In this article I am going to explain briefly how to optimize a web site on the topic “Home & Garden”. This means, that this will be an article related to SEO. Before telling you how to do the optimization, let’s say a few words about SEO itself first. After all, before optimizing you should know the reason why to do it, right?

So SEO is the abbreviation of Search Engine Optimization, which is actually used while creating web pages. Its purpose is to make the page rank in a higher position in the search engine results. And as you know - the higher the better. But why to look for the highest location in the search engines results? Well, imagine you are looking for something important for you and you start searching. There will probably be hundreds of results for your keywords, but they may turn to be totally useless for you. Yes, somewhere among all those irrelevant results there may be the exact one you are looking for….but how to find it? Read through every one of the links given? I suppose not. And that is the reason why everyone having a website worth looking at should optimize it for the search engines - to go through the SEO.

Ok, I showed you the use of SEO, but how exactly it works? The search engines are looking for relevancy. So, if you have a web site which needs to be optimized for the search engines you should define the keywords, describing its content. Let’s take the topic “Home & Garden” as an example. How to optimize the keywords, their density and all the other SEO features needed?

Let’s start with choosing the keywords. In spite of selecting popular keywords, try to think of something more uncommon or unusual, but effective at the same time. It is not as weird as it may seem, because the more popular keywords you pick for you website, the bigger the competition with the other websites on the same topic will be.

Then think of the content of the top bar of the web browser. One of the most important factors of the SEO is the title tags. These substantial HTML code elements make the words in the top bar of your Web browser appear, for instance „Home & Garden”. Keep in mind that the text, created by the title tags cannot be found anywhere else on the webpage, unless you want it to be.

Next come the meta tags. They help search engines correctly identify and refer to your site. How to use the meta tags? Well, first of all add “keywords” and “description” meta tags, and “title” tags that include keywords for finding content connected with the content on your website - in our case the most appropriate keywords are Home & Garden. Whenever it is both possible and logical, you should use those keywords in your domain name (web address), headers, links, alt tags and body copy as well.

The final and probably most important of all SEO components are the back links with anchor text “Home & Garden” from related websites. Why are the back links so important for the search engines? Well, the back link is actually the vote for your site which is made from another website on the same topic and is mostly taken into consideration by Google, when ranking your site. It is also called an inbound link. In other words Google marks the “votes” of the other websites which are linking to your own web pages. So if you want to increase the Google page rank of your website, persuade other high ranking web sites, related to Home & Garden to link to your pages.

About the author:
Joe Castro is owner of http://www.GardenJunkie.com, Your All-In-One Home N Garden Website. If you need quality Web Hosting for your template, we recommend http://www.marblehost.com/

I know what your thinking, “what the heck does starting a garden and planting seeds have to do with building an online business?”

Well… it all depends on how you perceive what I’m about to share with you.

I’m merely using that headline as an analogy to a Powerful marketing strategy that I use to send HIGHLY targeted traffic to my online business… Effortlessly, that almost every website on the Internet is hungry for.

Now, we all know that in order to be in business you need to either provide a Product and/or Service that cater’s to an particular Niche.

That’s the easy part to figure out.

The part that is usually the hardest with most online businesses is growing that business, and we both know that in order to grow your business online you need “TRAFFIC”.

We’ve all experienced these growing pains, myself included.

And, finding a cost effective marketing strategy these days like the one I’m about to share with you takes a little time to learn, but, in the long run will benefit You and your business for years.

Here are just a few benefits you’ll receive when you incorporate this marketing strategy into your existing online business…

1) It’ll BOOST your websites “Link Popularity”…

2) It’ll give YOU and your business INSTANT credibility…

3) It’ll build TRUST with your potential customers…

4) It’ll send your website Residual traffic for years…

… and best of all, it’ll put You infront of thousands of HIGHLY targeted customers… for FREE!

Do any of those Benefits get you excited?

They sure get me excited simply because I know it works and well at that.

So, with that said, I’m sure your getting a little anxious to find out what these “SEEDS” are that I’m so fond of that will put your online business infront of thousands of HIGHLY targeted customers Absolutely FREE!

Are You Ready?

!!WRITING ARTICLES!!

That’s right… Writing Articles, in my mind, is one of the BEST and most cost effective forms of online promotion, no matter what business your in.

WHY?

Read the BENEFITS I listed above one more time to refresh your memory.

Where else or what other marketing strategy online will give you a list of benefits like that.

And, the best part is… it doesn’t cost You anything, and yet, almost every website owner online is starving for it.

Here’s another quick reminder for you, why do you think they call the Internet… “The Information Super-Highway”.

The Internet received that name for a reason because that is exactly what it IS.

