Oval Living.com

Did you know that there is a really great link for New Members? It's right there at the bottom of the AR Home Page:

How To Get Started on ActiveRain

How To Get Started on ActiveRain - A quick route to a successful Journey on ActiveRain.

The ActiveRain Staff,  along with our members and ambassadors, wish to welcome you to the community.  We know you have a choice, and we're glad you've chosen our network as a place to connect with others, support your local neighborhoods and communities, plus grow your business and relationships.  

Before you begin your journey here, there's a few areas we invite you to navigate first.  This will save you time and give you a better understanding of the Network.  We're confident that our site will bring value, benefits, and substantial rewards to you and your business.

    BEFORE YOU BEGIN
    These are REQUIRED and a MUST READ for ALL New Members - NO EXCEPTIONS!

•   What We Stand For - Weltenschauung
  Weltanschauung: The guiding principles and philosophy of an organization. A world view.

•   The ActiveRain Community Guidelines
  Please take these rules seriously.

•   Terms of Service
  Terms of Use are binding and we want you to feel comfortable with them.
  
  

   ACTIVERAIN UNIVERSITY
   Get live training weekly to make your blog the best it can be

• ActiveRain University Schedule - Classes every weekday
  Learn the ins and outs of ActiveRain and how to utilize it to the fullest with our live trainer.

• ActiveRain Orientation - A Live Webinar to get you acquainted
  Steve, our live trainer takes you through the basics on the site to get you familiar with ActiveRain

• ActiveRain University Suggestion Box
  Don't see a class you would like us to create? Make a suggestion to us for future classes.
  
  

    GETTING STARTED in 3 EASY STEPS
    Follow these next steps to get setup on ActiveRain.

•   How To Setup Your ActiveRain Profile - Completely Customizable
  Creating a personal profile is the very first step and the most important.  It's ALL about you.

•   How To Complete Your Profile - Part II
  Your profile has three areas that allow you maximize the page.  Learn How to use these sections.

•   How To Use Your "My Settings" Page
  Now you are ready to Customize your ActiveRain Settings.
  
  

    GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ACTIVERAIN
    Social Networking, Connecting and Blogging

• ActiveRain Member Success Stories
  Read what other industry professionals and members have to share.
  Here's A VIDEO version

• Understanding ActiveRain Points
  Learn about points and how they work on the network.

• The RainMaker Membership
  Becoming a RainMaker - The Value and The Benefit
  
  

    READY TO MAKE LIGHTNING, THUNDER AND RAIN
    Now that you're a member and RainMaker, put the power tools to work

• Top 10 Tools for New Members and RainMakers
  Take the time to review what this network has to offer.

• ActiveRain Custom Outside Blogs
  How To Create and Maximize Your Outside ActiveBlog.

• The ActiveRain Starter Kit
  Details about more ActiveRain Products, Tools, and Services.
  
  

    OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
    Use these links to dive deeper in the "Rain" if you need more information

• The ActiveRainGuide
  A Tutorial Blog by Members for Members

• The ActiveRain Staff Blog 
  The Official ActiveRain TEAM Blog

• Help/FAQ Group
  A network group created to help members

• An ActiveRain eBook Tutorial
  Find Almost Anything about ActiveRain here
  

• ActiveRain University
  Online Campus for Training and Support

• Real Estate RainCamp
  "Live" Local Conferences and Seminars

 

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL TO OUTSMART MOTHER GOOGLE??

An interesting post this a.m. about "Article Spinning" got my attention since the article contained the word "Google" which will always get my attention.

HIDING UNDER THE BLACK HAT.  The writer's description of another SEO technique, which I would consider a "black hat" system for improving SERP show an interesting degree of knowledge and depth.

No doubt some AR members reading this post will quickly attempt to replicate the results suggested.

WARNING!   WARNING!   WARNING!

THE RISKS FAR OUTWEIGH THE POTENTIAL REWARDS.

I am of the opinion that Mother Google is probably on to these techniques and will shortly develop an antidote to this "round robin"attempt to increase SERP.  Of course, when Mother Google detects systems designed to artificially increase SERP, she administers a cure something akin to giving a dose of Caster Oil for a belly ache.  Not only is the "cure" worse than the symptom, it can be fatal.    

You can't fool Mother Google for very long and the punishment is often, while not always swift, always severe.

