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Buying Text Link Ads

The oldest way of site promotion is still one of the best. Text link ads! It’s been proven that there is a greater chance of a reader clicking on a text link than banners and other forms of advertisement. At least when the ad copy is well written!

One of the most cost effective ways to advertise your site is to find a site that talks to your target audience, and write a page in a third party manner that links back to your site. That doesn’t mean a strong sales pitch, a useful article that answers many of the readers questions (but not all) and then links back to your site as the authority on the matter and for more information increases the readers trust in your site as well as brings them to you most likely ready to buy.

Text links ads far surpass banners ads in creating trust in the linked to site. While banner ads are often just looked at as website advertisement text links ads actually promote your site. So, why not just go out and buy text link ads?

Google doesn’t like them!

Google looks at purchasing text link ads as a personal affront against them. Remember that Google uses links to your site to increase your page rank and in many ways increase the strength of your site. So, when you purchase links they take it that you are trying to “Game The System”. Falsely increase your pagerank.

In many ways this goes against the accepted norm in advertisement. Really, who of you have not heard of Budweiser? Is this because they make the best beer on the market? No, it’s because they have put more into their marketing campaigns than any of their competitors. We know the company because they have put their name in front of us so many times that they are now the standard that other beers are compared to.

When buying links pay attention to the potential traffic and not PR. PR will not pay your bills, traffic and sales will.

What are the best sites for your links?

Another falsehood that is often pushed by seo companies is that you should only purchase links on site that are on the same topic. While this may be true if you are trying to game Google. This is in no way true if you are trying to get the most traffic to your site.

Once again lets pick on Budweiser. Why, because they are awesome in promoting their product. When their advertising gurus look for venues to place their ads on, are they worried about finding places where people are already looking for beer. NO! They are looking for any place where beer drinkers like to go! They don’t care why they are there; the important part is that they are there.

Probably the best example is the Superbowl. They spend massive amounts of money (in the millions) to place an ad in the superbowl. Is it because people go there to look for beer to drink. Of course not, they're there to watch the game. However, most game watchers drink beer. Almost everyone that watches their ad is interested in their product. Now that’s great marketing.

So how do you use this when buying text links?

• First, figure out whom you are trying to sell to.
• Second, find where these people like to hang out
• Third, say something that will interest them (they probably don’t want to hear a sales pitch)
• Finally, get them to your site to make the sale.

Buying text link ads is a great way to market your website and increase traffic. Think your web marketing campaign through so you make the most effective purchases. Don’t give up on text link ads because Google doesn’t like them. If you are worried, have the site put the “no Follow” rel on the link as Google requires.