Have you been wondering what you can do to give your Internet marketing business a shot of energy? Perhaps it’s not taking off like you had hoped, or it has gone stagnant after a while. Even though there isn’t an instant cure, there are some things you can do to best insure success for your site.
Chances are, if you have been at this a while now, you already know all the perks that come with working at home, such as flexible hours, less overhead cost, and getting rid of the long commutes. If you are just starting out, or thinking about getting started, you will be pleasantly surprised.
I co-host, along with my wife Arlene, the longest running podcasts on affiliate marketing called the Affiliate Buzz. Our son, who was just recently a popular ‘Buzz’ guest, just landed a new position, just 10 minutes from home. He now understands when we talk to others about giving yourself a raise when you remove the long commute. By not having to fill the tank as often and ‘working’ 2 less hours a day (even for the same pay), you have an instant raise.
However, all those perks won’t matter, if your business falls short of your expectations. So, I am going to share with you some information on how backlinking can give your business that shot of energy it might be craving.
The Introduction of PAD
Back in 1999 when Arlene and I started, our primary method for gathering backlinks for our sites was using a link exchange, or link partnering. It’s what was available, and what worked at the time.
You could have a linked page with 10 or 12 links for visitors to view. But, when you came back just 2 months later, there would be 300 or more on the page, or even a link directory. This created a mess for Google’s algorithm. And, in 2004, Google put a stop to that practice. They went after link farms, just as they went after article farms this past year.
In order to continue, and make money online with affiliate programs, we kicked off the PAD program. PAD is the acronym for Professional Article Distribution.
We wanted a new and better way to build backlinks that also had some sustainability. So, by creating a high quality article with 1-2 good backlinks in hand, we approached other sites. In other words, it was a way to build our backlinking without offending Google.
It worked. In fact, we have been doing this successfully for over 7 years now.
The Evolution of PAD
In the earliest days of PAD, we were offering high quality articles to sites, for free. However, webmasters were very skeptical at first and pushed back a little. A lot, actually. We heard the word ‘no’ several times before we started to hear ‘yes’.
But, it caught on. Over the last 2-3 years webmasters started accepting and even finding guest writers, or hiring professional writers to submit articles. The writers eat the cost and time of research for high quality articles, and it keeps their sites current and relevant.
Now, we are constantly searching the internet for quality websites that are seeking guest bloggers to submit quality content.
How to Find Sites for Guest Blogging
I recommend heading over to Google, type in a keyword phrase such as “guest writer wanted” or “guest blogging accepted”. That search should bring up several links to sites who are accepting guest content.
If you have a specific topic you want to focus on, simply include that in your keyword phrase and enter it into your search engine box. For example, when Arlene is searching for sites she can link articles to her epilepsy site, she will type in ‘children’s health write for us’, or ‘children’s health articles accepted.’
Another tip is that I like to focus on sites that are very active and current. Don’t waste your time on sites that don’t have any current submissions, or comments by viewers. If it’s not active, your article will most likely not be read by too many viewers, if any. So, find sites that are alive and buzzing.
Page ranking is not a huge thing for me anymore. But, if you are checking that, make sure the site is ranked at a 3 or higher.
Spending some time on potential sites will tell you a couple of things. First, it will show you what articles are ‘hot’ for the site. But, it will also tell you what the viewers are looking for, if you read through some of the comments they leave.
5 Tips when Sending a Proposal
When you have found a site you like, the next step would be to contact them. However, don’t fear rejection, because it’s inevitable. As I stated earlier, we heard ‘no’ quite a few times before striking ‘gold’.
When sending a proposal to a site, keep the following in mind:
Find out the person’s first name to make it more personal
- If you don’t get a response, try 3 times before moving on
- Be honest and straightforward
- Let them know what you are offering, such as ‘original and high quality articles’
- Keep it simple, professional, and friendly
One last tip, make sure to proof your email before sending it. If there are grammatical errors in it, you will most likely be rejected. Even if you are not the person writing the articles you are trying to submit, the email is the first impression.
In Closing
The key is to be consistent, by not giving up and don’t settle on your standards. It will pay off in the end. As long as you don’t give up and keep the quality high, this system works. In fact, it has worked well for us.
Since 1999, James Martell and his wife Arlene have been successful Internet entrepreneurs as affiliate marketers, authors of eBooks, and hosting the longest running podcast for affiliate marketers, “The Affiliate Buzz”. James also has spoken at several venues and started the first ever online BootCamp for Affiliate Marketing in 2006. The Martells reside in a seaside community close to Vancouver, and enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.
