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Janet Jackson & Search Engine Marketing

February 2004

Janet Jackson Showed Her Boob at Halftime

The significance of that sentence should be next to nothing. Unfortunately it is not. In her doing a simple act of stupid self promotion she found a resurgence in popularity.

The Mindless Masses

Many people linger around to never find their purpose. Many people in this world have much to gain if you are not living up to your full potential. We are fed crap and "reality" through the TV.

Society is in a sad state when Janet Jackson broke the single day search record that was held by the terrorist attacks from September 11, 2001. For a few days more people searched for Janet Jackson than all of the other top 200 search terms combined.

Using Janet to Increase Traffic

This is a topic which generally makes little sense. If you have a random weblog it might work, but sites should be focused. The reason search is so powerful is when it works right. When people find your site they find exactly what they are looking for.

One guy who emailed me wanted help with his handmade hemp jewelry website which also offered search engine optimization services. This guy did not realized that his actions would work well to alienate any and all audiences which may cross his site.

Focus is important. A good small site is far better than a large random unfocused website.

The Value of Traffic

Traffic alone has an extremely small value. Why do you think the search and portal industries are consolidating? Has MSN been losing money every year because Microsoft is not a greedy company? Why do pop ups sell at rates below one tenth of a cent?

Most of the people searching for Janet Jackson had no intention to buy anything. To most websites that traffic is essentially worthless.

The Real Value of Traffic

Targeted traffic has a ton of value. Some people pay many dollars per click to advertise their sites. Many of the people who click those ads are prospects already interested in products or services.

When you perform keyword research, site construction, and link building correctly you will find traffic which is targeted. It is this targeting that is worth money.

What We Can All Learn From Janet

She got a ton of traffic because she did something that was out of the ordinary. Was it good? Was it bad? It just depends on who you ask.

It costs next to nothing to make a third rate portal. It costs next to nothing to build a script driven ecommerce site. Many people have a confused or limited view of the internet which tells them they can keep putting up more script driven websites and keep making more money. In the short term it may be effective, but eventually you will need to find ways to build value to compete.

How Do You Build Value?

Most websites lack something which strongly differentiates them from competitors. What you need to find is how you can use your unique knowledge base and experience to solve problems for other people. Some things which may help set you apart:

• product comparisons
• honesty
• a unique voice (perhaps me randomly writing BUZZ OFF right here)
• tips on how to: solve their problems (word any way you like)
• in depth information
• creativity
• links to other valuable resources
• prompt customer service

If you need help with your site feel free to call me or send me an email.

- by Aaron Wall, owner of Search Marketing Info

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