Monthly Archives: December 2009

My Top Internet Marketing Tactics For 2009

BWMagic’s Internet Marketing News

My Top Internet Marketing Tactics For 2009


As I close out my 10th year of marketing online, I thought
it would prove helpful if I listed my most effective online
marketing techniques or tactics for last year. Most of
these marketing techniques you may or may not know
them… but they have worked for me and there’s no reason
why they can’t work for you.


1. Going for the Double Whammy


I discovered long ago that it is much, much, much
easier to get TWO sites in the top five in Google
then it is to get one site in those top listings.
That is: instead of just getting one site listed,
try to get two of your closely related sites ranked
for the same keyword phrase.

Both sites will compliment each other and raise each
other’s rankings in Google. It takes more time to
build and promote two sites, but the rewards are well
worth it.

Marketing Tools











































If you find building two sites is too daunting a task
for you – try using two different pages on your site
to rank for the same keyword phrase, that way you can
get that all important double listing for your phrase
in Google. Some marketers are extremely ambitious and get
two pages listed for each of their sites – thus having 4
or more listings in the top spots.

Marketing Tools






































And as a marketing strategy from the very beginning
I picked the Internet marketing field, mainly because
I would be competing against the top sites and marketers
who knew exactly how to market online. This stiff
competition keeps me on my toes and in the game.

2. Get Triple or More Listings For The Same Keyword

Along those same lines, for a very profitable keyword
phrase I try to get at least three listings on the
first page. This is not hard to do for low-to-medium
competitive keywords, a little harder for really
competitive keywords.

Besides building multiple sites, I leverage the high
ranking power of such sites as Ezinearticles, Buzzle,
PromotionWorld, SiteProNews… to get my articles/content
listed on the first page of Google. I know this is an
indirect route or listing but traffic coming from those
sites and my articles are of the highest quality and
converts very well.

They have traveled thru my marketing funnels:

Google – Ezinearticles – My Content – My Site


Similarly, getting Blog, News and Video listings for your
keywords on Google’s first page will enable you to capture
more of given daily traffic to your keyword phrases.


3. The Simple SEO Power of the Press Release

One of my newest and one of my most effective marketing
strategies this year has been the simple Press Release.
I use PRWEB, which can be expensive since I like to
add videos to my releases and I always get the highest price
package. I also bid up my Release so that it is the top listing
on the PRWEB homepage for that day.

(Major Marketing Tip: Might seem obvious but getting that
top spot in any listing, whether it be Google, PRWEB or any
list simply means you get most of the attention and traffic.
Always aim for that top spot!)

This makes my News Releases more effective and they get
picked up and are placed on more sites. Again, bit costly
but the SEO benefits are worth it because you can place anchor
text links in your releases… these releases and links get
picked up by closely related sites.

But News Releases don’t have to be costly, you can use
free News Release services on the web – just google to
find these top free sites. I also like using the free Press
Release services offered through Idealmarketers and Ezinearticles.


4. Article Marketing


Yes, I know this is an old marketing technique but it is
still my most effective tactic I use on the web. Just write
simple helpful “How-To” articles on the subject of your
site. Place these all over the web by using the free article
directory sites.

Use your main keyword phrase in the title of the article
and in the resource box at the end of each article. Also,
include the main benefit for the reader in this link back to your
site. Place your targeted keywords in the anchor text (clickable part)
of the link. Use variations of your keyword phrase so you won’t
be keyword spamming.

5. Social Bookmarking Sites


Since they are growing in importance on the web, I have
started using social media sites such as FaceBook,
MySpace, YouTube, Blogger, Twitter… in my online marketing.
I have told you about the ADDTHIS Button hundreds of times before
but I just have to mention it again because it has brought
me hundreds, if not thousands of backlinks over the last year.


AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Place this free button on your site and let your
readers bookmark your site/content for you. Simple,
yet very effective way of building backlinks and traffic.
I also have started using the Digg and ReTweet button
on important unique content on my sites.

I have also started making videos for Youtube and this
is bringing in a lot of traffic. These videos are now
on many different sites all over the web.


