Back Links - Powerful Guides To Showcase Your Work

I have been reading scads of information over the last couple of days that talk about the importance of backlinks. It really cannot be stressed enough that backlinks are a major tool that any successful SEO optimizer must understand and utilize.

I even found an article on Squidoo that explains how to make backlinks with html coding! Now, it seemed to work on my Word program, but it didn't work on the Squidoo lens I was trying to make! I don't know at this point what I was doing incorrectly, but it may be that parts of the Squidoo program don't allow linking in the body of your article. That was true in the case of an Ezine article I was writing. You had to find the appropriate place for your links, and place them in it.

When I find that little gem, I will post it.

In the meantime, I am practising with backlinking on Blogger, and you may find this Article On Saving Money (heh heh, like my linking?) enjoyable.

In addition, here is the link to the excellent Squidoo article that I was referring to How To Create Backlinks
I guarantee, if you are a newbie, you will want to put this article in your "favourites".

While you're visiting, set up an account at Squidoo. It can play importantly in your backlinking efforts.

It is considered a "Web 2.0 property". What is that, you well may ask? It's not easy to get a definition, because apparently its meaning is a little nebulous, but I think it means the popular sites that are easy to use, interactive and are "do follow" as far as search engines are concerned.

From what I understand at this stage of the game, is that there are sites that Google simply looks at, there are others it checks for links and follows them, hopefully to your site, and therefore, the process can boost your web presence and ultimately your SERP (search engine ranking p) I think the acronym should actually be SEPR (search engine page ranking) but SERP sounds better when you say it, doesn't it!?

Now, if you are on a Web 2.0 site, and you have an account, you want to put links on your articles that point back to your blog or site. What used to be called reciprocal links is easier when you are technically reciprocating to yourself. I think it could be compared to the Hansel and Gretel story, leaving behind breadcrumbs to follow.

Visit these sites, produce and post good quality, relevant articles that can refer to your monetized site.

Squidoo has the added benefit of being able to be monetized too, so you may be pleasantly surprised to find it makes a little cash. This is what one blogger found. Read what she says. Update on Earnings

Working From Home - Quality Should Come First

Naturally, when you are online, reading about all those money making opportunities that "anyone" can do, and are so easy, it is tempting to get impatient for something to start happening.

There is no doubt about it - if you want to work at home by blogging and web marketing, you are going to have to do a lot of reading and researching before you do any writing, well, you can do plenty of writing, but the money making, that may take a while.

You will hear the ones that say easy, quick, blah blah, but there are many more saying, "quality content" "quality work".  I, for one, am really glad. I remember the days of junky links! It was a real pain! Surfing was just that, skimming over the surface, because there wasn't much in the way of depth.

I'd much rather take the time and build for the long term, than try to get it done quickly and let quality suffer.

So, it is going to take time, if you want to do a good job. Take the time. It will be worth it in the long run.
I guess I can't really say that at this point in my own journey, but based on what I'm learning from others, it is truly the case.

I'd like to give a nod to some of the fabulous sites I've been visiting lately Biz Chick Blogs ,  Flippa Chick. Try also, and this is one I REALLY identify with, Passive Income Online

Work From Home - Other Ideas

I should say, that though I'm attempting this new venture, it isn't the first of my jobs from home.
There are lots of work at home opportunities that you can try.

Several years ago, I trained as a dog groomer. I worked at that from home for over 3 years. It is something you can work at from your own home, and the start up costs are quite reasonable. If you love animals, it is an excellent work at home opportunity.

I found that my business grew not just with grooming clientele, but also dog daycare requests. I was surprised how many people are on the look out for someone to take their pet in for a few days, in a home environment.

You should be located in a high traffic area. We are rather rural and out of the way, so my business was limited largely due to the distances involved. However, I know, that had I been in a position to move to town, I would have had a busy, full time business.

Of course, we are talking here about home based business or work from home ideas and opportunities. You could open a separate location, but that would require that you are not actually working from home.

One of the big draws of working from home, is the much lower overhead. You can work your business right out of your own premises, and that cuts down dramatically on your up front costs.

Posting or Optimizing - The Chicken and Egg Question of Online Marketing

I've said before on this blog that web marketing is hard, tedious work. It takes a lot of time.  I came across a site yesterday, and it is one of many programs, that claims to provide you with a way of setting up your web based, work from home business, without having to understand a lot of the technical stuff that goes with it.

Now, I know there's a lot to learn. I'm pretty sure that plunking down some money to some web hosting company, whose programs have all the "bells and whistles", would be easier. That may give me an edge on getting my blog or web page out there. But if you don't have the money, you have to do the slogging and the legwork. That is precisely what this blog is about. The slogging, the false starts, the frustration, the learning curve. I hope it will eventually be about the victory.