All you need to do is supply the Information in the form of an well written “Article” and send it to related websites and/or newsletters around the web related to your particular Niche.

Just imagine for a minute, what one article or half a dozen articles, for that matter, would do for your online business?

You’ll never know until You get started, so my suggestion to You is, start brain storming some article idea’s about your Product or Service and write them down on a piece of paper.

Once you have a clear idea, “Start Writing”.

So, there you have it, and that’s why I stated… “Building An Online Business Is Like Starting A Garden, You First MUST Plant Your Seeds” in order for your online business to grow.

I truly hope you understand the importance of writing Articles and why they are considered one of the BEST forms of online promotion for your business.

Looking for an Step-By-Step road map for generating HUGE amounts of targeted Traffic using Articles? Go search Cory Threlfall’s #1 Rated CBmall that carries over 10,000 of the Internets BEST ‘Information Products’ available Online. Go to ==> webmaster resource site Or… you can… Subscribe to CBnews ==> CBnews

Cats and our gardens are generally a bad combination. Whether it’s our own beloved feline crushing our prized perennials or a neighbour’s cat improvising a litter box on our lawn, cats and gardens are a bad mix. However don’t lose hope, cats are intelligent and can easily be conditioned to respect our gardens. This can be applied to whether we want to create a “cat zone” in our garden for our own feline, or if we want to keep the marauding mass of neighbourhood cats away.

Of course the best and most effective solution would be to keep our cats indoors and only allow them outdoor on a leash. The primary cause of early cat mortality and development of infectious disease is from their unsupervised outdoor wanderings. While we can insure that our own cats become “leash lovers”, we cannot control the actions of others, thus we need to be aware of the variety of ways to keep cats from claiming our gardens.

While some prefer to “acquaint” unwelcome cats with a quick and unexpected squirt from their garden hose, this method can traumatize the poor animal and only works if you guard your property militantly for weeks until they have associated your property with “water attacks”. A more subtle, yet effective method would be to plant Rue throughout your garden wherever your “guests” frequent. Cats find the strong odour of Rue to be extremely offensive. Other “odourifous” methods include: Scattering cayenne pepper after every rainfall in your garden, spreading crushed hot peppers, and pouring a mixture of grapefruit and lemon rind throughout the garden.

Another possible solution is to spray your property with predatory urine. Cats mark their personal territories through the process of spraying their “turf”. Individuals can purchase “urine” sprays for their garden that in effect “mark” their lawn, signifying a dominant cat has already claimed the garden. You can even go so far as to order Coyote urine to mark your property (just don’t tell the neighbours what you are spraying or they will think you are insane). Another possibility is the “Get off my Garden” crystals from Australia. These clear crystals ward off neighbouring cats through an intense odour (unnoticeable to humans). They actually become more effective after each rainfall. Finally, there are the American electronic-fright devices such as Scat Cat and Scarecrow. Both apply the same method of unexpected movement, flashing lights and surprise.

On the other hand, creating a “Cat Garden” within your existing garden can be both enjoyable for yourself and your beloved pet. By creating a “room of their own” in the garden, you not only increase their stimulation, but also deter them from approaching or damaging other areas of your garden.

Of course the plant to begin with is Nepeta Cataria, otherwise known as Catnip. This lush, beautiful plant with its scattering of pale blossoms will not only amuse your cat, it will be a beautiful addition to your garden. Just remember to put it into the mid or back section of your “Cat garden”, as it will take a fair amount of abuse from your feline. Other plants to include in your cat’s garden are: Catmint (Nepeta mussinii), an elegant hardy plant with attractive silver leaves that your cat will enjoy rolling in. Cat thyme (Teucrium marum) a member of the mint family, will provide hours of enjoyment with its subtle and intoxicating aroma. Silver Vine (Actinidia plygama), Valerian (Valeriana officianalis) and Cat grass, will all create a sense of ecstatic frenzy in your cat. Their intoxicating aromas and enjoyable texture will amuse your cat for hours. In addition, all of these plants are visually stunning and will help you to create a beautiful and dramatic design.

To truly create a Garden of Eden for your cat you will also need to have a secluded (hidden) area of litter for your cat, just remember to use the non-clumping formula.

Through a mixture of these methods our furry felines and we can live not only in harmony, but appreciate the wonders of nature together.

