How SEO Makes Your Web Copy Stronger

Posted on by Collin Zane
SEO

People say that web writing is a balance between writing copy that’s friendly for search engines and copy that’s friendly for people, and there’s some truth to that. But I’ve found that search engine optimization (SEO) actually strengthens my copy.

SEO is not black magic. It’s not about tricking the search engines into ranking your site higher when people search for a certain word. It’s about aligning the best practices of SEO with the principles of good communication.

Yes, there is a technical aspect to optimizing your website so people will find it when searching with tools like Google. True also that there are certain things that can be done with HTML code that web visitors never see. However, the real trick to SEO is to make your site as relevant as possible to the people you’re talking to.

Relevance: that’s what it’s all about.

Think like a search engine

Can content be relevant both to machines – the web crawlers that search engines use to index websites – and to your human web visitors simultaneously?

Absolutely.

In order to think like a search engine, you have to know what parts of your website the web crawlers sent to scan your pages look at. But you have to keep the overall goal of the search engines in mind, too.

The search engines, after all, have the same goal as you. To help users find relevant websites. In this case, hopefully, your website. A big part of creating a keyword list is trying to figure out which words are being searched for by the people you want to visit your website.

So really, good SEO copywriting is about getting into the mindset of your audience. And that happens to be rule number one for good copywriting of any kind. Think from the point of view of your audience.

Once you have the keyword list, you’ll want to use it in places where the web crawlers will find it. Like in headings, subheadings and image titles.

SEO makes online copy stronger

Will using the keywords in places that the search engine dictates make your copy weaker?

Not at all.

If your web copy is already strong, it will make your web copy stronger. It’s not an accident that the search engines are looking for keywords in places like the headings and bullets and links. It is, after all, logical, that the words that are relevant to your content should appear there.

The only way it could make your copy weaker is if you do things backwards and try to jam keywords into your text as an afterthought, giving it an unnatural feel.

When does it make sense to prioritize keywords over good web copy?

Never.

When you start focusing on SEO, rather than relevance, then you’ve lost the plot. Because if SEO tactics detract from the flow, sound or rhythm of your text, then the text is less readable. And if the text is less readable, then it’s less valuable to your target audience, and therefore less relevant. After all, who wants to read a text that’s written more for search engines than human beings?

The trick is to use the best practices of SEO in a way that makes your copy stronger, more important and more valuable to your target audience. Then, not only will you the right people find your content, but they’ll be pleased that they did. If you want to know more about SEO, click here.

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Women

Posted on by Collin Zane
gifts for her

Valentine’s Day – a holiday with a rich history of both Christian and pagan origins – is a day of romance in which loved ones give gifts with the sole purpose of showing how much they love each other. Valentine’s Day is also undeniably a holiday that businesses love – in 2009, the average U.S. consumer spent $102 dollars on Valentine’s Day related items according to an annual U.S. National Retail Federation survey.

Despite the money-making industry that seems to surround the holiday, Valentine’s Day remains a perfect day to express love and caring. With a little thought and a few helpful ideas, finding the perfect Valentine’s Day romantic gift for her has never been easier.

Personalize Traditional Gifts

The traditional gifts of cards, flowers, and candy may seem cliche, but can still be wonderful gifts. The trick to giving traditional gifts is to personalize them and show that thought, love, and energy really did go into picking out that particular gift. Cards are a staple of Valentine’s Day, with over one billion being sent each year. However, a homemade card or a personal poem handwritten in a traditional card help personalize this most traditional of gifts.

When choosing flowers, feel free to go beyond the traditional roses and instead choose her favorite flower. And instead of simply handing over a prepackaged bunch, scatter flowers throughout the house, have them delivered at work, or place in a box with another present hidden underneath. Both flowers and candies can be improved by including a list of things you love about her. Obtain some small pieces of card stock and write one thing – such as her compassion for others, her hair, or her sense of humor – on each piece. Then either hide under each piece of candy or tie to each flower with a ribbon.

Making Jewelry Romantic

Jewelry, while a traditional item, can also be a wonderful gift to show both love and also appreciation for her tastes. The first trick to picking out jewelry is to start at a good store. Mass merchandisers usually have mass-produced and uninspired pieces. Starting at a good store helps to guarantee that the piece is both fairly unique and of good quality.

The second important thing when picking out jewelry is to appreciate her tastes. Go beyond diamonds and find a stone color she particularly likes – such as deep purple, blue, or pink – or figure out what her birthstone is. Unique jewelry is also a good option. Rare stones or coral can be very reasonably priced and allow her to own something unique and special. If she is a fan of big, chunky jewelry, don’t purchase a little teardrop stone on a thin chain. Instead, find a piece that includes two or three heavier chains and eye-catching accents. If she is a fan of fine jewelry, buy a smaller, detailed piece. Matching sets of earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are another option.

