Category Archive: 'Attracting Traffic'

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Google’s New Search Algorithms & Why Subscription Sites May Not Need to Worry

Date: March 23, 2012 Topic: Attracting Traffic, Conversions Tags: , , ,

You’ve probably heard that Google is working on a new search algorithm to penalize sites that are “overly” optimized. As if you didn’t have enough to worry about.

But subscription site execs might not have as much to fear as you think. True, Google’s constantly changing platform makes it more difficult for businesses to, well, do business — especially when the rules to get to the goal post change as you’re running down the field. And search traffic is important. But not as important as conversion.

As Avinash Kaushik mentioned in a recent speech at the SES conference in New York, online businesses need to get past “the 2%” of measuring clicks and page visits and focus on the value of the interaction. This is done by measuring both micro and macro conversions, he said. By getting a more 3-dimensional picture of members, subscription sites will have the recurring revenues to withstand the  bottom-line fluctuations caused by Google’s mercurial business practices.

Posted by MinalB21
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How To Get Member Site Traffic From Optimized Press Releases

Date: March 15, 2012 Topic: Attracting Traffic Tags: , , , ,

Greg Jarboe gave a great Webinar talk this past week through our sister site, Subscription Site Insider, about how you can optimize your press releases to pick up search engine traffic. But the really helpful bit was about how to harness the power of bloggers, which Jarboe says are far more likely to link to your site and your press release than journalists (plus, they’ll often give an implicit endorsement of your product or site).

If you’re looking to get bloggers to link to your subscription or membership site, follow these easy steps:

  1. Use Google Analytics (or whatever comparative program you have set up) to find out who’s linking to your site.
  2. Search your direct competitors and find out what blogs are linking to them
  3. Many blogs are supported through Google AdSense. Use your account to find out which blogs are getting your ads and reach out to them
  4. Make sure the marketing department is compiling a list of these people and updating them frequently.

If you’re looking for more tips to drive traffic to your subscription or membership site through online press release distribution, including which distribution service  might be best for you, make sure to check out Subscription Site Insider‘s on-demand video of Jarboe’s talk. It’s chock full of tips!

Posted by MinalB21
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Have You Got Your .tv URL Yet?

Date: February 21, 2012 Topic: Attracting Traffic, Video subscriptions Tags: , , , , ,

Last week, professional organizer and spokesperson Lorie Marrero gave a great Webinar on how membership and subscription sites can get more media attention — without being or employing celebrities.

One of the tips she gave was to buy the .tv URL for your site as soon as possible. This will allow you to create a dedicated video channel which will have multiple benefits. One, you’ll get lots of free media training by making videos. Two, you’ll create an online video portfolio that will increase your chances to be selected by media outlets for TV appearances. And three, video gets ranked high in search results when done right, so you’ll be driving more traffic to your site.

If you’re interested in more of Lorie’s tips, check out the on-demand video of her Webinar on our sister site, Subscription Site Insider. And if you think video production is just too complicated or expensive, you’ll want to buy a ticket for our April Summit in San Francisco where Brenda Power of Choice Literacy will be giving a talk on how to make video segments on a budget.

Posted by MinalB21
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A Valentine’s Love Note for Paywall Times Readers

Date: February 14, 2012 Topic: Attracting Traffic, Technology for Subscription Sites Tags: , ,

Dear Paywall Times Readers,

We don’t get to say thank-you enough for your loyalty. But today, I was trolling the Web and came across the most charming animated Google Doodle, which not only has a guileless expression of love, but also exemplifies how to harness new media tools to create memorable content.

What makes this great is it’s apparent simplicity. No doubt, there was some complex technical skills required. But the artists aren’t trying to draw attention to their virtuosity — they’re trying to remind you of a very simple emotion — love without consumerism. It’s the best type of marketing.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to combine message and media, consider attending Subscription Site Insider’s April Summit in San Francisco, where I’ll be speaking on content evolution online. Or just keep reading Paywall Times!

Your Funny Valentine,

PT
PS- Don’t forget your subscribers today. Take a cue from Formstack, a SaaS site that took a break from acquiring new subscribers to appreciate their current ones with this cute login page.

Send some love to current subscribers this Valentine's Day

Send some love to current subscribers this Valentine's Day

Posted by MinalB21
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Social Media: Great for Customer Service, Bad for Marketing

Date: January 24, 2012 Topic: Attracting Traffic, social media Tags: , , , , , , ,

A new study surveying consumers’ social media use had 64% of respondents saying they “hate” it when brands target them through social media.

At the same time, 55% like contacting brands through social media to give them feedback. They also like it when a brand has a page or site, especially if the page has coupons and discounts.

What’s the takeaway? Let your social media be a lighthouse, steadily attracting traffic but not wading in the waters to collect people. Wait for them to engage, but then make sure to follow-up, even if the request falls more squarely in customer service than sales.

Unfortunately Google’s new “Search Plus Your World” feature may have dimmed your lighthouse’s beacon, highlighting Google + profiles over all other social media. However, the clever engineers at Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are not going quietly into the night. They just released a browser bookmarklet, or small piece of code, that can run in Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari (sorry IE users) and pulls up relevant social media profiles across platforms for any search you do.

Perhaps you want to tweet/post about it on your social media profile to let your fans/followers/friends know?

Posted by MinalB21
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