Yahoo! Store Book, Ystore Blog, & 2006 Seminars!

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Search Engine Strategies NYC Party List -- SES NYC 2007

Just got an email from my cousin, Joe Morin, SEO to the CEOs about the SES NYC Party Schedule. If the TSA guys would let me, I'd bring him a big ole jug of mamaw's mash.

Thanks, Joe! I'm looking forward to SES NYC and having some fun after weeks of dealing with the house fire fallout. :/

See SES NYC 2007 Search Parties

OK - Here it is. This is the thread that I will be updating with all information that I receive regarding parties, events and gatherings for the upcoming Search Engine Strategies Conference in New York City April 10 - April 13, 2007.

If you are a search engine or vendor events coordinator and are planning an official gathering or even an informal one that you would like me to promote, then send me a PM with all of the details that you would like included. If you are an attendee and you've heard of a great event, also feel free to send me a PM and I'll look into adding it to the list.

Yahoo Store blogger, Rob Snell's house burned down. (Everyone's fine.)

Howdy. Haven't been blogging much lately, but that has more to do with new girlfriend, new client workload, new content I've been writing for other folks, and wrestling with an 800 lb. purple gorilla. Long stories, all. I have lots to tell and soon, but then my house pretty much burned down this weekend. (See excerpt below when link expires. Must've been a slow news day because I made the front page of Starkville Daily...)

SHORT VERSION: I was out of town for a wedding in Memphis. Volunteer firefighters risked their lives and got my dog out from under the house, and Georgia's fine. It's just stuff, but lots was photos and family stuff.

I have insurance. Probably not enough. Check your CONTENTS insurance as well as the details on what is and is not covered!

I'll be back blogging, but it may be a while. Y'all be good, now! -- Rob

Overnight fire damages local man's home

Kirk Rosenhan/SDN The home of Rob Snell on Highway 12 West was heavily damaged in an predawn fire Sunday morning. The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical in nature, said County Fire Services Coordinator A.K. Rosenhan. 

By BRIAN HAWKINS
Starkville Daily News

An Oktibbeha County man's home was partially gutted and sustained heavy heat and smoke damage during a predawn fire Sunday morning.

The home of Rob Snell was discovered burning by a passerby about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, said County Fire Services Coordinator A.K. Rosenhan. Snell was not at home at the time of the fire, Rosenhan said.

Responding volunteer firefighters from the Central Oktibbeha and Adaton-Self Creek departments found the west end of the house engulfed in flame, with fire piercing both windows and the roof.

The room where the fire was primarily concentrated was a former carport that had been enclosed and renovated into a library, Rosenhan said.

"What was formerly the exterior wall helped stop the fire from spreading too far into the rest of the house, but there was extensive heat and smoke damage throughout the entire home," Rosenhan said.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the bulk of the flames in a just a few minutes, but were on the scene for more than two hours ensuring that flames didn't reignite, Rosenhan said.
Firefighters were also concerned that Snell's dog, which is kept in a fenced area behind the house, was missing, Rosenhan said.

"We were told that when the dog got scared, he would run under the house, so there was a bit of concern. Fortunately, the dog was found was unharmed," Rosenhan said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but is believed to be some sort of electrical malfunction centered around a specific wall, Rosenhan said.

Your search marketing ads are, like, so 2006

Your Yahoo! Store's search marketing ads are, like, so 2006...

I'm waiting on some cool new CONVERTING KEYWORD harvesting tools to finish running and thought I'd remind everyone to check your paid search ads for references to 2006. First, search your ads for 2006, then change those ads until you see something like this:

 

Also, make sure your STORE has no more outdated references to 2006 in CAPTIONS or NAME fields...

To find pages with 2006 in the NAME field, search each engine for this: site:yourdomain.com intitle:2006

Back to harvesting $3,750,000.00 worth of keywords for Mr. S... Whew. I'm getting tired...

