Archive for January, 2009
Why Content is Still King (and Queen) – Part 2 of 2
Posted by AC Editorial Team in Affiliate Marketing, Content Creation Wednesday, 7 January 2009 12:16 1 Comment
In the second half of this two-part article, we will take a look at five more reasons why content is still the king (and queen) of affiliate marketing!
#6 – Content Inspires Clicks
If you think about it, the right kind of content makes an ad click through the logical next step for your visitor. A brief article about the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom might be the perfect appetizer to a feast of clicks on digital camera ads.
How do you make sure you’re sensitized to creating this kind of content? Try to think like an advertiser. Whether your goal is to get clicks on contextual ads, encourage your visitor to fill out an email/zip form, or generate commission sales, your traffic needs to generate value for advertisers. After all, they are the ones who keep the whole thing going. Which leads us to…
#7 – Content Increases CTR
Marginal content tends to mean marginal CTR… while quality content tends to boost CTR. But in this context, “quality” doesn’t mean brilliant prose. It means a good mix of relevant keywords and product data.
If you’re an AdSense publisher who wants to maximize your revenues, make sure you include sufficient keyword data in your content so Google can serve up ads that actually MAKE SENSE on page. Then watch those CTRs get higher and higher! If you want to increase click throughs to merchant sales pages, your content should include inline links on product names, model numbers, or other bits of information that “tempt” the reader to click.
#8 – Content Feeds Those Hungry Subscribers
Even if you don’t market directly to your optin list, consider all the ways content can draw your visitors back to your web site. After all, you don’t have to send the content DIRECTLY to your subscribers in an email. Instead, send them LINKS to your web pages or blog posts. You’ll not only get more ad impressions, you’ll probably get more clicks. Why?
Because you’ve got a relationship with your subscribers. Even in this era of the jealously guarded email address, they signed up for your mailing list and have stayed on it. This means they’re willing to consider reading any web page you send them to. If that page happens to include highly relevant ads that work hand in hand with both your content and design, they’re bound to get click throughs.
#9 – Content Anticipates the “Odd” Niche Query
Here’s a closely held secret that nearly every content webmaster holds dear: the more quality content you’ve got, the more likely you are to get that frustrated visitor who’s been searching, high and low, and has finally gotten to your site by typing in a long, implausible query.
Because YOU – out of the millions of sites out there – probably came up #1 for that highly specialized combination of search terms, that visitor is likely to stay at your site, dig around, sign up for your newsletter, and otherwise explore a little more deeply than the average visitor. What better audience for relevant, targeted ads than this ultra-targeted visitor?
#10 – Content Attracts Quality Links With Minimal Effort
The best link partner in the world is the one you don’t have to beg, bribe, or buy. That’s why content still rules, even if your first priority is serving up landing pages for PPC. With first-class content, and plenty of it, it’s easier to get webmasters to link to you. And you can generally link to just about any related site you wish – and the sites you link to will be glad and grateful.
All that adds up to higher quality, targeted visitors. And THAT adds up to higher CTRs… and higher profits!
Why Content is Still King (and Queen) – Part 1 of 2
Posted by AC Editorial Team in Affiliate Marketing, Content Creation Monday, 5 January 2009 11:42 2 Comments
As we at Affiliate Classroom welcome a new year, we would like to start it off right with a look at one of the most important aspects of affiliate marketing: content.
We will look at ten reasons why content is still King (and Queen) in this two-part article!
So, let’s take a look…
#1 – Content Feeds Hungry Spiders
It’s been shown over and over that content – especially fresh content – attracts search engine spiders. If you are running AdSense, want to get rid of PSAs, and trigger the display of fresh ads from new, hungry publishers, feed the spiders with text that includes good keywords and useful collateral information.
#2 – More Content = More Ad “Contexts”
Every AdSense publisher should write the formula above on their wall in 3-foot high letters. Since AdSense is CONTEXTUAL advertising, it needs a context – to crawl and analyze so it can churn out relevant ads. If you don’t have enough CONTEXT, you won’t get relevant ads.
Relevant context is even more important when promoting affiliate products. “Filling out” the content on a substantial website can raise the relevancy of your landing pages and increase quality score.
#3 – Content Is Sticky!
If you want people to click on contextual ads, they need to stay on your pages long enough to notice them. Over and over again we hear of publishers running the so-called “lowest performing” ad formats… yet their income goes through the roof! Why? Because their content is so good, people actually stay on their site to read the entire article… scan the rest of the page… and READ the ads.
