If there’s one thing every webmaster can agree on it’s the importance of keywords. But not just any keyword– long tail keywords. Long tail keywords increase your chances of sending search engine traffic to your online home based business website and the benefits of search engine traffic are ample.  

For online retailers and affiliate marketers it increases the potential for product sales and referrals commissions. For bloggers, it means a larger audience which could potentially lead to greater long term profits from third party or private ad modules. 

If the mission is solely to receive more traffic, then any keyword would do. But because webmasters are (or should be) focused on driving targeted traffic to their site, the long tail theory should be employed by all who seek to drive more buyers to their online home based business site via search engines.

The phrase, Long Tail Keyword, was first coined by Chris Anderson in a seminal 2004 article in Wired Magazine. It is a socio-statistical theory which suggests that the collective sales of products in low demand can exceed that of popular products and bestsellers.

Anderson, using Amazon as an example for his theory, suggested that because there is now less of a need to lump products and consumers into one-size fits all containers, catering to minority tastes and making low-demand products consistently available will allow small businesses to achieve higher profit margins, than if they were to focus solely on high-demand/popular mainstream products.   

Now, this theory goes against our immediate instinctive process of selecting or developing
products. For most of us, we’re taught to think big, and narrowing our niche markets would ultimately eliminate potential visitors. However, the mistake a number of webmasters make is simply to try to attract visitors. Your goal is not to attract visitors. You want serious buyers to your online home based business.

What are long tail keywords?

Simply put, they are multiple-phrase search queries that a visitor uses to arrive at your site. They are more targeted and they are used by visitors looking for specific information.

For example, kiwi and kiwi fruit are general search terms a user might use. But the long tail keywords within that niche may include:

-health benefits of kiwis

-nutritional benefits of kiwis

-benefits of kiwis for the skin

-how to pick kiwi fruits

By doing long tail research you can then provide answers to these more specific search queries.

Here are some other benefits to long tail keywords: 

1. It is easier to rank well for long tail keywords in search engines because they are lower in competition.

2. They provide more visitors to your website via search engines because you’ll have more pages indexed for specific phrases relating to your website or blog. This means more visibility in the search engines and more traffic to your online home based business.

3. Long tail keywords lead to higher conversions. Visitors who arrive at your site using a long tail
search query are more likely to make purchases, click contextual ads, sign up for your ezine, or convert on affiliate programs. By using long tail keywords you are targeting a market of potential buyers.

Long tail keywords are instrumental to attracting search engine traffic. The research required to find them may seem time consuming but if you are serious about growing your online home based business for the long term then do the research, use long tail keywords.

When you hear someone say they are interested in “doing internet business” they usually mean they want to become an internet marketer so they can make money online with an internet marketing business. I don’t know why, but for some reason, internet marketing is almost always immediately associated with “selling stuff on eBay” or getting into some money making scheme, but doing internet business does not mean those things!

Internet Marketing is an entire industry and eBay is just one business model, or type of business within that industry. Much like the automobile has different business models like car dealerships, auto repair shops, and other such businesses within it, the internet marketing industry also encompasses a variety of business models to choose from. Internet marketing is basically just a way of doing internet business by marketing goods and services online as opposed to doing it over the phone or through traditional offline advertising methods.

When first exploring the world of internet marketing, many new business owners can become overwhelmed at the amount of information that is out there to teach them about doing internet business. The main problem most newbie internet marketers encounter is not being able to decide on a course of action and building a solid internet business on it. This problem is compounded greatly by all the hype in sales pitches of marketers promising to turn everyone who buys their product into the next internet millionaire.

While many of the stories of this happening to everyday people are true, the fact is that most people will not get rich from their internet business. However, making a good living as an internet marketer is a very real and reachable goal for most people who are willing to put in the time and effort needed to succeed at doing internet business.

Most new internet marketers get lost in the maze of internet business opportunities and other ways to make money online that are out there. So it’s very important to find a solid internet business model and then stick to it until you are making a profit. Then, you can branch out a little bit once you have “learned the ropes” of the internet marketing industry.

Doing internet business can be fun, exciting and extremely profitable, but without sticking to a plan, most internet marketers will jump around between business models and opportunities trying new techniques, tactics, systems and strategies until they decide to give up. Don’t do that!

If you want to know how to start an online business, there is definitely not a shortage of information available to you on the internet. Some of the information for starting an internet business is completely free and some of it will cost you. It just depends on what specific information you are looking for. Below I have given you a few steps to follow for learning how to start an online business before you spend your money on any information product.

1) Write a Business Plan. Most word processors such as Microsoft Word and Open Office Writer have free business plan templates you can use. If you can’t find a template that is suited to your needs, just do a Google search for “free business templates” and you will find one. Don’t worry about not knowing what business model you are going to pursue right now. The part of the business plan that you want to focus on right now is assessing your skills, weaknesses and available start up capital.

