- Dynamic content is necessary for search engine recognition, and by
updating the website frequently, the search engines see your website as an
active, not stagnant, website. How often should changes be made? At the
very least, monthly. But the more frequent the changes, the better. There
are some tried and true methods you may want to employ:

• Monthly newsletter (or weekly)
  



• Tip of the day that rotates to the page using a scrïpt from an
  existing database of information at your site.
  



• RSS feed to public news feeds that update hourly or daily at the
  least.


• Changes to contact information, staffing, clients, etc.
  



• Checking links frequently to make sure that they are active and
  valid, and changing the link text from time to time will register as a
  change to the page.
  



• Simple modification of content from time to time should be done in
  between these regular maintenance tasks which will update the website.
  

Good links management will result in a stronger weïght given by the
search engines for search positioning. The algorithms used for weighting
one page over another require link popularity assessment for successful
traffïc to your website. Link popularity is also one of the main
considerations for Google and Alexa Page Rank. How do you achieve link
popularity? It can be tedious and requires careful attention to the
selection of the links, but there are several means that can be employed:

• Reciprocal Links: Search for relevant and desired web pages
  with which to trade links.
  



• Purchase PageRank-based links: boost your relevance and
  weïght in the eyes of search engines by purchasing links for a period of
  time, three to six months until you have achieved a better ranking.
  



• List with directories: paid or unpaid directory listings that
  are relevant to your website will give your website additional exposure.
  



• Anchor text: create the links with link text in mind,
  utilizing relevant keywords where possible.
  



• PageRank consideration: link only with websites that have
  decent PageRank (PR); i.e., PR of 3 could be a minimum but a PR of 4
  would be a better minimum requirement from those pages who want to
  exchange links with you.

Blogs: Web logs linked to your site or posting to popular blogs
with your links included to point traffïc back to your site; a good
strategy is to employ pinging with blog posting.

Forums: Forum participation that allows you to leave your link
with the intent of attracting traffïc back to your site can get traffïc
back to your website, however, take care that you actually offer something
of value in your posting so you are not accused of spamming.

Search Engine Listings: Listing with frëe search engines and
directories is an essential step, although you won't see any results for
months.

Gather Opt-ïn Email Addresses: Utilize an email list
subscription function on your website with the intent of sending
e-newsletters and announcements on a regular basis. This subscription list
can be used for several other campaigns, including the sale of advertising
space in your newsletter.

Advertise on Ezines: Purchase sponsorship on other email lists
where you can promote your product and/or services as well as links to
your website in the process.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns with Google and Yahoo Search
Marketing where you purchase advertising space based on keywords that are
popular for your website if you are not in a saturated market. If your
business operates in a saturated internet market, seek niche keywords for
your PPC advertising. Determine your budget first and from there, you will
know how much you can afford for the positioning you desire. It's all
mathematical:

Price-Per-Click = monthly budget/number of clicks (or) Number of clicks
= monthly budget/price per-click.

Some suitable combination of price and number of clicks based on your
own budget will result in a campaign you can monitor and adjust as
necessary. The important result to watch for is the conversion rate. How
many paid clicks convert into the desired result; i.e., new contract, sale
of product, sign up for e-newsletter, etc.

Remember, creating a website is only the first step. Driving traffïc to
your site is the next important task. Layout a plan of action and
follow-through. You are not going to realize success until you spend the
time and energy - or pay someone else for their time and energy - to get
the job done.

(c)2005. TAO Consultants, Inc. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Chesa Keane is the owner of TAO
Consultants, Inc., a computer consulting firm focusing on internet
consulting: web development, search engine optimization, internet
marketing and accounting solutions. In the computer business for over 25
years, Chesa has watched the internet evolve into the miracle it is today.
She can help you stay competitive in your industry while opening new
avenues of business promotion.