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I've found, through many years of copyrighting, that the best type of link that you can receieve, is an inline link. Forget links at the top, footer links, sidebar links, banner links, and any other types of links. Google really does seem to love the inline links!

For anybody a little unsure of what I mean, by inline links I mean links such as this link to Google. If there's content either side of the link then Google really adds a lot of weight to it. I surmise that this is due to inline links being the links that aren't really bought and sold, and also people tend to link to other websites when the other website is relevant to the post at hand.

Most definitely is worth considering, Alex! You'll really come to love it, I'm sure. How about everybody else out there?

I've found this doesn't often work. I've tried numerous times to pull down content that is mine from other websites, but each and every time I've drawn a complete blank. There's just no point taking people to a small claims court for such content, in my opinion. And it just wastes precious time trying to get the content removed. The bad thing is that Google and Yahoo, etc. naturally see it as duplicated content, and thus don't give you as much weight.

I'm in once I get my blog up again! You don't seem to have had many replies though -- what's up with these folks, do they not want comments!?

I prefer the first one, Verb. The other 2 seem too out-dated for my liking. I know Alex is a little older than say myself, but he's a handsome chap and so a contemporary looking picture is the key!

Also, in addendum to my previous post, you should also look at writing comments on many news websites -- they often allow you to link-back. I know the BBC's website allows individuals to comment on stories, obviously pertinent to your blog, and then link back.

Lol! Verb -- how many replies do you want to make to one thread? Slow down, girl! As aforementioned though, it is a fabulous idea, and the search engines will lap up all the fresh content. Most certainly the way forward.

I see a lot of pingbacks on my blog -- when I had it, but these days the majority of pingbacks appear to be spam. I feel often, if they are legitimate, they offer a lot for readers to follow and read similar content, but it also takes away visitors from your website. So how do you people feel about them?

By this I mean properly. Not at school or anything like that. Rather, when did you begin ardently writing about whatever took your fancy at the time -- and really making it part of your life. I personally feel it's important to begin young, and that allows you to develop your skills whilst your mind is still maturing.

What does everybody else think? And also, at what age did you begin?

A press release, if written well -- and by that I mean grabbing the reader's attention within the first 20 or so word, will attain a lot of exposure and therefore a big plus for whatever purpose the PR has been released for. Hopefully it'll be noticed by some of the big boys out there!

I also happen to believe that sepia is a very warm colour -- and therefore gives a nice professional portrayal of yourself, but also has that nice and warm feel to it as well. Definitely my favourite.

I think the key is to begin writing -- soon you'll be writing exceptionally well, with much practice. Once you begin writing well enough for your liking, and others too, start pushing your blog out there. Placing it on Digg and Reddit, for instance, will get you noticed by a lot of casual readers.

I much prefer a blog to be perfectly honest with you. I have been wanting to revive my blog for a while now, but I only finally got round to getting it designed a couple of weeks ago! And so hopefully I'll have it back up sometime soon, and thus I can commence writing.

It's a crafty addition, I must say, Miguel! The search engines will simply adore all the fresh content when you get the individuals who own a blog on Copywriting.com posting regularly. Good idea!

Trouble is that blogs are a long-term thing unless you get your blog on Digg and StumleUpon and various other social bookmarking websites. You've certainly got to stick at your business though if you want it to go anywhere worthwhile.

I must say that the approach of just writing, writing and writing, really does work. And it does beautifully! When I used to have a blog I found my English gradually improve. If I couldn't find the word I was after then I would look it up in my thesaurus and off we go. It built up my vocabulary. However, when my web host pulled the plug on their hosting service, I didn't have the time to transfer my blog and so it went to meet its maker (Ok, not me, wrong phrase!) - it collapsed over-night, sadly. From then on I've found my English gradually deteriorating - until the past month or so where I've picked up on it again.

Key phrases are also good when you take advertising to PPC networks. Especially if you run an eCommerce system. For instance, you're better off in every single way ranking for "Deluxe Red Sofa with Reclinable Feature". Although admittedly just made up, it's better ranking for a specific key phrase than it is to rank for simply "Sofa". The reasons? Well...

• People searching for the term "Sofa" could be just after a definition or a picture thus not making you a sale if they click on your advert.
• If they are looking to buy, you may not have the particular sofa they're after as it's a very generic word.
• Thousands of people attempt to rank for common search keywords so the price will be high and the amount of clicks will also be high - but mostly irrelevant.

I could go on, but you can see that if someone is after a specific item, and you stock it, then they're more than likely going to buy it off you if the price is right.

