HELP ! How do I promote a new website?

[3141castro]

Hi all...

Just a bit of advice required please

I have just set up a new website, covering our move from the uk to France.

Would like to advertise it a bit, or use search engines to promote the site....

any ideas on cheap ways to do it?

Have posted on Channel 4's forums, and had a little interest, but would like it to reach a wider audience.

thanks in advance

[Globaliser]

A really GOOD way would be to pay Danny to advertise it here on PPRuNe!

[Memetic]

There are 1000's of pages about search optimisation and web site promotion out there, I'll not try to compete, however here are a few ideas.

First build you site with well focussed content organised to be readable by humans - this will get you recommendations, and by far the most desirable thing. It will also lead to inbound links. If you provide a useful resource which serve a community it will get used - just look at this place.

Have a sensible structure for the site, refer the user back up to core sub menus to concentrate internal links.

Then focus on making the site machine readable for search engines. Change the title, description and keyword tags to reflect the individual content of pages as opposed to having generic ones for the whole site.

Request links from webmasters of relevant sites. Offer them a link back. But don't link back off of your main pages that can decrease page rank scores on Google, build a separate links page for out bound links.

Be consistent on the words you request as the link description, use terms that you know users would use to search for your site.
Do not join a link swap programme - you don't have control and the relevance is poor.

Add a signature text block to your emails and message board posts with a link to your site - where allowed by the board.

Get listed on DMOZ. (www.dmoz.org) read their FAQ on how to do that and don't take it personally if one of their volunteer editors takes month to list you or just rejects the site!

Get listed on Yahoo - pay for it if you want it done fast or your site is commercial.

Both Yahoo and DMOZ get used in various ways to build other indexes.

Get included in regional resources such as local council or business group sites.

Build an opt in user mailing list and use it to generate interaction and repeat visits.

Advertise in the real world in relevant places.

Don't believe there is one right way to promote a site!


Good luck.

Memetic.

[mazzy1026]

The first and most important thing in getting into search engines is having a decent TITLE meta tag. The title tag is that which appears in the top left corner of your browser, and that which appears as the title of search engine results.

Get as many keywords as you can into your title tag as most search engines these days use this is the primary identifier for the site - providing that the content does match the title.

You could also try googleads but if your not selling naything it may not be worth it.

Posting it on the forums is a good idea to because it provides a link TO your site and will improve its overall position. (hint)

I have had endless battles with search engines and you may notice that you can go up and down all the time.

Dmoz is a great idea as suggested but do STAY AWAY from those companies who promise inclusion to hundreds of search engines - they dont work and they will make your site go down in rankings, perhaps not even appear at all. Just submit them to the big guns individually. IMHO it takes about a year before you have a good foundation with the search engines - this is a game of patience.

Do follow web building guidelines especially where design, layout and META tags are concerened.

Best of luck with your site

BTW whats the link ?! ?!

Regards

Maz

[Memetic]

The link is in 3141castro's profile, as I found after writing my post :)

If I remember right the PPrune rules forbid the posting of links to commercial sites in sig blocks - I seem to remember being pulled up on that when I was promoting a jobs site a site :D

I agree on the Google ads. Just be very specific on the key words and read the help screens to learn how to control where your ads appear. For example if you are promoting a service in Birmingham UK, use the controls to filter out enquiries that are likley to relate to Birmingham Alabama - no point in paying for irrelevant traffic. (e.g. reject Alabama, USA and the state code AL)

[mazzy1026]

Google ads can be effective but you have to get them completely perfect - I believe they are a rocket science in themselves and have had many a day where I have been so pi55ed off with them I just gave up. Google are EXTREMELY picky about the ad's you have and will pull you up on any teeny weeny little discrepancy!

Make sure you read all the articles and advice on google ads before venturing into them - this is very important.

Regards

Maz

[amanoffewwords]

3141castro


Shouldn't keywords be separated by commas? Doesn't appear to be the case in the code of your (very nice looking) site?

Cheers
Charles