A "Juicy" Headline Hint from Google

Want to quench your thirst for Google juice? Here's a headline tip for press releases that I received yesterday via an annoucement from Business Wire:

Shorter Headlines Can Lead to Google Juice

Lock up your long-winded headlines.

This week, Google alerted Business Wire that press release headlines should not exceed 22 words. That's eight words shorter than what we were told months ago. "An ideal headline should be between two and 22 words," advises the search engine giant.

Click here to view a lengthier explanation at BusinessWired (Business Wire's blog).

Stealing Pat O’Bryan’s Sales Letter Secrets in Ash Fork, Arizona

I just returned from spending a couple of relaxing days with Michelle (my wife) and Mary (my daughter) at my aunt’s cabin outside of Ash Fork, Arizona.

Right before we hit the road on Thursday morning, I was lucky enough to receive the latest book from Internet marketing expert Pat O’Bryan. The mailman’s delivery of “Your Portable Empire: How to Make Money Anywhere While Doing What You Love” made me even more excited to get moving because I knew there would soon be plenty of time to soak in O’Bryan’s teachings.

The environment at the solar-powered cabin where we stayed proved perfect for relaxation – calm breezes, zero traffic, beautiful scenery, wildlife sightings and, most importantly, no ringing phones, e-mail or even a computer in sight. As a result, I spent a good portion of Thursday and Friday outside, reading O’Bryan’s book from a bench on the front porch.

Maybe it was the serene setting (the photo below shows the view from the bench) …



It could have been the feeling of total relaxation that encased my body …

But getting an opportunity to read O’Bryan’s book without any interruption (minus the occasional request from my 2-year-old daughter to play in the rocks off the front edge of the porch) made it seem like he was spilling his secrets while sitting right next to me. I could almost hear him speak word for word.




Yes, I understand this confession sounds a little crazy, but I guess that’s what happens when you get a rare opportunity to dive into a good book without any distractions.

One chapter that was especially energizing was O’Bryan’s Introduction to Copywriting. As a copywriter, I’m always anxious to read tips and tricks from other people who have experienced success creating content that generates sales.

In O’Bryan’s case, his writing has helped sell hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of his own informational products. What makes his story so unique is he admits to being a relative newcomer to copywriting and Internet marketing in general.

Below are some of O’Bryan’s tips for writing an effective sales page.

• A well-written sales page includes the “big seven”: headline, bullet points, subheads, the body, the guarantee, the close and the P.S.



• Ninety percent of your effort should go into writing your headline, because 90 percent of the effectiveness of your copy depends on it.



• Writing sales copy has nothing to do with intellect. People buy with their emotions and justify it with their intellect.



• Anything with quotation marks around it will stand out.



• If you notice an ad that runs for several months with the same headline, write that headline down! It’s working.



• Bullet points are only slightly less important that headlines. Almost all of your readers will read them.



• Don’t be afraid of long copy … A person who is contemplating a purchase, especially the purchase of an expensive item, wants to know all there is to know about the item.



• The two best kinds of testimonials are from experts and people just like your customer.



• The longer the guarantee, the lower the return rate.



• Bonuses make sales.



• Everybody reads the P.S. … Use the P.S. to convince the reader who has passed right by the “buy now” button to retrace his steps and buy.

As a bonus, O’Bryan followed up the copywriting chapter by interviewing Joe Vitale (my all-time favorite copywriter), who revealed one of his favorite headline techniques.

Vitale said he likes to ask a question in a headline because it engages a reader’s mind. The trick, he added, is creating a question that can’t be answered with a yes or no without reading the rest of your sales letter.

His example: “Which of These Seven Secrets Will Help You Save the Most Money on Your Taxes?”

I’m especially fond of this tip because it builds on what I previously described in this blog as “The Most Powerful Force in Direct Marketing” – curiosity.

Of course, there are plenty of additional tips and tricks for you to discover in “Your Portable Empire.” If you’re interested in making money online, this is one resource you’ll want in your reference library.

Happy writing and reading!

Did You Smell That?

