Is Free & Low-Cost Traffic Dead? Not Even Close!

Is Free & Low-Cost Traffic Dead? Not Even Close!

by Ken Evoy

Some Net-marketing pundits have been heard to say that free traffic is dead. Far from it!

Build your Web business on a solid foundation...

o well-researched keywords with high demand and low supply

o well-written, credentializing, high quality content

o well-crafted Search Engine Optimization

... and low cost SE traffic is yours for the taking.

People, even the experts, tend to forget a basic fact...

No matter what the state of the Net, no matter how competitive or congested it may become in the future, the hands of the SEs and directories will always be tied to some degree. They *must* deliver the best and most relevant sites to their customers... i.e., surfers.

That means there will always be a place on the Net for high quality content sites, and there will always be plenty of free traffic for those sites. Of course, if your site does not deliver much in the way of quality or content, you can't reasonably expect any SE or directory to oblige by pointing traffic your way. But if you cover those bases well, you will be amply rewarded!

With that said, let's investigate the big players in the traffic-generating business today, with tips on how to get the most from each.

--------The SEs --------

1) Google

There's no doubt about it... if you want traffic, you need Google on your side. When you consider that it is powering secondary engines like AOL, Netscape (plus many others), and currently providing the bulk of the listings for the mighty Yahoo!, you can't afford to be in Google's bad books. Google, through its own site and its huge partner network, will drive traffic on an unprecedented scale.

So... how do you keep Google happy?

Google loves quality content and optimized pages as much as any other SE. They also allot some extra emphasis to your site's in-pointing links (i.e., those sites that link to your site -- a sign of a quality site).

The term Google attributes to this measure of link popularity is called "Page Rank." The PageRank of any Web page can be determined by installing the Google toolbar at...

http://toolbar.google.com/

... and visiting any sites in question.

A couple of caveats regarding Google and PageRank -- if you immerse yourself in the discussions at any Webmaster forum, you'll find discussions can get pretty complicated, pretty quickly. So here are a few things to remember...

a) PageRank/link popularity is only one of the criteria Google uses to rank and position sites. Although you'll need to establish a PageRank score of between 3-5 for Google to take real interest in listing your site, don't become a slave to it.

b) More is not necessarily merrier. A few quality links from the authorities on your site's topic (i.e., mini-hubs), plus a listing in a major directory or two, plus a few *high-value* links from *quality* sites of a similar or related theme (watch for our soon-to-be released VALUE EXCHANGE, also part of SBI!) will give you all the link popularity you need. At this point, you're better off devoting your efforts to building the sort of site people will link to without being asked... instead of searching for more links.

c) What those links say about your site (i.e., the link text itself) is very important. For example, if your site's most important keyword is...

"low cost accounting software"

... then optimally, you'd want your in-pointing links to contain that keyword phrase -- or at least be near it (or others).

Bottom line on Google?

Plenty of optimized, quality-rich pages, coupled with a few high quality in-pointing links (optimally containing your most important keywords), and you're good to go with Google!

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Of course, SBI!'s SE HQ reports on how all your pages rank on Google, as well as tracking spider visits, and monitoring listing status. It even tells you which keywords are finding each of your pages, giving you a great grasp on how you're doing and why. And it does this automatically...

... without any input from you.

What if one of your pages is not doing well?

Just use our special Analyze It! module to optimize your page so it ranks high. :-)

http://buildit.sitesell.com/websuccess2023.html
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2) Inktomi

At this point, Inktomi is the only other search service that drives traffic on a significant basis. Remember, nobody goes to Inktomi *itself* to perform a keyword search. Inktomi provides the crawler technology that powers several SEs -- MSN being the major one of note.

Inktomi has a paid inclusion program available through...

http://www.positiontech.com/

... and up until a few months ago, it seemed like the only sure way to get into Inktomi was to pay to have your site listed. Sure, Inktomi was still adding sites for free, but they were taking their own sweet time doing so.

Of course, when you vastly limit the free sites that you add to your database, you run into big trouble -- you cannot deliver the breadth and quality of results that an engine like Google can (since there is no paid program in place at Google). In late 2002, Inktomi announced they would be significantly increasing the size of their database to better compete with SEs like Google.

