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Internet Marketing Secrets

By Michael Fleischner | Marketing Expert, Internet Marketing Secrets*

If you’re developing a new website, or just want to improve the natural search results of an existing website, there are a few Internet marketing secrets you need to be aware of - especially those that can provide a significant boost to your rankings.

Marketing Experts Start with Google

I have seen various statistics, but one thing is clear, Google is the dominant player of search - commanding approximately 60% of all search engine traffic. Ask any marketing expert where he or she would spend their search engine optimization efforts and they will undoubtedly say “Google”. Do what you can to rank well on Google. As a result, you will see results on other search engines as well.

One of the simplest Internet marketing secrets you can put into effect immediately is to register your domain name for 3 years. Many individuals who begin a web-based business register for one year only. You must realize however that Google is in the business of generating quality results from legitimate businesses. If you’re an established business, chances are that your web site has been up for more than a year. Google likes to see longevity and commitment. If you plan to be around for some time, register your domain for three years and show Google that you’re in business to stay.

Optimize Your Home Page for a Keyword Phrase

You have to use the right keywords if you want your website to appear at the top of any search result list. This can be tricky because most single key words are very competitive. What to do? Another internet marketing secret is to use a keyword phrase, not just a single keyword. Additionally, you want to find a keyword phrase that isn’t very competitive but generates a decent level of traffic on a daily and monthly basis. To do so, follow these simple steps:

1. Visit the overture search tool at http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/. This tool shows you how many individuals typed in a particular search term for the previous month.

2. Type in your keyword and notice other keyword suggestions. Select a number of keyword phrases to evaluate. The higher number of people searching on a keyword phrase generally means that it will be harder for you to get top placement for that term. A good number to shoot for, in terms of monthly keyword phrase searches, is about 1000 – 2000 per month.

3. Go to http://www.google.com and type in the keyword phrase(s) you’ve selected one at a time. After entering each, notice the total number of results listed in the upper right hand corner after your search. This is the number of web pages that are also associated with this keyword phrase. You want to find the keyword phrase that commands the highest number of monthly searches (step 2 above) and the least number of competitors.

On Page Optimization

If you are going to rank well for any keyword phrase, you need to effectively manage your on page optimization. Specifically, your use of H1 and H2 tags, page title, alt images, bolded text, italicized text, underlined text, and keyword proximity. The Internet marketing secret here is to copy your competition and do things slightly better. To do so, type in your keyword phrase in Google and visit the top 5 sites listed individually. Select “view source” in the Internet browser window you’re using for each site and see what your toughest competition has done.

• Have they included the keyword phrase in their page title?
• Does the keyword appear in bolded text only once?
• Italicized text one? Underlined text only once?
• Does the keyword phrase appear in the first 25 words on the page? The last 25 words?

You will need to copy what the best websites for that keyword phrase have done and improve upon it. You don’t need a marketing expert to show you how to do what I’ve just described, simply copy the best and evaluate each point noted. Shape your site to appeal to Google and other key search engines.

Off - Page Optimization

The final Internet Marketing Secret you must learn is the importance of off-page optimization. This refers to the number of links pointing to your site, the PR rank (stands for Google Page Rank) of the sites linking to you, and the Anchor text of the link.

There are some simple things you can do to begin developing an aggressive link campaign for those sites that link to your competitors – for the keyword phrase you’ve selected. The best advice I can give you however is to research SEO and link building software on the Internet. This will allow you to make the most of your time and target the best sites to improve your link popularity.

Building your link popularity is an arduous task and in my opinion difficult. I’ve certainly learned over the last few years that your effectiveness in this area is ultimately determined by the tools you use and effort you exert. Take my word for it, you don’t want to build your links manually, you’ll never get ahead – so research options on the Internet.

Once you begin developing links, you’ll need to monitor them on an ongoing basis. Keep in mind that you will often have to provide a link on your website to the third party site. Be sure to create a links page where you maintain your link exchanges and monitor it regularly to insure that third party links to your domain still exist. If removed, you should remove your link as well.

The Internet marketing secrets shared in this article are essential for improving your search engine results. Take your time and implement each one in a controlled and disciplined manner and you will see your rankings improve.

* Michael Fleischner is a Internet marketing expert and the president of MarketingScoop.com, the Internet’s biggest source of marketing information and free marketing resources. He has more than 12 years of marketing experience and has appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media. Visit MarketingScoop.com for further details, marketing secrets, or more FREE reprint articles.