Real Link Popularity Has Nothing To Do With Search Engines

Although Google uses the phrase "link popularity" as a way to describe how they ranked sites in the early days, and still do in some fashion, link popularity means far more to website promoters than a measure of search engine worthiness.

Link popularity as a marketing tool was around long before Google or any search engines existed. Links are the thread that weaves the web together. Search engines didn't invent this, they capitalized on it just like all sites on the web have since the beginning.

Your link popularity in a real sense is not a contrived "weight and measure" of your site's worthiness to be ranked well in a search engine.

Your link popularity is actually based upon how many traffic-driving, visible links you have pointing to your site from other sites in your niche and even from less "relevant" sites than search engines want you to be linked to.

If you can get targeted traffic to your site from another site, regardless of search engine imposed rules for relevancy, by exchanging links or posting on a forum or sharing an article or press release, by all means do so!

Do not worry about people telling you that you are going to ruin your rankings in the engines if you don't link properly. 90% of the advice out there is from search engine junkies and geeks who rely 100% on search engine traffic.Without search engines, they couldn't market their sites to save their lives. Of course they don't want to do anything to hurt their rankings, their entire livelihood is tied up in that one source of traffic!

Those people are far different from average website owners. We take the search engine rankings we can get PLUS all the other traffic from other sites that we can get. According to our own in-house case studies that's 80%-85% of the traffic of average sites that have a well rounded marketing campaign!

So it is easy to see why we pay less attention to search engines than the geeks do. The engines only contribute at best 15% of the visitors to any of the sites in our network. (And that's for purposefully optimized sites using all the tricks and tactics the geeks told us to!)

Therefore, nowadays we give search engines no more than 15% of our time and go for real link popularity that includes a plethora of promotion options.While people who sit and wait on search engine traffic often find themselves getting bored with little to do, we never run out of promotion that we can do for our sites.

There is always something you can be doing to gain link popularity (link popularity = marketing) every moment you are logged on.

If you find yourself twiddling your thumbs without a clue what you are going to do next to promote your site, there is something wrong with your marketing campaign. It is deficient in Vitamin Link.

You can fix an anemic marketing campaign by spending more time getting content created and syndicated, adopting RSS as a highly valuable traffic generator, and making partnerships out of link partners.

Get (and give) more than simple link exchanges. Exchange articles, other content, and get each others' links in prominent places around your sites.Exchange newsletter sign up pages (squeeze pages) or allow people to additionally opt in to your partners list after they opt in to yours.

There are far more ways to promote your site and gain valuable, REAL link popularity than myopic and short-sighted search engine marketing could ever give you.

Don't get caught up in the search engine marketing myth. There are only ever 10 spots available for your keywords that will get you any significant traffic from any given engine.What surprises most people who get far enough along in their real link popularity campaign is that they get great rankings in the engines after all. Just by marketing to their audience and not to the engines.

Case in point: A lot of search engine traffic is generated to my blog and other sites from people searching for "jack humphrey." But customers and readers KNOW to search for my name from all the other marketing that I do to put my name at their fingertips. It's branding as much as link popularity.

The end result is easy search engine rankings for a name that is not competitive but that, because of all the other marketing efforts in my campaign, puts me in the right places in the engines without any more effort than simply increasing my link popularity by marketing to my niche market.

Marketing to your market, wherever they surf and not just where they occasionally search, is a fail-safe way to market any kind of site on the web. One that lowers the risk of failure (over single-minded search engine obsession) and guarantees longevity and ever-increasing traffic over time.------------------------------

Jack Humphrey is the managing partner for http://www.contentpropulsionlab.com/ where members enjoy very high, real link popularity. He blogs regularly about cutting-edge website promotion and internet marketing tactics at
http://www.jackhumphrey.com/ .

This article was published on WorkOnInternet.com

Website Traffic: Quality vs. Quantity

My Free Marketing Tips Blog is brand new. I started it back in December. As a result, I'm not getting much traffic yet. Some days, I'm lucky if I get 40 or 50 visitors to my blog On a good day, I'll get around 80 or 90 visitors.

But that hasn't stopped me from being successful and making money. Why? Because the quality of my traffic is so good, I'm not dependent on the quantity of traffic I get.

