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If you run a blog, you may wonder what really goes on when you write and publish. Blogs seem simple, yet under the surface there is so much technology at work, which makes it seem simple. Take tags. Tags can help in blogging and SEO. Tags can differentiate your pages from others, avoiding duplication problems. And tags are very different from categories.

Tags and Categories
There are some basic similarities between tags and categories. There are many reasons to use categories, such as how they separate your blog posts and make SEO easier. You should, for example, avoid using multiple categories for one post, because in doing so you risk duplicate content. Tags are different. With tags, you naturally want to use more than one on one blog post, using them to batch similar blog posts together for SEO purposes.

Tags and categories separate your blog posts, for SEO and for functionality. They look alike, but there are some key differences. If you run a celebrity blog, you may write on the same person enough to create a tag, but not a whole category. Or you may use a unique category and tag for SEO if the person is a major subject.

When should you use tags?
Tags should be used to separate subjects and as well as link them. If you are running a celebrity blog, it can be useful for you to use simple and short descriptions in order to capture social media hits. Tags should be used often. There is no danger of duplicate content. You can likely come up with 10 good, short tags for your celebrity blog, from “quarterback” to “action star” and specific names.

When should you use categories?
Categories are used to batch articles together, rather than linking them together for search engines. As stated, unlike how using more than one tag can be beneficial, you rarely want to use more than one category. Categories are typically known prior to writing the blog post; you have a category for “movie stars” for your similar themed posts.

How do they help SEO?
While you should quite often use multiple tags, you don’t want to be seen as spammer. However, tags along with categories are a necessary tool to use. You can do more with tags, capturing hits via social media, and using keywords. So where do categories help? Categories have some key advantages, namely that they are considered stronger keywords by search engines. Tags will have less of an impact on SEO than a category, because search engines like Google use categories for page rank.

Now that you know more about tags and categories, you can optimize your blog so more readers find it.

Search engine marketing for company blogs clearly is a niche in need of help. Far too many companies focus on the wrong goals for their blog, don’t look to the market, ignore proven keywords, and type up clichéd monsters. Well not all company blogs do that, a good many do. So I’d like to offer some clear help for your company blog, from keyword popularity to how to place your keywords.

Titles for Company Blog Posts
Using keywords in your title is one prime component some company blogs neglect. And not only the actual title in the post; you also can use keywords in your subtitle and headlines. Many blog posts can be broken down just like this one is, offering tips and creating calls to action. Using popular keywords in your titles, subtitles, and headlines can create instant hits on popular search engines.

Popularity of Keywords for Company Blogs
Some of the best keywords are not as easily noticed, but many of the best are in fact ranked high on a variety of keyword sites. Google AdWords is one of the best keyword tools, and free for anyone to use. Yahoo Buzz Index is also good. One broader keyword tool is the New York Times Most Searched Words and Phrases, where you can expect the top keywords across all topics to be listed. This gives you a good idea of what people are currently searching, and maybe why they’re searching too.

Keywords in the Body of Your Company Blog Posts
Use your main keyword in almost every paragraph of the body. One good template is to use it in the first and last sentence of the first paragraph, at least once in the following paragraphs, and in the final line of the blog post. This creates keyword density spread over the entire blog post for your company blog, and is relatively easy once you get used to it.

Keyword Phrases for Company Blogging and Marketing
A recent study pointed out more than half of all searches are 2 to 3 words instead of just one. If you wrote “money” 10 times in your company blog post, it would do little. But “make money marketing” would clearly be more specific and more search friendly.

Finale on Company Blogging
There are many good company blogs out there with hundreds of posts that stress all these points, but there are just as many that ignore them entirely. If your company blog is failing to get a response, even from your clients, consider being more specific in both your choice of keywords and your choice of topic.

Blogs, social media and personal branding combined are the way of the future for internet marketing. They are the ultimate tool for creating awareness, building a community and generating real results.

