Finding the keywords or long-tail keyword phrases that your readers are using to find you is probably one of the most challenging tasks we face in internet marketing.

There are all kinds of software programs and many ebooks have been written on this subject to help you. Are you actually finding the gold nugget keywords that drive your pages to the top of the search engines?

I have a few suggestions that may help you.

Google Adwords has a great free tool that helps you to see what the average search volume is, advertiser competition, and returns a list of keywords related to your original keyword submission.

Jennifer “Potpie Girl” Ledbetter posted about how she does keyword research and has some very helpful tips on the subject.

I am studying Linda Carroll’s golden ladder method of finding keywords with high KEI (keyword effectiveness index) and am finding that I really enjoy research. In fact, I like it so much  that I’m creating a new site to offer a service to those who find this a daunting task or just don’t have time for it.

Stay tuned, I’ll let you know when the site is live so you can head on over and put  me to work for you.

Conducting an interview with an expert gives your readers more dimension to their experience with the subject of your blog or website. You’ve heard it said that if you want success in whatever field you’re pursuing, to find a mentor. Follow in the footsteps of someone who has already made it. Talking with an expert gives you a chance to ask the questions that will help you and your readers understand what it takes to get there.

This article will explain how I prepared for the few interviews I’ve conducted.

Tools to have on hand:

Conference Line: Get an account for free telephone conferencing. There are several sites where you can get a free conference line, and the one I chose is Free Conference Call because it’s very easy to use and I have not had any problem with the recording function. I’d suggest practicing with a friend before your first interview just so you feel confident when the time comes for the live call.

Audio Editing Software: You’ll next want to be able to edit the recording and the free software that I find easy to use is called Audacity. There is a short segment at the beginning and ending of the recording you’ll want to eliminate. I’ve included a short video to demonstrate how to edit your audio.

You will either want to embed the audio in your blog post or website. The other alternative is to send an email blast to your list. Instructions for this should be available at your autoresponder site.

Now that you have the tools and you are confident in how to use them, you’ll want to schedule the call with your expert.

Do some research so you’re familiar with their work.

Make a list of open ended questions that you can’t easily find the answers to on your own. Invite your expert to suggest a few questions for you to ask him/her that they might want people to know about.

Send your questions to the expert along with a time and date for the call so that they can be well prepared.

Notify your list that you’ll be doing an interview and to look forward to the blog post, email with the audio or whatever method you’re going to use to share the interview.

During the interview: spend a few minutes chatting with the person just to ease any nerves and to establish some rapport if you’ve never talked with this person before.

Mention to the listeners that at the end of the call there will be a special offer, (if you’ve prepared one) so that they will continue to listen. Spell any url that isn’t obvious.

Have fun . . . . the tone and quality of your voice will let your listeners know that you genuinely care about your subject and will make it fun for them, too.

“Every marketer knows the importance of testimonials and how they can impact sales conversions. Statistics also show that the interjection of humor into the sales process can increase sales.

Put these two elements together and what do you get?

Introducing…. Fauxmonials™”

This week’s featured site is Andy Moore, aka Laptop Louie’s site  called Fauxmonials™.

I chose this site because it offers a unique service and I really admire Andy’s creativity. If you watch and listen to the interview I did with Andy a couple of days ago, you’ll find out about a special offer Andy has for you.

Like Andy stated in the quote I took from his site, marketers know that testimonials add credibility to your site and when you add humor to the mix, I think you have a winning combination.

Click To Play

There are generic Fauxmonials that you can add to your site that will engage your readers, but I find that the custom Fauxmonial helps direct the reader to parts of the blog or site that might get overlooked. Go ahead and click on the play button over there to your right and listen to the custom Fauxmonial that Andy/Laptop Louie created for my blog.

Listen to our interview and at the end Andy will have a special offer for you.

Warmly,

Theresa