Sunday, November 20, 2005
Analyzing Your Site With SearchIt! Free Research Tool
The SearchIt! free search tool consists of a window with two dropdown boxes and two text boxes. In the two dropdown boxes, you select the type of search you want to do. In the two text boxes, you select the search criteria (such as keywords or URLs) you want to use.
Rather than repeat the introductory info about SearchIt! that I shared previously, I suggest that you see the October 2nd blog for this information. Or simply realize that it is important to click all the links and read all the instructions that SearchIt! tells you to do.
You'll find SearchIt! A LOT easier and more valuable to use if you do that.
Using SearchIt!
Last week we looked at using SearchIt! to help you keep up to date with the latest info on your topic area. This week we'll look at some interesting ways to test the effectiveness of your website.
In the Step 1 dropdown box, scroll down under C-T-P-M and select Traffic-Building and PREselling.
Click the dropdown box for Step 2: Select Search Type. You'll see the following options.
Take the Traffic Test
This option lets you get an idea of the relative amount of traffic your site, or a competitor's site receives. It queries Alexa.com, the creator of one of the most popular toolbars on the Web. Alexa's toolbar gives the user a wide variety of instant information about whatever site they visit in return for permission to anonymously track the user's movements on the Web.
As a result, Alexa has some of the most extensive data on website traffic available. Granted, their data isn't perfect. Their data tracks only Alexa toolbar users, so it's skewed toward the habits of fairly sophisticated surfers, not the general populace. And it's occasionally tricked by unscrupulous site owners who want to boost their ranking artificially.
But, overall, Alexa's rankings give a pretty good snapshot of where a site stands in popularity and traffic. With Alexa rankings, the smaller the number, the more popular the site is. For example, the most popular site on the Web, Yahoo!, is number 1. Alexa assigns a ranking to approximetely the 5 million most popular sites. Those that don't make the top 5 million are simply listed as No Data Available.
OK, having gone through all that, here's the way to run this test.
Type a domain name (without the http:// or www.) in the Step 3 box. Click the SearchIt! button. Read the information page about this search.
I especially encourage you to read the intro page for this search. It makes some excellent points about the crucial role that building solid content for your site has in your site's success and the way that the "you-can-put-up-a-site-in-15-minutes" hucksters can put you in a bind that your business may never overcome.
Once you've read the page, click the link at the bottom of that page to show your results.
Take the PREselling Test
This option is not so much a search as it is an opportunity for self-analysis of your site. And for this one, reading the intro page that appears after you click the SearchIt! button is essential.
Type a complete domain name (including the http:// and the www.) into the Step 3 box. Click the SearchIt! button. Read the intro page. It offers an excellent lesson in the type of content it takes to succeed and gives lots of great examples of people who have done this.
Once you've read the intro page, click the search results link at the bottom of the page. Analyze your page to see how well it provides the kind of content the intro page describes.
Next week
This Sunday, I've covered some interesting ways to test the effectiveness of your website, Next week I'll cover some ways to uncover effective ways of monetizing (making money off of) your site.
All in all, SearchIt! can find you lots of valuable information. The main thing to remember is to READ THE DIRECTIONS. With as many tools packed into this one interface, you're not going to take one look at it and intuitively understand how to use every one of them. But the directions they give are easy, and they do more than just tell you how to use each tool; they also throw in tips on how to use the results you receive to make your site more successful.
SearchIt! is one of these free tools that really produces value for you. I recommend that you check it out and make it a part of your web marketing arsenal.
Jeff
The SearchIt! free search tool consists of a window with two dropdown boxes and two text boxes. In the two dropdown boxes, you select the type of search you want to do. In the two text boxes, you select the search criteria (such as keywords or URLs) you want to use.
Rather than repeat the introductory info about SearchIt! that I shared previously, I suggest that you see the October 2nd blog for this information. Or simply realize that it is important to click all the links and read all the instructions that SearchIt! tells you to do.
You'll find SearchIt! A LOT easier and more valuable to use if you do that.
Using SearchIt!
Last week we looked at using SearchIt! to help you keep up to date with the latest info on your topic area. This week we'll look at some interesting ways to test the effectiveness of your website.
In the Step 1 dropdown box, scroll down under C-T-P-M and select Traffic-Building and PREselling.
Click the dropdown box for Step 2: Select Search Type. You'll see the following options.
- Take the Traffic Test
- Take the PREselling Test
Take the Traffic Test
This option lets you get an idea of the relative amount of traffic your site, or a competitor's site receives. It queries Alexa.com, the creator of one of the most popular toolbars on the Web. Alexa's toolbar gives the user a wide variety of instant information about whatever site they visit in return for permission to anonymously track the user's movements on the Web.
As a result, Alexa has some of the most extensive data on website traffic available. Granted, their data isn't perfect. Their data tracks only Alexa toolbar users, so it's skewed toward the habits of fairly sophisticated surfers, not the general populace. And it's occasionally tricked by unscrupulous site owners who want to boost their ranking artificially.
But, overall, Alexa's rankings give a pretty good snapshot of where a site stands in popularity and traffic. With Alexa rankings, the smaller the number, the more popular the site is. For example, the most popular site on the Web, Yahoo!, is number 1. Alexa assigns a ranking to approximetely the 5 million most popular sites. Those that don't make the top 5 million are simply listed as No Data Available.
OK, having gone through all that, here's the way to run this test.
Type a domain name (without the http:// or www.) in the Step 3 box. Click the SearchIt! button. Read the information page about this search.
I especially encourage you to read the intro page for this search. It makes some excellent points about the crucial role that building solid content for your site has in your site's success and the way that the "you-can-put-up-a-site-in-15-minutes" hucksters can put you in a bind that your business may never overcome.
Once you've read the page, click the link at the bottom of that page to show your results.
Take the PREselling Test
This option is not so much a search as it is an opportunity for self-analysis of your site. And for this one, reading the intro page that appears after you click the SearchIt! button is essential.
Type a complete domain name (including the http:// and the www.) into the Step 3 box. Click the SearchIt! button. Read the intro page. It offers an excellent lesson in the type of content it takes to succeed and gives lots of great examples of people who have done this.
Once you've read the intro page, click the search results link at the bottom of the page. Analyze your page to see how well it provides the kind of content the intro page describes.
Next week
This Sunday, I've covered some interesting ways to test the effectiveness of your website, Next week I'll cover some ways to uncover effective ways of monetizing (making money off of) your site.
All in all, SearchIt! can find you lots of valuable information. The main thing to remember is to READ THE DIRECTIONS. With as many tools packed into this one interface, you're not going to take one look at it and intuitively understand how to use every one of them. But the directions they give are easy, and they do more than just tell you how to use each tool; they also throw in tips on how to use the results you receive to make your site more successful.
SearchIt! is one of these free tools that really produces value for you. I recommend that you check it out and make it a part of your web marketing arsenal.
Jeff
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