6. Search Engine Marketing

No matter what new programs and sites become popular,
one of the most effective ways to market on the web is
to use the search engines. Creating highly optimized
pages with unique high-quality content is still the
best way to market online.

I am a bit old-fashion when it comes SEM, I like to place
my keyword in the Title, in the Meta Tags including the
description and keyword tags. I also place the keyword in
the first and last paragraphs on the page, in the alt images
tags and also at the very bottom of the page.

I use my keyword and variations of it throughout the page,
I don’t worry about keyword density and my pages are written
to be read by the reader/surfer and not the search engines.
This is: I write content for my site’s visitors.

Perhaps unwisely, I do target most of my SEM marketing
towards Google. I optimize for Google and this year Google
has given webmasters countless tools and advice. One of the
best sources has been all the video interviews WebProNews
has done with Matt Cutts… if you really want to know more
about ranking high in Google, I would suggest you check out
all these videos at the WebProNews site. Or go directly to
the Google’s Webmaster Tools – very helpful material when
you’re just starting out or been at this stuff for 10 years!


SeoQuake ToolBar


















To help me in my SEO battles I like to use the free SEOQuake
toolbar which I use on my Firefox browser. This toolbar quickly
gives me all the relevant SEO info on a site such as PageRank,
pages in Google Index, Alexa Rank, Age of site, Owner… but
most importantly it gives me the SEMRush Rank and the price
of the keyword monthly traffic going to a site. (What you would
have to pay if you were buying this traffic from the search
engines.) Basically, this tells me if a site is ranking high
for keywords and making money. If your monthly search engine
traffic is worth in the millions – that site is a potential
partner and/or competitor.

7. Track Everything That Moves

From a marketing perspective, all of the above tactics are
rather pointless if they don’t convert into sales. Therefore,
you should track all aspects of your online marketing, especially
what content and keywords that convert into a sale. I find
myself relying more and more on Google Analytics for my tracking.
This free program from Google is invaluable for tracking and for
improving your conversions. It simply tells you what is working
and what is not on your site. It is also a great tool for testing
new content and pages. Place Google Analytics on your site if you’re
not using it.

I also like using the tracking codes which come with the different
affiliate programs I use, such as those with Commission Junction
– it basically tells me what banners and links are producing
the sales. Again, knowledge means more sales.

And one final disclaimer since 2009 has been the year of FTC
and their New Guidelines on how marketers can market online.


8. Staying Focused Is The Hardest Part Of Internet Marketing

You have to keep at it! One lesson I have learned from over
10 years of marketing online is that you have to stay focused
and persistent in your marketing. It took me 3 years before I
started earning any serious revenue, but then again, I started
from scratch learning HTML myself and building all my sites on
my own. I also created all my own graphics until I could afford
to source them out.

You have to keep working at this for months, even years before
you can see results. Sure, you will be bombarded by countless
programs and gurus who say you can do this stuff overnight or
within a matter of days. Of course, there are examples of people
who have created popular websites, products, videos… and who have
become successful in a matter of days or months.

BUT…

For the most part, this is not true. At least not for me, it has taken
me years to build my sites and keyword rankings. And it will probably
take you years to build your own sites and rankings, unless you’re an
exception to this rule. However, hard work and persistence usually pay
off in the end, if you can afford the time and effort to build a successful
online business, you will succeed. I just hope some of my marketing tactics and
techniques will prove to be of some help to you in your quest. Just go for it!

Happy Holidays,
Titus

http://www.bizwaremagic.com

My Internet Marketing Strategies For 2010

BWMagic’s Internet Marketing News!

…….
Contents:

o My Internet Marketing Strategies For 2010

…….

Each year around this time, as I close out another year of working
online, I try to sum up what has worked for me over the past year
and what new things I will try in the upcoming year. The only reason
you should care about any of this, some of my marketing strategies and
tactics could be something that would also work for you.

Stranger things have happened!

Coming from a teaching background, I know sometimes it’s the smallest
suggestions that provide the spark to bigger things. It’s the simple
exchange of ideas that can really change how we do something or how
we approach a problem. More importantly, if you see the mistakes of
other marketers, you can avoid them in your own marketing and save
yourself a lot of disappointment and/or headaches.

