Most effective way to create traffic with money?

What has worked for you?

[must learn more]

Hi guys,
I have spent the last few months building page by page of good content. I have followed the motto, "Content is king!" .... things are working out really well, but I think that they could be better. I want to have around 3000 visitors per day. I currently have only around 350-450 visitors per day.

I am soon going to get my first cheque from Google and I don’t know what is the best way to use that money. I could use it to create more content. Or I could use it to create more traffic….

Now, my first question is, how do I use money to create traffic. What is the most effective way to create traffic with money? What has worked for you?

Secondly, what are your top 3 traffic-building tips?

I know many people are going to say "links"....but some how i have never got links by asking for them. I have got links from other sites, but i think only two of those links i have got by asking….and I have spent a lot of time asking…..so somehow the effort does not seem justified!

So, what do you suggest, what is the best way to use the money?

Looking forward to your insight!

Small after thought: I run a content site so advertising on adwords would not be affordable unless they put my add up for $0.002 per click!

[Robert Charlton]

This took a bit of searching. It's a thread I remembered from way back that might give you some ideas...

Free Promotion. Top 5 ways to promote without a budget
[webmasterworld.com...]

Probably not all of the suggestions would fly today. I think it's gotten much harder over the past five years. I think it's even harder for an AdSense site, where you don't have customer relationships to help build your traffic.

To add the obvious to the above thread, I'd suggest blogs and RSS feeds, link baiting, and (your market area) community participation.

[must learn more]

Hey thanks for the response.....but can you tell me what would be the best way to convert money into traffic is, in your opinion for a content site.

I know there are mnay ways to buy traffic. But obviously i am looking for quality traffic that will last for some time and that is interested in the info i provide.

Any ideas?

I could go in for a press relase? Is there a way to get a press relase on a low budget that is reasonable.....i could streak, but mabe when i am really more desperate...so please suggest reasonable ideas only!

[Quadrille]

The best long term solution is to reinvest in content; if you are getting visitors in the thousands, then word is getting out; more words, more visitors.

You might also investigate quality directories in your niche - they sometimes have fees, and fees for a related quality directory may be money well spent. So might Yahoo, specially if your target audience is women aged 24 - 55.

[warth0g]

i tried <a traffic generation service> - got like 10,000 clicks in 2 days - zero orders, zero clicks on ads, zero signups for free membership

i tried another one two where you buy like 2000 visits for X dollars - same thing - its a waste IMO

the best thing i have found is buying links on busy related web sites (or better yet link swap) - if you dont have the traffic or PR to enable swapping buy links - I buy links on several sites - most charge monthly from $50 - $250 but they deliver thousands of clicks so its worth it for me

check the alexa traffic rank and google pr of the site selling the links - also see hoe they do in google searches - if they look good buy a link for a month - or maybe they will let you try one for 2 weeks to see how it goes

building up links is key to organic traffic building - but dont bother with link farms where you are on a page with 100 other links - trade links with QUALITY sites - and limit the amount of links per page on your site and make sure the site your link is on isnt just a giant list of links

(like those stupid automated linkbuilding syustems that are like giant piles of steaming manure choking the internet)

:)

[edited by: caveman at 8:38 pm (utc) on Oct. 3, 2006]
[edit reason] Specifics snipped, per TOS. No company mentions, please. [/edit]

[warth0g]

oh yeah do a press release at PRweb - pay for the upgrade - i usually pay $40 - $200 bit it gets your article (with links to your site that are in your article!) in lots of places, gets it in yahoo and other engines - its a good service