How To Estimate Keyword Traffic

keywordsWhen building an online business filled with multiple campaigns it is very important that you estimate keyword traffic.  Why is this important? These keywords are what people are putting in the search engine to find the information they seek. You do want to be found don’t you?

First off, let me tell you that this is not an easy step for some.  It can take you quite a while to finally understand the concept of choosing keywords for SEO and how to search and implement these well sought out search terms.  I myself had a hard time grasping it at first.  Secondly, everyone is different in how they do this step.  I personally love a couple of the keyword tools out there, my business partner doesn’t use them as much, she likes to go about it through research in the search engines.  She does get some great ones and is very good at it!  She more so than I, tends to think of things off of the top of her head and when pulling up the results, I look through my competitions websites to get other ideas to use also.   Again, there are tools which you can subscribe to for this if you would like to.

To be truthful, this can be a time consuming task and at times quite frustrating – but the rewards are wonderful.

If you have a niche picked out as we have already discussed then we are ready to find words and phrases that help in describing the content you will be sharing with your viewers.  Without doing research you’re just one more marketer fumbling around in the vast darkness of the internet and miss the mark of ever converting customers.

There are two terms you must understand before we continue when choosing keywords for SEO. One is the “broad” match and the other is the “exact” match. Why are these two terms important? Broad means the phrase that you are using can be put in variations. For example, if typing in the phrase “using keyword tools” your results can end up being “using”, “using keyword”, “keyword tools”, “using tools” etc. This can end up giving a huge page of results for which you do not really want to try and compete with.

In using “exact” match the term that is being used will be placed in quotes, such as “estimate keyword traffic” this phrase will not be broken up. Did you try typing these examples in the search engine to see what appears in your results?

Before we get started it is best to get organized when tracking keywords for each individual campaign. This can be done in numerous ways such as a notepad, spreadsheet, Word document or whatever is easiest for you. I personally have a file for each of my campaigns that have the niche, keywords, articles etc. This way all I have to do is open up the file and I can add or edit with ease.

Keep in mind when searching for these keyword terms they need to be used in your content on your blog or website. One great tool to use is free and it is the Google Adwords Tool, which will be used on a continuous basis. There are however other free ones to use, such as SEO Book, then once you get the hang of it you might want to check them out to see which ones work the best for you.

Once your search starts you will quickly note that when choosing keywords for SEO are going to be in demand and supply each time that you add a new term. This means that the competition in ranking for those terms and driving traffic is going to rough. The best to find are the keywords with a good demand but low supply. As mentioned above on exact and broad, be creative and think outside of the box.

When using this tool take a close look at the KEI (Keyword Effectiveness Indicator) as this can help in finding secondary and more of the primary. The higher the KEI the better in the use of long tail keywords more specific the keyword phrase, the less competition there will be for that phrase.

Now that you have the list of well search keywords, it is time to get that traffic moving.  The primary keywords should be within the content of your website and creating some inbound links to those content pages by the use of other free methods known as natural or organic traffic.  This will help your SEO (search engine optimization and will also give you a great indication of how to estimate keyword traffic and utilize it to your benefit.

How Does A Website Work?

One of the questions newbies tend to ask these days are who gets a website and how does a website work. Well, first individuals need to know that having a presence with a website will help with communication to the audiences you are wishing to target. However, be warned, if your website is not executed in the right way will just sit in cyberspace with very few visitors.

If and when choosing to build a website a person should first have their niche in mind as well as their list of keywords and possibly the products wishing to promote. Why you ask? You will find that these keywords will be very important when choosing a domain name as well as within your content.

So how does a website work? Once you begin adding content to the template you are developing documents known to the search engines as files which are then stored on server. For individuals to actually access their website it goes through some major software known as a browser. This in turn will arrange the files in a reader friendly format as well as interpret the multiple files.

Browsers that are commonly used are Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari etc.

Have you noticed how some of these websites have a bunch of numbers showing in the browser? This is called the IP address (URL) and since it is not very flattering to see in this way, the “domain name” comes into play showing viewers a name of your choice.  This is why we had mentioned that keywords are very important, as you will want to try and use one in place of the numbers.

In the event of selecting a domain name many mistakes have been made by those who are not grasping the importance of this concept. Domains should be representing the website and its contents which make it easier for visitors to remember it better. There are those who may use their full name as their primary domain, product, theme or even organization.

There is a lot to learn in the terms of how does a website work and picking out how one wants to end the domain is also of great importance. As everyone knows, .com will always come to mind when typing in a website for it is basically a habit by most. If having to choose .net, .org or others, there is always that chance of sending traffic towards someone elses website.

