Successful Blog

10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Business Directories And SEO

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business directoriesBusiness directories represent a proven way to be found on Google search. While directory sites don’t enjoy the same SEO clout they once did, they can still improve organic search rankings, especially when local searches are conducted.

The main difference related to how directories affect SEO today as compared to ten years ago is that they no longer improve a site’s backlink profile. As Google has evolved, so has the algorithm for search engine optimization (SEO), ensuring higher quality sites with relevant content always rank highest.

There are different types of business directories and it is important to recognize the differences. Featured web listing sites are high-quality directories you want to focus on as you get business listings setup. These types of directories have a better reputation. Sometimes you have to pay a fee to be featured on certain directories. Many are free though.

Below are 10 things you should remember about business directories and SEO.

1. Be careful about which directories you join. Review the site first before adding your business to the directory. The legitimate web directories that you want to be included on will edit your listing. You don’t want your business name in a directory if the directory does not have strict editorial requirements, it can actually have a negative impact on your website ranking if the directory is one of the low-quality sites.

2. Getting your listing setup “right” is important. In cases where the service your business offers is specific to a particular country or region, then you list your site there. When submitting your website information to a directory, always use the official website name. In the description section of your listing, do not use words like best or cheapest. These superlatives may be edited out by some directory sites and also make a negative impression on consumers.

3. Business owners are losing business if they don’t add their listing to well-known directories. This is true even in small towns where you might think everyone knows everybody else, and that ever resident knows about your business. There are always visitors and new people moving in who might be looking for the service or product that you are selling.

4. Be sure to add your name to the Google My Business Directory. Since Google drives this directory as the largest search engine, you want to be sure to get your free listing here. By not taking advantage of your free listing, you might be opening the door for a competitor to hijack your listing by adding their own phone number to your phony listing. Not only can business be lost in situations like this, but your business reputation can also be affected if the company under-performs using your name and Google listing.

5. When you create your Google my Business listing, be sure to remove the check from the box that says, “make this my website address on Google search and Maps.” This is important because if you leave that box checked then the free URL from your Google website will be used and substituted for your corporate website address, possibly losing traffic you want that is directed instead to your corporate site.

6. It is always a good idea to track your directory signups. That will allow you to review the progress made. This will also prevent you from signing up for a directory more than once which can be confusing for customers if somehow they both go through the system.

7. One of the reasons online databases are so valuable to business owners is because they direct mobile search. Considering the growing number of local searches and how people traveling through your town are prone to conduct a search for restaurants and other businesses via their mobile devices, competitive businesses who want to compete should always be sure to add their business to high-quality local directories.

8. Different search engine directories are aligned with that particular search engine’s map. There can be a lot of overlap between the directories. For this reason, it is not always clear how to categorize a listing. Proceed with caution or ask questions. Some directories will change your category if they think you chose the wrong one.

9. Using a good online ranker tool is recommended as a way to monitor your competition and how well their pages are doing in search results. Some tools to check out are Ahrefs, Alexa, and Rank Tracker (plus, there are many more SEO tools and plugins out there to check out). When revising your corporate strategies, it is always helpful to understand how well your business is doing in comparison with your competitors so that you can make adjustments as necessary.

10. Directories worth mentioning and adding your company information to are: Jasmine Directory.com, DirJournal.com, Aviva Directory.com, and Alive Directory.com. These are reputable business web directories because they’re all apply a high editorial discretion. Local directories such as Yelp.com, Yahoo Local Directory, and Bing My Places represent high-quality options to get your name out to local consumers who are looking for local businesses.

Here’s a list five directories worth website your business into:

  • Best of the Web (BOTW) offers a web directory, BOTW Local, Blog Directory and UK & Ireland Directory. With 25 million people searching this directory per year, Best of the Web represents an excellent opportunity to get your company name out there to be noticed. There are a range of categories worth checking out
  • Jasmine Business Directory in cited in several books and journals as being a directory that has a very high editorial discretion. Compared to BOTW, each listing added Jasmine Directory has its own details page where businesses address is listed (according to the directory’s guidelines only if the business owner or representative submits those details) and Google Map is used. Thumbnails are also another available feature.
  • Aviva Directory is a general web directory. While many of the websites and blogs listed in this directory are added by Aviva’s staff, a business or blog owner can pay a fee and have their site reviewed to be added to the directory. Editors are strict and have rules prohibiting adult material.
  • Alive Directory is another Google compliant directory worth listing on. First, you should search for your name to see if you are already on the site. Then, if you don’t find your name, you can submit your listing for approval. Hot categories listed are Business, Shopping and Regional. There are discounts given for bulk listing that start at 20 percent and can go up to 50 percent.
  • Directory Journal offers a few listing types with some attractive features. Photos and keywords can be added to enhance your listing. During the last couple years DirJournal mixed their general directory with their local directory.

