|
Increase Search Engine Ranking
to the exclusion of promotional other factors and you risk
failure. Here's why.
"Increase Search Engine Ranking and your web site will be a
success!"
Wrong! Focussing purely on an increase in Search Engine Ranking to achieve
web site success can backfire on you when one of the major search engines changes their search
algorithms.
When (not if) this happens, the techniques and tools you have used to increase search engine ranking
could be meaningless which means you have to go back to the drawing board as far
as your web site promotion is concerned. And of course,
getting back on top could take months. In the meantime, you and your web site
are effectively out of business.
The trick is to spread your risk by using a number of techniques
while continually trying to increase Search Engine ranking - in a word -
diversify.
There are several ways you can do this:
Articles - By writing keyword-specific articles (or getting them ghost
written) and submitting your articles to article directory sites, you become a
'published author' and improve your chances of being accepted as an expert in
your field. As a 'published author' your credibility is enhanced and -
importantly - because your articles will normally have links back to your site,
when other web sites most your articles, you generate incoming links to your web
site - a technique that leads to a sustainable increase in search engine
ranking.
Blogs - Blogs are the equivalent of a free on-line diary. By
maintaining a blog (free at www.blogger.com
- which is owned by Google) you not only have the opportunity to create
controllable links into your site, you also expose your content to a rapidly
growing on-line audience comfortable with blogging and RSS feeds - as well as
the traditional Internet audience using search engines. Your blog gives you a
second bite at the search engine cherry. Blogs and RSS Feeds are part of a 'Sea
Change' as far as the Internet is concerned. Ignore these new audiences and
technologies at your peril.
eBooks - These are similar to articles except that they are typically
downloads from your site. If you are using PDF files you can embed links to your
site into the eBook. So, if your eBook has great content and you prompt readers
to pass it on to their friends, you can generate additional traffic to your
site. And because PDF files are able to be indexed by search engines, make sure
they can see your download file on your site - and if you can get other people
to offer your eBook as a download, even better. Every link in the eBook to your
site can then be a free additional incoming link which will again increase
search engine ranking for your site.
eMail / AutoResponders - Email has been called the Internet 'killer
app' and despite spam related problems, the fact is that by keeping in touch
with your customers on a regular basis you can enhance your return on investment
for your web site. Here are a couple of reasons why e-mail works:
- Existing customers are more likely to buy from you than anyone
else
- On average it takes 8 contacts before someone will buy from you.
All things being equal you should expect 2% of your subscribers to purchase
as a result of an e-mail offer. If you have 10000 subscribers that you contact
each week, that's 200 sales a week. All of this can happen without an
increase in search engine ranking for your site
eZine Articles - The are a few rules to follow when writing articles
for eZines, but it is essentially the same as creating any other content. Make
sure you have a great headline and write something that solves a problem or
creates an opportunity for a specialised audience. The benefit - especially if
your article gets picked up by a large publication - is that you could be in
front of an audience many times greater than you would via an increase in search
engine ranking. And of course people clicking through to your site from their
email InBox are likely to be pre-sold.
Google Groups - Groups are a great way to find out what problems
people want solved. Track down a specialised group related to your business,
watch the comments, respond intelligently with help where you can, include your
Domain Name in your 'Signature', and your posts will generate targeted traffic
to your web site for years. In most groups avoid 'commercial' posts at all costs
otherwise you will be flamed.
URL on Business Cards / Vehicles etc - If you are new to the Internet
you might be tempted to go for a 'free hosting' deal. It's a reasonable option
for a personal web site, but for a business, nothing beats your own Domain
Name(s) and an email address pointing at your Domain(s). Your domain name shows
you are serious about your commitment to the Internet. And for less than $10USD
per .com Domain and Web Site Hosting for as low as $1USD a month, the costs are
relatively insignificant. Most importantly once you have your Domain Name
established USE IT. Put your email and web address out there for everyone to see
- on any vehicles - on stationery. It's free advertising, and free traffic, and
is achievable without the need to increase search engine ranking.
Back to Top
|
