Find Out How You Can Generate Mass Traffic to Your Business.
So, let’s find out how you can generate mass traffic to your
online business. You just got your website online. Everything is setup and
you're ready to go. Excitement is high and the time has come to open your
virtual doors to the millions and millions of Internet users around the globe.
You put out the cyber welcome mat and declare your site ready for action. But,
instead of sitting and watching the users trample over one another to get to
your site, you see little to no traffic.
Don't worry! This is something every webmaster goes through
and is to be expected. (Well, webmasters in the late 90's expected to launch
their site and be millionaires the next morning, but times have changed since
those wonderful days!)
But there are some quick and easy things you can do to begin
building your 'link network,' which will ultimately help drive traffic to your
site. Since the Internet's conception, the notion has been that sites link to
one another, while web surfers click from place to place. Thus, the challenge
begins: Get your site linked to as many others as possible.
You can start contacting other websites offering to trade
links (but be prepared to invest a lot of time); you can buy links (but be
prepared to fork out some cash); you can join link-trading programs (but be
prepared to get a lot of irrelevant sites linking to you); or you can start
submitting your website to web directories.
What Is A Web Directory?
A web directory is a compilation of sites organized by
category or topic. Most web directories have multiple levels of categories,
progressing from general to highly specific. In addition, a web directory
editor will likely have to approve your site, lending it at a certain degree of
credibility. Being listed in a directory ensures that if a web surfer finds
their way into a specific category, they don't just see your competitors, they
see you! And, if they can see your link, they can click it, producing traffic
to your site.
A Web Directory Listing Helps with SEO
If you have a website, you undoubtedly know the importance
of ranking well in Google and other major search engines. These search engines
count links from other sites as votes for your site, which helps determine your
ranking, or position in the search results. There are a lot of other parts of
the algorithm and this brief explanation doesn't do it justice. However, it
serves the point that links improve your ranking, and that's something every
website owner needs to know.
A link in a directory that is spidered by Google (and a lot
are) will count as a vote for your site. This improves your ranking, and yet
again helps drive traffic to your site. It's important to note that not all
directories help with SEO. Sometimes, a web directory will link to your site
through a special URL that is often a programming CGI script. If the URL is not
a direct link to your site, then the search engines don't count it as a vote.
Therefore, it's best to pick directories that offer a direct one-way link to
your site. (This way, you get more bang for your buck: traffic from the
directory and improved search engine ranking.)
Relevancy Matters
If you trade links with random sites, then you are
theoretically building your 'link network,' but you are sacrificing the quality
of that network. Web searchers who are looking for information on a particular
topic often use resources that link to a variety of sites related to what they
seek. This makes web directories the perfect destination.
Since directories are categorized by topics, a person can arrive
in the directory and have one-click access to a variety of resources. You
definitely want to be one of those resources! Plus, when the other search
engines pick up your link, it will count for more since it is surrounded by
relevant content, which is most likely filled with your important keywords.
As you build your link network, you'll continue to see
increased traffic. And if you use web directories as your vehicle, you are
essentially paving more paths to your site. Several good submissions in popular
directories will help get you rolling. The best part is that many directories
are free, so this jump start won't even hurt your bottom line.