Getting listed on local directories makes good business sense. According to Nielsen in 2016, 74 percent of consumers check review sites when online looking for information. Yelp is a popular local directory.

With millions of eyes on the site daily to get information before spending decisions are made, this site represents and important option for business owners. Based on this data, there is no reason not to claim your free Yelp page. Facebook is another popular review site where you can claim your free business page.

It is important not to automate your directory submission effort. You want each listing to b unique in some way. By considering this important fact, search engines will work in your favor and you are less likely to be penalized.

Conclusion

It is clear that more business is done each year on the internet. Even in cases where consumers want to see and touch the merchandise before buying, many people are doing their research first online, before driving to the store. Business owners who want to compete in this digital world where companies are evaluated online before buyers show up at the store, must recognize the power of local searches or risk being left behind by savvy competitors.

Taking advantage of the free listings on directories that are compliant with Google means you will benefit from the power of this monster search engine. Reviews sites are also being used to decide where to go to get what they need. Trust can not be underestimated when courting new buyers.

As mentioned above, not all business directories are created equal. It is important to be discriminating when adding your business to a business directory. Be sure there is a strong editing staff and they don’t accept “spammy” listings for non-businesses. The directories mentioned in this article represent excellent options for business owners. If you sign-up with these directories, your business will benefit from the exposure.

Image source: Pixabay

Must Have Resources for Learning About Investing

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Investing can be scary. When you are new to the concept you don’t always know what it is you are doing or how it is you should begin. Stocks? Mutual funds? Index funds? 401ks? IRAs? Know where to put your money, in what amount and how often is a source of anxiety for young people in particular. But investing for life’s many changes, from buying a home to children’s college funds to retirement, is crucial.

The internet is a valuable tool for learning how to invest at every level, from beginner portfolios to diversifying well established ones. Here are some tools to help you learn and invest with confidence.

Investing Resources

  • Investopedia – Investopedia is a reference site that operates like Wikipedia, only for all things investment related. If you are looking for information on specific investment strategies and a good overview of financial matters, it is a fantastic place to go looking.
  • Reddit – Reddit has an endless list of subreddits dedicated to all aspects of making, spending and growing money. You can find incredible information and speak to both professional advisors and people who have been doing their own investing and can give you pointers based on what worked for them. Subreddits  r/investing and r/stocks are very popular and related directly to investments. For broader information such as budgeting, paying down debt, growing money, paying for college, saving and more, check out r/personalfinance.
  • Motley Fool – Want to know the latest news on the market? Then check out Motley Fool, an awesome blog with posts that cover every element of the financial sector and personal financial matters. They also have an active community where you can discuss things with others who are making their money work for them.

Investment Tools

  • Coin Flare – The cryptocurrency market is notoriously volatile and many investors don’t want to risk it. But if you want to learn more about it and invest in some crypto before the next surge, Coinbase a great website and app to use.
  • TDAmeritrade – One of the better known investment brokerage dashboards on the web, TDAmeritrade allows you to open various types of accounts based on goals and fund them as you like, with recommendations customized to your settings. The fees are relatively low and it is an easy way to start taking your finances in hand to secure your financial future.
  • Betterment – Betterment is popular because it builds a portfolio for you and manages it in the most tax-efficient way. All investments go into two possible areas, or a combination of both: stocks and government bonds. They handle financial planning, retirement investing, trusts and more. All fees are based on percentages annually, taken from your current portfolio worth. Their digital portfolios ($0 minimum balance) are .25% and premium ($100,000 minimum)  is .40%.
  • Acorns – Don’t want to worry about selecting stocks yourself? Acorns will select them for you based on how aggressive you want your portfolio to be. From there they will invest your “spare change”, which means anything you spend equaling up to a rounded dollar. So let’s say you buy a coffee for $5.80. They would round up and invest $0.20 into your portfolio. You can also select monthly contributions per week, month or day.
  • eTrade – This one isn’t as popular because the fees can be higher, but eTrade does offer more advice that can help you get a handle on the market and how you are investing in it. If you are planning to trade often it is worth it but if you are more casual or only intend to trade occasionally it might not be for you.

