Which Keywords Get Traffic?

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Steve

If you are trying to make money on the Internet, you need to know which keywords get traffic.

Which Keywords Get TrafficMany Internet marketers struggle trying to learn how to find keywords, which are phrases that people type into search engines.

If you’re trying to earn money online, you want to find profitable keywords. You are wasting precious time and resources unless you are finding keywords that get traffic.

Which Keywords Get Traffic You Need?

So, which keywords get traffic? What are the search terms that are most likely to cause people to click on your link and visit your website?

First, the keywords that get traffic are usually those that are typed into a search engine many, many times by someone looking for a solution to a problem or an answer to a question.

Second, keywords get traffic when your page ranks high in the search engine. The higher the better, and if you’re not on the first page, you might as well be on the 99th page, because hardly anyone will see the link to your website.

So, how do we find the phrases that are likely to meet those two criteria?

Which Keywords Get Traffic That Makes You Money?

Getting the first takes only some thought on your part. Here’s how I find profitable keywords.

I write (or sometimes just think about) a list of words related to the subject that I am focusing on. If needed, I read articles or watch videos on the matter.

Then, I think about a solution to a problem or an answer to a question related to those words and that subject. Most likely, some variation of that problem and solution or question and answer will be my keyword.

This phrase will most likely end up being what is known as a long tail keyword, which are just keywords with multiple words. Once you’ve come up with the search term that fits the problem or question, you know how to find long tail keywords.

It’s important to note that the article or blog post that I write will solve the problem or answer the question. After all, what good is traffic if it doesn’t result in sales. (If you want to learn more about writing articles, check out our free article guide on the right side of this page.)

Finding search terms that meet the second criteria – ranking high in the search engines – requires a tool that helps you discover which keywords get traffic. The best keyword tool is one that helps you find those phrases.

Which Keywords Get Traffic From High Search Rankings?

I have found that the best keyword tools have at least four functions.

1. They tell you how many times a phrase is searched each month.
2. They tell you how much traffic you can expect to get if you land on the first page of the search engine rankings.
3. They tell you on the number of web pages that include the exact phrase.
4. They tell you if the domain name that includes your keyword is available.

So, if you want to find the best keyword tool, find one with those characteristics. You should know that you can find keywords free if you’re willing to do a little extra work.

For example, Google gives you a way to find out how many times a particular term is searched per month. Here’s a link to it’s tool. With a little effort and research you can figure out about how many visitors you would get from Google’s data.

Finding the number of web pages with the exact phrase is a little trickier. You can search with the phrase in quote marks, but the number is usually not accurate. You have to go to end of the pages to find the real number. The best way to do this is to change your settings to show you 100 pages at a time and keep going till you get to last page. If there’s more than 500 pages, it will be difficult to make it to the first page of the search engine rankings.

You can find out if a domain is available by going to a domain retailer such as GoDaddy and searching for it.

That’s the way I used to find profitable keywords. The problem was all the time it was taking me to discover keywords that get traffic.

Which Keywords Get Traffic From The Best Keyword Tool?

I decided that it was better for me to spend a little money for a keyword tool and spend my time on other matters. First, I spent about $100 on a pretty good tool. It met all four criteria and served its purpose well.

Then I discovered Jaaxy. It is by far the best keyword tool I have found. It has all four characteristics so it saves me time and helps me make money.

Jaaxy has even more features. It shows you whether the term is ranked in major article directories and video sites. It gives you details about the sites that are ranking high for your keyword. It will even show you affiliate programs related to your search phrase.

Jaaxy is simple to use. It gives me all the information I need in a matter of seconds.

Here’s a video demonstration of how you can use it to find keywords that get traffic in less than two minutes.

Now, when I want to know which keywords get traffic, I know where to find the answer.

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Starting a Business Checklist

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Steve

Many people who go into business for themselves tend to get overwhelmed with the process. Internet marketing is a much simpler endeavor, but it still helps to have what I like to call a “starting a business checklist.” One of the best ways to accomplish this is the development of a business plan.

Starting a Business ChecklistIf you don’t have a business plan, you’re walking a marketing tight rope without a safety net.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I try to streamline my online marketing business operations. I have a tendency to try too many ideas at once, which often keeps me from being as profitable as I should be. That usually means a decrease in my cash flow.

