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How to you generate traffic to you websites - if I should do a ratio - will those webmasters running Adwords & sorts are those in fedex club? - can anyone really make money WITHOUT spending money on Adwords etc?
I tried link-exchanges to some extent - they work - but its hard to find similar websites without good ranking to post your link.
Honestly, I didn't spend much time on marketing - I spent a lot designing & developing the site - making sure about the meta keywords,title tags, anchor text etc..
But now, I have more time to spend on these sites - atleast for a next month or so and I want to do the "smart" marketing - if any such thing exists - I hope you will be kind enough to share your thoughts on how to market my websites - I never exceeded $7/day - I usually range from $1-$5.
And I get less than 2000 pageviews - according to google analytics. How do I improve it?! - I don't have money - but I got time!
However, I will look into any ideas that involve money - coz, I will be asking my friend to pool in some.
So please be generous in your ideas - and I would really REALLY appreciate your help.
Thank you!
But just as in the real world of publishing there are thousands of writers to every successful best selling writer.
And it does not need to be lots of content either.
Adense was supposed to be for monitising successful sites but not everyone can be successful. Its not intended as a get rich quick scheme.
All of my websites are theme-based - meaning they deal with one and only one topic and those that are closely related to it. (ex: if monkeys - its going to be about apes, evolution & such - but not about elephants or tigers)
As for the topic - I have recently developed few decent ones - more in the finance area (investing & such) - one because it is my passion and also my day time job. And the little traffic I get on these sites (on a few occasional days) - gives me a better average per click than other old community (forum) websites. And I do write my own content.
However, the traffic is very sporadic and I am trying to find out if there is some way to get a pulse on it.
What does your experience say? - do you generate traffic mostly from
1. PAID links
2. organic searches
3. free link exchanges
4. Other - please divulge!
HOW?! - where should I put my effort into? - please suggest!
I really want to improve my traffic - I temporarily suspended adding more content into my sites (which might be a bad idea) - but I want to fully dedicate myself into marketing these website(s) - and getting atleast 10K+ pageviews per day - its seems impossible at my end - but I know you all are doing better than that.
And Genuine1 I am NOT looking for a get rich scheme - I am willing put long hours into this - if only I know where to put that effort. And I fully understand it takes days if not weeks to get results - I am willing to wait on that too.
Since it is your job, you have great resources at work for information, especially the higher up workers & literature.
The only safe, reliable way to get visitors is great content. Link exchanges could hurt.
You seem to be able to spit words out pretty easily, unlike me.
Organize your site into sections on the topic and start filling in articles. Interview your bosses - go out after work with them, ask to borrow book resources and read them.
Compile resource lists for your visitors - there's a ton of things you can do.
Learn the simple rules for page optimization for search engines - google is the only one that matters.
Here's an idea - i was looking for the specific IRS rules when selling DRIP stocks - how do you figure the income tax? Write about that please.
That might shed a little light on the deal.
[edited by: Genuine1 at 2:45 pm (utc) on June 30, 2007]
how do you get traffic that generates Adsense clicks?
Questions like that are what ruin the adsense network. Google will have to kill adsense eventually. I understand wanting to make money with it and have done it myself. I am now on the other side as an advertiser and see how evil the whole thing is. I think adsene is a failure and they need to shut it down. They are making way too much money from it and it is going to take a large lawsuit to take it down eventually. Adsense is criminal in my opinion. Making content network default in adwords is wrong. Anybody who has ever accidentally left it on knows that it is junk. Content network is just a "stupid trap". The only reason anybody uses it is because they accidentally left it on or they don't know what it is because they are new. The new people that use it run out of money quick with no conversions and either learn how to turn it off or just leave adwords altogether.
Content network is just a "stupid trap". The only reason anybody uses it is because they accidentally left it on or they don't know what it is because they are new.
If you read the AdWords forum, you'll see quite a few posts by people who get a positive ROI from the content network. And advertisers who use AdSense aren't just careless or new--on my site, I often see advertisers who have been running AdSense ads for several years. Some are businesses that have run ads in publications like THE NEW YORK TIMES and THE NEW YORKER for decades, so they've had plenty of time to hone their direct-response advertising skills.
There's obviously a huge range of traffic quality from sites in the content network, and Google is taking steps to address that--beginning with Content Placement Reports, which make it easier for advertisers to block unwanted publisher sites:
[google.com...]
