Best CPA Network

It’s now common knowledge among all agents and brokers with websites that legitimate links help boost your search engine rankings. But getting those links can be a long and tedious process.

And your links have to be legit. Google will actually penalize your page ranking if you’re caught using one of those “link farms” or automated link exchangers.
The good news is that there are easy, cheap and often free ways to build valuable links to your website. Here are 13 tips alone that can get you dozens of links immediately.

1. Sign up for social networking sites
Social networking sites are all the rage today. Beyond the fad, they’re useful tools for staying in touch with friends and relatives. Because their basic membership is free and allow you to provide a description about yourself, they’re ideal candidates for your first links.

You can sign up for over a dozen of these sites in just a couple of hours. Be prepared to provide some information about who you are and what you do. And don’t forget to include the link to your website.

There are literally hundreds of social networking sites available. Wikipedia has a list of the most popular at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites, including the following:

• www.MySpace.com
• www.FaceBook.com
• www.Ning.com
• www.Friendster.com
• www.Hi5.com
• www.MeetUp.com
• www.Orkut.com
• www.Meetin.org

2. Sign up for professional networking sites.
Professional networking sites have proliferated along with social networks. Some are better than others, but most have no charge for their basic membership. The most popular include the following:

• www.LinkedIn.com
• www.Plaxo.com
• www.Xing.com
• www.Yorz.com
• www.Ryze.com
• www.Ecademy.com

3. Join online e-groups.
Before the above social and professional networking sites emerged, the most popular online groups revolved around listservs. The big ones are still around and have evolved into a type of networking site as well. As soon as you can, sign up with the 4 big internet companies that continue to maintain group sites:

• http://Groups.Yahoo.com
• http://Groups.MSN.com
• http://Groups.Google.com
• http://Groups.AOL.com

The great thing about them is that they’re easy to join. Once you sign up, I recommend you join the various insurance groups. But avoid posting spam. If you want to post, make sure it’s something substantial.

But in addition to joining existing groups, start some of your own. You can create multiple groups, and I recommend creating health insurance discussion groups for each of the states and metropolitan areas you serve. Then add customized descriptions with links to your site in each group. When you issue press releases or make announcements, remember to post a blurb, with links to your site, in your different groups.

4. Get listed in online directories
A variety of online directories offer free listing opportunities for businesses. Use a search engine to find local and regional directory lists of insurance providers and general businesses. Some do require that you swap links with them, which isn’t a bad idea - if you can put their link or ad in a link page separate from your home page.

Don’t overlook media-, city-, county- and state-sponsored directories either. Many newspapers and communities operate directory listings for businesses and organizations in their area. Make sure that your website is on those lists.

5. Post a free classified ad
Several sites let businesses post free classified ads. The most well-known is Craig’s List (www.CraigsList.com). Other free classified ad sites include www.BeatYourPrice.com and the eBay-owned www.Kijiji.com.

However, many of these sites will reject your ad if it’s apparent you’re just using them to drive traffic to your site. The solution is to actually sell or give away something, such as a free eBook, informative brochure or no-obligation quote. For example: “For a free eBook detailing the presidential candidates’ platforms on healthcare, go to (yourinsurancewebsite.com)”

6. Update your alumni directory listing
Many alumni directories have started to develop an online community for their alumni. It’s about time! Check your alma mater’s online alumni directory and update your listing to include a link to your broker website - and don’t overlook your high school.

7. Join cultural, arts and volunteer organizations
Most volunteer organizations now have websites or e-groups. If you’re already volunteering, see if you’re able to add your business listing to their member pages.

If you’re not involved with any group, consider volunteering for a worthwhile cause, church group or community project. Volunteering provides an even greater value than just links.

8. Get accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
In addition to adding your business to their directory, joining and getting accredited by the BBB gives you a marketing tool. You’ll be able to mention that fact on your website. It’s not going to necessarily sell your programs, but that connection will help alleviate many people’s worries about your company.

