uses the theme links back to their site.
… Just came back from your site again - have you ever checked that little theme link and where it goes? It links to a payday loan website.
So yes, now I am sure: your theme most likely sucks 🙂 - if that helps at all.
Tia says
This is a great idea for a series! Great answers to some very popular questions. It must have been like 6 months ago that I wrote a post about how to add images to comments, and I am still getting traffic from that. lol
I wish I was more comfortable with video. Maybe if I get a great camera! I love the idea of a video series answering questions. Your blog has gone much further beyond just traffic generation advice.
Anyway, you and I MUST get together one of these days and do something together. It’s really nice knowing another blogger in my network is so close!
Cheers,
Tia
Video is tough to start, since there’s always that uncomfortable feeling most of us have to get over first.
My first video took me about 35 takes and I sounded like an automatic recorder! Got better over time.
My contact info is on its way to your inbox - we should definitely get together!
Love these segments, Ana. Let’s me know what to expect and look forward to for the coming week. Should be a good one! I noticed your Monday post won’t be “ARE worth their salt”. The post would be too short. 🙂
Hope you enjoyed your weekend …
Best,
Scott
LOL, Scott - you are right, there aren’t too many products out there that are truly useful.
Let me know what you think of my Monday post!
Hi Ana, This is my first visit on this blog and I really found this blog interesting and informative. You have really answered all questions clearly & honestly. I just want to ask how can I ask some questions of mine to you??
Welcome to the blog, Shailender!
Feel free to ask your questions in comments or use the contact form.
Hector Cuevas says
Hey Ana.. so it is real coffee after all. LOL
Really like these Sunday videos - very cool. Hope you had an awesome weekend.
Talk soon
Hector
Thanks, Hector - have a great week!
Julia says
Ana,
I was just trying to decide which internet marketers NOT to follow. My inbox is just too crowded with FREE information these days. Then I read your blog.
As always your blog is loaded with great content and hints on things I need to learn, but most importantly, action I need to take.
Keep up the good work. I am definitely leaving you on my FOLLOW list.
Thanks, Julia.
I am with you, I am pretty much done with my inbox overflow with several hand-picked exceptions. My blog is one of them. 🙂
Look forward to the awesome content lined up in the new week! 🙂
Thanks, Mavis!
I love your new Sunday Coffee series Ana. I’m a total coffee fiend as well so I don’t really need an excuse to have coffee but it helps to have someone to drink it with. And no one else in my house drinks coffee much.
I’ve become quite addicted to your Friday audits and I’ve tried to apply as much as possible to my own blog. I think it has made a huge difference in the past couple weeks and people have been complimenting me on it.
Oh - wanted to ask what you are using to record your videos? Is it Jing?
Happy to hear my blog audits are helping you out, Danielle - that’s exactly my hope for doing them every Friday.
Yes, my last video I recorded on Jing. Has some limitations as I am sure you know, but it does work great!
Ana
Hi Ana
Well my Sunday has passed and it is a very warm Monday morning here in Perth 🙂 Liked the first Sunday offereing. Plenty for all of us whatever our level of competence and how far along this blogging journmey we are.
Looking forward to what this week holds and thanks for all the helpful hints you so generously share with us Ana. Much appreciated.
Patricia Perth Australia
Well - happy Monday, Patricia, and pleasure to see you around here. Are there any questions I can answer for you?
Hey Ana, I think that the live sunday broadcast is an excellent idea. I would definetly attend. As you probably already know, I am new to the whole blogging world and I just wanted to reiterate how much you and your blog have helped me to grow my blog. Your insights are a godsend, thank you so much for everything that you do.
Have you ever thought about putting together a training series on blogging. I think you would do very well with it. I know I would buy it. I am a graphic/web designer and videograhper/photographer and we create products like that. I am not trying to “sell you” on anything. I just wanted to let you know that it isn’t that difficult to make and ditribute a product. Just a thought.
Anyway, I look forward to your future posts and I really appreciate your help.
I am hoping to be one of the people who gets their blog auditted by you.
Keep up the excellent work and have a great sunday. I am off to watch the NFL playoffs. 🙂
You are so very welcome, Ian, and glad you made it over today.
I am watching the playoffs as I am working; just can’t manage doing only one thing at a time. 🙂
Thanks for letting me know of your specialty; I would definitely keep it in mind.
Keep commenting and you never know; I might be tearing up your website one of these days!
Andrea says
Thanks Ana! Look forward to these series 🙂
I also have and love Market Samurai. Great tool for sure.
Thank you for the email signature tip. Did not know that.
You’re welcome, Andrea - have a good weekend!
Good Morning Ana:
Quite a pleasure to see you on a lovely Sunday morning…with coffee..JUST coffee. 🙂 Would really ove to see how the live broadcast would go. Since everything is real time these days, we could all have TGC real time!! Just my opinion…looking forward to the tues ost and OMG thanks for letting us know the coffee cup code!!
Have a great day Ana,
Lisa
You are largely responsible for this week’s content, Lisa - so thank you.
I would definitely love to go live - just need to do some more thinking and research on it, plus convince my husband to give up part of our Sunday morning to do it! 🙂
Definitely hoping for next week…
I think if your hubby knows how much you’re needed, he’ll be ok!! If all else fails, bring him along!!! ;))
Hi Ana,
Hope you had a great Sunday. Mine was great too!
Very explanatory answers to the questions. By the way, I don’t know if its just me, but the download link to Wisestamp takes me to the download page of your Free report.
And, I look forward to your Tuesday’s guest posting article.
Jane.
My Sunday is just starting, Jane. 🙂
You were right about Wisestamp link; somehow my blog did that all on its own - must’ve been a glitch. Thanks for letting me know!