15 easy ways to get your blog noticed.

#1 – Add a link to your blog to the intro section of your personal Facebook page.

You know that area under your name that you can fill with a line or two? Add a link to your blog here!

The nice thing about this area is that people can see the text whether you are friends or not. So if you want basic visibility when posting in groups and communicating with those you don’t know, a link here is ideal. If you have multiple projects that you want to share with the world, try using linktree. Install it once and never worry about changing your bio again. Update your linktree account and all of your profiles will be updated simultaneously. #Winning

#2 – Share a post on on your personal Facebook page’s timeline.

Copy and paste a link from your website to your timeline. It’ll automatically pull the meta description and featured image from that post, so be ready. When preparing to share on Facebook, you can also include a brief intro about the post or tag your friends and family who you think may be interested.

#3 – Does your blog have its own page? Share a post there too!

If you have created a Facebook page for your blog, you should be sharing your posts here!

There are a few ways to do it… First, publish a direct link to your page. Super simple. Second, write a post about your blog with no links (can sometimes help with engagement) and then add a link to your blog in the comments.

#4 – Tweet, snap, instagram it up. 

We’re talking about all the social things here, folks. I could have probably listed 15 individual social media actions here but I’m not going to waste your time. Go ahead and take advantage of every single social media platform you have available. Don’t forget about linktree when it comes to Instagram. Whatever you’ve got, send it out.

#5 – Ask your friends and family to share your posts.

A free and easy way to support you, friends and family should automatically share your posts but they likely aren’t going to do it unless you straight up ask them to. Be polite and kind and if they say no, brush it off. Your blog is not meant to start drama or stir the pot with strange family dynamics, just take what you can and be thankful.

#6 – Send out an update in your newsletter.

If you haven’t already started a newsletter for your blog, it’s time to do that well, TODAY. Seriously. A newsletter can be one of your most valuable marketing tools in the long run. Don’t worry if you only have two subscribes and one of them is your mom. It’s all good and sending out a newsletter on a regular basis is an excellent habit to get into.

Side note here, do NOT include your entire blog post within the body of your email. For one thing, it’s likely way too long for anyone to read within an email. And on top of that, the goal here is to drive traffic to you website. You’ll want to share a headline and/or image along with a brief description of what your blog post is about, then a ‘read more’ link that directs them to your blog post. Easy peasy.

#7 – Shout it from the rooftops!

I hate heights so rooftops are not going to happen for me, but the idea here is that when you’re out there being social in the real world with actual humans who speak and can hear – tell them about your work. Explain the topic, what you’ve written, why you chose that angle, etc. Then encourage them to go visit your blog to read the full article.

#8 – Post to Facebook groups.

Back to social media for a minute here. One super quick way to get the word out to a targeted audience about your latest work. The idea of Facebook groups almost makes me cringe because my first impression is simple – spam. But that’s not all they’re about. Facebook groups can be super powerful collections of brilliant minds who think similarly and what to share information.

Bonus points if you add your own group and are able to control the way your information is shared. Posting on a timeline can have a much more powerful impact than sharing in a long stream of comments that everyone who participates is required to comment on. Beware though, if you do not own the group and your post gets a lot of attention that may take away from a product or service that the group owner is selling – you’re likely to get ousted.  #ImJustSayin

There are total pros and cons no matter how you move forward with this one. You need to know what your resources are and take advantage of them accordingly. Facebook groups are wildly powerful when used properly.

#9 – Networking Meetings

Yep, these are still a thing! Created long before you could log onto the World Wide Web and connect with the hoard of people you’ve met over your lifetime, networking meetings were created as a way for professionals to meet and share their work.

Meetings are held in locations across the globe for every genre you can imagine. Just find the one that fits you best in a location that is realistic for you to attend and go! Bring along a business card and marketing materials for bonus points and you’ll be off to an excellent start.

#10 – Attend a conference or summit.

If you’re ready to up the ante from your local networking, do a quick google search for a conference or summit designed for bloggers in general or something that fits your specific niche. This type of environment will allow you to connect with a massive amount of people who are all on the same journey as you.

It can be empowering and inspiring and may just connect you with the right folks to help take your blog to the next level. If nothing else, it will definitely help you get the word out about your brand and share information about your work.

#11 – Ads

I’m only going to touch on this a bit because it’s a topic for another post of all on its own.

