Google’s universal search, also known as blended search, is a way of incorporating specialty search results into the main web search listings. Google has several specialty search engines for such things like blogs, images, video, news items and a few other things. Making sure to have at least a couple of items available for specialty search is important for your organic seo. It can give you ways to increase your traffic as well as your search engine rankings.

This increases your organic traffic in two different ways: it makes you more available to people who use the specialty engines, and it gives you more chances to blend into the main search results as well. Highly relevant “specialty items” have a chance to be included in the regular results and often stand out more. Here are a few key ways to get listed in the specialty results.

Make a video or two. This would not just help you stand out in the search engines, it will also give you a chance to be seen on some of the most visited sites on the net like YouTube. This can significantly increase your site’s traffic.

Your video does not have to be anything movie quality. All you will need is a digital camera or even just a webcam. Up to five minutes of video is great, and it should not be less than 2 – 3 minutes. And do not forget to tag your videos appropriately – these are the terms that your video will show up for. YouTube and Google Video are the two most frequented video search sites on the web. For your organic seo purpose you will definitely want to upload your videos to these sites.

Make sure your blog has an RSS feed. RSS feeds are what Google references for its blog search. This is also what blog specific sites like Technorati use for their results.

One great thing about blog posts is that they are already likely to show up in the regular web search, especially if you use Blogger or WordPress. Having a blog and submitting it to Google Blog and Technorati will not only give you an extra chance to get featured in the regular results, but it will also get you listed in some of the most often searched specialty engines.

Like with videos, it is also important to have the appropriate tags listed for each blog post as well. If you are using WordPress, consider the all-in-one-SEO-plugin, which makes this really easy.

Ensure that you have images on your site and name them properly. Image search is one of the most used specialty searches on Yahoo and Google. With Google’s blended results, images can also pop up, even if you do not use that specialty engine. What perhaps is better is that  in case the images pop up in the blended search, they will all show up at the top of the page.

To make your images searchable, however, they need to have keyword rich file names and alternate text.  Even if you are not that familiar with designing web pages, try using NVU or Kompozer, which make this task quite easy for most likely anyone. Once you have done that, put your pictures up on Flickr or another image sharing site, although Flickr would be the best choice. And do not forget to link back to your site as well. All these steps will clearly help your organic seo and increase traffic to your site.

If you have been in the Internet marketing game for any length of time you know the word “traffic” comes up quite often. Drive traffic, buy traffic, organic traffic, targeted traffic…  This is a never-ending conversation and the reason why it is so important is because this is the foundation of the world of Internet marketing. Without traffic there would be no sales and without sales, there is no money to be made. Just as there are different types of traffic, there are different ways to generate traffic for your site.

Organic traffic

Also known as free traffic – Normally a little bit slower to obtain because you have to build it up. Relying on organic traffic is not a bad thing, especially if you are on a limited budget but just know that it does not happen over night, and it requires constant monitoring to make it successful. Patience is the key here. It can be done and quite rewarding, but I will take some time; in some cases, a lot of time.

There are a few ways to generate free traffic; some of these are blogs, which have gotten extremely popular, social networking sites, forums, article writing and submission. Blogs produce traffic based on the visitors who frequent your blog. Keep it exciting and you will build traffic.

Social networking sites generate traffic by creating a network of friends. The more they comment, the more traffic you are building. Once you have developed a network of friends you can, when appropriate, pitch a sale or two. The social networking sites were not designed for marketing, and they do not take kindly to people who blatantly promote their products.

Writing articles, takes a little time because there is some research involved, depending on your niche and submitting your articles to the article directories can be time consuming. There are programs available that will submit your articles to the directories for you. In other words, they will take your article and submit it to several different places. If you do not have the time to write, consider outsourcing the task. You can hire a writer to do 500 word articles for cheaper than you think.

Paid Traffic

This process basically works the same way, but the process is different. One of the great things about paid traffic is that you start generating traffic much quicker. If you create and run an AdWords campaign with Google, you start seeing traffic in minutes. Keep in mind that there is a little more risk involved since a pay per click campaign involves spending money on the number of clicks, even if you do not make a sale. This could be a substantial loss if you don’t play your cards right.

Is any one method better than the other? Who knows. Each person has their system, or take on what works for them and what does not. A combination is sure to generate some traffic along the way.

There is much controversy about “free traffic;” does it work; is there really such a thing as free traffic? Many people swear by free traffic and truly believe that it doesn’t cost them a thing.