You see, most marketers focus on gettting as much traffic to their sites as they can get. They really don't care where it comes from. They just want traffic, and they'll advertise on free ad sites and trade links with anybody. As a result, most of the traffic they receive isn't targeted. Their visitors don't purchase anything, and probably never will, because it's not quality traffic.

I take the opposite approach. I shoot for quality traffic. First of all, I don't trade links, unless you have an established, quality website that is relevant to mine. In addition, I only write articles that are geared to my target audience. I don't try to be all things to all people.

My specialty is marketing, and that's all I do - period. And I only "hang out" at small business and marketing forums, because that's where my targeted audience hangs out.

As a result, my conversion ratio is exceptionally high. For every 10 people who visit my site, 3 of them will either purchase my consulting services, or purchase one of the affiliate products I sell. Some purchase both. That's a whopping 30 percent conversion ratio! With that kind of closing ratio, I really don't need a lot of traffic to make good money.

Having that kind of conversion ratio takes a lot of pressure off of me - financially speaking. I can play on my computer all day, and not have to worry about paying my bills.

If your website isn't making as much money as you'd like, instead of quantity, try focusing on getting more quality traffic to your site. It works for me!

Do You Test Your Marketing?

When it comes to marketing, I'm a fanatical tester. I test the color of my blog. I test font styles and sizes. When I write articles and ads, I test headlines and copy. I test website analytics for accuracy. I test domain names for catchiness, and mailing list services for efficiency. In a nutshell, I test virtually everything.

Why? Because I discovered a long time ago that testing allows me to put my best foot forward. Or in the words of singer Pat Benatar, testing allows me to "hit you with my best shot!"

Testing is crucial to your overall business success. I can't emphasize that enough. In my opinion, you should test everything. Your advertising, copywriting, marketing. Everything.

Can you still be successful if you don't test? Sure you can. But you'll probably end up leaving a boatload of money on the table. Why take that chance - especially in today's economy?

Test various headlines in your sales copy. Test different colors on your website. Test different advertising mediums like offline magazines and direct mail. Test different software programs for maximum efficiency.

But don't just test blindly. Closely monitor and record your results, so that your findings are as accurate as possible.

A lot of my colleagues rely on software exclusively to test various aspects of their marketing. That's fine for them, but I prefer the human touch. So, I use real live people to do my testing as much as possible.

So, who do I use to test my marketing? I use my clients, my subscribers and my family. These are the people I trust to tell me the truth - to give it to me straight. Obviously, I can't use people to test everything. For example, I use software to test various analytics programs. Or if I want to reinforce my copywriting results, I use split-testing software.

Bottom line is this: Regardless of how you choose to go about doing it, be smart about your business. Get into the habit of testing.

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By the way, I'll be launching my new website this fall. It's called Reviews-by-Customers.com. It will feature "verified" customer reviews of top online hosting, website design, ISP, SEO services and more! Follow me on Twitter @CustomerReviews for further updates.

Are Your Advertising Costs an Expense or an Investment?

Isn't that a very good question for businesspeople to ask themselves?

In our efforts to promote our website, we use a lot of different advertising methods to get our message out there. Like classified ads (online & offline), ezine ads, banner ads, safelist ads, solo ads, website ads, feed ads, social-business networks bulletins, blogging, postings in forums and groups, press releases, pay-per-click, and more.

Whenever we post ads anywhere using one of the methods just listed, we always take the time to check out the other ads, some of which are from our competition. What we see 90% of the time just baffles us. To be blunt, most ads out there stink! Not that they're badly written-some are jewels of literature. It's just that their message is...blah-it's missing a key ingredient.

It's funny how some people will use common sense in their everyday life (most of the time) but not in their business life. For example, would you try to mow your lawn using a lawnmower that has no blade, or try to go for a bike ride on a bicycle that has no handle bar, or do some online research on a computer that has no screen? Silly, right?

Well, writing and paying for an ad that contains no benefits-the KEY ingredient-is just as silly. Yet, 90% of the ads we see are just like cars without engines, power drills without bits, swimming pools with no water. In most cases, a total waste of resources-time, money, and brain cells!

