What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is the business of signing up to promote other people’s products or services, for a share of the sale in the form of commissions. This makes you an affiliate of or for a specific product/service. The great thing about affiliate marketing, is that you generally don’t need any special training or huge start up funds!
Your job as an affiliate marketer is to generate traffic to the product owner’s pitch page, allowing them to convert the prospective buyer you send, into an actual buyer. The more targeted and specific you are with your traffic promotions, the higher chance that those prospects, will become buyers.
You can promote a great many things as an affiliate. On Amazon, for instance, you can promote anything physical (and a few digital downloads also). If you want to be in the software niche, you can include links using your Amazon associate (affiliate) ID to sell specific types of software, spyware protection, antivirus software, and the like.
You can go to sites like ClickBank, PayDotCom or Nanacast and get a unique affiliate ID to promote a seemingly endless supply of information products.  They have countless products and self help solutions from weight loss to PCs to business.
In addition, you can even become an affiliate promoting actions.  There are many internet marketers who focus their business on getting a steady stream of traffic to take an action, such as filling out online surveys, for example. In these cases, an affiliate commission is received based on the completion of the desired action. (This is often termed CPA “cost per action”.)
Affiliate Marketing can exist in any industry. Today, many banks have an affiliate program that rewards members for referring others! (Although they rarely call it by the same name.) Mostly though, after signing up with various affiliate sites like those above, you will simply be given a URL link code that includes your referral ID and enables the product company to track which sales to give you credit for!

Affiliate Marketing – Success Made Easy

In the business of affiliate marketing, you don’t have to worry about developing ideas, creating products, or shipping and moving products.  You don’t have to deal with customer service follow-ups or continually process more products for the marketplace.
Your job is quite often made easier by product owners desire so much to be successful, that they provide you with information and toolboxes to help you with yours!  The toolbox usually includes web reviews, ready-made emails, and banner ads you can use with your own link embedded in them for instant plug-n-play success.
Affiliate promotion is one part of a good Internet Marketing campaign. Many Internet marketers will eventually become indistinguishable between product owner and affiliate.  Product owners continue to use their list of buyers to promote affiliate items, and the affiliates often build such a good reputation in a niche, or category of focused sales, that they are urged to come out with a product of their own. (Product ownership is the “holy grail” of internet marketing so to speak and should be paid attention to as well.)
How much can an affiliate marketer be expected to earn? There are truly no limits. You can market in multiple niches if you desire, and work as much or as little as you want to generate targeted traffic through your links. Super affiliates often earn six figures or more, but even a new affiliate can earn enough to pay the bills each month – with some cash to spare!

What is DoFollow? What is NoFollow? What’s The Difference?

So what is this DoFollow/NoFollow Nonsense?

If you’ve been reading about SEO, link building or backlinks you’ve probably seen people throwing around the terms “dofollow” and “nofollow” when talking about types of links.
Making a link seems pretty straight forward… you type some words (that become your “anchor text”) and then you add the link code (anchor code), that magically makes them clickable. For most people that means using the little chain-link icon in their text editor.
What you don’t see in the visual side of things – and sometimes not in even the editable html – until after its published and live on your page – is the little bit of information that sometimes gets tacked on that tells Google’s “spiders” (aka “robots”) whether or not they should crawl from your page to the page you linked to and give the page some of your “link juice”.  Now I put link juice in quotes because its not something you can go to the Family Grocery and pick up a bottle of for breakfast! Link juice is a term we use to describe the SEO value or credit that your page has – and has to share with links you make.
If I make a link in wordpress that looks like this.
Then the code looks like this:

this

Then, wordpress and most other blogging platforms, auto-magically add this bit of code to links in the comment section…

rel="external nofollow"

This tells Google’s spiders/robots not to follow the link, even though I didn’t specifically add nofollow wordpress does when it displays it on the page.
So now, if I would go to a regular blog post and highlight over the name-link of the commenter, then right click and select view source, I now see that the link looks like:

Bill Gates

Now it turns out there is no real “doFollow”… that is simply the absence of the “noFollow” code being applied.
Fortunately, you don’t really need to understand that to know how to benefit from it…