The great thing about so-called free traffic is that it can be targeted traffic if you place your ads correctly in areas that are directly related to your niche. Two examples are free article submissions and free classifieds, i.e. Craig’s List, Backpage, U.S. Free Classifieds, etc. These types of marketing are not only free, but they open the door for a targeted group of people to contact you, hence increase traffic to your site. The people read your ads and respond because they are obviously interested in your product. Even if all of your free traffic doesn’t convert on your main product or services, you can offer other products that may be of interest.

Getting Your Traffic to Convert

One of the best ways to get your free traffic to convert is by offering the reader something – a free gift like an E-Book or a Special Report – this is even before you reveal your product. By using this method of marketing, you are building a relationship before you ask them to buy something.

Once you have built up trust, it is time to show them the crème de la crème, your hot item. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. You will notice a higher conversation rate if you use this method rather than throwing a product at them immediately like: “Hi, you don’t know me, however buy my product.”

Article marketing is another way to increase your free traffic. You create and submit articles to article directories with a link back to your website. People who read your article obviously have some interest in your content. Sometimes they link back and sometimes they don’t.

What is the Cost, Really?

As I said, there is a bit of controversy as to whether free traffic is really free. After all, you do have to take the time to place the ads, and you have to create the ads to place. The free gifts have to come from somewhere. Are these your own products or did you purchase them? Do you have the time to list on the free classifieds? If you outsource the tasks, you have to pay them.

If you are submitting articles to article directories, how much time does it take to write an article? How many articles do you have to submit to make this method effective?

Basically, what it comes down to is increasing free traffic costs you time and since your time is valuable, you determine if free traffic is really free. Personally, I think a better name would be low-cost traffic.

If you are an Internet marketer, you know how important content is, but did you know that you can create content that will help generate a quality one way link directed to your website?

Just as articles can be written with the focus of getting as many readers they can to click through the links in your resource box, there are certain things you can do that when writing content to focus on one way links. Once thought to be a difficult task, getting links to your website, but with the inception of blogs and social networking sites, this goal has become much easier, and you can make the process even easier for you.

Looking Through The Eyes of a Marketer

Since there is so much competition nowadays, when looking for links, it is no longer a matter of finding someone in the business, because it seems like everyone is. Now you need to think as an Internet marketer and what content interests you, what makes you click on certain links and bypass others? Once you have sort of figured that out, now you know the type of content you need to create for your website, as through the eyes of an Internet marketer and not a visitor scrolling through a website.

Controversy is What People Want

Let’s face it, controversy sells. Scandals and gossip, that is usually what people want to hear about. For years magazines and newspapers have used controversy to sell, so why not on the Internet? You certainly won’t be the first or the last. Including something controversial in your content will be a big winner, and people will flock to your site (links). Why? Because controversy is what people want to read.

The key to getting late breaking news is that you have to be among the first to get it. Once the social networks and blogs get a hold of it, it is no longer news because the gossip spreads like wildfire.

Pick a Topic and Make it Stick

When writing your content, you first must think of what direction you want to go in. You have to have a plan because you do not want to be jumping all over the place confusing everyone. Pick a topic and become the expert in it. Produce all the content you can about your niche. Once people see that you are the man or woman in this particular niche, they will return to see what new information you have put on your website.

Many people make the mistake of switching too soon, because the traffic is not coming fast enough. You want to create a steady increase in traffic and as your traffic increases so will your popularity and before you know it, you will have lots of one way links to your website, because you are the expert, and you have the content to prove it.

The key to getting targeted traffic to your site is to utilize all the tools that are available to draw prospects to your offering. You need more than a good product and pretty website to make money. You can spend a load of cash creating a well-designed site with a stellar sales copy, but you won’t make much money, unless you can get the right visitors to your website.

One very effective way to drive targeted traffic to your site is to use Google Adwords. Google Adwords puts your ad on the face of the largest search engine on the World Wide Web. Google ads appear at the right side of the search results page, so they are visible to everyone who searches for specific keywords.

It is both, effective and affordable. Best of all, it works by catching the attention of your target market and providing a link to your website.

Google Adwords is Google’s advertising services designed to attract targeted visitors to generate targeted traffic to your website. It is easy to get started. First, open an Adwords account with Google. Once you open your account, you will be asked to choose a country. This step ensures that your product or service is marketed according to your chosen demographics. You can even limit your ad placement to prospects that are in a specific geographical region. By limiting your exposure to the target market you desire, you can improve conversion rates.

You will also need to determine the “Cost per click.” Be very careful here. Although you may think it is ideal to be first on the page, you will get a lot of curiosity seekers who will click on your ad but may not buy your product. Sometimes, it might be better having an ad on the first page but in position two or below for higher conversion rates.

