The dark side is a concept created by George Lucas for the famed movie series he directed, called Star Wars. The dark side refers to the evil force in the Star Wars universe which certain characters derived from their harmful emotions to attack others.  Yoda trains Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi and guides him about the light and dark sides of the force. The Jedis follow only the philosophy of the light side of the force, to maintain the peace in the Star Wars universe. In the same way, SEO has a dark side and light side. The dark force is referred to as Black Hat SEO and the light force is known as White Hat SEO.  There is a temptation for many Offshore SEO companies to use Black Hat SEO techniques for Outsource Article Marketing. But by reading this you will hopefully understand why it is not worth it.

source: http://en.easyart.com/content/

Article Submissions as I’ve discussed in the past, are a major part of off page SEO campaigns. Outsource Article Marketing helps websites increase their number of quality back links and consistently builds traffic for clients. There are a number of good article submission sites such as Ezine Articles, Article Dashboard, Knol, Isnare, Article Alley, Article Click, Article Factory and thousands more. The idea is to distribute informative content to boost the credibility of a website.

Use The Force Only For Good Reasons.

Just like Jedis use the force only for good reasons, article submissions should be used only for distributing informative content and boost the credibility of your website. In Star Wars, Jedis would use the force for training, defense and knowledge purposes. Outsource Article Marketing involves the submitting of content to Article submission websites which pertain to industry related topics to help and inform consumers. Submitting article content that is self promoting and spam filled would be against the Jedi ways of thinking.

Jedis are Compassionate.

A Jedi’s life revolves around his ability to show compassion. The light force brings about the philosophy of thinking about others before yourself. When you create article content, think about what your readers would want instead of what your website wants. Do the industry research in order to find out what has not been answered and what consumers are curious about. Writing about hot topics will help you gain a massive fan following and will give consumers a personal experience to relate to your website.

Luke Skywalker asks during one of his training sessions with Yoda, “Is the dark side stronger?” Yoda answers,”No,No,No. Quicker, easier, more seductive.”

Some dark force or Black Hat SEO marketers are tempted into taking a shortcut with article submissions by “spinning an article” over and over again and submitting it all over the Internet. Article Spinning is the process in which an article is created from an existing article by changing certain words and phrases to make it look like a completely different article. This may seem to others like unique content when actually it is the same article. There are even softwares available which help Black Hat Marketers spin articles, but little do they realize how pointless it all is. By creating a low quality article from an article spinning software your website will lose credibility when readers come across such low grade content. Most article submission sites also check to see what kind of content you are submitting, and ban your articles and even cancel your account if you are not following submission protocol.

source: http://en.easyart.com/content/

If Darth Vader was an Internet Marketer, he would be a keyword stuffer for sure. Don’t stuff your article with keywords just because you want your website to rank well for it. Keyword stuffing is a dark force practice and another reason why article submission sites ban articles. Your article content should include strategically placed keyword throughout the content and no more than 2 hyperlinked keywords, if the website allows.

Let me give you an example from my personal experience. Once I submit an article to various submission sites, I’ve noticed that people who are interested in content for their blog, use my article and post it on their website. I don’t find that a problem as long as they keep the hyperlinks intact and give me recognition as the author. In fact, I find it helpful for distributing my content and optimizing my website further. But then there are those who use my article to create unique content and end up slaughtering my article to bits. Some also use my content without giving author recognition, making it seem as if it was their own work.  Back in June, I had written an article about how the breaking news of MJ’s death had a major impact on most social media websites and search engines. Here’s a link to the article:

http://knol.google.com/k/angira-pandit/social-media-taken-hostage-by-michael/3i5btgxwds9eg/7

And after someone decided to use an article spinner software to butcher my article to pieces, it ended up like this:

http://michaeljacksondead.ws/?tag=fail-whale

After making the comparison between the original article and the spinned article would you even consider using Black Hat SEO techniques such as article spinning to fulfill your Outsource Article Marketing needs? The spinned article doesn’t even make sense! So yes, the Black Hat SEO techniques may seem seductive, but are they really worth it?

Jedi Are Mindful Of Their Thoughts.

Obi-Wan says to Anakin, “You’re focusing on the negative again. Be mindful of your thoughts.”Some Outsource Article Marketing strategies for off page SEO include posting comments on blog posts related to your topic or business. A White Hat SEO strategy would be if you post a comment that has a valuable opinion. After you write a worthwhile comment you can then casually display a url or hyperlink to your article for your optimization purposes. There are some who take advantage of this SEO strategy by posting a spammy comment. This means they will blatantly advertise and hyperlink without contributing to a discussion or topic. Follow the light force by providing mindful thoughts with your comments rather than promoting low grade spammy comments. So next time you decide to work on your off page SEO campaign, make sure you utilize the light force strategies for your Outsource Article Marketing needs and as Yoda always said, “May The Force Be With You.”