Black Hat SEO practices such as

• Cloaking
• Doorway Pages
• Automatic Content Generators
• Keyword Spinning
• Color on Color
• Content Leeching
• Link Farms
• Plagiarism
• Copyright Infringement

and more, may improve the SERP for a web site in the short run.  However, in the long run, may result is your web site removed by Mom Google or "put in the corner"on page 198 of SERP where even Yahoo or Bing could find it. 

Note:  I'd have reblogged the ActiveRain article, but the ReBlog feature wasn't activated.

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988.

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I'm number #1 - well, after the first 10 results! That's a statement that plagues many agents who appear at the "top" of the search engines. That's because for so many local based searches, Google first shows the local "7-pack."

Suddenly, being "#1" organically means your site doesn't show up until half way down the page of the search results. With this in mind, I thought I would give some quick tips on how to ensure you show up at the true top of the page.

Now I'm sure most everyone knows about Google Local (or Google Places as they now call it). But to really optimize for the local results you have to take a step further.

Want to Rank Well for the Big 3 Search Engines?
Then Pay Attention to the "Other" Big 3

Most searches happen on either Google, Yahoo or Bing. But these search engines actually rely on other companies for their local data. Localeze, infoUSA, and Acxiom are the backbone of the entire local search ecosystem. Basically, they're some of the most important sites that you have never heard of! Just take a look at the graphic below. It shows just how important they are to Google, Yahoo and Bing’s local search results.

Now that you know who really powers the Local Ecosystem, let's look at a few optimization tips to ensure you show up for the infamous "7 Pack"

Google Local Optimization Tips

Step 1: Get Listed!

The first step is to ensure you are listed in the local search engines. Fortunately, the "trickle down" approach of the local ecosystem means that you'll only really need to list your business with these top 3 providers - Localeze, InfoUSA, and Acxiom. Of course, you will also want to submit your business to Google Places -  to help verify Google’s info. Localeze and InfoUSA have online submission forms. Acxion, on the other hand, doesn't allow direct submissions. Instead, you'll need to go through UniversalBusinessListing.org - (note that this is a paid service).

Step 2: Optimize when signing up for these local directories.

You’ll want to follow a few simple optimization tips...

Make it complete!
Incomplete data makes it difficult to verify your business. Ensure your information is complete!

Always reference your business Name in the exact same way - EVERYWHERE!
For example, don’t submit your business name as Joy Rice Realty Group on Localeze then The Joy Rice Team in Google Places. These will be seen as two separate businesses.

Local Numbers
Use a local number instead of an 800 number when submitting your business information. This helps Google "localize" you.

Max out the Categories
Google allows you to associate your business with up to 5 categories. Populate all 5!

Use Keywords!
Use relevant keywords in your description. Don’t just say you’re a real estate agent. Say that your a Plano TX real estate agent 

Build Local Link Love!
Get linked up in other local directories (like BBB), Bing Local Listing Center is another great directory and is doing some really cool things with their local business search. Show Google that you focus on the local market.

Encourage Reviews
Instead of sending your sellers an evaluation form, encourage them to leave a reviews on sites like Yelp!

Get Cited "Locally"
Work those relationships with the local media (you ARE following them on Twitter - Right?) Reach out to other local bloggers.

Submit Your Information to Hyperlocal News Sites
Sites like outside.in and topix.net allows you to submit your local content for free. Are you going to get a ton of traffic? Probably not. Is it a no brainier because it's 100% automated? YES!

Bonus Tips

Need even more tips? Here are few for the "advanced" users...

Maintain a Google Calendar (make it public) and set location information for open Houses, Local Events, etc.

GeoTag your videos and Photos! (YouTube/Flickr)

Create custom Google Maps and link them back to your site. Hoboken Condo agent Walter Burns create a simple Hoboken parking garage map that has received over 1,000 views - Make sure this is under YOUR Google account. If you have a Virtual Assistant this, have them create it under your account. 

Don't forget about the contact us page of your site - as well as your footer information. And remember, ensure your address and phone number matches exactly!

I know that some may look at this list and think "This is just too much work." While it does take work, I think the pay off far outweighs the couple of hours it would take to optimize for local results. After all, if someone is looking for real estate in your area, don’t you want to be at the top of the search results?

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