There are many ways to start online businesses. There are internet businesses that you can start with no money whatsoever, there are internet business models that will require a little start up money, and there are internet business models that cost a lot of money to start. How much you spend on starting your online business will largely depend on a number of factors within yourself. Once you know what skills you have to start your online business, how much money you need, and getting at least a rough business plan written will complete the first step in learning how to start an online business.

2) Do Some Research. You need to know some of the popular internet business models and decide on one for yourself. For many people, learning how to start an online business becomes a job in and of itself. Don’t let that happen to you. There are a lot of distractions on the internet and they are often disguised as the newest and best home business opportunities that the internet has to offer. To help you have a quick overview of the best business models for an online business, here are some of the most popular models… Affiliate marketing, Membership Sites and Virtual Real Estate are three of the top ways to start an internet business.

* Affiliate marketing is a free way to get started in online business and it will give you a good understanding of how many internet marketers make money online. You have the option of using an affiliate marketplace like Clickbank.com to find products and promote them for commissions, or finding websites that you yourself have an interest in and joining their affiliate programs to make money from helping them sell their products.

* Membership sites are one of the best ways to start an online business because you can make a lot of money with them and the income is recurring. Membership sites usually offer fresh new content and resources every month for their members. Depending on the niche market you’re targeting and how much is included in the site, membership sites can cost anywhere from a few dollars per month up to a thousand dollars or more per month. So it’s not hard to see how you can make money online by starting a membership site.

* Virtual real estate (VRE) is an amazing internet business model that is somewhat similar to the real estate in the offline world. Virtual real estate consists of some incredible techniques for making fast money on the internet…

Domain name flipping is simply the process of buying a domain name and then selling it for a profit. As the “long tail keyword” phenomenon progresses, more and more new and extremely keyword rich domain names become available. You don’t even need a site. If you find a hot new topic that people are doing a lot of searching for, like some new diet pill that’s getting rave reviews, if you can snatch up a domain name for about $10.00 you can turn around and sell that domain name for $50.00 or more. Some other techniques for domain name flipping are to buy expired domains. Just the fact that these domains have been aged gives them more value. If it’s an expired domain with a good audience factor, you stand to make a few bucks selling it.

Another facet of VRE is website flipping. This is similar to domain name flipping but you will be buying a full site. Once you have a site, you will improve on it a little (or a lot) and then resell (flip) it. If it’s got a good design, quality content, good sales copy, etc… you can sell this site for $100 or more before it ever even makes any money. If you hold on to it for a few months and take the time to increase its earnings before you sell it then you can get a much higher price for it. A site that only makes $50.00 a month can often be sold for up to $1000 or more.

3) Decision Time. The final step in the process of learning how to start an online business is to decide on a business model and finalize your business plan. This is important for keeping focused and staying on course. You will know what your internet business model is and you will pursue it without the distraction of all the other home business opportunities out there. This is not to say to stop studying new methods, techniques, tactics and strategies, but now you can look at each new opportunity as a way to expand upon the internet business you are building, instead of replacing it.

Alright, that’s it, you now how to start an online business in three easy steps. Of course, there is a lot more to starting an internet business than can be discussed in one blog post, but those are the basics to get you going. Take the information above and use it as a foundation to start your online business. You can’t make money online if you don’t get started so take action now!

Well, we’ve just elected a new President of the United States. Suddenly our financial problems are going to be a thing of the past. My friend, if you believe that, I’ve got some land to sell you cheap. Truth is, our problems are far from being solved. It’s going to take a long time to get the US economy back on track. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with your home business. Well, it has everything to do with it. If you’re going to survive, let alone make a profit, you’re going to have to do a few things. In this post, I’m going to cover them.

At the top of the list is providing exceptional value to your prospective customers. You’re going to have to take a good hard, long look at your product or service. Is it REALLY worth what you’re charging for it? More importantly, are people going to pay what you’re asking? In these financially difficult times, people are hanging onto their money. Even I am seeing this and I’ve been at this game for over five years. Yes, the economy is affecting us all. So even I have to reevaluate my products to see where they fit.

Next, you have to make sure that what you’re selling is something that people even want. There is an old saying from around my parts that says “You can’t sell oxygen to a dead man.” This is so true. You have to look at your product or service and honestly evaluate it. Is it something people REALLY want? In these trying times, a lot of the “luxuries” are being done without. So what you have to sell better be something that solved a burning need, something people can’t live without. In this economy, something that will put more money in somebody’s pocket is a very good thing.

Finally, you have to look at how you’re actually running your business. Is it being run as efficiently as possible? You can’t afford to be throwing away money when times are so bad. So, all those sites you belong to…do you REALLY need those memberships? Is every dime you’re spending working for you? If not, you need to reevaluate your expenses.

By following these simple tips, you’ll find that even during difficult times, your business will be more profitable.

To YOUR Success,
Steven Wagenheim

Looking for a solid 4 step plan to building your own business…FREE? Pick up my free report at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/4steps.html and get started TODAY!