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Thousands Of Visitors And Other Fibs About Website Traffic - The 10 Worst

09 2007 Thursday

By John Shields in Website Traffic

Thousands Of Visitors And Other Fibs About Website Traffic - The 10 Worst Everyone talks about the BEST ways to create traffic but here are what have to be 10 of the absolute WORST ways to get real productive, targeted traffic to your website.

How do we know this? We test website traffic programs and publish the facts in an online monthly report - so you don’t have to waste your time, or your money, on these losers.

First, put yourself in the shoes of someone looking for information about the products or services that you sell on your website.

Now be honest and ask yourself when was the last time you did any of the following to search for information on the Internet?

Sat down at your computer and really read all of that good old fashioned unsolicited spam email?
Joined a site that promised to send your email message for free … and you diligently read the hundreds of emails you received everyday from this same site?
Used a program like 101-website-traffic, 10 million hits, global blaster, your ad blaster, blaster this or blaster than, and you really made money from this traffic?
Joined a program where you have to click on ads for hours at a time … and you really clicked on all of those ads? Really? How many of those sites did you actually visit?
Signed up for a freebie that didn’t have anything to do with Internet marketing … and now your inbox is jammed with wonderful email offers that you always read for hours and hours?
You paid someone to submit your site to “5,000″ search engines … but now you realize that there aren’t even 500 good search engines on the Internet?
Used a free hosting company and loved all of the banner ads, at the top of your site, that you web host requires when your hosting is free.
Tried some keyword trickery like keyword “stacking”, “stuffing” or “hiding” and your site didn’t get banned by the search engines.
Joined a link or banner exchange and became fabulously wealthy … just like the fancy ad copy for the exchange program, said you would.
Used a program that promised tons of traffic and guarantee you will make $100,000 in 4 months … and you really made a hundred grand?

I’m sure you get the point. If you are not doing the above then why on earth would you expect your prospective customers to be any different?

Why would you expect your prospects to visit your site by using any of the above methods when these are not the methods you use to visit other sites?

Now turn the tables and think of the things you really “do”
use to get information on the Internet.

You really do read email when it is from someone you know and trust … but spam goes directly to the trash.
You join programs and buy products you need that are recommended by people you trust.
You read articles about the subjects that interest you.
You have joined affiliate programs and purchased affiliate products.
You have signed up for “free” information that interests you. Hint, targeted information.
You use the search engines to look for the information you want - Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Ask Jeeves and maybe a couple of others.
You pay for your web hosting and setup your site the way you want it to look.
You have clicked on the ads you see running down the right side of many websites, i.e. like Googles AdWord ads you see when doing a search on Google.
You have placed links on your site for affiliate programs that you sell or other sites have links back to your website from their site.
You know that a program that guarantees you unlimited traffic and that will make you $100,000 in 4 months … is a scam.

These are just a few of the many ways to ensure you get “productive” traffic not empty clicks. Empty clicks are just that - empty - and your wallet will stay that way, too!

Author: John Shields - If you do not know about the many types of keyword trickery that will get you in real trouble with the search engines, or who the website is that is promising free unlimited traffic … along with a hundred grand … then read the details before you get caught by scams like this. For your FREE copy of our online report the “Real Truth About Traffic” Go to: http://www.realtruthabouttraffic.com/20/

Relevant Website Content is the Key to Getting More Traffic

08 2007 Wednesday

By CL Talbert in Website Traffic

Obtaining high quality targeted traffic to your website has never been as challenging as it is today. There are several different ways to advertise your website all with varying results. This article will discuss a brief history of advertising online, current advertising techniques and why website content is so important.