It's quite easy to get Wordpress set-up and working perfectly, Trixxie. All you really need is a place to put it - so a web hosting account of some kind from somewhere (There must be millions out there!). You can acquire the advertisements from such places as Google's AdSense. Every aspect of blogging is rather simple to set-up and will have you posting in no time at all!

I've actually been in this position before. The key phrase in your post is the part about not being confrontational. No company likes to be pinned up against the wall and told they're branding is ineffective. I've seen too many people go about this way to where the company simply builds up a defence and nothing is resolved or improved.

What I have done, in I think the 2 instances where I remember having similar predicaments, is wrote them a nice, polite letter asking them about their target audience. On both occasions we've organised meetings, typically with me, the board of director(s) and their branding manager (if they have one). Just gone over a few key points based on my psychological and copywriting know how, and put it to them nicely that their focus may be misaligned somewhat.

In both occasions I have ended up getting what I wanted out of it, or at least somewhere close 2 in the latter of the 2, but on both occasions I have been correct and received letters of praise at the end of the projects. I even got myself a pay-rise for the latter of the 2! The former was when I was freelancing so I couldn't really have given myself a pay-rise. But really just knowing you've made a difference is a great feeling in itself.

I don't have a blog any longer. However, when I did, I simply submitted it to a lot of blog directories. I didn't promote it much as what I wrote about was quite esoteric. I also submitted it to various websites, such as sites about heliolatry and cognitive psychology. That drew in some high quality visitors.

I don't really have any structure to my day at the moment. However, I'll be moving again shortly (I don't like staying in the same place for too long). I will then introduce structure into my day. Where I am at the moment, I've been here for about a year now, it's just so vapid, it makes me feel lifeless as well. Not a good place at all.

Before I moved to the aforementioned place I had structure - something I'd definitely recommend, and something I'll definitely be introducing into my life again when I move.

I'd recommend Elance.com. Get your name on there for a small fee and start earning some pennies! People make a lot of money on that website.

I'd be VERY careful there Miguel. You do not want your site to be hurt by Google and Yahoo, as well as the many other search engines out there. Recently Google has been taking harsh steps against directories - and rightly so as well.

You see, there are thousands (If not millions) of directories out there on the Interweb. Most of them, apart from certain ones like Open Site (to which I am a moderator), accept any old website. Good or bad. This is not the way back-links should work. Back-links should be used only if the webmaster feels the content on the external website is of a good quality.

The consequence? Well, Google has taken the initiative to begin knocking down directory websites in the search engines, significantly, when they run this kind of website where they accept an old website regardless of whether or not the webmaster think it is justified. Although the sites in the directories aren't being hurt, just yet, and it's only Google, it's only a matter of time before this trend accelerates.

Want some proof? Okay, take the website dirSpace which I was going to purchase around 8 months ago but never did. Then go to Google and type in dirSpace like so: Google link. You see, they can't even rank for their OWN name any longer even though the website has been up for many years and used to rank really well in the search engines.

My advice? Seeing as how you have an awesome domain name, Copywriting.com, I would move the directory to a separate domain. It may be advisable to also move it to a different server so the IP differs but I can't see Google and others punishing other sites who share the same IP because of shared hosting.

You're right, cirsusmama. In a way, anyway. It will not help you because so many other factors go into it. SEO is not a sub-topic of philosophy so it's not overly complex, but it is a topic that requires understanding to get anywhere. Mentioning Britney Spears in your content, numerous times, will do you no good what-so-ever unless you take advantage of the many other ways that work hand-in-hand with the content.

As for the keyword site, yes, I use http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ but you may also try out the keyword search tool in AdWords.

Keyword stuffing is a big no no if you want to remain on Google and Yahoo for sometime. They will find you because let's assume you place lots of keywords in the noscript node. Although the search engines will see it, users who do not have Javascript enabled will also see it - which accounts for ~5% of the Internet. Whereas people who browse your source and have other tools for detecting hidden keywords, such as I do, account for a much larger portion of the Internet. Google and Yahoo rely to some extent of people reporting websites - and they do. I do as well because of the stupidity factor that someone would do such a thing when there's really no logical explanation as you can go about it in legitimate ways.

The legitimate ways? Well, keywords in content are good. Do not hide your keywords, simply place them in your copy several times whilst still constructing the sentence intelligibly. Place your keywords in the title node, a H1 node. Construct your page semantically as well - by that I mean use H1, H2, H3, etcetera. in a way that allows websites to be able to decipher the intended pattern of your website.

Those will get you high up on Google. As well as fresh content. Without it, you may as well be flogging a dead horse.