How to Build a Website - Day 22 to 25 - Search, Traffic and Backlinks

Day 22 Add an Adsense Search Box or Two to your Website

Make more money, track your stats and write more articles

Google's Search Box

Although this step is not mandatory you might want your readers to easily find the article they look for on your site. So you can add a search box. And since Google Adsense allows you to earn money from searches run through their box installed on your website, well you can give it a try...

Here's how to proceed: log into your Google Adsense account, select "search settings" and follow the instructions on how to create a search box. Copy the code and paste it on each of your web pages. I usually put large search box at the bottom of my pages and a small box on the top of the navigation menu. If your visitors make a search on your site and click on the result, you will earn money (no, you won't get rich overnight).

Site Counter

You certainly want to keep track of the traffic that is generated from your website. There are several ways to do so, but that the time I wrote this course, I didn't use the most popular one, which is Google Analytics - I'm not even sure it would exist.

Google Analytics is a service that is provided by Google and that offers a wide overview and a detailed view of how your website is doing. Using your gmail.com login you can join Google Analytics (its name and the platform are currently changing, though) and set up your account. Once you have the code generated by Google, you can paste it on all your webpages. After a few days, you will be provided by your site stats.

But for less analytical people, there is a nice shortcut that is named "Site Counter" (sitecounter.com). If you want to use this one, go to their site, apply for an account. Configure your new counter and copy/paste its code at the bottom of each of your web pages. 

You may choose to create a visible or an invisible counter (I usually use an invisible counter). You will then be able to track the number of visitors your site receives, its keywords activity and some other interesting information.

Day 23 and 24 Write Another Batch of Articles

Articles Submission

On the 23rd day you are going to write even more articles. You can write one, two or how many as you like. However, make sure to write one generic article that you can submit to article directories.

This article is meant to drive more visitors to your site and establish your reputation online. If you wish your article to be unique for each article directory you submit it, then I recommend using SpinRewriter service so as to make 100s of different articles out of just one.

Day 25 Build Backlinks for your New Website

You're going to edit the website page created on day 7

Do you recall what you did on the 7th day ? Yes, it is time to use that webpage and the information you gathered! We are going to build links back to your site. Remember: they aren't meant to provide your site with authority since nowadays most site owners make these links "no follow" - which tells search engines not to follow or keep track of these links. They are meant to provide you with more visitors and help people getting to know you.

For example, if your website is weight loss related, search for weight loss, weight loss surgery, weight loss programs, etc. websites.

Log into your mail box and open the document where you saved all those potential partner sites' email addresses. 

Open your "partner" page and select 5 potential partner's links, site name and description. Type them on your partner page, upload the page on your server, ensure that it works fine. All is ok with the new web page?

Now check each of these 5 sites' partner pages. Do they have a "link to us" option? Is it an automated process? Yes? Submit your site, your site title, a short description and a link to your very own partner page.

The site doesn't have this feature? No problem. Get the potential partner's email address that you collected previously and write them a short note ("Hi, I have a website with a subject similar to yours - short description of your site - and added a link to your site - your links page URL - and would appreciate a link back to mine, etc.") asking for a link back to your site from their own partner page.

Wait for two weeks and if you don't get any answer, delete the link.

See you soon for day 26 ;)

Posted by Holly Day