Richard Petrillo on SEO Tricks, MLM Reviews, and having NYC Heart
Richard Petrillo is a successful commercial photographer turned successful network marketer. Here’s our value-packed interview.
Thank you so much for taking time out to do this interview, Richard! I’m fascinated by your online brand and blog, so let’s get to it!
First off, you’re an Italian from New York and obviously have a big family and love people, am I right?
| Hey Erik, first off thanks for the opportunity to take part in this interview with you!
Yes, you nailed it. I do love people and come from a very large extended family. My immediate family is just my sister and I but growing up with all my cousins, a couple who ended up being like brothers to me, always made me feel like my family was huge. I think Italians in general are a loving bunch. |
So, when did you discover network marketing and how were the first two years?
| I first got involved in network marketing at the tail end of 2009. Naturally it was a family member who introduced it to me. Believe it or not, up until that point I really didn’t know or understand what residual income was or that anyone could create a passive income that would pay them for years to come.
The first two years were slow when it came to building my business. They were also the best in terms of the education I received. I quickly learned that reaching out to friends and family about my networking business was going nowhere fast. I decided I needed to learn how to generate leads online if I was ever going to be successful in network marketing. I was at a bit of a disadvantage back then, I had no idea what WordPress was let alone how to build a website or if I could even write. Looking back now, making the commitment and taking the time to educate myself during those 2 years are the best thing that could have ever happened to me. |
What was the hardest lesson to learn in the beginning of MLM?
| That’s a tough one because there were several. I’ve got two that I think a lot of people can benefit from.
1. Posture! There is a saying in the business which is: Don’t throw-up on everyone you talk to about your business opportunity. So many of us, myself included in the beginning are excited about whatever it is we are selling. We tend to rattle off every little detail about the product, ingredients, comp plan, etc. etc., which always makes us look desperate, inexperienced and often empty handed. 2. Staying focused and not chasing after every “Shiny New Object” that comes along. There are so many distractions coming at you from all directions. Keep focused on your goals, pick one strategy and stick with it until you master it before moving onto something else. |
What has been the best thing that’s happened to you inside network marketing?
I would have to say it is the people I have met along way and the new relationships that have been formed. I’m confident several will end up being lifelong friends that I would have never met if not for network marketing.
You’re a commercial photographer by trade with over 30 years experience, what does network marketing fulfill inside of you that photography doesn’t?
Being able to make a real difference in people’s lives is what really excites me. Network marketing, MLM, Affiliate marketing are all very similar.
There is a huge learning curve people need to go through, especially if they are interested in generating leads online. My blog was created to help people avoid the mistakes I made when first starting out. Being able to give back and actually track and see results others are having is very rewarding.
Do you believe having a big Italian heart helps you build a solid network within network marketing?
I’ve never thought of myself as having a big Italian heart, thanks, I will take that as a compliment. I do believe that by helping others first, it can only lead to one’s great success down the road.
I love your blog. How old is it, how many blog posts are on it, and do you consistently get Leads with it?
Thanks Erik! It needs a little TLC these days which I plan on doing over the next few months. I started my blog in August of 2010.
Currently I have 98 posts along with several pages that include some video tutorials and company reviews.
Yes, I get several leads a week from articles that were written as far back as 3 to 5 years ago. Consistency is the key to blogging. When I was more active writing new articles on a consistent basis I was getting 5 to 10 leads a day.
What has been the best, free SEO hack that you’ve done on it?
| To he honest, the best advice I can give when it comes to SEO is to follow the basic rules. With all the talk the last couple of years about how SEO has changed, these basic tips have remained solid and are still working for me.
Onsite optimization, having your overall website set up properly. Keyword research and the use of long tail keywords, Title Tags: the use of keyword phrases in your article title or headline. Anchor Text: Having your keyword or keyword phrase hyperlink to an internal or deep link page on your site. Alt Tags: Images added to your article should contain your keyword in the title of the image. Keyword stuffing: (big No, No) Use your main keyword sparingly throughout the article. H1, H2 & H3 tags should be used once per article. If using WordPress, the title is your H1 tag by default. |
Your videos are powerful and very useful when it comes to SEO blog tips. Can you explain briefly what the importance of high PR backlinks are and how to score a couple .EDU backlinks?
| Sure thing Erik. PR stands for page rank. Linking back to websites or better yet, having them link back to your blog can be very powerful in terms of SEO. Sites like Wikipedia, YouTube, ESPN for instance all have a high page rank.
Google has actually done away PR rankings on website and have even made linking to a site like Wikipedia less effective today than it was even a year ago. As for .EDU backlinks, high authority schools and universities, these backlinks are extremely difficult to get a backlink from. I know you are referring to a video I created a while back on this very subject. I must apologize for still having the video on my blog because not long ago, this free SEO trick was disabled. It is no longer possible to create a profile and set up a backlink from that .EDU site. Backlinks from relevant websites are still somewhat important but today Google is looking for high quality content, and social sharing when it comes to getting ranked on page one of a google search. Today it’s all about authority! The more traffic to your site, the longer a person stays on your site and shares your content, the more authority Google gives it thus ranking you higher on the first page of a search. |
How has video helped your blog?
Video has been a huge help to my blog and in generating leads. Google loves Google and since they own YouTube, creating videos and embedding and linking them back to your website will always give you a SEO boost.
Google doesn’t put the same restrictions on YouTube when it comes to SEO that it does to a website. So creating even a single video can generate hundreds of leads when done properly.
If someone wants to create fast results in network marketing, what would you tell them and why?
The first thing I would tell them is network marketing is not a get rich quick business. I would direct them to learn how to generate leads online and to stay away from family and friends when it comes to recruiting.
YouTube marketing will probably give them the quickest results, but I know video isn’t for everyone. I would have them pick one strategy and stick with it until they are generating a few leads per day before getting started with another one.
I would also suggest finding a mentor, someone who is successful in their field and have them do what that person has done to become successful.
You also do MLM company reviews on your site. Are you personally involved in these companies or review them as a researcher?
Typically I am not involved with the companies I research and write about. My strategy is to inform and compare what the other MLM companies have to offer vs the company I may be working with at the time.
For instance, I have two major MLM companies I have written about that bring in over 1000 viewers each month just from these two articles. That is free traffic and leads from articles written couple of years ago, you really can’t beat that!
If someone is interested in a long term strategy I highly suggest starting a blog, learning SEO and all that goes with blogging because in the end, creating quality content will generate leads for years to come. Just by doing the work one time.
What is your favorite business book right now and why?
Oh man, I was afraid you’d ask this question. lol Not sure I can just list one so here are my top 3 favorites at the moment. Eric Worre’s Go Pro – 7 Steps to Becoming A Network Marketing Pro. Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It. James Hsu’s Mobilizing People.
What are your goals for 2017?
| My goals for 2017 are to get seriously back into blogging as I have let my networking site slide this past year.
Along with my blog and helping people new to network marketing, I have recently started in a new business venture which has a tremendous potential to help any type of non-profit origination increase donations and supporters. My goal is to reach out and help as many people as possible in the coming year. |
What is your favorite quote and why?
| “Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process” Jim Rohn.
“You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour” also Jim Rohn. The first one is obvious. What I love about the second quote is, the more valuable you make yourself by constantly learning and improving, the more value you can offer others. Not to run off on a Jim Rohn rant here but this one goes hand and hand with the value quote. “Formal education will make you a living; self education will make you a fortune!” Thanks Erik for the interview. It has been an honor! I look forward to building one of those life long friendships I was talking about earlier. |
Thank you Richard! You revealed a lot of awesome tips and strategies for internet marketing and blogging.
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