Putting Your DoFollow Knowledge To Use

(Understand these numbers/totals are for illustration purposes and are kinda hypothetical but prove the point.)
All you really need to know is that, from an SEO standpoint, a DoFollow link may be considered 10x better than a NoFollow link.
Every time you leave a comment on a blog, by default you get one nofollow link from the name-url link. You also get a second nofollow if commentluv is enabled.
So a comment on a typical syndication-ready blog gives you 2 points: one for the name-url link and one for the commentluv link. (Total 2 points)
Now my blog isn’t fully DoFollow (see my post on Lucy’s Linky Love). The name-url field becomes DoFollow once you’ve left 3 comments. Lucy’s does not seem able to strip the no-follow out of commentluv. So essentially after 3 comments, your comments each of your comments become worth 1 point for commentluv (nofollow) and 10 points for the name-url link (dofollow), and a few more points, perhaps 2 if you used keywordluv for the anchor text. (Total 13points)
Now if you head over to Sire’s blog, where he is fully DoFollow, and get a dofollow for both the name-url (10pts) and commentluv (10pts) and also use his keywordluv (2pts), you’re sitting at a very pretty total! (Total 22points)

Now… here’s the simple part…

You only have so many hours in the day that you can spend leaving comments to get quality back links for your blog.
If you want to gain a hypothetical 100points in backlink SEO today…
Will you leave 50 comments  on a typical syndication ready blog, 8 comments on a intermediary blog, or 5 comments on a full DoFollow blog
Looks like a no-brainer right? You’re going to look for the full/partial DoFollow blogs with commentluv & keywordluv to maximize your efforts!

TL;DR

DoFollow Links Much Better Than NoFollow Links

As promised, here’s the “too long, didn’t read” version:
DoFollow links are approximately ten times as good as NoFollow links. Any time you can comment on a DoFollow instead of a NoFollow blog you should. DoFollow is a great way to say thank-you to your blog visitors. Keywordluv works with DoFollow to give you even better SEO anchor text.

Summary

Hopefully this helped you get a better understanding of what NoFollow is and what DoFollow is and why they’re important to you! Be sure to check out my post on Keywordluv and Lucy’s Linky Love for more information on how to not only install those but how to use them here on my blog. If I decide to keep the math plugin, I will likely go full DoFollow as spam is the biggest downside. Please take a look at keywordluv and begin to put it into action. That’s a plugin that bloggers run FOR their visitors and it makes me sad when I see people not making the most of it! DoFollow links are incredibly valuable for SEO

Facebook Fan Pages vs Facebook Groups

Are you maximizing your Facebook exposure? I recently realized that I wasn’t!
I saw countless businesses with pages and posts and profiles and groups and gaggles, and I didn’t have a clue where to start!
First, I’m going to share my thoughts and summary on the two types. Then  I want to share three high-quality blog posts that I found on other sites, which I thought did a awesome job clarifying things for me. Hopefully these will help you make smart choices to maximize your time.
Both Facebook Fan Page’s and Facebook Group’s are a great way to increase your exposure on Facebook. Both allow you a type of community format and interaction with your members/fans. Both can be used to syndicate content. However, even with all of those similarities, there are some substantial differences.

Facebook Fan Page

This box links to a “Facebook fan page” (ie: business page) I created to enable individuals seeking to share syndication to find me and find each other. I welcome all of you to come share your value posts with the community, and help syndicate other members there. Feel free to contact fans of the community if you are looking for a tribe to work with!
Pros:

1. Customizable URLs (after you reach 25 fans go to http://facebook.com/username )
2. Search Engine Indexed (increases your search engine exposure, and responds to SEO keywords)
3. Visitor Statistics
4. Related Event Creation & Invitation
5. Extra Facebook Applications run on Pages just as on Profiles.
6. Ability to import your blog feed, to help support a page activity.
7. Best for connecting a fanbase to a source of information.
8. Publicly visible, so users don’t need to be logged in to find them.

