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My Top 5 Internet Marketing Strategies for Niche Websites

In this article I want to go over my top 5 Internet marketing strategies to promote a brand new niche website.

Although my focus these days is less on niche sites and more on establishing larger authority websites, I keep getting questions about niche sites in my inbox.

Some of my niche sites were badly hit by the recent algorithm changes, but some remained unchanged while others actually gained. It is SO difficult for me to pin point what attribute(s) of each site led to specific actions and results. While I can hypothesize all day long, I really think it is impossible. I don’t even think Google themselves know?

This article strictly focuses on internet marketing strategies, which go beyond on page SEO.  If you want to read about what I do for SEO on my blog, read my previous post about my top blog SEO marketing strategies.

Though there are some similarities between internet marketing strategies for websites and blogs, you will find that there are some distinct strategies for marketing each because the underlying objectives of each medium can (doesn’t have to  be) be inherently different.

So here are my top 5 Internet marketing strategies for niche websites.  You can click on each link to read a more detailed explanation of what each is, how I use it and how it can benefit your niche website.

Creating and submitting an XML sitemap (with WordPress sites you can install a Google Sitemap Plugin). For traditional static HTML websites, you will have to do this manually. For whatever reason (comfort level and inertia to learn something new perhaps), some still build sites with this old method, including myself.

Directory Submissions (Still works surprisingly well, specifically well for underserved niches in my experience)

Article marketing (Do not be too aggressive with this. Focus on link diversity, anchor text diversity, and take a slow and steady approach over time)

Link Wheeling (Do not overdo this, and take your time. Slow and steady drip feeding is the key with successful linkwheeling)

Social Bookmarking (More and more weight seems to be given to this method by search engines)

These are really all the strategies you need to rank a niche website on the first page of search engines. Let’s briefly go over why these Internet marketing strategies work so effectively.

Creating and submitting an XML sitemap

Search engines do not know you exist when you first launch your website. Do you blame them? I mean there are only about 43 billion or so websites on the Internet.

You have two options, you can either sit for weeks, months, maybe years if your site is poorly optimized before search engines find you, or you can proactively create a XML sitemap and submit it to all the major search engines to tell them that you are up and live.

This step alone can significantly expedite your website’s progress.  You can read more about this process here and learn about exactly what to do, how to do it and how and where to submit your sitemap to. If your website is on WordPress, make sure to download and install the XML Sitemap plugin.

Note: Do not pay for sitemap generation tools. These are available for free online.

Directory Submissions

Yes they still work. Directory submissions, particularly for not so competitive niches are extremely effective in quickly getting your website indexed on search engines and getting some page rank juice flowing to your website.

This process works because directories are busy websites with high page rank scores.  A link back from each of these gives your website an instant boost, particularly if the directory is relevant to your website’s subject matter.

After creating and submitting a sitemap to major search engines, directory submissions are the next initiative I undertake when attempting to establish a brand new website.  I have written extensively about how to go about this process as well as the tool I use to automate the procedure.

This tool gives me 100 directory submissions per month for a full year on auto pilot, spacing out the distribution so as to not raise any red flags.  However, I have recently reached out to them to see if they can slow down the submissions a bit.  I am taking a much slower approach to link building post the Google Panda and Penguin updates. You can read more about my process here.

Link building should be a diversified initiative, and directories are great for organic URL back links. In other words, your website’s URL spelled out (i.e. www.extramoneyblog.com)

You also never know which directory ascends in the future to becoming a top directory, so getting in at the beginning can sometimes pay dividends over the long run. Basically, an unknown PR 0 directory today may become a popular PR 7 directory down the road. You just never know.

Article Marketing

One of the oldest but “goldest” strategies that is evergreen. It still works as effectively today as it did years ago if executed the right way.  Article marketing is effective because it generates quality back links to your website from high ranking article directories.  Also because you are marketing content, which the search engines love.

Further, because the articles are (hopefully) relevant to the anchor texts you use to link back to your website, and both the title and body of the article relates to this theme, extra brownie points are awarded to your website by search engines because of the relevancy or correlation factor in the algorithms they use.

I also like this strategy because even if search engines may not know you exist yet (your website), they are certainly familiar with the popular article directories on the Internet.  Therefore you can submit articles to popular websites linking back to your own site, and then drive links to these articles and benefit your website.

It is critical to execute article marketing the right way. I too often see this strategy executed inappropriately, leading to counterproductive-ness, waste of time and resources.

The Unique Article Wizard (UAW) is the Internet marketing tool I use to drive links back to my articles in masses.  This tool not only makes the article creation (in conjunction with other tools) process easier and faster, but it also generates tons of links back to your website with just one submission.  I highly recommend this tool if you are serious about your website’s success.

However, if you use this tool, make sure you do not get carried away. FOCUS on link diversity and slowly drip feeding links to your articles over time.  Aggressive methods will back fire and get you in trouble.  Needless to say, ensure that you are submitting good content that is useful to the readers.

Note: There are several ways to execute article marketing depending on your objective.  I have written about at least three different ways you can leverage this Internet marketing strategy in your overall marketing approach.

Link Wheeling

Linkwheeling is article marketing on steroids wherein you link several articles to each other using relevant anchor texts. You then generate back links in masses to each of the articles that is part of the wheel.  Each article in turn links to a deep page within your website.

