Let's assume you have already optimized your blog to rank well for search results of certain keywords that you are targeting. Here comes the sad news - it affects your ranking in only very minor ways. However, as you build your home internet business, don't skip this step as every little bit helps when you're competing for search engine rankings.
It's time to move on to offpage search engine optimization. That is, factors that are not on your blog but affect your search engine rankings very greatly. There are a lot of offpage factors and in this article we'll discuss the first and most obvious; the number of links to your blog.
As a general rule of thumb, the more links to your blog, the more the search engines think you are an authority in that particular niche and hence the higher they rank you. However, take care to observe the quality of the links. For example, a thousand links from totally irrelevant sites like online dating sites would not help at all because your blog is a technological product blog. In contrast, a single link from a highly authoritative site about technological gadgets will get the search engines crawling about your blog like the Feds storming a meth lab...
Anyway, the most cost effective way of getting high quality links from authoritative sites is simply to ask for it. If your blog contains high quality content that is original and will provide valuable information to the site's readers, chances are the webmaster(s) will link to your blog or even write about you.
Let's talk about how we should ask these webmasters of authority to link to your blog. We're discussing this based on the presumption that your blog is really content rich and offering high quality information to anyone in your niche or topic of discussion. The most viable option would be to send an email directly to the webmaster.
First, let's look for the top sites in your niche. Simply search the major search engines for the term that you're targeting. In this case, let's do a Google search for "technological gadgets". The first site listed, "Gadgets Club", is good for our example as it's a blog, and blogs are relatively more accessible for newcomers (like you?). Avoid purely commercial web sites by the way, stick to community-based sites and blogs.
So, compose an email to the webmaster of Gadgets Club (you can use their "contact us" button ). Start by stating how you came across their site (i.e. "looking for gadget information", NOT "looking for link partners!") and how you think their site provides valuable info. Basically, try to say something really good about their site and be honest about it please.
Then, suggest that so-and-so content on your own blog will be a nice complement to their site's content and vice versa. Put a link on your blog to their site and ask subtly if they might be able to do the same to weld a mutually beneficial relationship between the site and your blog. Check out their blogroll by the way, this is where you'd want to end up having your link.
Now, this approach will work, but not 100% of the time. Along the way, you might find people who won't even respond to your email, so forget about them and move on. Remove the links from your blog to their site if they have not responded to your email within a couple of weeks, which is a pretty long wait. Key point: This is a numbers game and you should not forget this fact as you build your home internet business. Qualify them as either in, or out. If they're out, simply say "Next!" and move on.
Keep doing this for the first 30 search results that pop up, and before long you should have quite a few good sites all linking to you.
Business Home Home Internet Work
Not a lot of people use email
Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing methods these days simply because almost all people use email. Check on those email fields or the blanks required to be filled in on various forms encountered in so many daily transactions. A person without an email address is tantamount to a person without an online home, which is one big truth for this generation.
Email marketing campaigns can offend a lot of people
The not-so secret way to overcome this dilemma is through permission-based advertising. There's no harm in trying after asking for permission.
It's stupid to send email to all those people
The key to this predicament is to have a very discerning eye on who to email and who to not email. Better look for some metrics on how to know which group of people would be more apt to respond to your approach for a better return on investment.
After clearing the fog regarding email marketing myths, here's how one can benefit from employing the power of email marketing campaigns: Start building yourself an opt-in list.
However, building an opt-in list is not a piece of cake particularly for the uninitiated. Here is a rundown of tips on how to succeed in this kind of marketing endeavor.
1. Strategic Collection of Data
Know which information from your audiences will help you in lowering expenses and/or make your sales flourish. Devise a tactic to induce people voluntarily provide you with the information necessary to create higher conversion. How about offering a free gift like a report or an e-book?
Overload of data is not good. Ask only for basic opt-in data; their full name and email address. That's usually enough and asking for a telephone number at this stage can scare the prospect away. There's a time and a place for the phone number and that comes later.
2. Good Implementation
Remember, "actions speak louder than words". This easily translates to the difficulty one has to undergo during the execution of an email marketing campaign. It's a good thing that various methods, often low-cost, abound to expedite the building up of your opt-in database.
Tracking your email marketing results can pose great hardship too. Technology and relevant sources should be employed in making this aspect of your marketing manageable and not labor intensive.
The following are the most widely used methods to leverage channels without overspending:
1. Make use of a website and blog!
It is an excellent tool for data collection and in providing you with relevant information regarding your email offers. Use forms that solicit your visitor's email address and consent.
2. Make use of print ads, brochures, TV, radio and direct mail.
These are the more popular ways of marketing aiming to lead traffic to your site. You may want to ask for signups for email services. Make sure your website address is visible and prominent when using these forms of media. Offering free electronic newsletters and or a rewards program will help in making it easy to win the approval of your audiences too.
3. Maximize your sales force.
Leveraging customer service associates with your opt-in list members can help a lot in providing you with a benefit through their good correspondence. Sales people with proper education on how to aid you in this endeavor can easily contribute to a higher ROI. With their good help, techniques like offering account updates and special programs through email can easily land you those lists of valuable visitors. However,these approaches while effective may prove too labor intensive and or costly if you are launching a home internet business.
4. Don't make your point of sale pointless.
Forms for signup located at cash registers and other high-traffic and highly visible spots can be very excellent venues for your business to collect email addresses. Notification of upcoming sales through their email addresses and names can coax them to supply you with the information you need.
5. Conferences or trade shows can work too.
Giveaway offers or entries on sweepstakes are great for opt-in to volunteer their contact details.
These tactics should be applied with adequate caution and should focus on earning the trust of your opt-in list instead of simply collating data for your sole benefit. Always make sure that the forms that you will use and other methods that you will employ will not require too much fuss during the subscription process. The last thing you want is to annoy anyone while you
are in the process of building your database of opt-in contacts.
Kirk Bennett has sinced written about articles on various topics from Make Money Online, SEO Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing. Kirk Bennett is a Silicon Valley sales and marketing executive and leader. He has developed a series of systems leveraging automation and outsourcing for internet marketers. Start a. Kirk Bennett's top article generates over 5400 views. Bookmark Kirk Bennett to your Favourites.
A Mentally Disabled Person What is so productive about labeling? I have been ten times more productive as a disabled person than when I was fully functional pushing and signing papers mostly, in corporate America. It is ...