The final thing to note when giving jewelry is the presentation. While a jeweler’s box is adequate, getting creative will always be appreciated. Find a cute stuffed animal and put the jewelry around it’s neck and then wrap. Or serve with dessert, with the dessert on one plate and the jewelry on another.

Non-Traditional Gifts

Spending time and energy on developing a non-traditional gift is also a fine idea and one that any woman will appreciate. One way to show a serious level of love is to make a nice dinner for her. Things to avoid include anything from the freezer section, prepackaged meals, or something that she doesn’t like. Finding a good recipe and spending the time to make the meal from scratch is what makes this a wonderful gift. If possible, have more than one course and make sure dessert is included.

Homemade “gift certificates” are a wonderful and inexpensive (or free) idea. Cut a few pieces of card stock into pieces about the size of a playing card. Then write an “IOU” on each one – such as making dinner one night, watching the kids so she can have a night away from home, back-rubs, a trip together to a museum or art gallery she has been wanting to see, or a home movie night with movies she wants to watch are all good options.

Other non-traditional gifts can include pampering items for her, including bath oils, a spa visit, or a manicure. Candles in a variety of scents are a good accent or additional to another small gift. If books or movies are given, make sure they are something she really wants and something she wouldn’t normally buy for herself.

Showing Love is the Most Important Part

While Valentine’s Day, like many other holidays, has turned out to very profitable for multiple companies, the real meaning of Valentine’s Day remains unchanged. Valentine’s Day gifts- from the traditional to non-traditional and from expensive to free- offer the perfect opportunity to show love and affection. No matter what the Valentine’s Day gift, showing love is the most important part of the holiday.

Seeing Your Brand Through a Kaleidoscope

Posted on by Collin Zane
Brand Identity

A kaleidoscope is an eyepiece that you look into. On the other end are an opaque window and a compartment that has several pieces of colored glass, paper, beads, etc., in different shapes and sizes. In front of that is beveled, cut into a pie-shaped form, glass prism.

The objective of the kaleidoscope is to display an infinite variety of colorful geometric patterns; with each shifting of the colored pieces, the geometric pattern changes. Thus, as the kaleidoscope turns, geometric patterns flow from one delicate pattern to another. Though sometimes the geometric patterns appear similar in form, they always vary.

The metaphor of the kaleidoscope can be used to describe your personal brand identity and personal brand image. The pieces of colored glass or other objects represent your personal brand identity, which does not ever change; they should remain constant and congruent. Whereas, by turning the kaleidoscope to create pattern changes is more like your personal brand image, which can easily shift based on the perception of others.

Your personal brand identity is made up of who you are, what you stand up for and your authentic value that is the heart of your personal brand. Identity is everything you want others to know and experience about you consistently. Using a marketing agency to build a successful personal brand with genuine integrity; it is the cornerstone of your personal brand identity. Personal Branding DNA believes that integrity consists of substance over style – it is not about being an icon as some personal branding strategists would have you believe. Instead, it is about getting real with yourself and others. It is about developing a character that is adaptive to the world around you without selling out, engaging others through a world of shared meaning, and the ability to inspire genuine trust in others from who you are and your authentic value. It is having a guiding purpose and principles that give you self confidence to be true to yourself through honor and dignity.

As humans, our eyes and brain create a kaleidoscope of impressions: past and present; real and perceived; rational and emotional. Personal brand image is what is physically in front of others’ eyes and senses who experience you, and what their brain does with that information. Like a kaleidoscope, personal brand image can shift into new and different patterns from how others perceive you at any given moment. That is why it is crucial by using SEO services to architect your personal brand from the inside-out; why you must be able to clearly articulate what is genuinely unique about you and your authentic value. Since personal brands are created in a kaleidoscope mind, the best way to build trust in others in order to achieve brand appeal and acceptance is through:

  • Creating real and satisfying relationships focused on who you are, what you stand for and your authentic value rather than on the “outer facade” of relationships.
  • Treating your own personal brand ethically from your deepest core values and extending that out to others, radiating it outward to the world.
  • Building your personal brand image with deep integrity one day at a time. Remember, personal brands are born and die in the blink of an eye with today’s fickle audiences. You can’t afford to be mentally lazy or unaware of how you are impacting or influencing others day in and day out.
  • Championing, communicating, and reinforcing your personal brand identity with passion and enthusiasm.
  • Promoting collaboration with others who can help further support your personal brand message as well as choose the best way to build your personal brand on social media platforms.

