Internet Marketing and Our Websites - HarleyDavidson:Tide:Jeep:MinnesotaTwins:Target

Over the past seven weeks, I have been investigating and writing about various aspects of the five “chosen” websites for this course, and I have really learned a lot. This week’s section about off-page optimization was very interesting. Having a number of quality links to your website can help improve your Google ranking (Fleishner, page 56). Listed below is the reported number of websites linking in to our designated sites, according to the results search on Google:

• Target: 2040
• Harley Davidson: 962
• Jeep: 631
• Minnesota Twins: 410
• Tide: 161

Target tops the list and Tide is at the bottom. Since all of the websites are well known, their number of incoming links is probably somewhat irrelevant. Their customer base is already established, so being on top of the Google search page is likely not their priority. Search engine optimization efforts can definitely help websites that are not as well known as these popular companies.

Jennifer Van Iderstyne posted a ClickZ article on June 8, 2010 called Build Links Without a Computer. She offered some very simple ideas to establish some quality links without using the internet. Van Iderstyne recommends getting back to some of the basics. You can create some great links by direct communication with a telephone call, snail mail, or in person. On page 72, Fleischner gives an example of an email request to propose a link exchange with another website. Van Iderstyne suggests putting a real voice to the request. Personal communication can lead to possible links. Whenever the opportunity arises, talk about the content and value of your website, and remember to talk about linking potential.

Our five websites seem to be up to speed with the various tips we have learned about off-page optimization or increasing the popularity of their site (Fleischner, page 52). After looking at each one, I found evidence supporting their use of various link building techniques. I uncovered press releases and blogs which can both aid in link development. Each of the websites definitely offered something of value to the visitor, including information and promotions. Judging from the obvious familiarity and the individual company successes, I would say that the websites for Tide, Target, Jeep, Harley Davidson and the Minnesota Twins are doing the right thing with their marketing.