Cons:

1. No ability to Direct Message (email) each fan individually, all emails go out as a “blast” to all fans at once via Updates.
2. Generally considered the more high-maintenance of the two choices.
3. Facebook users are still less familiar with pages, and often less likely to interact with them than with groups.

Facebook Group

This box links to a “Facebook group” I created to allow members to ask technical questions about Wordpress, Facebook & Twitter. Its a great place for members to help each other! Come help others while getting your questions answered too!
Pros:

1. Can Email/Direct Message each member individually, direct to their inbox.
2. Generally considered easier to set up and manage.
3. Better structure for encouraging member-to-member interaction
4. Best for allowing a member base to interact and develop a community without leaving Facebook.

Cons:

1. No Customizeable URLs
2. No Search Engine Exposure
3. No Visitor Statistics
4. No Related Event Creation & Invitation
5. No ability to support external stream/rss input, all activity must be generated in the group.
6. No access to any of the widely used Facebook applications that many use for social functions, opt-ins, etc.
7. Not publicly visible, users must be logged in to search for them.
8. Many consider the wording to be vague as to whether business advertising can occur on them without violating the TOS (terms of service)

Conclusion

For me, a Facebook Fan page, with its SEO/search-centric style and permissions for full business operations, was ideal for my Syndication functions and my personal page on Facebook. This helps me build my web presence.
The support community, which has no reason to be searchable from outside Facebook, is logically best served by a Facebook Group. However, generally speaking, due to the lack of SEO options, the lack of applications (which I depend on for good time management) and the lack of access to the fan’s wall, I have moved all of my Groups to Pages.
For my current uses, I personally have no use of a group. I consider them stalled/dead in development. That does not mean that they are not useful to someone that wishes to ignore the spam they encourage others to post on the wall (since it will not go down members news feeds) and utilize the email feature similar to an auto-responder blast.
How have you implemented Facebook Groups and Pages for your business or organization? What challenges have you had? When you leave your comments, feel free to include a link to your Page or Group to share with the community here!

Tips for Adwords account structure and optimize campaigns for online shop

Search advertising with Google Adwords and e-commerce are a perfect team. But the path to best performance is long and arduous. The switching of Adwords ads appear to the SEA (Search Engine Advertising) entry only once as a fairly self-explanatory. The aim of the publication of the first own Adwords ad is reached quickly and the feeling of the Adwords system to understand or to control occurs relatively quickly. But this feeling is often subjective and does not correspond to reality.
During the first contact with already established clients Adwords accounts, often reveals a similar picture. The individual product groups of respective online stores were clustered on too few campaigns or ad groups, keywords are usually posted only in the keyword option Broad Match, search and content network campaigns run together on a campaign and, and, and ... These Mistakes can burn a lot of money.