Have a tool or resource for the list? Let us know in the comments!

Image source: Pixabayi

How to Keep Yourself Motivated to Build Your (Online) Career

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If you have motivation, you can overcome almost any situation.

~Peter Marshall (source: 51 Greatest Motivational Quotes)

No matter what it is you want to achieve, be it building your personal brand or capturing your dream job, it can be a long and grueling path to reach the goal you have set for yourself.

Staying motivated is hard at the best of times, which is why it is incredibly important to keep track of your progress, making good use of milestone targets to let you know you’re on the right track.

Unclutter Your Environment

Clutter effects a lot of areas of our lives. Researchers say it negatively affects our productivity by preventing us from focusing.

Motivations requires a lot of focus: On our goals, tasks and daily process. To get motivated, you need to focus.

It all starts from your home. An uncluttered home is the first step to clearing your mind and getting motivated.

Set up Your Inspirational Workplace

A big part of being motivated (especially whe you lack tangible goals) is being inspired. Inspiration moves us forward, helps us come up with creative solutions and make our work process much more enjoyable.

Whether you work from home or from an office, spend some time to set up your workplace the way it helps you get inspired. Natural plants, pictures, inspirational quotes help many people get inspired and motivated.

Home office

Buffer offers a great guide on how to set up lighting in your environment to boost your creativity. Here are a few ideas for you:

Share Your Goals with Your Relatives and Close Friends

Letting people who are close to you know what you are trying to achieve is a great way to encourage this kind of behavior. Families and friends are quite likely to check up on your progress regularly, especially if you are doing something they know is important to you.

These kind of support networks can be extremely valuable when trying to achieve a particularly difficult goal, as for many nothing beats regular encouragement from other people when trying to stay motivated.

Use Social Media Communities and Online Support Groups

Engaging your social networks to help keep you on track can be as simple as just telling your friends you are trying to quite smoking. However, in the digital age we do have more options available to use when it comes to letting other people know how we are doing. The usual suspects such as Facebook and Twitter are a good start, as that way, everyone you’re in regular contact with will know what you are trying to do (which can lead to a lot of encouragement and feedback).

Alternatively you could join an email group or forum dedicated to your particular goal (if its something you could do alongside other people striving for the same thing like weight loss). These kind of online communities are dedicated to helping their members achieve certain life goals, providing invaluable advice and neutral feedback to people who otherwise might not have anyone appropriate to turn to.

Keep Track of Your Progress

For some staying motivated will be a personal affair. A lot of people will only share their goals with those closest to them, relying for the most part on their own willpower to keep them going through the more difficult stages of their journeys. If that sound’s like the more appealing option to you, make sure to at least maintain a regular journal of your activities.

Keeping track of your progress, so that you can see whether or not you are achieving the targets that lead to your goal, is the best way to make sure you don’t stray from your intended path.

It can be as simple as keeping a pen and paper style diary. Though it may prove to be easier to use a more high tech solution such as an online goal tracking website or some kind of office application software (such as Open Office or Microsoft Office).

You could even combine the two tech options by using some cloud based office software like Google Docs or Evernote (as these can be accessed from multiple devices which make them easy to keep updated). Colorlib has a great list of many more productivity tools that can help you manage your to-do list and monitor your progress.

Productivity

Whatever method you choose to employ, as long as you keep a clear view of your goal and have a real understanding of your progress towards it, you should be well set for keeping yourself on the road to success.

Featured image via Pixabay

6 Marketing Platforms to Add to Your Toolset in 2018

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Beginning of the year is great time that we should start going through our business resolutions. Updating your marketing tool list with newer, more up-to-date platforms that can bring your business to a new level is the first step to take. Here’s my top picks of marketing platforms to try in 2018:

1. DirJournal: Get Listed

Are you into local business or do you have a verifiable location where your customers come to visit? If so, you need to verify your business with Google but not only that! Get listed in other high-quality directories to build citations and targeted traffic.

dirjournal

DirJournal is a great place to start because it’s one of the highest-quality directories I’ve ever seen. It also serves both local and global businesses, so you may want to apply to get listed right away.

