|
Sales_Without_Search_Engines
| Sales Without Search Engines
Imagine one day you flip on your PC, log on to the Internet and
go to google.com. The browser alerts you and says that there is
no website found at that address. No problem you think, as you
head on over to Yahoo.com. Same thing. No website found at that
url. Now something seems fishy, go to MSN.com because you know
Microsoft will never run out of money, and their search engine
will be up. Nope, instead you get another alert box telling you
that there is no website found at that url.
Imagine that!
Yes, imagine an Internet world where no search engines exist,
and anyone trying to make a living online selling a product or
service has to be found.
Where would you start? Where would you list your site(s)? How
would you get your site found by your potential customers?
This is the mentality you should always take when promoting your
website. Sure, it'd be great to have top rankings in the search
engines, and get all of that free targeted traffic coming to
your site. But just as easily as you achieve that ranking, you
could lose it overnight - with a simple filter change in the
algorithm.
I'm sure you've heard of the "Florida" update that caused many
site owners panic attacks as their previously highly ranked
sites fell off the face of the Internet. They lost sales,
traffic and dreams of Internet riches.
Why?
As I heard someone famous once say: "Don't place all your eggs
in one basket" - yet too many website owners do. They are
obsessed with a top ranking in Google instead of building a
brand name people will recognize and trust. Top rankings in the
search engines should be part of your Internet marketing
strategy, but dedicate only a portion of your efforts to that.
You should equally spend your time pursuing partnerships with
other non-competitive sectors of the Internet.
I'm sure you've seen a web-ring. To refresh, they are a group of
related sites that link to each other. Internet marketing is the
same concept, but on a much grander showcase. You can advertise
your site in the costly Pay-Per-Click Arena, and if you have the
budget to do so, by all means, that is the quickest way to get
found. But keeping in mind that search engines don't exist, what
would you do to get the word out?
1. Press Releases - While they should be reserved for newsworthy
purposes (new product/service, acquisition, attending Trade Show
or Convention, etc.), they are a great way to get people to
visit your site when they are looking for information relating
to your product or service. It's also a great way to build your
brand name and to become known as an authority of information in
your field.
2. Directory Listings - Quite simply, this is the easiest way to
get your site indexed by search engines. There are many free
directories that you can get your site listed in, and there are
many fee-based directories that are worth the price of adding
your site. The added value is that since your site is listed
categorically, it helps to re-enforce what your site offers,
since it will be found with similar sites.
3. Articles - Expose your expertise! While article writing is
not easy, it is an extremely valuable asset to your site. By
writing, you are creating unique content found nowhere else and
we all know how much search engines love that! It also gives you
another way of explaining a product or service without coming
off as a sales pitch. Another added benefit of writing articles
is that it's a great way to naturally grow the size of your site
in an organic way, and will in turn, make your site become a
"hub" of relevant information in regards to your industry.
4. Newlsetters - This should be your site's bread and butter.
The people who have signed up for your newsletter already feel
that your site was worth their time to give you their email
address, so these people have already place some trust and value
into what you have to say. The newsletter is where you can
promote new products and services to interested users without
risking any intrusiveness factors. This is the best place to
make a sales pitch to your perspective readers!
5. Blogs/RSS Feeds - While to some people this is already
old-hat, there are many users out there (think AOL users) who
have no idea about how to customize the content they want to
read. There are many areas to get your blog listed, and it gives
an inside point-of-view into the inner workings of your company
or personality, thus giving yet another way for a user to
identify with you or your site.
I think it's safe to say that the search engines will always be
around, but to focus entirely on them and ignoring the other
resources could be a costly business mistake.
Just remember to keep your eye on the prize of online success,
and customers coming from various outlets, not just the search
engines.
-To your online success! Paul Bliss www.seoforgoogle.com
About the author:
Paul has been optimizing sites for over 5 years and has placed
over 60 clients in to top positions among all the major search
engines.
|
|
| |
| |
