Search Optimization vs Other Marketing Techniques

[genuwine4532]

I am wondering if 1st page listing on Google and/or Yahoo should be first priority?
What priority are other marketing techniques?

I have seen some stories from new affiliates that have been newly moderately successfull (not huge, yet) and they say that their websites grew alot from word of mouth--any thoughts?

Thanks all

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi genuwine,

Well it kind of depends on the site, market, your talent and how much time you have.

If the market is super competitive (in the search engines) and you don't know how to do SEO to get it in the 1st page BUT have lots of time to post and do social marketing then that would change the priority.

Having said that and also since I used to have an SEO company, so know how to do it, I think getting good natural rankings is really important and affiliates should at least know the basics of how to optimize their sites. Google can provide ongoing traffic once you get ranked without having to do constant posting to keep the traffic coming. But ideally you want a mix of traffic sources and don't want to just rely on Google either. She can be pretty fickle!

 

[MrCat]

It would depend on what your goals are. If you want to get traffic faster to your site, then I would suggest you opt for paid ads through PPC, banners, text ads, etc.

SEO is something that would require time inorder to see a stable increase in your traffic.

 

[alley]

Google can provide ongoing traffic once you get ranked without having to do constant posting to keep the traffic coming.

I would like to know more about this. Is there any methods to do this?

Thanks in advance

 

[digitalNiche]

I would like to know more about this. Is there any methods to do this? Thanks in advance

Alley, Google loves to see solid, applicable content. Site depth (sub-pages) significantly helps the long-term stability of a site's ranking. Natural flow, or a close approximation, is a part of this as well (H tag progression, etc). If you're gearing up for simple, one page sites (basically pushing an offer), you will have more of a rollercoaster battle (mostly of the uphill variety...), and the increased (or total) reliance on PPC (read: increased overhead, lower ROI).

Most of my sites are information-based (in some way or another), with marketing offers appearing as a natural extension of the page, as opposed to content that is secondary to the offers. My visitors get something, I get something, and the traffic will generally be much better qualified.

As an example, up until I sold it a year ago, I had a 30 page content site, in an intensely crowded space, that consistently sat on page 1 (typically around #5) of yahoo and google for over 3 years. I updated the site, at most, once every six months, with only an additional page or two. No PPC, just SEO, and therefore no overhead other than hosting.

Tony

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hey Tony,

Welcome to 5 Star and thanks for weighing in!

 

[ahaservices]

ppc

I have always used ppc. for thed past two years i only used 7search and did quite well. my affiliates used go-click some, but it really sucked for me. thx

 

[genuwine4532]

SEO requires content rich pages

Tony Im glad you weighed in on this topic, it is good to see a live example of what I have been taught that SEO CAN be achieved with content rich pages, that is what I am striving for, I am in no position to risk large amount on PPC, that is a little scary for someone like me who is just starting and don't have money to really risk.

Thanks

 

[digitalNiche]

Thanks for the welcome, considering I skipped the formalities and just jumped right in... lol.

If you are in no position to choose (financially), SEO over PPC, is clearly the way to go. You'll quite often see the ppc vs. seo thing come up, but really, if you understand seo, there's no question. Sitting on both sides, seo wins ever single time. PPC works for quick traffic, but I've found that with the right targets and content strategy, seo can be just as quick given the rapid crawl of the engines. If you are looking at long-term, there's really no reason to increase spending beyond your seo budget.

Also, thanks for the welcome, Linda. I skipped the "intro yourself" page and just jumped right in. I probably should throw my background up over in that area, fwiw.

Tony

 

[jcorkern]

I agree with Tony,

If you want a long term business that will afford you being able to take the extended vacation, take the time to learn SEO and build a solid foundation under your site.

Things like PPC are the culprit of todays problems. The "I want it now" syndrome kills many businesses. Relate back to the days of old, till the ground, plant the seeds, watch over your crops, harvest and then lay up for the winter with plenty. SEO is this process, you invest today for tomorrow and the rewards are great in many ways.

 

[marketraise001]

SEO is possibly the best technique to implement when it comes to marketing through the internet.Why would you want to spend millions behind a radio advertisement or a commercial featuring top celebrities to endorse your products when you could get it done for a few thousands.There are big guns who would prefer the former idea as they have the budget to get along with it.But for people who are just starting out SEO is possibly the best mode to launch your business on the web.Here you could be reaching out to maximum number of people considering the usage of the internet.Yes the results might be slow compared to what you get when you have top level marketing...but then SEO is steady and say after three years when your business reaches the break-even phase you start enjoying it's benefit.

 

[jengojengo]

Great Info

This forum is the best- I get such good stuff here! Thanks!

 

[experienceadvertising]

Organic search rankings should be something you focus on as a priority...this is a long-term strategy to acheive better rankings over time. This usually involved writing good, unique content for your site and aquiring good inbound links to your site. I recommend posting daily on your site or blog to give the search engines a reason to return frequently...

 

[lovekissing]

seo and sem comes hand in hand...

 

[lexiseek]

Basic SEO is a must. You want your site to show up in the search engines. Once you have this type of presence established you can market via a newsletter/mailing list. PPC is another way to market, but keep in mind it's "Pay" per click, so if you have a small or limited budget your ROI might not be as good.