Stop Paying Per Click!
Learn How to Get
Free Internet Leads
2nd Edition
Table of Contents
Pay-Per-Click Advertising 4
Advantages of PPC 4
Disadvantages of PPC 4
Banner Advertisements 5
Google AdWords 5
Yahoo Sponsored Results 5
Search Engine Optimization 6
Content, Content & More Content 6
Your Website’s PageRank 6
Your Target Audience 7
Link Exchange 8
Search Engines and Links 8
Types of Link Exchanges 8
Getting Started 9
Social Networking Websites 11
Facebook 11
Twitter 12
What Makes a Successful Profile 12
Resources Required 13
Online Business Listings 14
What is an Online Business Listing? 14
Register Your Business 14
Online Referral Directories 16
How to Get Started 16
Cost and Time 16
Your Online Presence 17
Generate Exposure 17
Blog with a Purpose 18
Present Content with Style 19
What is Your Goal? 20
Generate Leads 20
Drive a Political Issue or Cause 21
Serve Your Existing Customers 22
How To Develop Content 23
Do You Have Time To Write? 23
Retaining a Content Strategy Firm 23
We Do Web Content’s Services 24
As more and more people turn to the Internet for both their personal and professional lives, businesses are increasing their online presence. Recently there has been a shift away from business owners and marketing directors using standard advertising methods such as banner ads and paid placement ads. The Web is still evolving, and new portals have been created that present creative marketing opportunities and advertising.
While considering how much money to spend on online endeavors can be daunting for a business owner or marketing director, there are a number of alternatives to Pay-Per-Click advertising that you can explore. Many of these options are free or low-cost, such as online local business listings with major search engines. Other options, like ensuring your content on the Web is search engine optimized, offers long-term benefits like increased page ranking, as well as interesting material for your visitors to read.
We Do Web Content specializes in online marketing campaigns and incorporates many of the methods discussed in the following chapters to build or expand a client’s presence on the Web. We are confident that this book will be a valuable resource for you as you consider different ways to attract and maintain customers beyond the world of Pay-Per-Click.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-Per-Click is an advertising model used by search engines and content sites in which advertisers only pay a host when their ad is clicked on by a user. Businesses typically pay the host a flat-fee or bid per click.
Pay Per Click (PPC) includes:
• Placement of ads with a PPC provider such as Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing or Microsoft adCenter.
• Payment to a host per click.
• Safeguards against possible abuse of clicks by competitors and Web developers.
While PPC can drive traffic to a site, it can also be costly compared to hiring a firm to develop well-written content for your website. The purpose of adding content to your site is to increase your page rankings and visitors. There is much controversy over pay-per-click advertising; the following are some pros and cons associated with PPC:
Advantages of PPC
• Payment is due only if someone clicks on your ad.
• Control the amount you spend by setting a limit on the amount of money you dedicate to PPC.
• PPC is easy to set up.
• Target advertisement according to time of day, location, etc.
• Track conversions and analyze your website’s traffic.
Disadvantages of PPC
• PPC can be costly – as much as $1 or more per click.
• You can easily be outbid and lose your competitive edge.
• You need to regularly review your campaign to exclude keywords that are not effectively driving traffic to your site.
• Fraud accounts for over 28% of all clicks on Google AdSense and Yahoo Publisher.
• PPC cannot improve a site’s page ranking with the search engines.
Banner Advertisements
A banner advertisement, or “Web banner,” is a graphic used on a website to advertise a product or service. Banners often appear at the top of a Web page, or in the left or right margin of the page. Users are encouraged to click through to the advertiser’s website. Click-through rates are now estimated at less than 1%.
As businesses look for creative ways to increase the click through rate for banner ads, animation and sound have been added to make the advertisements more seductive.
Google AdWords
Google AdWords is the Google-sponsored pay-per-click advertising option that allows users to create ads and choose keywords and phrases that are related to your business. When people search on Google using your keywords, your ad may appear next to the search results.
Yahoo Sponsored Results
Yahoo Sponsored Results are paid listings that appear on Yahoo Search results pages. Sponsored Results are another pay-per-click model in which businesses bid for enhanced placement in search results using terms that are relevant to their business.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of writing behind-the-scenes code that will improve the number and quality of visitors (traffic) to your website from search engines through search results.
When you initiate a search on the Internet, typically you compose a keyword, tag or “long tail” keyword that summarizes what you are looking for. This is also referred to as an “organic search”. Some popular search engines are Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
Example of an organic search:
A Web user wants to find a company that sells Granny Smith apples in bulk. They might search with a:
• Keyword or tag = “bulk apples”; or
• Long-tail keyword = “company that sells Granny Smith apples in bulk”.