Okay so now we have covered selecting a niche, keywords as well as domain names. Remember how I mentioned the hosting server? There are quite a few free websites that individuals can use that also provide free hosting. This in turn stores all your files for you so once the domain is typed in or clicked on they will then be directed through the server to their computer and pulled up in the browser for which they are using.    The only downfall with this is that it will be that you would have to use an extension of whoever you are using.

Example – if you are using Blogger:  It would read:  www.mykewords.weebly.com.

However, if you choose to invest in a domain, you will have to also invest in hosting.  Essentially, this means you are giving your website a space on the internet – a piece of virtual real estate.  If you buy a domain, you have to get hosting with it – no way around this.  They don’t have to be purchased from the same place though.  You can get a domain from GoDaddy and get hosting from Hostgator, for example.  These are two that I personally use and swear by.

Well that basically wraps up how does a website work but we would also like to provide you with a list of “free” websites that can be used by all. In time you will learn what websites you like best when building your campaigns and ones that you do not like as much.  Just please make sure that you read the terms of service for each, you do not want to violate them – especially about affiliate links!

Free Websites

Webs.com

Weebly.com

Squidoo.com

Blogger.com

WordPress.com

Webstarts.com

Yola.com

Webnode.com

Doomby.com

Wix.com

So who gets a website? This pertains to anyone wishing to communicate about their products or services to the vast number of people online.

Locating The Best Niche

By reading this title, it sounds simple enough doesn’t it? But in reality finding these well hidden niches at times are not as simple as we think. If you frequent some of these great forums there is always a question asking “Is there a special trick in locating the best niche?” The trick is you need to use your own thought process of what people might find interesting.

As you go about your daily life activities, look around on what items people are using and why they are using them. It’s truly amazing what people search for online for no one has much time anymore to actually physically go shopping to find these products. This is where internet marketing comes into play; we bring these products to those searching online. Less stress, less time consuming and above all else, relaxing while sitting in the comfort of your own home.

So finding a niche (marketing a specific market) is quite simple, start making out a list of products that are interesting to you or others. Once you choose a niche for example like “chocolate”, you will notice this can be very broad if trying to market and you will be competing with millions, so why not narrow it down. Is there a certain type you like best? I prefer dark chocolate where some people find it totally disgusting.

So think about who you want to target on this topic. Is it adults, children, self-employed to big companies? What do you want to share with this audience? Do you want to share recipes? Different brands of dark chocolate? Packaging? Locations? Do you see how I am narrowing it down to lessen my competition? Good!

On to the next step of utilizing tools that can help find those keywords people are using to actually find that product. Keep in mind that these people may have loyalties to this product, therefore can end up being some very loyal customers to your website.

So next is using a keyword tool. I tend to use the free Google Adwords Keyword Tool.

By now you should have a pretty nice list of terms; this is where you will need to pick and choose them wisely for if the competition is too high you will have a major issue competing with the paid advertising.

Here is a great link to provide you with how this tool works:

How The Google Keyword Tool Works

Once you have found the niche make sure you join affiliate programs for products to market on that topic. Avoid products that are to competitive and research the top competitors. Make sure you understand the payout of commissions on these products and find what works best for you. Ready to set start you search?

Of course there is another alternative if you are still stumped or just don’t want to do all the research.  The best thing that I ever did was join a monthly keyword subscription service.  With this service, you will receive a highly targeted keyword phrase in a different niche every day.  I can not recommend this service enough – if you would like to try it out on a trial basis and go from there,  please follow this link ——->  Go HERE NOW!

 

 

 

 

Image Credit:  Renjith Krishnan

Questions Newbies Ask

There are many people flocking to make money online and with them there are many questions newbies ask along the way. Why shouldn’t they, there is a lot to learn in the area of affiliate marketing. I have tried to gather the most sought out questions that are asked the most by newbies in forums, blogs, websites and they all narrow down to the top five I am sharing.

One of the first questions asked is“Okay I have my website up, I have my product listed with information how come I am not making sales?” I find this question to be a common misconception by those just starting out with the thought process of “If I build it, they will come”.

At times, sorry to say, I have to laugh when I read a post mentioning that they have not made any sales. For some of these newbies they think it is so easy to become an affiliate marketer. Wrong! There is a lot more to it than just building a website.  I know, I was one who thought the same thing!  LOL

So then all the common questions come forth, “Is your product in demand?” Are you using targeted keywords?” Are you providing valuable information on your website? Here is the biggest one of all, wait for it… “What type of traffic do you have going to your website?” Of course the answer always ends up being, “Well, I posted a classified ad and I have one article out” or “I need to send traffic back to my site?” Cracks me up every time, reason being? They did not do their homework before jumping in with both feet.

