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Section 08Helpful Software Tools and Required SkillsIntroduction: Why is it important to use SEO/SEM tools to increase the results you get from more content marketing and backlink building campaigns? Why is it important to use various software programs to help you build better content faster and easier (by "content", we're referring to video/written/audio/software/image/ebook/PPT/etc.) content? Why is it important to have Web development and software programming skills? 8.1. There are software applications which increase the content you can contribute to other sites and pages without requiring more content development effort from you. There are programs which automate manual tasks for you. Using these tools properly will help improve the results you get from your content marketing campaigns and backlink building campaigns without spending more money. Here are the different types of SEO/SEM tools:
Do a Google search for these tools and you're bound to find the tools you need. Make sure to read user reviews before purchasing the products or signing up for Web-based membership access to the tools. Keep in mind that there are free trial versions and trial membership subscription packages which will help you determine if each tool is indeed valuable for your content marketing and backlink building campaigns prior to purchasing it. Also keep in mind that there are lots of video and written tutorials for using these tools and doing article directory or video directory submissions on the Internet, which means Google will be your best friend. 8.2. There are tools you can use to easily and quickly develop content and conduct your daily website and online marketing work. Here are these tools: Again, do a Google search for these tools and you're bound to find the tools you need. Make sure to read user reviews before purchasing the products or signing up for Web-based membership access to the tools. Keep in mind that there are free trial versions and trial membership subscription packages which will help you determine if each tool is indeed valuable for your content marketing and backlink building campaigns before buying the tools. Also keep in mind that there are lots of video and written tutorials for using these tools and doing article directory or video directory submissions on the Internet, which means Google will be your best friend. 8.3. Web development skills is a huge advantage if you're marketing your products and services online. You'll need to read and teach yourself HTML, CSS, Wordpress, Flash and Web graphics design. Based on the results I've conducted myself throughout the years, here's a fast and effective way to learn these Web development languages: Learn what you need as you go along. Sample Situation For instance, I need to access the files of my website in my server. I contact my server host provider's 24/7 live customer support and ask them how to do this. They tell me I would need an FTP software and my FTP account details, which they sent to me via email when I signed up for their service, to do this. I go to Google, search for "free FTP software" and download FileZilla. I then install and run the software. I type in the FTP address of my server followed by my FTP account username and FTP account password in text fields provided by FileZilla. I then click the "Quick Connect" button. I now have access to the files in my server, and FileZilla provides a 2-panel explorer window of my computer and my server, so I can easily point the files in my server which I need to download then point to a location in my computer where the files will be downloaded. I can also point the files in my computer which I will upload to my server and also point the location in my server where I want those files uploaded to. I then learn that there is only one file in my server. It is the index.html file. When I download and view it, it is the sample homepage of my website. I then research about this on Google and I learn that index.html or index.php is the default file that is loaded in a user's Web browser when the user visits a website by typing the domain without other characters after the domain extension. I then type "HTML tutorial" on Google. I read it up and have now learned how to create an HTML file. All that was needed was to write a few lines of code on a blank Notepad document, save the document, select "All Files" in the Save File As" dropdown of the "Save As" dialogue box, then provide any filename I want as long as I include the .html extension in the "Filename" text field of the "Save As" dialogue box. I now need to consider these things: I have logo and business name header image files already developed by my graphics developer friend, since I'm totally blind and cannot obviously develop graphics and images. I need to layout my homepage in a way which would appear as a website with 800 pixel width and 600 pixel height. I then need to divide this into 4 rows, with the top row having 70% width, for my logo and header name, and the remaining 30% width of this row will be for my Mailing List SignUp Box. This 1st row will have a 19% height. The next row will have a 1% height and a 100% width, for my horizontal navigation links. The next row will have a 70% width and 30% width, each for my left panel and right panel sections. The left panel will have a 75% height, while the right panel a 65% height. At the bottom of the right panel will be my video panel box. It will have a 30% width and a 30% height. The last row will have a 5% height and a 100% width, and this is where I'll place the copyright text of my business. I then decide to have a table with just one cell consuming the entire 1024 width and 700 height of the browser window, without any borders. Inside this table will be the separate tables for each row and column