Got Spiders?

Many internet marketers blow mountains of start-up cash on their websites just trying to break into search engine rankings. I was one of these internet marketers.

I spent cash on get-rich-quick submission services that claimed they would submit my page to thousands of seach engines. . .for a small fee. I spent money to get registered with big name search engines. I even spent money on search engine optimization services.

And then I waited. . .

I waited to see SOME response--any response--from all of this work I had done. I waited for spiders to reach my pages and rank my page for everyone to see. I waited for my blown marketing funds to come back to me in profits. . .

But they never did. The spiders took weeks. The page rankings were dismal. I was ready to give up.

And then I received this vital piece of information from a fellow marketer: more links you have on bigger websites, faster your page is spidered. . .

That's right: Since search engines rank higher-PR sites more often, they will find your page a lot faster if you get your link on a highly-trafficked website!

Hunting for Niches

Niche marketing is latest craze in 2004. Some Internet marketing experts would have you sort through keyword search data at Overture to find an underserved audience, but you can jumpstart your research by a significant margin when you pay attention to offline media.

On any given day, there are thousands of special interest television shows and radio programs broadcast to a devoted, core audience. When you tune in to these programs regularly, you begin to get a feel for common goals, needs and desires of this audience. In other words, niche defines itself before your eyes through consistent themes in program content.

You will often find that listeners are pointed back online for additional information. For example, a guest speaker on a radio program usually provides a web site address on air (or has it linked for a time from radio station’s web site).

This is where things get exciting for you as a niche hunter. This is where offline media can open up to you a portion of your niche’s favorite “hiding places” online, thus giving you instant data on potential link partners and advertising venues. All you need is a spare afternoon and latest release of Alexa Toolbar running in your browser to start mining for gold.

Niche Hunting In Action

In illustration of process, we will take an example from radio broadcasting. For over 10 years now, AM radio stations across North America have syndicated a unique program called “After Dark” (also informally referred to as “Coast to Coast with George Noory).