I have been studying search engine optimization for years and as a matter of fact, every client I have wants to be at the top of the list. As we all know being at the top takes work, more work, and vigilance to stay there. You will still need to do this to stay at the top but why not give yourself a big boost?

What I am suggesting here is the use of direct mail to gain further popularity of your website. There are hundreds of people that do not use the internet much at all but will go to a site if they read about it in print. You may not think this is worthwhile but you will be pleasantly surprised at the amount of traffic you can generate by using some of the following offline techniques:

• Send out a postcard or card to your list of potential customers (even though some of them might be on your email list already). Make sure you give them an offer they cannot resist and send them to your website to pick up the item. This especially works when your mailing is finely targeted so you get quality responses. Try websites such as www.SendOutCards.com/11666 to send out postcards and cards without having to write them out yourself.
• Send out an offer from your website with your bills. Large organizations always include other offers when they are sending out bills. Take this idea one step further, send your offer in with your bill payments.
• Leave your business card everywhere - have your offer printed on the back of each card with the URL, of course. I have used this technique to promote a seminar and overbooked it by 50 people.

You can use your imagination as to what your offering will be. Each offline tactic you use will drive more traffic to your site. It is what you do with that traffic that will make the difference in the search engines. If you only sell product, then that is what you get money for products. If you encourage them to link to your site, join your newsletter, read your articles, and so on, then the traffic will increase your search engine popularity.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. is a speaker, author (over 170 books, articles, and publications), and consultant. She has provided marketing, sales, business development and training expertise for companies such as Peet's Coffee & Tea, Varian Medical Systems, Accenture, Avaya, Cisco Systems to name a few. Dr. Daoust has also done extensive work with small businesses in developing their marketing, training, and operational plans. You may contact Dr. Daoust at http://BizMechanix.com You may also view her latest publications at http://BlueprintBooks.com