SEO the right way

I recently had someone say to me that SEO could be solved by just adding the words they wanted to be found on in the code. I was shocked.


Years ago - over 10 years ago, people would "hide" keywords in code to try to fool search engines into thinking that a page was relevant for a search on the words. Search engines have gotten much smarter and will now penalize anyone using such a sneaky, illegitimate method. In addition, think of the user experience - they have searched for a term and landed on the page - if its not relevant they're just going to be annoyed and bounce - that leaves a bad impression and can be detrimental for your brand.


Don't let someone try to talk you into doing something that is a lazy, "short cut" that will hurt you in the end. Spend the time to understand what your keywords are and use them effectively in your content.


Be a credible, content provider and earn your search results - after all, if you give good results, you'll get good results.

LinkedIn tips for business development

Why use LinkedIn for sales?

• 75% of B2B purchases are influenced by Social Media and 57% of buying decisions are made before a sales rep is involved.
• 76% of buyers prefer to work with vendors recommended by someone they know; and 73% prefer to work with sales people recommended by someone they know.
• 92% of B2B buyers engage with sales professionals who are known industry thought leaders
• 59% of buyers said they are more likely to engage with a salesperson if they mention a common connections

Your Profile

• Create your LinkedIn profile - Maintain your professional identity & brand

Connect

• Connections menu: Keep in touch – shows your connects and suggests some; Under settings you can sync with any of your email and calendar accounts; Add connections – also links to your emails to pull in contacts; Find Alumni pulls up people with the same alma mater. You can even include notes and reminders for each contact under relationship.
• with client contacts – search on their name or company
• with other employees ( this strategy then connects you with their connections)
• seek new connections by joining groups

Search

• Search out prospects and clients prior to meetings to learn more about them *

Follow

• Your accounts  (search companies to find your accounts) *
• Your company – stay up to date on our initiatives and support the brand.
• Relevant influencers, channels, and publishers

Engage/participate

• Share an article or blog post a few times per week. You don’t need to be a writer – share articles you find interesting and relevant. Share your company posts.
• Liking someone else’s status update also gets your name out there.
• Commenting can be even more powerful than a share when done correctly, add your expertise to the thread.
• LinkedIn groups can be a great way to interact with industry professionals and find new leads. Be an active participant in any group you join. Search topics in your line of business and join as appropriate.
• Can’t find a relevant group? Consider starting one and then posing interesting questions. You must commit to maintaining it if you start it.

*Some CRMs are integrated with LinkedIn or other software (e.g. InsideView)  

Speaking like a leader

At the end of the day a leader is someone you would follow - that means that they have to instill trust, be decisive and share values. A title doesn't mean someone is a leader.

 

In Judith Humphrey's book "Taking the Stage" she highlights things women are socialized to do that diminishes their leadership. These are the things women need to stop doing:

• Stop apologizing.
• Stop asking for permission.
• Stop minimalizing and being tentative - "just", "little bit", "only", "maybe", "perhaps"
• Don't take everything personal.

Men initiate 75% of all gender based interruptions (and they don't apologize). Men tend to treat discussions as a sports huddle and make sure they get their point across regardless of who is speaking.

 

Women are told not to show off, but to be a leader you need to promote yourself. Women are criticized if aggressive or bossy and need to be able to be assertive and take charge. Start expressing the qualities you value in yourself - e.g. intelligence, passion, conviction, creativity AND think of what type of leader you want to be and use those terms to describe yourself e.g. decisive, focused, confident, strategic, inspired etc. and then become that. Men focus on what they want next and move forward.

 

People need to be ready to make the change from being the "workhorse" to becoming the decision maker. You also need to recognize that it is all politics and you need to make it easy for people to say yes to you.

 

The book spends a lot of time going over public speaking methods - but there are better sources for that.

 

Women need to recognize what voice they are using in business - is it high and child like? too quiet? breathless? Pay attention to your tone, volume, pitch, pace and projection. Speak up and contribute at meetings. Breathe. Some people talk too fast - then need to take breaths and learn ways to deal with people that may interrupt. For people that say "um" a lot (which is distracting and takes away from the authority of the speaker), learn to take pauses and close your mouth. Speak clearly and deliver your message. Be present, authentic and open to the audience - listen to them and pay attention to their body language.

• Prepare a 30 second elevator speech for when you meet executives you want to impress. Prepare for chance meetings.
• Presentations should start with an attention getter - some people can start with a joke or amusing anecdote - as long as it's appropriate for the context. Be specific in your topic. Tell your audience what you're speaking about, give your speech/presentation, then tell them what you told them. The body of your speech can be three key points or a comparison. End your speech/presentation with a call to action - your ask - whether its for budget, approval or a sale.
• Move like you own the space. Never take one step forward or back - it makes you look tentative. Walk with authority across the stage. Stand up straight. Don't close your arms off in a defensive position. Make eye contact. Smile as appropriate - make sure your facial expression is congruent to the subject.

Watch Amy Cuddy's Ted Talk on "Your body language shapes who you are" http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are