When I was starting out, I decided to learn everything there was to know about getting listed high on search engines. After all, this is where the second group of targeted visitors reside, right? -- Those people who are looking for you! And ready to buy now!

After months of hard work and studying, I managed to get #1 positioning on Infoseek (the hottest search engine at the time) under the keyword "money." You can imagine how excited I was!

The listing lasted all of 7 seconds before I got pushed to number 3. Then to number 7. And minutes later, past the number 20 position.

These days, I don't even bother submitting to search engines. It's a waste of my time. I don't even bother with meta tags or any of that nonsense. And I really have no interest in trying to figure out all the new algorithms that these search engines are using. They'll just end up changing it all completely - tomorrow.

But ... traffic from search engines is one of the most targeted and responsive pools of traffic you'll find anywhere. As we discussed earlier, the individuals that make up this traffic pool are usually ready to buy now! They are going to the search engines looking for the product or service! They're seeking you out!

Therefore, ignoring such a traffic pool wouldn't be wise.

Here's a way you can take advantage of the highly targeted traffic from search engines, without ever having to worry about getting listed with them: Go to the people who have figured out how to get top positioning!

This is what you do..

• Pick the keyword(s) that your target market would search for and run a search for it using the search engine or directory you're interested in.

• Go through each of the top ten (or 20) listings and write down the name and email address of the contact person for each site. Note down any other unique information you find about them.

• Send each person a personalized email, offering either a joint venture, a free ebook, or free report that they can distribute. Use one of the strategies I've discussed earlier. I prefer the free (viral) ebook strategy because it gives the receiver more incentive to accept the offer.


Warning! Do not create a form letter and spam everyone with it. Find out who the "person" behind the website is and personalize the email using his/her name, the website address, what the website is about, and whatever else you can gather to make the email personal.

Yes, this will take some time. But, can you imagine how much exposure just one of these top-ranked sites will bring you if you strike a deal with them? It’s worth the initial setup time!

In fact, a better way to do it is to, again, offer to help them first! With whatever you can. If you're a graphic designer and you feel that you could create a better logo for the website owner, do that.

Remember, the key here is to give first. It will separate you from everyone else and make you stand out. (Even the people who ‘think’ they’re ‘giving first’ are usually not.)

The only other strategy that I see working with search engines is to submit valuable "keyword rich" content in the form of reports or entire websites. Keep in mind that each search engine (and directory) has it's own understanding of what makes "valuable content." So, change your articles up a bit. Move things around, play with all the keywords. One of those articles will grab on. And, be sure to read through the search engine’s submission guidelines to get some ideas.

Of course, you can also hire a search engine submission professional to try and get your site listed and placed well. Personally, I don't know of anyone who can "guarantee" such a listing. If you can find one and can afford their prices, you may want to try it.


Your other option is to use Pay-Per-Click search engines.

These search engines allow you to bid for the right to be placed in the top keyword position.

I have been playing with some pay-per-click search engines and I like the results I’m getting.

But…if you’re brand new to PPC’s, there’s a stiff learning curve to overcome. Unfortunately, this learning curve can cost you a lot of money while you do your trial-and-error.

So, I’m going to save you some money and share with you the tips I’ve found useful when working with PPC’s. They’re provided below:

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