To sum up: if you want to genuinely architect a successful personal brand, think about this: Can you separate the colored pieces from the part of the kaleidoscope that can shift into colorful patterns? The only way to separate the two is to shatter the glass prism that creates different patterns from the solid pieces. You and the perceptions others have of you are inseparable. Treat your personal brand identity and personal brand image as an integral part of who you are through your life’s purpose. Recognize that they are as much a part of you as your dreams and visions you want to shape and accomplish in the world. Your personal brand can bring you a kaleidoscope of unforgettable experiences when you remember who you are, what you stand for and your authentic value are what other’s experience about you than what you do or offer. It is recognizing that the real bottom line of any successful brand is the importance of trust; it is the humanity of your personal brand’s greatest potential. Be the kind of brand that others can trust, and you will be the personal brand they buy from and buy into, or hire you.

Who Owns Patient Data in Clinical Research?

Posted on by Collin Zane
Patient Data

There is a popular belief that there will be faster progress in the research for cancer if there is more participation by the patients. Sharing the date will most certainly help. But takes the credit for owning that data and what responsibilities and rights come from that?

For better medical practices, exchanging of data between the doctors and their patients is of utmost importance – and that data is essential for the medical progress and research.

Doctors, traditionally are collecting all the information for the patient’s health such as the medical history, prescribed drugs, tests from the laboratory, etc., and sometimes they can share that information with their doctor colleagues for additional advice.  So the medical records are the property of the physicians.

A Proposed New FDA Drug Approval Pathway: “Conditional”

Posted on by Collin Zane
Drug Approval

The time that is taking from the discovery, then validation through approval and the use of the new treatments for cancer is taking too long. There are a lot of experimental treatments that are promising, and the increasing advances in computer technologies and Biostatistics, are bringing the question for “Conditional Approvals” issued by the FDA.

All the oncology advances were made in the first years when there weren’t any regulations. When there was an idea, the doctors put that idea to work almost immediately by adjusting and combining the treatments until they become standardized treatments. There were a lot of types of cancer cured with these kinds of treatments.

Unfortunately, those patients that have glioblastoma or pancreatic cancers, can’t afford this way of finding the treatment or the approval of new drugs.

Leading Retractions in the Cancer Research Literature

Posted on by Collin Zane
Uncategorized

Retraction Watch founded in 2010 has filled and helped to thrive a substantial niche. Cancer literature has presented a lot of important corrections and retractions up to date.

Over the years we have seen a certain number of cases regarding retractions in the cancer research. 

On top of the list most certainly is Anil Potti from Duke University, whose work was focused on oncogenomics – with the use of genetic information to calibrate the chemotherapy has proved to be fake. Potti’s work, however, has triggered numerous lawsuits from Duke’s patients, which are now settled, and retraction on 11 papers, which were co-authored by him.

CollabRx and OncoDNA Partner in Molecular Diagnostics

Posted on by Collin Zane
Molecular Diagnostics

San Francisco, Calif., April 4, 2013 – CollabRx, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLRX), is a company for data analytics and its main focus is on informing on making clinical decisions in molecular medicine, and OncoDNA, SA, a company from Belgium that is providing DNA NGS tests (next-generation sequencing) for clinical use in the field of cancer, announced their multi-year contract for purchasing CollabRx’s SaaS-based technology and other resources to be used in complementation with OncoDNA’s panels for cancer mutation.

These two companies are developing a medical solution and combined test, by comparing the results from OncoDNA’s panels for cancer mutation with the clinical knowledge from CollabRX.

 

 

Vegetables and a Cancer Prevention Diet

Posted on by Collin Zane
Cancer Prevention Diet

Avoid Cancer with Antioxidant Rich Anti-Cancer Vegetables

Veggies have shown powerful anti-cancer properties in the lab. Here’s a guide to the best vegetables to include in a cancer prevention diet.

Scientists say that vegetables can be one of the most important components of a cancer prevention diet and one of the best foods that fight cancer. Here are some of the best vegetables to eat to avoid cancer:

Broccoli and Cauliflower in an Anti-Cancer Diet

Three to four weekly servings of broccoli and cauliflower can protect the body from colon cancer, according to one study. Even a mere single serving each week reduces the risk of prostate, breast and ovarian cancers.

Eating Onions to Stop Cancer in its Tracks

Onions may actually stop cancer cells in their tracks, according to a study by Cornell University scientist Dr. Rui Hai Liu. The strongest flavored varieties, such as Northern Red, Western Yellow, and shallots, appear to have the strongest effect, especially against liver and colon cancer. The phenolic and flavonoid compounds in onions are what gives them this dramatic anti-cancer activity.