Buying ads is one of the most mainstream ways to go about building an audience for your blog and gaining traction. The thing is, it comes with its pros and cons. The pros are that you can get your message in front of as many potential customers as you can afford. The con however, is that when you stop paying – the ads stop running.

Good ad campaigns require A&B testing in order to figure out what will work best with your clients and to improve your overall conversion rates. If you are new to blogging, I highly recommend you hold off on this for a minute and focus on the other free aspects that you can work on in your spare time before you get to spending money on ads.

#12 – Create a freebie and collect email addresses in order to download it.

If you aren’t at all familiar with this strategy, the basic idea is that you create something really awesome that you know your target audience will be interested in. In order for them to get their hands on this incredible thing you’ve developed, they have to give you their email address and then they get to download your item for free.

Once you have their email address, you add it to your email list and in time you’ll have a nice collection of leads.

There are a zillion different types of services that will allow you to automate the process that range from super simple and free to wildly complicated and expensive. Figure out which one will fit your needs and don’t be afraid to start with something basic with a phase two plan of moving into something bigger as you grow.

This brings me to another really important point… you do not need to spend a ton fo money in order to get your blog off the ground. In fact, you can start with something absolutely free and then move on from there. What you do need however, is patience and brainpower.

‘They say’ you can do anything with enough time or money and that’s absolutely true, but when you don’t have a huge development budget to blow through it is important to remember that you can do anything with enough patience and brainpower. It may take you hundreds of YouTube tutorials or finding an awesome cheap course – but you can do this.

#13 – Make sure your RSS feed is accessible.

An RSS feed is system that allows subscribers to get automatic updates whenever new content is published on your blog. This is super helpful for serious blog followers and those sites that aren’t equipped with an option to subscribe to a newsletter. Some folks just like RSS feeds and you should make it super easy for them to follow your blog. Enough said.

#14 – Search engine optimization, please!

I’m hoping you already know a thing or two about SEO (search engine optimization) but if you want to get your blog noticed for free, SEO is the way to go. Unlike ad campaigns, the effects of SEO will stick with your site for its lifetime.

I’ll link a few posts here later, but go ahead and click on the SEO category to start reading more. While many of these posts are geared towards a specific industry, don’t fret. The same principles apply to any website.

#15 – Publish new content on a regular schedule.

Publishing new well-written content is a wildly important in getting your blog noticed.

Once you use a few of the methods listed above and get visitors trickling into your site, you’ll want them to come back. If they do come back for a second visit and there’s no new content available, who’s to say they’ll come back again? Chances are that they won’t.

You’ve only got one shot. Make it count! Come up with a publishing schedule that you can commit to and actually follow through with. Whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly – be consistent! Your audience wants to know that they can count on you and this is an excellent way to establish trust.

Do you have other methods to help get your blog noticed that you don’t see on this list? Leave your tips in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Need help getting started with your writing? I can help. Fill out this form and I’ll be in touch right away.

The post How to Get Your Blog Noticed #OpenForBusiness appeared first on Atterbie.

Some folks decide to have a hyper focus on limited topics and define a ‘niche’. In this case, they typically do not go outside of the box and only cover one or two things. This often happens for one of two reasons. First, they may be focusing on personal passions only. Second, they may have heard from Facebook groups or succes coaches that this is the only way to succeed. That if you define a passion and dive in, you must maintain focus and you’ll find success. While this may be true and it’s generally possible for you to do well in any topic (no matter how focused you might be), your ‘success’ could be lightyears down the road.

So what should you do? What are the most successful blog topics?

Let’s start by defining what success means to you.

If you want to blog for the purpose of sharing your thoughts and feelings, move ahead and do not look back. Choose whatever topics you’d like to write about with no pressure because your only goal is to share your opinion. You’re not worried about selling a service or product and affiliate income is way off your radar. #ThumbsUp – you’re good to go.

If you want to make money blogging and find the most successful blog topics in terms of generating income, you need to take an entirely different approach. In this case, it is still important to find something that you’re passionate about, but be sure that the topic you choose is also something that other people will want to follow.

Here’s the thing, blogging about your passion is amazing – but if no one is interested in reading your work and in the end will not buy anything either through you directly or for an affiliate that you are advertising, you’re out of luck and will not generate any income.

