Site Reference Forums

Speaking of misconceptions - I hope everyone realizes and as I stated in my article on Squidoo, it is always the best marketing strategy to build your own sites and domains. It is the only way to proceed.

But even if you build a site or two, you have to extend the reach of your site by posting/writing content on all the major traffic hubs to warm-up and pre-sell your site or products to potential customers that actually make it to your site.

Squidoo is an excellent site to do your off-site marketing and SEO optimization. I have just added it to my stable of around 7 or 8 high PR7 sites which I submit my content and links to on a regular basis in order to achieve #1 spots in organic search and keep them there.

1. Digg.com
2. Netscape.com
3. MySpace.com
4. Del.icio.us
5. StumbleUpon.com
6. Reddit.com
7. Slashdot.org
8. BlinkList.com
9. Furl.net
10. Squidoo.com

As every marketer knows, it is these top keyword rankings which bring in the real money.  Too early to tell how well Squidoo will perform but it's (IMO) one of best of these social bookmarketing sites.

I believe (and I could be wrong - I usually am) these social media/bookmarking sites will be extremely important in getting top rankings in the major engines especially Google, who values the human filter above all others!

But I think I am right about one thing, directly or indirectly I am 100% certain I am going to make more than 78 cents from Squidoo!

If I am wrong, I will eat a live squid and post a video of it on YouTube and really make my fortune!!!

Cheers,

Titus
[url cut out and added to sig panel]

Welcome aboard Titus

I think you are bang on- it's not the 78cents but the visitors who turn into buyers that sites such as squidoo can provide that will be worth the effort

and as you point out your going to get more visitors from 2 sources: 1) directly from sites such as squidoo 2) from higher SERPs

SR actually gets quite a few visitors from Stumble Upon which is nice to see

we have a thread on social media marketing and people like Waveshop have been able to get good sales by participating in these types of strategies

ever try to get a postion as either a Wiki or About.com editor?

Sorry Nic about the sig links - force of habit. Usually add
my site after my name so people will know where I am coming
from - especially in a new forum.

Haven't had any experience with About or Wiki but the main
reason I am checking out these social media sites is because
I started getting high conversions from Stumble Upon and
especially Yahoo! Answers.

Members started recommending or bookmarking my urls and
I saw really good traffic and high conversions from these
sites.

The other reason is purely SEO - you get to create content
and links on a PR7 site. I know Squidoo is effective because
I started noticing with many of my tracked keywords - my
competition had Squidoo links in the top five positions.

Anyone can use Squidoo to do the same thing. No reason why anyone
can't rank well using Squidoo and profit from the traffic.


All the best,

Titus

No magic Nic...

but Yahoo Answers does deliver really good traffic.
It's like all these social media/bookmarketing sites
- recommendations coming from the community are
more trusted.

Someone posts a question such where to find
the best coleslaw recipe like the KFC stuff?

Other members post answers and urls.

I have only had other people recommending
my sites but some marketers actually do go
in and answer questions on the subject of their
sites and become known as experts...

if you're selling high ticket items on your
sites you only need a few clicks to make a few
sales.

Conversion rates beats PPC and Organic search
in my limited experience. Hands down!

Titus

after 3 months I have now made 70 cents from Squidoo (four high ranking site)
Not retiring just yet!

Yeesh! Just took me ten minutes to figure out what SMM means! (Social Media Marketing, right?! ) I'd like to add a couple of thoughts.

Albeit , it is one of the first topics included in a reply, and, as someone, who has had a mixed reaction to my article, I first want to respond to Titus!

Titus, skepticism should never be confused with "not believing a word!" Skepticism is merely the realistic outcome of many schemes tried! If you ever come up with an article that absolutely everyone loved, believed, tried, and still loved, write a book on the experience, as you will make a mint teaching others how to do the same thing!

Meanwhile, you need much thicker skin, or a better developed sense of humor, if you want to be the kind of author I appreciate the most on SR -- the type willing to respond to posts regarding his/her articles! (Thanks for being bold enough and interested enough to respond! I'm actually curious to find out how your plan is working, so far.) TA is the most "dangerous" type of contributor to online message boards - a Marine with a wicked sense of humor. LOL You'll never know if he's joking, serious, or both, but it really doesn't matter. He certainly gave you something to consider. Why take that personally? You brought up the visual for squid eating -- TA merely wants to see it. LOL

Now, Gypsy, I both agree and disagree with your take on SMM. Obviously, you're right about it being a poor idea for good SEO to be included into search engines, but in worrying so much about being included into search engines, it seems like all other forms of receiving hits/traffic/vistors/customers are being ignored.

Most of my visitors do not come through SERPs. (Granted, this will probably change when my improved site is uploaded and published.) They come through what I think are forms of social networking (still not clear what is included in that term) -- message boards on an odd variety of related and completely unrelated topics (considering even this one doesn't really fit into the sites' themes), Flickr photos, RLs and BLs from other blogging stuffed animals, and, my favorite -- a BL from a blog called "Train Wrecks," which only post links to sites that they think are bad enough to be like train wrecks -- shouldn't watch it, but will be. (My link remains promeniently on their site, because I wrote a thank them you note, since I've always known that most people should consider me deeply disturbed for keeping a blog by two Teddy Bears. They don't usually get thank you notes from people they've included. LOL)

Now, of course, my sites aren't for profit yet, so I realize they are exceptions to any rules about whether marketing is profitable through the use of SMM, however, for those who have the time and inclination, I do see them as ways to receive more traffic, besides SERP. I just don't understand why no one talks much about receiving visitors apart from SEs?! Maybe that is part of the reason I enjoyed Titus' article in the first place -- even knowing he wouldn't be explaining how to make millions on the web!