June 26th 2009, during my usual morning routine of checking email, surfing the Internet for social media updates and news, I learned the true power of a social media “buzz”. While browsing that morning, I came across a headline, “MJ King of Pop pronounced dead.” It appeared to be a random low grade spammy headline, but I do admit it made me curious enough to click. I thought it was just the typical paparazzi crying wolf scenario, but when I started checking out the website I realized it was legitimate news! As the shocking news of Michael Jackson’s death spread like wildfire it caused many people to panic and created a need to find out more. Within an hour after the news of his death broke out, CNN had 20 million visitors on their website. There wasn’t much for CNN to report since nothing was being confirmed by anyone. So people were left to deal with just one fact: The King of Pop was dead.

Google was struggling to provide access to the millions of people logging on to find out what had exactly happened to Michael Jackson. Google had so many users searching for Michael Jackson in one hour that it was under the impression they were being targeted by an automated attack mechanism. It was an unbelievable story which triggered people to search for information about how this actually happened. The fact that Michael Jackson lived an extremely mysterious and private life didn’t help either. Below is a graph depicting the volume of traffic Google received after news of his death compared to the past couple of years.

Twitter had a milestone “fail whale” occur due to the number of twitterers logging on and expressing their views on Michael Jackson’s death. A “fail whale” is the image that Twitter displays on their website when they are experiencing server overload. Many were upset by the fact that Michael Jackson’s death took priority on tweets over the current political upsurge in Iran. A fail whale looks something like this:

source: http://www.whatisfailwhale.info/

I think Raoul Orozco’s rendition of the fail whale would have been a more appropriate image for Twitter to display!

source: http://www.whatisfailwhale.info/

A mere 24 hours after his death, 500 edits were made to Michael Jackson’s Wikipedia page by various users across the globe. Yahoo! News had 4 million visitors in a matter of an hour. AOL Instant Messenger also experienced technical difficulties due to an overload of Internet traffic. People craving the need to share and keep tabs on the death of this Pop icon through the Internet, paved the way for a new social media milestone. Users shared updates, opinions, reactions, tribute videos, and so much more within a matter of hours.

This social media frenzy took a turn for the worse only when rumors and web hoaxes started popping up. Some took advantage of the shocked and vulnerable state of Michael Jackson fans by feeding them false rumors. One user claimed Michael was strangled by his older brother with a microphone cord. Other users targeted celebrities such as Harrison Ford, George Clooney, and Jeff Goldblum claiming that they had all died in freak accidents. Apparently these web hoaxes were fueled by websites that allowed you to insert names and spin fake automatic stories ready to be published. (What a cynical twist to article spinning huh?) The numerous celebrity death stories floating on the Internet further triggered the social media frenzy to find out what was true and what wasn’t. In short, Facebook, Twitter, Google and all the other social media sites had a field day.

Search Engine Optimization also known as SEO, is a marketing strategy used to generate traffic on your website through natural search engine results. Hiring someone to optimize your website would be a really good idea if you have a new website and/or business venture. Trying to generate traffic on your own through guess work, can waste a lot of your time and may not give you the desired effect that you’re looking for. Using the services of an experienced Offshore SEO company will give you exactly the results you need. SEO companies are trained to generate a steady continuous flow of quality traffic in order to achieve more revenue for your business. SEO companies will keep in mind the ethical SEO methods while optimizing your website.

While you sleep, they work! That is the best part of choosing an Offshore SEO company to work on your website. Because of the time difference between countries, if you request work to be done at the end of the day, by the time you get back to the office the next day, they will be able to take care of what was requested. It will be ten times cheaper having the SEO work on your website outsourced. Did you know that websites which had their SEO done through outsourced companies had a staggering 50% increase in their traffic, as opposed to websites which had their SEO taken care of locally? It is definitely a lot cheaper for companies to spend on, than SEO services provided locally. According to statistics, in the amount of budget you put aside to hire one SEO professional locally, you can hire 3 Offshore SEO professionals!

It is important to do a thorough background check before deciding to do business with any company. The same applies for outsourced SEO companies. Find out how long they have been providing SEO services for. That itself will be an eye opener as to how much experience they have. Before finalizing any terms with a company, see if it is possible for them to send you some samples of the projects that they’ve worked on in the past. Many SEO companies today also provide current ranking statistics for many of their long term clientele to show you where they stand and how they’ve effectively optimized particular websites.

Don’t fall for companies who promise you the moon. SEO companies that guarantee you instant success are lying to you. Most SEO professionals know that this strategy is a slow continuous steady process which does take time to show the desired results. Three to six months would be the minimum timeframe required to just start seeing the effects of a website being optimized.

After doing the research and narrowing down to 2 or 3 companies, it can be difficult to decide which one is the most suitable. Making a list of the pros and cons for each company in order to distinguish how each company compares and which is the right one for you. Fixing up a time to communicate with each other would be recommended, in order to keep organized, keep each other updated and informed on a regular basis. This gives both sides a clear impression of what to expect in terms of deadlines and any other agreed upon terms. Chats and emails can cut down the unnecessary wastage of time as compared to long drawn out client meetings and presentations with local SEO companies. Outsourcing SEO companies offer you efficient services at half the cost! If possible don’t just correspond through emails and chat applications, set up a phone call so you can comprehend their business attitude and how professional they are.

