RE: How to promote a Web site?

["Darren Barefoot" <darren -at- capulet -dot- com>]

This is a nearly-off-topic question, and there are multitudes of other
mailing lists and discussion groups on the grey art (it used to be a
black art, but it's getting lighter) that is search engine optimization
(SEO). 

That said, let me save you a lot of hassle: unless you expend a great
deal of effort, you're never going to "ensure that 
when people search for writers, technical writers, or technical
communicators on the Web, my site shows up prominently near the top of
the listings." With search terms that broad, there will always be
companies out there with larger, older, better-linked sites than yours,
and more resources to throw at the problem.

Instead, lower your sights, and pick some targeted search terms, based
on your skill-set and geography. For example, while my site currently
ranks a respectable-but-nearly-useless 32nd on Google for 'technical
writer', I'm in at 4th for 'technical writer vancouver' (behind some
dude who doesn't even charge GST!). Clearly, the latter is more useful
to me than the former, and I have gotten contracts through people
searching for the latter. Depending upon the size of your town and the
local competition, you could achieve similar results quite easily. I
expend very little effort on SEO these days.

I also rank 9th for 'technical writing god', but that's another story.
Cheers. DB.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: bounce-techwr-l-149771 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com 
> [mailto:bounce-techwr-l-149771 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com] On Behalf 
> Of Steven Oppenheimer
> Sent: March 22, 2004 9:40 AM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: How to promote a Web site?
> 
> 
> 
> Within the next few days I will be posting a dramatically altered and 
> updated Web site for my business, Oppenheimer Communications, which 
> provides technical writing services.  I'd like to ensure that 
> when people 
> search for writers, technical writers, or technical 
> communicators on the 
> Web, my site shows up prominently near the top of the listings.
> 



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