Since making money is the main reason for a business, I am always looking for financial strategies, entrepreneurial guidelines and management ideas. So if you’re thinking about what are marketing strategies for the Internet, starting a business checklist is one way to improve your bottom line.

All this was going through my mind today as I was reading the morning paper and watching ABC’s Good Morning America. The show had a piece that included “Seven Tips for Starting your Own Small Business.” While the report focused on more traditional business opportunities, many of the suggestions apply to Internet Marketing.

One of the report’s best suggestions was to create a simple business plan. It even included a 10-step process to make a one-page business plan. The procedure is fairly easy to follow. For Internet marketers, much of the information is effectively already decided for you.

But one step that anyone trying to make money online should pay attention to is this question: How many pieces must you sell or how many clients must you secure to generate the revenue you desire?

Too often people who have a web-based business give this too little thought. You have to know how much money you want to make, and you have to know what it will take to get it. This is yet another way of avoiding enemies of Internet marketing.

As you’re starting a business checklist, that might not be the place you start, but you better not end until you think about that issue.

 

 

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What Are Marketing Strategies For the Internet?

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Steve

What Are Marketing Strategies?The other day, I heard a presentation that caused a question to pop into my head. The question was this: What are marketing strategies for the Internet?

 

Oddly enough, the presentation had nothing to do with Internet marketing, affiliate marketing, online marketing, web-based marketing, how to make money online, how to earn income on the Internet or anything like that. Instead, the speech was about education.

 

Part of the talk centered on a school system that had gone from struggling to succeeding. When I was thinking about it later, I realized that many Internet marketers are a lot like that school system.

 

The leadership of those schools had adopted three simple statements to guide them. It was those statements that made me think, “What are marketing strategies for the Internet?”

 

The statements were: “Hope is not a strategy,” “Never blame the kids,” and “It’s all about learning.”

 

Obviously, the first statement was the one that made me think about marketing strategies for the Internet marketers and affiliate marketers who are struggling to make money. When you’re avoiding enemies of Internet marketing, you need more than just hope.

 

Indeed, many times in my Internet marketing career, I’ve almost treated hope as a strategy. Instead of learning from people who are already successful, I’ve tried to find the path to success on my own. I thought I could figure out how to make money online without any help. I was wrong. Very wrong.

 

There have also been times when I’ve blamed other people. I’ve tried to make excuses to cover my lack of success. Instead of taking responsibility, I made up reasons for why I wasn’t making any money.

 

I’ve come to believe that success only come to those who are accept responsibility for their current situation, whatever that is. Once you assume that role, then you can start finding the way to change what needs to be changed. You can answer for yourself, the question, “What are marketing strategies for the Internet?” and know that you have the key to the door of accomplishment. You’ll be thinking up ways to make extra cash time and time again.

 

In the end, Internet marketing is all about learning. You learn from people who are more successful that you. You find those who have taken the path you want to take and you follow their footsteps.

 

One of my favorite quotes by personal development philosopher Jim Rohn is, “If you don’t like where you are, change it! You’re not a tree.”

 

So, do you want to know how I answer the question, “What are marketing strategies for the Internet?” Don’t just hope. Take action. Don’t blame. Take responsibility. And don’t just read. Learn.

 

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Avoiding Enemies of Internet Marketing

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Steve

Internet MarketingOne of my Twitter friends, Denny Coates, has an interesting take on an old story. As I read it the other day, I thought of how part of his reasoning applies to many who are in Internet marketing.

Coates wrote an updated version of the fable about the goose that laid the golden egg. He called his modern-day version a leadership fable.

The post is a great read. He makes the point that we should know the true source of our profit and nourish it rather than exploit it.

That applies to Internet marketing and affiliate marketing in a profound way. Too many times we see those who view our web sites as objects to be exploited rather than customers to be served.

I believe that if we see it as our goal and our mission to provide people with the products they need, we’ll be well on our way to making the kind of income we seek. If we serve people, and serve them right, the money will take care of itself.

But then Coates takes his point even farther, saying that we can lay golden eggs ourselves because the ultimate source of success is within us.

Many Internet marketers turn into their own worst enemies, because they don’t focus. Too many times we go running after the next shiny thing to come along, rather than taking the time and effort to build the foundation for a strong, long-lasting business.

