Introducing Seekyt

 

I came across another of the newer writing platforms, this one is called “Seekyt”. At first glance, it appears very much like Zujava. I am not yet familiar with who runs it , but (yes, I MUST boast) even though there is a 3 article hold similar to the Zujava platform, my very first article was published without waiting for the total of 3. Now, as much as I’d like to boast that the reason is because I am such a slammin’ writer…there is a very good possibility that the owners know me, or my name from other platforms.

Seekyt also has a Page Rank of 3. Since it is a newer platform, there are tons of good URL’s to be had. They are more strict than say, Squidoo, on content and the articles must be laid out in a certain way. There is also a link limit (which should not matter unless one is link-stuffing). It is worth the investigation for those who are seriously considering article marketing for their small business.

My only gripe with Seekyt (and it was really my fault) was that I lost some killer content. I had duplicated the window to get the link for my first article, and in the process something glitches. I lost every word of that content! Now, as a freelancer, I normally write everything out on a Word Document before I submit it. When I am writing my own content, however, I tend not to do that. I was in the moment. I was feeling the muse…I just went with it. Lesson to be learned here: Always have a backup copy of whatever you are submitting.

Seekyt looks like it will go places, and with it, of course, should be your own great content. So, what are you waiting for? Go! Sign up at Seekyt and get those killer articles out there!

Related articles

• Have you heard about Zujava? (1prowriter.wordpress.com)

Is your local business losing clients?

Just out of curiosity, I decided to do a little experiment to see how many opportunities are being lost here in my own city of Omaha. As many of you know, Squidoo is a platform which has millions of hits each day. Most lenses end up with a URL such as w ww.Squidoo.com/yourbusinesshere. In this experiment, I decided to search on Squidoo for Omaha Roofing. Guess what I found? Take a look.

Squidoo Search for Omaha Roofers

As you can see, the Squidoo URL for “Omaha Roofing” is wide open. Each and every roofing company in Omaha could be snagging that URL with a well-built, SEO friendly lens.

Then, I decided to do a search just for the word “Omaha”.  This is what I got:

Besides the several Omaha Steak lenses, the field was wide open. There actually was a lens created with the URL squidoo.com/Omaha, but it was not even featured, which meant it was WAY down in the rankings. This is a lost opportunity, and a waste of  a great URL, not to mention back links, Google ranking, and the rest.

The thing is; most URLs at Squidoo are for product lenses. In other words, they are Amazon lenses. They are built to showcase a variety of a certain type of product. Businesses in any area, and of every type have the unique opportunity to have their business highlighted with their name and the city. The experiment I did was for Omaha roofing, but the same is usually true for most cities and business types.

Squidoo, as I’ve mentioned before, has a page rank of 5. Google loves Squidoo. If a lens is well-built, and SEO friendly, the only other thing needed is to try to keep it updated. This can be done with a variety of modules that draw in new information every day.

We now know that Omaha roofing companies are losing business. What about yours? Here are some possibilities

Madison Wisconsin Boutique

Anniston Drywall

Vancouver Plumbing

Port Orchard Cosmetologist

DC Accountant

Whatever you do, and wherever you are, you could be grabbing some fantastic URLs not only on Squidoo, but Hubpages, Zujava, Wizzley, as well as other sites. People ARE searching for every type of business in every city. Put yourself out there and stop losing customers.

Business Exposure-Then and Now

Backlinks (Photo credit: ivanpw)

It used to be that a local business could open their doors, put an ad in the local paper and maybe the Yellow Pages, and that was it. Now, things are much different. Even in smaller cities, there is a lot of competition. It is not enough simply to exist. The internet is most likely where your customers are going to turn when they are looking for services. People do not stroll down the avenue anymore to find what they need; they stroll along the internet super-highway.

This does not only apply to big chain stores and other retailers. It applies to small business owners, such as roofers, contractors, carpet cleaners, hair dressers -you name it. Small businesses need to have an internet presence. As daunting as it may seem, it is possible to achieve the presence you need. It may not be simple, but it is doable.

Most small business owners quickly discover that they would rather do what they do best, which is running their business. Although some undertake the task of setting up and running Twitter, FB, Pinterest, and other accounts, and running them, others turn to professionals. Oh, and then there is the keyword search. That task alone can eat up some serious time.

You will also want to have a blog, along with a website. Once you have those, it will be important to get back links (links from other pages to your website or blog). Does this all seem like a lot of work? You bet it is! It is, however, the best way to gain the advantage over the competition.

At the very least, small business should consider having a presence on the following sites:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google +

For maximum exposure and back links, the following sites should also be utilized:

• Squidoo
• Hubpages
• Zujava
• Wizzley
• Digg
• Stumbleupon

Each of the above sites will take time to learn and utilize properly. Again, it IS possible to do it all yourself, but time-consuming, and at times frustrating. Perhaps you may want to get your feet wet and try one or more of these sites to see if the task is something you can handle. If you find that you need help, it is readily available.

Why Squidoo?

Image via CrunchBase

Squidoo may have a silly sounding name, but the results are far from humorous. Squidoo has a page rank of 5. Needless to say, Google loves Squidoo. It is an excellent site to provide quality back links. Small businesses are truly missing out if they are not taking advantage of all Squidoo has to offer.

Squidoo lens creation service is available. With 5 years experience building lenses, I have earned the rank of “Giant Squid.” That is no small accomplishment. I have taken what I have learned and now help businesses by creating custom Squidoo lenses. There are a variety of different modules available to help enhance the “Google love” and also to keep the lens fresh. Some of these modules are only available to those with a Giant Squid status. I can, however, create the lenses under your business account if preferred.

I can add your own copy to the lens, or I can create custom content along with adding appropriate pictures. Of course, if you have pictures you would like on the lens, we can add those as well. I work with each business individually to create a quality Squidoo lens which can both educate the public about the company, as well as provide quality back links.