You have to think about it in terms of what people want. In general, people want to be better.

• To be smarter.
• To be stronger.
• To grow their influence.
• To have a prettier home.
• To build a more successful business.

You get it. They love envisioning better versions of themselves and those around them. 

This translates into all kinds of services and products that you can either talk about or sell on your website or blog to make money.

For example, if you are a home decor company and are trying to sell your services, you can talk about all the zillion things that someone can do to improve their home. Think about the list of topics you could cover with actually trying to sell something…

• Seasonal design trends
• New technology for the home
• The latest in kitchen appliances
• What you can do to improve the general safety of your home
• How to babyproof your home
• Pillow options – are goose feathers the right fit for your space or do you need hypoallergenic alternatives?
• How to choose the best mattress for a good night’s sleep
• Talk about all of the furniture and decore manufacturers, why their products are superier or less than acceptable
• How to create a ‘green’ home
• How to naturally clean the air within your home
• What to do if you suspect there’s a mold issue within your home
• Eco friendly home building options
• Best flooring for families
• Kid proof paint
• DIY decor

The list could seriously go on and on and on. None of which screamed, “Buy this from me!” and each of these being topics that the general public would find interesting and likely read an entire article on. Ready to move forward?

I’m going to breeze right past the folks who want to blog for fun. That’s great and all, but there are literally no rules and there’s no reason for you to be reading this post. Just keep on keepin’ on and have fun!

Let’s assume that you are focused on the most successful blog topics because you want to make money blogging.

If you haven’t already established a blog presence, you should check out this quick list of the five most successful blog topics. Please remember that you do not have to focus on one thing alone. It can be a combination of whatever makes your world go round. Just be sure to listen to your audience along the journey.

The #1 Option – How to Make Money Blogging

Isn’t this what everyone wants? If you’re going to pour your heart and soul (and countless hours) into a project, wouldn’t you love for it to generate some income? I know I would!  

The thing here though is that most people don’t blog about making money until they’ve actually made money. It’s hard to gain credibility without having some kind of proof. If this is the thing you want to focus on but you aren’t quite there that, you have to spin it a bit. Talk about the process or the journey that you are on while “trying” to make money blogging. Detail the steps you follow and discuss whether they’ve helped or hurt you along the way.

If blogging about something you haven’t done yet isn’t the answer for you, here are a couple other ideas.

Option #2 – Personal Finance

Managing your money is just as important as making it!

One of the biggest influencers in the money management world is Dave Ramsey. His has a unique take on all things money related, including his own methodology on how to make your own financial situation better (it all comes back to self-improvement in the end!) Some of his methods are controversial. Not in the way of being illegal or way off base, but rather determining if his approach will work for you.

His blog includes many personal stories from ‘regular folks’ who have followed his suggestions and come out on top. You can follow his website, blog, or buy his books – which gives him access to all generations.

Another site that I see come up on my FB feed all the time is The Penny Hoarder. They talk about quick ways to earn $500, life hacks that save you money, and all kind of random money related things. Their bottom line message though is that you have options outside of your 9-5. If you find yourself falling short, hustle a side gig and you can get ahead.

If you’re a money pro or at least proud of where you’re at, this may be the answer for you!

Option #3 – Health and Wellness

We talked about creating a blog that will follow your journey, but this is a topic where the journey can really help you find success. People are all about losing weight and getting healthy, so if that’s on your to-do list then you’re already a step ahead of the game.

In this case, your site could be something as simple as a daily journey of your progress. Start by introducing yourself and then follow each step along the way. Post photos of yourself, take note of all your personal details and write away. Folks generally like to know two things when it comes to health and wellness: First, they are not alone. Everyone struggles, you’re just going to put your story out there so others can relate.

First, they are not alone. Everyone struggles, you’re just going to put your story out there so others can relate.

Second, there is hope. If you can do it, so can they. Right?

Let’s not kid ourselves here, this is a super competitive area. New blogs pop up every day, but that’s okay. Your personal community (friends and family) can serve as the catalyst that gets your audience to grow. Yes, that means that people who truly know you in person are going to be reading about your weight or lifestyle habits. Be sure that you’re ready for this before you commit!

Option #4 – Beauty or Fashion

Totally not my jam, but it may be yours. If you enjoy getting all dolled up and taking selfies, dive in. People love seeing  inspiration for what they could look like (and effectively feel like, right?) with the right makeup and clothes.