9. Join a civic or professional organization
You’re probably already in at least one insurance industry group, and most professional organizations already maintain listings of their members. Make sure your website is included.

In addition, don’t forget about civic organizations such as the Rotary International, Kiwanis and Lions Club. All of these clubs do charge membership dues, but the networking and volunteer opportunities are sometimes worth it.

10. Chamber of commerce.
Even if you’re in the middle of nowhere, there’s still at least one chamber of commerce you can join. If you live in larger communities, you may be able to join two or three chambers: your city’s, your state’s and perhaps even your local neighborhood’s chamber. In addition, certain ethnic groups also have their own chambers of commerce.

Yes, a membership fee is involved, but that fee provides more than just a link.

11. Trade links and articles with new contacts
After a few months with a chamber of commerce and a civic, professional or volunteer organization, you’ll soon be making contacts with fellow professionals and entrepreneurs.

Although they may not buy anything from you, they can still assist your marketing by swapping links or articles with you. Don’t forget that in addition to their website, they can link to you from their blogs, e-groups and online networking pages.

12. Get something back from your suppliers.
Most of your vendors and suppliers already have web pages. They also value your business. Why not ask all of them to add your link to their company websites, as well their rep’s networking pages?

It doesn’t cost them anything, but it improves their standing in your eyes. To sweeten the request, consider giving them a positive testimonial about your experience with their company.

13. Get on your clients’ websites and pages.
Just as your vendors have websites, most of your clients also have websites and personal pages on many of the networking sites. Make it a routine part of your post-closing process to ask your clients to swap links. This will be especially attractive to entrepreneurs who have websites.

You can also ask past clients for links, but make sure that they’re satisfied and trustworthy clients. If your link from their webpage is accompanied by a complaint about your service or product, that complaint could attach itself to your link.

According to a report by E-consultancy retailers in the UK are seeing positive results from affiliate marketing. The research group surveyed 239 merchants this year and most of them have both online an offline presence.

A full 95% of brands said that affiliate marketing is ‘very cost-effective’ or ‘quite cost effective.’ The next most effective ways to acquire a new customer is paid search and then email marketing. On average the retailers spend 18% of their online marketing budget on affiliate marketing.
Retailers like affiliate marketing (also called CPA or cost-per-acquisition) because they only pay an affiliate when a sale is made.

Kevin Cornils, CEO of buy.at explains, ‘Affiliate marketing has proven itself as the most cost effective online channel to drive incremental volume. It works for marketers because they only pay for activity that generates genuine sales?” He even went so far as to say that affiliate marketing “is a guaranteed positive ROI if managed correctly.” You can’t get much more glowing than that.

The research was sponsored by buy.at, the UK’s largest independent affiliate network. They are like CJ in the US, with brands like T-Mobile and Capital One. Business is good - with 250% growth in turnover year-on-year since 2004.

The industries most benefiting are telecom, financial services, and travel retailers.

Another interesting fact is that most retailers work through an affiliate network. It’s almost all - 90% and they’re seeing the best returns. They are choosing networks based on how they interact with networks.

Affiliate marketing is growing fast, here are some facts from the report:

• 78% of brands set to increase their investment in affiliate marketing over the next 2 years.
• 78% have already increased their spend over the past two years—many times drastic increases.
• 23% of UK marketers have more than doubled their investment since 2005.

Research report by E-consultancy.com to be released on 26th September

The numbers are incredible. Affiliate marketing is still emerging in the UK but growing at a very fast pace. What does that mean for affiliates? Opportunity.

About Janet Meiners

Janet Meiners always wanted to be a reporter but prefers the immediacy of blogging. Known as Newspapergrl, she has freelanced for newspapers, City Search, and business magazines. She reports on internet marketing and online trends.