Benefits are crucial to the sales process-that is especially true online. In the brick & mortar world, we can walk into a store and we can handle the products: we can touch the wool sweater or the leather jacket, smell the cologne or the fresh bread, taste the chocolate or the watermelon, inspect up close the fine craftsmanship on a carving or a painting, hear the quality of the sound system.

Because of that, we can make up our mind to buy without needing an ad in front of our face blasting the benefits-we can 'experience' them. And we often can take our time to make a decision.

But online, the visitors don't have those options most of the time: no touching, no smelling, no tasting, no "feeling things up".

And there are thousands of other ads waiting in line to be seen so the visitors must decide fast. Do we buy, or not? Do we subscribe, or not? Do we fill the form to get more info, or not? Yes or no? Make up our mind quick, quick, quick!

And what does your potential lead, prospect, client, customer, distributor or associate need to make up his or her mind quickly? Benefits! Not a litany of features. One or two awesome benefits and you've now got their attention. And in today's fast-paced online marketing, that is quite an achievement.

Grab the attention of enough viewers and you are on your way to BUSINESS SUCCESS!

Back to the opening question: Are Your Advertising Costs an Expense or an Investment? To answer simply, if your ads are giving prominence to features, your advertising costs are an expense. If on the other hand, they spotlight the benefits of your products, services or business opportunity, then they are an investment. Bravo!

Not sure of the difference between features and benefits? Never heard of WHY-Proclamations and HOW-Explanations? Don't know how to apply the 80-20 rule when it comes to benefits? You're not alone-90% of advertisers out there are like you.

Want to learn about all that and get a leg up on your competition? Simple-and free (for now). You'll find out all the answers in an awesome 172-page eBook-workbook entitled "WHY Should They Do Business With YOU?-They Won't... Unless You Grab Their Attention, Give Them the Right Information and a Good Reason for Action!!!" And FYI, the "right information" is BENEFITS that answer the age-old question "What is in it for me?"

You can get your complimentary copy at this link http://tinyurl.com/ywcfb7. "This is the ONE eBook you must read cover to cover if you're doing ANY type of marketing, online or offline." - Leona Hamel, President of LDH Enterprises Inc.

Wishing you ALL the BUSINESS SUCCESS you desire and deserve.
Daniel G. St-Jean BizzBooster

Daniel G. St-Jean is better known as one of the BizzBoosters. With 50 years of business experience between him and Laurel, his business partner, they are fully equipped to help anyone who runs a business from home market themselves and their business more effectively. Visit their user-friendly website at http://www.the-best-help-for-home-business-success.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_St._Jean

Copywriting - The Successful Marketer's Secret Weapon

Picture this! You're sitting around brainstorming a sales page strategy for the new product you're planning to launch. Suddenly an idea pops into your mind. It's as clear as crystal and intuitively you know it's the best one.

This "eureka" moment sends a spontaneous surge of energy and excitement flooding through your body and you're overcome with joy. So you pounce on your computer keyboard to start crafting your promotional page, and that's where you encounter the big challenge.

See, you've got to convert your flash of inspiration to simple, ordinary words, and then you must select the most compelling ones to infect readers with the same level of enthusiasm and conviction you have for your product.

This is where the super successful marketers outdistance the rest of the field, and the marketing weapon that gives them the edge can be identified in one word - copywriting!

What's it all about?

Copywriting is a critical aspect of any online promotional campaign. It's an art that cleverly uses words to paint a picture, create a mood, tell a story, and ultimately persuade people to take the precise action the writer desires.

If you're selling a product, building a subscriber list, going after affiliates or just promoting yourself, your words must be presented in such a way that they grab attention and resonate with people emotionally.

Achieve that, and you'll have less resistance when you encourage them to do what you ask.

Here are some useful pointers:

Involve the reader from the outset by targeting your headline and opening statements to what's in it for her.

Keep your tone relaxed and conversational, as if you are talking one-on-one to a close friend.
Use third-party information such as testimonials, surveys and statistics to support your claims and demonstrate credibility.

Present your offer clearly, firmly and without reservation.

Stress the benefits to be gained from using your product or service.

Always offer a guarantee or some reassurance that you stand behind your offer.