Adwords works on a bid system. You choose your targeted keywords, and you must determine how much you are willing to pay for them. One of the key features of Adwords is that you can choose your monthly budget. That way, you won’t be saddled with unexpected advertising fees that one cannot afford. Since you pay only when an ad is clicked on, you are only responsible for the direct traffic to your website. For instance, if you have set a budget of $50 a month, your fees stop once you have accumulated $50 of clicks. Therefore, you are in complete control of how much you spend.

Another important part of your Adwords campaign is choosing an effective title tag. The title tag is an eye-grabbing phrase that should attract the attention of your target market. It is more than a description. The purpose of the title tag is the same as any headline. It should be an attention-grabbing phrase that draws the readers’ eyes to your ad. Since Adwords are short, the objective is to get interested prospects to click on your website link at the end of the ad.

Google Adwords is a cost-effective strategy for drawing targeted customers to your website. This paid traffic method is more scalable than free traffic, and it is on demand. Whether you are new to Internet marketing or have a well-established business, Adwords can be your key to increasing conversion rates as you increase your targeted traffic.

If you want to dominate your niche, the key to success is to get targeted traffic to your website. One very successful strategy is to use Google News to maximize your exposure and, therefore, bring cash-carrying buyers to your web page. To begin, you’ll want to start with an optimized press release.

You might need a paradigm shift if you think that the press release is to make an announcement about your product or service. It is not. In fact, your press release is just another tool you will use to reach prospects and direct them to your website. Here is how it works.

Google news uses algorithms and continuously crawls the web. Therefore, if a prospect types in specific keywords related to your niche market in Google, related press releases and articles are immediately accessible from more than 4,500 news sources.

This is why competitive intelligence is a critical step in your Internet marketing stratagem. By knowing your market and studying your competitors, you can have an insider’s look into what prospects are searching for when they utilize Google search. Then you are going to use these targeted keywords in your articles and press releases. To stand out among the 3 million plus articles that are indexed in Google News, you will need to use the very specific search terms you have developed after studying the keywords your competition is using to cash in.

Still, you will have to go a few steps beyond just using a few specific keywords. Keyword placement is very important if you want to get more targeted traffic to your website. Include the keyword in your headline. Although there is no specific number of times that you should include that keyword in the body of your article or press release, there are ways to optimize your article to stand head and shoulders above most of your competition.

To begin with, include the keyword in the first paragraph as well as the last paragraph of your article or press release. You will also want to add the search term at least once in the body. It is very important that your article is content-rich and not just focused on throwing in keywords. You may have read articles or seen web pages where keywords are inserted recklessly and randomly into the text to optimize the site. Google prefers content-rich pages, so integrate your search terms within good writing for best results.

You might be tempted to focus on branding in your press release. Unless you are promoting a product that already has a lot of exposure, focus more on using a generic description of your product or service. That way, prospects who are looking for a keyword phrase are more likely to find your press release. Furthermore, link your press release to your website; however, create an individual page for it.

Once your press release or article gets listed in Google News, you will get more targeted traffic to your website. Your article is usually indexed within 10 minutes, so you can expect to see results fairly quickly, especially if your topic is newsworthy and timely. Once you are listed in Google News, people will see you as an authority and will visit your site more often.

If you are like most Internet marketers, you want your website to appear on the first page of search engine results as close to the top as possible, and you are also looking for the ideal search engine optimization strategy to help you doing the trick. Large numbers of businesses understand that in order to achieve the kind of success they are looking for, bumping up to the top of search engine results list is often the critical factor in realizing their goals. Let’s take a close look at a number of the most effective online search engine optimization strategies and the best ways to use them to make your business a success.

Method #1: On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization is the search engine optimization strategy that is one of the longest used and best tested one in existence. On the other hand, it is not nearly as effective as some other strategies that we will discuss. Not so long ago, on-page optimization would have been an excellent way to improve your standing in search engine results. Currently, however, it represents a mere 15 percent of not only your Page Rank but your total search engine ranking as well. However, you can be harmed in a big way if you don’t make effective use of it.

If you are wondering what on-page optimization is, it consists of utilizing factors like links that are SEO-friendly, optimizing keywords, including title tags and code optimized for SEO, using images that have alt tags as well as providing for deep navigation.

Method #2:  Article Marketing

Another extremely popular search engine optimization strategy that has been successfully used for quite a while is article marketing. In this method, you create well-crafted and informative articles that focus on one keyword and include links that take readers back to your website where they can purchase something. Then, in exchange for the link included in your article, article directories will publish them without charge once you have uploaded your articles.

