MyWizardAds Blog

This morning, in my inbox, I received one of those “holy cow” messages. The email advertising was written exactly the way it should be written (DO read my note at the bottom, but don’t leave yet).

The subject line was right up my alley, and the inside was persuasive enough that had I not known what to do next, I’d be out $100.

So what is the problem with this particular email that did its job and got me to read it, and then write about it?

First, it revolved around a subject that I am interested in, so I opened it. Then I read the claims and thought, “Wow, that would be something.”

However, after visiting the page, I referenced back to the email.

THEN I started what every person should do… I took my time and did my research.

So based on the email that got my attention, here’s what happened next:

This particular promo email (because it was about a plugin) used an example phrase “make money twitter” (without quotes), and knowing what I know about keyword research I proceeded from there.

What I uncovered was:

1. Obviously, someone did not understand the concept of keyword usage, keywords, or keyword phrases in the slightest

2. Making the #1 spot in Google or not (the email claims yes), approximately 30 people a month MIGHT type that keyword phrase into A search engine

3. Google, Yahoo!, and MSN were NOT the search engines being used even by those 30 people

4. A predicted one (1) person globally was expected to hit on that keyword phrase in the next month using a search engine OTHER THAN any of the ones listed above.

Now we’re putting the “endorsement” by this fellow into better perspective.

Even a complete amateur can tell these are not impressive results. In fact, building anything around this phrase (at the time of my writing) would be a complete waste of time.

Yes, this person may have made it to the #1 spot in Google (I cannot find definitive proof of that), but what good will that be if no one is typing it in? (Except me LOL!)

[Too many people miss the boat when it comes to using tools and plugins like this; and too many people make mistakes on their sales page and/or sales email copy. Therein lies the explanation of "what went wrong, this looked so good to promote?"]

Okay, continuing…

The other great claim to fame was “Daniel’s site is the #1 ranking site against insane competition of 219 million pages in Google!”.

Another fact per my own research is that over 416,000,000 individual pages (I only checked Google) use this phrase or SOME FORM OF IT, not 219 million. I state this not to impress you with the concept, but to show you “who cares?”. Remember MAYBE 30 people will stumble on this exact (in a broad sense) way of typing the words into an unknown search engine over the next MONTH.

I hope you’re following me on this one. It’s important, critical, when composing anything using the written word that has the ability to be spidered by any search engine, that you use, in the proper density, the RIGHT, pre-researched group of words (keyword or keyword phrase) to have ANY potential of getting into any search engine. Rarely will you kick someone right out of the number one spot. That’s not going to happen.

So, the whole point is, be it an article, a website, a blog, or a social media web site, if they aren’t typing (searching) for it, why bother? You’ve got a better chance of a reader of an ezine finding your ad in a newsletter (or an archived issue) and heading to the web site then you do choosing the wrong phrase.

Okay… so directly or inadvertently these words (and as a broad search which most people do versus putting your words inside quote marks to narrow the field), plus the fact that a grand total of 30 people MIGHT type it at some point over the next 30 days somewhere, and that an additional 416 million other web pages also use it… again… so what?

Without deliberately putting quote marks around the phrase (again something people rarely do because they don’t know they can), the other 416 million pages are showing either the same combination of words (which are awkward and I don’t see how they can be strung together to make even a single, readable sentence) OR the word “make” OR “money” OR “twitter”.

Because… without the quote marks around the entire phrase, each word within your chosen keyword phrase makes it open hunting season for the search engines. Without a direct search (use of quote marks), ANY or ALL of ANY part of the phrase this guy’s email was so excited about will also pull results from a search engine.

Don’t get me wrong. I love tools and plugins, but the claim to fame has to be substantial for me to cough up $97 for a single plugin, especially as a WordPress user, or a tool necessary to run my business, MyWizardAds.

However, WordPress is open-source, and people design new apps and plugins for it all the time – free of charge. Sure they might ask for a donation, but that can be as little as $1.

BUT, believe it or not, it is not the tool (plugin) I have problems with – maybe it is worth $97, but holy cow – what bugs me is the example I was given within the email that was suppose to knock my socks off turns out to be so unworthy.

It’s taken me longer to write this post than it did to do my extensive research for heaven’s sake!

Thankfully, I’m a bit more knowledgeable than some, coupled with my inability to take anything at face value. Add in the fact they want me to pay a large sum of money for a single plugin, and, without a doubt, I’m doing my homework first. Homework based on the words used inside the email itself (this is so important to stress, and you must read the * below).

The plugin may be impressive, but the example for a #1 spot on Google (if it’s even still there, things move around in Google pretty quickly) for a keyword phrase basically no one is typing, most certainly was a poor choice to use within this particular email as a “persuasive argument” or “incredible value” example.

Show me something really competitive, like “internet marketing” (without quotes) or “health” or “health care insurance” or “travel destinations” (all again without quotes) and if any of THOSE can hit the number one spot in Google and “quadruple your traffic”, THEN I’d be impressed.

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^*Keep in mind, the email I received did do its job. It hooked me with something I am interested in – plugins in this case. I have no idea who taught this person how to write nor if the copy was just lifted from some back office (I expect the latter, meaning I’ll be getting more of these same ones over the next few days, and all of those will go into the trash, unopened, since I’ve already read it once). I may, or may not, end up getting the plugin. Again, this post was written to prove a point about “be careful what you put in your emails” not whether or not you should buy the plugin.

However, my other point is, the very first click-able link above is someone I know who is willing to train you how to write emails that also get opened and read and clicked.

THAT would be worth your time and money (and strangely enough, it’s the same price as the one plugin).

Hmmm… one plugin or a lifetime of knowledge… don’t be stupid, grab the knowledge!