Getting Traffic, Content and Links - Greeney's post #2,785

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greenleaves

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Jan 25, 2008
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I'll preface this with saying that a lot of the info I'm going to be writing about has been written about. In fact, given the volume of information in existence, it is near impossible to have a completely new idea; even if it did germinate exclusively from your brain.


Now, I'd like to expose some ways I have enjoyed getting kick ass links, content and profited over the years.

To give some background: Most of my time in the industry, I have have been an affiliate or a consultant. I was a product provider for a while, but that didn't end up so well. Now I'm making my second attempt at moving up the food-chain, but have run into issues (personal shit that is interfering with business) So most of my stuff comes from the perspective of a consultant or an SO-oriented affiliate guy. Many of these topics have been discussed, but I'd like to give a little depth to them, since the nuances can make or break the applicability of a technique:



1- (content + links) Pre-Copyright Content
It turns out that most books published before 1923 are, for the most part, out of copyright. This means, if you scourge amazon, you will likely find books from before that date that are not popular and are on the topic of your niche (assuming your niche isn't something modern). You can buy these books, scan them, OCR them and then publish them on your website (or get a college kid to do it for you) This can give you tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of words of very low cost, very high quality content.

It also happens to be that there are many websites regarding old books, and aficionados who love to read them. Contact them and tell them about your book, and offer them that they can give it to their users for free; in exchange of a link.

Wikipedia is also quite open to including citations on a topic that are referenced from a book ;)

Last, many larger sites in different niches like to seem more legitimate by linking to reading material on the topic.

Legal notice; to further find out about the legality of this technique read here:
LibraryLaw Blog: The myth of the pre-1923 public domain



2- (content) Transcribing youtube videos
Many times, there is top notch content in your niche in the form of youtube videos; be it reviews, news or general banter. For a few dollars, you can upload it to speechpad.com and have hundreds of words of top notch content. To not get in trouble, I tend to give a link back to the youtube video and, if the youtuber has a website, also to his/her website. I don't normally use this for money sites; but it is GREAT for building up powerful web 2.0 sites. I haven't gotten in trouble with this technique, but I know it is in the gray area; use with caution.



3- (content) Setting up writing contests
This is particularly good for niches with difficult to get content. I did it for one of my casino affiliate sites. I created a 'writing contest' website, totally unrelated to casino. The idea was you had to write a story based on a picture posted, a different one posted each month. First picture I used was totally unrelated to casino. I got the site listed on a TON of free contest sites and writer forums (they will link to you for free and some have MASSIVE traffic). After that, even though the website never mentioned gambling, it always had a picture of people at a slot machine or at a table game. I got some grade A+ articles written, basically for free.

In terms of prizes, I'd make the 'main prize' something very attractive, but always free myself from having to give it by including in the terms of the contest that the main prize was ONLY given if a large number of contestants participated, which I knew we would never reach. The secondary prizes were free chips at various online casinos; they cost me nothing and actually netted me a profit from the ones that ended up depositing.



4- (links) Find expired domains and 301 or resurrect the site
If you take a simple and free program like xenu link checker, and start going over a number of the top ranking sites in your niche, I'm sure you will find at least a couple of links to domains that are expired and available for registration.

You can then 301 these domains to you main site/inner pages, or can re-create the site via archive.org and have it link you. I've scored some really awesome buffer sites with this method (I tend to prefer to resurrect them)

Sometimes the domain is taken, but I have purchased them this way also (depends on the new owner, most want crazy amounts for their domains, but some will sell it in the low 3 digits)

BTW, when you resurrect, don't include your links right away, I like to bring it back to life exactly as it was, so that Google views it as 'back online', only after a month or two and adding an article or two do I drop my link. And I tend to prefer to make the link from a 'banner' so it looks like advertising and not some SEO bullshit.
 
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PART 2





5- (links + advertising) Buy hobby sites; not links
If you find a hobby site that has been abandoned, look up the guy, and ask him if he would be willing to sell you the site for you to continue developing it. Many times these aficionados just want to see their baby grow, regardless of who is doing it. They can envision the potential it has, even if they no longer have time for it. So play them on it. It doesn't matter if you actually intend to do anything with the site; just say what you have to in order to get them to agree to sell it.

Show them you have a genuine interest in developing it, that you share their vision, etc. I've had luck securing a site for a couple hundred; a site I'd be willing to pay a couple hundred just for the link. The key here is to play into their vision. Many great hobby sites are started NOT for the money; but for the passion. So you can play that passion.