The next step (which has been discussed here) will be site-targeted contextual ads. (Expect to hear a lot of teeth-gnashing on this forum when advertisers can pick the sites where their CPC ads appear.)
I keep reading about $100/day posts and "fedex club" posts (i think its now ups club?) - how do you guys do that?!
Easy -- the overwhelming majority of AdSense publishers don't make nearly that much. Most of us make peanuts. Of course, those of us in the Goober Club don't make lots of posts about how little we make.
Analogy: I keep reading about NBA stars making huge salaries, but I can't even get them to give me a tryout. What's their secret? I know it must be possible for me to be a huge NBA star because... I keep reading about them. In fact, they are featured so much in the press, that I'm pretty sure that most people who try real hard and know a couple secrets get to be NBA stars. Don't you think?
If you have a 5'6" website that doesn't have any rich uncles who own franchises, you probably aren't going to be dunking baskets in the game of professional AdSense any time in the next decade. Get real quickly, or get disappointed slowly -- the choice is yours.
Well, I would say the biggest benefit is going to be time. For example, I had a hobby site that I built, made sure that the content was engaging , I had a validated design...the works. I anticipated the hordes to come, and I imagined that I'd have to move off a shared hosting plan to a dedicated server in a weeks time. But, I got nothing. Well, besides the traffic from a misspelled word....overall, disappointing.
Since it was a fun site to build I really didn't try to promote it. I just let it be. It's been on the same server for about 2 years now, and for whatever reason traffic is pouring into it. I'm giving it a second look now on what more I could develop. It's a nice, exciting surprise.
However, it seems that you're the proactive type not really interested in waiting 2 years for the traffic to come. I would suggest to go the route of the gimmick..... Since, you have a site dealing with finances how about some type of calculator. Humor is always a good way to get some viral traffic. For example, people could calculate their assets on your site to determine if they'll be retiring to the Cayman islands or Long Island. That's kind of a lame example, but you see where I'm going. Give the users a tool, something that people, bored in their cubicles, will pass to others in email.
Best of luck!
Just keep reading this forum, and ignore the sour apples. Realize that it takes time, and keep at it.
Just keep reading this forum, and ignore the sour apples. Realize that it takes time, and keep at it.
Thank you! dibbern2 and also everyone for your encouragement. I do understand that there are atleast a few who will always find something or other wrong with the best of the things and I am not here to argue with anyone.
ken_b:
You might want to ask the folks in the $100.00+ per day group how many pages they have on their sites
really?! - do they have their own group? - where is it located at?
$100+ daily since 2003 about 75 pages spread over 15 niche hobby sites.
Genuine1 - WOW! you really inspire me! - I have more than 75 pages on one website alone! - and the ones I am developing is around the same range - and I already get 2000 pageviews per day.
To summarize I learnt that: Niche is everything along with unique content. And its better to rely on organic search (natural traffic) than link-exchanges & the sorts.
And ipetdogs - I already am planning to put in calculators - thanks for that advice too.
Finally sailorjwd - I will look into the IRS rules - but it will take some time.
Thanks again everyone! - I really appreciate your feedback. If you got more - please keep them coming.
Here is my way although others may have better ones.
#1. put your URL in all the directories you can find. There are some that charge for this but I don't pay for them, just go to the next one.
#2. Find reputable forums dealing with your type of subjects and add your URL to your profile. Be sure to keep a list of them and make yourself known by posting occasionally.
#3. Visit places like Digg, you tube, etc...
#4. At the head of each page place a bookmark this page/make it your homepage. This works great to get repeat visitors.
I am not going to pontificate and preach to you about content as that was not what your question was about.
BTW, welcome to the forum and good luck to you.
Ann
Yes! I have already submitted in dmoz and yahoo nowadays charges - (atleast for my category) even to submit - not the express submit.
I will defntly try the rest - especially the joining the related forums and actively particapting in it- sounds like a great idea.
Once again thanks. Cheers.
I would stay away from those phony express submit and expect to wear the seat of your chair out by putting in long hours.
There are loads of directories out there, Google them up. Use your imagination and you will think up a lot on your own. remember, if it only brings in a handful of visitors it is worth doing.
Ann
(If you submit to Teoma you will wind up in Yahoo without paying.)
