Footprints In Cyberspace: The First Steps To Getting DIY Web Traffic
- SEO |
If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound? If a Web site is posted on the Web but no one knows how to find it, is it really there?
I, like many am still undecided about the tree riddle, but when it comes to the Web site riddle, there is no question. If a Web site is posted on the Web but no one knows how to find it, it isn't there! Finding information on the Web is all about someone and something knowing that the Web site is available for accessing. If a search engine doesn't know what your Web address is and the type of content on your Web site, it cannot send Web surfers to your site. Additionally, if Web surfers never have the opportunity to be exposed what your Web site has to offer, they will never know about your wonderful business. That would be bad for business, very bad.
So, what do you do? Simple. You introduce your Web site to search engines and Web surfers via online promoting. Here are some the most common and effective online Web site promotion tactics that you can implement yourself immediately after launching your Web site:
Step 1: Determine who you want to visit your Web site. This should be based on the target audience for your business. Here's what you need to know precisely:
1. Who is your target audience?
2. Are your goods or services directed toward local, national or global audiences?
3. What keywords would they be most likely to search for in order to find the goods / services you sell?
4. What might be some of sites on the Web that your target audience may frequent?
You will not be able to successfully and effectively market your Web site online if you do not know the answers to these questions. You must focus your marketing efforts!
Step 2: Submit your Web site URL to the major search engines and get listed in the major Internet directories. Why? Search engines and search directories call the shots on the World Wide Web. It's a fact. Therefore, it is critical to be in "cahoots" with them. Without submitting your URL to search engines or listing your Web site in the directories, search engines won't know to crawl your Web site and Web surfers will have a hard time finding your Web site without already knowing your Web site address. In North America, the major search engines and directories include the following:
Google Open Directory
Yahoo! Yahoo! Directory
MSN LookSmart
Ask Yellow Pages / Super Pages
Keep in mind that those are just the major search engines and directories. There are literally hundreds on the Web to which you could submit your information, but that's not really necessary. However, one thing you will want to consider is researching business-specific directories on which you can further promote your business. In many cases, submitting your Web site the search engines and directories will be free, but some of the companies do charge a fee. Also, if you plan to do business in outside of the United States, or if your target market is not North America, you will need to research to find out what the major search engines and directories for the nation you're targeting are.
Step 3: Seek out beneficial reciprocal linking opportunities. While having your site listed is critical to having search engines acknowledge and Web surfers to find your site, having a number of links to your site is also important. That's because the more links to your site there are, the better your rankings within the search engines will be. Haven't heard of reciprocal links before? Well, reciprocal links are made possible through a simple agreement between you and another Web site owner; you both agree to display a hyperlink on your Web site to the other's site. That's all there is to it but here's one final thought regarding reciprocal links: When choosing partners to exchange reciprocal links with, choose Web sites that complement or are related to the product or service that you offer; it's the best way to get traffic that encompasses your target audience.
Step 4: Invest in online advertising. Pay-per-click (PPC) and pay-per-impression (PPI) ads are the most common forms of online advertising. PPI ads are ideal if you can pinpoint the people who you want to see your advertisement and attract to your Web site. For example, if you're a local restaurant owner, you may choose to purchase PPI advertising on the Web site for the local newspaper in the movies section. Meanwhile, PPC ads may be a better investment if you're planning on advertising to a wide audience. PPC ads are triggered by the keywords that you choose in efforts to attract people who are searching for what you're selling. If a search engine finds your Web site to be relevant, your ad will appear in the ads section of the surfer's search results. PPI and PPC ads can be in the form of image or text ads so you do have some flexibility on how your ads will appear to potential consumers.
Once you've done all of the above, you will be in good position to attract more Web traffic. And though the advice above is solid, tried and true advice, there's one piece of advice that is essential: Be patient! Building steady Web traffic takes time--months or even years, actually. Therefore, don't expect hundreds or thousands of hits overnight. Once you're able to give up the DIY online promoting, consider hiring a firm that specializes in search engine optimization and promotion to help speed up the online process...and free up your time to handle other aspects of your business.