After submitting this query to the search engine, results appear and the Web user can select the site(s) that interests them.
Content, Content & More Content
The more relevant and keyword-dense your Web content is, the more likely it is that your website will be found by the search engines and by the humans that use them.
Working with a company that understands the importance of search engine optimization and its relationship to Web content is vital in getting the most return on the time, money, and other resources you invest in your website.
Your Website’s PageRank
It used to be that one of the primary goals of SEO copywriting was to achieve a high Google PageRank. A PageRank, which is mainly based on the number of high ranking websites that are linking to a particular Web page (referred to as inbound links or backlinks), determines where a Web page will be indexed in a search result. The theory being that if several high ranking websites are linking to a Web page, then it must be relevant to a particular keyword or set of keywords and must be given one of the top 10 spots on the first page.
Is a high PageRank really that important?
Well, in our experience, PageRank is not as important as it used to be. There are other factors that are now taking the front seat when evaluating the value and relevancy of a Web page, such as the keyword density in your content, page titles, and even your URL.
Often we will see websites with lower PageRanks outperform those with higher ones. Why? In most cases, it’s because the lower ranking websites are posting relevant and keyword-rich content on a frequent basis.
So, are we saying that you shouldn’t devote any time to exchanging and acquiring links? No. In fact, we have dedicated a section of this book to link building. What we are saying, however, is this – your time would be better spent developing your website’s content. One, because you need to keep your website’s content fresh and two, because good content will provoke others to link to you thereby increasing your PageRank naturally.
Your Target Audience
We cannot say this enough – the content on your website must be relevant, engaging, and informative in order to attract and retain customers. Most importantly, it must motivate your reader to take action.
That action could be:
• Telephoning your business;
• Ordering a product through your website; or
• Visiting other sections of the website.
Unlike shopping in person where the owner can greet customers as they walk in and help them find what they are looking for, website owners are at a slight disadvantage in that they have to work twice as hard to gain a Web user’s trust to build credibility.
Building a website that offers relevant and interesting information helps develop credibility and establish your customer base.
Link Exchange
Incorporating quality inbound and outbound links is an important component of your online marketing plan. Link exchange programs can help you gain exposure in the marketplace, increase your website’s PageRank, and build credibility with your visitors.
When paired with keyword-dense content, links can give your website the boost it needs to be listed on Page 1 of the search results.
Search Engines and Links
A variety of components are utilized by search engines when indexing websites. Software robots, or “spiders,” search the Web to index sites when a user conducts a key word/phrase search. The spiders look at variables including popularity of a site, age of a site, age of documents, keywords, and rate of new pages added to the site. Outbound and Inbound links (IBL) are weighted heavily during the ranking process.
Quality inbound links (or links from other websites to your website) allow the spiders to find your website faster, so you can be found by your customers easily.
The use of outbound and inbound links is a major factor in how Google’s algorithm ranks a webpage. Pages that provide valuable content and link to credible sources tend to have a higher page ranking than a website with similar content and no links.
Types of Link Exchanges
There are three different opportunities for a link exchange:
• Reciprocal link exchange;
• Non-reciprocal link exchange; and
• Indirect non-reciprocal link exchange.
A reciprocal link exchange occurs when your site provides a link to another site, and that site in turn provides a link to your site. This type of exchange may have been deliberate, or may occur due to the popularity or relevance of the two sites, For example, CNN links to the White House website and the White House site links to CNN.
A non-reciprocal link exchange occurs when a website provides a link to another site. This is a “one-way” link and the most beneficial type of link exchange for your site. Having a large number of sites that are linking back to your website validates its credibility amongst the search engines.
An indirect non-reciprocal link exchange involves three or more websites that link to each other. The goal is to create the illusion of natural links as the search engines may detect artificial links. A common scenario for an indirect non-reciprocal link exchange would be website A links to website B which links to website C, which links to website A.
Getting Started
Now that you understand the basics of SEO and the importance of a link exchange, how do you get started?
First, identify other websites that are relevant to your business’s objectives and customer base. It is important to note, providing links to sites that have irrelevant content can actually decrease your page rankings so it is vital to use discretion in linking.
When choosing a website to link to, take into account how much traffic routinely visits that page (you can use the Google Toolbar to see any website’s page ranking), and if they are considered a reputable source for that given topic.
Your link campaign can include:
• Strategic partners;
• Professional organizations;
• Chambers of Commerce;
• Suppliers; and
• Customers.
