Archive for August, 2009

Copyright 2005 Jim Edwards

Not a day goes by that any serious website owner doesn’t wonder
how to get more traffic to their site.

This intense desire to generate more clicks makes virtually any
online entrepreneur easy prey to many of the traffic schemes and
scams that pervade the Internet like conmen on a carnival
midway.

Promises of fast traffic and big bucks often separate even the
most savvy business person from their money because they want to
believe the promises made by these traffic hucksters.

However, rather than thinking “complicated equals better” in the
traffic game, the best website traffic sources rate extremely
easy to separate from the useless garbage traffic.

Fact: “Good Traffic” equals “Targeted Traffic!”

That means the visitors come as a result of desire to find out
more on a specific, niche topic, not as a result of “exit”
traffic or membership in a “safe” list where members simply
pitch each other in an incestuous spam fest.

Good traffic comes from people clicking links on topics targeted
to their interests and getting directed to a website containing
information they want and expect as a result of clicking the
link.

Bottom line, when you get right down to it, the best, most
dependable sources of targeted traffic come from links that
people click.

So, next time you’re considering spending money on a traffic
source, understand that unless it involves a targeted link that
a targeted visitor can click to get to your website, think twice
before opening up your wallet.

To my knowledge, only three ways exist to get a link to your
site: buy it, “voodoo” it, or grow it.

** Buy Links**

Buying links actually rates the fastest way to get traffic to
your website.

You simply sign up for Google AdWords at Google.com or you open
an account with Overture.com.

You then run ads with a link on those sites and any time someone
clicks the link, you pay for the click through a relatively
straightforward bidding process based on the popularity of the
keyword.

You can also buy links in ezines, newsletters, and on other
people’s website either on a per-click basis, for a period of
time (a week or month), or in exchange for paying them a
commission if a sale gets made as a result of a click on the
link.

** Linking “VoodDoo” **

Linking “voodoo” refers to attempting to manipulate the search
engines into displaying links to your website.

You can find a large number of automated software programs
online at any given time that will claim to help you get more
search engine traffic.

Depending on the intensity of competition in a specific market
and the fact that search engines change their rules frequently,
pursuing search engine links this way can quickly turn into the
online equivalent of Alice chasing the rabbit down the hole.

** Grow Links **

I personally prefer this method to get links to my websites:
growing them.

The best type of link to get involves one person telling another
person, either explicitly or implicitly, they should click the
link and visit the site at the other end.

One way to do this is simply to exchange links with another site
which targets the same audience as your site.

You can manage this process manually or use one of the many
software packages that will mange the process for you.

A search on Google.com for “reciprocal link manager software”
yields a good start.

The easiest way to grow a link is through using articles other
people post on their websites which link back to your website.

The reason articles work so well for “growing” links involves
the numerous ways in which articles get distributed online, each
of which can create dozens, hundreds, even thousands of
different links back to your website by publishing a single
article.

In fact, the following represent only the tip of the iceberg
when it comes to all the places you can grow links by publishing
articles online.

~ Blogs – Your articles can not only appear on your own blog,
but get posted by others on their blogs with surprising ease.

The links in these articles can point directly back to your
website.

~ Article Directories – Article directories such as
IdeaMarketers.com abound online.

They not only provide an easy way to display your articles to
allow others to pick them up for posting on their websites, but
also in and of themselves attract readers searching for content.

~ OPS (Other People’s Sites) – Popular websites like
WebProNews.com attract repeat visitors by offering targeted
content to their readers.

Since they can’t produce all the content themselves, they
publish articles created by others. Links from these sites can
bring a steady stream of targeted visitors by giving you
targeted exposure.

~ Ezines – By getting your articles published in other people’s
ezines, you can get a link on the most valuable real estate
online, a targeted prospect’s email “inbox.”

Many ezine publishers run articles written by others to their
targeted readers, and your link in the resource box can bring
you a veritable avalanche of targeted site visitors when
hundreds, even thousands of people receive your article at the
same time.

Whether you choose to buy them, “voodoo” them, or grow them,
getting targeted links to your site posted on the Internet
represents the absolute best way to get steady traffic to your
site.

Though not as fast as buying them or as exciting as trying to
manipulate the search engines, growing links with articles gives
you a long-term, dependable presence online.

Jim Edwards
http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/the-3-best-website-traffic-sources-1094.html

This is part 1 of a 7 part series that examines the 7 factors of
incoming links that Google considers when choosing a spot for
your website in it’s SERP’s.

Why incoming links? First because these are what Google places
the highest value on. But, all incoming links are NOT created
equal. This 7 part course looks at the kinds of links Google
values when “rating” your website in the SERP’s. Each type of
link discussed is important to your overall link strategy and
consequently your free traffic levels.

