My SEO Toolbar - Resources & Tools for Search Engine Optimization

I'm all excited about my new SEO Diva Toolbar!

It's so cute, and I loaded it with helpful info in the form of blogs you should keep up with, as well as SEO tools to help you optimize your blog and web site.

You can download it from this link: SEO Diva Toolbar

Here's a hint for you: if you have too many toolbars going on, all you have to do is place your cursor within the toolbar area, right click, and you'll get a list of toolbars installed on your computer. You can turn them off and on that way. I actually have 11 of them that I use at various times, and if they were all activated at one time I'd have no screen left!

Meta Decriptions May Affect Your Google Rankings

Just dashing into AR to let you know I've got a few new postings on SEO Diva that I hope you haven't missed.

The most recent is about your site's meta descriptions. I think these are more important than many people give them credit for. Be sure to check out the post for more information.

I've also listed some great blog and paid directories for you to check out. The most recent is the Clush Directory, which seems to carry some real weight in backlinks and is inexpensive to boot. One of my commenters (another SEO specialist) made a really good point when he said if it generates even a few clicks a year it has paid for itself when compared to other CPCs.

If you sign up for the Diva's RSS feed you won't miss a thing! And don't forget to leave comments at the Diva blog - they're all followed, so you'll get backlink credit for them.

Promote Your Blog With These Two Great Lists

Please be sure to visit the Diva for the two most recent posts.

29 Niche Social Media Sites is a nice list of niche sites. None are specific to real estate, but you still may be able to work your site in sideways. Besides, I know some of you have non-real estate blogs too.

Promote Your Blog in These Directories is a gigantic list of blog directories, in order of Alexa ranking, with the Page Rank listed. This is a great resource, and submission will increase traffic, links, and rankings.

I confess I am really bad about promoting my blogs the way I should, and these lists will be quite helpful.

The Diva misses you!

Stepping Out of the Rain

With regret I find I must cut way back on my posts to Active Rain.

I'm often in a time crunch, with my day job as Search Engine Strategist, and my 20-odd private blogs and web sites that demand more attention than I've been giving them.

I sincerely hope that Active Rain members, and especially my subscribers, will subscribe to my SEO Diva blog, where I'll be posting regularly. Over time I will try to contact each subscriber personally, to thank them and invite them to visit the Diva.

Please don't stop with your comments and questions, either! In fact, unlike AR, you'll receive two links directly to your web site/blog. One when you sign in (be sure to add your URL) and one within the comment itself, where I encourage you to use a keyword phrase. The limit is one link within the comment to prevent spam. The blog is a 'do follow' with a PR3, and I expect it to go higher with more frequent blog posts.

I truly appreciate the chance to meet so many wonderful people on Active Rain, many of whom I think of as friends, and still plan to check in whenever I can do so. Please stay in touch with your emails and comments!

Kay

New Real Estate Search Engine - Add Your Site Free

This is a nicely done free real estate search engine that you may want to submit your site to. I couldn't figure out how to do so, however, so I emailed them, and this was the response:

Thanks for getting in touch.

If you have a feed in XML format (like Google Base or Trulia format) then simply make it available for us to download at some URL.  This is the fastest way to go live.

Alternatively, we'll crawl your site as soon as we can.  However, given the overwhelming response we've had already, we're forced to crawl agents & brokers in order of the number of listings they have, so it may take quite a while.

Please note that we only accept listings for which you are the listing agent or broker.  Listing with us is free, and advertising to the right of search results costs $95 USD per month per state.

Let me know if you need more information.

Kind Regards,

--
Artemi Krymski
a@byteplay.com

Apparently you must email Artemi with the URL or feed of your site. Even it it takes a long time, it would be worth it to get your site in the works, and of course if you already have an RSS feed you'll get included that much sooner.

Negative Keywords for Real Estate PPC

If you are using Pay per Click (PPC) advertising, you should be using negative keywords in your campaigns and/or Ad Groups. Negative keywords are words and phrases that, when used in a search, you don't want your ads to show up for.

When you add negative keywords to your PPC campaigns your ads will not be served if those words are part of the user’s search query.

These words will not only benefit you by saving money on wasted clicks, they will also improve the click through rate (CTR) of your keywords/ads, and a higher CTR can decrease the cost of your ads.

You may not want to include all of these words as negatives, depending upon your goals, but most of them will apply to your real estate business.

WordPress Guide Series

Do you know how your WP blog works, what files to put where, and how to upgrade to the latest WordPress version?

Read the first installment of WordPress Guide posts  to learn how to install your blog to an existing web site, how to upgrade it without messing anything up, and what should be in the various files.

This looks like it will be a great series to follow, so I made sure I was subscribed to the feed.

~ From SEO Diva

Awesome SEO Tools

There's a new post over on SEO Diva about 37 awesome SEO tools that are available to you.  (Since I used a naughty word I thought I should leave it there!)

Please leave your comments on that blog this time - I really do want to know if these tools are something you would use if I put them on the Diva blog.

Be sure to insert your URL for a little link love when you leave your comments! 

Last Day to Buy SEO Book

Per my previous post, Aaron Wall is taking the SEO Book off the market. I received an email from him last night, and today is the last day you can purchase the book.

At $79 it isn't cheap, but at the same time an SEO specialist will charge you $150 an hour, and with the huge amount of information this book includes, it's money well spent. It industry circles, it's considered the SEO Bible.

Another 'Do Follow' Blog Directory

The link below will take you to another 'Do Follow' blog directory. This link goes directly to the real estate category, since I was feeling especially helpful today.

Do Follow Blog Directory - Real Estate Category

I really like the interface of this directory - it gives the name of the blog, page rank, and a short description. You can also submit your own blog to the directory by clicking on "Submit Link." If you give them a reciprocal link, your link will be featured.

Also posted on SEO Diva.