SEO Made Easy: The Importance of Being Earnestly Linked

When I started my online shop on Etsy, little did I know that I would also start a little online empire. For years, I owned a website which chugged along happily on a small railroad track in the middle of Siberia. Nevertheless, it got some people where they needed to go.

Then, I learned that in order to own a successful online shop, I would have to promote actively online. Thus my journey began and, I started to develop my little online empire. I joined Facebook, opened a fan page, I flickered, I followed blogs, and I even started my own blog (actually two, but I won’t bore you with the details).

“Why?” you ask. (A question I ask myself every day). Actually the answer is quite simple. I created my online empire so that I could create good links back to my online shop. 

For those of you out there who think that the only reason you are blogging, facebooking, and twittering is so that you can create followers who will worship you and then buy your wares, I have news for you. That is only part of the reason you are doing what you are doing. The other reason is called back links.

Definition
What is a back link? It is a link to your website via a back door, not the front door. If entering your online shop via the front door is by someone typing your “www.shopname.etsy.com” or “www. yourownempire.com” on Google; then, entering your online shop via the back door is by someone clicking on a link from someplace else on the web to get inside your online shop. A back link.

Why do you need back links?
You need them to impress Goggle and get better SEO (search engine optimization for those of you who fell asleep during the first three lectures) for your website. Imagine Google as the new nerdy kid in school. He does not know anyone, and even the geek squad won’t let him sit at their lunch table. He is easily impressed with whom he perceives as the cool and popular kids. He wants to be friends with them. How does he figure out who the cool kids are? 

SEO Made Easy Part 2: Choosing an Effective Keyword Phrase

Since a keyword phrase is so critical to better SEO, I feel compelled to explain the steps of how to choose one first. Then, I will tell you briefly where it goes. If you missed part one, really, you should go back and read it.

SEO Made Easy Part 2
A tutorial in layman’s terms about getting your online shop found.

A Scenario.
You opened a new online shop. Your carefully crafted items are displayed showing off your newly honed product photography skills and amazing descriptive writing which even the seeing impaired can easily visualize. You have all your virtual ducks in a row: banner, announcement, profile, and policies all filled. You wait for customers to come rushing in, but all is quiet in the online front. Your views are low and your shop is like an ice cream store... in the dead of winter ... in Alaska ... during a blizzard. In disbelief, you keep refreshing your screen to see if new views have come in. Nope. Nada. So, you wander into the Forums and ask “is this website broken?”

Effectiveness Counts.
Using an effective keyword phrase means the difference between getting views from Google on your listings versus getting no views at all. What makes up an effective keyword phrase?

An effective keyword phrase includes:
1. general shop category (i.e. art, handmade)
2. specific item category (i.e. paintings, purses)
3. a unique selling point (i.e. textured, fabric)

Since presumably you have a good grip on 1 (where you are selling), and 2 (what you are selling), then number 3 will be our focus.