Search engines will notice your website more because of the increased traffic the “back links” in your articles generate. Do not expect to write just one article and have droves of traffic stampeding to your website. In order to preserve the value those links have with respect to their SEO capability, you are going to have to write and post articles regularly.

Method #3:  Trusted-Site Back Linking

In order to make article marketing with back links as powerful and productive as possible, you want to look for what are known as trusted sites. If a website is highly regarded by Google, then it becomes a trusted site. A trusted site is one, for example, that has a .EDU or .GOV ending. In addition to information sources and major forums, Yahoo and DMOZ,a high-level directory, are also considered trusted sites.

Method #4:  Link Baiting

When you are able to produce content that attracts readers solely because of its high quality and the useful information it provides, then you are using a search engine optimization strategy known as link bating. Let’s say you have a web site that is devoted to dog training. Your article on the top 101 behavior problems that dogs experience will be sure to attract a large number of interested readers. Even though such an article may take you weeks to compose because of the enormous size of the content you are covering, it would make you an authority on the subject of dog training in addition to making other websites sit up and take notice.

Method #5: Social Media Marketing

While it is often incorrectly implemented, social media represent a much-used marketing tool in today’s world of online marketing. The goal is to make use of sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to create a brand for yourself and your business that is widely recognized and trusted as a source of valuable information in a particular niche. To make this happen, you have to give your reader information regularly that is informative, and that they can use to help them solve problems or achieve goals.

Method #6: Vial Marketing

The goal of vial marketing is to get people to notice you in the same way that link baiting and social media are designed to do. Although the effectiveness of viral marketing as a search engine optimization strategy is difficult to measure, that efficiency is evident, nevertheless. If you are involved in giving away complimentary software, creating squeeze pages, offering free reports or producing YouTube videos, then you are practicing viral marketing.

Be forewarned – you are not going to move from the depths of anonymity to the top of the heap in your niche by employing just one of these strategies. On the other hand, the only way to get the valuable traffic your site needs and get it for free is to start using a combination of the strategies discussed here. More importantly, don’t be in too much of a rush and skip the critical planning phase of your search engine optimization strategy. The free traffic you desire can only be created by constantly testing multiple strategies that you implement and making adjustments when that testing shows the need for it.

There are many ways to increase web  traffic, both free and paid strategies and some are more effective than others according to how much work you put into it. Some marketers spend thousands of dollars on SEO and PPC tactics, video and joint venture attempts and still have mediocre results. This doesn’t include the money wasted on DVD’s, E-Books and Training Programs all claiming to teach you how to do this effectively. The answer is simple. Using free software to increase web traffic is a highly effective, yet fairly inexpensive way to generate tons of traffic your website.

If you have spent any amount of time seeking ways to get people to your website, you have undoubtedly come across article marketing, which requires submitting a number of articles to hundreds of websites. There is video marketing, pay per click campaigns and Tweeting on Twitter as well. Many of these strategies take either a significant amount of time and/or money. If you do it yourself, you have to spend time and if you outsource the tasks you have to spend money.

Why Should I Consider Free Software

Software creation and distribution could be the answer to your traffic problem. Don’t worry if you have no experience, there are several programs that show you how to create your own software, or you can hire someone to create it for a decent rate, or join one of the software membership sites.

Now you are probably wondering, what is so great about software? Well, it is not the creation of the software, it is the distribution. By distributing your software for free to the shareware websites, you have a chance to link to your website. Visitors will be redirected to your website for the download, you offer them a free newsletter in exchange for your free product and then give them the product as well as an introduction to all of your other offers.

Let’s face it; everyone appreciates something for nothing, although the opportunities are few and far between. Not only will you increase your web traffic, you are also building a valuable mailing list to market your products in the future.

While other marketers are submitting articles and conversing with potential venture partners, you are working on your next product while your one free piece of software is making money for you. It is a simple one shot deal and a golden opportunity.

There are a few important things to remember. You must provide something of value to your potential customers. In other words, it has to be software that in fact does something or people will just uninstall your product and opt out of your list. Your free software should have some relevance to your niche. People don’t just download anything anymore due to viruses and spy ware, so it has to be worthwhile and something they can use.

Finally, to give an answer to my question posed at the beginning of this article: Yes, free software distribution will surely help you to increase  web traffic and on the other hand, will improve your income as well. However, this does only work, if you deliver what you promise and provide compelling content when people reach your website.

