Marketing your site on the internet is a must, and while search engines are a great help in this matter, there are many other methods of getting your product or service greater exposure. Here we look at some of the more successful ways of creating traffic without the use of search engines.

Web Directories

There are many directories on the web, places where web sites advertise their wares for all visitors to see. This may seem like an old fashioned way of promoting your site, but it is a very useful and often lucrative tool in the race for traffic. With the number of directories available, it is worth seeking the most popular ones. A search for 'top ten directories' should bring up some potentially interesting sites.

Syndicate content

Many web sites use other people's content, either for ease of use or for economic reasons. It can be very useful to have your content placed on other popular websites. This must be done with a link to your site, however, or the method is wasted. But if you don't mind helping others by filling their site with content, you may find the rewards are significant. Because a link-back to your site is utilized, this should increase your traffic flow.

Look for well-known names, or popular brands, which want syndicated content, as association with established names can be a benefit.

Blogging

Among the most popular ways of getting traffic to a website is blogging, a method that has become something of a marketing phenomenon in recent years.

The beauty of blogging is many-fold, and not only does it add a more 'personal' touch to your site, but it is a proven method of increasing traffic. It is also very much 'real time', too, and enables you to keep everything updated quickly and easily, and at little cost.

There are a number of blogging services that will give you better access to the audience you are looking to attract. The latest figures for blogging show that the traffic levels they generate are growing all the time.

Not only is it vital to keep your blog up to date, but to keep up to date with other blogs in the industry that you operate in. This can give you a reliable indication of the market trends and new developments.

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Advert networks

An important weapon in the marketing wars, advertising your site on those that rank higher than yours can be a simple and effective way of getting your name across. This way you are guaranteed exposure to more people than would normally approach your site, and with some very popular sites letting space for adverts it is a great way of increasing your traffic figures.

Again, look for high ranking and popular sites that have ad networks, and get on board early, while the space is affordable.

Press Releases and PR firms

Press releases have been around - in the print world - since year dot, and the on line version is a very effective way of publicizing your product, service or site.

Indeed, there are many outlets for Press Releases - a search will guide you in the right direction - and there are many organizations that will handle the writing and publication of PR for you. You can find these on news and business outlets across the web.

It is surprising how effective a well-orchestrated and devised PR campaign can be, and also how cost effective and affordable one is likely to be, also.

Other methods

The above are just a few of the useful methods of promoting your website and creating more traffic, but there are many more, too many to cover in any detail here.

You may want to look at developing pod-casts, a relatively modern way of inviting traffic that is becoming more popular as a marketing tool. Many people and businesses swear by the word-of-mouth method of marketing that utilizes on line forums as a viable tool. Indeed, the latter can create quite a 'buzz' if the right forum is used, and generate more traffic than may previously have been thought possible.

There are, indeed, many ways of creating traffic other than by search engines, and the above should present a guide to where you need to begin.