For me last year was not an easy time to be marketing online, I believe
the recession in the States has finally taken a big toll, not in the number
of sales or revenue generated online because those have never been higher.
However, we are seeing the fallout of all those laid-off workers,
many of them are turning to the web for a source of income – therefore
you have increased competition like never before.

In my marketing niches especially, I have seen a ten-fold increase in
the number of competitors competing for the same sales. And it’s not
just the small-time webmaster or marketer – major corporations are now
targeting the online market in a much more savvy SEO way. It’s one thing
if your competitor is some joe-blow down the street, it’s a totally different
ballgame if your competitor is Dell, Apple or Sony.

These multi-national companies have the resources and very deep pockets
to pull everything out when it comes to SEO. If they want a number one
ranking in organic search, they can usually get it through white hat link
building and keyword positioning. Once these guys start moving into
your keyword phrases, you’re going to have to settle for second place,
if not lower.

Now you can still rank in the top spot and you can still make the sales
but your competition is much stiffer and more powerful – the end result,
you have to work harder to make the sales and get that top spot.
For me it has meant building more sites and doing much more aggressive
promotion in 2009, more articles, more press releases, more videos…
keeping my sites and promoted affiliate products front and center has
been a little harder.

I find myself concentrating on several important niches, rather than a broader
range of products which I would like to be doing… and which I have more
successfully done in years past. Now, because of the stiff competition,
I have to focus more of my time on just a few lucrative niches and keep
those keywords at the top. The end result – my online marketing has become
a lot tougher and harder to do, which is not necessarily all bad, since
I believe I am becoming a better marketer because of this fact. Just
complicates things a bit and all those easy sales of the past is a distant
memory.

Besides this increased competition, two other major events or factors
have overshadowed last year and I would like to talk about them in
some detail here because, I believe, going forward these two factors will
play major roles in online marketing. It might help you to be aware
of them and proceed accordingly.

New FTC Guidelines

First, the new FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Guidelines which came
into effect on December 1st of this month has everyone in online
marketing rattled up and running more than a little paranoid. How these
new rules will be enforced regarding “Testimonials and Endorsements”
could bring significant changes to how marketers can market online.

Major Internet Marketers are closing sites and giving away their products
for free in an attempt to bring their marketing into line with the
new rules. For affiliate marketers like myself, full disclosure and
transparency must now be a part of ALL your online affiliate links.

This could have some serious consequences for those marketing online
and I myself have added seals to my sites stating these are affiliate
marketing sites… how all this plays out in 2010 will be very interesting
to watch. Especially as we see test-cases taken to court and discover
what these new guidelines and rules will mean for hard-working online
marketers, who are only trying to make an honest buck.

Over the last two or three years, I have focused my own online marketing
towards “real products” mainly in electronics and away from “info-products”
which many people look down upon for many reasons. This move towards
selling real goods had more to do with earning income, rather than any
real dislike for info-products on my part…. selling real products and
services has become much more lucrative for me and I am only following
the money. Like you would!

Since I am doing affiliate marketing, how the new FTC guidelines and
rules play out, has my full attention and I am keeping my eyes peeled
to this issue in 2010. All of my own info-products/guides from all my
sites have and will always be free… I believe all information should be
free and not sold. Old teachers never die, they just end up broke!

The second major issue of the moment is Google.

Ever since Bing has come on the scene, Google has gone into overdrive.
At first I thought it was just me being a little sensitive to Google
since most of my traffic and income comes directly or indirectly from
Google.

But according to a recent CNN piece Google has released over 68 new
products within the last month or so. Major among them is the introduction
of “Real-Time Results” into their search index and if that wasn’t enough
Google is introducing Google Caffeine which is a major overhaul of its
search engine. I have told you about Caffeine in the last few emails that
I have sent.

Google is really changing and 2010 will be a watershed year for everyone
connected with Google. How Caffeine rolls out and how it affects your
site’s search results will have a full impact on how well you do in the
coming months… I have been holding my breath since last summer, waiting for
this monster to drop. Could be a smooth transition or a total roller-coaster
ride for my sites. Regardless, Google is going to make 2010 very interesting
for every online marketer.

