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The 9 Free Things Every Site (or Lens!) Should Do

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Rule #1: If you have a site or Squidoo lens, you want more traffic.

Rule #2: You don't have enough money to buy as much traffic as you need.

Rule #3: You've already made your site/lens as compelling as you know how to.

So, what now? Read on for the (free) details. 

1. Register with technorati

It helps track blog posts and site changes

It's free and it only takes a few minutes. Technorati and Google both track all the changes you make in your Squidoo lenses and your website, but it helps if you sign up.
Technorati
You might need your tech person to hold your hand on this one.

The secret shortcut of online promotion

...is that there is no secret shortcut. Step by step, bit by bit, link by link, you build something important and powerful.

Hurry, but don't rush.

2. Become a Digger

Digg is a site that lets the mob find the good stuff

Not only is contributing to the community a good idea, but it pays off in traffic back to your best stuff. (Watch out! If your stuff isn't good, it will get buried).
Digg
Once something you do gets "Dugg", be sure to link to that on your site, so that others can Digg it as well.

Bonus #2a: Start an argument

It turns out that arguments and debates and comments are a great way to get people coming back.

Do you need connections to succeed online?

Loading Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Yes! It matters who you know.

ubaldoherbert says:

please give me more

Posted February 11, 2012

euro1965 says:

yes of course i need

Posted February 09, 2012

MrTossot says:

Yes i need

Posted February 09, 2012

BradKamer says:

Good content goes without saying. Networking among peers and establishing backlinks is critical.

Posted February 08, 2012

bloomingrose says:

It matters who you know - so try to hang with the best!

Posted February 07, 2012

No! Great content and hard work are the secret.

Workwithmom says:

I think great content and hard work and also little bit of luck is needed plus as arbuela said its not what we know but where and how to use it at the correct time and place is the secret

Posted February 13, 2012

euro1965 says:

step by step...but i had to be better...lets do it!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted February 13, 2012

arbuela1 says:

No. there are some awesome lenses on squido to help you succeed online. So its not who you know but knowing where to look and offering great content.

Posted February 08, 2012

gazingupwards says:

It helps to have connections, but I believe that great content is what will really drive people to your lens. When I want to get some how to tips or some decorating advice, I type it in the search engines and keep clicking till I find that special link. I don't worry about whether or not I have some kind of personal connection with them. I just want the information I need. I usually look at multiple sites to get as much information on my subject of choice. The only connections that might come in handy are links to your page from sites that are relevant. Also the word succeed is in question in my mind. I have only had 6 hits so far, but my mother was one of them. She liked my story, and as far as I am concerned that makes me successful. (If you knew my family you would understand.) I like my story, and I have so many ideas and so little time. I wish I could have hours to sit at the computer to type and add updates, but I have a full time job and a family to tend to. Success online has to do with whether or not you are satisfied with the work you are putting out there. If you are getting something out of your online experience then you are achieving one level of success. If you keep on keeping on it is only a matter of time to see what the others refer to as "online success".

Posted February 08, 2012

goo2eyes says:

right now, i am satisfied with squidoo. i earned the purple star for my lens-if animals could talk and also earned my wings as squid angel recently. it is most appropriate that i bless this lens not because you are the boss but because the contents herein are very useful for all squids.

Posted February 05, 2012

 
view all 3,417 comments

3. Build ANOTHER Squidoo lens

Every blog, every organization needs one

A lens (you're reading one) is an organized directory that makes it easy for people to find your good stuff. It's free and you should have one... it will bring you credibility and traffic.

Already have a lens? Make another, and link 'em together. Up your discoverability factor.
Get started
Or you can click the button on the top right that says "build a lens".

4. Get your team, or customers, or friends to spread the word

It's not a top down world any more, folks

It only takes a dozen or two people to post something to Reddit, or StumbleUpon, or Delicious, or other social news and bookmarking sites to get a lot of attention to your work. Stop worrying about getting listed in the New York Times and start talking to your friends instead.
StumbleUpon
A great way to get discovered, just by being remarkable.
Del.icio.us
Tag your favorite links and lenses.
Reddit
It's like Digg, but different. Great stuff rises to the surface, so make something great.

5. Issue a press release

But only if you have something to say

Press releases aren't just for reporters. News readers (like Google News) read the press releases for the good stuff. So if you've got stuff, issue it as press release.
PRLeap
There are plenty of other services... some that are even worth paying for.

6. Get a sister site for testing

When the IT folks complain too much

Most big organizations have a 'frozen' site. No testing, no little experiments, no landing pages. You don't have to fight them. Just get some low-cost or free hosting and experiment with some pages that come BEFORE your firewall.
GoDaddy
Not free, but close. So, you could build a page here with a different domain, run some Google ads to put traffic to that page and see if you can convert some of that traffic into clicks to your site. You won't know if you don't try, and this is cheap enough that you can try.

7. Google Analytics

You won't know what's working unless you measure

If you've got a lens, don't worry about this part. Squidoo handles it for you! Just check your stats page for daily info.
Google analytics
Useful and addictive and free.

8. Don't be boring

If it's so obvious, why are you ignoring it

Every single one of the hundreds of millions of web surfers has billions of choices. And they're not choosing you. Why? Well it could be that they don't know about you. But it's way more likely that they don't care.
Purple Cow
You have no right to traffic. If you're lucky, and GOOD, you earn some.

You'll earn it when you do something daring, interesting, useful, provocative, free, compelling, emotional or urgent.

Hurry.

9. Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube

It's kind of unfair to put all these together, because they each deserve their own writeup.

What hot community are you already part of? Are you on Facebook, Twittering with your friends, getting Adds on MySpace, or swapping pics on Flickr? Link back to your favorite sites and lenses from those profiles. Link hither and yon and back again, and you'll generate your own little traffic economy. Nice.
Flickr
What if you used pictures to help tell your story?
Twitter
The social conversation site of the moment. What if you twittered your latest lenses for your friends?
Facebook
The perfect place for flaunting links and lenses.

What's tip #10?

Add your own idea here.

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What's the unsung tip?

Tell readers of this lens which technique is the one they shouldn't skip

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Free eBooks and posts worth reading

If you're not doing this stuff, you're not really serious.

How to Attract Links and Increase Web Traffic - The Ultimate Guide | Copyblogger
This is the master list of ebooks and other sources
101 Ways to Build Link Popularity in 2006 : SEO Book.com
Andy Hagans and Aaron Wall team up to write about 101 ways to build link popularity in 2006. We like #35 the best.
Unleashing The IdeaVirus
The entire book for free. Sorry about the dated formatting.
Seth's Blog: Flipping the Funnel--new ebook
Free ebook on social media and traffic
Link Bait
Quick, easy list of how to think about link bait
FREE TRAFFIC: the ebay ebook
This just in from Megan, Editor in Chief of Squidoo. For anyone selling anything online, from CafePress to Etsy to Lulu to eBay, this ebook will help you get more traffic and meet new customers.

by

sethgodin

Seth Godin is the bestselling author of 13 books. He writes about marketing, the spread of ideas and managing both customers and employees with respec... more »

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