Content has proven to be the stickiest of stuff in the online world. And the higher the quality, the more likely it is to keep those eyeballs on your page long enough to get the click through. Which leads us to…
#4 – Content Gets The Bookmark
Anyone who thinks that getting added to that Favorites folder isn’t worth much anymore… well, they obviously haven’t got a niche content site! The tighter your niche, and the more your content speaks to them and only them, the more likely you’ll get REPEAT visitors.
Of course, after a while repeat visitors end up with “ad blindness.” That’s why smart contextual ad publishers with a loyal following will vary their ad formats and colors when click throughs start to lag. Combine a little fresh content with a slightly different shade of blue or gray, and you can “wake up” those conversions.
#5 – Content Increases Page Views
If you’re smart about leveraging your content for maximum page views, you are one wise publisher indeed! Yes, it means a little more updating of your pages. But if you are willing to put in the extra time to put a little of your freshest content, along with your ads, above the fold, get ready for a big boost in your income.
In fact, the wisest publishers do what all the big content providers have been doing for years. They break up long articles into chunks of around 350 words or so, divide this content over several pages, and put a “more” or “continued” link at the bottom of each section. This not only maximizes the number of ad impressions, it’s much easier on your readers!
#6 … to be continued in part 2 of this blog …
Article Directories…The Easiest Way To Get Incoming Links
Posted by AC Editorial Team in Affiliate Marketing, Article Marketing, Free Traffic Friday, 2 January 2009 09:38 12 Comments
One of the best link building tactics – and the favorite of many affiliate marketers today – is submitting articles authored or owned by you to article directories.
When experts on SEO advise new site owners to acquire natural incoming links, look to article directories to give you those first links easily. But first, let’s look at how and why article directories may be the easiest way to build some natural incoming links fast…
Links are one-way.
Many experts believe that search engines discount or downplay reciprocal links in their SERP (Search Engine Results Page) calculations. While reciprocal links can still be valuable, they don’t count as much as one-way links to your site. Article directories give you a one-way link.
Links are guaranteed.
If you’ve never asked a webmaster for a link before, it can feel a bit intimidating. But when you submit articles to directories, you know you won’t get turned down. Seeing those backlinks show up in the SERPs is a nice confidence booster, especially if your site is brand new. As long as your articles are of good quality, they will also send you targeted visitors for a long time to come.
Links per page are fewer.
This is a little known, but valuable benefit. Experts say the higher the number of links per page, the less SEO value each link will have. But the link back to your site in an article is often only one of a few links on the page.
Backlinks soon multiply.
Article sites exist for a reason – to provide other webmasters with access to free, quality content. So just one article, in just one directory, can actually turn into hundreds of links, as webmaster after webmaster finds your article and uses it.
Speed is important.
You want to build traffic and page rank as rapidly as possible. Submitting requests to other sites for reciprocal links, listing in link directories, and other methods are excellent long term SEO tactics, but they can take ages. But your article can appear very quickly, getting your name and links out there right away. So if you need to start building traffic today, articles can do the job in record time.
Your time is valuable, too.
You write an article and submit. Usually, that’s the end of your involvement! You can move on to one of the thousand other things on your list – and while you do them, that article is sending traffic to your site without any additional work on your part.
Sometimes it’s the only game in town.
Many site owners will not enter into reciprocal link relationships. Sometimes they don’t perceive the requester as offering them sufficient value. Maybe they simply don’t have time to respond to requests. Or it could be that their spam filters catch those requests – and delete them – before the requestor can make a case for a link.
But most article directories want all the articles they can get. So when all else fails, you can turn to article directories. Even when other webmasters say they can’t add even one more link, article directories will be actively seeking submissions.
Content for you.
The more content you write and submit to article directories, the more content you’ve got to use on your own site. Just make sure you tweak the articles so you don’t incur a possible duplicate content penalty. All it usually takes is a brief introduction or summary of the article to freshen up the content.
Articles send PEOPLE, not just spiders, to your site.
The incoming links are not the only benefits of articles. Beyond search engines, there are human elements at work.
Qualified traffic.
Individuals who read and enjoy your articles will often send traffic your way, via reviews or creating links you didn’t need to ask for. Those are targeted visitors pre-disposed to consider your products and services.Reputation.
Well researched, well written articles make you look like the expert you became. That draws traffic that’s interested in what you have to say and sell.Word-of-mouth.
Articles help get the word out about what you offer, and a well-written piece pre-disposes them to like it. To help mitigate that dilemma, if you have the funds, you can outsource some or all of the article writing chores.But be careful. Writing well takes expertise and skill. It’s still your name and site that goes on the final article. Put your best foot forward. If you don’t, your articles may get you some links, but they won’t attract real visitors or help you convert them into buyers.
