Hi, my name’s Derek Jansen and I’d like to welcome you to the site. I’ve developed this 100% free SEO course for you to learn the basics of SEO and learn how to rank your site at the top of Google, Bing and Yahoo.
The SEO course is divided into 9 lessons, which you can access online (below) or download in PDF format.
Introduction To SEO [Begin Lesson]- Keyword Research [Begin Lesson]
- On-Site Optimization [Begin Lesson]
- Getting Listed [Begin Lesson]
- Off-Site Optimization [Begin Lesson]
- Social Media & SEO [Begin Lesson]
- SEO No No’s [Begin Lesson]
- Pay Per Click 101 [Begin Lesson]
- Google Analytics [Begin Lesson]
- Viral Marketing [Begin Lesson]
Following these lessons, you will learn how to:
- Choose The Best Keywords For Your Website
- Increase Your Website Rankings on Google, Yahoo & Bing
- Consistently Increase Traffic To Your Website
- Avoid The Common Pitfalls Of SEO
- Get The Most Out Of Google Adwords
- Harness The Power Of Viral Marketing Online
- Analyse Your Website Stats And Capitalize On Them
To get started, simply click on the appropriate “Begin Lesson” link or download the PDF version. Please feel free to add your comments, questions or concerns whenever necessary – your question may help many other “SEO beginners” as well! PS – For those of you in South Africa, be sure to check out our 1on1 SEO training, based in Johannesburg.
Derek, 
Heather 2:10 pm on February 3, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Derek
Your new site is much cleaner and easier for a user and beginner like me. Question and hopefully not too silly. We are a directory so people are searching on our site for products and services. How are we going to get backlinks? Do I need to ask my product and service companies listed to give me one in return for the link they are paying me to give to their site?
Cheers
Heather
Derek 2:36 pm on February 3, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Heather
Thanks for your comment and question.
What I’ve seen many directories doing is offering a free listing (restricted of course) in return for a backlink to their site. This way, your backlinks can grow exponentially with no real work on your side. Alternatively, you could offer a discounted rate for those who link back, and full price for those who don’t.
Hope that helps a little!
Derek
Peter Forder 2:12 pm on February 3, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Derek,
I have been following your most professional (and easily understandable) SEO advice for the last 7 months. Please accept my congratulations on the opening of your FREE SEO Basics Course website!
Many months ago, I down-loaded (and applied) all 8 of your FREE SEO Basics Lessons. What a help they have always been to me.
A suggestion for you – I know that you also charge fees for your services – however, not all of us have the funds available for such services. Would you consider offering (in addition to your fee service) a “Donation” service? I am sure that, with the good value you provide, those of us whose funds are limited (but who, nevertheless, know that we are receiving excellent, FREE advice) could, in this way, “satisfy” our consciences – at the same time, perhaps
, enjoying some of the Added Value which you have on offer.
Just a thought!!!
Well done.
Derek 2:39 pm on February 3, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Peter
Thanks for your kind words. I will certainly take your suggestions into consideration
All the best with your online venture – I’m glad that I’ve assisted in some way.
Derek
Chanre Williams 3:02 pm on February 3, 2011 Permalink |
Dear Derek
The course has been great! There was a lot that I had learned from you. Firstly, when one starts with SEO, there are so many choices and rumours about what you should do and what is recommended. You clarified all my doubts and questions which enabled me to build my best website yet. Given it is still brand new, I have had great feedback on it.
Thank you,
Chanre
Derek 3:16 pm on February 3, 2011 Permalink |
Thanks Chanre – Glad you’ve enjoyed it
Heather 12:14 pm on February 4, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Derek
Thank you for the prompt reply about back-links.
Problem is most of my current customers gets a few visits to their sites – one guy gets only 6 visitors to his site a day – if he is lucky. i.e. I used that as a metric to show him that I can get him more traffic and have achieved that already for him from my directory site. I do not think I will get a lot of traffic from back-links from my customers (their websites are like on-line brochures of little use in the office cupboard or competing against 600 million other websites) – which is why I have found a niche in the market for them to all be in one place and easy to find by other users – we are a “green pages” with added value of news, updates on standards in the field, free and relevant downloads, descriptions of similar projects etc.
Where else can one get back-links from besides those customers listed? (not paid ones) I have many links going out but not so many coming in so am thinking Google will not rank me that highly hence I was interested in your SEO course.
I think SEO is important but so to is using the traditional press to drive traffic to ones site.
Last Question: I found your site from an article I read in either the Succeed or Entrepreneur magazine. How did you get an article in there? Did you pay for it? Did the article generate a lot of traffic and email opt in’s that follow? If so how many – trying assess the payback?
Thanks once again
Heather
Green Business Guide
Derek 1:28 pm on February 4, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Heather
The backlink building strategies described in the “Off-Site Optimization” section of the site are really the bread and butter of getting links. I can only suggest having a look there again and seeing what would work best for you. Alternatively, you can have a look at our local SA business – http://www.nitch.co.za for SEO services.
WRT your second question, you just need to approach the magazines directly with some sample work. If you writing is helpful and relevant to the readers of the magazines, you may be able to get some free publicity. Alternatively you can always purchase space. The ROI is always hard to measure with offline marketing, so I’m hesitant to comment on how well it works. With an average distribution rate of 20,000 magazines monthly, a 1% conversion rate of 200 people would be fair.
Hope that helps!
Derek
Edith 1:01 pm on February 4, 2011 Permalink |
Hi Derek!
I enjoyed your email course, and I like very much your new course site. It’s a beautiful example of the sharing spirit of content marketing, and I do believe I will follow your footsteps and create a similat site for my content marketing strategies.
Good luck!
Edith
Derek 1:29 pm on February 4, 2011 Permalink |
Thanks Edith – All the best!