Active or Passive

Trying to bring out the not so obvious.

[Oaf357]

Sometimes I think that search engines only do so much. Often times not enough for good web site promotion. I often think that merely creating great content and displaying and organizing it in such a way that optimizes its positions in search engine results is never enough.

Good web site promotion includes online and offline, active and passive. Active meaning you the web developer telling people (or groups of people) directly about a certain feature on your web site. Passive being letting people find their way to your web site. That being said, merely creating, modifying, updating and submitting a web site is never enough.

Obviously you have to active develop links to your site, analyze your keywords, and keep your site up to snuff. But it's the not so obvious things that often times generate a significant amount of traffic. Business cards, letterhead, flyers, etc. are alternative ways to "link" to your web site. Using a good keyword rich link in signatures on message boards can generate traffic. Advertising your site is also very important. Ones web site is only as good as their offline and online promotion tactics in my opinion.

What do you think?

[Fischerlaender]

Passive marketing methods (aka SEO) is really great - if it works for your business. This is probably the case, when your kind of business is well established. But if you start with a very new idea, chances are that people are not looking for it actively and thus your passive marketing will fail. SEO isn't the best online marketing method for every business.

On the other hand, I think that a lot of us SEO aware people tend to underestimate the chances of active and offline marketing methods.