The researchers found third quarter spending on Yahoo’s percentage of media spend increased 7.8 percent over the prior quarter. SearchIgnite and RBC noted spending on Google for the same period increased only 0.8 percent. MSN’s share increased from 5.1 percent in Q2 to 5.8 percent in Q3, but suffered a total spending drop of 3.4 percent.

And Yahoo kept beating Google in other ways:

The report also pointed out Google’s increase in impressions “was accompanied by a decrease in performance.” Google’s CPM dropped from $23.54 in August to $20.63 in September, says the report “due entirely to a drop in click-through rates from 4.4 percent to 3.8 percent over that span. Meanwhile, Yahoo’s CPM for the period increased from $9.32 to $10.07 because its CPC rose from 55 cents to 58 cents, according to the report.

However, it’s not all good news for Yahoo:

“Google gained steam when students returned to school,” says the report, noting Google’s share of impressions “soared from 54.7 percent to 62.3 percent.” At the same time, Yahoo lost ground, going from 39.7 percent to 32.6 percent.

The news may be too little, too late. Though they have conflicting stock ratings, the most recent is a “hold” rating received yesterday. Yahoo’s stock has begun to fall in anticipation of a lower Q3 earnings and revenue report after market close today. There are 9 days left in Yahoo’s “100 days,” but shareholders aren’t optimistic

1. Water Portal Says:
   October 16th, 2007 at 4:30 pm These surveys, reports, etc mean nothing to the advertisers, neither to publishers. YPN is more than two years online and almost no improvement, Many publishers were excited about YPN and were ready to move but after some tests decided to stick with low paying Adsense.
   Yahoo should do some solid work, release a solid working product. Surveys and researches wont convince me to switch to yahoo product unless I dont see any solid improvement
2. Jordan McCollum Says:
   October 16th, 2007 at 8:25 pm A survey in which marketers explicitly said they spent more money on Yahoo means nothing to marketers? Maybe they should pay more attention to what they’re doing then.
3. Steven Bradley Says:
   October 17th, 2007 at 1:03 am It would be nice to see Google get a little more competition than they’ve had the last couple of years.Outside of the advertising I think Search Assist was a great addition and I think Yahoo has a lot of potential with their social properties if they can hook them together a little better.
4. Music Software Says:
   October 17th, 2007 at 5:59 am Proof of the pudding is in eating it. If quarter four shows ad revenues dropping for google and it is off set by increased ad revenues to yahoo, I would say that advertising has helped otherwise, it would have been wasted money and effort.
5. Terry Howard Says:
   October 17th, 2007 at 7:57 am Some of that could be attributed to Google CPCs for many terms reaching the breaking point, or rather advertisers who were out past that line for too long pulling back. There’s a lot of people bidding beyond their maintainable CPA and it’s only a matter of time before their hats were going to get pulled out of the ring, or at least reined in. Pair that with Panama putting the blinders on advertisers’ positions after a long history of knowing exactly where your amount puts you has led to a silent auction arms race. In any case, this is good news for advertisers and publishers alike. The closer in deliverability these services become the more options you have.
6. Marsha Says:
   October 17th, 2007 at 5:24 pm When a sick man lies up, it gets attention. Very impressive that Yahoo! was able to pull this off in just 100 days. The creativity and experience of their board is to be commended Will this momentum last? Hard to say, if Yahoo! makes a run at Facebook or AOL (could happen) then they could make a sizeable dent in Google. Of course, we should always remember that someday, sooner rather than later, something better than Google will come along. What will Yahoo! (and Google) do then?
7. Hyena Online Says:
   October 18th, 2007 at 12:11 am Yahoo beats Google in terms of sales conversion
   and cost per click.My clients were leaving Google Adwords for the
   reason of lower conversion and very hihg cpc.Also, yahoo search marketing sofware is much
   ruboust and very easy to use. Yahoo Search
   Marketing customer service is top notch while
   Google customer service is poor.Google stock price is a hype and will soon go
   down with a blink of an eye.