This is just an update of my participation in the Busby SEO Test Challenge. A month had passed, and after some of the overhaul I made in my blog, I noticed some progress: From nowhere to top 50. Will I move further up this month of November? That has yet to be seen. But you can help me by linking to me either sitewide or inside a post using the html code below:

<a href="http://ceblogger.com">Busby SEO Test</a>

Meanwhile, November is my birth month and I share this birth month with some of the famous people in the world. Me famous? In my dreams! Or even if I win this Busby SEO Test, it won’t make me famous.

Here are some famous people born in November (in random order):

1. Miley Cyrus (23)
2. Bryan Adams (5)
3. Evangelist Billy Graham (7)
4. Joni Mitchell (7)
5. Leon Trotsky (7)
6. Mickey Mouse (18)
7. Ethan Hawke (6)
8. Martin Luther (10)
9. Leonardo de Caprio (11)
10. Martin Scrosese (17)
11. Indira Gandhi (19)
12. Bruce Lee (27)
13. Sir Winston Churchill (30)
14. Demi Moore (11)
15. Meg Ryan (19)

Two former Philippine Presidents were also born in the month of November: Carlos P. Garcia (4) and Elpidio Quirino (16).

Now, what has November got to do with fame?

Popularity: 8% [?]

SEO is Easy

Sometimes we think that SEO is easy if we land in the top spot for a certain keyword or keywords. We might hail it as a success. But hey, look again! Who are you competing with that keyword? Maybe it’s only you who invented that word (e.g. Cjeblaggeer), or it is from some archaic language no longer used today, and you simply highlighted it in one of your post.

SEO is definitely NOT easy. Especially if you are competing with experts, gurus, masters and other hotshots. My Busby SEO Test journey is a steep climb. I used to be in page 10. But now, I slid to page 17. With more participants joining in the next few days, it would be very difficult to climb back. But who knows the mind of Google. What if they catapult me to page 1 with this entry? That, I would claim that SEO is easy.

note: image is plucked from the website of Pogung, in an entry in the previous Busby SEO Challenge. I consider myself one of his fans in the previous contest.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Building backlinks is an arduous task, but it is necessary to push one’s site in the front pages of the search engines. Currently, the total backlinks that this Busby SEO Test participant has is three as per report generated by backlinkwatch.com. Imagine, after 30 posts, I only have 3 sites linking to me!

This SEO contest is an opportunity to change the inner workings of this blog. First it was the Title. Obviously, the blog title plays a vital role in the search engine optimization game. All others had their Busby SEO Test as their blog title (or added to their blog titles). There is almost no difference at all, because these experts recognize the importance of the title. Had it been allowed to use domain names containing the keywords to be optimized, the busbyseotest.com.net.org.whatever would have been sold out immediately, minutes after the announcement.

Then the meta tags. I’ve already done that in my previous post. To check the meta tags of a website, click view, then the page source of the site. Search for whatever meta found on the codes. You add and/or alter the meta tags of your site.

Now, it’s the backlinks. Google considers a link to a site a vote for that site, hence, improving the importance of the linked site in the eyes of Google. So, where do I start with the backlink building?

First, it would come from me. I got a few ranked blogs out there. None of which had linked this site yet using the anchor text: Busby SEO Test. I want it linked to my domain, and not in any single post. That would be my start.

Next are my friends. Friends, please link me in a post or in your sidebar. Use the code here:

<a href="http://ceblogger.com">Busby SEO Test</a>

If you had done so, please let me know so that I can give recognition at a later time.

Then to those who just want to help, you may copy the said code above. I don’t have money to buy links. But if I’d win, I’ll share the winnings, even if it will only be the fifth prize.

Popularity: 13% [?]

I used meta tags once in one of my blogspot blogs. I was still learning SEO then when I read it first in an ebook given away for free by Macuha.com. That was the first thing that I applied. Despite not having any page rank at this moment, that blog still rank higher in search engines for specific keywords. I attributed that success to the meta tags.

Now that I entered into this Busby SEO Test contest, I must use all methods necessary. I checked the page source of the leading sites and noticed that most were using meta tags. I checked my own page source but I noticed something different. There is the meta tag, but containing a different keyword. It is no wonder why I can’t find my site in the first 12 pages of Google.