So before we go into this answer, let’s tackle one very important question, “Do I need a website to sell products online?”

The true answer to this question is it all depends on what goals you are trying to meet to have any form of success. Sure you can make money without a website by just marketing products as an affiliate (go directly to the vendor), but why not branch out and build a name for yourself with your very own website or at least a landing page to collect names and emails? All in all, both of these techniques you will need to know how to market the products you are promoting.

The next most sought out questions newbies ask is “What should I sell online”?

Basically only you can answer this question. If you have knowledge in a certain field let say ‘making candles” why not build a website sharing your personal expertise on this topic? If you get brave enough you can even write your own e-book sharing the steps in how to make candles, or you can look for products that others have built and you can promote those instead. The internet is a vast world of products and information find something you are interested in and put your best foot forward.

Here is some additional information on choosing products to promote once you narrow down your selection. “Who is behind the product you are promoting?”

This is where you should do a little bit of research for you need to know who you are backing and helping to make money for. Remember, you are promoting this product and it is your reputation on the line if it is a negative product. “Is the name familiar to you?” “If so, do they carry good products with a great turn around?” and “What type of track record do they have as far as returns?” Research, research, research!

Afterwards of finding your products, building a website (choice) another question comes up “When can I start seeing sales?”

This is a tough question to answer for it boils down to what I mentioned above about traffic. There are quite a few variables that come into play, “Have you put in the time and effort?” “Did search for keywords?” “Do you have your traffic set up?” if so, “How much?” So this question remains unanswered for there are many components that must work together.

Let’s go back to this other question, “How can I get traffic back to the website I have just built?  “Why do I need traffic to my website?”

If you are going to marketing products, traffic is a must to have success. This is very important to getting the word out and directing people back to your websites.

There are many free ways to market your products without spending a dime, if you want to spend money that is your choice, but to start out, it is best to use all the free ways that you can.

The best way to accomplish this massive goal is to make sure you are using keywords that people are typing into the search engines for the products and information you are sharing. If you have not done so, you will be lost in the internet realm of nothingness with all the other thousands and thousands of information and never make it to the front pages of Google, Yahoo, Bing where you need to be.

Free ways of marketing, some you of it you will enjoy doing while others it’s like pulling your teeth out to get it done. Sorry, but true! We all have our likes and dislikes, but it is all worth it when sales start rolling in.

Here is a great list of free ways to market:

  • Article marketing
  • Classified Ads
  • Forum marketing (sharing through your signature link)
  • Social Bookmarking (Digg, Stumble upon etc.)
  • Linking to other blogs (do not spam, provide valuable feedback)
  • Press Releases
  • Social Networking (Twitter, Facebook etc.)
  • Question and Answer Sites- (Yahoo Answers, AllExperts)

I am sure that there are many more questions that come to mind of newbies that are not shared on the internet.  Affiliate marketing entails a lot of work and individuals should not expect instant results to replace other income. It takes time and effort to build with a huge learning curve of gaining knowledge to make it a success.

 

 

 

 

 

Image Credit:  89Studio

Proven One Week Plan – Proof Is In The Pudding!

The question that I get asked quite often is how I make money online, where did I start, who helped me, and how do I get paid.  I want to touch on one of the ways I learned how to create an income stream for myself.  During extensive research, I found a proven one week plan that was so detailed and actually had a step by step guide on how to go about it all without using any money.  I couldn’t get my hands on this information quick enough.

Struggling to make money online when I first started was an understatement.  I was starting to feel like if I didn’t come up with a way to make some extra cash, I was going to sink.  My family included.  We have had one thing after another happen to us and it seemed to never end.  I couldn’t take it anymore; I was at the end of my rope.  So, even though it is not something I recommend doing normally, I purchased this action plan.

I was still doing research, but I can say, it didn’t take me long to be convinced that this person knew what she was talking about, seemed extremely genuine and had gone through some of the same things I had, so as you can see, I could relate, and maybe you can too.

I was following another “action plan” simultaneously with this, so I had already made a few sales, so I was able to purchase this once I did.  I didn’t have the funds to just buy anything, plus I was skeptical of any scams out there.  I found Jennifer Ledbetter, aka PotPieGirl to be very refreshing in her approach to learning, teaching, and sharing how she learned.

