Search Engine Optimization Bible, Second Edition

Chapter 22. Monetizing Traffic as an SEO Strategy

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding ad placement services

• Monetization service overviews

• Monetization strategies for SEO

You may have heard about web site monetization strategies in your travels through the SEO world. Basically, a web site monetization strategy is a method by which you can begin earning money through your web site, even if you're not offering any products or services of your own.

For example, have you ever been on a purely content site that runs ads on the right-hand side of the page or at the top or bottom of the page? If you have, those ads are probably part of that web site's monetization strategy. People visit the site for the content, find something interesting in the ads, and click through them. Depending on the ad and the company that provides it, web site owners are paid either per click or a percentage of the purchase that the site visitor makes based on the ad.

In other words, web site monetization is how you begin earning money from your site very quickly. It may not be a ton of money, but some revenue stream is better than nothing, right? But wait. What does earning money from (or monetizing) your web site have to do with SEO? Well, that's a somewhat complicated answer.

You would think that putting advertisements or affiliate applications or products on your site wouldn't have anything at all to do with SEO, but in fact it can help your SEO rankings perform better. These monetization strategies have you linked to ...