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I may have written on this topic before. I do know that we have definitely discussed it with our All Private Label Content members, but not sure if I’ve addressed it on this blog. But because I’ve seen the topic creep up in a few places in the past week or so, I thought it was worth a chit-chat.

Here is the myth: You can buy search engine optimized PLR (private label rights) articles.

If you ever been sold PLR articles on the basis that they were keyword researched and search engine optimized, I’m afraid that you were sold what I’d like to call the “PLR Dream”.

I am not suggesting it was done maliciously or that anyone was out to scam you. I’m saying that people try to sell us what we want to hear…not necessarily what is practical or real. It happens with PLR, information products and software every single day. Sometimes, we need to use our more critical eyes to see through it.

Here’s the problem and why should never rely on the “optimization” of PLR articles:

These articles are being sold to other people. If we all take the article, “How to Stop Snoring” and put it on our site, how many of us do you think will rank well for that very specific phrase?

Not many.

Now, I’m not totally naive. Despite the fact, that everyone talks about Google’s duplicate filters, there are plenty of top 20 search results that will show the same article for the same keyword phrase.

Regardless, if the article is sold 50, 100 or even 1000 times…there is no way that everyone who uses it will rank for the target phrase.

So What Should You Do?

Do your own simple keyword research. Take a few moments and use Wordtracker or Google’s search tool and find an alternate suitable phrase.

Change the article to reflect that new phrase and rework the article slightly for that phrase as well. You can also edit for style, to suit your audience, etc. if you want. Top it off by making links to the article with the new keyword phrase and you’re more prepared to see some traffic.

Our full monthly members (All Mom Content, All Health Content, All Finance Content & All Marketing Content) have access to a video and guide that explains the whole process. But in all seriousness, it’s not that complicated. Simple RE-optimization is what will bring you the traffic.

Now, if you see PLR being sold as search engine optimized, no need to run the other way. If the quality is good, simply take the few extra steps most members won’t and get your yummy piece of the search engine pie.

A few years ago when John Reese released his Traffic Secrets, he really started drilling into our heads the importance of testing and improving conversion rates. These were very important lessons indeed and it suddenly everywhere you went, people were throwing out the standard advice, “Test it” or “Split Test It”. It continues to this very day.

That’s a good thing and the Internet does provide a great opportunity to inexpensively and quickly test to improve our marketing. But have you ever stopped to think that all this testing can sometimes lead you down the wrong path?

It’s Not Just the Non-Testers Who Run Their Business Blind

To me, just simply running testing data and adjusting solely based on what conversion numbers are telling you is running your business nearly as blind as someone who does no testing at all. See, there’s a fine line between immediate conversion rates and losing potential life-long customers. That’s exactly what can happen when you go by numbers and throw common sense out the window. What may gain a one-time customer today may repel another customer who could have been more valuable to you.

But until Now, I’ve Just Been Thinking about This to My Little ol’ Self.

That is, until I saw a recent blog entry by Michel Fortin and I wanted to shout with glee. As a self-labeled “fanatic tester”, Michel was warning people of its dangers. In his blog entry Customers Won’t Discount Your Dishonesty, Michel discusses the potential dangers of a particular exit strategy that has become very popular for rescuing sales from exit traffic. This method has been defended for boosting conversions, but Michel very poignantly highlights why it could be detrimental to business. Read the blog entry and resulting comments for an enlightening discussion.

But please - if you aren’t testing now, please don’t take this as an excuse not to. Testing data + educated/experienced analysis will help you maximize your opportunities.

In our attempt to provide our potential customers with the best possible experience, we’re often tempted to provide them with a wide variety of choices. But, have you ever stopped to consider that when you give your readers so much choice, they end up making no choice at all?

The fact of the matter is, people like things to be EASY. When you present them with choices, things become COMPLICATED. By directing your readers through step 1, step 2, step 3, etc. they are more likely to take action than if you present them with a variety of paths and possibilities.

This obviously isn’t any new type of revelation and you’ve probably heard this before. But how does it apply to your business? There are many possible places where removing choice might actually improve yourself.

Here are some testing points:

Limiting the categories of your online store, content website, etc. Instead, try sub-categories and having a good search function.

Limiting choices through affiliate links. There is extreme value in product reviews and comparisons, but if you’re writing a how-to guide or article for your users, limit their choices in the tools they can use to complete the job. For example, if you’re writing an article on “How to Caulk a Bathtub” tell them exactly which tools to use and link to them. Don’t give them options to compare caulking, etc. or they might end up making no decision at all.

Use opt-in (squeeze) pages to build your mailing list. If you write an article, forum post, etc. and want to use a signature/byline, send them to a page that is focused only on getting the opt-in to your newsletter instead of the main page of your website. An opt-in page gives your readers only 2 choices (sign up for your mailing list or not to sign up) whereas your main page provides a ton of choices, possible paths, etc. Plus, once you have them on your mailing list, you can contact them over and over again.

