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Robert Gwuzd
talks about the advantages and disadvantages of both SEO and list-building.
Find out how these two separate marketing methods can actually complement
one another.
List Building vs. Search Engine Optimization
It seems the excitement about search engine optimization fades
in and out from time to time. The more people talk about search
engine optimization (SEO) the more it seems to be the logical choice
for bringing customers to your site. However, there are some points
that I haven’t seen anyone else make as of yet about the effectiveness
of SEO versus the effectiveness of building a responsive list. I
think you’ll be surprised to see which one comes out on top.
Rules and Regulations
There are rules and regulations for almost everything in life.
List building and SEO are no different.
Rules for SEO: Your HTML coding has to be just so in order to rank
highly on the engines. Your copy (text) also needs to include specific
keywords a certain number of times in specific places or you might
not be accepted. And if you are accepted, unless you follow all
the “dos” and “don’ts” of SEO, you’ll likely not see the top 10…
or even the top 50.
Rules for List Building: Offer a good product or service; notify
your list about it, and watch the sales come in.
The Only Constant Is Change
If you do get accepted in the search engines, you might be tempted
to rest easy. Don’t! As we’ve seen in recent months, search engines
can change their policies and ranking orders at the flip of a switch.
If you depend on search engines for all your traffic, such a change
could leave you completely out of business. Not good!
Lists on the other hand are built from loyalty… not rules and regulations.
The people who subscribe to your list, ezine, or newsletter are
there because they want to be. They’ve come to you because you offer
them something of quality… something unique.
If you change the design or copy on your site, it won’t matter
one bit to the members of your list. They’ll still be there for
you. If the search engines decide they’re only going to list sites
that use the colors blue, green, and purple… it won’t affect you
at all.
Sales vs. Leads
Truth be known, SEO only drives “leads” to your site… not sales.
On the other hand, list building puts your offer in front of those
who have already checked you out, decided they liked what you had
to say, and chose to stick with you. These are loyal, pre-qualified
individuals who are waiting to receive your next mailing and purchase
your next product.
Free, Automatic, and Viral
Lastly, list building can be done at no cost. List building can
happen automatically and can (and should) be a viral process.
If you produce a quality list that offers something of value, others
will want to tell their friends about you. This process of automatic,
viral marketing costs you nothing whatsoever and works like a dream
because your subscribers are making unsolicited recommendations
to those who trust them.
This process not only drives new subscribers to your list, but
also ultimately makes new sales for you.
Search engines, on the other hand, do not operate virally. While
some are free, many charge for the “opportunity” to be reviewed
for inclusion. Still others charge on a pay-per-click basis, which
can get very costly without ever bringing in one sale.
When all is said and done, which one is better? Lists or search
engines? While both can have an important role in your marketing
plan, if what you’re looking for is the generation of more sales…
building a responsive list simply can’t be beat.
About The Author
How - exactly - do you build a list that delivers an automated,
consistent, monthly income? Robert Gwuzd and Ian Herculson have
teamed up to offer you “The Opt-In Strategy,” a powerful, FREE EBOOK
designed to show you specifically how to build a list of thousands
who will consistently buy from you. Best of all… this ebook COSTS
YOU NOTHING. Download it now at http://www.opt-insolution.com
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