Six Ways to Beat the SEO Blues, Part 2

Is it possible to improve your search engine ranking without ever actually implementing basic SEO?

Absolutely.

In the first instalment of this post, we talked about how not to get too hung up on SEO strategy.

There are plenty of other areas of your business you can focus on to improve your search engine ranking passively thanks to back links (when another site links to your website) and keyword-rich phrases.

Today, I'll share six more tips to help you beat the SEO blues.

1. Tweet Generously

Give and ye shall receive. When you share other people's links and reply to their tweets, something amazing happens. People start sharing your content and talking back to you!

Forget blasting promotional or breakfast-related tweets – these are common social media mistakes. Find people in your home feed to talk to, or interesting tidbits to share. Your Twitter karma will come back to you and those links will really help your SEO.

2. Listen and React

Use Twitter as a listening device to figure out what your customers want and need. It's easy to identify potential customers by using API programs such as Tweepi to search for people who mention products you create or the business you're in.

You can make a Twitter Customer List (call it TC for privacy reasons) and watch closely to see what these people talk about on a daily basis. This will help you with blog posts, new product ideas and newsletter copy.

You can also use the Twitter search bar for terms related to your products and services in order to find new customers and competitors.

3. Troll for Opportunities

Twitter isn't there only for networking and promotional reasons. Why not keep an eye on the media and see if any new business opportunities are tweeted for the taking?

Every single day, the media blasts something that could help a creative business owner, such as "Looking for new blue products to feature" or "Be part of the garden party spread" and so on.

Twitter lists are great for keeping track of these because you can quickly scroll the tweets and add new contacts as needed.

4. Start a Mailing List

If you want more sales and better SEO, consider starting a mailing list for your blog. Every time you promote a new blog post or sale to your list, readers will click through to your website and perhaps spread the word on Twitter, Facebook and on their blogs, which will build your back links and help Google recognize your site as more influential.

Proceed with caution: Your list needs to be comprised of those who opted in to receive your newsletter. If someone gets it who did not ask for it, they're going to mark it as spam (causing you problems with your service provider) and avoid your work like the plague in the future.

I recommend using Mail Chimp if you are just getting started because it provides full features absolutely free for up to 500 names on your list.

5. Promote in Stores

I've talked plenty about how to wholesale because it can be a real bottom line and confidence booster. When I had my jewelry selling in 12 stores, I noticed more organic traffic to my website thanks to several of my retailers putting my web link and product photos on their own websites, which helped me rank higher in search engines, thanks to back links. I also noticed more 'buzz' about my products on Facebook, since several customers who got my products in retail stores told their friends.

Once you've asked yourself a few wholesale questions, try creating a line sheet and contacting a large group of retail stores in order to inexpensively land large orders.

6. Use Affiliate Sales

An affiliate program like E-junkie is an underused, yet easily implemented system that allows you to have other people sell your products on their website for a percentage of the sale. When someone starts promoting your work on their website or blog, you receive valuable backlinks, which improve your search ranking.

Spread the word among other bloggers who might be looking for new ways to increase their revenue, by hosting affiliate sales. You can also add an affiliate page to your website with graphics, important information (like when and how much you pay), and any other tips you have for them in regards to selling your product.

Justine Smith is an Etsy success story who used her experience selling online and turned it into a full-time wholesale business. Her real passion is helping handmade sellers find success marketing their craft products. She offers tips on advertising, branding, social media and growth via email through her blog Handmade Marketer.

Related Articles

• Six Ways to Beat the SEO Blues, Part 1
• SEO Savvy: How to Pick the Right Keywords
• SEO for Beginners: 3 Tips for Online Vendors
  

Photo courtesy of acrib