Skip any kind of body shaming, add in a little self-love, and you’re golden.

Option #5 – Lifestyle

This is when you write about anything and everything. Don’t be confused though, this is not your personal diary. If you’re trying to make money blogging, you need to define a clear message that you want to convey no matter what topic you’re writing on.

Go ahead and share personal experiences but don’t just ramble on about your day if you aren’t sharing that info for a reason. For example, let’s say you went to your 10 year high school reunion and want to blog on it. Rather than writing paragraphs about the snooty girls you use to go to school with and how you still don’t like them, focus on what you did to get ready for the event. How you styled your hair, what you wore, who you touched base with first. Give people action steps that they can follow or at least be inspired by.

Always add photos! Stock photos are amazing and I use them all the time, but they aren’t always the best fit for your blog. If you’re talking about something unique or personal or trying to sell a specific product, skip the stock and take the time to get a great photo. It’ll be more than worth it in the end!

Ready to get started? Here’s a step-by-step post on how to start a blog in 9 minutes. It’s easy peasy and only costs $3.95 per month when you set up hosting through BLUE HOST .

Need help brainstorming a list of blog post ideas? I can help! Check this out… BLOG POST IDEAS!

The post What are the most successful blog topics? appeared first on Atterbie.

First, let’s talk about freelance writing services. This is when you hire an individual person in order to complete a writing project. This could be any type of project; a blog post, an article, a report, a book, you name it – freelance covers it.

All freelance writing services should have very clear expectations on both ends. Here are the factors you’ll want to consider when hiring a freelance writer:

• How much will it cost?
• How long should the writing project be?
  Define length by a very specific number of words. There’s nothing clearer than clarity and no happier client or freelancer than when their expectations are being met.
• What topic needs to be covered?
• Are there keywords that you want to focus on?
• What keyword density would you like maintained throughout the piece?
• Are there any specific formatting standards that should be followed?
• Is there a hard deadline on the submission date?
• Will there be time for comments and editing after the project is submitted?
• Who is the contact person in case there are questions regarding the project?

These basic factors are the same for when you hire a ghostwriter. Here comes the difference…

When hire someone for general freelance writing services, compensation for the project may include:

• Cash (of course)
• A byline – listing the author’s name as the actual writer of the piece
• A link back to the writer’s personal website or social media platforms
• Royalties (depending on the project type)

When you hire a ghostwriter, things are a little different. The only thing a ghostwriter receives as compensation for the project is typically cash. They get no recognition or acknowledgment as being the author for the piece. In fact, the person who hired the ghostwriter will typically claim all writing credit for the piece that is submitted.

Once you’ve found a writer that you mesh well with, hold on to them tight! Even if the project takes an unexpected turn. Most freelancers who offer writing services will also entertain requests for ghostwriting services and vice versa.

Wondering what the cost is to hire a freelance writer or a ghostwriter? I’d love to chat with you! Email me at amy@atterbie.com and we’ll set up a time to discuss your writing project and how I might be able to help you knock it out with excellent content.

The post Are freelance writing services the same as ghostwriting services? appeared first on Atterbie.

To help you get started, I’m going to break down why you need to hire a ghostwriter for your photography blog today and exactly how it’s done. Ready to get started?

Let’s talk about the reasons why you need to hire a ghostwriter for your photography blog.

Reason #1 – You are busy!

Let’s be honest, if you actually get a little downtime the last thing you want to do is write. Right?

When you hire a ghostwriter, incredible content can be published on a regular basis without requiring you to sit down and do all of the work. Every writer works a little different, but the general idea remains… you pick the topic, they write. Simple as that. Who wouldn’t love to have a new blog post ready to publish on a daily basis without having to actually sit down and force your fingers to plunk out the words?

Side note… if you’ve purchased a domain name and set up hosting, don’t let your site just sit there! Hiring a ghostwriter is one easy way to put your (already paid for) site to work for you.

Reason #2 – You hate writing.

You are not alone.

In fact, I’ve found that more people hate writing than love it. I’m not sure why this is. Maybe the idea of writing causes flashbacks to school days and the fear of getting a bad grade. Maybe you just hate staring at a blank screen with that darn cursor blinking away at you. Whatever the cause, you can skip doing something you hate and still get the item checked off your to-do list by hiring a ghostwriter. They’ll do the heavy lifting, you just copy and paste or simply push ‘publish’.

