How to use traffic exchanges to your advantage

Rule#1 Use your own domain when ever possible.

The most important thing you can do for your online business is purchase your own domain.  Yes, most affiliate programs will give you a replicated website, but because of the duplicated content it is very hard (although not impossible) to get a good search engine rank with an affiliate site.  If you are going to do all of the work, it only makes sense to be driving traffic to your own domain.  It is also much easier to do.  When you take the time to build a website, hosted on your own domain you are in control.  You control the key words, the content and the look of your page.  A simple one page highlighting the benefits of your chosen affiliate program and linking to it, will convert better in manual traffic exchanges.  A splash or intro page is also much easier to get listed in search engines such as Google and Yahoo.  If content is King, then control has got to be his Queen. 

I find it really helpful to think of your website in two parts.  Above the fold & below the fold.

Much like a newspaper, your main or index page of your website should have two parts, above the fold is like the newspaper headline...what grabs your attention and compels a visitor to read the contents which is contained inside (below the fold).  On your site, above the fold is the part that is viewable on the average computer screen without scrolling.  Below the fold is the content...The part that someone visiting your site WILL read, if the headline catches their interest or promises to solve their problem or give them the answer they are seeking. 

When your site is designed with this thought in mind, it can be very effective on either a manual or auto exchange.  But this design is very useful when using an auto exchange.  As I have discussed before, the main purpose of an auto exchange is to boost your search engine rankings, in this arena content is KING. but you also want to be sure your above the fold headline loads fast & catches the attention of a viewer, just in case they are watching. 

Simply put, Graphics are great eye catchers, but they do nothing to improve your search rank.  Graphics may make a human notice your page, but the quality of the content will keep them reading.  Proper html tags let a search engine read your page in the order it is written and relevant content will affect your page's rank.  Page popularity will also affect the way your website is ranked and that is where the traffic exchange plays a role.  Manual exchanges (those that require human action to advance to the next page)  put human eyes on your website.  Auto exchanges will help to increase search engine "bots" or "spiders" interest in your website. 

When it comes to a comprehensive marketing plan, you need both.  I mean seriously, you need people to see, read and decide to make a purchase, click a paid link or join a business opportunity from your page if you are going to earn any money.  The only exception to this rule is if you are being paid to promote the popularity of a non member based site.  Even if that is the case, unless the person or company paying you to promote does not see that ultimately people are visiting their website and acting on the information contained in it...they will drop your services for someone that does provide the desired result.  This thought seems to argue for the use of manual traffic exchanges. 

Now stop for a minute and think about your own behavior.  When you want to know about something, when you need or want a product or service...Do you go looking for a manual traffic exchange?  NOT Likely!  You probably go to your favorite search engine and do a search.  Will people find you when they are searching?  Optimize your website key words, keep your content relevant and send tons of traffic to your website and your chances just got better.  Do I guarantee that you will be #1 on Google or Yahoo if you use an auto traffic exchange to send traffic to your website? No...Much depends on your page design, key words, proper use of tags and content.  But it does help, it is relatively effortless and can be done in the background while you do other tasks, while you sleep or anytime you are away from your computer.  It only makes sense to let your computer work for you when you are not available to do so.

Judy L Young

Evergreen Traffic

http://www.evergreentraffic.com

This article represents the views of the author, and may be reprinted as long as all credits and links stay intact.

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