Targeted traffic is people who know what they are looking for and have been led to believe that they will find it on your website. How did they hear about you? From mouth to mouth? An ad on another website? Search engines? Ezine advertising, email safelist, traffic exchange splash page?
Let us take one of them, search engines, and talked about it briefly. Let's face it, that's the starting point for many people looking for information online. But how far they are looking for? This is what I usually do when I'm looking for something. Like yesterday ... sigh ... I spent hours looking for drivers, then the image editing software, for my scanner.
Adventure with Search Engine
I typed something into the search box. I looked at the first page of the answer to my request. Not much use, but I got the term that is more targeted to type some into the search box. I went back and forth for several hours until I finally found what I was looking for.
Not my idea of a good time.
But eventually I reached my goal, after I have found a very smooth search terms that I need. For example, I do not know to use "image-editing software" when I started my search, but figured it out as we go along. And believe me, I did not go much past the first page of the query during the hour I was looking for.
Your website requires a highly targeted keywords, so that when someone types them into a search engine, they found a listing for your website and it's one of those "Eureka! I've found it!" moments for them.
But even if you have keywords, how do you get your website into the first search page on Google or Yahoo or AOL?
One way is called back linking, one of the many online versions of word-of mouth. Some websites that have been appreciated by the search engines for the same keywords as yours recommends your website as a good place to go for more info. Google or anyone who saw the link, visit your site, and decided that yes, your site IS an excellent venue for more info on image editing software, or whatever. The site you are then "up" in the awards in the world of search engines.
So if your site is about image editing software, your url appear on other sites on the same topic, or associated with that strong, as the site of a scanner or camera. Related websites to tell their visitors that your site is a good place to go for the needs of their image editing software.
I'll Scratch Your Back If You Scratch Mine
How do they do this? They don't have to actually say anything, although testimonials carry a lot of weight. You can exchange links with them; "I'll put a link to your site on mine if you do the same." Hence the name, reciprocal linking.
It's a time-consuming process, finding the most appropriate sites, communicating, posting the link to your site, checking to make sure they post your link, but it's worth it because it works if you've picked good sites. It doesn't work if you link to a site about used cars or baby showers if your site is about image software.
The best way to find targeted sites to link with is to type this into a search engine: "your site's keywords" "link to us". Or variations on that, "your site's keywords" "add your link". Or use related keywords. Use your imagination here. In the image editing example, the keywords you use can relate to uses for your software, such as "scanner software" or "photograph editing software". But be sure to include the " ", that's what will make your search the most targeted by using those exact phrases within the parentheses.
There are programs and software that make linking easier. There's a website where you can sign up, enter your keywords and site description, and then receive emails notifying you when there is another site or site with the same keywords as yours. You log in and there's a simple way to visit these sites and send automatic emails asking them if they would like to link with you. Here's the link, the service is free, the site is called Value Exchange.
Following a link to your site on other web sites, it's there for good (barring unforeseen circumstances, like you do not uphold your end of the deal, or vice versa). People will continue to see the link for years to come. So will the search engines. They will keep coming back to your site as long as the content remains relevant, and as long as you keep adding new content. Search engines love new and unique. That is why, for example, you will continue to find new articles like this in my website.
Apart from reciprocal linking, one way linking, such as when a web site using this article and that includes the resource box at the end with my link or links in it. Honey, this is the best kind of links, trade free website content to link back. My name got a little branding, I get a link back, and website owners get fresh content for it or his site. And even more than a static link on a website, this one is really a virus, as this article circulating forever, reach more people and more every day.
So that's linking in a nutshell. There are other methods of word of mouth online promotion, but that's for another article another day. Here's a hint of things to come, though. There's a new fun way to get around Google and the others that's just starting to spread, it's a way to create your own search engine and it's called tagging. Yes it's fun, you run around the 'net saying "you've been tagged". More on that another time.
Till then, have fun linking and watching your search engine ranking soar!