Reason #3 – You need content.

If you want your website to gain any kind of traction, content is absolutely key. When you hire a ghostwriter, you are ensuring that someone is 100% focused on creating amazing content for your website. It’s a huge weight that can be easily lifted off your shoulders by developing a relationship with a ghostwriter who fits your style and writing needs.

Alright, you get the basic idea… hire a ghostwriter and get peace of mind, more time, excellent content.

Good deal? Let’s move on. How exactly do you hire a ghostwriter?

I’m so glad you asked! It’s actually pretty simple. You can email me at amy@atterbie.com and tell me that you’re ready to hire a ghostwriter. That’s all it takes. We’ll either email back and forth or set up a quick time to chat. Either way, here are the basic topics that will be covered in that initial conversation in order to move forward with the ghostwriting project.

• Do you have an existing website? If so, what’s the link?
• Talk to me about your voice. Do you speak in the first person? Second person? Is it conversational or formal? Share all the details to ensure that your brand is properly communicated in the ghostwriting projects.
• What is the goal of the content that you’d like created? To sell, persuade, inform?
• Is there an established list of topics you’d like covered?
• What is the desired length of content for each topic?
• Are you working on your SEO? Is there a keyword focus for each of the topics?
• Do you have a deadline for the project?

And now a list of the questions that you’ll want to ask me (or any other ghostwriter you might consider hiring for your photography blog):

• Do you have references or examples of your recent work?
• What’s the cost?
• Will your turn-around time meet my deadlines?
• Do you have the bandwidth to complete this much work?

Alright, we’ve covered the basics. Do you still have questions about why you need to hire a ghostwriter for your photography blog or how to do it? If so, I’d love to help you sort things out. Send me an email or comment below and I’ll be in touch. Talk soon!

The post How and Why to Hire a Ghostwriter for Your Photography Blog appeared first on Atterbie.

Here’s a quick list of four factors you need to consider when it’s your turn to pick a WordPress theme.

WordPress Theme Factor #1 – General Look/Feel

The first thing you’ll want to consider is how you feel about a WordPress theme’s general look and feel. Most themes can be customized so don’t worry about things like fonts or colors. While you’ll want to see what the theme is capable of, you need to see if you like the general setup include templated pages or posts.

The easiest way to test this is by visiting a theme’s demo site. It’s basically an example site that shows off all of the features that a theme is capable of producing. This visit will allow you to click around to see how the menu moves, the buttons respond, etc.

If you like what you see, it’s time to move on to the next factor.

WordPress Theme Factor #2 – Is the theme responsive or adaptive?

These days it is absolutely vital to have a website that is visible on ANY type of device, be it desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. One way to ensure that your site is viewed the way it is intended, no matter what screen is being used, is by building your site using a responsive or adaptive theme. If you aren’t familiar with the difference between the two, read more here.

If the WordPress theme you like is either responsive or adaptive, move on to the next factor.

WordPress Theme Factor #3 – Date Published, Last Updated, Number of Sales

If you’re looking to purchase a WordPress theme from a site like Creative Market, you’ll see stats regarding the specific timeline of the theme. When it was first released, how often and how recent it was updated, and the number of sales that the theme has seen.

Why is this important? It gives you insight on how likely the developer is to continue supporting the theme with updates in order to maintain compatibility with new WordPress platform updates. What you want to see here is that the developer is continuing to release updates as necessary in order to fix issues and remain cutting edge. The last thing you’d like is to build a brand new site on a theme that is absolutely obsolete.

The number of sales is a very simple indicator of how much people like the WordPress theme when they see its listing. While it’s not an absolute deciding factor on whether or not you should make a purchase, the bottom line is that the more people who have purchased the theme – the better the support from the theme’s developer will likely be.

Happy with the numbers? Move on to the next factor.

WordPress Theme Factor #4 – What are the available support options?

No matter how experienced you might be with building websites, theme support is absolutely vital. Why? Because even with all the skill in the world, having access to the team that designed the theme – line for line – will save you so much time and effort when it comes to problem-solving. The development team knows every single character of the WordPress theme’s code like the back of their hand and will likely be able to answer any questions you might pose within seconds of you asking.

