Linking Pages
Are you creating linking pages to impress the search engines?
How much more value would they have if you offered quality,
optimized content for each of your categories?
Rather than having a bland list of ‘linking partners’ you could
be using your links to gain more credibility AND provide more
content for the search engines.
Create a separate page for each link category and write 200-400
words of content on that subject. Offering your recommended
links at the end will make you a source for information rather
than just a catalogue of links.
Optimizing each page for a popular keyword will draw more
traffic to your site than links alone. It will also be more
beneficial for your visitors who are searching for related
resources.
Press Release
If you thought you were starting to grasp the importance of
content, you haven’t even started to see the potential yet.
Press releases should become an important part of your
marketing. What do you need to create a press release? Content.
Press releases are notices to the media about newsworthy events,
accomplishments or information. By creating a press release to
announce a new product, results of a poll or related news event,
you can get free advertising in the media.
News media is always looking for new content for their readers.
Learning how to compose and deliver a press release will give
you access to this pool of willing advertisers.
To create your own press release, go to a website like
www.PRweb.com and read the releases that are posted there. When
you are familiar with the format you can write your own and
submit it. Just avoid advertising copy and be sure to highlight
some new thought or angle to make your press release newsworthy
for publishers to use. If you want to invest the extra money you
can hire a press release writer or have your release reviewed by
a PRweb specialist.
Newspaper
Press releases can work just as well in your local paper as they
do in online news websites.
Submit your press release to the editor or the writer for the
section of the newspaper you want to target.
You could also try to submit your own column, giving tips and
related information to your topic, as a free form of
advertising. Smaller newspapers may find this idea more
appealing since larger newspapers would not be likely to publish
your works without formal working arrangements.
Magazine Articles
Just like online magazines, printed magazines need fresh content
all the time. If you are writing articles you may be able to
submit them to magazine editors for review.
Be sure to follow their policies which may be listed on their
website or you can email or phone for instructions. Just like
newspapers, you will have a greater chance for success if you
target smaller publishers first.
Classifieds
Online classifieds have gone through some fluctuations of their
own. Originally touted as one of the best methods to get
traffic, the inundation of ads by internet marketers nearly
flooded the market and made it impossible for readers to find
what they were looking for.
However, using classifieds can still send you some traffic and
will also help your site get listed in the search engines. Use
keyword phrases in your ad and include a hyperlink. You are not
putting a lot of content in these ads, but what you do put needs
to be effective.
Offline Brochure
Do you promote a product, information or service that can be
used locally? Consider creating a brochure that gives
information on a question related to your topic. Include
reference to how using YOUR service or product will assist them
in solving the problem. Give some brief answers and point out
your website as a source for more information.
Offer to leave your brochures in places that might attract your
audience or post them on community boards. Pass them along to
friends and family who might pass them along to others for you.
Traffic is people - whether they come to your site or directly
to you, they all count.
Newsletter Exchange
Are you having success with your newsletter? Perhaps you’d like
to approach another website owner and offer to write a short
article for his subscribers - or to exchange articles to promote
one another to each other’s list.
If the newsletter isn’t competition, but complimentary to your
market, they should be equally interested to talk to your list
of subscribers.
Article Announcement Lists
Article announcement lists are similar to article directories in
that your article will be placed before an audience of
webmasters and publishers who may choose to use your article on
their website or in their newsletter.
The advantage of article announcement lists is that the members
sign up to receive new articles by email. Your article will be
directly sent to members who are interested in the topic of your
article based on the list description they have subscribed to.
Yahoo! has a ‘Groups’ area where you can browse the lists and
sign up to receive announcements. By following the guidelines
for posting, you can submit articles relevant to the topic (for
example there are groups for home, business, internet etc.)
The individuals receiving your article have already indicated an
interest in articles on the chosen topic and this creates the
perfect audience for your material. You may find traffic coming
directly from the members of the list or from their websites
when they publish your article with your link.
Publish an Ecourse
Create a multi page tutorial that can be given to subscribers or
given away by other businesses.
Like a report, the ecourse can be offered as a freebie by
yourself or others. The readers receive valuable tips and
information all while being directed to your site at the end of
each lesson. You may find that a tutorial delivered over the
course of several weeks allows you to develop a relationship
with your reader whether they originally received it from you or
someone else.
By providing valuable instructions on a related topic to your
business you are warming up your audience to become future
customers or clients.
Affiliate Programs
Help your affiliates drive traffic to your site by giving them
letters or reports to post on their sites or in their
newsletters. Your affiliates are also in need of content to
provide their customers and if you are providing that content
for free they will have more success in sending their
subscribers or visitors in your direction.
Your Blog
Creating a blog that is related to your business or niche will
allow you to attract an audience that may not respond to a sales
page. Providing content and news about your topic with
hyperlinks to your various articles or sales pages is an
indirect way to send traffic to your site. You can set up a free
blog at www.blogger.com.
If you have valuable content and offer subscriptions to your
blog (subscription services are free at www.bloglet.com) you can
create a pool of readers who will turn to you first when looking
for your product or service. You can also make your blog
available for others to publish on their websites by creating an
RSS feed. This will allow other websites to automatically run
your new content on their websites every time you update your
blog.
By submitting your blog to www.PingOmatic.com you can alert
other blog services when you post updates.
Other Peoples’ Blogs
Your content can be just as valuable to other bloggers who may
have a difficult time finding content to share with their
readers.
Offering to submit an article to a relevant blog can be a great
way to drive traffic to your site with the use of a hyperlink in
your author credit.
Be a Contributing Writer
If your writing skills or expertise are truly impressive you may
be able to offer an online or offline magazine or newsletter
your services as a contributing writer.
By writing a column on your topic or service and having it
regularly published in a magazine that caters to your audience,
you will have the opportunity to place yourself as an ‘expert’,
leading to loyal readers and customers.
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