Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

Finding Joint Venture Partners with SearchIt! Free Research Tool
The SearchIt! free research 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 started covering some specialized search tools, including ways that SearchIt! can show you at a glance how you rank for specific search terms across multiple search engines. This week we'll look at how SearchIt! can help you see what people are saying about your site on the Web and how it can help you find potential joint venture partners.

In the Step 1 dropdown box, scroll down under Advanced Search and select Discussions/Groups.
Click the dropdown box for Step 2: Select Search Type. You'll see the following options.

• Google Groups
• Lycos Discussion Search

(Note: These options may change. The SiteSell people (who maintain the SearchIt! tool) are constantly adding new search tools to it.)

Both options operate in the same way. Type your keyword in the Step 3 box and click the SearchIt! button. Click the link at the bottom of the intro page to get your results.

Your results may be tightly focused discussion groups on your topic, or they may be nothing but ads. But they will show you any discussions where your topic has appeared on the major discussion groups. And any groups you find give you a wonderful opportunity to build relationships that can turn into all manner of benefits for your business.

Next week
This Sunday, we looked at how SearchIt! can help you see what people are saying about your site on the Web and how it can help you find potential joint venture partners. Next week we'll conclude our series on SearchIt! by looking at how SearchIt! can help you find images, videos and sound online.

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