Internet Marketing: Long-Term Strategy
Once your site is up and running, the best method of getting immediate traffic is pay-per-click search engine marketing. Although you must be patient, you must also focus on search engine optimization as a long-term strategy.
Search Engine Optimization – “SEO”
Search engine optimization, or "seo" as it's better known, is the ultimate long-term internet marketing strategy. So what is it? Seo simply refers to taking steps to ensure that your site appears at the top of unpaid 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 focused on highly competitive keywords, like "europe travel," there's so much competition that you might wait two or three years before you get top rankings. The time period is really a factor of how fast you can build links. Sometimes it can go up in 6 months, but sometimes it takes a few years.
Is it worth waiting 2 years to be in the top five in “travel in Europe”? There are over 2,000,000 searches per month for the key phrase. What do you think? If you offer a service or product related to traveling in Europe, how much money would you earn if 1 million people visited your site each month? Think about it.
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 just don't have enough traffic to be worth following.
There are four keys to seo. First, you need to research the amount of traffic various keywords are receiving. Second, you need to modify your site to include the exact keyword phrases in the meta and text. Third, you need to add and add and add content to your site. The more content, the more the Big Three will like your site. Finally, you should exchange links with other sites that have content related to your site.
The keys to following a seo marketing strategy are discipline and patience. Let's take a quick look at each one.
You must have the discipline to follow through with your SEO effort when you don't see results. The desire to throw your arms in the air in frustration is going to be strong. Just remember that every step you take today will be worth it in the future.
Patience balances out feelings of frustration and you're going to have a lot of those. Look, this is going to take a long time, so resist the urge to whimper. Post a sign on your desk counting down the months or have a regular exercise routine. At the very least, you can daydream about all the free traffic you'll get one day.
Search engine optimization is not for the faint of mind or the impatient. If you can stick with it, this long-term marketing strategy is always worth it.