Internet Marketing Tycoon

**smnoel** · 06-25-2006, 11:19 PM

Man..too much coffee.

I have to admit that I've done very little promotion. I wrote a press release once. lol It was fairly successful too, but otherwise not much promotion.

For conversation sake, where did you start with promotion and advertising? What methods have you tried? What was most successful? And lastly, what were you advertising? (ie. product, service)

**petertdavis** · 06-25-2006, 11:23 PM

Link building. It's all about the links.

**smnoel** · 06-25-2006, 11:38 PM

Ok. Then I lied a bit. I have in the past asked for a handful of link exchanges.
Then my question to you (or anyone really) becomes, how much effort are you putting into link building? And in what ways are you primarily building links? (articles, exchanges, cross linking multiple sites, paid text advertising, friends in similar genre?)

Speaking of cross-linking, how do you (or anyone reading) cross link between their sites? (assuming some have mutiple sites) I assume unique ip, but do you follow a method like Aspen's hub/spoke method?

**petertdavis** · 06-25-2006, 11:41 PM

70% of my efforts are just asking for links. "Hi there Sir, could you please link to my site!" type thing. The rest, I've paid for in some manner, recips, cash, services, etc. But, not all links are equal, those freely given are of more value than those that cost you something. But, not always.

**smnoel** · 06-25-2006, 11:53 PM

On the flip side, what are your views on selling corporate text link ads?
Example..let's say Best Buy contacts you and sees you have a page that is #2 for a keyword that they want raise in ranking for. You give the ad and move down to number 20 for the keyword and they raise up above you. Any thoughts on that type of advertising? Never? Maybe if the price is right? Who cares, money is money?

Just curious and like to see other opinions.

**petertdavis** · 06-26-2006, 12:03 AM

I've been buying and selling text link ads for several years now. I've never seen a situation that even remotely resembles what you describe.

**smnoel** · 06-26-2006, 12:16 AM

Happened to me this past month. I wondered if I had sold out. lol I sold the link for only $35/month for a year. :crying:
It's a seasonal page that I only get good revenue from around a holiday.

Now obviously, I am not the only one they bought an ad from for the same keyword, but I had held the spot for a good 4 yrs and don't believe it's a coincidence that I dropped and they raised.

BUT, I honestly don't know a whole lot about this. Maybe it is a coincidence.
I am an expert at nada.

**petertdavis** · 06-26-2006, 12:42 AM

Yea, $35 for a year is real cheap, I only do stuff like that on sites I intend to burn. I doubt you could narrow a SERP movement like that down to one cause. Especially if it's Google you're talking about, which has been crazier than the Harvard Square regulars recently.

**smnoel** · 06-26-2006, 12:58 AM

$35/month not a year. Yikes, I was cheap, but not that cheap. lol

I just looked. They are now high on page two and I'm page three. I know that sounds bad for either site, but it's a pretty competitive keyword.

I started mine at $35 a month and thought it was fair until I saw how quickly two companies jumped on it. I did get those two companies for a year though.

**petertdavis** · 06-26-2006, 01:22 AM

Ah, lol, I misread that. You can always try taking off the ad and seeing if you regain the rankings. Or, put a nofollow on it.

**petertdavis** · 06-26-2006, 01:22 AM

Of course, be sure not to violate terms with your advertiser!

**smnoel** · 06-26-2006, 01:59 AM

haha I had typed up a long post (mine are all long) lol But you just replied what I was getting at. The terms. With the two I'm talking about, with one there was a contract and it was clear and the other there wasn't a contract, but it was most certainly implied and understood since his title wasn't media buyer, it was Search Optimization Manager AND he also said he'd probably advertise for another year once this year was completed. My point being, I don't want to mess with what he paid for.

I guess what I'm saying is my spidey sense tells me that this isn't a good thing. lol Is making money selling text links in this way ethical? Is it all good and the way of the world or is it a step toward the dark side?

Just like opinions and tossing situations out there.

**petertdavis** · 06-26-2006, 02:04 AM

I don't see any reason that selling a text ad should be less ethical than selling a banner ad, or an Adsense ad, or any other type of ad. Matt Cutts might want everyone to believe that selling text ads is wrong, but considering the fact that ever time you sell a text ad to an advertiser directly you cut his business out of the loop, you realize he's not giving an unbiased opinion either.

**LeeD** · 06-26-2006, 09:25 AM

I like to concentrate on link building and writing solid content early on. Thos two items alone can bring success.

**Dr. Domaining** · 07-01-2006, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petertdavis

I don't see any reason that selling a text ad should be less ethical than selling a banner ad, or an Adsense ad, or any other type of ad. Matt Cutts might want everyone to believe that selling text ads is wrong, but considering the fact that ever time you sell a text ad to an advertiser directly you cut his business out of the loop, you realize he's not giving an unbiased opinion either.

Very well said, but I also don't think Matt Cutts has a problem with people selling links. He just wants people to use the no follow tag when selling them.

**Hoang** · 07-01-2006, 06:36 PM

Link exchanges, paid campaigns, forum whoring. That's pretty much all I do as far as promoting my websites.

**petertdavis** · 07-01-2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Domaining

Very well said, but I also don't think Matt Cutts has a problem with people selling links. He just wants people to use the no follow tag when selling them.

Either way, I have a huge problem with Google trying to insert itself in relations between me and my advertising clients.

**Dr. Domaining** · 07-01-2006, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petertdavis

Either way, I have a huge problem with Google trying to insert itself in relations between me and my advertising clients.

What exactly have then done?

**Lpspider** · 07-01-2006, 07:05 PM

I've done things like link exchanges and a few paid link positions, but when it comes down to it, it's all about link building... something I really need to work on, to be honest.