Creative Business 101 – SEO Is Easy and Good Sense

by | Oct 5, 2011 | my creative journal

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a term that usually scares most people away. It’s that complicated techy nerd stuff and I agree that most of us don’t have time to fiddle around with. That’s exactly the reason why you should learn the basics and work it into the best practices of how you communicate online…because your time is so precious.

In reality, SEO is not rocket science…in fact, we know that technology changes constantly and there is no exact science to SEO. Optimization simply means you are striving for the most effective result and I think it’s a way of doing things in general – that is why I say SEO is good sense.

We all go to a search engine like Google and search for the information we are looking for. SEO is an attempt to make your content show up when people are searching for it. Of course, there are tricks out there and methods to push your website up the ranks, but the search engines can readily change their algorithms and scoring methods. In fact, it happens a lot and many of the tricks no longer work and sites lose ranking that they spent a lot of time tinkering around to create.

What doesn’t change is the fact that search engines are trying to give the people what they want. If someone wants to find a plumber in San Francisco, it’s pretty clear what they expect the search engine to list for them. So ultimately, as a creative entrepreneur, artist, whatever your business…you want people to find you when it pertains to your business. In the crafting world, a whole lot of people get traffic from posting tutorials because it’s exactly something someone would search for – “how to make” or “how to sew” something.

So what best practices do you need to pay attention to when it comes to SEO for your small business?

  • Write for humans. Tips and tricks aren’t going to last…ultimately, you want people to consume your content, so write for real people reading your content.
  • Use descriptive titles and sections. I know sometimes we want to be clever or cryptic with our titles and it’s okay for the occasional blog post, especially when it is something cryptic or personal. But if you are writing a tutorial or article about a specific topic, please title it properly. Don’t unnecessarily confuse readers or lead them astray.
  • Try to be descriptive with your image file names and add those captions, alt and title tags as well. Again, it’s just goes back to being clear about your content. If someone happens to link directly to your image, will they have any idea what it’s all about? I get lazy with these things as well, but at least try to do it for those posts that are meant to attract users like tutorials and information articles.
  • WordPress users, I recommend the All in One SEO Pack to ensure your basic meta tags are in place.
  • WordPress users should change the default permalink structure. Basically, when someone goes your blog post, do they see cryptic numbers and symbols in the address bar? That doesn’t help anyone. It’s so much better to have the category, the postname or some combination that makes sense to a human reader. Again, it’s just good sense!

Although I’ve learned many tips and tricks in SEO for building websites, the ultimate goal is really about being clear with your content. If you do a good job with that in mind, keeping everything as clear and descriptive as possible…you are doing a service to your readers in general…not just trying to boost your rankings. The icing is that your content will naturally be optimized. Remember that you are not competing with the big shots who have the money to hire a team of SEO specialists…because yes, there are people who’s sole responsibility in their job is optimize a website, manage paid campaigns and all that jazz.

If you are interested in learning more about SEO, blogseo is filled with informative articles.

Let’s Make Toothpick Flags

by | Oct 3, 2011 | DIY printables

I know that toothpick flags have been around for a while now and it’s no wonder how popular they are in scrapbooking and cardmaking. Toothpick flags are just so darn cute!

The supplies I like use are often difficult to find here in Italy. So I’ve decided to create my own through trial and error. Toothpick flags seem pretty straightforward to tackle. A simple idea, but you can create unique variations and combinations the DIY way!

Step 1 – Find some toothpicks!
I only have the plain jane ones. However, I’ve seen examples with little fork shapes and decorative tops as well. You might consider coloring them or using variations to create different types of flags.

Step 2 – Choose the material for your flags.
I’ve seen the flags made with patterned paper, ribbon and decorative tape (those washi tapes are all the rage). But I’m sure there are other materials that can be used. I’ve actually created my own designs and printed them on regular paper at home. Feel free to download the designs your own personal use below.

Download Toothpick Flag designs ZIP file

Step 3 – Cut and Fold Flags
Although you technically only have to create one side of the flag for a flat layout, I like creating the real thing for the full effect. This also gives you the freedom of flipping the flag around when using it in your projects. You can see from my designs that there are a variety of flag shapes as well. Experiment with the design, shape, size and length of your flags.

Step 4 – Glue Flags to Toothpicks
That pretty much finished the job. Tah-dah! I’ve found liquid glue to be stronger for this type of embellishment, but it really depends on your flag material. Just get those toothpicks to stick to the flag and you’re all set.

When using your toothpick flags, I’ve found that tucking the flag behind photos or journaling blocks helps to hide the adhesive used to attach the toothpick in place. However, sometimes I just put adhesive under the flag part and show the entire flag and toothpick. I’ve also seen ribbons and embellishments tied around the toothpick part as well.

Some more ideas
Once you’ve got the basic process of creating the flags down, you can start thinking about embellishments and fancying things up! Consider using fancy borders for your flag shapes as well as adding 3D embellishments onto the finished piece. The possibilities are really endless and even better, you can always use scraps of leftover paper to create a matching flag embellishment for your projects – pretty cool!

Let me know if you have any other tips, tricks or ideas regarding toothpick flags. I would be happy to try them out. For now I’ve created quite a collection for my papercrafting needs and having a lot of fun incorporating them into my work. Have fun!