Don't Lose Sight Of The Forest For The Sleaze

Search engine optimization is a tedious process, however, it is so necessary it cannot be overlooked without dire consequences. Often, as I am researching a new approach to building website traffic, I'll discover a "New Almost Blackhat" approach to building traffic. The recent next best thing related to an idea about getting into "that" business that perports to earn thousands a day from a sleazy market.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not being judgemental, business is business. But hype is also hype, no matter what clothes it wears. Plus, if you're seriously working hard to build a ton of quality traffic to your websites it's going to take time to build it right. And here's what many of the hype artists are missing.

Your brand is not the catchy brand name or domain name or product/service you're promoting. Your brand is YOU. I've happened upon faded domains that were launched years ago. Information in the Internet has a very long life span. In the case of your good name and reputation, it sticks to you like Crazy Glue.

It's easy to understand that a quicker way is always attractive, however, at what price? If your short cuts are stable and based on good practices that stand the test of time, go for it and don't use your brakes. But, if you're moving toward so-called blackhat techniques and stuff that has to be done under aliases and multiple proxies, take some time to think it through in regard to all the possibilities.

I Googled a website a few days ago that has been performing consistently in a very hot niche for several years. While this was not the biggest player in the field, this site's 7200 backlinks impressed me. This is a very very PG site and business is as robust as it can be for what they're doing.

I did a cost/revenue/profit analysis on the business and estimated an approximate daily revenue stream of six (6) figures. That's what happens long term...not over night. And definitely not with short cuts and blackhat tactics that get you shut down....eventually.

Ciao,
Doc Rich