Limit distractions and navigation on sales pages. Each product should have it’s own page designed only to sell that one product. Yes, you can add upsells and offer additional items, but basically all you’re doing on that one page is selling that one product.

Help your readers through choices. Obviously, there will always be choices and it’s not always possible to give your readers one path to follow. Where you do need to include more complicated choices, make sure you guide your readers through the process. Use photographs, illustrations and screenshots. Couple that with complete instructions that can be in writing, audio or video. Just make sure it’s absolutely clear how to make it through the choices.

Again, these are just testing points. In most cases, you’ll probably find simplest is best, bringing more positive results to you, your customers and your business.

The other day, I was intrigued by Mila Sidman’s article entitled “The Truth about Outsourcing – STOP Throwing Money Down the Drain!” that she published in her May Issue of the Internet Based Moms Newsletter.

The gist of Mila’s well-written article was that in one’s desire to reduce their workload, they may be sacrificing profits and control over their business. She mentioned the often sought after 4-Hour Work Week and how this goal may not be in the best interest of everyone, especially when they don’t have a full understanding of their own business.

I completely agree and I’m sure my Outsourcing Sweetie students are aware that you always need to:

Have a good understanding of the various aspects of your business before you outsource them. i.e. Don’t just tell someone to make you a website and let them run with it. You don’t necessarily need to know anything about design and programming, but you do need to know how you want your site organize, what functionality you need, etc.

Constantly evaluate all the functions of your business, outsourced or not. The truth is, much of what a company does in a day isn’t likely very efficient or profitable. In fact, many of us confessed to this recently. Always reevaluate whether or not the various activities your business is involved in are profitable and/or necessary for your online business.

If you’ve been approaching outsourcing simply as a way to work less, it’s time to get back to basics. Without understanding your business needs and constant re-evaluation, you’re throwing your hard-earned money down the drain.

By the way, if you haven’t been inside Outsourcing Sweetie yet, grab your $10 sneak peek here. Do it the right way from the beginning and you’ll not only work less, but you’ll MAKE MORE too.

If there’s one thing that Internet marketers are good at doing (even if it’s not always changing light bulbs ), it’s shelling out advice and plenty of it.

Sometimes it’s good advice, sometimes it’s terrible advice and sometimes it’s purely fictional advice based on opinion. But most of the time, I’d venture to say it’s well-intentioned.

But even the most “well-intentioned, based on experience” advice you need to be careful with.

Some people will tell you that various marketing methods are “dead”. We’ve all heard that “Adsense is Dead”, “Article Marketing is Dead”, etc…etc…etc. Still, there are plenty of people making a killing using these tools.

You’ve probably been told by some people that trying to optimize your site for search engines is too difficult and the results don’t last, so it’s not worth it. Even so, many savvy website owners are raking in the cash and traffic with these methods.

People have probably warned you against safelists, traffic exchanges and other similar free types of exchanges. Heck, you’ve probably heard me say not to bother. Yet, others swear by the methods.

So, who’s right? I guess the answer is simple - nobody and everybody.

The answer to what is right for you, depends on:

How you use each method. When you hear people say a certain method doesn’t work, it’s often because they just haven’t applied to their businesses in ways that are effective.

Your market. Let’s face it, your home-baked dog biscuits probably aren’t going to fly on a safelist, while your twelve-tier affiliate program might have some appeal (sorry, I can’t help be a little bit cheeky).

Your own preferences. After all, just because something WORKS, doesn’t mean we have to do it if it doesn’t suit our business style or interests.

In the end, it’s you who needs to make the decisions on what is right for your online business. Look for people who have had success with certain methods and seek out information on HOW they used the methods and for which type of business. Just don’t take “XXXXX doesn’t work” as gospel from anyone.

Have you ever worried if you’re emailing your list too often? Have you had nightmares about losing subscribers, getting angry hate email and other horrible things?

You’re most certainly not alone. There is always a great debate on how much one should email their list. Some will boldly state appropriate intervals, but I haven’t a clue how anyone figures they can put out a blanket frequency rate for all lists, across all markets.

Stay in the Mind of Your Prospects & Customers

Your goal in email marketing is to keep your business in the minds of your prospects and customers. You also want to your readers to consider you the go-to source for information you share and the products you sell. If you email to infrequently, that could become problematic as they’ll just forget about you.

But what about the other side of the coin? Can you email too much?

Maybe, but what works best for your market and your list is up to you to test. You can look at open rates, response rates, etc. to help you determine what is best for you.

Personally, I email my Internet marketing list 2-3 times per week. Probably some people don’t like it, but I’ve found this works very well in the grand scheme of things and I’m here to please the majority of my active subscribers. If you’re on my list, you know that I tend to write short emails. And amongst the product promotions I do, there is plenty of free stuff, information, etc.

