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1. Optimize your site for search
engine traffic
We call Search Engine Marketing ‘The
Gold Rush of the 2000's’. Customers
are using Google, AOL, Yahoo and MSN
to search for products and services
and companies are making as much as
$10 for every $1 spent advertising to
these customers. The best prospect is
one who is ready to buy and is looking
for you!
The most lucrative area in Search Search
Engine Optimization is the natural search
result (left side) in Google. The first
step: cover off the basics: go to your
website and click on ‘View’ then click
‘Source’ look for your sites title tag
if it says ‘Welcome to mysite.com’ you
are missing an important opportunity.
Change your title to include keywords
people use to search for your product
or service, i.e.: if I’m searching for
a book on website optimization I’ll
type in ‘website optimization book’.
Second, include these same keywords
in your website description. Third,
make sure your site uses lots of text
(not graphics) about your subject area.
2. Purchase paid search placements
The left side of Google is the ‘free’
area. The top links and right side are
paid placements. Advertisers pay ‘per
click’ for those placements. This method
of advertising is inexpensive and return
on investment is very measurable. You
can test the performance of keywords
in attracting people to your site at
Google http://www.google.com/ads/
and the number two search engine Overture
at http://www.content.overture.com/d/USm/ays/index.jhtml
. Try it today, it is very easy to set
up an account and operate these self-serve
tools and it is an inexpensive way to
drive traffic to your site!
3. Add a ‘signature’ to all email
Ask all of your employees to add a signature
to their email featuring your website
URL and a great reason to visit. Virtually
overnight you can have thousands of
live links to your site.
4. Sign Up a Virtual Sales Force
Have you ever been on a website and
seen a small add that says ‘Buy this
book on Amazon.com”, there is a good
chance that ad was placed by an Amazon
affiliate. An affiliate is paid a “finders
fee” for customers they send to a website.
Affiliates are some of the best search
and email marketers in the world, and
for a fee they will drive traffic to
your site! For more information visit
http://www.cj.com
or http://www.linkshare.com.
5. Get Viral
The most powerful marketing tool is
still word-of-mouth. Give your best
customers an incentive and/or a mechanism
to tell their friends about your product
or service. Some ideas include adding
customers to an affiliate program and
adding a ‘send-to-a-friend’ link on
your website.
6. Customer email
Your best source of revenue is your
current customers. Utilize email to
offer your customers a special promotion,
to tell them about a new product or
service, promote a complimentary product
to one they already own. Did they buy
your photocopier? Send them an email
with a special offer for photocopy paper.
7. Banner trade or link trade with
vendor or complimentary supplier
Trading banners and links with other
websites is a great way to build traffic
to your site. Additionally, links from
relevant sites will increase your Search
Engine Ranking and move you up Google
and other Search Engines rating system.
Approach partners, customers, and vendors
directly with link trade proposals,
and add a link trade offer to your website.
8. List your web address on all
offline advertising and printed materials
This includes letterhead, business cards,
packaging, physical products and everything
else you print, sell send or produce.
9. Write articles for Relevant Websites
and Publications
A regular article published on an industry
website or in their publication is a
great way to feature your company. Ensure
they include a link to your website
in the title or closing. Write about
current issues that are topical in your
industry. What are your customers and
staff talking about? What is relevant
in the news? Content is easy to come
up with and writing about it positions
you and your company as the experts!
10. PR is Powerful
A media release about a contest or new
product or a free tool available on
your site will get good pick-up and
will drive traffic to your site. Come
up with a good story angle, how has
this product or service helped a company,
use an expert testimonial. Write a news
style headline that will catch the journalists’
attention.
Link-of-the-Week
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Visit http://www.extremehalloween.com
If you enjoy the Golden Rules Quick
Tip, please forward this message to
ten friends, and ask them to forward
it to ten friends…
Jay Berkowitz, CEO
jay@tengoldenrules.com
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