And we here at SiteSell have recently found a way to automate a *free* submission of all pages to Inktomi, using SBI!'s WorldSubmitter. And yes... it's getting into their main database. Many SBI! users are reporting a pleasant surprise to see many pages suddenly being added to the Inktomi database --pages that they hadn't paid to list. (This was an non-announced feature improvement. If you're an SBI! user, now you know why!)

So what should you be concerned about in order to do well with Inktomi? Like Google, plenty of quality, optimized content wins the day. Also, like Google, a couple of high quality links should be on your "top priority" list. Inktomi's crawler also performs regular crawls of the Web, and if it finds your site via a quality link, it is more likely to add it to the database and rank it a bit higher... free! :-)

3) AltaVista, AllTheWeb, Lycos, AskJeeves (Teoma)

To do well at these four SEs, just follow the basic rules of good SE optimization outlined above. While all four of these engines together won't drive traffic on the scale of MSN or Google, don't forget them. Why?

Ah-h.... I feel like a grandfather for being around for six years of Net marketing at this point. It feels like 60 in human years. ;-)

But this experience brings some perspective. Just a few short years ago, AltaVista was as successful as Google. But SEs seem to play on a slippery slope. So...

The fate of SEs rise and fall like the tide. You never know when today's "has-been" become tomorrow's rising star. So stay on top of all of them (with SBI!, it's as easy to "win" at all of them as it is to master one).

---------------The Directories ---------------

1) Yahoo!

Since Google provides the default listings for Yahoo! at this time, there probably isn't any point in paying for a directory listing if you are doing well in Google (and SBI!'s "specialty" is Google!). But there is still one valid reason why you would wish to pay to be in Yahoo!...

Link popularity...

A link from Yahoo! is still considered one of the highest quality, most credentializing links one can get. If you have a new site, and you need some link popularity right away, nothing beats a Yahoo! listing. If you have a new site with plenty of optimized, quality-rich pages, this link may be the key to "cashing in" on the traffic of the Google network ASAP!

And one last comment to think about... Yahoo! has recently purchased Inktomi, the crawler-based service mentioned earlier, and it is very conceivable that the unique relationship between Google and Yahoo! has numbered days.

2) LookSmart

If you're paying more than $0.15 a click-through at Overture for your most important keywords, consider LookSmart to be your pay-per-click bargain and directory listing. Otherwise, look elsewhere for both!

Yes, LookSmart operates on a pay-per-click basis now, with a $94 start-up fee required (a $49 set up fee, and $45 minimum account deposit). Minimum monthly charge is set at $15. Initially, this might sound like a cheaper alternative to Yahoo!'s $299 listing fee, but trust me... it ain't! :-)

Unless your site's subject matter is extremely esoteric, you'll find your minimum monthly allotment of clicks used up in a few days, at which point LookSmart suspends your account -- either until the start of the next billing period, or until you top up your account.

Paul Crane, SBI!'s Product Manager, had his listings for ultimatefatburner.com suspended within 3 days (making it unlikely any crawler would ever find his site and attribute additional link popularity to it -- unless, of course, Paul was willing to top up his account with $100).

Bottom line?

If your LookSmart is really going to accomplish anything for you, it really has to be active 24/7. And that, my friend, is going to cost you a ton of money! If your site is earning you in excess of $0.15 per visitor, by all means investigate LookSmart. Otherwise...

You will LookDumb!

But wait!

You can get in through the backdoor like my daughter, Nori, did with her Anguilla Beaches SBI! site...

http://www.anguilla-beaches.com/

Get listed in Zeal, the non-commercial element of the LookSmart directory...

http://www.zeal.com/

Build 10-20 pages of good content (without *any* commercial content), and proceed through the process of listing your site in Zeal. A full and detailed description of the process can be found in the Tips 'n Techniques HQ in Site Central.

Go ahead and try it. Go to...

http://www.looksmart.com/

... and search for "anguilla beaches"

And you'll find Nori at other portals powered by LookSmart. Her Keyword Reports attest to the power of this strategy.

Seriously... it's a no-brainer. It will bring you traffic, link popularity, and save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars in the long run.

