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SEO Success: Step Two is Attracting Search Engine Attention
By Chesa Keane
Once the website has been created and published, many
new website owners think that the web development
project is finished. But in reality, the real work is just
beginning. In order to create a money-making site, traffic
must be generated and driven to the website. There are
several effective methods that can be implemented in
Tier II of the SEO strategy to create this web traffic.
While all methods may not be required to realize
successful traffic generation, some combination of most, if
not all, will probably be needed to create traffic, maintain
traffic and finally, grow traffic to your website with long-
term, lasting results. Consider implementing these
strategies:
- Dynamic content is necessary for search engine
recognition, and by updating the website frequently, the
search engines see your website as an active, not
stagnate, website. How often should changes be made?
At the very least, monthly. But the more frequent the
changes, the better. There are some tried and true
methods you may want to employ:
- Monthly newsletter (or weekly)
- Tip of the day that rotates to the page using a script
from an existing database of information at your site
- RSS feed to public news feeds that update hourly or
daily at the least
- Changes to contact information, staffing, clients, etc.
- Checking the links frequently to make sure that they
are active and valid, and changing the link text from time
to time will register as a change to the page
- Simple modification of content from time to time should
be done in between these regular maintenance tasks
which will update the website
- Good links management will result in a stronger weight
given by the search engines for search positioning. The
algorithms used for weighting one page over another
require link popularity assessment for successful traffic to
your website. Link popularity is also one of the main
considerations for Google and Alexa Page Rank. How do
you achieve link popularity? It can be tedious and requires
careful attention to the selection of the links, but there
are several means that can be employed:
- Reciprocal Links - Search for relevant and desired web
pages with which to trade links
- Purchase Page Rank-based links - boost your relevance
and weight in the eyes of search engines by purchasing
links for a period of time, three to six months until you
have achieved a better ranking
- List with directories - paid or unpaid directory listing that
are relevant to your website will give your website
additional exposure
- Anchor text - create the links with link text in mind,
utilizing relevant keywords where possible
- PageRank consideration - link only with websites that
have decent PageRank (PR); i.e., PR of 3 could be a
minimum but a PR of 4 would be a better minimum
requirement from those pages who want to exchange
links with you
- Blogs - web logs linked to your site or posting to
popular blogs with your links included to point traffic back
to your site; a good strategy is to employ pinging with
the blog posting
- Forums - forum participation that allows you to leave
your link with the intent of attracting traffic back to your
site can get traffic back to your website, however, take
care that you actually offer something of value in your
posting so you are not accused of spamming
- Search engine listings - listing with the few free search
engines and directories is an essential step, although you
won't see any results for months
- Gather opt-in email addresses - utilize an email list
subscription function on your website with the intent of
sending e-newsletters and announcements on a regular
basis. This subscription list can be used for several other
campaigns, including the sale of advertising space on your
newsletter.
- Advertise on ezines - purchase sponsorship on other
email lists where you can promote your product and/or
services as well as links to your website in the process.
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns with Google and Yahoo
Search Marketing where you purchase advertising space
based on keywords that are popular for your website if
you are not in a saturated market. If your business
operates in a saturated internet market, seek niche
keywords for your PPC advertising. Determine your
budget first and from there, you will know how much you
can afford for the positioning you desire. It's all
mathematical:
- Price Per Click = monthly budget/number of clicks or
- Number of clicks = monthly budget/price per click
Some suitable combination of price and number of clicks
based on your own budget will result in a campaign you
can monitor and adjust as necessary. The important result
to watch for is the conversion rate. How many paid clicks
convert into the desired result; i.e., new contract, sale of
product, sign up for e-newsletter, etc.
Remember that the website is only the first step. Driving
traffic to your site is the next important task. Layout a
plan of action and follow-through. You are not going to
realize success until you spend the time and energy - or
pay someone else for their time and energy - to get the
job done.
(c)2005. TAO Consultants, Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Chesa Keane of TAO Consultants has been involved with the internet for 10 years through internet consulting, web development and search engine optimization. Go to www.computergoddess.com for a free Search Engine Optimization Checklist.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/9877.html
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| Some other articles by Chesa Keane | SEO Success: Step One is Good Web Design
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Several methods ...
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