Second, research the sites you select as possible partners in a link exchange. A backlink builder tool can help you identify relevant sites. Free link exchange directories can also help you identify other websites in your industry that may be interested in linking up with your site.
Third, research the popularity of the website you want to link to by using Alexa.com, or another similar site.
Fourth, send an email to the webmaster and request a link exchange. Briefly outline the reason you believe the exchange would be mutually beneficial.
Finally, develop interesting, informative, current, engaging content!
The best links you can have are inbound or backlinks that are non-reciprocal. If your site provides useful information, other sites will naturally link to it and increase your page rankings.
Social Networking Websites
Over the past few years the popularity of social networking websites has exploded worldwide. Websites like MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook are used by people who want to connect with friends, families, and colleagues. The sites are also used by companies, politicians, and other entities that want to gain exposure on the Web and drive users to their websites.
The business benefits of social media marketing was the subject of a recent study conducted by the Society for New Communications Research. The organization questioned various organizations including the Mayo Clinic, Quicken Loans, The Coca-Cola Company and the Seattle Union Gospel Mission and found that:
• Approximately 57% of the organizations believe social media tools are becoming more important to their business; and
• Nearly 30% of the organizations identify social media as their core component for messaging strategies.
Below are two examples of popular networking sites that you can register with for free and incorporate into your overall marketing strategy.
Facebook
Facebook is the most popular social networking site on the Web with over 500 million active users.
A large part of Facebook’s appeal has to do with its constant innovations. Facebook users have the opportunity to work with thousands of continuously updated applications that allow users to connect, interact, and customize their overall experience.
Facebook allows companies to:
• Share insights about their products and services;
• Keep customers updated about changes or new products;
• Get customer feedback and answer questions in a timely manner;
• Drive traffic to their main websites through links and blog posts; and
• Connect with new customers through friends by joining community groups.
When combined with your ongoing marketing strategies, Facebook can be an invaluable resource to boost your overall online presence and introduce your company to new customers in a way that traditional advertising simply cannot match.
Twitter
Twitter is another social networking powerhouse. It allows its users to access and express information in real time.
The format is simple. Users answer the basic question, “What are you doing?” by writing short 140 character messages called “tweets”, which can then be read by their friends, or “followers”. Twitter fans can update their tweets through Twitter’s website, SMS, instant messages, email, or through Twitter applications. This means that Twitter users can access and send messages practically anywhere.
Companies can use Twitter to address customer questions instantly, provide news and product updates, or communicate sales promotions. And it seems like those are just the beginning of Twitter’s marketing potential.
What Makes a Successful Profile
All of this success is contingent on the time and effort you put in to maintaining your profile. Having a lucrative social media profile requires constantly updating new information, links, content, and of course asking and responding to questions posted to your page.
When social media users see that you are just as interested in building online relationships as you are in selling your product, they not only respond by sending you their business, they also recommend your services to their friends.
Social media platforms also have applications that allow you to easily manage your profile and track the success of your efforts. These key features not only help get the most out of your profile, but allow easy integration of social media throughout your overall online marketing strategy.
Resources Required
If you do take advantage of social networking sites as a creative way to interact with existing and potential customers, be prepared to dedicate resources on a regular basis. For example, if you decide to use Twitter for customer service, your followers will expect instant communication. If you cannot dedicate an employee’s time to vigilantly checking and answering questions/comments constantly, going this route will not work in your favor.
Some companies are finding it necessary to hire a full-time social media marketing coordinator to maintain their online presence. Other businesses looking to reduce payroll overhead, outsource this work to online marketing firms such as We Do Web Content.
Online Business Listings
Registering your business online with the top search engines is an extremely easy and effective way to get found by your target audience. The three top search engines – Google, Yahoo and Bing – all have online local business listing services that you can take advantage of by completing a short questionnaire.
What is an Online Business Listing?
When a user searches with a phrase such as “florists Fort Lauderdale,” the search engine returns search results consisting of a list of website links. Almost at the top of the page, a select group of businesses are listed with their phone number and a link to their website. A map of the local area depicts the locations of the businesses so the user can quickly view the location. User reviews may also be included with the listing.
Local online business listings can come in handy when a user knows the name and geographic area of a business and wants to quickly find contact information for the business online. If you’ve registered your business online, it will only take a user one click in a search to find you. If you have skipped this process, you have forgone a great opportunity to get FREE leads.
Register Your Business
Registering your business with the three main search engines is a simple process that requires a minimal time commitment on your part.