2007 Yahoo! Store Reviews -- Now is the time to check yourself

Wow. Happy New Year, Yahoo! Store Peeps...

After doing that free Webinar with Monitus Mike, I've been totally swamped with Yahoo! Store Site Reviews.  I'm seeing so many of the same issues across all these Yahoo! Stores, that I thought I should post about it...

I address many of these issues in my column in next Yahoo! newsletter, but I'm going to share a little free pre-info with y'all. Click the link below to read some questions you should ask yourself about YOUR Yahoo! Store:

I got klogged over the holidays

http://blog.karlribas.com/2006/12/interview-with-rob-snell.htm

I got "klogged" over the holidays by my good friend, Karl Ribas. He took it pretty easy on me most of the interview, but his follow up questions were pretty brutal... Happy New Year, folks! - -Rob

Yahoo! Store Owners Should Also Pimp Out Their Yahoo! Local Listings, too

Blog reader, Mark, just pointed out that the Yahoo! Local page for Copy Cow is actually better than the Google local page for Copy Cow. He called me on it and he's right! For a college town, Google is even more important than ever, but why turn down free traffic from Yahoo?

ALSO -- Looks like I dropped the ball on optimizing the Copy Cow Copy Shop name on Yahoo!, too.  I have the flu thing going around (post CHICAGO SES) and am home, so I'm playing on the Net instead of getting caught up on 3 weeks of work (read on...)

Yahoo! Store Owners Should Signup for WebmasterWorld Supporters Forum

Seriously! Brett Tabke and crew ROCK! Sign up here. $150 a year gets you stuff like this: http://www.webmasterworld.com/supporters/3182425.htm

Last night I posted this reply last night in the Webmasterworld Supporter's Forum:

(About negative keywords...)

Personally, I hate editing these big honking keyword lists with thousands and thousands of keyword phrases! It's no fun. I guess I'm just lazy, but I want a very fast way to see ALL the keywords driving traffic to my Web site: the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

Making ATOMIC KEYWORD LISTS and using that word list to generate a NEGATIVE MATCHING or CULL LIST is one of the most effective things I've ever done to tighten up my flabby PPC campaigns. (Continued...)

 

Yahoo! Stores should sign up for Google Local

Am back from Chicago SES 2006 where I froze my drawl off. Catch up is a REAL bear! Here's an off-topic post, which falls under secondary search engine optimization for Yahoo! Stores (with phone listings in the Yellow Pages).

Ok. I know, I know. "Google, Google, Google." Yahoo has local search and local Web sites, too. I'm posting this particular post because I just got my Google Local postcard today with my PIN number so I could activate my Starkville, MS copy shop's Google Local page, and I'm posting these screen shots so Craig and Rachel and Joe and Karl and Sally and Dave and Jessica and Kelly can see that I really did get the postcard and that the SEO efforts are already working!

Hopefully, Craig should have more info about using Google Local / Google Maps in your secondary SEO efforts. I think Rachel has an article about local search optimization, too. Wonder if they read this? If they do, they'll get a link! It's almost like writing good ole Yahoo! Directory listings! Hope that's not keyword stuffing!

OLD NAME: Copy Cow

NEW NAME: Copy Cow Copy Shop, Color Copies, and Fax

Yahoo! Store Webinar Recap...

Dear Folks,

Howdy! Thanks to everyone who made it to the free SEO Webinar last Friday. Mike & I had a blast! Looks like we’ll being doing more and more of these!

ATTEND MIKE’S FRIDAY WEBINAR
Mike has a webinar on his MONITUS tools on this Friday, and I wish I could be there, but I’ll be up in the air somewhere over Illinois headed home to Mississippi about the time he gets cranked up. Good luck, Mike! Y’all need to see this:

MIKE'S 12/08/06 Webinar
Unlocking keyword data from your Yahoo! Store
https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/145776187 -- Keywords are the life and blood of any e-commerce operation. Learn how to find your best converting keywords and how to optimize your site in this informative 60-minute webinar. See https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/145776187

CHICAGO
Am in Chicago for Search Engine Strategies 2006 freezing my drawl off! I speak on Thursday at 12:30 doing SEO site reviews. As you probably know by now, I get pretty excited about this stuff! If you happen to be here for SES, come by and get your site reviewed.