To understand the best way to advertise online and increase your website’s traffic today first you should learn about the history of advertising on the internet. In the 1990’s when the internet was still young the most effective way to advertise online was through banner ads. By 1996 companies were advertising through Juno’s new ad supported e mail service and Webconnect started to offer accurate measurement tools to advertisers such as URL tracking. (http://www.worldata.com/wdnet7/articles/
the_history_of_Internet_Advertising.htm)

It has been said that in 1998 Amazon was the first to launch a successful affiliate program. They invited webmasters and retailers to link to their website in exchange for a commission. This was the beginning of the still popular advertising method of link exchanging. That same year Larry Page and Sergy Brin introduced Google to the World Wide Web. This new search engine technology was designed to analyze these back links which were considered votes for a website. The “votes” determined how the page was ranked in the Google index. (http://www.searchenginehistory.com/#google)

Today there are over 66 million websites on the World Wide Web and a lot more ways to advertise your site than there was just a decade ago. Companies use everything from pop up ads, banner advertising and even ads that interrupt online games and other interactions.

Advertisers are always looking for easier, faster and less expensive ways to promote their products and services. The cost of regular postal mail has increased over the years making electronic mail the better choice. Email advertising can result in a better targeted audience. Customers who receive the email message are interested in what the advertiser has to say; therefore they click on the link. There are also several downsides to this form of advertising. In order for email advertising to be effective you have to have a well designed lead capture page. Along with this you must use a reputable auto responder service that obeys all the spam laws. This can get complicated because you also have to advertise your lead capture page. Banner advertising is very simple and can be effective if your banners are placed on relevant websites. But this method is also very expensive. Banner advertising can cost you as much as $20-$50 per thousand impressions which could run you anywhere from $2,000-$5,000 per month.

A lot of companies today use pop up ads as a way to get traffic. But with the increasing popularity of pop up blockers pop up ads do not attract as much traffic as they used to.

The most effective way to get highly targeted traffic to your website is by getting indexed by the search engines. Relevant back links will help you with your search engine rankings but if you do not have good content the links will not matter. For example, when someone types something in the search engine such as “Dodge Trucks” that searcher will more likely click on a website with information on that particular brand, not just “Trucks.” If you are selling Dodge trucks it would benefit you to have an article about that particular brand of trucks. This will help the search engines to index your website and you will get more return visitors.

There are two different ways you can get good website content. The first way is by writing your own articles pertaining to your online niche. You can then add them to your website or blog to increase your traffic. Or you can submit them to free article sites like this one with a link to your website. Either method will give you more targeted traffic.

Advertising online has come a long way since simple banner ads in the 1990’s. Webmasters, companies and affiliate marketers have a wide variety of different ways to get their message across online from email marketing to pop up ads. But they can get complicated and expensive. To avoid these issues the best way to get traffic to your website is by having accurate content. Relevant website content will help the search engines index your site and visitors will like what they see and return for more information. Writing your own articles and subscribing to articles previously written are two great ways to get content for your website.

Author: Ms. Talbert has been an online marketer since 2003. She has sold on eBay, has been involved with SFI and numerous other Affiliate programs. Currently she writes reviews of marketing and advertising products to aid affiliate marketers and webmasters. To subscribe to her free newsletter visit: http://www.freeinformation.12w.net. Or visit her blog at: http://cltsmarketingresources.blogsavy.com

Top 10 Tips to Guaranteed Targeted Traffic

08 2007 Friday

By Lewis Low in Website Traffic

Increasing targeted traffic to your website is one of the easiest ways to boost your online productivity. Here are the top 10 effective strategies that will help you accomplish that.

1. Optimize Your Website

While SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a full-time career option, you can either hire an expert to do this or follow the suggestions below and get the ball rolling yourself -

a) Select Your Keywords Wisely - Keywords are the phrases people use to search and come to your website, thereafter, hire your services or buy your products. The trick is to find keywords that are highly relevant to what you offer and popular enough that your target audience will use in search engines, but not so competitive that you can’t rank well using them. (Tip: GoodKeywords.com provides a free keyword tool to help you get started. Find your ‘magic’ keywords and use them to build your website content!)

b) Create Your Meta Tags - One of the methods search engines use to evaluate and read your website is known as ‘Meta tags.’ Make sure you include your keywords, website title and description in meta tags in the source code of each of your web pages.

c) Create an SEO Friendly Website - Avoid bandwidth-hogging flash animations, fancy graphics or “alt” tags in HTML for pictures. Not only will this slow down your website’s loading speed, search engines bots will also find it difficult to read, index, and rank your web pages.

d) Get Links to Your Sites - Create a ‘Links’ or ‘Resources’ page and add links to good, relevant websites. This makes search engines think that your site provides valuable information and it should, therefore, appear high in search engine results.