One thing I have observed is that people can be extremely desperate, and to no fault of their own, this economy is terrible.  Some of the things people tend to do when they are in a desperate situation, is buy shiny things.  Anything that sounds like it could be the next latest and greatest product to make you rich.  Not always the best route, understandably.  I can’t tell you how many things I have purchased myself that are collecting virtual dust on my computer!

I was extremely lucky to find this proven one week plan at the right time, because it was created and put together by someone who is genuine, honest, and wants to help people.  This has been out for quite some time and has proven to be one of the best how to make money online products out there.

Now, I started out with just the basic plan (because that was all that was available at the time), but then to get offered the premium package, was worth so much more than the price.  Just the keyword research resource is truly amazing!  I can’t say it enough – it really helps you understand exactly how to do it and what to look for so that you aren’t spending hours looking at the computer screen, saying what does this mean?!

Here is the bit of information you are going to love about all of this.  Everything that is taught in here as a way to become an affiliate marketer is using free methods!  Click HERE to find out more!

Google Analytics on Squidoo!

Yes!  Finally!  You are now able to use Google Analytics on Squidoo lenses!  This is as you know a great way to keep track of your visitors and ultimately help you convert your visitors.  With this tool on your websites, you have been able to see how people are finding  your site.  This is very important as you build your campaign around this.

Read more about this exciting development and get step by step directions HERE!

My Computer Crashed and I Lost Everything!

Three times in the past year, my computer crashed and has wiped everything out.  Fool me once, fool me twice, three times – NO WAY!  Well, it happened.  I kept putting off backing my computer files up to a cd – just takes way too long, too many cd’s, etc.  Excuse after excuse I had!  Does this sound familiar?  I hope not, but if it does, read on!

I was getting hot flashes, I must have rebooted my laptop 200 times – then….. the blue screen of death!  NO!!!!!!!!  Not the blue screen of death!  I had this experience the first time.  I then actually had tears in my eyes and when I told my husband, I broke down into the ugly cry!  Yes!  The ugly cry!

Then had to just take it all in stride and start to rebuild.  I will come back stronger than ever!  Thankfully, I did have a lot online already that I could refer back to, but there are just things I had been working on that are gone, but again, life goes on.

To make a long story short, my hard drive gave out.

Finally, I went and bought an external hard drive.  Honestly, this is the BEST thing you could do for yourself!  You do NOT want all of your work to be gone forever!

There are other alternatives.  You can find an online back up service.  I haven’t personally used this (maybe should have) but I have heard a lot of people doing it.  I just find it easy to use my external hard drive.  Just a quick hook up of my USB (universal serial bus) cable.  This connects the two devices to each other and you can either upload your files manually or have it set to do it automatically (my new choice! =).

How many times have you saved something and forgot where it was or forgot what you named it?  It is easy to get sidetracked when you are doing your work.  Try and set up your files so they are organized, then make sure you back them up!

My computer crashed – but never again will I lose everything!  How about you?  What have you done to protect yourself?  I would love to know your story!  Leave a note in the comments below.  =)

 

Marketing Solutions

Here you will find a variety of marketing solutions that you will be able to use for your online marketing campaigns. Whether you are looking to create a website, have one made for you, or you are learning the in’s and out’s of internet marketing, you have come to a site that will have what you are looking for.

You will also find great products that I highly recommend, along with tips and techniques that have worked for me and many others.


The types of marketing that will benefit any online marketing campaigns are:

Affiliate Marketing ~

Affiliate marketing is where you become the middle man.  You pre-sell someone else’s informational or physical product and you receive a commission if someone buys through your link.


Article Marketing ~

Article marketing is where one writes article about informational or physical products and/or ideas to promote or pre-sell.


Blogging ~

Blogging is a way to express opinions, pass on information, and/or journal that one maintains regularly.

PPC ~

Pay per click is a form of advertising that when each time a reader clicks on an ad. Usually a few cents per click, though very highly valued keywords can bring $10 or more per click. This can be done through search engines and social networking sites.


CPC ~

Cost per Click


CPA ~

Cost Per Action
Pay per sale ~

Pay you when a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. Some of these are flat amounts per sale while others may pay a percent commission.

Pay per lead ~

Pay you when a reader clicks through and fills out a form, provides an email address, etc. Pay per action ~ Generic term for any ad that requires the reader to take an action for you to get paid. Includes pay per click, pay per sale and pay per lead. Pay per impression ~ Pay you a certain amount each time the ad is served. May only pay once per unique user.