Make sure to send them an 'agreement' your attorney friend insists on that includes clauses that you are purchasing all the intellectual property of the site (as in the text and pics, not just the domain). Use the word 'agreement' and 'attorney friend' so it doesn't seem so much like you are a commercial driven person.

I then put up my links in the form of banners, so they don't seem so SEO'ish upon a manual review (you will get manual reviewed if you rank high enough)



6- (links + exposure) Donate
There are charities in almost every area that you can leverage to get links from. Particularly good are small charities focused on specifics (sell cell phone cases? donate to a 'cell phones for troops' charity; they almost always have a sponsor section and you can get on that for a relatively low price). Even if you are in a niche that doesn't seem fit for donating to charity, you can get some kick ass links if you think creatively. Sell weight loss? donate to a food for hungry cause. Sell speed reading? Donate to a literacy charity. Sell pet supplies? Donate to a local animal shelter.

Remember to word your emails in such a way that you seem to really care about what the charity is doing. You are likely speaking to a volunteer who is passionate about the topic they are dealing with. Also be humble. Something like:

I've always wanted to help animal shelters. Since I was a little kid I've always picked up animals off the street, much to my mother's discontent. I'm now running a tiny business that I'm trying to get going, and with my first profits I'd like to make a donation. Can I ask what the minimum is?
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On your next email, mention the sponsor section in a very discreet way, and use someone else as the bad guy:

Thank you so much for the reply. I wish I could help more; like you do, but unfortunately family issues keep me in the for profit business. It makes me so sad to know how many animals are suffering here, and how easily it could all be avoided. It is great to know people like you are making a real difference. I've talked to my partner and we will be donating come the beginning of next month when we close our monthly books. It might not be much, since we are still just starting, but hopefully as we will grow we will be able to help with more.

BTW, my partner looked at your website and he was wondering what we could do to get on that sponsor page?
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If you play it right, they will help you. If you act from the beginning like you want something in exchange for your donation and you seem like a big company (very easy for them to believe this) then they will treat it like a commercial transaction where they try to maximize the benefit they receive.

Aside from the link, you can get some great exposure. If you sell X, and they are giving it to the troops, that troop might need something that goes with X (like Y), which he didn't receive, and if you send to FPO's/APOs, you can close some extra sales from very loyal customers.



7- (links) Create lists and submit them to different sites
Once, in a thread on WF, someone said that certain topics are impossible to write link bait for and they gave an example of Toilets. In reply, I gave an example of link bait article titles that can be written:
10 most disgusting toilets of all times
10 most famous movie toilet scenes
5 Most expensive toilets in the world
Crazy Toilet Technology you Won't believe
History of toilets
Toilets around the world
toilet culture and norms around the world
Public Toilet Quality Standards in Different Countries
Amount of Water Saved per Day by Eco-Toilets
Toilet 'Deconstructing' Videos (i.e. break it and show the interior)
What type of Toilet are you Quiz
Large Compilation of Toilet Pictures given creative commons attribution
Things on Toilet Pictures (again CC with attribution)
Crazy Shit People say on the toilet

Now, writting link bait is all great and stuff, but if you don't 'work it' you won't get the full effect of this. What do I mean? Well, lets expand on the previous list:
10 most disgusting toilets of all times - This one should be submitted to sites listing 'disgusting things'
10 most famous movie toilet scenes - This one should be submitted to movie related sites.
5 Most expensive toilets in the world - This one to luxury sites.
Crazy Toilet Technology you Won't believe - This one to technology sites.
History of toilets - Not very submittable
Toilets around the world - Travel sites
toilet culture and norms around the world - Travel sites
Public Toilet Quality Standards in Different Countries - Travel sites/expat sites
Amount of Water Saved per Day by Eco-Toilets - Eco sites

I think this should give you the picture. Don't just submit your list to random top 10 sites. Submit them to REAL sites, written by REAL people with REAL readers in mind. Not link building fluff... that works, but it is a churn and burn game. Land links from sites people would maintain even if losing money; those links will stick, they will be referenced and might even send you real visitors.



