Internet Marketing Without a Big-Picture Strategy Dances in Circles

by: Michael Pedone

Stop Tracking the Illusive "Magic Bullet" It seems like everyone is beating the drum for one Internet marketing method or another. And in the process they create plenty of hype and conflicting messages.    Website owners are left to wonder whom to believe when it comes to impressing the search engines. Which approach can deliver the "magic bullet" they've been promised? Is it time to jump to the next "sure thing," that will entice both search spiders and web surfers?    The primary methods promoted to attract search engines and Web traffic aren't new: - Links and reciprocal links - Pay-per-click (PPC) - Search engine optimization (SEO) in all its variations - Blogs and forums - Writing and posting articles or press releases - Paid placement with ads and banners    But each of them shares a common limitation. At its best, each is only part of the answer. An answer that won't hold still long enough to get nailed down - before the next "must have" appears.    The Internet is Maturing, and so are Search Engines In recent years, the capabilities and sophistication of the search engines have exploded. Public use and expectations have grown to match it. The public's reliance on the Internet as a reliable source expands ever faster. Recent studies found the Web to be the most trusted source of information for making major purchase decisions, second only to spouses for finding referrals.    A Harris Interactive consumer survey (2004) reports that 73% of adults are now online - 156 million users. That's up from 69% eight months before. Most Internet users (80%) expect that they'll find reliable, detailed facts online (Pew Internet and American Life Project). So they go online first when they need information. And they have confidence in what they're able to find.    Now more than ever, access to that gigantic pool of information-hungry Internet users depends on a website's relationship to the search engines. Is it possible for people to find it? The stakes are high. Integration of Methods is the "Next Big Thing" .   Refined keyword and page optimization are the standard anymore. SEO has morphed into Search Engine Marketing (SEM). The key difference is integration. SEO method aren't seen as separate solutions, but as parts of a multi-pronged endeavor. Success now depends on how well they all dovetail.    That's a fundamental shift from the lurching "do this..., now that..., now that... approaches, which have characterized the on-line norm. And anyone who's still playing by that game plan will be left behind.    Be suspicious of any SEO strategy that's wedded to a single method - no matter what impressive statistics they cite. And when the search engines "burp," (as they surely will now and then) a site's visibility can be lost. A diversified approach to links and search engines reduces vulnerability. Achieving that requires shifting focus to a bigger, more inclusive picture.    My Experience with Reciprocal Linking As a person who has been in SEM for years (and fine-tuned hundreds of websites) I've gotten good at spotting trends as they develop. And I've seen too many "can't lose" methods fade.    No question that linking is important for search engine placement. There are effective and targeted ways to acquire incoming links that don't require a link exchange. However, I saw some problems with the way many reciprocal links are pursued. My concerns led me to write an article, Reciprocal Linking is Dead, http://www.etafficjams.com/reciprocal-linking-is-dead.htm    back when most insiders were proclaiming it to be the way to go. (Fresh articles about why you should develop reciprocal links appear daily.) An integrated search engine marketing strategy is vital for your website's visibility and survival. Resist the shortsightedness of putting too much reliance on what everyone is recommending.    Beat the Pack by a Country Mile If you're ready for the "Next Big Thing," stop chasing the flavor of the month. The trend is toward building an integrated strategy where all the options mesh. Achieve all the added benefits that come with integrating every method your website employs. Now that's a next thing with staying power.    About the author: Michael Pedone http://www.eTrafficJams.coma professional search engine optimization company specializing in getting targeted, eager-to-buy traffic to your site! Want to improve your site's optimization? Call 877-785-9977 for a free SEO analysis  Need Extra Money At Home ? Visit Make Money At Home And Online Business Tips. Or Affiliate Revenue Tips.  Need Million Free Traffic to your webs ? Please visit Search Engine Optimization Tips  Circulated by Article Emporium

Internet Marketing – Long Term Strategy

by: Halstatt Pires

Once your site is up and running, the best method for getting immediate traffic is pay-per-click search engine marketing. Although you have to be patient, you should also be focusing on search engine optimization as a long term strategy.    Search Engine Optimization – “SEO” Search engine optimization, or “seo” as it is better known, is the definitive long term Internet marketing strategy. So, what is it? Seo simply refers to taking steps to make sure your site appears high in non-paid search results on Google, Yahoo and MSN.    The reason seo is considered a long term strategy is…well, it takes a long time. If your marketing is focusing on highly competitive keywords, such as “Europe travel”, there is so much competition that you could be looking at two or three years before getting top rankings. The time period is really a factor of how fast you can build links. Sometimes you can move up within 6 months, but sometimes it takes a few years.    Is it worth it to wait for 2 years to get into the top five for “Europe travel”? There are over 2,000,000 searches a month for the keyword phrase. What do you think? If you offer a service or product related to traveling in Europe, how much money would you make if even 1 million people visited your site each month? Think about that.    The Big Three There are three, and only three, search engines that matter when it comes to seo – Google, Yahoo and MSN. What about Alta Vista, etc.? They simply don’t have enough traffic to make them worth pursuing.    There are four keys to seo. First, you must research the amount of traffic various keywords are receiving. Second, you must modify your site to include the exact keywords phrases in the meta tagging and text. Third, you must add and add and add content to your site. The more content, the more the big three will like your site. Finally, you must trade links with other sites that have content related to your site.    The keys to pursuing a seo marketing strategy are discipline and patience. Let’s take a quick look at each. You must have the discipline to stick with your seo effort when you are seeing no results. The desire to throw one’s arms in the air in frustration is going to be strong. Just remember that every step you take today will pay off down the road.    Patience balances feelings of frustration and you are going to have a lot of those. Look, it is going to take a long time, so resist the urge to whine. Stick a sign up over your desk counting off the months or have a regular exercise routine. If nothing else, you can day dream about all of the free traffic you are going to get one day.    Search engine optimization is not for the weak of mind or impatient. If you can stick with it, this long term marketing strategy always pays off.    About the author: Halstatt Pires is with MarketingTitan.com- an Internet marketing and advertising company. To read more marketing articles, visit MarketingTitan.com Need Extra Money At Home ? Visit Make Money At Home And Online Business Tips. Or Affiliate Revenue Tips.  Need Million Free Traffic to your webs ? Please visit Search Engine Optimization Tips  Circulated by Article Emporium