Moreover, numerous Adwords beginners to complex possibilities of the system are not aware of. Google continuously developed the Adwords system further and more are constantly providing new functionality such as Recently, the remarketing and the Search Funnel Reports to do so. Therefore find themselves on Adwords management and optimization, specialized agencies like us in a continuous learning process.
Below is a few first steps to SET Up from Adwords campaigns.
Clusters of products and product into appropriate campaigns and ad groups
The account structure is the foundation for successful Adwords campaigns. The users are looking for in the search for solutions to your queries. Suppose you need a Mercedes shock absorbers and give "a Mercedes shock absorber" as search query. Now you are offered a variety of ads in which "car", "Mercedes Accessories, Mercedes tuning parts" and so on. A display provides the result "Mercedes shock absorber.
I suppose I need not mention who clicked the ads at the most and thus improves the quality factor. In addition, the searcher enters a shop on site with Mercedes shock absorbers. It is also more specifically, if for example is searched for 'Mercedes E-class shock absorber.
Suppose you own a car accessories shop for the Mercedes E-Class models for A-Class, C-Class models, etc. Below this there are still several series. The optimal structure would now account for each model to create your own campaign. Within these campaigns, one must now consider whether it makes sense to display groups by the series or for specific product groups such as "Subdivided shock," "Wheels", "spoiler".
A tough job to start, but it provides the necessary competitive advantage over competitors Adwords ads. With such a structure can deliver kleingliedrigen then for every query matching targeted ad text. Will you save yourself the work that has Google Dynamic Keyword Insertion with the possibility of the reserved keywords of a placeholder> (KeyWord: Mercedes Shock Absorber)
Performance in key words to outsource their own ad groups
In further steps can outsource with valid data base performance keywords in their own ad groups. This method is referred to as the "Peel & Stick" and ensures that your ad text can be more specifically focused on the search query and poor-performing keywords do not impact negatively on the performance keyword. (Keywords: Quality factor)
Adwords Content Network separate from search
The first thing you should consider when creating campaigns is the separation of search and content network. By default, Google has both selected in the campaign settings. The search advertising on the content network is running according to different rules than the search network. Keywords in the content network used as a topical limits, while should be in the search keywords matched as closely as possible to the search query.
Accordingly, the content network more generic keyword booked into the campaigns, while found in search network campaigns for more specific keywords their home.
After optimizing conversion figures
Without the use of Adwords Conversion Tracking it makes sense to buy any Adwords turn, as the conversion data is the basis for the optimization. to optimize only on the CTR to the Adwords Quality Score to improve does not make sense, as secondary to tweak this code so only to Google's will. To have a great CTR does not always necessarily positive impact on the conversion rate or conversion costs. In all tests, which one makes should therefore always be the main focus on the conversion numbers.
Use the options Google offers Adwords keyword with the keyword options "Broad" (Broad Match), phrase (phrase match) and exactly match (Exact Match) are important means to the Impressions of the ads, and thus to control clicks and costs.

Broad Match: Nike Shoes> Google provides the ads even with Nike sneakers, Nike sneakers and even boots from Adidas.

Phrase match: "Nike shoes"> Google provides the ad also in red Nike shoes. Nike shoes red, cheap Nike shoes

Exact match: [Nike Shoes]> Google provides the ad only to Nike shoes.

The majority of keywords should be in the phrase that best booked Exact Match. Thus, one has full control of the search queries for which ads are to be delivered. However, many daily searches are new. Therefore, it is impossible to capture all the exact queries that are entered daily in the Suchschlitze the search engines. Why not fit on the Use of Broad Match Broad Match should verzichten.Keywords in very subtle to detect by Long tail keywords are used. The used Broad Match keywords should also be limited with negative or negative keywords.
Use of negative keywords
Negative keywords are especially when keywords will be posted in the Broad Match duty. You can find the best out of the search report in the keyword list. Plus, you can for example on Google Analytics Bounce Rate orBounce Rate examine already booked keywords or search queries to exclude those at the campaign or ad group level.
A hohhe Bounce rate can also indicate a non-matching landing page / landing page.
Adwords Adwords without pain, no price!
These are some tips on how to optimize Adwords and it remains to note that job especially for online shops with several hundred to a thousand articles, the Adwords Management and Optimization quickly became full time. If you want to get the most out of the budget should be used click intensively involved with the account structure, ad text, keyword optimization of the pool and the analysis of the Adwords interface, and other web analytics tools generated data.
It's worth it!
What is your opinion? Use our comment form and discuss with you.

11 Myths of Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is currently the biggest hype in the Internet and many companies ask themselves whether they do enough to make it right or whether they really should jump on the moving train. are recipes for success for social media marketing is similar to many as for the search engine optimization of websites, but also many statements belong in the realm of myth.

In social media today an interesting contribution has been published the clean up with 11 myths that were within the range of social media so far stubbornly:

1. Social Media is so simple that it can make the trainee
2. Social Media Marketing is really hard
3. Social media is just what the young
4. Social media is free
5. Since social media is labor intensive, we should outsource it
6. The social media success is only possible on Rules and Best Practices
7. Social media marketing has no rules
8. Social media marketing creates instant results
9. Social media marketing is too dangerous
10. Social Media Marketing is new
11. Social media marketing has no impact on my business

None of these 11 points must be considered for Social Media Marketing as a universal. Why is this so in Original explained for each point.