2. Submit Your Website to Search Engines

Don’t wait for search engine robots or spiders to find you. Instead, go ahead and submit your website to major search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, Dmoz etc. and remember to do this regularly!

3. Use PPC Advertising

The best PPC (Pay-Per-Click) programs are offered by Google and Yahoo respectively, called Adwords and Overture. It’s usually pretty tough getting top rankings in the search engines in a short period of time, but it can be very easy to get on the first page of results quickly enough, with a PPC campaign. A PPC campaign can be started with a very small investment and you retain full control over your budget. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad that takes them to your website.

4. Swap Ads with other Ezines

It’s a good idea to swap ads or links with other ezine publishers in your niche. These can be real ads, testimonials about your niche, or recommendations within the content of an ezine itself. Also, consider buying some ad space in ezine publications in your niche that have a large circulation. Always run an ad for at least 3 consecutive issues in order to get the best results.

5. Give Away Freebies

Everyone loves freebies and people will even come to your site just to check what you are giving away. So keep in mind to include a free eBook, a time bound discount coupon, a prize for every X-th visitor, etc. on your website. You can also partner with other JV (Joint Venture) sites where you can offer free products and get people to your own website. Make sure you capture your visitor’s name and email address using opt-in form so that you could easily follow up with them later. Remember, ‘the money is in the size of your list.’

6. Become a Guru

Other than freebies, people love free advice! So find sites where you’re allowed to answer questions, and then take some time off to provide detailed answers to each one of them. Become an expert in your niche, and with every answer you give or every solution you provide, don’t forget to add your website URL at the end.

7. Participate in Discussion Forums

Participating in forums, blogs, and discussion groups is yet another fantastic idea to drive targeted traffic to your site. Check to see if you can offer any advice or make valuable suggestions in forum threads. Always remember to provide your website URL at the bottom of each post you make. Each forum may have its own set of rules about promoting your website, so make sure you carefully read and follow their terms and conditions to avoid being accused of spamming.

8. Submit Articles

This is actually the most genuine and effective technique to getting targeted traffic to your website. Write articles that come under your niche, embed your website link within, and submit the articles to online article directories. Articles with quality content and information tempt readers to click-thru to your site, in the hope of getting more advice or tips. Once prospects reach your website, they’re also exposed to the products and services you offer - which can sometimes result in many sales for you!

9. Write A Press Release

Write a press release about your business and circulate it in the local media, online news sites and RSS. Be careful not to make it sound like an advertisement, though. For more information about press releases promotion, check out http://www.prweb.com/pressreleasetips.php

10. Online Networks

There are many sites today where you can network online. These networks usually have groups which you can belong to and post articles and comments. Some good examples would be adlandpro.com, ryze.com, ecademy.com, directmatches.com and linkedin.com to name a few. They work pretty much the same as discussion forums where you can post your articles, and comments, or discuss general issues with others. Many online networking sites offer you an individual page on the network where you can advertise what you have to offer and include a link to your website.

To conclude, these 10 tips of driving targeted traffic are tried-and-tested, meaning they do work. So put in some hard work and give it time… then watch your traffic grow by leaps and bounds!

Author: Lewis Low is the founding editor of OnlineBizPromo.com. For more Practical Online Business Ideas and Work-From-Home Opportunities, visit his Work-At-Home directory at http://www.onlinebizpromo.com

Increase Search Engine Traffic With Quality Content

06 2007 Wednesday

By John Dow in Website Traffic

Every web site owner wants to íncrease search engine traffic. It’s free and the visitor is targeted to your subject matter, product or service. What more could you ask for in search engine traffic? The downside is that you need to understand search engine ranking methods and that is quite a challenge for many.

The number of opinions and “experts” on ways to increase search engine traffic is overwhelming. And regardless of what anyone might tell you, they’re all guessing. The search engines themselves don’t divulge how their methods work for one simple reason. As soon as anyone figures out the method, there’s a mad rush to implement changes based on the method.