SES is always crazy busy and there’s not enough time to see everyone I want to see. So far I’ve seen lots of fellow Yahoo! Store developers: Dave & Sally Burke from VisualFuture.com, Michael Roebuck and the crew from All Web Promotion, and even met some really nice folks from OneChoiceForYstore.com.

FREE META DESCRIPTION RTML TEMPLATES
Like I said in the Webinar, if you posted a Yahoo Store book review of my book on Amazon, and attended the Webinar, and your store uses custom RTML templates, I’ll give the first 25 people who email me my super-meta-description RTML template. I still have a few templates left, and they’re going fast. I’ll even install them for you, if you’d like.

Thanks to all the folks who already posted reviews of my book on Amazon. My flight was earlier on SUN than I thought, so I'll get your free META DESCRIPTION templates uploaded when I get back from CHICAGO SES 2006. I get a little paranoid mucking about with real sites when I'm out for a week with somewhat intermittent net access and with SES I'm pretty much unplugged and trying to learn as much as possible...

WEBINAR NOTES:

Here’s why I obsess over SE
Search Engine Optimization works for free Web traffic

NUTSHELL: 60 Second SEO Webinar

• Start with a SE friendly foundation
• Collect converting keyword phrases  (CKWP)
• Put CKWP in TITLE tags and body text
• Use internal links (CKWP in anchor text)
• Get off-site links (CKWP in anchor text)
• Write unique content in CAPTION text
• Get more links than the other guy

FOUNDATION: Unlock Parking Brake

1) Pick your main domain
2) Redirect Yahoo! Store URLS (301)
3) Create custom error pages (404)   
4) Use free search engine tools    
5) Turn on XML feeds   
6) Fix the WWW / non WWW problem

FOUNDATION: Pick Your Main Domain   

• Use one domain per store
• Use main domain as Store Entry Point
• Link consistently on the site
• Set the Google WWW / non-WWW Switch

FOUNDATION: Redirect Yahoo! URLS   

• Yahoo! Domain Redirect Settings
• Use the Y! URL 301 Redirect
• All store URLS >>> to your main domain
• So account.stores.yahoo.net/pagename.html becomes …www.domain.com/pagename.html
• Consolidates link popularity
• Fixes the CART / SEARCH problem

FOUNDATION: Create custom 404’s       

• Yahoo: Page Not Found Handling (404s)
• YUCK: Default error page redirects to your homepage
• Make a whoops.html page
• Use Apple.com’s 404 as a model
• Turn Custom 404 on under MGR: Preferences

FOUNDATION: Turn on XML Feeds       

• Free Shopping Engine Traffic
• Google’s Froogle, Shopping.com, etc.
• Allows some 3rd party XML export tools to work
• Monitus tools, tools.solidcactus.com, visualfuture.com
• YUCK: Folks can steal your store
• Client example, scrapers will anyway …

FOUNDATION: Search Engine Tools       

• MGR: Create a Google Sitemap for Your Store
  • http://www.google.com/webmasters/
• MGR: Authenticate with Yahoo! Site Explorer
• Use SE Advanced operators
  • Site:domain.com to see pages indexed
  • Link:domain.com to see back links

FOUNDATION: Fix the non WWW problem   

• One URL for every page
• stores.yahoo.net/account/pagename.html
• I use BASE HREF
• Fixes links off the page
• Consolidates link popularity
• RTML hack for lack of non-www 301 redirect
• Most RTML folks can do this

Optimize your online store

• Profit from your product knowledge
• Work your most valuable Web pages (MVP’s)
• Create a self-optimizing store with templates
• Collect converting keywords

