Article #2: Promoting Yourself Online

There are essentially two ways to promote yourself online

1. Free
2. Not Free

I am going to begin this article by talking about creating a high quality Website affordably, and promoting your Website for free.

Creating and Marketing a Website for Free

The Internet is the greatest research tool that has ever existed. Search Engines give consumers access to more information than is humanly digestable, and if you can get your Website to rank high in search engines, you might not have to spend much money on advertising.

Here are the secrets to free promotion!

1. Understand the Basics of "Search Engine Optimization"
   Search Engine Optimization refers to the art of getting a Website to rank high for a given term. Don't expect your Webmaster or designer to know this stuff. I have been amazed at how many Webmasters THINK they know what they are doing and don't. I have had many Forture 1000 companies work on their sites, and I have been absolutely amazed that even these large companies don't know what I am about to outline here.
   


2. Don't Let the Designer Use Flash
   If you don't know what Flash is, consider yourself lucky. If you do, resist the urge to be impressed by the "movie-like" nature of Flash. Flash is BAD because search engines do not understand anything other than text. For that reason, Websites that are well coded are easily read by search engines. Take our word for this, and hire a designer who understands how to keep a site simple for search engines, yet aesthetic for the user. We recommend the following firm (we have absolutely NO affiliate with them, we read the magazine they write for tips): Happy Cog.
   



3. Understand How Your Clients Search
   Before you do anything with your Website, it is essential that you understand what people are searching for online. The first thing you HAVE to do is refine a "keyword list" of the search terms that people are looking for that are relevant to you. Without this list, you are piloting a boat with no destination in mind. The winds will blow you about.
   
   Let's assume that you are an escort in Atlanta, just as an example. Here are step-by-step instructions on what you would do:
   1. Go to the Keyword Suggestion Tool kindly provided by Overture. *This tool tells you how many people were searching for a given search term in a specific month, AND it gives you suggestions*
   2. Type in "escort" and see what comes back.
   3. As of this writing, the fourth term on the list is "atlanta escort", with 26,834 searches (the real number of searches is MUCH higher, as these searches do not include all search engines).
   4. Play around with this tool and get a list of 5-10 search terms that are appropriate for your Website.
   
   Ok, so now you have your keyword list. So now what??




4. Create Relevant "Themes" on Your Website
   Unless you have some content on your Website that is creating a theme for "Atlanta Escorts", then search engines are not going to see you as being very relevant to this search term. So how do you do this?
   
   First, you must write SOME content about yourself that describes you as an escort in Atlanta. Do not overdo it -- don't repeat "Atlanta escort" over and over again. Make sure your content is written for human beings, not search engines (this means don't "stuff" your page with keywords).
   
   Now tell your Webmaster that you want to have a few of your search terms in:
   • Your HTML title tags
   • Some header tags (H1, H2). If your designer complains that headers don't look good, fire him or her and hire someone who understands how to use style sheets.
   • In the anchor text of at least one link



5. Find People to Link to Your Website
   Perhaps the most important factor in ranking high is having many quality links to your Website. Search engines believe that if many people are linking to you, then you must have a site worthy of that honor. So find other sites to link to you, and try to get your keywords in the "anchor text" (the clickable text that brings people to your Website).
   
   You may want to have a "link exchange", which is what we have on our site. Your Web designer can find link exchange software to put on your Website here. Some of the software is free. If you are truly desparate, contact me and if I'm not overwhelmed with work, I may do it for you (for a nominal fee).



6. Submit Your Website to Relevant Directories
   There are many, many Websites that will list your Website for free.
   • DMOZ
   is a large, free directory that Google features.
   • Jane's Guide
   is an impartial, high quality site that you should submit your site to.
   • Do your research and find others
     
     
7. Keep Getting Links
   Make sure they are from topically related sites, NOT Online Casinos, sites that sell Inkjet Toner, and anyone else desparate for links. Having thematically related sites link to you is IMPORTANT.
   
   
8. Now, a Word About Paid Advertising

Paid advertising does work, especially online since you can track the results far more than print advertising.

As many of you know, sites such as Cityvibe & Eros-Guide are popular directories that charge escorts for a listing. Whether or not these sites are worth your money is up to you to figure out. Additionally, depending on where you live, the free service Craig's List might be worth checking out. Craig's List has an "Erotic Services" section. In many cities, such as San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, Craig's List is a VERY valuable site (and FREE).

One important thing to understand about advertising is the concept of a Return on Investment, which simply beckons the question, "Am I spending more on advertising than it is generating for me?".

In addition to escort guides, there are a few other important places to consider spending money:

• Google's Adwords
• Yahoo's Overture, which appears on other search engines



9. Other Resources for Your Marketing Endeavors
   Some of these Websites are meant for those with some technical skills. We're going to recommend both information Websites and companies that can do the design and Search Engine Optimization for you.
   1. Search Engine Promotion on Webmasterworld.com
   2. The Cheapest and Best Web Hosting Company Ever -- please note we don't make a dime by referring you to them. Escort Directory.org is using this company and paying only $1.99/month for a robust hosting plan. Use them, you'll be glad.
   3. How to Have a Successful Site in 12 Months
   4. A Bay Area firm that does Search Engine Optimization work on adult sites
   5. General Search Engine Marketing Guide
   
   
10. Read Our Next Article About How to Make Money With Your Website