Here are a few SEO tips to help you get started. One caveat though – these tips are a bit more advanced and will work best for anyone who has ever toyed around with the html of your blog.

Tip #1 Make sure you’re actually tagging your keywords.

Do you spend a lot of time optimizing your content and then neglect to tag them on your webpage?  Tags are where search engines look and if there are no tags they’ll pass right by your web pages.  Here’s a quick look at tags.

There are a number of tag types including:

* Title tags. Title tags are quite possibly the most important place to situate your keywords.  Here’s what they look like – <title>Primary keyword phrase here. </title>

Your title tag is where you place your primary keyword or keyword phrase.  The sentence will describe your blog or post in less than 90 characters.

* Header Tags. Header tags are next in order of importance to search engines.  They’re ranked in order of importance and look like this – <h1>Primary and/or Secondary keywords here</h1>

The “1” designates this header as the most important header on the page.

* Meta Tags. Meta tags provide the small descriptive text found underneath the title tag on the search engine results page.  Like title tags these should be kept brief, informative and up to date.

For a Wordpress blog, you can add the meta tags on the same page where you type your post. In the right sidebar just below the “Publish” box is a box titled “Tags.”

* Alt Tags. Alt tags are used to provide a text description of a graphic.  Each graphic on your site should have a description and an alt tag.

Tip #2 Add content to your site daily.

Content is essential for traffic and a top search engine ranking.  Content is what search engine spiders look for and index – without it there’s nothing to index or rank.  Give visitors and search engines a reason to visit and index your site. Make a commitment to provide daily, optimized content and your traffic will soar.

Tip #3 Procure valuable and relevant incoming links

The more blogs which link to your blog, the more valuable search engines perceive you to be, though not all links are created equal.  Search engines give more leverage to links from sites which are popular and credible and from sites which are relevant to your website topic.

There are different types of links.

• A direct link looks like a basic website address, for example, www.yourwebsite.com
• A text link occurs when the webpage address is embedded in the text.  Readers simply click on the link and are redirected to a new website page.
• If the link is to an internal page, for example a specific post published on a blog, rather than the home page, it is called a “deep link.”

You can encourage linking to your blog by:

• Adding content to your site.
• Submitting to article directories.
• Publishing press releases.
• Commenting frequently on other blogs and building your community.
• Participating in social networking forums, chat rooms and social networking sites.

Tip #4 Be Social!

Now more than ever before, blogging is about building a community.  Social networking is a valuable traffic generating tactic.  Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be powerful tools for generating links and traffic to your site – create a profile and then post comments, links to your site and ideas which generate conversation.

Tip #5 Participate In Memes and Blog Carnivals

Many hosted memes and blog carnivals embed participating blog links into their posts. This means that your ranking goes up because of the link. As a result, your blog moves up in the search engines. (If you’re looking for memes to participate in, check out our huge meme list here. Also, visit the blog carnival hub to find specific carnivals you can submit posts for.)

For maximum results, create a traffic and SEO strategy.  Outline your plan and your goals and then take the necessary action.  Take advantage of these five traffic and search engine tips to boost your business.

And to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about SEO from an expert, check out SEO Book. You’ll receive so many tips, tricks and tools to bring traffic to your site! For anyone who participates in a CPM ad network, you know the signifigance of traffic to earnings. This might be the best investment you ever make for hugely increasing those earnings.

One of us moms here at Mom’s Blog Resource was convinced she could fix the problem on her own. So she stubbornly refused to ask for help and attempted to do what she could, which wasn’t much. Finally, she gave in and turned to Hostgator, the hosting company of the site, to see if they could help. Within an hour, one of the Hostgator techs had the site back up and running.

So if you’ve ever considered hosting your own domain, if you don’t already, but the thought of weeding through hosting companies was intimidating, Hostgator is a fantastic option. We recommend them with 100% confidence. Now, no one and no company is perfect all the time, but Hostgator comes pretty close.

Hostgator’s “Baby Croc” plan allows you to host an unlimited number of domains for just $9.95 per month. They also guarantee 99.9% uptime. And perhaps best of all, as we know from first hand experience, they have live chat support available 24 hours per day. They are currently running a special summer promotion off 20% off by using the code “BEACH.” This offer expires August 1st.

If you have any questions about hosting your own domain or Hostgator in general, please feel free to ask and we’ll do our best to answer.