I find it gets discouraging when you listen to these presentations and think, "Boy, I'd sure like to just do the fun stuff" or "I had no idea about "metatags" or "links? what links? How do I get links?" You think you've gotten a handle on the process, but then you realize how little you actually know. And the bills keep piling up. Ever notice they seem BIGGER when you don't have a steady income stream!?!

Of course, I hope to understand all this stuff eventually, and to pass on what I've learned to others. Maybe, for you, the way to go is to buy they programs that the hosters offer. Whatever you choose to do, I hope it makes your work at home dreams come true!

The question of what to do first, as stated in my title, is kind of circular, just like the debate of the chicken and the egg. In reality, though, since life was created, the chicken came first, and reproduced after its kind, so I need a "chicken", a content rich blog or website. Then, with some "meat" to work with, I build the other stuff around it.

I have been busy in the background, building relationships, inviting people I 'meet' online, to check out my blog, offer feedback. I do the same for them. I think its only fair. "Do unto others, as you would have them do to you." Excellent principle. Help others and they will do the same for you.

I have, as a result, some "followers" some comments and a feeling of reaching some sort of goal.

The goal of all sites is TRAFFIC. Ultimately, your goal is to make a living. Traffic translates eventually into business.

Posting Those Little Buttons

Its not just a matter of cut and paste, like can be done with one line links. That's was the extent of my "link" ability. However, if you want those colourful buttons or banners, you have to make sure you are in HTML mode on your Blogger posting page.

Usually, for regular entries, you'll be on, or at least you should be on, the Compose tab. I wasn't and was having an awful time. I couldn't find my "link" icon at all.

Fortunately the good people at Google helped me figure that all out. So, I went into my Edit HTML tab when I was posting, and cut and pasted the link from the appropriate affiliate, then, I pasted the HTML code in the body of the posting, then clicked on the link icon, just above in the tool bar.

For those of you who are really new at this HTML is "hyper text markup language". Helpful, huh?
Here's a definition:  A markup language used to structure text and multimedia documents and to set up hypertext links between documents, used extensively on the World Wide Web.  (Thanks to Answers.com)

*Shrugs* I don't know either, but it basically means you can get those fancy buttons and those fancy buttons will connect the clicker with the affiliate website! YES! Working from home should be bringing in an income, one day!!

What About Surveys? Is That A Good Work From Home Opportunity?

It depends on who you ask and your own personal situation. If you haven't tried them, I encourage you to give it a try. If you happen to be of the right demographic, you can do very well.

I am not much of a consumer. A lot of surveys, at least that I have come across, ask about the cereals you buy and this or that processed or pre-cooked groceries you buy. I rarely purchase things like cereal bars and I"m not much into alcholic beverages. I might enjoy an Irish Cream every so often, but beer, yech!

I also do a lot of driving, so if I'm visiting, and am offered something, I usually decline, even though I happen to enjoy that particular cocktail, because I don't even want a drop of alcohol in my bloodstream if I have to drive.

I also think that my age group may be over represented. Younger people with families seem to be in demand more than my middle aged empty nester. If my kids were still under 18, I'd be more in demand, but then, I'd be younger too!!!

I've seen SO many opportunities for surveys, so if you think that you would qualify, I'm jealous, but go ahead and give them a try. Here are some links:
 

OK Folks! Celebrate with ME! I just figured out not only how to put a banner in here, but it wasn't just a fluke! I actually UNDERSTAND what I did!!

Go on! Sign up and celebrate with me! 5 dollar sign up bonus.

My next post will explain what I did!

Scheduling Time-Essential To Success With Web Marketing

Working from home can sometimes make it hard to be disciplined. Making yourself do things when they need to be done, or conversely, not working all night so you don't get the needed rest.

I am instituting a plan of action for my blogging and marketing efforts. I need to allocate x number of hours per week to building my blog, but I also need to market my blog and get it noticed. One without the other won't be much good.

I also am working on a number of microjobs. I like to find ones that pay immediately, rather than make you wait for a certain minimum value. I have found that Cloud Crowd does that. It is a Facebook application that provides all sorts of interesting projects, from very simple tasks such as saying what is in a photograph to more complicated translation projects. If you speak German and English, for example, they are looking for someone to translate some text.

Here is the link, if you are interested. Microjobs on Facebook - No Minimum - Pays As Soon As Job Complete

Naturally, it is necessary to make a schedule. I'm going to spend so much time on this, so much time on that. Right now, I'm writing articles for myLot.  I would like to reach a certain payout amount before the end of the month. Mylot is fun. Just be careful to follow their guidelines and you'll get along just fine.

Here's the link for myLot: Free Sign Up - Get Paid To Post - Choose Your Own Topic

There are so many sites that need to be attended to, it seems, for a successful campaign to bring your blog or website out into the light of day. It is also tough when you are getting started, and you need so much time just to get a site up and running properly. I have other ideas running around in my head, but I need to put them on the back burner so I don't get overwhelmed and lose focus.