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Topical Search Engines
The Power of Topic Specific Search
Engines
By S. Housley
What are Topical Search Engines?
Simply put, topical search engines are search engines
focused on a specific industry, sector or topic.
While many marketers are scrambling for
links, any links, an area that is often overlooked is
topic-specific search engines. What many don't realize
is that these engines do produce traffic, and they often
contain traffic that is very targeted. Anyone who has
taken the time to analyze weblogs and track sales sources
will likely see that targeted traffic converts at a
significantly higher rate than non-targeted traffic.
A savvy online marketer realizes that
often, the quality of the visitor is far more important
than the quantity of visitors. Web marketers should
focus their energies on attracting targeted traffic
whenever possible.
For example, if you sell saddles, advertising
on a site related to horses or advertising on a topical
search engine like http://www.horse-stall.net
will bring significantly more sales than advertising
on a generic web site or search engine.
Niche engines are considerably smaller
than general search engines but they can still be quite
lucrative. The small size of a niche or topic-specific
engine ensures that the there are few competitors, and
advertisers are generally willing to pay a little more
for the focused traffic. Advertisers appreciate the
unique benefit of reaching a very targeted audience
who have a higher likelihood of purchasing their product
or service. As a result, topic-specific search engines
and directories are a burgeoning market. There is far
less competition in niche directories and dominating
a specific market segment and establishing brand recognition
is significantly easier.
It is virtual suicide to attempt to compete
with the behemoth search engines like Google. Web-surfers
are interested in simplicity and efficiency, which translates
to as few clicks as possible. This is an area where
Google really cannot compete with a topic-specific search
engine. Creating a simple, clear navigational structure
of related content while cross-promoting related products
or services will increase the site's value.
Advertisers will also flock to search
portals that are industry-specific, as they appreciate
the unique benefit of reaching a very targeted audience
who have a higher likelihood of purchasing their product
or service.
Consider the niche search engine, Alarm
Tools - http://www.alarm-tools.net
. The traffic this portal attracts will be of significant
interest to manufacturers of security equipment or emergency
supplies. Imagine the targeted traffic that an alarm
company could receive from a link in the above search
directory.
Comtemplate the quality traffic a financial
planner could glean from an RSS search directory focussed
on finance and investing at http://www.finance-investing.com
.
Locating topic-specific search engines
is not all that difficult. Consider using the resources
provided by Search Engine Watch, Web Search Engines,
and Search Engine Guide to locate engines that are topic-specific:
Search Engine Watch - http://searchenginewatch.com/links/article.php/2156351
Web Search Engines - http://www.web-search-engines.net/directory/topic-specific.html
Search Engine Guide - http://www.searchengineguide.com/searchengines.html
Qualified 'clickers' or interested buyers
is what it is all about; whether you are selling a product
or advertising, the more targeted the traffic the better
the fit. As an advertiser, consider topic- specific
search engines. As an online marketer, consider creating
a niche search portal, as the market is ripe.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
NotePage http://www.notepage.net
a wireless text messaging software company.
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publications and websites, provided that the resource
box is included and the links are active. A courtesy
copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would
be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
.
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