Get started with Yahoo by:
1. Go to http://listings.local.yahoo.com;
2. Select a Basic, Enhanced or Featured plan
(“Basic” plans are free; and
3. Complete the registration process and confirm your listing details.
Get started with Google by:
1. Go to https://www.google.com/local/add;
2. Registration is free. Enhance your listing by paying additional fees; and
3. Complete the registration process and confirm your listing details.
Get started with Bing by:
1. Go to https://ssl.search.live.com/listings/BusinessSearch.aspx;
2. Register your business for free; and
3. Complete the registration process and confirm your listing details.
If you fail to register your business with the search engines, you will lose the opportunity to gain additional exposure for FREE.
Online Referral Directories
Online referral services can be a useful tool to help potential customers find your website.
While it is useful to list your company with a popular directory like the Yellow Pages, some users may find it helpful to know that a respected professional organization, such as the Better Business Bureau or Martindale-Hubbell for lawyers. Finding your business’s name on a referral list gives it an instant boost in credibility. It tells the user that your business is stable and isn’t a fly-by-night organization.
Online directories and referral services may also offer the benefit of user reviews. Assuming your customers are satisfied with your services or products, these reviews should be favorable and give a potential customer additional affirmation that your business is respected and reliable.
Registering with online directories can take time, but it is well worth the effort.
How to Get Started
You may want to start by registering with a local referral service, for example, www.fortlauderdalebusinesslist.com. Or, you may prefer to register with industry referral service, such as www.localflorist.com.
You can also identify professional organizations that you are currently a member of, or interested in joining. Many groups, such as a local Chamber of Commerce, have an online directory of members. Check the sites to make sure you are listed online.
If you are not a member of an organization, make a list of a few that interest you and ask them if they have online directories or referral services.
Cost and Time
Referral directories are typically free or open to members. Registering your company online with a service should not require a major investment of your time and should be a fairly simple process.
After you register, follow up and ensure your site is listed and the link is functioning correctly.
Your Online Presence
Generate Exposure
The main goal of your website should be to provide a valuable service to your visitors. The best way to provide this service, and convert visitors into customers, is to generate exposure and drive traffic to your website.
While this explanation may sound obvious, it is the cornerstone of every website on the Internet, and it is often overlooked.
Driving traffic to your website can be achieved through a variety of methods, some of which will be more successful than others. What’s important to remember is that there is no finish line when it comes to driving Web traffic, your traffic must be constantly addressed, analyzed, and improved throughout the lifespan of your site.
Part of generating exposure will include continually adding SEO content to your website, but should also include the use of:
• Social media;
• Blogs;
• Links;
• Online and traditional advertising;
• Community building; and
• Partnering with other businesses in your area or industry (links).
Your website can have the most original, engaging content on the Web, but if Web users are not finding your site, all of your hard work will be lost.
Blog with a Purpose
Blogging is a fantastic opportunity to constantly add fresh, unique content to your website. Blogs are a great way to communicate company changes, introduce new products, or share information about your industry.
If you decide to create a company blog, it is important to provide frequent updates on a daily (or at least weekly) basis, but what you say in your blog is just as important as how often you update it.
The most important thing to remember is that all of your blogs need to have a purpose and a point. Do not use your company blog to post random notes about how you are feeling that day or other information that will not interest readers. When you blog with a purpose you are informing your visitors and motivating them to take action.
Think about what your visitors would like to see when they visit your blog, this can include:
• New products;
• Sales and promotions;
• Company news;
• Images, video, or other multimedia elements;
• Information about events;
• Teasers and links to news articles about your company and/or industry;
• Introductions to organizations you donate to or collaborate with; and
• Updating customers on trade shows or conferences you will attend.
Blog entries are designed to be short, usually between 100 and 300 words. People enjoy reading blogs in part due to their brevity, which also leads to the ease with which they can be updated. This is where links really come in handy and allow you to generate an interest with your blog that can then be linked to another area of your website and hopefully a sale.
Present Content with Style
Creating relevant and engaging content for your website demands the same level of style and creativity as your website’s overall design; they both need to strike a delicate balance between functionality and personal expression in order to achieve something memorable.
Great content is engaging content, and engaging content means writing with style. Dry, boring sentences in long bulky paragraphs will have your visitors checking out mentally before they even get to your sales pitch.
Writing with style is an art. It can take years of training and practice to achieve a level of writing that people actually want to read. If you do not have writing skills it is not the end of the world, just find someone that does.
After all, bad writing is the fastest way to lose customers online.
What is Your Goal?