2. Salesmate: Organize Your Leads

Have you been doing your homework when it comes to verifying and organizing your leads? 2018 is your year to start doing that!

Salesmate

Salesmate is a great platform that organizes your new prospects, gives you a customized library of templates for better email pitches, finds the sources for sales targets, books appointments, and a ton more. All from a single tool that integrates in plenty more apps including Gmail, WordPress, Shopify and more.

3. Topvisor: Research and Organize Your Keywords

Topvisor doesn’t bother with the majority of data it could be mining. Instead, it goes right to the good stuff from the very first step. Using the top ten search results, Topvisor then creates keyword clusters within those results to offer you the most powerful, direct clusters possible for each page of your website.

It works by automating search queries, taking all the keywords from the top ten results and forming groups that are related to one another for each page on your site. You can customize each search, such as how many keywords are needed in the return for it to create a cluster and begin gathering key phrases to use.

They have a free version, with paid versions beginning at $29 per month. It isn’t a very feature heavy tool but it doesn’t have to be. It does exactly what it says and goes from there.

Colorlib has a great list of more SEO tools to look into if you are looking for more affordable options.

4. LSI Graph: Up Your Keyword Game

How are you Latent Semantic Indexing Keywords? Is your SEO suffering because you haven’t done enough LSI focused research?

lsigraph

The LSI Graph will do it for you. Just put in your keywords and it will generate LSI’s on your behalf. Not only will it give you a fairly exhaustive list for free, but it will provide you with an ebook that teaches you how to properly use these keywords.

5. SpyFu: Research Your Competitors

Your competitors are doing something right if they are taking all your customers away. Their content strategy is likely a part of that and you can bet they are keeping their keywords a part of the process.

While you shouldn’t copy their keywords (your own strengths will be in what works for your brand, not theirs) you can get an idea of what they are doing and learn from it. This can help you to discover gaps they aren’t filling, which provides you an opportunity to fill it instead. See? It is sneaky!

Spyfu

There are quite a few tools that help with this. My personal favorite right now is Spyfu, which lets you search and download all of the competitor data you could want. LXR also has a great free tool that isn’t as thorough but still helpful, especially if you are on a budget.

6. Ahrefs: Audit Your Site

Finally, we have your own website. Looking back over your content over time, your social media posts and your emails and feedback from visitors, what is it that people are bringing up over and over again? Patterns from a website audit, especially of your blog, is a great way to see what your already existing audience is reacting to.

An example would be a blog post that got more attention than the others. What was it about? Did other related posts also do well?

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a nice tool that provides a thorough website audit report and runs its tools on a monthly basis to offer you a regular update.

Are there other SEO platforms you are using? Please share them with me by tweeting to @jessytroy

How to Organize Your Digital Reading

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Oh I love paper-back books. The smell, the spirit, the character: They will never be replaced… But eBooks are not made to replace paper books! eBooks are made to give us access to more information we’ve ever thought we’ll be able to access and moreover, take that info home!

I don’t read ebooks thoroughly. Most of my digital books are reference guides I store to bring back up when I need them. So managing that info is very important to me!

Do you have a lot of ebooks and you need a reliable way to organize them all? Or maybe you are looking to create, upload, edit or convert ebooks of your own to share with the world. Having a good ebook management app on hand is becoming increasingly important, as the traditional print literature makes way for the cheaper and more convenient digital format.

Side note: I am sure most Successful Blog readers are here to find blogging tips, so here’s a great free eBook on blogging for you to download.

Here are some good apps to help you to manage your ebooks.

Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader

Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader

Anyone with a Kindle should be familiar with the cloud app, but they might not have gotten to using it yet. You sign in using your Amazon account related to your Kindle device.

Then you can set up the cloud reader for offline reading on your computer. It will give you access to anything you have downloaded or archived, so you can read it through your computer as well as your Kindle. You can also add other books through the Kindle Store right through the cloud program.

cloudLibrary

cloudLibrary

cloudLibrary is a cross-device library that keeps your whole library in sync. The system will automatically remember which page you left a title on, allowing you to pick up that great novel from where you left-off.