I, like many am still undecided about the tree riddle, but when it comes to the Web site riddle, there is no question. If a Web site is posted on the Web but no one knows how to find it, it isn't there! Finding information on the Web is all about someone and something knowing that the Web site is available for accessing. If a search engine doesn't know what your Web address is and the type of content on your Web site, it cannot send Web surfers to your site. Additionally, if Web surfers never have the opportunity to be exposed what your Web site has to offer, they will never know about your wonderful business. That would be bad for business, very bad.
So, what do you do? Simple. You introduce your Web site to search engines and Web surfers via online promoting. Here are some the most common and effective online Web site promotion tactics that you can implement yourself immediately after launching your Web site:
Step 1: Determine who you want to visit your Web site. This should be based on the target audience for your business. Here's what you need to know precisely:
1. Who is your target audience?
2. Are your goods or services directed toward local, national or global audiences?
3. What keywords would they be most likely to search for in order to find the goods / services you sell?
4. What might be some of sites on the Web that your target audience may frequent?
You will not be able to successfully and effectively market your Web site online if you do not know the answers to these questions. You must focus your marketing efforts!
Step 2: Submit your Web site URL to the major search engines and get listed in the major Internet directories. Why? Search engines and search directories call the shots on the World Wide Web. It's a fact. Therefore, it is critical to be in "cahoots" with them. Without submitting your URL to search engines or listing your Web site in the directories, search engines won't know to crawl your Web site and Web surfers will have a hard time finding your Web site without already knowing your Web site address. In North America, the major search engines and directories include the following:
Google Open Directory
Yahoo! Yahoo! Directory
MSN LookSmart
Ask Yellow Pages / Super Pages
Keep in mind that those are just the major search engines and directories. There are literally hundreds on the Web to which you could submit your information, but that's not really necessary. However, one thing you will want to consider is researching business-specific directories on which you can further promote your business. In many cases, submitting your Web site the search engines and directories will be free, but some of the companies do charge a fee. Also, if you plan to do business in outside of the United States, or if your target market is not North America, you will need to research to find out what the major search engines and directories for the nation you're targeting are.
Step 3: Seek out beneficial reciprocal linking opportunities. While having your site listed is critical to having search engines acknowledge and Web surfers to find your site, having a number of links to your site is also important. That's because the more links to your site there are, the better your rankings within the search engines will be. Haven't heard of reciprocal links before? Well, reciprocal links are made possible through a simple agreement between you and another Web site owner; you both agree to display a hyperlink on your Web site to the other's site. That's all there is to it but here's one final thought regarding reciprocal links: When choosing partners to exchange reciprocal links with, choose Web sites that complement or are related to the product or service that you offer; it's the best way to get traffic that encompasses your target audience.
Step 4: Invest in online advertising. Pay-per-click (PPC) and pay-per-impression (PPI) ads are the most common forms of online advertising. PPI ads are ideal if you can pinpoint the people who you want to see your advertisement and attract to your Web site. For example, if you're a local restaurant owner, you may choose to purchase PPI advertising on the Web site for the local newspaper in the movies section. Meanwhile, PPC ads may be a better investment if you're planning on advertising to a wide audience. PPC ads are triggered by the keywords that you choose in efforts to attract people who are searching for what you're selling. If a search engine finds your Web site to be relevant, your ad will appear in the ads section of the surfer's search results. PPI and PPC ads can be in the form of image or text ads so you do have some flexibility on how your ads will appear to potential consumers.
Once you've done all of the above, you will be in good position to attract more Web traffic. And though the advice above is solid, tried and true advice, there's one piece of advice that is essential: Be patient! Building steady Web traffic takes time--months or even years, actually. Therefore, don't expect hundreds or thousands of hits overnight. Once you're able to give up the DIY online promoting, consider hiring a firm that specializes in search engine optimization and promotion to help speed up the online process...and free up your time to handle other aspects of your business.
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