As you work on your online marketing strategies, you need to focus on the overall goals you wish to achieve. Below are a few insights about how to direct your marketing efforts, including how to generate leads, drive a political cause, and serve your existing customers.
Generate Leads
A large part of gaining exposure for your website is the ability to develop and generate leads for new potential customers. One effective strategy to generate your own leads organically is to include a contact form or short questionnaire on your website that your visitors can fill out to get more information about your services.
When visitors return an electronic form it is a lead that could convert into a client. The form generally requests information regarding their location, contact numbers, and other information you deem relevant.
Client referral incentives can also help encourage your existing customers to do some marketing for you. These can include:
• e-Books;
• Coupons;
• Exclusive promotions; and
• Contests or raffles.
Basically anytime you convince a visitor to send you their personal information through your website you are generating a lead. It is important to remember the privacy issues involved with collecting sensitive information of this nature so it is a good idea to include a privacy statement promising not to share or sell your visitor’s information.
Drive a Political Issue or Cause
If your website centers on a political cause, gaining and increasing exposure is your main priority. While businesses can benefit from varying content, generating leads through contact forms, and participating in social media.
The presidential campaign of Barack Obama finally proved to any remaining skeptics that the Web is really a powerful marketing tool, and the future of the Web is as much about marketing as it is about entertainment.
In order to reach the largest amount of supporters possible, you need to create a marketing strategy that involves a wide variety of participation across many Web channels, Internet groups, and social media networks.
This should include:
• Developing relationships with bloggers, journalists, and other media representatives;
• Partnering with other online organizations and joining Web groups;
• Generating leads through petitions and contact forms;
• Creating email blasts, newsletters, and press releases to keep your supporters informed and continue to generate interest;
• Writing a blog (or several depending on how your key issues split up);
• Interacting with your visitors through article submissions, events, contests, and other calls to action; and
• Creating social media profiles and maintaining them.
Finding effective ways to channel your passion is the best way to achieve a successful website that reaches millions of people.
Serve Your Existing Customers
If the main goal of your website is to serve the customers you already have in addition to gaining new ones along the way, you need to create programs and services that will continue to engage them.
This can include:
• Providing easily accessible technical support, customer service, and other resources to help your customers get the most out of their purchase;
• Frequent shopper discounts and other repeat customer incentives;
• Clear and easy website navigation that allows repeat customers to skip the information they know and find the areas of your website that they need; and
• Saved customer preferences that allow you to track their purchases, offer recommendations, and make check-out easier for everyone involved.
Take some time to think about your customer’s needs. If you are not sure, just ask them by providing an area on your website encouraging comments. You can also include it in your social media profiles, permitting customers to make suggestions on how you can improve your website or alter your product list.
Offering an incentive as a reward for participating in surveys is a great way to ensure that more people fill out your contact forms.
How to Develop Content
Do You Have Time To Write?
Consistently writing, editing, proofreading, and posting new content to your website takes a considerable amount of time. Not only do you have to research sources that verify your information, you also need to do your homework and include credible outbound links and SEO keywords/phrases that integrate seamlessly within your content.
Many companies retain firms to create and edit website content, including writing articles, blogs, and managing social media.
If you do not have the necessary skills, time, or resources to employ a full time in-house writing staff, you may consider retaining We Do Web Content as your content strategist.
Retaining a Content Strategy Firm
Hiring a firm that specializes in content strategy will allow you to focus on managing your business, while ensuring that your website gets the attention it needs to attract visitors and generate quality leads.
When hiring a content strategy firm, consider the firm’s:
• Experience – It is important that your content team has experience writing the type and style of Web content you are looking for. Writers that have experience writing for companies in your industry may provide an added bonus.
• SEO – Make sure the firm you hire specializes in SEO content. Even if the articles are well written, without researching SEO keywords and other tags, the pages will not appear in search results.
• Samples - when you are screening firms ask for samples. You will want to pay special attention to whether the content flows and is easy to read.
• Timing - Make sure you hire a firm that HITS DEADLINES!
We Do Web Content’s Services
• SEO Copywriting
• Online Marketing
• Search Engine Placement
Unlike other content providers, We Do Web Content works directly with your company to gain an in-depth understanding of your business and offers unparalleled customer service throughout the writing process.
We specialize in affordable Internet marketing solutions for businesses of any size that are designed to drive traffic to your website, increase your online visibility, and help convey your company’s message on a global scale.
Contact We Do Web Content today at 1-888-521-3880
and learn more about how our services can maximize your company’s online potential.
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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 11.01.2011
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