Previously we discussed SEO basics and on-page optimisation. In this article, we’re looking at the more crucial Off-Page optimisation. Think of it as appointing votes. If another site places a link to your site then that site has given you a vote of confidence. They’re saying, “Look at them – they’ve got something interesting to say…”

The link has a couple of key features. Firstly it contains the specific URL of the page. And second, the ‘anchor text’ or ‘keyword phrase’ that is highlighted on the web-page for you to click. This equates to a vote being generated for that exact page. i.e. one vote towards this site appearing higher up in the natural listings when we type that phrase in the search box.

It always works in this way. There’s an irrevocable connection between the page pointed to and the anchor text. Or the process can’t happen. The Search Engines use the anchor text as an explanation of what the page is all about. It’s ESSENTIAL to understand this – Your site will only come up in searches it has anchor texts for.

Can you see therefore why a ‘Click Here’ link serves no SEO purpose? The phrase ‘CLICK Here’ is what we’ve voted for! Who would choose to search for Click Here? No-one of course.

Hence why the anchor text must be used correctly. For it represents all the phrases your site will be listed for. For your information, the Adobe Reader download site features first for CLICK HERE. Is that because Adobe want to rank for ‘click here’? Absolutely not! But think how many web pages include a link to their site with the words click here…

In other words, the SE’s use the anchor text phrase to cast a vote for a page. Which is very logical. SE’s try to look for relevancy in the same way a real person would. The content of your page isn’t necessarily relevant. For if the text that is pointing to your site says Blue Flowers, then that is what you will be listed for! That’s how the ‘voting system’ works.

Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that… The Search Engines also take into account a pages’ title and its wording. Plus a whole bunch of other factors as well. Just as an example – they’ll look at the spread and relevancy of the ‘voting’ sites.

The crux of it all is though that a mass of back links solves all the problems! And these need to be from as many different sites as possible – with the correct phrases used as anchor text. A site’s quality is taken into account as well: Receiving a link from a top site like Microsoft is much more valuable than one from a start-up site.

It takes knowledge and skill to identify the best keyword groupings for your site. (Research your competitors well before you plump for yours.) It really boils down to one thing: When someone is looking for your product, what words do they use for their search? Find the answer to that, and you’ve got your keywords.

And yet it’s not a case of guesswork. The best results are sometimes quite unexpected. Individuals can be quite random in the way they express themselves. One person looking for a good night’s sleep might type in “Orthopaedic beds” or “New Mattress”. Yet ‘more sleep please’ could be someone else’s first thought.

Successful on-line marketing is about more than trusting vague hunches. We can’t over-stress the need to TEST and MEASURE all the phrases you’re considering using. The number of people visiting your site will be in direct proportion to the work you do in this area. An analogy could be drawn with a listing in the Business Yellow Pages. You’re not going to get any enquiries for Car Repairs if you’re indexed as a Hairdresser! It is just as crucial to get your keyword analysis correct. Then everyone who’s looking for what you do will easily find you.

(C) Jason Kendall SEM. Pop to EvolveSEM.co.uk for intelligent business tips on SEM Experts.

With the failing economy effecting many of us and the real life fact that money is getting harder to come by, the thought of making money online is becoming even more alluring, and one of the first things countless people hear about is something called affiliate marketing. Whilst there is a enough information out there to overwhelm the majority of webmasters at first, the chief idea is fairly straightforward.

Researching Your Online Market Is The First Phase In The Development Of Your Internet Website.

When first starting out you want to locate a solid niche market you are actually interested in and conduct market research for viable keywords. This is your most important starting point, and you can accomplish this by finding out what your possible visitors are searching for. This is the essence of keyword research finding the profitable terms or phrases persons type into search engines to reveal answers to their problems, and you can be assured that if you do not do your niche keyword research, you will regret it later.

By revealing and utilizing keywords that consumers are actively entering into the search engines, you will be capable to help your websites and landing pages rank better, generating a constant wave of organic, relevant traffic.

Keyword research doesn’t have to be a arduous mission, however. Commence with the at no cost Google Keyword Tool, that can be found by typing into Google search Google keyword tool external, and then simply write in a keyword or phrase that identifies the product or niche that you are interested in entering as an affiliate.

All you need to do is just click the get keyword ideas to get 100’s of related keyword suggestions and gauge the keyword competition of the market by taking a look at the number of times internet users are searching for your main keywords each month.

What you need to do is find a market with good demand but also has existing competition and products readily available for you to advertise, but not that competitive that ranking highly is next to impossible.

What’s significant here is that you need to bear in mind there must be a sustainable market for whatever you choose to market. Since you are an affiliate, your costs for entering a market are not very high, but it’s still a useful brainstorm to obtain the time to do niche research in order to not throw away your time.

Before you start any online business, make sure you read Ron Cripps excellent articles on affiliate marketing and creating a viable online business. Free reports and software downloads available. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service