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Using Targeted Domains for Quick Traffic

Trying to achieve a top search engine rank for a popular keyword - with thousands of searches a month - is a long-term project. New websites targeting high-competition keywords can spend a long time in the depths of the unread pages, once they have been indexed.

An easier solution is to concentrate on keywords with lower competition. Admittedly, this type of keyword may not attract the high level of monthly searches that popular keywords command. But they can be used to bring in a quick stream of steady traffic and create a top-ranking website in a very short space of time. The best way to achieve this is to use a targeted domain name.

How to Set Up a Targeted Domain Website

Keyword Research and Domain Names

The technique involves finding a keyword, related to the product or service you wish to promote, and then use this keyword as a domain name. This will require some basic low-competition keyword research and the use of a domain registration website.

There are two good reasons why low-competition keywords are used. Firstly, highly competitive keywords (such as ‘diet’) require intensive SEO work to achieve top search engine positions. This can take a long time and a lot of effort. Secondly, with the millions of websites already in existence, most of the common keywords are already being used in current domain names.

Use a keyword research tool (Google External Keyword Tool is fine) to find some low-competition keywords based around the product or service you wish to promote. Look for keywords that are 2-3 words in length and have 300-600 monthly searches.

Go to a domain information site such as whois.com, namecheap.com, or godaddy.com. Enter the potential keywords into the site and see if any are available as domain names. The domain extension is unimportant. Most people use .com extensions, so the majority of these have gone, but you may find that .info and .net are available for your chosen keyword.  Once you have found a suitable domain name you will need to purchase the domain.

Web Hosting and Wordpress

The next step is to find a web hosting provider. There are many reasonably priced providers. You should choose a package that allows you to host multiple domains and has the option to install the Wordpress platform. Most reputable providers include these options and you should be able to find a package for under $10 a month.

Once you have your domain name and web host, you will need to install Wordpress (the hosting service should provide clear instructions). If you already have a website, and are using this targeted domain as a supplementary site, try to choose a theme that is similar to your main site. If this is a standalone website, find a platform that is practical to use and has some relevance to your market (i.e. don’t use a games theme if you sell flowers!).

Simple SEO

The title of website should use the same keywords as the domain name. Now add some content to the site that is relevant and topical. This need only be a home page for now, but remember to use good SEO strategy and include your keywords in the page title and content body. A great tip is to go to the plug-ins section of your Wordpress admin panel and search for the XML Sitemap Generator plug-in. This free tool allows you to create a sitemap and automatically submits the sitemap to Google, Bing, Yahoo and Ask. This helps to speed up the indexing process.

The next step is to create a handful of backlinks. Depending on the level of competition the amount of links you require will differ. Look to set up at least 5 decent anchor text backlinks to begin with (your keywords must be used in the link anchor text). You can find easy backlinks by searching for forums and blogs relevant to your site, then creating profiles and posting comments.

Because you have selected low-competition keywords and used them in the domain name and title, your new website should soon be among the top search engine results for your chosen keywords. Search engines place great importance on titles and domain names. You will soon be receiving a steady flow of traffic to the site. Depending on the position of your site in the listings, you may need to add more backlinks and content until you reach the top position, but this should not take long.

Rinse and Repeat

Once your first site is complete, you should be looking to create other sites using the same strategy. You should already have a list of topic-related keywords to use as domain names from your original search. As you create new sites, connect them to the other sites with anchor links. This increases backlinks for each site in the group. If you have a main website, link these new sites to the main site, instantly creating a new set of relevant backlinks.

Try to use the same, or similar, Wordpress themes for each site as this adds consistency and can make visitors feel like these smaller sites are all part of a larger website. This helps to establish a mild form of brand recognition. Look to form a group no larger than 5 sites, otherwise you may be suspected of creating link rings. Add the occasional link to an external site, which is not part of your group, this makes your own grouping look less artificial.

One small website targeting a keyword with limited monthly searches may not bring in thousands of visitors a month but 5 of these small websites can. These sites are quick to set up, easy to maintain, and operate individually and as part of a collective group. They can help promote niche products, increase brand visibility and send targeted visitors to a main website.