Today I was introduced -- thanks to an interview that's part of Joe Vitale's Hypnotic Gold program -- to the work of David Ledoux, an author, speaker and world-famous trainer. After retiring in 2005 at the age of 37, David became a full-time blogger. Four months ago, he created a new "lifestyle blog" at www.didyousmellthat.com that already receives up to 1,000 visitors a day.

During today's interview, David revealed many tips for generating traffic, including how you can get Google to index your blog every day. The information he revealed was some of the best I've ever heard. If you're curious to know what it takes to rapidly boost your blog traffic, I encourage you to check out his Oct. 7 post, "How Do I Get Indexed in Google Quickly."

In case you're wondering, David said his record for getting new information picked up by Google is a mere 43 minutes!

Free Business-Building Seminar

Join Tom Trush, owner of Write Way Solutions, as well as Grant Armendariz, manager of Business Wire’s Scottsdale office, and Malcolm Atherton, account executive and EON specialist, on Friday, Oct. 26, as they present:

How to Build Your Prospects’ Trust Without Saying a Word

and

The Importance of SEO and Social Media for Press Releases

• The most effective way to instantly build trust, establish credibility and eliminate your prospects’ fears
  
• A trouble-free adjustment you can make to traditional advertising/sales methods (i.e., billboards, newspaper ads, cold calling, etc.) that can significantly boost the return on your investment
  
• 5 simple steps that can skyrocket your website traffic in as little as 30 days … for FREE
  
• Quick tips and techniques you can use immediately that can help improve the search engine visibility and interactivity of your press releases
  
• The simplest way to solve your prospects’ most difficult dilemma, regardless of your industry
  
• Proven techniques for writing and formatting that can help boost your search engine optimization
  
• 6 FREE tools for helping you research the keywords and phrases your customers really use to search for your company’s services or products on the Internet
  
• The online resource you can use to build your own blog – and drive traffic to it – for FREE in less than 5 minutes
  
• How to leverage your press releases into a direct-to-consumer online marketing tool for your company’s products and services
  
• The value of adding multimedia to your press releases and how to choose an effective photo
  
• And much more!

Seminar Schedule: 7:30 – 8 a.m.: Continental breakfast and networking
8 – 9 a.m.: Presentation
9 – 9:15 a.m.: Q & A session and free raffle

Location: RE/MAX New Heights Resource Center, 6437 S. Central Ave., in Phoenix

RSVP: Please RSVP to Tom Trush at info@tomtrush.com by Oct. 24 to secure your seat.

Mortgage Marketing: The Easiest Way to Solve Your Prospects’ Most Difficult Dilemma

I'm sending the following article to my mortgage marketing list tomorrow morning. However, since the topic is relevant to just about any industry, I thought I would also post it here.

The Easiest Way to Solve Your Prospects’ Most Difficult Dilemma

I think you will agree …

Funding loans has become a challenge, especially now that the number of qualified prospects has seemingly dwindled. For this reason alone, brokers and loan officers are leaving the mortgage industry in record numbers.

For people like you still searching for leads during this well-publicized downturn, the outlook might seem bleak. However, for a copywriter like me who helps people promote their products and services, these troubling times mean only one thing: unlimited opportunity.

No, not for me … YOU!

After all, fewer people in the mortgage industry means less competition for those prospects who need loans, right?

A couple of weeks ago, during a meeting to discuss some new website material, a real estate client of mine declared, “Now is the perfect time to double my market share.” Here in Phoenix where foreclosures are soaring and real estate sales are far below the peak numbers of 2004 and 2005, her statement might seem absurd – but I couldn’t agree with her more!

The one constant throughout this mortgage crisis is confusion. Due to infrequent purchases of mortgage products, most prospects already consider securing funding for their homes a daunting task. Unfortunately for you, confusion often leads to indecision or, even worse, false assumptions.

A low interest rate or monthly payment in your promotional materials won’t look appealing if your prospect thinks he can’t qualify.

So what are you currently doing to educate your prospects? Are you presenting them with written solutions to common misconceptions related to securing a loan? Have you provided information that details frequent mistakes people make during the lending process?

