If results that Google serve lack relevant listings, then find another engine to use! It has happened before and it will happen again. It is law of supply and demand. If Google is unable to provide relevant content that searchers demand, Google will become irrelevant. Look at how search engine landscape has changed over past few years: AltaVista is no longer leader, Infoseek no longer exists and others are barely resemble what they once were.

As for commercial sites who have been battered by Florida update here are some suggestions:

- make your site relevant! - submit to other search engines (MSN, Inktomi, Lycos etc..) - pay for traffic (pay-per-click and pay-for-inclusion) - develop traffic from alternative sites - rely on traditional methods of advertising - promote your website in your signature line in newsgroups - promote your website on your business cards or on mailings - participate in industry specific directories - participate in vertical market pay-per-click return on investment tends to be *much* higher though traffic is significantly less

The bottom line is become proactive rather than reactive, stop whining about Google and find alternate sources of web traffic.

About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net

3) Benefits and features. Know that you need to answer question by your visitor, "What's in it for me?" From a working list of 5-10 benefits and 5-10 features, choose top few to include on your web site home page. Benefits are outcomes your buyers want after they use your product or service. Examples of benefits are: more consistent higher income, saving time and money, or creating a balanced life. Benefits sell, features explain or describe your product.

Features include phrases such as "5 steps to...," or "7 Sure-fire ways to ..." Once you know difference, then you can combine them to read something like this: "7 Sure-fire ways to increase profits from your eBook."

In your survey, ask your people which phrases convince you to buy?

Give people a finish line (some people call it a deadline) so you can gather this valuable information quickly. Offer a free report or eBook to anyone who takes time to respond. Give them all vital contact information in your signature file at bottom with links to your email to make it easy to contact you.

Bring those visitors back for more, applauding you and saying BRAVO! They will create a buzz about your great site, and send you many more visitors through word of mouth. These visitors are your personal 24/7 marketing team.