Phil Frost on Internet Marketing

There are a lot of free tools online to help you with search engine optimization and with all of the noise and mystique in this field it can be difficult to know where to start.  In this post, I will highlight 4 free tools you can use to get started with your SEO campaigns.  I’ll highlight a free tool that I use in each of the the following core categories of SEO:

In the world of search engine optimization, hyperlinks are king.  Once your website is designed properly, then the next step is to get links to improve your search rankings.  So how do you get links to your website?  Before you start a link building campaign you need to understand how links actually affect your search rankings.

The three core concepts I’ll discuss are:

1. Popularity
2. Reputation
3. Link Anatomy

Popularity

Each link to your website is essentially a vote from another website.  Naturally, the more votes you have the better and the total number of links to your webpage is a measure of that page’s “online popularity”.  If all else is equal, then a more popular page will rank higher in search results. 

The first step to any internet marketing campaign is to make sure your website is designed properly.  Your website is the foundation of your campaigns and if search engines can’t spider your pages or if you do not speak to your customer’s needs then most of your internet marketing efforts are going to be wasted. 

Make sure you are not making these common mistakes before you launch your next marketing campaign:

1. Impeding Search Engines
2. Poor Cross-Browser Compliance
3. Egocentric Site Copy
4. Lacking a Clear Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
5. Lacking a Clear Call-To-Action
6. “Brochure” Syndrome

I have been playing around on LinkedIn and I recently discovered a very cool application for creating Polls, or questionnaires.  In about 30 seconds you can install the poll app on your LinkedIn profile and have an invaluable market research tool at your fingertips.

When you create your poll you get the option to target based on demographics for a minimum of $50 or you can send the poll to all of your 1st degree connections for free.  If you select the 1st degree connections, then you also have the option to include the poll in the LinkedIn Poll Directory, which everyone has access to.

I haven’t tried the paid version, but the obvious benefits are that you can tailor your polls for certain demographics and gain more valuable insights into the market than with the free option.  You only pay per response and the cost is directly related to how many variables you select.  For example, if you target by job function, then it’s an additional $0.75/response and if you target further by industry, then it’s an additional $0.75/response.

In addition to the market research, this is an opportunity to expand your network and further define your personal brand online.  If you ask targeted questions that spur comments, then that gives you an opportunity to engage with more people that share your interests or want to do business with you.

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I am an internet marketing consultant for B2B and B2C businesses. I have experience designing and developing large scale websites, implemeneting search engine optimization strategies, managing and optimizing pay per click advertising campaigns, social media marketing, and lead generation.

In 2006, I managed a $1MM dollar pay per click budget and maintained a 30% average profit margin by split testing ad text, landing page design/layout, and tracking ROI on the exact keyword level.

In 2008, I re-designed www.growthink.com in order to streamline the lead generation efforts.  I also migrated their customer relationship management system from Salesforce to Infusionsoft to take advantage of the latest marketing automation technology.

I earned my Master of Engineering Management degree from Thayer School of Engineering and Tuck School of Business and my Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Engineering degrees from Dartmouth College.  I now live in the uppper east side of Manhattan and play touch football on the weekends.