In a perfect world, where there were no scoundrels, this might not be a factor. Everyone would organize their web site information so that a visitor could easily find what they are looking for, and life would be good. But we certainly don’t live in a perfect world and scoundrels are everywhere.

So we are at the mercy of the search engines to help us sort through the clutter to find what we want. And that’s the value that the search engines provide, accurate and meaningful search engine results that are related to the search terms or phrases. So it goes back to the quality of content, that’s the only common factor in all 3 major search engines’ ranking methods.

Each of the big 3 (Google, Yahoo, and MSN) search engines use a little different method and technology to arrive at any given web site’s ranking under specific search terms. As mentioned above, no one knows exactly how each method works. But you can test different strategies and methods to see how they impact your rank.

And therein lies the only true method of determining what the search engines might look for when ranking your web page on specific search terms. I’m sure most of us are aware that most processes can be expressed in mathematical equations. I’m not sure if that’s the best method for search engine ranking, but it is the most popular for the search engine ranking process.

And consider the fact that when someone has determined (or thinks they have determined) one of the factors used in search engine rankings they beat it to death. Every discovered aspect in the past few years has been exploited immediately to the point of the search engines abandoning the tactic. As soon as the search engines see that someone can beat the system, they change it.

That’s one of the big reasons you see constant change in ranking methods. Since there is a tremendous amount of revenue at stake for all concerned, i.e. sales of products and services for the web site owners, plus the advertising revenue for the search engines, any advantage is huge.

If you would have tested and tracked all the changes and methods in search engine rankings for the past few years, one constant factor would stand out. This is also one of the most misunderstood and often overlooked elements in search engine ranking for a specific term.

So what’s the one thing that the search engines can’t change about their mathematical algorithms? You got it, CONTENT! The search engines can play with the process, methods, or means to judge web site content. But, if web site owners stick to the basic philosophy of providing meaningful content, in relation to the search term, the impact of changes are far less, if even felt.

And that is where many web site owners run afoul of getting good search engine rankings. Many jump on the bandwagon with every new revelation in search engine strategies based on the latest changes. It’s the old forest and trees scenario, Internet style. Even if you get a slight advantage from all these “new” tactics, it will be short lived. As soon as the search engines catch on that you are working the system, they will change the system.

So the best way to increase your rankings for a particular search term is to provide meaningful information or content based on that search term. Here a few guidelines I’ve found that help:

Make sure you focus on the subject matter (don’t try to satisfy too many terms with one web page).
Get inside the searcher’s head – figure out what they want and give it to them.
Be specific and provide details – don’t generalize and be descriptive.
For a sales page use benefits and features to fully explain the problem and the solution.
Update your information often – setup a schedule to update and add more content.

There are many sub factors that can have an impact on how well the search engine bots can determine the value of the content. The search engine bots are software programs that go out and “read” your web page and then provide the information to rank your web pages on what they discovered.

You’ll find many “experts” who will give you a hard list of items and how to present this information. And I don’t disagree with suggestions to include the search term in your web page in key areas like title, description, and font designations like H1. That helps the search engine software bots to determine the content.

But I’ve seen web pages with no meta-tags, title, or description but that had rock solid content and still had high search engine rankings on a particular search term. So make it easy for the search engines, but always remember that the content is the single consistent factor in search engine rankings.

There are a lot of different aspects to consider when trying to improve your search engine ranking, and increase search engine traffic. The keyword and phrase research, interpreting the search term or phrase to provide the best result, reviewing other popular web sites with the same intentions, linking to other like content web sites, and more. How you present the information and content is also an important issue.

But all those factors come after good content. So if you start with providing the best content, you can’t go wrong. After all, this is both an art and a science, not to mention a moving target.

Author: Visit John at jd WebWorks, to see some recent case studies and get better results with SEO Web Site Design.

Top10 Sources for Massive Website Traffic

05 2007 Wednesday

By Titus Hoskins in Website Traffic

Experienced webmasters know there are special sources or places on the web which will send massive amounts of traffíc to your site. They also know, if harnessed properly, these mega traffïc sites will supply any web site with a steady stream of visitors.