But how do you use them together to build a web brand? First, let’s take a look at them individually.

Blog Marketing
If you’re a building a small business or want to create awareness for your company, blogging can create the buzz you need.

The most important thing when it comes to blogging is creating a constant stream of fresh, new content. Whether you write it yourself or opt to hire a company to do the writing for you, content is key.

Social Media Marketing
There’s been quite the buzz regarding social media lately and rightfully so. Social media allows businesses to engage clients and network in a variety of new ways.

No other field can reach so many people in a matter of seconds. When you post to your Facebook page, you’re immediately engaging an audience of limitless size. How it’s done is the viral aspects of one user who follows you turning into two, three and continuing to grow afterwards. For example, with Facebook, you have a prospective audience for your niche in the millions and a clever marketer will attract them all by building a community on their Facebook page.

Social media marketing buzz is true. Engaging clients on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is practically a must to develop any brand today. It’s also simple. Join social networks and you can market your business in a variety of ways.

Personal Branding
Personal branding is about getting down to the details about you, your company and your product. It’s your chance to prove that you’re human, you want to help others with your product and you’re interested in your clients too. No two fields work better with personal branding than social media and blog marketing.

Using Blogging, Social Media and the Personal Brand to Create a Complete User Experience

The cliche, never put all your eggs in one basket, works for marketing too: never put all your marketing goals into one form. Use as many fields as you possibly can. Do you see major companies only using TV commericals to promote  a new product? No, you see them using a variety of tools, from Facebook campaigns to PPC Ads.

Online, beyond the static site, you’re best method of marketing is using blogging, social media and branding together in a process designed to create that unique user experience. 

For your blog and brand, social media marketing creates awareness and responses. You might have a Facebook page created simply to market your blog. This is even simpler than starting up the blog. And with applications to connect your main Facebook company page to Twitter, you can constantly promote new posts across the web. You can do the same thing with your company site.

There are many other social media tools you can use to create buzz for your blog, which in turn creates brand awareness. Two of the simplest and best are StumbleUpon and Digg, which improve response to every blog post you share with readers.

Let’s connect the dots for all these forms.

To create a user experience, web marketers use marketing in a cycle. For instance, you can use Facebook or Twitter to create buzz on your blog, your blog can help you define your personal and  business brand, and your brand can attract attention to your Facebook and Twitter pages. One buyer reads your Facebook page, travels to your blog, is impressed by your expertise and buys. They then continue to follow you on all these forms. Why? If it works out, you’re creating a unique user experience.

Web branding is inexpensive and when done right, can be very powerful. By utilizing social media and blogging together to create a strong and integrated web branding campaign, you can increase the worth of your company, your personal brand and can expect to earn more. And all it really takes…. is time, so let’s get web branding.

The plethora of blogs to choose from is amazing!  We can post blogs about dog training, health care remedies, shoe trends, business advice and pretty much anything you can imagine.

Blogs are great for keeping up on the latest and greatest in the world and can also be beneficial for link building and driving traffic to your website. Regularly posting accurate and interesting subjects to your blog is the key to having a healthy blog life.  Once you create and generate readers you are bound to succeed.

Blogs can be created and utilized by anyone.  If you know how to turn on your computer and search via the engines online you can create a blog.  Very little technical knowledge is needed which is great for small business owners to large business owners or you and your friends.

Here are a few links to some user-friendly, free blog sites to help you get started:

• WordPress
• Blogger
• blog.com
• thoughts.com

If you’re new to the whole blogging craze and just aren’t quite ready for your own blog, you can start by posting on other people’s blogs. Find a blog that’s related to your business in some way, but that’s not a competitor, and start by replying and commenting on its posts.

Remember the most challenging part of a blog is posting creative and accurate information to capture an audience.  If you know who your audience is, what they like and what their interests are, then you are set.  If you are unsure you may want to do a little research or test market your idea’s before you start the posting process.

Turn your business on and start blogging.