Give the reader reasons to act on your offer immediately. Be bold without being pushy.

Explain what the reader should do to take advantage of your offer right away.

After your formal presentation, add a postscript (P.S.) that summarizes your main points and makes a final call to action.

At the end of the day, your level of success is tied to how consistently your copywriting delivers respectable results. Those results will be reflected in the conversion rate. The higher the conversion rate, the more effective the copy.

Once you've refined a copywriting formula that works for your niche, the model can be easily tweaked and adjusted for use in other niches to deliver predictable results like clockwork.

Hermas Haynes is the founder and webmaster of http://ebizinfocenter.com/ - a popular resource for marketing ideas, tools and strategies that help you advance your Web business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hermas_Haynes

Explode Your Sales By Building Your Own Opt-In List!

Have you ever wondered how many times you haveheard this comment/suggestion/mantra from the gurus:

"YOU HAVE TO BUILD YOUR OWN LIST"

If you are trying to market on the internet; probably,too many times for you to count.

Unfortunately, it's also true - the real successfulmarketers build a loyal and faithful list of subscribers.

This is nothing new - we usually buy things from people we know and trust.

We regularly go back to our favorite shops/stores/dealersbecause we trust them and know we will get a qualityproduct or service.

It's not surprising then that your opt-in list canbe one of your most effective marketing tools.
If we agree that we have to build it - just how is it done?

Many of these same gurus don't tell us how or chargeus an "arm and a leg" to find their precious "secrets".

Well, save your money!

Here are 10 simple, quick and easy ways to build thatall important list.

1. Location Put your subscribe box or link on allpages of your website. Make sure it is at the top of your home page - usually the right hand side. Some marketers putit at the top and bottom of their pages!

2. Use Pop-up Add a pop-up. They might be annoyingbut they work! Place an exit pop-up and offer some free 'goodies' for subscribing to your list. Free ebook/membership/report. Anything of quality.

3. Benefits Describe the benefits of signing up.The "What's in it for me" question. List reasons one must have your ezine. Quality information should be at the top ofyour list.

4. Free Keep it free! Offer an ecourse for free - five or six lessons over a period of time. This will alsohelp you build a relationship with your subscribers.

5. Repeat No. 4 Offer a free ebook or two!! Your own or some of the high quality ones floating around - pick one that lets you brand it with your own affiliate links.

6. Articles Write articles (like this one) for other ezines and sites. In the author's resource box place a link to your ezine/list subscription form. Here's a few places to submit your articles to get you started:

http://www.ezinearticles.com/

http://www.goarticles.com/

http://www.ideamarketers.com/

http://www.marketing-seek.com/

7. Entertain Make sure you keep your hard won subscribers by writing an entertaining and informative newsletter. Basically, describe what works for you in an interesting way. Write it as if you're chatting to yoursubscriber over a cup of coffee or something a little stronger!

8. Use a Sig File Put your ezine link in your signature file and use it with every e-mail that you send. You will be surprised at how many e-mails you do send and the number of sign-ups you will get. Again, point out the benefits of joining your ezine.

9. Be Yourself Write or make your own products.Name recognition does count! Many free directories and sites will list your free product if it's written by you - thiscan be a great source of subscribers.

Can't write - then get permission and compile a list of articles by others into an ebook. This can be a quick and fast way to get your name linked to high quality information and marketers. Again, quality counts.

10. Viral, Viral, Viral Make your list viral. Ask readers to pass it on to their friends and their lists. Ifthey like your ezine or you - they will.

If you're having trouble building your list - don't giveup until you try these ten simple steps. Many of these steps can be done in just a few hours of work and you will see a healthy increase in the number of subscribers to your ezine or list.

Go get 'em!
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EXPLODE YOUR SALES by building your OWN OPT-IN LIST!Get a Step-by-Step Guide that will show you How to Start, Build & Manage your OWN HUGE Opt-In List! Click Here: Free Opt-in ToolKit!

Copyright © 2003-5 Titus Hoskins of bizwaremagic.com.This article may be freely distributed if this resourcebox stays attached. Visit http://www.bizwaremagic.com/for more simple solutions to your online marketing tasks.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Titus_Hoskins