Cheap Web Hosting Packages to Avoid

Choosing among the numerous available web hosting packages is one of the most important steps to getting your own website up and running. Today, there are so many web hosting packages to choose from and picking the right one may not be such an easy task. When choosing a web hosting service, it is all too easy to be tempted to pick the one that offers the lowest costs for you. This is a common mistake made by those who are not entirely familiar with web hosting. Although there are inexpensive web hosting packages that offer good service, not all of them do. To help you out, below are the two things you must avoid when considering cheap web hosting packages.

Free Web Space and Low Cost Hosting

Many web hosting services provide free web space. However, more often than not, the reason why these packages are provided at no cost to consumers is because advertisements linking to other websites will compensate for the cost of providing the service. In this way, those who avail of this package will not have to pay any monthly fees. However, the website hosted under this package will be required to contain advertisements to other websites. Low cost hosting has also become very popular nowadays. However, similar to free web space packages, your website will still be bombarded with advertisements that you will have no control of. There may even be banners at the very top of your website that will link your own potential customers to competitors. If you choose these types of web hosting package, you will have no control over the advertisements placed on your own website. You may even be driving traffic to the websites of your competitors. In the end, you may be losing your potential customers which would most likely cost you more than it would have if you had just paid for your own domain name and web hosting package.

Limited Hosting

There are web hosting services that provide you with web space but do not allow you to add additional tools to your website. Among the most important tools any webmaster should have are multiple email accounts, website usage statistics, auto-responders, and URL redirection. Of course, you must also ensure that your web hosting package provides you with secure servers, dedicated hosting, and the web space allocation you need. Some web hosting providers do not even allow order forms on the websites they host. Be sure to choose the right web hosting package or you may not be able to do what is necessary to make your online business a success. Those are just the two very enticing yet very important types of web hosting packages to avoid if you wish to have a professional web site. Always remember that costs are not the only factor that should be considered in your decision. Consider spending on your own domain name and web hosting service. This will allow your visitors to view you as more professional and trustworthy. In the end, the costs involved in maintaining a website will prove to be worth it.

Choosing from the Different Types of Web Hosting Services

Contrary to what many people believe, there are actually many different types of web hosting services to choose from. Each available option suits the needs of different kinds of websites. For this reason, before choosing a web hosting provider, it is imperative for you to understand your website's requirements. Listed below are the most common types of web hosting services available and their general descriptions.

Free Web Hosting

Although undoubtedly the cheapest type of web hosting services available, this is often not recommended for business websites. This type of web hosting service does not involve monthly fees. However, it will come with advertisements and it will most likely have limitations in features, bandwidth, and storage space.

Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting services may be beneficial. With this type of web hosting service, a server will be shared by a number of websites therefore lowering the costs involved. However, this also means sharing resources which may be alright if your website does not require a lot.

Reseller Web Hosting

Similar to shared web hosting, reseller web hosting involves servers that are shared by different websites. This type of service is offered by those who are allotted heavy resources by their own web hosting provider. They then share their resources to others for a fee.

Virtual Dedicated Server

Also similar to shared web hosting is having a virtual dedicated server. However, instead of sharing the same resources, clients that avail of a virtual dedicated server are allotted a specified amount of storage space and bandwidth therefore eliminating the need to compete with other websites hosted on the same server.

Dedicated Web Hosting Service

In this type of service, each client will have his own server. This type of service comes in two options. These include managed web hosting where the web hosting company will provide full services to manage the server. The other option is unmanaged web hosting where the client will take full responsibility over the server.

Co-location Web Hosting Service

Similar to having an unmanaged dedicated web hosting service, a co-location service allows clients to have their own servers. However, clients are only provided with rack or cabinet space, internet connection, and power. The server, then, must be purchased and fully owned by the client.

Clustered Web Hosting

For websites that require allotment of resources that are too heavy for one server, it would be necessary to avail of clustered web hosting services. Through this type of service, the same information is hosted on a number of different servers allowing websites to support a significantly larger bandwidth. The type of web hosting service you should choose will depend solely on the type of website that needs to be hosted. Generally, most websites can be hosted using shared hosting services. Many prefer virtual and fully dedicated web hosting options for the guaranteed resource allotment. However, if your website's requirements are much more than the average website, it would be best for you to consult with an IT specialist who could evaluate your specific needs.