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Search engines "reward" pages that meet certain criteria (varies from engine to engine) by moving those pages higher in the search results.
If you're interested in tweaking your pages in hopes of climbing up the SERPs (search engine results pages), you'd do well to visit the three sites we spoke of in part one, in regard to search engines:
Search Engine Watch (http://www.searchenginewatch.com) WebmasterWorld (http://www.webmasterworld.com) SearchEngines.com (http://www.searchengines.com)
Another two worth a peek:
SEO Today (http://www.seotoday.com) ClickZ Today (http://www.clickz.com)
BARTERING FOR AD SPACE
If you're open to the idea, you can gain some free publicity by trading your services or products in exchange for ad space.
Oftentimes, other webmasters are willing to trade out banner ads, newsletter ads, or sponsorships in return for work they might need.
"Barter clubs" exist, but you can also simply approach another site owner if you have a barter proposal you feel would be of interest to him or her.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
One of THE BEST sources of referrals is word-of-mouth advertising via your previous customers.
This accounts for a large share of my business and it's a real lifesaver in slow times (which inevitably occur). When your cash flow starts to more closely resemble a trickle, it's hard to plunk down more money on advertising. It's always great to have customers who are willing to do that advertising for you!
You'll be surprised at just how much business your previous clients can send your way. If they're happy, they have no problem saying good things about you and your business.
Plus, a recommendation from a friend is normally a much better advertisement than a paid one.
Be careful, though; word-of-mouth can backfire. If your customers are UNhappy, they still might be more than eager to "spread the word" about your business - and that's the type of "publicity" you DON'T want.
WRITE AND SUBMIT ARTICLES
Have a lot of information related to your business that would benefit others? Share it!
Writing articles for online newsletters and websites is a super way to increase traffic to your site and it won't cost you anything but a little time.
For example, say you sell your arts & crafts online. You could write an article with tips on how to boost sales using eBay auctions and then submit that article to newsletters and websites catering to crafters.
Make sure you require the site or newsletter owner to publish your "resource box" in addition to the article. A resource box is a four to eight line "bio" that runs at the end of an article. Include your URL and info on your products or services too.
There aren't a lot of restrictions for what to include or not to include in your resource box, so be creative.
If you work at it consistently, the benefits this promotional tool can yield are myriad.
Not only do you have the link to your site from your resource box, but many places archive their old newsletter issues indefinitely online, so you get residual traffic, PLUS you build the number of quality links to your site.
PARTNERING
Partnering, as I'm using it here, is somewhat similar to bartering for ad space, except instead of offering your service in exchange for ad space, you and the other party(ies) exchange advertising.
There are lots of ways you can offer advertising, even if you don't sell ad space, per se, on your site.
You could include a review or write-up of your partners' service or product, or simply list them on your "links" or "resources" page.
Another idea: you probably send out follow-up emails, thank you emails, free reports, etc. , right? If so, consider adding your partners' ads in one of those places.
There are countless possibilities when it comes to partnering. The first step is to get in touch with someone who runs a site on something of interest to your target market. Look for those in a complementary field (a site that sells templates might partner with a site that offers search engine submission; a site that sells sporting goods might partner with a company offering adventure vacations, etc. ).
Once you've established a partner program with one or more sites, regularly analyze your sales data to make sure the relationship is profitable for you. Work to strengthen good relationships and be on the lookout for new potential partners.
I hope you found these ten ways to promote your site for free useful. We explore these topics (and many more) in-depth in GetonMessage! , our free site design and promotion newsletter. To sign-up, send a blank email to GetonMessage-subscribe@topica. email-publisher.com.
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