Quality of the support you may (or may not) receive is another important option to consider. Large e-commerce platforms that sell themes from a number of different developers will connect you with the support options available but they do not actually provide the support themselves. Others like Elegant Themes provide you with a collection of WordPress themes that they’ve developed on their own and then give you 24/7 access to a team of wildly brilliant coding pros who can help you with every single one of your needs. This type of support can be worth its weight in gold if you’re just starting out or really need assistance navigating new WordPress themes.

So here’s the bottom line… which WordPress theme should you pick?

If you’ve gone through this list of four factors and your favorite WordPress theme is passing with all kinds of flying colors, then go ahead and try it out! Upload the theme to your WordPress dashboard, install the demo content, and start customizing!

Ready to get started but haven’t purchased a domain name or set up hosting yet? Head over to BlueHost to get your account set up and click on ‘install WordPress’. It’s super simple!

Can’t decide? I’d love to help!

Here’s how you can reach me:

Amy Sallie
ATTERBIE LLC
Hudson, OH 44236
amy@atterbie.com

Today we covered:
How to Pick a WordPress Theme

You may also be interested in reading:
How to Start a Blog In 9 Minutes

In the spirit of honesty and full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links, which means that I may get a commission if you decide to purchase anything from one of my favorite companies listed above. I only recommend products and systems that I use and love myself, so I know you’ll be in good hands.

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The post How to Pick a WordPress Theme appeared first on Atterbie.

Let’s face it. They’re all over your website. Hundreds, sometimes thousands depending on how long you’ve been in business.

So how can you use this to your advantage? Let’s break it down…

1.  Every image on your website is a representation of your brand.

Keep the look and feel consistent. Make sure you’re proud of the work you are showcasing. Your portfolio can make or break a sale.

2. Set up your image details properly.

Again, consistency is key. You’ll hear that a lot around here. Before you even upload an image, make sure that the filename is focused on the keywords/phrases of your page/post. Once uploaded, add your alt text and again make sure that the keywords/phrases are included. In the example below, our key phrase is “DIY SEO for Photographers Guide”.

TIP:  Add your keywords/phrases and your business name. After a little time, check out Google image search.

3. Use images to break up your content.

Any blog post or website page should have around 300 words of content in order for best case on-page optimization. That said, posts don’t have to read like the intro to your favorite novel. Use the beautiful images you’ve so carefully chosen for your website in order to break up the copy and keep your readers’ attention.

4. Placing images throughout your site.

When placing photos throughout your website, keep in mind the standard screen size. Photographers often have huge beautiful monitors that allow them to meticulously edit their images. This is AWESOME for anyone who also has a wildly large screen, but here’s the thing… there’s this whole slew of people who work on laptops or view your website on their cell phone. Every now and then, pull up your website on a device you don’t usually use and make sure it looks/feels exactly how you want it to (especially the images).

5. Image size.

Assuming you have a gazillion images on your site (or will soon), the size of your images will have a major impact on how quickly your site loads. For crazy details on image size and how to make every single image look amazing on your site, check out this article from the good developers at Google.

Go ahead and apply these tips to each and every image on your website. If it feels overwhelming, go ahead and take one page or one post at a time. The results you see will motivate you to finish the rest.

We’d love to hear your ideas for the fourth step in our DIY SEO for Photographers Guide! Leave all of your SEO questions in the comments below and we’ll get you answers.  

The post DIY SEO for Photographers Guide – Atterbie appeared first on Atterbie.

With that in mind, we’ve created this DIY SEO series for folks who have some extra time and want to learn how to apply simple SEO practices to their websites that will help improve their site’s search ranking.

And now for the first step in DIY SEO series…

SEO:101 – Define your Keywords and Phrases.

Keywords and phrases are the specific terms people enter into a search engine (like Google) to find whatever product, service, or information they’re looking for. Knowing the terms that your ideal clients are looking for will help you determine how to properly market your website.

Example: If you are a photographer who takes pictures of babies who were just born, your keyword may include… Newborn Photographer, Baby Photographer, Baby Photos, etc.

Once you’ve figured out what the general terms that people are looking for, it’s time to think about how you can narrow these keywords and phrases down to best describe your business.

The first thing you must consider is niche. Do you serve a specific portion of the market or offer a product that is unique to your business? Make sure to include terms that will help set you apart from the competition.