3) Open Directory Project

Since the Open Directory remains free, it is your official directory no-brainer. Since it is maintained by volunteers, it may take months to get listed, depending on the popularity of the category to which you submit.

Although "ODP" won't drive a ton of traffic to your site (even though they provide back-up listings for Google, AOL, Netscape and many others), don't underestimate its importance...

A DMOZ listing has great "credentializing" power, and is worthwhile listing for that very reason!

You may get lucky and get listed immediately. But in general, it will take 4-6 months. Nori submitted back in October and guess what?

I checked last week. And she's in!

Go to...

http://www.dmoz.org/

... and search for "anguilla beaches."

Yahoo! Err, I mean...

ODP!

(Geez, doesn't sound the same, does it?)

Since the time anguilla-beaches.com has been listed in the ODP, I've been surprised at the traffic. SBI!'s Directory HQ reports significantly more traffic than from LookSmart (It's roughly a 5:1 ratio, but still less than Yahoo!. Thanks to Google and how well she does with it -- Nori has not paid for a listing at Yahoo!.)

Ah-h... the new Directory HQ... Nori (and I) love it! It's like a window into the world of directories. Unique and powerful insights. :-)

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The new Directory HQ makes managing and tracking the effectiveness of any Directory listing a snap -- OK, OK, a click! :-)

Want to ensure LookSmart is delivering as reported? Paying $299 for a Yahoo! listing, and undecided whether to renew the service again next year?

The Directory HQ reveals *all*!
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One more pointer on ODP...

http://www.resource-zone.com/

This is the Open Directory's forum, and a great place to receive listing tips directly from the editors themselves!

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So what's the bottom line on driving plenty of targeted traffic *without* blowing a huge budget?

Actually, there are several...

o Build your site on a Foundation of Plenty -- lots and lots of quality content.

o Develop a list of well-researched keywords showing high demand and little supply.

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Here's where the SBI! Manager really shines! Enter your keywords, click a button, and let the Manager's Brainstorming process isolate hundreds of keyword phrases with the optimal blend of supply vs. demand.

http://buildit.sitesell.com/websuccess2023.html
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o Obtain a handful of high quality, credentializing links from authorities in your theme, and from at least one of the major directories.

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SiteSell's upcoming Value Exchange will be the first bona fide comprehensive linking solution on the Net. Stay tuned.
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o Use SBI!'s powerful SEO strategies/Analyze It! tool.

o Use SBI!'s unique SE and Directory HQ functionality to monitor and track your listings (and in the case of the SE HQ, have them submitted and resubmitted automatically, according to each SE's tolerances)...

http://buildit.sitesell.com/websuccess2023.html

o Always play fair (easy to do if you use SBI!, we've built fairness right into our tool!). Tricks are, by very definition, deceptive. At this point, the SEs have seen it all. Don't risk having your domain banned by the SEs!

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If you read advice about tricking the engines... run... don't walk, in the opposite direction.
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Bottom line?

Concentrate on the "Give then Take" philosophy...

*Give*, as in provide the SEs and Directories (and your human visitors, too!) with quality content that accurately fulfills the needs of what their customers (searchers) seek.

*Take,* in the form of plenty of focused traffic.

How can I be so sure? It's the SBI! approach, and thousands of sites have proven its success. Please examine this study...

http://buildit.sitesell.com/sbi-businesses/traffic-alexa.html

Now allow me to summarize one last time...

Give great content. Then take great (and profitable) traffic.

Your Web site will WORK! :-)

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P.S. We get so many questions about SBI! that we have recently set up a call center to handle questions before you buy.

Yes...

The "Money-Back Satisfaction & Success Guarantee" *does* convert your purchase into a "no risk take-it-home-for-a-test-drive" trial. But, if you have a question after reviewing the Web site...

http://buildit.sitesell.com/websuccess2023.html

... please go to...

http://www.sitesell.com/cgi-bin/sold/callcenter.pl
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ken Evoy is the brains behind the best-selling SiteSell series of books, as well as the “Best on the Web” 5 Pillar Affiliate Program and "The Ultimate eCommerce Operating System for Small Business" Site Build-It. In two words SBI! is all about "Profitable RESULTS." No traffic = No profits. SBI! OVERdelivers on both. Click here to see the proven RESULTS for yourself!