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SEO, Marketing and Promotion
Getting that site publicised, seen and converting, covering Types of Search and Site Optimisation, Promotion and Online Advertising : PPC, Double Optin-In EMail Marketing, SEO, PR (Press Reslease), Text Link Purchase, Sig Links etc
SEO Basics
The basic keys to successful Search Engine Optimisation are clean code, frequently updated quality content accompanied by growing and good quality incoming links. Any site that wishes to pursue a long term strategy of achieving good quality placement in the SERPs for relevant keywords needs fresh, unique and appropriate content in regular doses. It needs to be found by them through an ever growing number of organically developing links on third party internet properties.
Things to consider when used with AM
Use of Affiliate Links and effect on a site's performance in SERPs. More concerning to an affiliate who is pointing the links than a merchant.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Things to consider when used with AM
Use of Affiliate Links on a site's cost per visitor through PPC. Quality Guidelines stipulate original content and value of landing pages. The information site publisher though who has a few banners or links on their pages, seems to have little reason to worry that this adversely affects bid costs.
Promotion & Marketing
Yes, a link in your sig at your favourite forum will speed up a search engine's discovery of your latest domain if it's not linked from elsewhere, but that doesn't mean you have to join every board out there and drop irrelevant rubbish in people's discussions. It's a cra@ppy 99 cent ebook method that will see your business career shortlived to say the least, universally riling both the site owners and legitimate forum users. Some may look at it to remember who to avoid. Everyone will, naturally, mistrust you for such activities. The same applies to any form of Guestbook, Mail List, Blog or Blog Comment 'spam' you may have read about at the same place.
Do not do yourself harm through naivety when engaging in outsourced SEO. If you are contracting a company to perform SEO and link building work then you need to know exactly what they will be doing in your name and to your site. Irrelevant link request spam is a surefire way to annoy most fellow webmasters. Deceptive on-site, gateway or linking policies are a surefire way to see a site dumped from the rankings altogether and regularly sumbitting a site to 10,000 search engines isn't SEO, no matter what the the gloss says on some companies' spin.
Never respond to offers to promote your business through email marketing unless you have fully researched the business to satisfy yourself that they only utilise specific double opt-in lists that they have compiled legitimately. The definition of EMail Spam is Unsolicited Bulk EMail. However it is interpreted most readers will consider anything other than communication addressed by actual name to be bulk and automated sending in some way. If someone didn't consent to, subscribe to or request it, it's unsolicited. If you combine them with the fact that it's email then it begins to smell and taste like spam. Do not be duped into any, most frequently non EU based, illegal email marketing activity. Instead, do grow your own Mailing List at your site. Allow visitors to subscribe for the latest news and deals. Ensure that newsletter mail lists should be double opt-in. Many non EU targeted turnkey site scripts include single opt-in. This is not sufficient. You must ensure that all mailing list subscribers were able to verify their ownership of the mailbox through a signup confirmation. A healthy, properly assembled on-site mailing list though can be a great asset for any webmaster to communicate with their readers.
Also to be considered : Press Release and Article Syndication, Text Links and Ads at Thirds Party Sites, Latest RSS feed etc
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