SEO
Video: How To Write Killer Copy For The Web
August12th,2010 | Copywriting, SEO
The Lancaster SEO Meetup Group recently invited me to speak on one of my favorite topics, writing killer copy for the web.
Copywriting describes writing that appears on sales and marketing materials. (No, it has nothing to do with copyrighting, or registering stuff with the government.) Read more »
What Do You Get When You Google Yourself?
February9th,2010 | General, SEO
There’s a little restaurant in my hometown that has been in business for years. The food is delicious but the owner is … how can I put this? Eccentric.
Arrive on a good night, and he’ll treat you like royalty. He’s been known to keep the kitchen open past regular hours to feed visitors from out of town.
Arrive on a bad night, and he’ll hover over your table, help himself from your bottle of wine and drunkenly curse at your dinner companions. He’s also particularly ornery toward anyone who uses a coupon.
I’ve never seen any of these altercations, but I can quote some of them word-for-word. (“It’s a shame it takes a coupon for people to come here!“)
How is this possible? In a word: Google reviews.
Thanks to the internet, you can find out all sorts of things about the world. That’s nothing new. But do you know what search results appear for your business’s name? What about misspellings of your business’s name? Your name?
Searching for your business name is also a great way to make sure that your data is complete and up-to-date. Many places, including Google Local, will let you upload a photo and even a coupon or two.
If you’re not listed under sites such as Google Local and Superpages, take a moment to add your business. You’ll not only increase your visibility, but your search engine optimization as well.
Finally, don’t forget to set a Google Alert for your business’s name, so you can handle press as soon as it appears. Read my blog post on Google Alerts for step-by-step instructions.
Marketing Podcast, Episode 11: SEO 101
March15th,2009 | Podcasts, SEO
In this episode, search engine optimizer Ashley Lichty of Lancaster, PA-based internet marketing company ProspectMX explains how women in business can use SEO to reach the top of the search engines.
Ashley and I discuss a number of SEO strategies for women in business such as link building, on-page keyword optimization, article marketing, and whether submitting your site to link directories really works or is just a waste of time.
In the podcast, she lists a number of tools that can help women in business generate keywords and research traffic. They include:
• Google’s Keyword Tool
• SEM Rush
• Compete
• Wordtracker
Tune in April 1, 2009 for another episode of the One Woman Marketing podcast with more tips on the feminine way to market your business and grow profits.
The Business Women’s Guide To Search Engine Optimization
February20th,2009 | SEO
Ashley Lichty is an SEO copywriter for ProspectMX, a web marketing company that provides SEO services to companies of all sizes on a nationwide level. While Ashley specializes in web copy, she also has experience with PPC management, link building, and on-page website optimization.
Whenever I run into friends or family I haven’t seen in a while, they inevitably ask: “So what are you doing now?”
Answering “I’m an SEO” draws blank stares. Expanding on that by saying, “It means search engine optimization specialist,” only makes their eyes glaze.
Eventually I developed an explanation that made sense to both the internet-savvy and the hopelessly lost. Basically, SEO is doing things that help search engines know what your website is about so they can show it in their results pages for relevant search terms (or keywords).
To make it even less painful: SEO is how you make your website found on the web. Read more »
Kelly Watson is one woman on a mission to show the world that marketing your small business doesn't have to suck. 