Many outsource this process to Internet marketing service firms because it involves a lot of work.  The process, though extensive and tedious, can be made significantly easier by using certain tools that are either free or extremely cost effective.

You can read more about my method of executing a link wheel here. Of all Internet marketing strategies, this is the single be strategy that has worked for me. I recommend spending due time studying this method and applying it moderately to see how it impacts your site.

But once again, this is something you want to use with caution and discretion. Do not over do this, and be very selective where and how you do it.  Search engines are increasingly looking for and penalizing link manipulation strategies.  Take a very slow approach and monitor results.  Closely monitoring progress will ensure you can take quick action in the event there are negative repercussions and quickly reverse your track.

Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is another internet marketing strategy I like because it instantly helps index your web pages and drive quality links back to your published content, may it be your content pages or articles that you submitted to article directories.

What I especially like about social bookmarking is that there are tools available that make the process both effective and efficient for a busy internet entrepreneur. You can read more about how I utilize social bookmarking in my overall internet marketing strategy here.

My Internet Marketing Strategies Summarized

Depending on which Internet marketing blog you are subscribed to, you may have heard of one, many or all of these methods. Different marketing strategies work for different goals and objectives. For example, if you were promoting your blog, guest posting might be the marketing strategy of your choice.

In my years of making money online from over 20 niche websites now, these 5 Internet marketing strategies are what have worked best for me. In fact, these are the only marketing strategies I utilize today to rank my website on top of search engines.

What about you? What Internet marketing strategies have worked best for you?  How have they impacted your site’s success?

23 Comments
Previous: Various Article Marketing Strategies That Work & What Works Best

Next: Preview of My New Authority Website, My Progress Update & Future Initiatives

23 Responses to “My Top 5 Internet Marketing Strategies for Niche Websites”

  1. Natalie says:
    August 26, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    Businesses must find what value their products really have that interest consumers and persuade them to seek out more information. This is the key starting point for any Internet marketing.

    Reply
  2. Eric | My 4-Hour Workweek says:
    August 27, 2012 at 6:10 am

    I think at one time or another, I’ve tried all of these methods and they all do work. Sometimes I question the effectiveness of social bookmarking, but I do believe that article marketing is one of the best ways to manually build backlinks (or it doesn’t have to be manual, in the case of UAW).

    I had UAW for awhile when I was focused on several smaller niche sites, but now that I’m focusing on 2 larger sites where I’m building backlinks manually and picking up a lot of natural links, I decided to cancel UAW for the time being.

    Great post as always, Sunil.

    Reply
    • Sunil says:
      August 27, 2012 at 8:29 am

      I know several who have done exactly that. I assume you are picking up natural links to your authority sites mainly due to the quality of the site/content? that is usually the case in my experience and observation

      Reply
  3. Oscar says:
    August 27, 2012 at 11:02 am

    One thing that has particularly helped me is being active on social sites, specifically facebook.

    I managed to go from 100 “facebook likes” to something like 5k in a month (organic, real people) and this move along increased my rankings greatly (from 15-20 position for a high search volume keyword to position 5-8).

    I say “this move along” because in that whole month I did not do anything else other than focusing on social media sites and writing content.

    Thank you very much for the tips Sunil!

    Reply
  4. JJ Wong says:
    August 28, 2012 at 8:42 am

    Hi Sunil, for niche websites, do you update regularly on the website contents itself?
    Or more to do it and leave it basis? And only focus on off-site marketing to build the ranking, links & traffic up?

    Would interest to explore more on niche websites opportunity. Since your figure on Adsense is pretty amazing if achieve. =D

    Reply
  5. Manette @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance says:
    August 29, 2012 at 1:09 am

    These five techniques are exactly what I am doing! But what I love most are directory submissions and link wheeling because they have been the most helpful in increasing my traffic . Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  6. chavdabhavna says:
    August 30, 2012 at 7:31 am

    Thank you, that was a very intersesting information thanks for sharing to all .

    Reply
  7. Geoff says:
    August 30, 2012 at 7:57 am

    Hey Sunil, I noticed press releases didn’t make it to your top 5. Do you think it’s important to include the occasional press release that might earn some backlinks? Or do you think most press releases are now seen as spammy and not worth the effort?

    Reply
    • Sunil says:
      August 30, 2012 at 9:21 am

      you will get some back links, though the effectiveness has diluted over time. I do use high end press releases for non SEO purposes. for example, when we launched our SEO firm, a PR got us great exposure to the local markets we are in. I did the same for my brick and mortar business and attracted 2 local news stories. depends on your objective

      Reply
  8. lenin says:
    August 30, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    Interesting tips here, please could I ask a question as I’m a newbie, do you recommend Pinterest as a good source of back links, I was browsing through it at the weekend.

    Reply
  9. jeniffer says:
    November 22, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    Hi,
    I like your post. Internet marketing is the best way to increasing traffic your sites.
    Its really helpful and useful information.
    Thanks for the sharing.

    Reply
  10. Matt says:
    July 18, 2014 at 11:17 am

    Directory submission damaged my website a lot. Social sharing is a key factor these days to rank well in serps. Social sharing buttons are must for very website.

    Reply

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