8- (traffic, links) Create a real Kick ass Youtube channel
Fiverr is awesome for this. Make videos on the news in your industry (no need to write it, just take it from an existing written news source and have someone read it on camera). Make instructional videos (again, no need to write it, just find something already written, and have someone read it on camera). For a few hundred dollars on fiverr, you can have 100+ videos each targeting kick ass keywords in your industry with real content. Make videos for your press releases. Youtube videos rank very well. And if you develop the channel, they will rank even better. Some tips to get real subscribers:
Sponsor small, industry related youtube channels.

You'd be surprised at how exited someone can get with $30 because $30 to them isn't $30; it could be the first money they made online. They will subscribe to your channel, comment on your vids, tweet you, facebook you, etc. Especially if you approach it right. Don't just say; I want to sponsor your channel. Take the time to watch a few videos. Start off by saying how awesome he is. Say that you really liked "x detail that shows you watched his video". Tell him how you are just starting your business, but would really like to help him produce some more videos; that for now you can offer $30 and that you hope this doesn't' offend him since he seems to be making such AMAZING quality videos you just suppose he is rolling in sponsors. Appeal to his ego. Grovel. Kiss ass. It DOES work. Once he says yes and gives you his paypal, then mention that your boss/partner/etc asks if you could... {insert what you like, link on the next video, subscribe, tweet, comment, etc}
 
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Part 3



9- (traffic, links) Send out press releases DAILY
Daily? Yes. This was mentioned by CCarter here:
http://www.wickedfire.com/enlighten...tion-management-hacker-style.html#post1884209
Buy a package, get press release going, include your videos from point 8, tweet them, facebook them, share them on your google + account. GET THEM out there. Mention them on your website. Use images from your site (include keywords in all parts of the images, they will rank awesomely)
I know what you are going to say:
"But greeney, we don't have anything to write daily press releases about!"
You do. I'm 100% sure you do. Just announce 'reduction in a price' even if it stays the same. Announce a new feature even if it isn't new. Announce a re-design of your site even if you just change 1 image; or even if you change none at all!
Google now is much less link dependent. IF you want to show yourself as an authority; putting out constant videos, 'new images' (this can be just the same old images with a boarder and your logo), press releases, tweets, facebook updates, etc is very important. Why? Because a constant production of materials is what they are looking for. Not so much the link (which is great to include), but the reference of your business name and other factors (this isn't necessarily tweets, it can be a combination of your youtube channel having subscribers, your videos having views, people mentioning you on forums, the fact that your Press release is republished on many sites even if they edit out the link.
For ecommerce sites with many SKUs, this is perfect, I just send out a PR saying we added a new product to our selection every day. Even if the product has been on our site for years. Also send out PRs saying we are having a sale and that X product is on reduced price even if it is still the same price as before.
I also put our PRs saying all profits from the sale of one product for one day will go to X charity. That way I can include links to high authority sites within my PRs. I try to avoid these due to legal issues (I never check with the charity before hand since they are bureaucratic and will take too much time). But I have yet to find a charity to sue me for announcing without their consent that I will be donating to them (although I have had them call me in bewilderment; that was actually quite funny)



10- (links, traffic) Troll/Create Controversy to Gain Visibility
I tend to create a non-money site to 'filter' the controversy for these. Make claims, create statistics, antagonize. Did you know that 87.31% of all people believe statistics when they read them? I didn't know that either, but I did make it up. Are you in the payday loan business? 21% of Pay Day loan users avoided becoming homeless thanks to a payday loan. Diet? 87% of All diet offers are a scam. Sell fake plants? These fake plants were blessed to keep demons away (troll those religious people).

Sell work out juices: "Reduced Potency to not affect the inferior female body" And once you put it out, use an online persona to get the news out and fan the flames. Sell t shirts? Put out a $50,000 t-shirt with gold and platinum coated print.

None of this has to be real. I've actually scored links from eCommerce competitors when putting out such 'products' - The 'official product website' at first will have no mention of me; but eventually, it will.




Previously I mentioned some tips that worked for me. Now, I have a much larger, but equally educational list of tips from my failures:


1- Don't get into shady shit. Fast money is, for the most part, an illusion. You get it, it goes, you don't get more of it. Stay away from anything, even if legal, that will end up under scrutiny of a prosecuting attorney. This for the most part means not getting into areas of business where you are taking the bread and butter from powerful interest groups in a way that is not socially defensible (think online poker; as a poker operator nobody empathizes with you; same for legal highs and others). Also, beware of things people just generally disprove of (think listing nude pictures of girls sent by angry ex-boyfriends, certain types of pornography (two girls one cup anyone?), etc)

Any business you build should be sell-able to a big company for a considerable multiple of yearly revenue. Forget anything where you are going to get a few months worth.


