Use Google Alerts to See Your Impact on the Web

By now, most of us have "googled" our names to see what shows up in the mighty search engine about us. But do you use Google Alerts the same way? If not, you should check it out. Go to Google Alerts, type in your search criteria (I suggest putting your search terms in quotation marks; e.g., "Dana Neuts" or "Virtually Yourz"), what alerts you wish to receive (news, blogs, web, video, groups or comprehensive), how often you want to receive them, and where you want those alerts emailed.

I set at least one alert per client to come to me on a weekly basis. That way I can monitor how successful my marketing efforts are as well as what others are saying about my clients online. It is easy to set up, easy to monitor and FREE. You've gotta love FREE. When I get the alerts, if there is anything noteworthy, I forward it to my client so they can benefit from that knowledge as well. Check it out: Google Alerts.


Virtually Yourz,
Dana Neuts

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Article Marketing - The Value of the Resource Box

While the quality of an article is critical to proving the expertise of an author in a given subject area, the accompanying resource box serves to further anchor the reader’s interest. The most persuasive resource box will explain how the author has become knowledgeable in a given field, providing information regarding experience, business pursuits and contact information.

As article submission and distribution sites typically limit the number of characters available to 500 or less, it is best to avoid résumé duplication and provide two or three sentences of information including the author’s name, website URL and business experience.

Inclusion of a free product (ezine, newsletter, quote or video) will also provide an additional incentive for the reader to visit your website, leading to a meaningful increase in traffic and potential sales.

Examples of resource boxes:

- Marty Marketer is the owner of ABC Marketing Services, a firm representing a combined total of 37 years of marketing experience. For more information regarding our services and how we can help your business grow and succeed, sign up for our free monthly newsletter at www.ABCmarketing.com. (301 characters)

- With 20 years of professional experience and a degree in business administration, Dana Blozis is the president of Virtually Yourz, a Seattle-based firm specializing in writing, editing and marketing services for small businesses and nonprofits. Visit www.virtuallyyourz.com to sign up for our free marketing newsletter. (341 characters)


Virtually Yourz,
Dana Blozis