Antioxidant Rich Tomatoes and Cancer Prevention

Eating two to ten tomato sauce-based meals each week lowers the risk of certain cancers, including prostate cancer, by 25 to 50%. Studies at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health have both shown strong effects of tomatoes on preventing the development and spread of many different types of cancer. Lycopene is the magic ingredient in tomatoes that offers these amazing health benefits.

Reduce Cancer Risk with Cabbage and Sauerkraut

Both fresh cabbage and its pickled cousin sauerkraut contain the compounds glucosinolate and indole-3-carbinol (I3C), among other components, which have been shown to lower breast cancer risk, along with the risk of other types of cancers. Young women in adolescence and young adulthood can especially benefit from the anti-cancer activity of cabbage. Scientists at the University of New Mexico Michigan State University and the National Food and Nutrition Institute of Warsaw, Poland have been studying the anti-cancer properties of cabbage and sauerkraut. The recommended consumption of cabbage and sauerkraut to prevent cancer is three servings a week or more.

Broccoli Sprouts Help Fight Cancer

A diet rich in broccoli sprouts may help prevent stomach and bladder cancer, according to Japanese scientists at the University of Tsukuba. Broccoli sprouts contain sulforaphane and isothiocyanates (ITCs), powerful cancer prevention compounds.

Varying Veggies is Key to Cancer Prevention

Including specific vegetables in a cancer prevention diet is a good idea, but eating a lot of different types of veggies may be even more important. Women who eat four or more servings of various types of vegetables each day have a fifty percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who only eat two servings, according to one study. One reason for this may be that components from the different vegetables act together, multiplying the health effects.

There is also some evidence, including a study from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, that munching on raw veggies may be more beneficial than cooked ones since cooking seems to break down some of the powerful anti-cancer ingredients in vegetables. Nonetheless, for those who prefer their vegetables cooked, eating cooked vegetables is still better at preventing cancer than eating no vegetables at all.

 

Post-Cancer Skin Care and Sun Protection

Posted on by Collin Zane
Skin Cancer Care

Anyone who has suffered from skin cancer needs to take extra special care to avoid getting burnt and always wear high factor sunscreen.

  

Everyone needs to be careful in the sun, in order to prevent getting sunburn or developing a form of skin cancer. However, those who have previously suffered from skin cancer must do their utmost to be safe in the sun.

Post-Cancer Skin Care – Check Skin Regularly

As those who have previously suffered from skin cancer such as malignant or non-malignant melanoma have a greater risk of it returning, it is important to check the skin regularly for changes. In Skin Cancer and Sun Safety – The Essential Guide, Newcombe (2010) identifies checking skin regularly and seeking medical attention for the following:

  • Spot or sore patch of skin that appears and doesn’t heal within a month
  • Spot or sore area, itches, painful, crusted over or bleeds
  • The skin formed into ulcer for no apparent reason

Moles should also be checked, regardless of whether one has had skin cancer in the past or not. Key signs to look out for, as suggested by Newcombe (2010) include:

  • New mole looking different/unusual
  • Existing mole growing in size
  • Ragged or uneven-edged mole
  • Painful, uncomfortable, itchy mole
  • Varying shades of color in mole
  • Inflamed or red-edge mole
  • Bleeding, oozing or crusty mole

Getting into the habit of checking skin regularly is useful for the whole family to do, with this being the quickest way to pick up on any signs or symptoms that all is not well. This is especially important in the case of malignant melanoma which can be lethal, particularly if not caught and treated in time.

Post-Cancer Sun Protection – Stay Healthy, Avoid Sunburn

Staying safe in the sun requires regularly applying sunscreen, wearing sun protection clothing, sunglasses and following the ABCs of sun protection.

Anyone who is a former sufferer of skin cancer must take extra precautions during warmer days, to avoid the risk of skin cancer returning. It is also very dangerous to use a sunbed, making fake than the safest option available.To take care of skin after cancer, Newcombe (2010) suggests the following sun safety guidelines:

  • Wear close clothing made with weave cotton when out on sunny days
  • Choose trousers and shirts with long sleeves, rather than shorts and vest tops
  • Find a hat offering good protection for the neck and your face
  • Try to stay away from the sun at its strongest, from 11 am until 3 pm
  • Always wear broad-spectrum, high factor sunscreen
  • Wear wraparound sunglasses for better eye protection
  • Never allow the skin to get burnt

As highlighted above, those who have has skin cancer such as malignant melanoma are at a higher risk of cancer returning. Checking moles and skin regularly for any signs or symptoms and always wearing high protection sunscreen is important, as is wearing sunhats, sunglasses and avoiding sunburn.