There are an unlimited number of template resources available to bloggers. This is wonderful because it allows us to create an unique look without needing tons of code knowledge. It also allows us to change the look of a blog whenever we want with very little effort.  However, it can sometimes be daunting to wade through all of the options out there.

That’s where DreamTemplate – Web Templates can be a real life saver.

When you sign up with DreamTemplate – Web Templates, you pay a one time fee for a year’s subscription and recieve unlimited access to over 4,000 templates. Additionally, your membership includes access to three other sites that help with blog design and customization.

Check out DreamTemplate – Web Templates and see how they can help you build your blog!

The Basics: Family Review Network is run by a group of blogging moms who work directly with PR agencies and companies to line up product reviews. Then they pass those opportunities on to all members of the network. Some campaigns are open only to a limited number of bloggers, but that is always acknowledged up front.

Some of the review campaigns that have run through Family Review Network include:

• Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner
• Eye Buy Direct prescription glasses
• Skin MD lotion
• Zenses for Nintendo DS
• DaBib
• Nature’s Source cleaning products

The Logistics: Network reviewers are allowed to apply only for those campaigns that they are interested in. Once that happens, and if they are selected for that specific campaign, reviewers are given the opportunity to choose when they will post their review. Each campaign in assigned a specific timetable – usually running between 10 to 14 days. Many of the review campaigns often include a giveaway.

The Requirements: Currently, as of 4/20/09, Family Review Network is not accepting new reviewer applications. When they are, that information will become available on their site. We’ll also be sure to let you know when the application process is opened again.

What kind of products would I review?

Products for review are as varied as the types of blogs out there. When you partner with a review network, the items are geared towards kids, moms, or general household. You are always given the option to opt-out (or not opt-in) for each review campaign.

Do I get to keep the products?

Although I’m sure it can happen, I’ve never seen a review campaign where the reviewer did NOT get to keep the item.

Do the products cost me anything?

There is no out of pocket cost to review anything. If you are ever asked to pay something, run as fast as you can!

What is my compensation?

For the most part, you will not receive compensation for a review beyond the free product. However, there are certain ad networks that pay for reviews. There are also companies (such as Pay Per Post) that pay you to write reviews or to spread the word for their clients.

Do I get to give any away?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. That’s really up to the company seeking the review. If they are not offering an extra product to giveaway, it never hurts to ask if they’d be willing to.

Can I do this on my own blog or do I need another blog?

Certain ad networks, particularly BlogHer, do not allow reviews of products over a certain dollar amount to appear on pages with their ads.

Beyond that, it is really up to you if you want to start a separate blog just for reviews or not. Initially, I’d recommend reviewing on your existing blog and then adding a second if necessary.

What if I don’t like the product I’m reviewing?

A thoughtful review that’s not filled with negatives is an honest review. It’s okay to say that you dislike an aspect of something. If, however, you feel the need to write a scathing review, email the company first and let them know your thoughts. Give them the option to let you publish or not. Offer to return the product as well.

Did we miss any questions? If you have more, please let us know.

Review blogs are a nice little niche to explore if you like the idea of reviewing free products and sharing your opinions with your blog readers.

When it comes to reviewing products, you have a few options. You can create a blog just for reviews, start a second blog that focuses on reviews, or add reviews into your current blog content.

That last option is probably the best for newer blogs, although there are some ad networks that do not allow reviews of products over a specific dollar amount to be run alongside their ads. (BlogHer specifically has very set-in-stone regulations for reviews and giveaways.)

The perks of review blogging are many.

• You receive free products.
• Your name and your blog receive greater exposure, especially if you join a review network. (See the list at the end of this post.)
• You get to share your honest opinions with your readers.
• Companies that ask for a review often provide a product for you to offer as a giveaway on your blog.

If you are adding reviews to an existing blog, it is important to keep balance in mind. Out of respect for your readers, who have come to know and love you for your content, you should make sure you continue with that content. If you begin to write only reviews and leave behind your original posting habit, readers may stop visiting. That’s not good for you or for the companies whose products you are reviewing.

Here are some of the Review Networks you may want to sign up with:

• Family Review Network
• Team Mom
• Mom Select
• One 2 One Network
• Parent Reviewers
• Mom Central
• My Blog Spark
• Parent Bloggers Network

Stay tuned for more on Review Blogging information in the coming weeks!

Do you have experience with review blogging? What are your thoughts on it? Please share your thoughts!