Summary of SEO and Online Marketing Techniques
OK this is not really a one page summary on the topic of SEO and online marketing. Basically I'm just listing down techniques and activities someone could use to help their page ranking and drive traffic to their website. I'm basically listing down the activities and may have one or two lines of explanation - or none at all. The listed items are in no particular order and may not make sense so do some more digging.
- PR release online and offline
- Mailing lists
- Website page title, meta keywords, meta descriptions and appropriate content
- SEO semantic coding such as valid source code and use of HTML elements such as <h1>
- Correct PHP redirecting - look up differences such as 301, 302 etc
- Use of backlinks and three way links
- Use of one-way links such as business directories and portals etc
- Promotion through forums and blogs (Word of mouse + IM and emails)
- Provide some form of community interaction to the site such as forums, chat-rooms and user profiles
- Make your site sticky by providing RSS links and even a toolbar software that is actually useful
- Use affiliates
- Use social networking sites and social media such as Facebook, Myspace, Youtube etc
- Traditional positive word of mouth and word of mouse as mentioned above - paid or voluntary
- Offline advertising and URL visibility - make sure the URL is seen on ads, pens, bags, cards, posters, brochures, stickers etc
- XML sitemaps for search engines
- Create an actual sitemap for your users and makes it easier for bots to crawl
- Submit your site to search engines
- Add or provide users the option to add your site to bookmarking websites such as Reddit, Digg, StumbleUpon etc
- Advertise online using Google Adwords, Yahoo, Doubleclick etc
- Rewrite your URLs to be SEO friendly - no question marks plus a trail of parameters
- Create widgets or applications. Applications such as Facebook apps, iPhone apps, iGoogle theme/widgets, Yahoo widgets, Bebo apps etc anything that allows you to create an app that can be linked back to your site
- Followed by providing a free service on your website maybe a scale down service or free information (if on a third party site provide a link back to your site) - something that makes users come back to your site and potentially convert to a paying customer
- Online viral marketing campaigns such as a series of ads, a flash game, competition, something interesting and wacky or an online/offline adventure such as the Amazing Race or solving clues like www.thelostring.com
- Analyse your data - where is your traffic coming from, check out your conversion rates, ROI and other statistical numbers - find out what is working great and what needs optimizing
Note that the above activities and techniques may not be applicable to certain sites. This list should basically be used as a checklist to help you with your online marketing activities. A checklist that will help make sure you have covered all grounds/options/venue or possibilites.
OK so the above has driven traffic to your site now the trick is to keep them. To help grow your site and keep people coming back make sure your site:
- User friendly
- Secure (SSL, privacy policies)
- Trustworthy (no dodgy, dishonest practices)
- Good customer service
- Great support
- And make sure your site provides something that people want!
If your site satisfies these requirements then this would mean return customers and increase positive word of mouth/mouse.
Victor Tsen, April 2008.