Great Design in essence is about the creation of an exquisite stage for the beauty and quality of life we all desire. From ultra urban to ornate opulence, Robin and his team have passionately and successfully designed it all. Robin’s interiors have graced the pages of magazines Worldwide. Robin has designed interiors for feature films, major retailers such as Home Depot (Style Ideas Magazine) and the Designer Showhouse. From smaller scale interior projects to full scale restorations and developments, Robin’s passionate and creative eye overseas all aspects. While fluent in all design trends and philosophies, Robin is most passionate about historic preservation and the creation of elegant, functional and memorable spaces that convey the best attributes of each owner while respecting and celebrating the architecture that encompasses them. Visit http://www.robindegroot.ca

Start some gardening traditions with your kids. Give them their own garden patch and a spot to dig. Children love getting their hands dirty and watching things grow.

Be sure to buy good quality, child sized gardening tools. Plastic toy versions just won’t hold up to the task. You will also need children’s gloves and a watering can.

Mark off the garden area and turn the soil. Kids can help break up any lumps with their hands. Work in some organic compost.

Choose seeds that will grow quickly. Small children get impatient if their plants take too long to sprout. Radishes, Snapdragons, Cosmos, and Sunflowers will all germinate quickly. Carrots and strawberries are also easy to grow– and yummy to eat.

Large seeds like beans and Morning Glories are easy for small fingers to push into the ground. You can start your seeds indoors in an eggshell carton. When the seedlings are an inch high, tear off the egg carton, and leaving the soil intact, transplant the seedlings outside.

Or, try placing beans on a wet paper towel inside a zip top bag. Tape the bag to a sunny window and wait for the seeds to germinate. I can remember, as a child, checking my beans every morning before school. The first shoots appeared to my delight and we carefully transplanted the beans outdoors.

Make garden markers by painting small rocks. This will help kids keep track of their selections.

Make it fun!
Grow a sunflower house by planting the sunflowers in a circle with a space in the middle big enough for your kids to hide. Be sure to leave room for a door.

Grow a spaghetti garden. Plant herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, and parsley. My kids love to snip fresh herbs. They stuff their pockets full of scented “spaghetti” herbs.

Share your garden with butterflies and hummingbirds. Zinnias, Verbena, and Cosmos are butterfly favorites. Hummingbirds love the nectar from Nasturtium and Lantana, and Hollyhocks.

Children love to pick up bugs and worms. Poke holes in the top of an old jar. Add some dirt and a few, new found specimens. Be sure to release the critters back into nature after a few hours.

Arm your kids with cameras to take photos throughout the summer. They will enjoy remembering the fruits of their labor. And, the pictures will help your budding gardener plan for next year.

Happy planting. And, don’t forget to pick a few bouquets for mom.

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About the Author: Rondi Hillstrom Davis is the co-author of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that’s jam packed with family ideas, visit http://www.togetherparenting.com

It’s important to teach your children about nature and encourage their interest in growing plants, so why not let them have a little plot of earth to call their very own? They will be delighted to have a piece of ground to call their own. Choose a sunny spot and give them a hand to dig it up the first time, especially if it is in the lawn. Or you might prefer to section off a piece on the edge of your own garden. Make it small enough that the child does not feel overwhelmed in caring for it. One square meter would be a good size to start with.

Your child will be able to care for the garden more easily if he can access it from all sides. Remember their arms are not as long as your own. If you’ve included it in your own garden, a stepping-stone on each side will encourage little feet to keep away from your own plants that might be damaged. A set of small hand tools and a small watering can will encourage your child to get into their garden and grow something. Small gloves may also be a good idea - and make sure they wear old clothes, so you won’t be worried about them spoiling new ones.

Plants for children should be hardy, quick growers and have bright flowers or something to eat on them. It is also a good idea to use the kind of seed that can be planted straight into the garden. These are: Sweet Alyssum, calendula, clarkia, coreopsis, godetia gypsophilia, marigolds, nasturtium, poppies and sunflowers. Pansies, violas and petunias are also good choices. If your child wants to grow vegetables, beans and peas, cherry tomatoes, carrots and radish are good choices. Cucumbers and sweet corn are too.

If your child is reasonably patient, encourage them to buy the mixed seed packet especially for a child’s garden. There will be quite enough seed in that for one small garden. Another idea is to buy the plants in punnets or flats as some people call them. This will give a quicker result, though half the fun of gardening is to see the seeds sprout up and then watch the
flowers develop.

Never nag your child to do weeding or tidying up in their piece of garden; it will put them off gardening. Instead, encourage them to grow anything that takes their fancy and to decorate their garden with all manner of things like stones, shells or even toys. The main thing is that they perceive gardening as something to be enjoyed rather than a chore. A special trip to the nursery or supermarket so they can choose their own plants will inspire them to become the gardeners of tomorrow.

Beverley Boorer is a gardener and freelance writer. Her children’s stories and articles on a wide variety of topics continue to be published both online and off. See her gardening website http://www.top-garden-tips.com for more tips on gardening.