Assignment 3, Bootcamp #5 - Product Reviews

[Red Rock Designs]

This week wasn't too productive for me, since I'm taking a Risk Management course and my assignment was due today.

But I did accept Frugal Mommy's offer for a blog review.  Here is the link:  http://www.frugalmommyof2girls.com/2013/04/red-rock-designs-mothers-day-gift-guide.html

I wasn't too impressed with it...the product reviews are a cut & paste of my listing, so to me it sounds repetitive.  My shop page views have increased, but I don't know exactly how much traffic the review brought.

I'm continuing to leave comments on blogs and FB pages, and still searching for more chainmaille vendors. I think I may need to expand blog searches to include metal jewelry and wire wrapped jewelry...which seems to be the closest to chainmaille, as opposed to beaded jewelry.

 

[iCraft Admin]

Thanks for the update, Red Rock Designs! No problem about slow pace. As long as you try a few ideas and do the research regularly, you are getting into a habit of thinking about link building and seo.

wow, looks like Frugal Mommy never heard of seo. Good lesson for everyone! You need to pay attention of what kind of links bloggers include in their reviews.

Same advise, as I gave to Kat - please ask Frugal Mommy to remove all the links from her post on multiple words, like "handmade jewelry",  "necklace", "chainmaille". You don't want many links to your store, all from the same article, but with different keywords. That's very unnatural and doesn't help you with link building. 

Basically, ask her to leave 2 links to your store - one on your store name (first link in the article) and then another one on "chainmaille jewelry". But remove the rest of the links and then ask her to add 2-3 links on product names that she is referring to in the article, like "Byzantine chainmaille bracelet". However, link that phrase directly to product page, and not your store page.

[JaJeJems]

I wanted to share a discussion that I saw on lampworketc website. It was called Link Building so of course I clicked on it, hoping to find something useful for the group.  I don't remember the exact words but it went sort of like this:

Person A. Does Anyone know about link building.  I hear that the more links you have  the easier it is for google to find you.  Here is my link ......

Person B. thanks here is mine ..........if you want to put it on your website but I don't know how to put yours on my website

Person A.  Thanks, I can tell you how to do that ........

Person A back again. Oh I just found out something more about link building, you have to include a little phrase with your link too so here is mine........

I wasn't able to comment as I was a guest on the site and when I went back and signed in so that I could comment the discussion seemed to have disappeared!  I did think to myself - if only it was that simple!

[iCraft Admin]

Yes, if it was only this simple!  Ha ha  Great story though illustrating how little most people know about seo, backlinks or proper ways of promoting themselves online. Sometimes a bit of knowledge can be dangerous, if you apply it incorrectly.

That's why this Bootcamp exist, so we can review individual cases, answer your specific questions and learn from each others experiences. Imagine trying to figure out all this seo stuff without being able to ask anyone for advice! I am surprised that more people don't participate in this program, as this is pretty valuable information for anyone, who wants to be successful online. And you are learning it all at your own pace. Oh well...  Hopefully, more people reading Bootcamp threads and taking notes too. That's all we can hope for.

[Fairy Cardmaker]

I'm behind.  I just sent out my two requests: one for the review and one to guest post.  I expect positive responses.

General Question: If I ran more than one blog with different logins, would links from each of them be two separate links?  Or does the internet somehow know that the same IP runs them both?

[iCraft Admin]

Thanks for the update, Fairy Cardmaker! No worries. We are going to move at the pace you all are comfortable with.

To answer your question, it depends on where your blogs are hosted. Nothing to do with the login. If you are using blogging platforms like blogger or Wordpress without installing them on your server, then there is no connection between the two blogs. The two would be considered as 2 separate sites. If you tell me your blog urls and how you plan to use them, I can tell you what makes most sense from seo perspective.

[Jewelry by Kat]

My Dad just passed away Sunday so I am doing my homework at odd hours.  It will be a busy week for me and I should keep up.  I already requested 2 reviews, have not heard and I am having a giveaway on my website so we will see what happens.

[Lannie]

Kat, sorry to hear your news! My thoughts and best wishes go out to you and your family.
Lannie

[Fairy Cardmaker]

Kat, sorry to hear of your dad's passing.  My thoughts are with you!

[Fairy Cardmaker]

Admin:
I sometimes run a team blog for an Etsy team.  Most of the time, I post only team treasuries.  I haven't touched it since February (it's a very loose team).  But, sometimes we do challenges or sometimes I feature a team member's newest creation, a craft show, or whatever.  So, sometimes I can put a link to my own shop in an article (but it's Etsy because it's an Etsy centric team.)

The other blog is the charity team I participate on.  That's the one I've asked about doing a guest post about one of our recent challenges.  (We make cards for the children at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital.)  Sometimes I get a link from there, but it is usually to my blog.  When I guest post (if she lets me guest post), I'm going to put the link to my shop.

Both of these blogs are on Blogger, so I wondered if it was good or bad to have blogger always being the referring site.

UPDATE: I got a go ahead on the card review.  I will start working with her this week.

[Fairy Cardmaker]

Another question:
To make my review mutually beneficial, I offered to review the stamps I used on the card (and other sets from the same manufacturer.).  The lady who will review my card sells them as an independent demonstrator (like pampered chef or party lite idea, but stamps).  I have linked to her blog before, because she came to do a party at my house (where we made cards).

To give her a different variety, could I post my review of the stamps on my iCraft blog?  They are not handmade and they may compete with handmade stamp makers.  The post would be about what I think of the quality of the stamps and what I see as the benefits and drawbacks.  Is that okay?  Or do you not want to have any posts about commercial products (even though they can be used to make handmade products)?

[iCraft Admin]

Very sorry to hear about your dad, Kat! 
Don't worry about your homework. We'll wait for you to catch up when you are ready.

[JaJeJems]

Kat, I am very sad to hear about your Dad.  I will be thinking about you in the days to come.

[Red Rock Designs]

Kat, I'm sorry for your loss. 

[Jewelry by Kat]

Thank you guys