Without traffic, no internet marketing business will last. There are a number of traffic strategies you could use, but beware of paid services that guarantee a certain result. An example is a third-party search engine optimization service that guarantees a certain result.
If an SEO service ever promises you a certain number of clicks every day, stay away. If they promise to place you #1, run as fast as possible. It’s a business like any other, the competition is tough and they also work on best guesses. Therefore, they should not make you strong promises.
This, of course, does not rule them out as a source of traffic. They could be a good part of your traffic generation plan; but if you want tons of traffic to your site, you need to include more options than just outsourcing your SEO requirements.
What other options are there? Here are some great suggestions:
Traffic Generation Tip #1: Do your own keyword research and optimization.
Instead of just relying on outsourcing your SEO, why not do it yourself? After all, who better can you trust to do a good job than yourself?
Increase your chances of your website ranking high in search engines by doing proper keyword research. Use long-tail keywords that are as unique and descriptive of your site as possible. If you can, include your best keyword phrase in your URL.
The measure to know if you are going in the right direction is if there is a high search volume for a keyword and little competition. Sometimes it takes your own judgment and discretion to find the right balance.
Once you’ve chosen your keywords, insert them appropriately within your content. There are no hard and fast rules regarding the best placement and number of keywords. But here’s my advice: place them in your title tag, in the first and last paragraph of your content, and once every 150 words in the body.
Traffic Generation Tip #2: Research pay-per-click search engines.
Most people use the organic search engine because it’s free, but it may take some time before you get ranked. And even if you do, your ranking may not stay in the same place forever due to constant changes in search engine algorithms.
A guaranteed way to get a place in the search engines with the exact keywords of your choice would be to use pay-per-click search engines. Some of them are even willing to give you free credits to prove that they really work.
The most famous is Google AdWords, but it has become too popular at the moment and has become saturated with sellers competing (or should I say fighting) for the same keywords.
There are many others that are less well known, but could produce the same (or even better) results for your money due to less competition. Instead of listing them, just type “top pay-per-click search engines” into Google. Test the ones you think will best fit your offerings, follow up appropriately, and continue to use the ones that give you the best results.
Traffic Generation Tip #3: Submit quality articles.
There are numerous article directories on the web that could drive significant traffic to your site if you submit quality articles to them. Just type “top article directories” into Google to get a list of them.
That’s why it pays to write and submit articles that offer useful and interesting information while also being optimized for your keywords of choice.
Many people use these article directories as a source of information. Website owners and newsletter publishers can also visit these sites frequently to search for the best available articles that they can offer to their readers.
Many writers aim for quantity, not quality. They make sloppy articles that may not be entirely informative or interesting to read. Getting as many articles as possible while ignoring the quality of the information is a strategy some marketers use just to get backlinks (in the resource box). But this could backfire as more article directories are getting stricter on accepting articles. They want items that really add value.
To be reasonably sure of the success of your article marketing campaign, write the highest quality articles you can imagine. If you are outsourcing your article writing, make sure you get a reliable freelancer. That way, your articles would be accepted by the directories; people would love to read them and might even forward them to their friends.
And as I said before, webmasters could post their content on their site or publishers could send their articles to their subscribers. Imagine if the site receives thousands of visitors daily, or if the newsletter has several thousand subscribers.
Let’s not forget the resource box, the most important part of the article. A good article will keep the reader reading until the end. Don’t waste this opportunity. Write an attractive resource box that complements the article.
A great way is to offer something free in exchange for your email. You may not make the immediate sale, but the value of a listing is still being able to constantly promote them instead of making a one-time sale.
Traffic Generation Tip #4: Join common interest forums and online communities.
Forums can be a great traffic generator if used correctly. Go out and find as many forums as possible that are related in one way or another to your product. It doesn’t have to be directly related.
For example, you are an Internet marketer trying to sell a package that teaches people the benefits of breathing. You know that breathing is known to cure many aches and pains.
Go to forums of people talking about their various pain conditions and join the conversation. Take a more humane approach, talk about your own (or someone else’s) experience and provide helpful advice. Make your posts sound like you’re sharing, not selling.
Never promote anything within your posts. You could put it in your signature file; but make sure the forum allows it. One way to tell is by looking at other forum members. If no one else is putting a sig file, it’s not worth the effort and you might just find others that allow it.
Traffic Generation Tip #5: Complement existing products.
Look for an existing product that works hand in hand or as a combo with your product. Then, contact the vendor and ask if you could list your product on their site, in exchange for your link being placed on their site as well.
Both will benefit: Visitors to either site are likely to click on the new link to see what the complementary product is. This is becoming popular now, with sites recommending other sites and customers finding complementary products that would be of benefit to them.
Be sure to choose a complementary product though – anything crazy would put people off. If, for example, you have a great product that reduces heartburn, look for a site that offers a product that cures stomach ulcers. Those 2 go hand in hand and a prospective buyer probably needs both.
As the article title suggests, traffic is the backbone of your internet marketing business. No traffic means no sales, so you might as well get a day job. Learn as many ways as possible to increase traffic to your site. More clicks = more sales!
