Affiliate Marketing Introduction - Newbie Search Engine Optimisation

As you get your introduction to affiliate marketing you will come across the term search engine optimization a zillion times. In fact you probably thought affiliate marketing is all about search engine optimization. In a sense that is probably true. Search engine optimization is the process you go through to have your website rank highly with the search engines eg google.

If you rank higher, your site will be higher up in the search engine listings for your target keyword. This makes it more likely for you to get traffic. There are two components to search engine optimization. On page optimization and off page optimization. On page optimization refers to tactics you implement on your webpage to make it looked on favorably by the search engines.

These factors include

Page layout. Have a consistent page lay out throughout your site

Design your pages so that google can easily search your site. Have good site navigation

Unique content. Google is looking for websites that have good, unique content

Update your content frequently

Keyword use and keyword density. Use your chosen keywords prominently and frequently

Off page optimization refers to things you do after you have built and published your website, to improve the ranking of your website. This mainly involves getting high quality, highly ranked websites to link to you using your desired key word or phrase. These links are called backlinks.

A word of warning!! Be very careful about which site your backlinks are from. There are link farms out there which look ever so appealing but links from them could get you banned by google.

3 Steps for Generating Traffic Through Viral Marketing

Viral marketing is the way to go in this day and age of social networking and online communities. You must induce other people to tell their friends and social contacts about your business, products and services. Here are the steps for using viral marketing to generate traffic to your site.

People dread computer viruses. They are prolific, attach to anything and spread everywhere. Bad virus aside, this same characteristic (prolific) makes viral marketing effective.

The medium you would be using for this type of marketing would be prolific as well in generating leads and sales. There are many kinds of viral marketing that you could use to generate more traffic to your website. Generally, if used well, viral marketing is an extremely effective way to get more interest and produce more leads and sales. Here are some viral marketing methods using reports or ebooks that people can use to generate more traffic to their websites.

Step 1: Write a free report

This does not end there. You must also convert your report into a PDF file. Your report should be concise, inviting, interesting and informative. It must give information about your website or your products. It should be written in such a way that it would encourage people to buy your products or visit your website.

A free report once downloaded would be left behind for people to read later. Chances are, if these reports are written well, they would guarantee you that people downloading and reading them would once more check your website. People love a well written report with good content.

Avoid writing an ad and avoid marketing. Make sure that your report is informative. If you are selling supplements, write an article on how effective these supplements are. Your articles would be passed on from one person to another for years to come. Perhaps, you don't have to immediately write another report on the same subject matter.

Step 2: Write a teaser

This is most effective if you are marketing an ebook that people can buy from your website. Give people a free chapter that they can read. Generate interest by arousing their curiosity. Remember to give only a teaser of the whole book. Do not give out the whole thing. Make sure that people can only obtain your ebook by visiting your website and paying for it or by subscribing.

Usually, this type of marketing is effective because people would quickly exchange information with others or forward the same to others whom they know would be interested in the content of the ebook. Thus, this is called viral marketing. Your traffic will noticeably increase with little or no effort from you at all. You would also have a huge and increased level of generated leads and sales.

Step 3. Write an ebook which you can give away

Whenever people visit your website or join your newsletter, give them a free ebook. This is usually a very short informative report relating to your products or services. Make sure that the content is interesting and useful so that people would want to share it with others. This is a very good strategy if employed correctly.

It is also wise to not give the whole information. Make sure that people would want to visit your website to get the more complete report on the subject matter. This would be a great viral marketing campaign to generate more traffic to your website.