I know there have been times in my life that I’ve looked back on something that happened and said to myself, “We have met the enemy, and it is us.” Or perhaps more appropriately, “I have met the enemy, and it is me.”

The good news for Internet marketers, affiliate marketers and anyone who is in business, is that the true path to success must turn inward first. We have met the golden goose, and it is us.

 

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How to Use Twitter for Marketing Internet Strategy

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Steve

how to use twitter for marketingThese days, if you want your business to make money, you better have to have an Internet strategy. If you’re smart that strategy will include a plan on how to use Twitter for marketing.

 

Twitter is a great way to connect with people who share similar interests. If you know what you’re doing you can find a lot of potential clients and customers for your business.

 

One of the great things about Twitter and other forms of social media is the ability they give you to interact with people who might be interested in your products or services. It doesn’t matter what type of business you have, you can engage people who are looking for what you offer.

 

On Twitter, you follow people, which means you get to read what they are saying. People can also follow you and read what your say.

 

Be advised, however, that social networks do not react well to traditional advertising methods. Tweets are not commercials. If you think of them that way you won’t be very successful.

 

This applies to affiliate marketers and other Internet marketers as well as traditional businesses that are looking for an online presence.

 

Here are a few Twitter tips that will help you formulate your Internet strategy.

 

Tip number one on how to use Twitter for marketing is to be yourself. Social media networks are made for real people so act like a real person.

 

One good rule is to treat people who follow you the way you’d treat them if you met them face to face. You don’t make every conversation about what you’re trying to sell, so don’t make every tweet about it either.

 

Most Twitter users can spot a spammer in a second. If they view you that way, they won’t pay much attention to you. Most likely, they will “unfollow” you in short order.

 

Another great benefit of being yourself is you never have to remember how you are. If you try to come off as an expert when you’re not, you’re going to get found out sooner or later.

 

The second suggestion on how to use Twitter for marketing is to interact with people. Think of it as a great place to meet people. Join in the conversation, but remember that it is a conversation, not a broadcast medium.

 

One good way to start a conversation is to ask a question. The best types of questions to ask are questions that make your followers think.

 

It’s OK if the questions are related to your business, but don’t make it to obvious. If you owned a tire store, you wouldn’t immediately ask somebody, “What types of tires do you have on your car?” right after you met them.

 

Another good way to get involved with people is to answer questions that people you are following ask.

 

The third tip on how to use Twitter for marketing is to help people more than you market to them. When you provide value to people they appreciate it.

 

One way I try to do this is to give tips on Twitter. A lot of people just forming their social media marketing strategy like to have advice as they navigate their way through a new arena.

 

I also like to tweet encouraging quotes. People like to read something that lifts their spirits.

 

Another way to help people is to pass on helpful advice from other people. This is known as “retweeting.”

 

When someone mentions something interesting or says something compelling in a tweet, you can retweet it to the people who are following your Twitter stream.

 

If you’d like to learn more about Twitter, you might want to check out the replay from this webinar. (A word of caution that the fellow is a bit crude for my taste, but he knows what he’s talking about so it’s worth about an hour of your time.)

 

Once you know how to use Twitter for marketing, it will become part of your social media strategy template. you can use it and other social sites as part of a complete Internet strategy.

 

 

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Ways to Make Extra Cash with Internet Money-Making Ideas

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Steve

Internet Money-Making IdeasThe economic situation these days has everybody looking for ways to make extra cash. Many are trying to come up with Internet money-making ideas.

The people who find success are the ones who treat their efforts as a business. They take it serious. That commitment, however, is not enough to make sure you accomplish your goals.

You need a business system. Not just any system, though. You need a business system that works, a formula that’s been proven to make money.

If you really need to find ways to make extra cash, there are at least three things you need to look for in an Internet marketing system.

First, the business system must be backed by a person or group of people who have been successful making money online.

You need to know that their Internet money-making ideas have been tried, tested and verified.

Second, the system needs to have specific formulas for you to follow.

It’s not enough for it to just say, “Do this.” It needs to show you, “Here’s how to do this.” For example, you need to know how to increase web traffic and how best to use other techniques and strategies to earn money.

The best ways to make extra cash include exact templates for you to follow. For example, you want to be able to make a money-making web page.

Third, the system needs to be complete. It should take you from start-up to success. It has to give you step-by-step guidelines that turn Internet money-making ideas into cash.

