Advice for further promotion of niche sports site.

[Dan Morgan]

Hi people,

I am looking for advice regarding what to do next. I have a very niche site (www.ski-review.com) and am looking for ways to promote it (currently free).

I have done the SEO stuff, I have a load of relevant PR4+ backlinks which must have missed the recent update. I am active in a couple of ski forums which has helped gain some traffic. I am listed in DMOZ & Zeal.

We are actively contacting manufacturers for content and writing our own on a regular basis.

The site has grown to around 250 uniques/day in the past few months.

Currently the Adsense ad makes enough to cover the hosting.

Soon I will be running a contest on DO for a new template and dumping Mambo in favour of leaner self coded pages (I will keep the URLs in the same format as not to lose the indexs on SEs).

I tried Microsofts BCentral and targetted accordingly, however I still was showing too many defaults (heamorroid ads...) and performance from the other partners was awful.

Any tips?

Dan :)

[Chris]

Sometimes you just need to let things grow.

Also sometimes there is a ceiling you cannot break through, traffic wise, without more content.

Like my wilderness survival site, #1 on every engine, links all over, media mentions, etc. Its pretty much at it's ceiling.

[Dan Morgan]

Thanks Chris, thats what I was afraid of. We have had some great feedback from viewers and I guess I am a little too impatient ;)

I think I need to funnel my eagerness into another new site!

[pas]

Aren't there any affiliate programs for skis?

[Chris]

Amazon sells ski's through it's new sporting goods store. Might be a nice AWS site.

[Dan Morgan]

I used to run an online ski store but it was a nightmare as I did not have the time. I still don't, I work for an ad agency during the day so can't offer the support I would like to.

No harm in throwing up an AWS site just for a laugh and the experience I guess.

Pas, they hide them very well if they do! The only one I did find never answered my multiple emails (which are valid addresses) asking a few questions.

[MarkB]

Do the ol' fashioned thing - contact relevant sites whenever you publish a new article, and ask them to link to it on their news pages. :)

If you profile Skiers, then get a link on their homepage (if you have one), or other relevant sites.

If you profile actual products, offer the link to the manufacturer so they can link to (or namecheck) your independent opinion.

It might not help with PR, but it MAY help attract casual visitors who become regular visitors.

Do you have a 'tell a friend about this site' script?

[chromate]

Originally posted by Chris
Sometimes you just need to let things grow.

This is so true! Just takes time.

Also, I saw an affiliate program on CJ today for U.S. Ski Team merchandise. 7% of sale. Might be worth a shot.

[Dan Morgan]

Ah thanks for the heads up on the CJ thing.

I have already applied and been accepted. I have been given form W8-BEN to complete and fax back.. Is this normal for UK citizen?

[chromate]

Not sure. I've never had to do it. I'm not even sure what a W8-BEN form is.

[MattM]

Dan, is this what you were sent?
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf

[Dan Morgan]

Thats the puppy! :)

[Dan Morgan]

This annoys me! This morning I check DP's tracker and see major improvements across some generic keywords/keyphrases. I check out the SERPs to see whats changed and I come across this link next to mine for my holy grail phrase, ski review.

http://www.backpackreviews.com/ski-review-pages/ski-review-pages.htm

Aside from bad spelling all links go to a generic page filled with aff links for that term.

I know that this kind of thing is rife but is it 'illegal' in terms of Google et al and if so would reporting it actually do anything?

Ta

Dan

[chromate]

It is really annoying, you're right. It is spam. I would report it. There have been a few times when I've been prevented from creating a quality site only because of these kind of sites that just list the same text and swap 1 or 2 keywords.

[Dan Morgan]

Well coincidence maybe but that page has disappeared from the listings itseems. At least the first 5 or so pages anyway!

What do you know, the system works! :)

[Dan Morgan]

Originally posted by MarkB

Do you have a 'tell a friend about this site' script?

I do now, thanks :)


Originally posted by MattM

Dan, is this what you were sent?
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf

Is that the one thats right for me? I do not want to screw myself by sending the wrong form.

Dan