It signaled one thing. I must revise my own meta tags. I will not be using the all-in-one-SEO pack since that one I think is only effective for a single post. But for optimizing the whole website, the meta tags should be at the header. To learn more about SEO, we must not forget the meta tags. I hope this one pulls me up in the search engines.

Popularity: 4% [?]

I checked the traffic stats of this almost neglected blog. Awful traffic! This one got only 10% of the traffic I get as compared to my other blog. It means that I only have less than ten visitors a day. Without any promotion and keyword optimization, my blog is likely not to be noticed at all.

When you don’t have any blog visitors and you want them to at least take a peek at your site, what will you do? I don’t just have to stare at my site, or at the ceiling above me. I’ve got to do something. Even the not so newbie bloggers will let out a sigh when nobody’s visiting their blogs anymore.

But I plan to change all that. In the next three months, I’m gonna increase the traffic of this blog. If you too are worried about your traffic, we can choose the many paths of promoting our sites.

The Traditional Way:

Here are the most common strategies one can do to promote his site.

1. Content is King – Provide thought-provoking, entertaining, or whatever content you’d like for your readers to read and keep on coming. The goal for the next few months is to rank high in the Busby SEO Test. So my posts are to be more or less directed or aligned at this aim. It also means that I shall post regularly, not monthly and not necessarily daily.
2. Design is Queen – If your site will not load immediately or is too cluttered with useless widgets, banners and scripts, you’d better think twice. If you aren’t patient in getting into sites like this, how much more are your visitors? The simpler the design, the better. The faster it loads up, the more chances you have of getting visitors. My current design is fine but I think I’m gonna chance this one.
3. Go on a Parade – Show off your site in forums, articles directories, blog directories, and wherever social network you are in. If you are in Friendster, Facebook or Multiply, announce that you have a blog, and post a snippet of your latest entries. Go on offline promotion.
4. Network – Read and comment on blogs, not just once but do it many times till they reciprocate the visit. Exchange links when necessary. Join blog meets. Be a noisy fan.
5. Entrecard – Doomsayers predict demise for this community. The owner listed this site for sale. But until the site shuts down, a drop will give you 40-60% chance of getting a return visit. Keep on dropping and reciprocating drops.

The SEO Way:

Learn SEO and apply it in your site. Some practical steps here:
1. Search for downloadable free SEO ebooks.
2. Read and apply. Ask from willing experts if you don’t understand.
3. If you are on WordPress, install the latest all-in-one SEO pack.
4. Choose an SEO-friendly WordPress theme.
5. Choose the most searched keyword of the day or the week and optimize it.
6. Optimize the chosen keyword in your title, and in your tags and posts.
7. If you have the money, pay someone else to do the optimization for you.

Since I don’t have a budget to pay for search engine optimization specialists, I’ll just have to do everything on my own, and settle for the freebies. By the way, I don’t need 100 visitors a day since my hosting plan is so small at this time. The goal is just around 50-80. The entrecard dropping can take care half of that.

Popularity: 7% [?]

The Busby SEO World Cup 2 is now on! I was just an observer in the first contest, amusing (at the same time learning) myself with the techniques and tactics of the leading contenders. Now, I want to feel what it is to participate in such a large contest. This contest is open to all SEO specialists, guru’s, masters and hot shots to compete over a 4 month period to gain the highest position they can achieve on Google (USA Google Data Center). I am neither a specialist, guru nor a master. But I can be a hot shot with a far swing at the prizes to be won.

The keyword to be optimized is: Busby SEO Test. The contest will run from October 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009 (12:00 mid day) Perth, Australia time. Only ethical SEO techniques are allowed.

The winners will receive the following:
First Prize : $5000
Second Prize : $2000
Third Prize : $500
Fourth Prize : $250
Fifth Prize : $100

Special prizes are as follows:
Midway prize – $1000 to the entrant who has the highest Average ranking on Google (USA Google Data Center) this can be measured on Monday 5th January 2009 (12:00 midday), Perth, Western Australia.
Invite The Most Friends: iPod Touch
(Entrant Who Invites The most Friends, Who then Register and compete for the competition)

Most Creative Content : iPod Touch
(Entrant who has the most creative content on their website as judged by the Busby panel)

I have already registered as a Participant in the Busby Web Solutions Search Engine Optimisation Challenge. To push me up in the rankings, I need inbound links. Wish me all the best here!

Popularity: 4% [?]