1) Retailers: You are an expert

• Show your expertise
• Write relevant copy
• Tell me what to buy

Collect your expert content

• Harvest product Q&A from your sent emails
• Record & transcribe customer phone calls
• Ask customers if they have product questions
• Add this product info to your product pages

Pump up your product pages

• Rewrite manufacturer product descriptions
• Play “20 Questions” with each product
• Use competitors’ ideas (both retailers and manufacturers)
• Use other manufacturer content:
  • Press releases
  • Product sell sheets
  • Owners’ manuals
  • Catalogs & brochures

2) Optimize your most valuable pages

• Home page
• Info page
• Top 15 Section pages
• Top 100 $$$ Products

Optimization starts at home

• Branding
• Merchandising
• Navigation
• WISMO?
• Load speed
• SEO

HOME PAGE: SEO Powerhouse

• Title tag - Use 10-12 words
• Meta description - Company info SERPS snippet.
• Body copy - Keyword-loaded. 500+ words
• Text link navigation - Keywords in sidebar / footer
• Embedded links - 100 votes
• HOME PAGE: Merchandising
• HOME PAGE: Navigation
• HOME PAGE: Customer service

Get the 411 on INFO Pages
“More than 50% of folks who order view our info page…”

Use FAQ style links

• Show me how I can contact you
• Who you are & where you are

SEO SECTIONS (Category pages)

PRODUCTS: Start with best-sellers

3) TEMPLATES: Self-Optimize

• Create a self-optimizing store by using RTML templates
• Build SEO elements right into your store pages
• TITLE tags, META DESC, H1 headlines, links
• Use SMART RTML for better SEO
• Automate marketing messages with RTML
• Free shipping, you save, mfg logos, free gifts

Create automatic TITLE tags
CUSTOM TITLE TAG = Name + price + savings

Create automatic Meta Descriptions

Add FREE SHIPPING text (detail)

Show manufacturer logos

Build in links for good navigation

• Link to PREVIOUS, UP, NEXT product
• Anchor text gives SEO benefits
• Makes easier browsing / editing

4) Cash in on Converting Keywords
COLLECT: Converting keywords
OPTIMIZE: Store product and section page text/links
TRACK: Search engine rankings
ADVERTISE: Buy paid search ads

Rinse and repeat

COLLECT: Converting keywords

• Use your Yahoo! Store stats:
  • Emails. Orders. Reports. History.
• Get third party analytics
  • Monitus + Google Analytics; Indextools, ClickTracks
• Use PPC conversion tracking data
  • Google Adwords / Yahoo! Search Marketing

Converting keywords case study
(thanks for permission JK!)
200,000 unique keyword phrases
194,305 phrases did NOT convert
5,695 phrases DID convert
4,758 unique terms with one order each
1,150 unique terms with 2 – 1000 orders
Obsess over the $$$ money terms

OPTIMIZE: Product / section pages
Broad match:  keywords on page
Phrase match: exact phrase on page
Find Most Relevant Page on Your Site
If not, create a Landing Page
Link to most relevant page in CAPTIONS

TRACK: Search engine rankings

TRACK: Your top 200 $$$ converting keywords
Watch your Top 1000 Converting Keywords
Don’t ignore your more obscure words #1001 - 6000

ENGINES: Google, Yahoo, MSN, Froogle

TOOLS: Bruce Clay’s SEO Toolset + Web Position Gold

ADVERTISE: Buy paid search ads

• Google Adwords – IMPROVED!
• Yahoo! Search Marketing (Overture) -- NEW!
• MSN AdCenter -- NEW!

So now you know what to do with your Yahoo! Store!

1. Pimp your product knowledge and profit
2. Work product by product, start with your best-sellers
3. Build in the basic SEO and conversion elements
4. Collect your converting keywords and cash in

And now, Mr. Michael Whitaker…
THE END