In other markets I’ve dabbled with, I’ve also found a similar formula works. Stay in contact a couple times per week, keeping it short and sweet.

But does that mean you need to start emailing more often if you’re not already?

No, of course not. If you’re on a weekly schedule and it suits you fine, don’t sweat it, but you might start doing some testing.

For example, if you’re sending a weekly email that includes information on a few different subjects, try breaking it up into multiple emails. Remember, when you give your readers too many topics to focus on at one time, you diminish your chances of them paying attention to all those subject. Instead, send them one subject per email at a time and see how that improves your response rates.

Above all, think value

In the end, it’s not really the frequency that’s important…it’s the value you provide your subscribers. If you deliver tremendous value, your readers will look forward to and act on your emails.

By the way: Email Marketing Reform School is coming soon…sign up for priority notification.

You may have heard other Internet marketers say that it’s a good idea to offer some kind of freebie to entice your visitors to sign up for your mailing list. That way you’ll get more people on your list that you can turn into subscribers.

This advice can be true, but it’s only telling part of the story.

Do it wrong and you might grow the list, but your responsiveness will go down the tubes.

The Key: Make sure the freebie is something created by your company, represents you and your products…and is very relevant to what you plan to sell to your list.

That may sound simple enough, but I see people scrambling to acquire resell/giveaway rights to products they can put as bribes for subscribers.

Why This is a Problem

This strategy promotes someone else’s business and showcases someone else’s expertise. To have a truly responsive list of your own, you have to knock their socks off with YOUR stuff. You want to start your relationship-building off with a bang and you can’t do that giving away Joe Blow’s Guide to Growing Beautiful Tulips.

Freebie Ideas

• A topic-specific report you created (if you use PLR, take it and make it unique, add your branding and promotions).
• Go the extra mile and create a full-on course (instead of a teeny-weeny report) that will show your readers exactly the kind of great stuff you are famous for.
• Coupons and other special offers for your product - particularly for shopping cart style websites with store update newsletters.
• Useful tools, spreadsheets, software…anything your customers need to help them eventually consume more of your products.

If you currently offer a freebie made and branded by someone else…cut it out. If you don’t offer one, try a highly-targeted free offer and see what it does for your opt-in rates. Take the time to create something that will WOW your readers and they’ll be tuned into what you have to say, week after week.

By the way, I posted a short and sweet guide on increasing your opt-ins using a 3-step strategy by Jimmy D. Brown last week. If you missed it, grab it for free here.

A lot of people hesitate to get help for their businesses, particularly enlisting help for writing tasks, because they will like they will lose the voice they want to keep in their business.

They mistakenly feel that they are the only people who can bring that personality and expertise to their writing. Well, while you and I may be talented writers with the ability to connect with our audiences, allowing ourselves to think we the only ones qualified to write could end up meaning either:

1. We’ll work ourselves into an early grave.

&/OR

2. We’re not maximizing all our opportunities to promote and build our businesses through the written word.

Let’s look at just some of the things writing can do for our online business:

Writing sells our products through pre-selling and sales copy.

Words help us connect with and sell to our email subscribers.

Writing makes building incoming links possible through its distribution (think articles, press releases, etc.).

Words allow us to build meaningful (and profitable) relationships with our blog readers.

Words are the building blocks of many info products we can create to sell.

The written word ensures our customers and potential customers have their questions and concerns addressed.

Writing helps seal the deal on joint venture partnerships.

Writing facilitates communication with our assistants, contractors and service providers.

…and that’s just scratching the surface. I don’t know about you, but I can’t do all of that all by myself. I’m guessing that if you think you can do it, you’re working yourself too hard.

Having Others Help You with Writing is Not a Loss of Voice

If you’re still concerned, consider these tips to help you get a hand with your writing (whether it’s a ghostwriter, customer service assistant, JV manager or someone else):

1. If you put your name to something that someone else wrote (ex. ghostwritten articles), read and edit the content to match your voice. Just because you hire someone, doesn’t mean you throw out control of your business. Save time by having most of the grunt work done and then make it better before publish it.

2. You don’t have to put your personal name on all the writing your business produces. Sometimes it’s hard for us to separate our personal selves from our businesses. But we are not our company and our company is not us. Yes, they are very linked together, but just like every other business in the world, we need to realize that there are many faces to our business, including the people who work for us.

3. Hire people or find contributors who represent your similar values and viewpoints. While you don’t have to agree on every fine point (remember, separate yourself from your company…just a little!), you can still build a team that represents your business appropriately.

So please…don’t hold yourself back because you’re caught up in thinking this is a one man or woman show. A business that grows and survives the test of the time allows for more than one voice. It really does.