|
CONTACT: comp@e-kinetic.com
To Optimize Or Not To Optimize
by Dan J. Fry, c. 2003-2004, All rights
reserved.
Excessive optimization could be considered a sickness
depending on context. Look up compulsive disorders in the Diagnosis
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and over-optimization
fits the description fairly well. So, should most online home business owners
be seen by a psychotherapist? Well, I won't answer that as of now since it
doesn't bode well for my immediate physical health. But one thing is for
sure: web site optimization is tricky business.
The search engines are
in an all out war to be the best. Since
content is king, they are all
striving to develop the all around
best algorithm to deliver the most
relevant search results. They
are thus in a constant state of flux, which in
turn wreaks havoc
on our nerves as online home business owners.
You
see, search engines are one of the best forms of free
traffic. And we all
know that to run a successful online
business, traffic is a must. Most home
based web businesses start out on very restrictive budgets. I know mine did,
and still is.
So, when the toss up is time or money, I, like many
others
probably do, chose to work with time.
In walks optimization.
You must be on your toes to stay ahead of the every changing SEs. You must
periodically evaluate your
site's content to ensure that you aren't bumped to
low indexes.
But this can easily get carried away into what I like to
call
over-optimization, and then you probably should consult the
DSM-
V.
Traffic is important. There is no doubt about it. But there
must
be a balance. So the ultimate question is not whether you should
or
shouldn't optimize, but how much time you should spend on it
in terms of
other site promotion methodologies.
Try to divide your time. In the
beginning I focused heavily on
search engine optimization. Slowly, after
several months of
realizing that the process never ends,(I too consulted the
DSM-Vand had Freud give me a swift kick in the tushy.) my focus began to
shift to a host of promotion techniques. Here is a short list of some of the
primary traffic generators I work with.
(1) Writing articles, such as
this one, to share my experiences
with others and of course provide a link
to my site at the end.
Guess what? If someone picks it up and decides to
publish any of my articles on their site, I get bonus points from the
search
engines. Why? Reciprocal linking of course. The link shows
that
someone else values my site, and as a result my
ranking
increases.
(2) E-Zine advertising, whether it be free
classified ads which
a host of publishers will offer their subscribers, or
full blown
paid solo ads, is a great traffic generator. You know that
the
people who visit your site through an ad were looking for
something
that you offer. Now that's targeted traffic!
(3) Traffic exchanges can
also bring in targeted traffic. Many
of these have the option of free or
paid memberships. As of now I have focused on the free aspect (Remember, I
love low, or no cost advertising.). All that is required is for you to do a
bit of surfing to have your short ad show up on other sites across the
internet. TrafficSwarm and ClickMatrix are two of the best I have come
across. They allow you to target your ad to ensure that the people who click
are serious about checking out your site. You can sign up for free accounts
to both of these at http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?224700
, and
http://www.clicksmatrix.com/index.php?ref=ekinetic
.
(4) Pay-per-click can also drive targeted traffic. The thing
I
don't care for is that the cost can easily get out of hand, if
you
don't continuously evaluate your click through rates on a
daily basis. Soon
your back to focusing on pay-per-click and re-consulting with the
DSM-V:).
Ultimately, you want to incorporate a handful of techniques
that
you find work for your particular home based web business. I
nor anyone else can guarantee what works. It takes testing on your behalf.
But, and this is important, the testing phase is
educational and forces you
to stay focused on methods that work. So try the inexpensive traffic builders
first. Find out what
works for you. Then expand your arsenal. Most of all, be
patient and success will come!
----------
About
the Author:
Dan J. Fry is an independent researcher and owner
of
e-Kinetic.com, a site devoted to providing resources for small budget
home businesses. He has a PhD in Physics and is married with two daughters
and two cats. Subscribe to his free E-Zine on home business resources at mailto:e-kinetic@GetResponse.com or
by
visiting his <a href="http://www.e-kinetic.com">Online
Home Based Business Resources</a> site. He can be reached at mailto:comp@e-kinetic.com .
|