described above, this time with or without borders, whenever necessary. So now it's time to figure out how to use HTML codes for tables, how to set pixel width and height in pixel size and percentages, how to use or remove table borders, how to define border color and border size, how to align text and visual elements in each internal table cell, how to make links and how to set up a mailing list signup box. I searched for "HTML table code tutorial" in Google. After reading and testing what I learn one at a time for 2 hours straight, I now know those things. I would need to read more about PHP later for the mailing list signup box. I then create the HTML file. I upload it. It works. I then read more about PHP and learn that there are free PHP scripts for mailing list signup boxes bundled with an admin panel section. I download one, read more about it, learned the things to change through manual hard coding so as for the mailing list signup box to reflect my business name and match the color theme and feel of my website, then learned how to use the PHP script for my HTML file. Creating PHP files follow the same process for HTML files, though in PHP, you need to type the .php extension instead of the .html extension. I then reupload my work to my server. I then go to my website, and it works. For the following days, I have learned more things about Unix/networking/server setup, maintenance and management, HTML, CSS, PHP, Java, Javascript and AJAX because I needed to do things unfamiliar to me at that time like code a PHP script for an affiliate panel login and signup section, an email form with attachment selection form, a video panel, set up one of my home computers as a Web server even with a dynamic IP, etc. Google was my best friend during this time. This should be the same learning motivation and attitude you incorporate into your business. If you need to learn it, then learn it. If you need to use it, then learn how to use it properly. As you keep on doing what you do and using what you use, improve further by doing what you do much faster without any errors and using what you use much faster without any problems. Finally, learning is a continuous process, though learning what you do not need to learn or using what you do not need to use is a waste of time, so just learn only the things you need to learn and use only the things you need to use. Final Exercise for Grayscale CMRW (Content Marketing Researcher/Writer) ApplicantsNote: Scroll down for the test instructions if an SEO/SEM applicant... Instructions: Create a sample article. Follow the things discussed in the Grayscale Guide, including the right keywords to target. Then, below your sample article, please give your reasons for your main/sub/micro niche choices, your main/related/LSI keyword choices, your product/service ideas, where you'll be posting your softsell content marketing materials, etc. in terms of optimum profitability for an Internet marketer selling products/services online. This means you'll be placing yourself in the Internet marketer mindset, personality and character, with your main goal: Establishing an online business plan and implementing effective Internet marketing campaigns for maximum profitability. For your sample article, just a 3-paragraph article will do, incorporating softsell marketing writing principles to establish yourself as an expert source of useful info and advice relevant to your target niches, products/services and viewer group. This way, we'll see the format of your paragraphs. More important though would be your reasons and explanations. Please include your feedback about topics discussed in the Grayscale Guide, if you found it helpful and your recommendations/suggestions if any for improving the Grayscale Guide further in your final exercise output. Send your final exercise output along with the latest copy of your CV (resume) on or before 11pm today to this email... IMPORTANT: Also attach your most recent CV - resume - and include in the subject line or the body of your email your unique referral ID -- Applications without referral IDs that should have IDs are null and void, while mention the person or group that informed you about our job vacancies if you are an applicant without a referral ID provided by the person or the group. Final Exercise for Grayscale SEO/SEM (Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Marketing) SpecialistsNote: Only take this test if you are applying as an SEO/SEM specialist... Create a short MS PowerPoint presentation about the basics of HTML and PHP. Include graphics/images and audio, either your own, or relevant ones you'll find online and from others. Always flash/display this in the best section of your presentation: Grayscale Business Consultancy & Marketing Services http://www.searchenginerankingsolutions.com/GrayscaleGuide/grayscaleguide.html +632912.09.09 +63917.505.75.53 Email Us Today! Include the keywords "HTML Basics" and "PHP Basics", without quotes, in your presentation. Then, convert the MS PowerPoint presentation you created into an FLV video. You can use software like Camtasia among other screen capture programs to do this. Include minimal audio voiceovers. Also include the text mentioned above as well as the keywords mentioned earlier. Send your output (MS PPT and FLV) on or before 11pm today to this email... IMPORTANT: Also attach your most recent CV - resume - and include your unique referral ID in the subject line or the body of your email -- Applications without referral IDs that should have IDs are null and void, while mention the person or group that informed you about our job vacancies if the person or group did not mention a referral ID. Grayscale Business Consultancy & Marketing Services Unit 10D Park Avenue 98 20th Avenue Quezon City 1109 Philippines |
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