What Matt & Megan need in a Red Alert…

1. The link as soon as you have it2. Check if piece should be free or paid3. Let us know when the first two

paragraphs are done4. Let us know when you’re completely

done5. Let us know if anything changes

(link, etc)6. Ping us before you sign off

Your Titles Can Make Us Millions

• In other words: Freelist, Shmeelist – Titles are the most important marketing we do.

• In other other words: If a tree falls in the forest, and it doesn’t have a good title… Google doesn’t index it.

4 things you want in a title

• Good keywords• Clearly indicates what the piece will be about• Easy to scan quickly• Compelling

SEO

Writing titles & links that get picked up by search engines… so that we get more traffic & moneyHow Google Ranks Pages:1. Backlinks2. Page Title3. Keywords in body of page

Tips for good SEO

• Use popular keywords in the title• Use them as early as possible in the title• Use them throughout the piece• Use them in links• Avoid using uncommon words or acronyms

How to determine which keywords to use

• What would a regular person search for if they wanted to know about the articles topic?

• Use Google’s Adwords Keyword Tool• Country names are our best keywords… then

major events and political figures.

Not good

• Fighting Resumes with Ethnic Militants in Northeast Myanmar

• Smaller Companies’ Troubles Challenge China’s Economic Policies

Good

• Iran Benefiting from the Saudi Presence in Bahrain

• The Bin Laden Operation: Tapping Human Intelligence

Clearly indicate what the piece is about

• Be specific• Show what the benefit of reading the article is• Avoid words that don’t add meaning: details,

implications, consequences, issues, intentions• Balance specificity with length

Not good

• MILF: Short-Term Advantage, Long-Term Challenges?

• Implications of a Conservative Victory in Canada

• China: Crunch Time

Good

• The Seattle Plot: Jihadists Shifting Away from Civilian Targets?

• The Muslim Brotherhood Joins the Egyptian Protests

• China: Loosening Economic Policy on the Horizon

"We don’t read pages. We scan them.”-Steve Krug; Don't Make Me Think

• Keep it short (70 characters max, but fewer is better)

• Avoid big or uncommon words, like devolution, paradigm, impetus, moratorium, uptick (harder to scan, bad for international users)

Not good

• Strategic Security in the U.S.-China Talks• Difficulties in Afghanistan After the Death of

Karzai’s Half-Brother

Good

• The Divided States of Europe• Beijing Downplays Its Debt Problem

Compelling

• Why should the reader care about the piece?• When possible, use a verb to connect ideas,

rather than “and”

Not good

• China and Copper: Special Report• Jiang Zemin’s Health and Chinese Political

Stability

Good

• Why China Hoarding Copper Matters• Monster Trucks in Mexico: The Zetas Armor

Up• How to Travel Safely – Tips from a Former

Agent

Exercise

• Poland Looks for Security Alternatives• Jiang Zemin's Health and Chinese Political

Stability• Yemen's President Makes an Appearance