The question that remains though is – should I use various types of software and should I trust them? My simple answer to this question is NO. Automating things like the submission of a site or blog feed is okay and makes no negative difference to your rankings and or link building. But using software to ‘automatically’ rank you can prove to be a dangerous game. Search engines usually figure out the ‘black hat’ techniques that people use and by doing so they will immediately remove the sites that have used those techniques.

When using these pieces of software you can open yourself to a lot more damage than good and sometimes it can be almost impossible to fix the damage that’s done to your web site presence. There are a lot of ‘above board’ software programs that have very good sales pitches and can make you believe almost anything, however, I would still recommend that you stay away from these.

The software that I do recommend to help you keep up-to-date with everything that you need to know about your web site, it’s ranking and general yet helpful information is:

• WebCEO – Trail/Premium
• RSS Submit – Premium
• RSS Announcer – Open Source

Of you would like to keep up to date with the latest trends in Internet marketing and Search Engine Optimization I suggest that you use Google Web Master Channel on YouTube. This information is probably the most valuable that you will come across.

If you do decide to go ahead and get yourself software then you should ensure that you can monitor absolutely every aspect of what is being done with is. Sometimes all this does is increases your traffic, however, that traffic will not convert into anything – no sales, no revenue and not even leads. What’s the point then?

Ease in accessibility – the ability to generate immediate leads – always available – the ability to generate sales – introduce yourself to the world at large – open your business to an international market.

Always on connections and a gradual increase in available bandwidth as well as the forth coming drop in the price of all internet connections means that more and more people will be online and exposed to the internet. This gives your business the chance to present itself to the online community, gain credibility amongst clients and gives you the chance to present your business anywhere in the world 24/7/365.

A website has the capability to bring in hundreds of new clients on a daily basis especially if those clients are searching for your products and/or services. Millions of people globally use search engines to find information, services and products that they either wish to purchase online or find further information on for later reference. Here in South Africa – as mentioned earlier – you will find that the number of searches for products and services are on the increase and will continue to grow daily as more and more people are beginning to use the internet on a daily basis as a primary source of information added to this is that the price of connections are dropping and as a result more people will begin using the internet at home. This is a great time to expand your business online or begin an entirely online business.

Now more than ever, technology is becoming easier, faster and more reliable. This ensures that we all can easily grow our online business and take it to the next level. There are thousands of open source projects that you can use for your online business or just business in general. Ask yourself what you need from software and then make the decision to find a free and open source package that meets those needs.

Why is it important to rank in search engines?

When searching for services and products online many people do not look at search results past the third page. If you do not find you website listed in these pages the chance of you generating more leads and or from your website are extremely limited.

Using the right keywords, back linking and using ‘white hat’ strategies to ensure that you are listed on these pages in google.com, yahoo.com, ask.com and the many other search engines out there are essential for the survival of your business. You want more clients to see you first and come to you because you know that the service and or products you offer are the very best.

There are several other factors that ensure that you get a good ranking and a client to sign up for your services and or products that include but are not limited to page design on and off line marketing, keyword placement, page title, social bookmarking and so on.

Always ensure that the content you have on your website is unique. This ensures that you will receive a better search engine rank.

Consider these factors and begin your online marketing campaigns and work towards ensuring that you are always accessed. As the online market place grows, so too will your business, sales and lead generation, mailing lists and readers.
Dalesh Kowlesar – Business Blogger