14 replies to this topic

[sophiepeanut]

Hi,

I am currently building an ecommerce site selling gifts online.

To promote the web site on search engines and other web sites I intend to create a "content resource" providing information and tips on gift buying and more specific info about some type of gifts we will be selling (i.e. might have an article on the origins of the teddy bear, with a couple of links to the teddy bear section on our ecommerce site).

So far so good... however I am trying to implement this so we do get the maximum return from the articles.

My thought is to implement the articles in a blog format so we can add new articles/thoughts on a regular basis and keep the web site fresh.

I also would like to distribute these article to other sites that are looking for content. So we get more links to our site from different sources.

From reading around RSS feeds seem to be the best way to do this...

My question is this a good idea or the best way to go about it? - If the answer is YES - having never done this before, what do I need to do?

**Is there any easy to use blog/type software that would enable me to do this? Or do I need knowledge of XML and programing generally?
**Is there any good book or web site that might present a blue print on how to implement something like this
**How do you distribute your content and who do you distribute it too?

Thanks for sharing your ideas and experience

[ACpeter]

That's a good question! I too am interested in understanding how to best distribute content. We've just started with this concept and were going to release pages that include 'user friendly' links. Basically, provide the actual HTML code that can be copied and pasted in order to make it easy for other sites to create the link. At least that way all the other links stay in the article.

That's just the way simple way we've been thinking of doing it, but as always, we're open to suggestions from the pros!

[Jill]

Welcome sophiepeanut!

To promote the web site on search engines and other web sites I intend to create a "content resource" providing information and tips on gift buying and more specific info about some type of gifts we will be selling (i.e. might have an article on the origins of the teddy bear, with a couple of links to the teddy bear section on our ecommerce site).

Don't you think there are already a million other sites that provide that information? It doesn't help if it's not different.

Got any other ideas?

[snipermilk]

sophiepeanut, why not try running an affiliate marketing campaign? If you have high payouts, people will be quick to pick up and promote your campaign/website.

Question: if I host the affiliate system on my website (not on CJ.com, tc.), do I get a link boost from all the ads, text links, etc. my affiliates post on their websites?

[Michael Martinez]

Question: if I host the affiliate system on my website (not on CJ.com, tc.), do I get a link boost from all the ads, text links, etc. my affiliates post on their websites?

Maybe. It depends. There is no one, single, concise, always correct answer. The search engines have indicated in the past that they try to de-emphasize affiliate program and banner network links.

As always, you should do it if it makes sense to do it without any consideration for whether it will impact your search engine rankings.

[misohoni]

I've always wondered about this, esp with blogger.com but my PR hasn't improved with it really..

[Jill]

You really don't because all the links go to different urls as opposed to your actual home page. If you can have them redirect via a 301 to your home page, you can get the credit.

We have some other links regarding 301's and affiliate links, if you do a quick search.

[sophiepeanut]

Hi guys,

Thanks for taking time to answer and share your views.

Thanks Jill for actually challenging me on the originality of the content planned....
I guess half of the issue is what I put in there. Not just the format of it.

However I am not sure what else I can come up with. In a nutshel the site will be selling Helium Balloons in a box, Teddy Bears and soft toys, Chocolates and other gifts. Just convenient cheeful stuff delivered next day. Whith things for almost anybody and all occasions.

Of course all the content on the products pages will be optimised and writen for SE. However I think some content pages with strategic links to the catalogue would help increase the traffic. To be a little more precise I had planned to have content of that type:

- How to buy good gifts
- Party ideas
- Articles on specific "events" such as Christmas, Easter, Mother's day with origins of the tradition and gifts and celebration ideas
- A few more specific pages about stuff like teddys bears and their origins (sorry Jill I had to sneak this one in!)
- Poems - as from my key word search it seems that it might be one of the related stuff people are looking for

No awfully original but what else can I do? Any bright ideas are more than welcome.

Thanks

[Jill]

Of course all the content on the products pages will be optimised and writen for SE.

You'd probably have better luck to write them for your users.

[sophiepeanut]

Jill,

Users who need them?

Joking appart, I just replied to your newsletter with a few questions about this site of mine - maybe you could do a little consulting for us.

[amygrech]

I maintain a blog here: [snipped]

that drives traffic to relevant product pages here: [snipped]

Amy

[Please review the [url=http://www.highrankings.com/forum/index.php?act=boardrules]Forum Rules[/url] regarding signatures and links in posts.]

Edited by Randy, 27 October 2005 - 10:17 AM.

[sophiepeanut]

Amy,

Does it work in terms of generating sales for your main site?

What kind of return do you have? 1 order a week? 10 a day? What is the time investment in maintaing the blog?

[Jill]

OFFTOPIC:

sophiepeanut, got the email, but have been too busy to reply. I was going to suggest that you see if Scottie is available, because she is much more of an "idea man" than I am. This would be right up her alley.

[misohoni]

You can enter your URLs in the blogs I've used and in Blogger you can use Anon and enter your details there...

[Tom Philo]

In Blogger there is a section where it talks about publishing the blog not on blogger itself but to your own domain. So you just use Blogger as a method to post but the posts actually occur and are stored on your site - they just manage all the "back-end" processing.

I have not tried to figure out what is required to do that. It does mention about using FTP in the background to publish to your server the blog - again once set up you do not have to do anything.

Blogger is nice since you can just e-mail your posting to there. I understand that most blog software allows that.

Also they now have a MS Word® add-in that allows you to write the post uising Word then post in all its glorious formatting to your blog.

I started up my personal blog on there just a few weeks ago - only reason I know about it.