The first factor is of course the anchor text used in your
incoming links. The importance of the keywords used to link to
your website are more important to Google than the content that
is actually on your page. You can generally use anchor link text
with your keywords and not even have the keywords on the page
and still get a good ranking in Google for that term if enough
incoming links have that keyword pharse in them.

If you’ve heard of the phrase “Google Bombing” then you know
what I’m talking about. Basically it’s when a set of webmasters
or blog owners decide to get a page ranked for a certain term
and all leave links back to the selected site with the keyword
phrase that they want that page to rank for.

The most notorious example of this is the “bombing” done by
several blog owners to the George W Bush biograpby page. Several
bloggers left links to the page containing the keyword text
“miserable failure” and consequently this page turns up as the
number 1 result in Google for the term, even though the words
don’t appear anywhere on the page.

The “Google Bombing” was done by at most a few hundred links
with this link text pointing to the page. Though more links
would probably be necissary for a more competative term. Still,
it goes to show how important link text is to the rankings of a
page.

Google Bombing is nothing new. But what many people don’t
realize is that Google places more relevance on the anchor link
text that it finds when it first discovers a link to your
website. Each consequent link either adds value to that first
impression or subtracts from it.

Many times you can control which link google finds first just by
knowing where google goes regularly (like on a daily basis) and
effectively placing your link in it’s path. This is called
“baiting” the google bot to visit your website through this link.

Each link you place after this initial link should further show
google that their first impression (or the first keywords it
discovered that linked to your website) was and still is
correct. Each subsiquent link is a “vote” so to speak to
validate Google’s original impression of what your website is
about.

Placing that first link to be found by Google is only the first
step, but a very important one. Choose your anchor text keywords
carefully. Each incoming link you place after this one should
serve to validate this first impression. Part 2 will discuss the
appearance and disappearance of links over time and how they
effect your traffic and search engine placement.

Leah J Bradshaw
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/google-traffic-report-carddoes-your-website-pass-part-1-of-7-243.html

Whether your website is a personal blog or a business based site, every person with a site knows the most important aspect is to have traffic. Without visitors and traffic, the website becomes just wasted cyberspace. Many people struggle with the concept of how to generate more website traffic. The good news is there are a variety of ways to drive traffic to your site with little or no money invested. It is a simple matter of checking out what works and thinking creatively.

Consider getting involved with an affiliate program, if you haven’t already. Hosting another company’s products will send more visitors your way when they search for a specific item. This is also a good way to generate some income for yourself as well as receive more website traffic. The products draw visitors in, but hopefully, your amazing website will have them coming back for more. There are services out there that will take care of the majority of business for you. Some even allow you the instant ability to accept credit cards and run the affiliate program for you. This may be the best method for creating more website traffic.

Another highly result driven method for more website traffic is reciprocal linking. This practice is especially useful when your site is linked to similar content websites. For example, if you use your website to sell yoga equipment, linking to another site that focuses on yoga content and tips would be a mutually beneficial link. You get the sales and the other site gets more hits and more visitors reading and commenting. You will want to link with websites that are related to your products, but that are not in direct competition. Networking in this manner and reciprocal linking are excellent ways to generate more website traffic.

If you were blessed with adequate writing skills, then writing articles in your area of expertise is another way to get more website traffic. Writing a few articles a week and submitting them to other relevant websites has the potential of creating new interest in your website. Website content is a precious commodity and your articles have the potential of ending up on an unlimited amount of websites. How this benefits you is that in your byline you include a link back to your site along with the standard information about yourself. Be sure to set the link up to go directly to your sales page. If your homepage isn’t your sales page be careful to not make a new guest search your entire site for the products they want. This method of generating more website traffic is optimal because there is no cost to you and is free advertising.

A unique technique for getting more website exposure is to advertise locally. One way would be to have magnetic signs made with your website’s information on them. Have some extras made and maybe friends and family will help out with your advertising venture. The numbers of people who will see this information is astounding when you factor in vehicle traffic and the number of places you go in one week. The magnets won’t damage the finish of your car and you are taking advantage of a relatively low cost way to generate more website traffic. Add to that any outside help you receive and the Internet traffic from local sources may be just what your website needs.

Getting the attention and additional traffic your website needs doesn’t have to be the near impossible feat that it may seem like. A little bit of research and patience on your part paired with creativity can make your site the envy of its cyberbuddies.

Andy West
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/generating-more-website-traffic-77525.html

You must have heard it before – Get Massive Traffic to Your Website! There is a way to do that which is beyond the hype and hustle of what most Internet “gurus” sell you in their e-books. It simply takes strategy, time and a few smart steps to transform your visitors from 1-2 a day to the massive traffic that you desire.