There are some horror stories floating around on the internet that Offshore SEO companies are unreliable, uneducated and unprofessional. Well, if you went through a step by step process of checking out their credentials and their experience you won’t have such a problem! If you take the time to select the right company you can look forward to the productive SEO of your website on a long term basis.

If you’re looking for successful results, Social media is an important strategy that should be a part of any internet marketing campaign. Companies form Internet marketing campaigns for the sole purpose of increasing brand awareness and attracting quality traffic to their website. It is becoming a popular trend with businesses all over the world, as it is an easy and cost effective method to spread the word out to their consumers. According to statistics, one conversation of a consumer can have the impact of 200 TV commercials! Human behavioral studies suggest that a person is more likely to consider a friend’s recommendation or opinion, than over what they see or hear from other respectable sources.

http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/

The results of these studies, has triggered a number of companies to literally stoop down to the “grass root levels” of the Internet, in order to mold themselves within the number of popular social media websites. Snail mail being ancient history, now even email usage has slowly declined as more and more people prefer using online community websites to converse with each other. The younger generation makes up a majority of the social network population. Businesses are also aware that the younger generation is good at spending a majority of the money they earn. These consumers hold the strength and the power in their words and what they communicate to others. Community websites have increased the efficiency in the way that we communicate to one another. Users recommending or expressing their disappointment in a particular product or service, can make or break a company’s reputation. The popularity of a product through online social network websites triggers what most marketers refer to as a “buzz”, which can indisputably boost a company’s profits overnight.

From the feedback and conversations of consumers through communal websites, corporations can assess how to alter their merchandise and services to the specific requirements of the consumers. Businesses have to be willing to listen to the feedback and act upon it within reason. Create interest by giving a reason for users to visit the company website. No matter how simple or unappealing your product may be, there is always a way to establish interest. Think of what the customer would want. Having a page of entertainment on your website would not be such a bad move. Many businesses have taken the initiative to integrate games, free sample offers, videos, blogs and interesting updates onto their websites in order to lure users and build traffic.

To incorporate social media into your Internet marketing campaign you should begin with research. Scope out your competitors, see how they’ve designed their website and what they are doing to captivate social network users to visit. Study the wants and needs of the consumer. Conducting online surveys to understand exactly where you are doing well and where you are lacking would be a good way to embark on your research. Accordingly you can formulate a plan as to what online communities your company will target and what kind of information you can offer. There is no set formula to gain exposure through social community websites. Test out different combinations of social networks and online community platforms to see what works best for you. The main benefit to this strategy is that changes can be made almost immediately, to produce the desired effect. With a blog, companies can keep followers updated about their latest merchandise and advancements.

http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/

If your Internet marketing campaign is running successfully, continue analyzing and monitoring the trends. It is definitely not something you can keep stagnant. Constant changes and updating of new content is required to make social media a lucrative strategy for your business.

Social media is the utilization of online communities to promote sales, create business opportunities, and increase the exposure of a particular company. In today’s world, we spend more time online than anywhere else! Social media allows businesses to tap into the steady source of users that are registered through popular online communities. By reaching out to users through these web communities, companies can then create a rapport with the average consumer. Businesses can understand what their target audience is and how to fulfill their needs.

source: http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/

Popular Social Media sites that are usually targeted include Digg, StumbleUpon, Del.icio.us, Facebook, Twitter and many more. These sites give businesses the opportunity to keep in touch with the world and familiarize users with their brand name. Providing updates about various products, and latest advancements of a company, gives consumers something to think about. These updates can lead interested and curious users back to the company website to find out more information. Businesses can discover new target audiences that they hadn’t previously considered through this method of marketing. From analyzing the type of users who showed interest in their company, they can then alter their marketing techniques to effectively increase sales. Being linked to online communities will give businesses and their websites a steady flow of fresh traffic.

Companies interacting through online communities will maximize their number of back links which will help their SEO campaigns. The popularity of a brand name or company on a web community all depends on how much they can provide to their loyal consumers. The more you give, the more you will get in return. For example, a company promoting special offers, discounts, imagery, video and gaming entertainment, will be more popular than companies that merely register and provide a paragraph of information. The idea is not be as focused on selling and to be more interested on putting your customer at ease. By providing entertainment and information for your customer this will add a personal appeal to your brand name and they will be satisfied knowing that you’re not just trying to sell your product.

source: http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/

If you don’t know where to begin, using social networks to drive quality traffic to your website can be a confusing experience. It is important to first assess the quality of the community you want your company to be a part of and whether it will attract the right kind of consumers. If a community will not bring you quality traffic to your website then there is no point. If you have a website that sells dentures you definitely don’t want to waste your time joining a community catered to younger generations! Maybe a social network for 50+ would be more ideal? Once you have narrowed down the network websites right for your company to be affiliated with, you should then scope out if there is already a company profile existing. If this is the case, you will have to formulate a strategy to have your profile stand out from the rest.

Creating a profile through a Social Media network may not be something that will click right away. Social networking is definitely a trial and error method which will give you the results you need only by checking out what works for you and your business.