Offering this type of information is a simple solution to your prospects’ most difficult dilemma. What’s more, when you provide information your prospects perceive as valuable, they view you as an expert. You build instant credibility!

We are a society that thrives on knowledge. Your prospects crave easy-to-find information to eliminate confusion and make their lives easier.

Need proof of how much people are seeking information to solve a problem? Look at the explosion of the online eBook industry. These valuable resources offer instant information on virtually any topic. What’s more, they’re offered in a compact form that is accessible at any time simply by opening a file on your computer.

Heck, I even have an eBook specifically focused on quick and easy tips for mortgage marketing. (You can find out more about Do-It-Yourself Mortgage Marketing Made Easy: How to Profitably Promote Your Mortgage Services Using Simple Writing … Even on a Limited Budget by visiting www.diymortgagemarketing.com.)

Once you gather your responses to your prospects’ most common mistakes and misconceptions, I encourage you to put them into an article or report format that is accessible for free on your website. You can also use them as a bonus incentive in your direct-mail pieces or newsletter.

Not only is providing your prospects with educational information an effective marketing technique, it’s guaranteed not to break your budget.

Monday Motivation: Free Tips for Achieving Your Dream

As much as you might hate to admit it, Monday is just around the corner. For those of you who need some motivation for the upcoming week, I encourage you to check out the following recording from Lois Tiedemann. For a limited time, the global sales trainer, speaker and teacher is offering a 30-minute audio with tips for helping you achieve your dream, build a fortune or create a business you can sell. Listen to it now by clicking here.

5 Simple Steps to Skyrocket Your Website Traffic in as Little as 30 Days … for FREE!

Getting visitors to your website and increasing your search engine ranking doesn't always have to be an expensive process. Here are five easy-to-implement suggestions you can start using today to boost your website traffic.

Step 1: Write and distribute articles. Publishing articles online using a free service such as EzineArticles or Articlesbase will help boost your search engine ranking, making you more accessible to prospects who search terms related to your industry. Search engines love content-rich websites that are updated often.

In addition, the more you have other websites linking back to your website, the better chances you have for higher search engine placement. Article distribution services help this cause by making it easy for publishers to upload your writing for use in their newsletters or websites, meaning any links to your website reach an even larger audience.

Step 2: Use the link building and link exchange approach. As stressed in Step 1, the more text links you have directed to your website, the better chance you have of receiving higher search engine placement. So make it your objective to get your website listed on as many relevant websites as possible.

What’s a relevant website, you ask? A website that includes a significant amount of content similar is subject (or theme) to what is written on your website. For an excellent article on how you can use Google News to find relevant links targeted to your business, click here.

Step 3: Write and distribute press releases. Not only is a properly written press release a cost-effective and efficient means for getting your news to a large audience, it can help drive traffic to your website, especially when circulated online. A distribution service can help deliver your press release to a wide online audience.

Companies such as PRLeap will even distribute your release for free. You’ll always want to include your website’s URL in any press release. That way whenever it’s posted online, you’ll have another one-way link back to your website.

Step 4: Make use of social media. If you haven’t done so already, create a blog for posting articles, press releases and news about your business. There are multiple ways for creating your first blog – one of the easiest options is Blogger. Best of all, it’s free. With Blogger, you can be online in less than five minutes. Once your blog is functional, be sure to visit Technorati to “claim” your blog. This will help with your search engine ranking and make it easier for online visitors to find your postings.

Also, why not create videos to help promote your company and demonstrate your knowledge? Today’s technology has made creating and sharing videos easy … and free. Check out YouTube or Google Video to post and help generate ideas for your next video. (While you’re making a video, you may want to consider creating a podcast as well.)

Step 5: Post comments in forums. Do you frequently have an opinion for just about any topic? Use this trait to your advantage by seeking out forums with information similar to the topics covered on your website. Post your comments and include a link back to your website in your signature.

The increasing popularity of social media makes it as easy as ever to find articles, blog postings, videos and podcasts. Again, check out Technorati as well as websites such as Digg and ContentPop for information you can comment on that is relevant to the topics on your website.