Perhaps the best source of web site traffíc is Google. That’s not exactly a Newsflash, but the key to getting massive amounts of traffíc from Google is to go wide and long. With this strategy, instead of targeting highly popular keywords which may be too competitive for your site to win, you create a whole multitude of lesser known long tail keyword phrases to bring in the traffíc.
This traffíc takes longer to build but because very few webmasters bother with these longer phrases, your keywords will be more stable and secure. Develop a whole líst of these traffíc generating keyword phrases and Google will reward you with a whole flood of targeted visitors stemming from these thousands of small dribbles of long tail keyword traffíc.
Turning these dribbles of traffíc into massive amounts is not a difficult task. One very effective way to tap into the entire search engine source of traffíc is to tag everything. Tags are just another name for keywords. As Web 2.0 or Social Bookmarking sites become more and more popular, tagging will become extremely important.
You must be especially careful of how you tag the content on your site or sites. If you’re using a blogging system like WordPress, all your categories will be considered tags automatically. If you’re creating URLs, be careful to place your keyword phrase in your links.
Another effective way to tap into the whole keyword traffíc system is to include your keyword phrase or variations of it in your articles while promoting your site. Place your anchor text in your links in the resource box at the end of each article.
Over time, as these articles become distributed all over the web, they will create a steady stream of targeted visitors to your site. Simple, effective and very powerful.
You are probably tired of hearing about Web 2.0 and the new Social Bookmarking sites but they are some of the best places for massive traffíc on the web. Any webmaster who has been Slashdotted already knows this fact all too well; if you get a listing on the homepage of Slashdot.com you will immediately start receiving thousands of visitors to your site. It can be somewhat scary.
A similar experience is getting one of your articles published in ezines run by Addme.com, SiteProNews.com, WebProNews.com, as well as others. These ezines go out to hundreds of thousands of readers and can produce massive traffíc back to your site.
However, much of this sudden traffíc is only temporary and most savvy webmasters know it would be wise to try and capture the contact information of these temporary visitors for follow-up targeting. Turn that temporary visitor into a patron of your site by offering a free ecourse or an email newsletter.
The same marketing technique should be applied to traffíc coming from all these social media sites. Don’t think of your traffíc as just numbers in your website’s stats, but rather as potential customers who will return to your site again and again.
Keep this strategy in mind as you target some of these Top Sources of massive traffíc on the web:
1. Digg.com

2. Netscape.com

3. Ezinearticles.com

4. Del.icio.us

5. StumbleUpon.com

6. Reddit.com

7. Slashdot.org

8. BlinkList.com

9. Furl.net

10. Squidoo.com
You should be actively promoting these social bookmarking sites by allowing your visitors to easily bookmark your content. You should be creating your own content on sites like Squidoo and placing links back to your site.
Of course, there are countless other sources of massive traffíc on the web. Press releases is another effective way of quickly drawing in massive traffíc to your site. Sites like PRWeb can deliver targeted traffíc very quickly and efficiently.
Another very effective and high converting venue you should try is Yahoo! Answers, a simple process where users post a question and other members/experts offer answers. Used correctly this can be a good source of targeted traffíc.
Don’t forget other important search engines such as MSN Live. Traffíc from MSN has earned a solid reputation for converting very well. So optimize your web pages for MSN Live Search and you will probably see an íncrease in your salës as well as your traffíc.
Always keep in mind, the underlying key factor running through all these sources of massive traffíc is unique quality content. You must create good original content on your sites as well as in your articles and posts. Your content must be informative, useful or entertaining. For in the end, it is this quality content that will create the interest, the links and the massive traffíc to your site.

Don’t ignore this factor or your quest for massive web site traffíc will be extremely difficult, if not impossible to achieve.
Author: Titus Hoskins is a full-time online marketer. For the most effective web marketing software try: http://www.bizwaremagic.com/bestsoft.htm . Want more traffíc? Why not try these excellent free training manuals and videos: http://www.marketingtoolguide.com/free_marketing_tools.htm.

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