They have even started suing certain companies for using the Google
name and trademark to scam people. Google has become such a force
that its no wonder, scammers have used it to rip people off and those
scammers should be held accountable. But for legitimate marketers who use
the Google name or talk about Google on their web pages or in their
marketing… it can get somewhat scary. You have to be extra careful
of what you say.

Google also has many new free products or services which are turning
a few heads, I especially marvel at the new “Google Goggles” for
mobile phones. Just take a picture and you get the Google results
instantly – no typing, just point and click.

I just envision, countless clueless teenagers suddenly being empowered
with knowledge and wisdom. Could do more for education since the
invention of the printed word. Talk about scary!

Anyway, Google is indeed, the one to watch in 2010.


……………………….

Here’s My Quick “To-Do” Marketing List For 2010


1. Google Caffeine – Totally examine and monitor how Caffeine affects all
my sites and major keyword phrases for which I currently rank on the first
page for in Google. Work out and/or create marketing strategies to counter any
negative effects Caffeine has on my marketing.

2. Bing/Yahoo – This search engine will produce more traffic in 2010 for
everyone involved so it can’t be ignored, no matter how important Google
becomes, B/Y will still deliver the goods. Check and try to improve my rankings
in this non-google search engine.

3. Videos Are It! – Videos have become a very powerful marketing tactic on
the web. I am planning to take full advantage of this powerful marketing medium
by making more site and product-related videos to be placed on YouTube and
around the web.

4. Press Releases – These have become extremely important in the new
“Real-Time Search” web. Getting your links and information onto the web
and into the search engines has never been easier. I am planning on doing
many more Press Releases in 2010.

5. Article Marketing – Writing simple “How-To” articles and placing them
all over the web, is still a very effective marketing technique, especially
when it comes to SEO and getting related one-way links back to your site.
High-quality articles perform the best, so I will be concentrating on producing
less, but hopefully more powerful high-quality articles.

6. Twitter – This has become a major marketing medium on the web.
One that I plan to fully examine and to take more seriously in 2010. Great
list building program which I would like to exploit in the coming year. I am
also expanding my use/link building efforts with all the social bookmarking
sites such as Del.icio.us, Digg, Stumbleupon, Facebook… I believe these
bookmark/links will play a greater role in SEO in the new revamped search engines.

7. Unique Content Links – Writing unique content and placing it on other
related sites around the web is probably the best “off-page” SEO which you can do.
I plan on exploring this marketing technique in 2010 and reaching more sites by
offering unique quality content out to any takers. A win-win situation that you will
see more and more of in the coming years.

8. Revenue Streams – Fully boost my existing revenue streams and start new ones,
especially placing most of my marketing efforts on those streams which give me
residual or recurring income. Expand my targeted “keyword list” to fully take
advantage of those revenue streams. Continue my major keyword battles full force.

9. Cross-promotion With Other Marketers – Doing joint marketing promotions
with related sites and marketers is a great way of building traffic and credibility
on the web. I plan to do more of these in 2010, especially interviews with
major online marketers or with the affiliate products/services I promote.

10. Keyworded Domains – Having your major keyword in your domain name
or URL will become even more important as the web evolves… which is only
common sense. You can rank higher in the search engines for that keyword
phrase if it’s in the domain. I have already bought a few new keyworded
domains which I will build new sites for in 2010. Full steam ahead.

One other consideration for 2010, which I am seriously thinking about has
to do with this newsletter. I am thinking about giving it up entirely!

Basically, over the years I have given valuable marketing information away,
and I have always applied this knowledge to my own online sites and marketing.
Unfortunately, I am also giving away valuable information to my competitors
who are competing against me! Not a very smart idea and an even dumber one
now that my competition has increased tremendously.

If this newsletter suddenly stops and you no longer get it, it will mean
I have discontinued it and gone into stealth mode. But you can still follow
me on Twitter…

Follow Me On Twitter

DISCLAIMER: The above information is for educational purposes only. Use
at your own risk. Consult your own SEO experts, business experts, professionals…
before proceeding with any business decisions or plans. For further information
read this site’s Disclaimer.

Titus
www.bizwaremagic.com