Being number one on Google for a money generating keyword is unarguably one of the most ideal ways to make money on your site, but it’s not the only way. Here are some other ways to generate converting traffic to your site.

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Other People Linking to You

Hopefully your site has valuable content or products that are well priced and hard to find. If so, you?ll have no trouble having people reference you as a great resource. You can also trade links with other similar sites looking fo r the same thing you are.

Twitter

Better even than SMS Text messaging, you can keep your client base updated live and in the moment.

Social Media

You can create a following around almost any kind of business or website with the proper use of social media. From driving ?I like this? link systems all the way up to creating groups on sites like Facebook or MySpace will keep your current customers in touch and new customers will have an easier time finding you. Just don’t forget ? what’s in it for them? What are you offering them?

Blog Comments

These can be very powerful if they’re done right ? many highly read blogs enjoy a good page rank and if you’re adding good content *THIS IS KEY* you?ll not only earn a quality backlink to your site but you?ll also drive direct traffic through the blog’s current readers. There’s a very fine line between ‘this is related spam? and actual insightful content. Be insightful.

Videocasting

The burley big brother of podcasting, he can be tougher and meaner, but also gets into trouble at dinner parties. There are many videocasts out there that don’t benefit from the video ? they’re just as useful as audio podcasts. Make sure you’re using the video feature to your advantage ? show them your product or service, make good use of that bandwidth! Videos will also help you in the search engines ? and they look impressive!

Blogging

Create a complimentary blog to mirror your site, or build a blog into your site! Or, your site may BE a blog ? any of these are good. Just make sure to follow two simple rules ? update it regularly and update it with GOOD content. Make it worth the read ? post pictures or videos if you can’t write well.

Affiliate Programs for Your Product

If you?ve got a digital product or a real life product that lends itself to affiliate selling, you need to drop everything and do this now. You?ve probably sold an affiliate product or two over the years ? time to put folks to work for you.

Forums

Treat forums the same way you?d read the blog comments. You should be reading these things already since your customers certainly are and you can get an incredible window into their thinking through forums. Once you?ve got something REALLY helpful to say, go ahead and say it ? and send ?em back to your site!

Email

If you don’t already have a newsletter set up, you might be stuck in the mid ?90s. Even though you?ve got one set up, are you using it correctly? There are volumes written on how to effectively use your newsletters, get hold of one and read it!

Banners

There are plenty of sites out there that your customers are spending time on. Odds are, those same sites would love to take a small amount of your money for some face-time with their customers. You can achieve some very targeted exposure with a graphic visual for your potential customers.

Online Text Ads

The beauty of the text ad as well as many banner programs is the ability to only pay for performance. You?ll pay a small price (anywhere from $0.05 to more than $4.00 (honestly, sky’s the limit for the ultra competitive ones)) every time someone clicks on the link and goes to your website. As long as you can convert the sales, you?ll be ahead of the game.

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