Analyzing your web traffic statistics can be a priceless tool for your online business, but before you can get the most benefit of this tool, you must understand how to interpret the web traffic analysis data.

Many web hosting companies only provide you with the basics when it comes to web traffic analysis data. It is then up to you to utilize this information to the best of your ability. This web traffic analysis that you do receive from your web hosting company can be a bit overwhelming if you do not understand how to apply it to your online business, so let’s go over some of the information you may receive, so that you will understand how to use it. The basic data that you will receive will be visits to your site. These visits can be tracked daily, weekly and/or monthly.

The purpose of these figures is to measure your website’s activity accurately. At first glance, it may appear that the more traffic you see the better. In fact, most people assume that their website is doing well from viewing these figures, however, this perception is inaccurate. By seeing what your visitors are searching for, you can accurately measure your website’s activity, but disregard the first glance since it is not accurate if we speak about analising your web traffic.

“Hits” Don’t Matter

There is a myth or a misconception about what is known as “hits” and what is quality web traffic to your site. Hits are simply the number of information received by your server. If you think about it, a hit is simply a number of graphics per page. This is to give you an idea of how inaccurate the “hits” concept can be. One good example is if your homepage has 15 graphics on it, the server notes this as 15 hits when in fact it is really only one visitor checking out one page. It is for this reason that “hits” are not very useful when you do a web traffic analysis of your website.

The goal is using a web traffic analysis to figure out how well or how poorly your site is working. One way to figure this out is to see how long visitors are spending on your site. If the time spent is relatively short, there is a problem. It could be your website appearance or your content. It is up to you to figure out and fix those problems.

Importance of Keywords

In addition, web traffic analysis stats can help you determine effective and ineffective areas of your website. After you have analyzed your visitor statistics, now take a look at your keywords and keyword phrases. If certain keywords are sending visitors to your site; the more targeted the visitor, i.e. they find what they are looking for on your site, or even better, if they  fill out your contact form or make a purchase, then you know that the particular keyword(s) is valuable.

Keywords are crucial to attracting quality visitors to your site who are ready to do business with you. Careful analysis of the keywords your visitors are using to find your site will give you an understanding of your visitor’s needs and motivations.

If you notice that users are finding your website by typing in your company name, that is great news, and it means you have achieved an important level of brand recognition, which is a promising sign. As a result, always look at your web traffic analysis stats the right way and your site will be on track for success.

If you want to become number one in your niche market, it is paramount to increase web traffic to your site, to create brand recognition and to build authority. If you want to brand yourself in specific markets, there are five steps you can take to be the go-to person in your niche market.

1. Create content for the search engines

By creating good content laden with SEO keywords, you can brand yourself as an authority in your target market. You can start by searching for other businesses in your niche. Pay close attention to the keywords that they are using over and over again. If you see the same keywords on the first page, you know that these words are working. Use the same keywords in your website content to optimize your website, what will in return increase your web traffic and establish yourself as an authority.

2. Write feature articles

Feature articles are great for establishing authority in your target market. Write short articles that give value to your prospects. For instance, you can give tips to succeed in the marketplace, or you simply define certain procedures and processes that your prospects need to know. Short, focused articles can be posted on your blog, submitted to online article directories or submitted to AboutUs.org. It is important to give away free information in your niche market in order to establish yourself as an authority. People follow authorities, and the more exposure you can get, the better, resulting in an increase of your web traffic.

3. Send your content to as many sites as possible

Write to webmasters and ask if you can be a guest author on their website. Include a bio box after your article with a link to your website. If people like what you have to say, they will click on your link to get more information about who you are and your business. Focus on branding your name so it becomes widely recognizable.

4. Do interviews

If you can get an interview with an expert in your niche market, it is gold, especially if it’s a high profile interview. Post the interview on your site or use it as a giveaway in one of your promotions. Don’t forget to post it on YouTube to increase your visibility. You should also grant interviews to other marketers to position yourself as an authority. Be sure to get rights to use the interview on your website, social networking sites and on YouTube.

5. Participate in social networking sites

Social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace have a worldwide audience, and this is a great opportunity to blog about your business, your products or the services you offer. Because social networking sites post updates to your friends or followers, they will have immediate access to the latest information you have to offer. Twitter is another great resource to keep your followers up-to-date about the latest developments in your business. The updates are short and to the point, and you can post your website URLs for immediate exposure and brand recognition. This all will clearly help you increase web traffic.

To increase web traffic to your website is a matter of establishing yourself as an authority in your target market. Follow market trends, take note of what the heavy hitters are doing and above all, do what they are doing but do it better.