Fourth, the business system needs to work day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.

You should be able to rely on your business for consistent income. You won’t be able to do that if the system isn’t proven and reliable.

You’re looking for what amounts to a business in a box. You want a turn key type of plan that will improve your bottom line.

I learned a lot about the importance of business systems from a free webinar I watched the other day. It helped me realize that there are formulas that reveal ways to make extra cash. If you can get a handle on successful procedures you Internet money-making ideas will become reality before you know it.

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Video Marketing for Newbies

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Steve

Video Marketing For NewbiesMany Internet marketers without much experience need a video marketing for newbies course to teach them about one of the best sources of online income. It might even help some with a lot of experience.

 

Here are a few guidelines for learning about video marketing.

 

First, learn from someone who has been where you are and made it to where you want to be.

 

You want to be taught by someone who started using videos to market products without much know-how and went on to great success.

 

Second, learn a system with demonstrated success.

 

You want a step-by-step process in video marketing for newbies. You don’t want complicated, roundabout strategies or tactics that are so complex that nobody can duplicate them.

 

Third, learn techniques that will help you connect with viewers of your videos.

 

You want to know more than just the technical aspects of marketing with videos. You need to quickly become a friend to people and a trusted expert in your niche.

 

Knowing all this will add valuable tools to your Internet Marketing toolbox. It might even help you as much as search engine optimization tutorials or a social media strategy template.

 

I got some excellent info about all this in a recent training. As a total newbie, Russ Ruffino was able to bring in more than $76,000 in FOUR short months. He used simple 10-minute videos that anybody can create.

 

During the free training, Russ demonstrated principles that can be used in any online business to make big conversions. And he showed us how to make visitors hang on every word we say. I learned more about video marketing in 60 minutes than I knew from my previous 13 months of Internet marketing experience.

 

You can watch the training here.

 

If you want to learn about the fastest growing segment online, this is video marketing for newbies to the nth degree. This information will keep you on the cutting edge of affiliate marketing.

 

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What is PLR? Good Ways to Make Money

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Steve

what is plrThese days, nearly everyone is looking for good ways to make money. Many people are turning to the Internet, where sooner or later they hear about PLR. They all want to know, “What is PLR and can it help me make money?”

 

PLR is short for “private label rights.” It usually describes one or more articles that you can buy and use for your own benefit. In other words, you have the rights to the articles.

 

Of course, PLR can also be used to describe ebooks, videos, reports and other items, but most often it is applied to articles. Some even come with master resale rights.

 

You can use private label rights articles in multiple ways. Keep in mind, of course, that it’s probably best if you revise or rewrite them.

 

The articles are usually sold numerous times, so you want to change the content to fit your style. This has the added benefit of improving the articles and making them a better fit for your website or other way that you are using them.

 

So, you’re probably asking, “What is PLR good for?” Having the rights to use it in a variety of ways gives you the opportunity to make products that help you business. It is certainly one of the good ways to make money if you use it correctly.

 

The content can help your marketing efforts, including Internet marketing. If you’re familiar with the top Internet marketing toolbox, you probably know the importance of article marketing.

 

As an affiliate marketer, you can rewrite PLR and submit it to article directories for your article marketing efforts. Or you can revise the information so you can post it on your website or blog.

 

Of course, private label rights material can range from high quality to downright lousy. You’ll be able to rework some articles rather easily. Some pieces, however, will be only be useful for getting a few ideas.

 

What is PLR best used for? Product creation. With a little training you can learn how to turn private label rights material into a product and start an affiliate program with it. Good ways to make money take a little know-how, but if you’re willing to learn, it’s well worth the effort.

 

If you create your own product, you earn money from it, plus you’ll have affiliates who will promote it and make you even more profit.

 

Consider Mike Cowles. He has successfully created more than 30 top-notch products. Chances are you have a few of his products.

 

Good news. Mike’s did a free training event focusing on product creation with PLR. He even created a product and set up an affiliate program.

 

You can watch a replay here.

 

 

As usual, Mike over delivered with the training. After watching it, you’ll never again ask, “What is PLR?” He’ll demonstrate how it can be one of the good ways to make money.

 

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The Best Way to Make Money Online – Plan the Plan; Work the Plan; Evaluate the Plan

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Steve DeVane

Every Internet marketer and a lot of other people would love to know the best way to make money online.