When it comes to traffic, repeat traffic indicates interest. Not just fleeting, tire kicking interest you get the first time one visits a website, but genuine interest in your topic, product or service. With repeated exposure, a person begins to feel more familiar with it. With that familiarity comes a level of comfort that a potential customer has which makes him a purchaser.

Getting repeat visitors is easy if you know how. One way of breaking down your visits is to assume that about 250 unique visitors a day are new people who have never been to your website before. What you will want to do is leverage this traffic and have them visit your site over and over again.

How to accomplish this is relatively simple. For example, you could take actions like having people sign up for your newsletter or you could offer a free gift. People love free gifts. If they do buy something from you, direct them to a thank you page with a surprise, unannounced free gift. People love surprises. As such, they will return again and again to your website to see if you are giving away anything else for free.

Try to catch their attention when they first arrive at your site. If you want them to return again and again, get their attention. Follow-up traffic is generated by emails going to people and reminding them that you, your products and services and your super cool website is out there. Make sure that every time they arrive something catches their eye or builds their curiosity. If they have taken action and you are sending them follow up emails via an auto responder, when they arrive at your website, there should always be something new and interesting for them to read, play with or consider.

Be sure to offer them something unique. It cannot be something that they will find on any other website on the Internet. It should be something that only you can provide or it should be packaged uniquely so that customers will be genuinely surprised when presented with it. In other words, it should not be readily available anywhere else online.

Even if you have managed to get 1000 visitors to your website on a steady basis, they should be made up of people who are genuinely interested in your topic matter. They should not be general visitors, but people who really like the subject that you are delivering. The only difference between you and your visitor is that you are putting up a website about something you are both passionately interested in.

Your visitors have to be very interested in your products or services in order to surf back to your website. If you create a community where 1000 like-minded people can gather and get news, info and tips on your niche market, you will naturally have people who buy from you in the end. So, make use of these tips and drive traffic to website without much effort today!

Pieter Van Der Gulik
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/how-to-drive-traffic-to-website-without-too-much-effort-482354.html

How do you build a steady stream of website traffic for your site?

Submissions to web directories.

For some internet marketers, web directories is not something they would have preferred if only they are given a choice. But without a doubt, web directories are sure-fire ways of driving website traffics.

These directories are effective ways of building PR,page rank, that helps websites get good rankings in the Google search engine. Google uses page ranks to grade the results based from the searches that visitors are making. Having a higher PR is having a better listing compared with others.

PR are based on the backlinks that you have and its quality. So it follows that the more backlinks you have, the higher your PR will be. You will also get better rankings.

This is the essence behind using web directories and linking. Once these combination have worked successfully, you can expect an increase in your website traffic.

To get a list of web directories, all you have to do is type in the keyword in the search engine. Then, all you need to do is choose from among the number of lists given.

Linking like crazy to other websites.

Ok so maybe submitting links is not really an easy task. Since there are not many computer generated linking technologies yet, you have to submit them manually. But if you think of the benefits you will be getting from these links, it will be worth all the trouble.

Having a good content is important in making genuine backlinks.

There are two effective ways of doing this:

If your traffic facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important traffic information slip by you.

First, is the use of media or downloads. It is a fact that majority of website visitors are very much inclined to downloading and media. In addition, many people welcome them as something different from the usual wordings they encounter most of the time.

You will notice that once you have created a number of these on your site, the number of websites traffic you are getting will double. People are likely to come back to check on if updates to the media that you have on your site.

The second one is article writing. The good thing about articles is that you can post them to as many sites as you can, as long as their theme is related to yours. This way, you can have your backlinks spread all over the Internet through the resource box placed at the end of each article. With your articles, you get to reach more consumers that you cannot normally do if your article is only posted on your site.

Besides, articles are well-loved by search engines. Provide them with quality contents and you are sure to be read by these engines.

Giving more of your attention to search engines.

Search engines plays an important part for all internet marketers. They are a great way of driving website traffic. Google rankings are depending heavily on the backlinks used and the page ranks of each sites.

Going to forums or discussion pages.

This is a way of getting your message out while generating website traffic in the process. Just like web directories, you can just type in the keywords on the search engines to get a list of forums you can join.

You may have noticed that some people posts questions on forums. If you find that they are somehow related to your topic, fell free to answer the query being asked.

To register in forums, put in your URL. On the signature part, put a short description about your website. If you are planning on posting regularly to these forums, you can also change signatures to display the development happening on your website.

If you maintain your posts on a regular basis, you can have a steady flow of website traffic.

These are just some of the many ways you can do to be able to drive traffic to your website. There will always be new and easier ways of doing this. But for now, these are the ones being widely used. They also have proven their usefulness in the online marketing world.

Keep on using these strategies in order to maintain your website traffic. You can always come up with your own also.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in traffic. When people start looking for more information about traffic, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

Gary Shaw
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-promotion-articles/website-traffic-maintenance-59365.html