BookONO

BookONO

This is an interesting app, because it isn’t a manager in and of itself. It is actually meant to be an addition to Calibre, to make it more intuitive and follow by a different design scheme. So while it will run on its own, it is meant to compliment that app. Which brings us to…

Calibre

Calibre

The most popular ebook manager on the web, Calibre has many different functions. It manages your library, converts to other formats, syncs ereader and mobile devices, downloads news from the web, creates a full ebook viewer and gives you a direct route to your content. You can do more with this one app than you can with most combined.

Alfa

Alfa

If you want something that will simply organize your ebook library, you might be better suited to Alfa. It lets you quickly and easily organize your collections into a single library with a user friendly and clean interface. Customize the look, including making it look like a physical bookshelf. Add tags, rename files, put in descriptions and make custom fields. Scan your computer for ebooks and other literary files. Sync up with different sites like Amazon. It is pretty straight forward.

AllMyBooks

AllMyBooks

I have never used this one personally, but I have heard a couple of people say they have. It is another organization program, but it lets you customize it more than some others. Especially when it comes to the look of the interface. You can also easily share book collections with friends, and send it through email or export it directly to various devices.

Bonus tips and resources:

Do you know of any good ebook management tools and reading hacks? Let us know in the comments

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How to Balance Your Life and Work

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balanceMany working individuals, may they be employees or managing their own business are in constant search for the solution to have that work-life balance. Often due to the demands of work and business, time spent on leisure, health and family are jeopardized unintentionally.

But can we be faulted if all we are striving for in working the hours is still for the family’s sake, to gain financial security and guarantee our family’s and children’s future? To ensure that basic necessities are at least covered?

There is no doubt that the efforts we put in our business or work comes with plenty of benefits for the family. But we should not forget that when we decided to have a family, we have the duty of care – give it the same time and attention we give our jobs.

As much as you crave success in your professional life, so should you in the family life. And the consequences of not doing so may be devastating, with relationships and home life adversely affected. But is it possible to achieve that balance? Many believe so and those who have claimed they were able to strike that situation are healthier, happier and more fulfilled.

Here are some tips on how to stop that guilt creeping and put an end to the battle between your work and family life.

Edit your life

Stop and think what is eating up your time in a day, in a week and in a month. Is it the regular meetings of being part of that team building committee at work? A book club?

Volunteering is a good thing but if you are at the time of your life when you barely see your kids or  have a good chat with them about school, then you better shuffle your priorities real soon. Perhaps you can skip that golf game with workmates every weekend. Often, gaining that extra hours in your day makes a huge difference.

Use that time saved to have a picnic or watch a movie with family instead. Do not be afraid to edit your lifestyle. As the more you have on your plate, the more you get tired and stressed and the less time you have for family fun.

Schedule

Once you narrowed down the essential activities, schedule them properly and be sure to stick with them. Use one diary and avoid having a separate diary for work and personal. This way, you can see clearly what time and days are for family affairs.

Schedule your professional work and other extra curricular activities around that family time, and not the other way around. Be diligent and consistent. It may be torturous and inconvenient at first, but soon you’ll get used to the change and the way you move appointments around.

Automate as much work as you can! You cannot be everywhere doing everything. ResultsFirst has a great guide on marketing automation: Check it out!

Be Incommunicado

One of the disadvantages of modern gadgets is they give you a false sense of needing to be accessible to workmates 24/7. Recall how our working parents and grandparents seem to have the time to dilly dally at home on weekends and evenings? Because they didn’t have mobile phones then that rings at the worst time nor emails that beg to be replied to. Do not let technology rule or ruin your life. Implement a no cellphone rule at family dinners and let business mates know.

This gesture will let your family and kids know that your utmost attention is with them at that time or day. Plus, it will help you relax and be less anxious about business matters even for a while.

Ask a mentor

Words of wisdom from people who you deem highly from work or personal relations are great to guide you in the process of finding the right balance in your life. Seek help and let them know your worries and ask them how they were able to manage family and work fairly. Recognize that it takes time to find the equilibrium you are looking for. Be patient and consistent with your goals and one day you’ll get there.

So strike the balance now. Remember that building a career or a business is as important as building your family relationships. And wouldn’t it be better if you can achieve two successes at the same time?

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