2- Spreading yourself out too thin
This is the #1 thing that has held me back and most people who have tried to make their own. Rule: You don't try something new until you are VERY successful at what you are doing now, or have given up doing it. Don't spread your eggs in many baskets when you don't even have one egg. I can't express how much this has held me and the people I know back. Stick to one thing and be the best, if you want to diversify, do so within the same vertical you are in already.


3- Discover who you are and embrace your true self
This might sound like hippy dippy, new age fluff, but boy is it important. Someone can sleep 4 hours/day and work just find but you can't? Accept it. You might not be the type who can do that. Someone can learn to program with only a few hours of looking shit up online yet you can't seem to grasp it with over a year of studying? Maybe that isn't for you.
FACT: you are good at something. You might not have discovered what it is, but you are good at it. Find a way to leverage it.
Remember, you are not your father, not your friend, not that guy on TV. You are you. A totally unique composition of matter that reacts differently than others. Don't blame yourself for who you are. Embrace it. Work around your down sides.
Remember you can delegate what you aren't good at. The one thing you need to learn to do is delegate, as that seems to be an essential element of the truly successful.


4- Find your comfort zone
Someone who makes $50k/year might live MUCH better and be MUCH wealthier than someone who makes $1m/year. How you ask? Simple, your wealth isn't your income, it is in your bank account. How long can you live on what is in there? How happy can you be when doing so? Someone can earn $1m/year and not save a penny. The second the cheddar stops trickling, they are broke. And the $1m/year might even seem like peasant living to that person since he was brought up in an environment of billions. Someone who makes $50k/year and saves $30k and FEELS like he lives like a king by his own standard, will be in a much wealthier position than the guy who earns and spends $1m/year.

I'm not saying you should settle for earning $50k/year and living off $20k/year. What I am saying is you need to know what you are aiming for based on what you feel you want to spend.

Working, even on your own business, is working. Your life is ticking away. There might be bigger, better things to do with your life then spend 24/7 glued to a computer. At least for me there is. So I want to make a certain amount, a big figure, but I don't care to be a billionaire. That is me. You are different. Find yourself (see point 3)


5- Be humble
Sure, call someone out for acting stupid/saying something stupid. But be careful with extrapolating that. Least you make an ass of yourself like I did once in calling Mont a peasant.

Remember, we are all stupid at times. Anyone can fall on bad times or make bad decisions; no one is above that.


6- Never count your chickens until after they come out of their shell and have lived a week
Yeah, I know, that isn't how the saying goes. However, it was done for a reason. I just lost $30k+ because I counted on something as done when it wasn't. Never count on something until it has happened, and even then, give it a little time to make sure there aren't issues that come up soon after.
 
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Awesome post, I do something similar with the distribution of my content on forums. I tend to write post on trends within the forum's categories and link them out with old, aged accounts.

Controversial pieces are a solid guarantee for both comments on your website, traffic and social sharing.

Thanks for sharing.
 
thehobbster said:
These are great posts that really got my mind stirring on some possibilities! Thanksx9999!



Copyright Violation! Please PM me for my Paypal account. That'll be $1.00 (USD).
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I saw your Youtube video where that it was transcribed from. ;)
(actually transcribing YT vids has been one of the easiest and superb ways of getting content - very solid tip that. 100%)

Quality thread. Reinforces a lot of valuable shiz btw.
 
Someone. Put. This. Into Enlightenment. Now.


And now, when I appealed to your ego and kissed ass, can you shed some light on this:
greenleaves said:
I got the site listed on a TON of free contest sites and writer forums
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Where do you get them? Just google?

:drinkup:
 
Nice man. Excellent compilation.

+rep

Definitely got me thinking about how much work there is to do AFTER you've done the work writing. And there's always more to do. This definitely gave me some great ideas. Thanks for layin it all out there.
 
golan said:
Someone. Put. This. Into Enlightenment. Now.


And now, when I appealed to your ego and kissed ass, can you shed some light on this:


Where do you get them? Just google?

:drinkup:
Click to expand...

Just google; Free contests, free sweepstakes, free stuff, writing contests, etc - There are a few big directories in this space with very large audiences. It seems there is whole subculture of people living off the state who try to supplement their income with finding free shit online.
 
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