To Optimize Or Not To Optimize

Apr 24
21:00

2004

Dan J. Fry

Dan J. Fry

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... ... could be ... a sickness ... context. Look up ... ... in the ... ... Manual of Mental ... (DSM-V) and ... fits th

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Excessive optimization could be considered a sickness depending
on context. Look up compulsive disorders in the Diagnosis and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and over-
optimization fits the description fairly well. So,To Optimize Or Not To Optimize Articles should most
online home business owners be seen by a psychotherapist? Well, I
won't answer that as of now since it doesn't bode well for my
immediate physical health. But one thing is for sure: web site
optimization is tricky business.

The search engines are in an all out war to be the best. Since
content is king, they are all striving to develop the all around
best algorithm to deliver the most relevant search results. They
are thus in a constant state of flux, which in turn wreaks havoc
on our nerves as online home business owners.

You see, search engines are one of the best forms of free
traffic. And we all know that to run a successful online
business, traffic is a must. Most home based web businesses start
out on very restrictive budgets. I know mine did, and still is.
So, when the toss up is time or money, I, like many others
probably do, chose to work with time.

In walks optimization. You must be on your toes to stay ahead of
the every changing SEs. You must periodically evaluate your
site's content to ensure that you aren't bumped to low indexes.
But this can easily get carried away into what I like to call
over-optimization, and then you probably should consult the DSM-
V.

Traffic is important. There is no doubt about it. But there must
be a balance. So the ultimate question is not whether you should
or shouldn't optimize, but how much time you should spend on it
in terms of other site promotion methodologies.

Try to divide your time. In the beginning I focused heavily on
search engine optimization. Slowly, after several months of
realizing that the process never ends,(I too consulted the DSM-V
and had Freud give me a swift kick in the tushy.) my focus began
to shift to a host of promotion techniques. Here is a short list
of some of the primary traffic generators I work with.

(1) Writing articles, such as this one, to share my experiences
with others and of course provide a link to my site at the end.
Guess what? If someone picks it up and decides to publish any of
my articles on their site, I get bonus points from the search
engines. Why? Reciprocal linking of course. The link shows that
someone else values my site, and as a result my ranking
increases.

(2) E-Zine advertising, whether it be free classified ads which
a host of publishers will offer their subscribers, or full blown
paid solo ads, is a great traffic generator. You know that the
people who visit your site through an ad were looking for
something that you offer. Now that's targeted traffic!

(3) Traffic exchanges can also bring in targeted traffic. Many
of these have the option of free or paid memberships. As of now
I have focused on the free aspect (Remember, I love low, or no
cost advertising.). All that is required is for you to do a bit
of surfing to have your short ad show up on other sites across
the internet. TrafficSwarm and ClickMatrix are two of the best I
have come across. They allow you to target your ad to ensure
that the people who click are serious about checking out your
site. You can sign up for free accounts to both of these at
http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?224700 , and
http://www.clicksmatrix.com/index.php?ref=ekinetic .

(4) Pay-per-click can also drive targeted traffic. The thing I
don't care for is that the cost can easily get out of hand, if
you don't continuously evaluate your click through rates on a
daily basis. Soon your back to focusing on pay-per-click and re-
consulting with the DSM-V:).

Ultimately, you want to incorporate a handful of techniques that
you find work for your particular home based web business. I nor
anyone else can guarantee what works. It takes testing on your
behalf. But, and this is important, the testing phase is
educational and forces you to stay focused on methods that work.
So try the inexpensive traffic builders first. Find out what
works for you. Then expand your arsenal. Most of all, be patient
and success will come!