Example: If you are a photographer who focuses on elopements, don’t rely on “wedding photographer” to best describe your services. Make sure you utilize “elopement photographer” while making your DIY SEO plans.

The second thing you must take into account is location. Most photographers serve the area located within 1.5 hours (at most) of their studio or home base. With that in mind, you can add general locations to your keywords to filter out clients who you will likely not travel all day to photograph.

Example:  If you are a family photographer located in Detroit, Michigan – make sure that you use “Detroit” as a keyword.

Don’t be afraid of losing people searching for those general “family photographer” terms. Ideal clients are looking for photographers who will serve their specific needs. While you may get traffic from around the world if you one day have high rankings with the term “family photographer”, chances are you won’t want to travel to Timbuktu to do a one-hour family session.

We’re going for quality over quantity here folks!  

Questions? Comment below or email info@atterbie.com for help.      Atterbie – Digital Marketing Solutions – SEO Services – SEO Hudson, Ohio – Search Engine Optimization – SEO For Photographers

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• PRO: You get to see what people like about your website and your Pinterest profile.
• CON:  It’s another set of data that you now have to decode.
• You MUST have a business account in order to see your analytics.

Once you’ve logged into your Pinterest business account, hover over “Analytics” in the top menu on the left and then click on “Overview“. This is the main dashboard that shows you a summary of three areas:

• Your Profile – how well the pins that you share are performing.
• People You Reach – the number of people that see and/or act on your pins.
• Website Performance – the views that pins from your website get on Pinterest.

Understanding these terms will help you find meaning behind the numbers:

• Impressions – the number of times a Pin from your profile has appeared on Pinterest home feeds, category feeds and search.
• Average Monthly Viewers – includes anyone who sees a Pin from your profile on their feeds.
• Repins – the number of times someone saved your Pin to one of their boards. This is how people can discover your content on Pinterest.
• Clicks – This data shows the number of clicks on Pins from your profile.

Follow these steps to set up a new business account or to convert your current account to a business account.

Happy pinning!

The post How to interpret Pinterest Analytics data appeared first on Atterbie.

Here’s a list of 11 ways to share the good news:

1. Announce your new website via status updates on your personal social media profiles.
2. Add a link to your new website to the “about” area of your personal social media profiles.
3. Create business social media profiles for your blog / website and invite your friends/family to follow them.
4. Create business cards (make sure you include a link to your new website) and pass them out to everyone you see that may fit into your target audience.
5. Add a link to your new website to holiday cards.
6. Join local small business groups via social media and share a link to your new website (along with a brief description of your services or purpose) with the group members.
7. If you are an online business that sells products or a specific service, join your local chamber of commerce and ask to be added to their local business listings.
8. If your website is of a professional nature, add a listing to Google Business and get added to Google Maps.
9. Develop a mailing list for consistent e-blasts and utilize a sign-up option on your website or via social media to grow your distribution list.
10. Go on a vacation and add a link to your new website with all of the photos you post.
11. Hire a skywriter to formally advertise your domain name to the world.

If you’ve tried all these things (sans the skywriter) and are still having trouble, let us know in the comments below or email info@atterbie.com. We’d be happy to help you brainstorm ideas or help you create a SEO plan that will help grab the attention of potential customers.

Happy announcing! xoxo Atterbie

The post It’s time to show off your hard work! appeared first on Atterbie.

While it provides a lot of information, browsing through the Google Analytics website can be very overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for or how to interpret the data.

Don’t worry, we can help! We’ll comb through the data and provide you with a monthly report that contains all the information you need to know, in a way that is super easy to digest.

But first, we need access to good stuff! While you are welcome to send us your login and we’ll take care of the rest, there is another way…

Follow these steps to give us permission to access your account data:

1. Go to www.google.com/analytics
2. Sign into your analytics account
3. In the main menu, click on “Admin”
4. In the right column under “View”, make sure “All Website Data” is selected, then click on “User Management”
5. In the right column, you’ll see a box titled “Add permissions for:”
   1. Enter the email address:  atterbie@gmail.com
   2. Choose “Read & Analyze” for the permission type
6. Check the box “Notify this user by email”
7. Click on “Add”

Questions? Email us at info@atterbie.com and we’ll help you out!

We can also help with creating a new Google Analytics account or adding the tracking code to your website if it is not already installed.

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