Why is Everyone Trying to Trick the Web?

It seems like all the articles I ever read are about how to “trick” certain websites or services. It seems like the web as a whole has become obsessed with this idea. How to get to get every article dugg, how to trick your users into clicking you ads, how to trick Google into giving you better search engine placement, the list goes on and on. Maybe I am playing devil’s advocate here but has anyone ever thought that if you take the time to create worthwhile content, and fully develop your site that it may pay off on its own respect? So in the most satirical way possible, here is my list of ways to “trick” your way to a successful website.

Learn your audience, or determine what you ideal audience would be. By either determining what you audience is, or defining what it will be you are taking a large step towards meeting their needs. By meeting your reader’s needs, you assure that they continue to visit and revisit your blog, or keep the feed in their reader.

Develop your brand. By defining what it is that your site is and what it goals are, you can make sure that it does not begin to stagnate (discussed below). Developing your brand also, among other things, makes your site memorable in the mind of its readers.

Keep your content fresh. By consistently posting content that is valuable, interesting and unique you are assuring that you keep readers returning to your site, while still giving search engines something to spider. I guarantee that if you impress readers by giving them a steady stream of well though out articles, you will receive better results than utilizing so called tricks that would have you write 20 short and useless posts per day.

Give them what they want. Finding new article ideas can be a very tough thing, but if you listen to the clues your readers give you finding topics shouldn’t be a problem. Analytics can tell you a lot about your readers. Most importantly it can tell you which items resonated with your audience the most. Reading your user’s comments can also tip you off to new ideas, or possible even future contributors to your sites.

Offer them something new or unique. Things that are new or can’t be found elsewhere are some of the most valuable items on the internet. If you are the originator of a popular subject, idea, or topic you can gain large amounts of credibility and prestige. This is turn usually will result in the large amount of links that “tricks” hope to achieve.

Not a single new idea in the group, I am completely aware of this. What I am suggesting is good practices equal good business. While these methods make take a while longer or more work up front, each one is completely ethical and good natured. Ultimately this good behavior will let your readers know that you are a reliable source worthy of their time. Being worthy of your reader’s time is the only real way to sustain the earnings and traffic that tricks hope to accomplish.

Basically, hard work pays off online so stop trying to cut corners…