First Person: Online Marketing More Than Doubled My Revenues

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As the owner of three successful websites, I know that there is more to promoting my online business than buying advertisements. Making sure that my content is visible to search engines is, of course, critical. But there are also more targeted marketing strategies that bring my websites attention in the right circles.

By focusing on the following steps, I’ve increased readership to my websites by 600%, while my ad revenues rose by 122%.

I Maximize My Use of SEO and Meta Tags

I achieve search engine visibility by interweaving keywords into my online content. I stay away, however, from drowning my articles with repetitive sayings. This wastes the reader’s time and gives the impression that the website is unprofessional.

To ensure that each of my articles is clearly visible to search engines, I populate the meta tags at the top of the code page. I use at least one of my keywords in the title. I populate the description content tag with a concise introduction to my article. And I list all relevant keywords in the content keyword tag.

I Write Reviews and Contact the Relevant Companies

To give myself free online exposure, I create targeted content that could benefit my websites as well as my readers. I write reviews of products or weave specific products into my home improvement articles. I then contact the company and provide them with a link to the article, asking if they would agree to post an article link on their website and Facebook page. Since I only write about excellent products, which I can personally recommend, the companies concerned are always happy to promote my content to their own benefit.

I Use My Various Sites to Advertise Each Other

Although my three websites each specialize in a distinct field, I use the each to advertise the others. I’ve created advertisements with Photoshop to post on my various websites, which gives me free advertising on the web. I also try to weave references in my content across all three websites, with such recommendations as “this article may prove helpful.”

I Use Each Site to the Fullest

I try to maximize each visit to my site by giving the reader more than he expected. In addition to the article he sought, I recommend other articles within the website which could be helpful or interesting. I do this both within the article through text hyperlinks, but also at the bottom of the article. There I provide a list of additional recommended articles, each with a picture and quick overview.

I Added a Free Search Bar

To optimize navigation across each website, I created a search bar at the top of each page. The search engine provider I use offers this service for free, as long as advertisements may appear alongside the search results. Since this increases my website revenues, it’s a win-win proposition.

I Visit Other Blogs and Communities

I joined a few communities that specialize in my area of expertise. There I can interact with others as an expert in the field. I sign my posts as owner and creator of my website, which appears as a hyperlink. The same approach works well in blogs, where I can recommend my articles in answer to a discussion or question. In short, by giving my advice freely, I introduce my online websites to more readers.

I Add My Website to Online Libraries

Community lists and search engine repositories are a great place to advertise my website for free. This is also a way to increase my website rating with the search engines. Blogs and communities in my field may have put together their own recommended websites list, or they may recommend external lists to their readers. Typically there’s a procedure for website owners to follow if they want to be considered for inclusion in the list. Since my websites offer real value without a membership fee, I’ve never had an application declined.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-person-online-marketing-more-doubled-revenues-161100415.html