Google Alerts is a favorite tool I’ve been using for about a year now. This versatile, simple and easy to use tool not only helps for building links, but it is also great for relationship building, content ideas and development, research, finding industry or topical news and so much more… I should note right away that I learned about this tool during a conversation I was having with Eric Ward (link building god) about building links for a contest I was running. He mentioned it to me as a way to determine if my press releases had been picked up. I quickly realized the power of this free and easy to use tool, now I’m going to share the secret powers if this nasty little weapon with you… To understand it’s power you first need to know what it does, so let me show you how Google Alerts works. How Google Alerts Works What It Does Simply, Google Alerts sends you an email notification when NEW web sites appear at the top of Google search results for any keyword you specify. Ohhhhh I can hear your cerebral wheels spinnin’ already…. But first: How To Set Up Google Alerts First, you need to sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one, get one and learn everything Google wants you to know, here: www.google.com/support/accounts. Then, you input a SEARCH TERM (keyword or phrase) you want to be alerted about. Next, you select what TYPE of search results you want to receive alerts from. You can get ‘alerts’ for results from: web search blog search Google News Google Groups Google Video There’s also an alert you can choose the ‘Comprehensive Alert’ that will provide the results from web, news, & blogs all together (but categorized). Alert items (websites) are selected from the top ‘X’ results in these numbers/categories: 10 for blogs/news/videos, 15 for Google Groups and 20 for web search. Next, you select how often you want to be alerted. By day As-it-happens Weekly Finally, you input the email address you want to be notified at, and after clicking ‘Create Alert’, you’re done! The 10 Google Alerts Secrets Here are the secrets that will allow Google Alerts to be one of your best internet marketing weapons: Secret #1 - Find posts to comment on for link building Using the main keyword(s) your site is about, use BLOG ALERTS for finding posts related your blog or website, so you can post comments to get links from ‘related’ websites. Some Follow

EMAIL OPTIMIZATION FORMULAS What is the most effective way to approach an email messaging optimization project: Where should you begin? The MarketingExperiments Email Optimization Sequencesm The MarketingExperiments Email Optimization Sequencesm, by its structure and notation, is designed to convey this essential optimization principle: You should sequence your optimization efforts in the opposite order from the physical conversion-to-sale process. In the physical conversion-to-sale process: You first identify prospects by accumulating email addresses. For house lists this is accomplished through email capture, represented in the Email Optimization Sequencesm as “ec”. Once your message arrives, you must inspire your prospect to open it.  This is represented in the Sequence as “op”. Your next objective is to motivate them to “click through,” represented as “ct”. Finally, you must “close the sale.” For the Web site-based conversion model that begins with the offer on the “Landing Page,” represented as “lp”. Although the Sequence symbols are listed from left to right in accordance with the physical conversion process, the “operator” symbols point from right to left: When performing the optimization process, start with the end in mind. MarketingExperiments recommends applying an email-specific formula called the Email Messaging Effectiveness Indexsm, shown below, to each stage in the optimization sequence, Key point: The variables in the index apply to every step of the conversion process, but the way in which they are applied is unique at each stage. This concept is illustrated by the arrow from the Landing Page step of the Optimization Sequence formula to the Email Messaging Effectiveness Index: BACKGROUND Let’s now look at the first element in the relationship between the offer Landing Page and your email’s effectiveness: Relevance, or “rv” in the Index above. Merriam-Webster Online defines relevance as: 1 a: relation to the matter at hand b: practical and especially social applicability : pertinence <giving relevance to college courses> 2: the ability … to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user. Relevance in Landing Page Optimization Creating relevance between the Landing Page and the visitors’ motivations when Follow