Here’s some breaking news – there is no single “best” way to earn income on the web. In fact, I’d say that there are almost as many “best” ways as there are Internet marketers. Everyone has to do what fits his or her personality, skills and abilities.
There are however some guidelines that you can use as a framework if you want to start a web-based business. As a matter of fact, these suggestions will work for most any type of endeavor. I’ve learned them over the past several weeks as I’ve participated in an article marketing club through the Wealthy Affiliate University training program.

First, you must have a plan to follow.

The old saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” is on target. I’ve been involved in some form of Internet marketing for several years. I thought I had a pretty solid working knowledge of the field and how it worked.

When I joined Wealthy Affiliate, I realized how much I didn’t know. Utilizing the organization’s training gave me a newfound confidence that I would find the best way to make money online. I knew success was on the way.

As I realized how much there was much to learn, however, I also saw that there were multiple options available. I knew I could be successful, but I wasn’t sure how to get there.

When the article marketing club was announced, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to learn from people who has already been down the road I wanted to take. It was a perfect plan for me. I’ve been a writer for more than two decades, so the club was a perfect fit for me.

Second, you have to work the plan.

The leader of our club sends out specific steps to take every day. The map is there, but we still have to take the actions outlined in his instructions.

Of course, we have often have questions, but a forum provides help from the head of our group or other group members who have found what works and what doesn’t. Our club has become a community. We all rejoice in each other’s successes and learn from each other’s challenges.

Third, evaluate the plan.

When the club ends, I’ll go back through all the tasks. I’ll see what I did well and take a look at what presented the toughest tests for me.

I can already tell that the club has changed my outlook and my commitment. I knew that one day I would reach my goal of being a full-time Internet marketer. Now I have a step-by-step instruction book to help me get there.

Is it the best way to make money online? For me, it’s the best I’ve found so far.

The article club is just one of the many training tools available through Wealthy Affiliate. You can read more about WA here.

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Social Media Marketing Strategy – Treat it Like a Friendship

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Steve DeVane

Internet marketers have been trying to find a good social media marketing strategy since social networks like Facebook and Twitter gained widespread popularity.

John Reinan, a columnist at MinnPost.com, wrote a post that offers some insight into how best to market using social media. Reinan, who is also a director at a marketing agency in Minneapolis, responds to an article in New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell.

Gladwell’s article, “Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted,” argues that social networks are not effective for social activism.

“The instruments of social media are well suited to making the existing social order more efficient,” he said. “They are not a natural enemy of the status quo.”

But social activism and social marketing are far from the same thing. And Reinan points out that Gladwell says in an online discussion that social media can be useful for selling because they provide a way of “reaching a large audience on a superficial level.”

Reinan goes on to quote media consultant Chris Jordan’s comparison of social media to “a digital, always-on, Chamber of Commerce where we go to meet others and cultivate relationships.”

So what does this mean for Internet marketers?

First, social media marketing can be beneficial.

There’s a reason successful businesspeople attend Chamber of Commerce meetings. They know the people they meet there can be valuable business contacts.

Second, social media marketing will be beneficial only if it’s done right.

Those businesspeople don’t spend all their time at those meetings. Neither should marketers spend too much time on social media. They’re useful for meeting people, but relationships are formed by more direct interaction.

Carson, one of the owners of Wealthy Affiliate University, talks about the importance of building relationships in a post on the Wealthy Affiliate blog. He mentions the value of becoming a “trusted source” to people who visit your website, blog or articles.

“The key is not only to be nice, but to create a long lasting channel of trust,” he said.

You do that by offering value to people you meet online, Carson said.

“Build relationships that last by focusing on ‘helping’ versus ‘selling,’” he said.  “If you treat people like commodities, they won’t react to you in a way that will benefit you in the long run.”

Creating trust. Offering value. Focusing on helping. They can be accomplished on your website much easier than on Facebook or Twitter.

So, treat social networking sites like conversations with fellow businesspeople at a monthly Chamber luncheon. Your website, blog and articles would be like the advice you’d give that person if he or she came to you with an issue connected to your expertise.

The person trusts you because you gave valuable, helpful advice. When he or she needs to purchase something, they’ll come to you.

That’s a solid social media marketing strategy that will pay off for you and your new online friends.

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