The Project: Drop Shipping Chapter 3 Content and Onsite Optimization

Before I get into Chapter 3 I wanted to outline some of the problems I’ve had with this project.  You can use this as a list of things to prepare for so that hopefully you won’t have to go through this as well.

• GoDaddy Premium Domain Purchase: So I bought my domain from www.godaddy.com and thought I was buying it directly from them.  It wasn’t an auction item it was one of those premium domains that the show on the screen when you are searching for domains.  The problem was I purchased the domain and expected to have access to it instantly like you do when you register a new domain.  I found out that same day that I was going to have to wait a week to get the domain.  Not a big deal but still unexpected.  The real problem arose when the transfer date magically changed on the day they said I was supposed to get it.  So I bought the domain on the 8th, they said I would have access to it on the 15th, and then they changed that again to the 19th.  Today is the 18th and I’ve finally received my domain
• EzineArticles: I’ve never really used this site that much but in a recent marketing course the site came highly recommended so I figured I would give it a try.  I quickly learned that first off you have to post your content to this site even before you put it on your website (that was a little frustrating) and second the links that you use in the resource box have to work and they have a different coding scheme then the regular [url] type that I’m used to. Basically you have to link to a page with no content on it so that you can show the article is original and then you wait seven days before you can post to your site.  Didn’t know that before

So there are a few of the problems that I’ve faced in getting started.  If you are currently following along and writing your business plan for your drop shipping project please keep these situations in mind.  It might save you a little stress.

Now on to Chapter 3: Content & Onsite Optimization

In previous chapters I’ve outlined how to select a market niche and then the needed elements of your website. In this chapter I’m going to discuss the organization of your site as well as the content needed to have a perfectly optimized website.

Page Structure: This has a lot to do with the keywords that you select.  Up until recently it was believed that your optimization is all about your homepage and the links you drive to it.  This is in fact the route that I’ve taken for most sites that I’ve owned.  The reality is that you want to optimize an individual page for each keyword and then build links to that secondary page.

Example: Keyword – Auto Auction so on my blog you would want to use www .rcbryan.com/auto_auction (I used a space so you could see the URL with out it being a link)

You then would want to optimize that page with a keyword rich article specifically about that topic.  You also want to have a call to action on your page.

Example: Keyword – Auto Auction: So on that page I might have a link to my client Capital Auto Auction where I would have made arrangements to get paid for each new registration I drove to them.  Interestingly enough this is a project I’m working on.

When it comes to page structure make sure to have a page for each keyword you are going to use.  Make sure to post a static article to this page this sales oriented and keyword rich.  Lastly, make sure you have a call to action on the page that justifies the page existing.

Writing Your Content: Some people get stuck here.  Writing good content is tricky and time consuming.  I almost always outsource my content development to professionals.  They can do it faster and better then I can personally.  If you are going to write it yourself you want your pages to have about 500 words and they need to be keyword rich meaning you need to use your keyword as many times as you naturally can (don’t spam it over and over again).  If you shoot for 2-5% keyword content you’ll be in good shape.  You also need to make sure you use proper English, good punctuation, and that you blend your call to action well into the article.  Remember we are currently talking about onsite page content.  We are not talking about offsite articles or blog posts yet.

Use of Keywords: In the above sections I’ve talked about how to use your keyword to structure your pages and then how to use it as content.  When you use your keyword on your content you want to make sure to use an internal link so that you keyword links to your sales page. The sales page is the page where your call to action would land.  In the above exmaple this would have been the registration page for the auction.

The last way you will use it is in your admin section of your WP.  You want to make sure you are entering your keywords and tags into All in One SEO and your Post Tags.  This is important so that the search engines can see your keyword in your code.  Remember search engines see your content differently then the human eye does.  You have to make sure they like what they see.

Custom Sales Banners Widget: In the development process for my site I did have to hire a developer to create a custom widget for me.  I realized as I was proof reading the articles I had written for my site that I need a clean call to action for my project.  I decided I was going to use a skyscraper banner on the right hand side of my site.  Typically I would have my media person just put together a static banner and then plug it in.  I did however want to keep in mind that I’m trying to develop a system that I can use to launch more drop shipping sites after this project.  So here is a little in site into this amazing widget I’ve had developed:

This tool allows the user to plug in products from their inventory into a script that then publishes a professionally looking banner.  The key here is that the products and text in the banner can be changed with the click of a button.  This allows the user to easily change out and experiment with different designs with out ever having to go back to a designer.  This tool will make launching a new drop shipping site easier then it has ever been before!

So Chapter 3 has been the longest so far.  This should show you how important these elements are to a successful project.   We are only a few days away from launch – and here is a little secret – in Chapter 4 I’m going to introduce my new site to everyone!  Keep an eye out or better yet subscribe below to be the first to see the new site when it launches!