Optimize,Not,Excessive,optimiz DIY To Optimize Or Not To Optimize
When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in
Excessive optimization could be considered a sickness dependingon context. Look up compulsive disorders in the Diagnosis andStatistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and over-optimization fits the description fairly well. So, should mostonline home business owners be seen by a psychotherapist? Well, Iwon't answer that as of now since it doesn't bode well for myimmediate physical health. But one thing is for sure: web siteoptimization is tricky business.The search engines are in an all out war to be the best. Sincecontent is king, they are all striving to develop the all aroundbest algorithm to deliver the most relevant search results. Theyare thus in a constant state of flux, which in turn wreaks havocon our nerves as online home business owners.You see, search engines are one of the best forms of freetraffic. And we all know that to run a successful onlinebusiness, traffic is a must. Most home based web businesses startout on very restrictive budgets. I know mine did, and still is.So, when the toss up is time or money, I, like many othersprobably do, chose to work with time.In walks optimization. You must be on your toes to stay ahead ofthe every changing SEs. You must periodically evaluate yoursite's content to ensure that you aren't bumped to low indexes.But this can easily get carried away into what I like to callover-optimization, and then you probably should consult the DSM-V.Traffic is important. There is no doubt about it. But there mustbe a balance. So the ultimate question is not whether you shouldor shouldn't optimize, but how much time you should spend on itin terms of other site promotion methodologies.Try to divide your time. In the beginning I focused heavily onsearch engine optimization. Slowly, after several months ofrealizing that the process never ends,(I too consulted the DSM-Vand had Freud give me a swift kick in the tushy.) my focus beganto shift to a host of promotion techniques. Here is a short listof 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 thatyou find work for your particular home based web business. I noranyone else can guarantee what works. It takes testing on yourbehalf. But, and this is important, the testing phase iseducational and forces you to stay focused on methods that work.So try the inexpensive traffic builders first. Find out whatworks for you. Then expand your arsenal. Most of all, be patientand success will come! Article Tags: Search Engines, Targeted Traffic
Optimize,Not,Excessive,optimiz