If you have spent anytime online trying to actually make money then you have at least read, and tried to optimize search engine traffic to drive customers to your sight. However, what you've found out quickly is that to optimize search engine traffic is TOUGH!

In fact, to do it correctly it is a daily job. Not only do you have to do a lot of up front work to create the "momentum" but you have to continue doing this at least weekly, and preferably daily if you want to have a long term career actually making money online.

To help you out I've included five steps to optimize search engine traffic:

• First, start a blog! This is the easiest and most search engine friendly feature around. If you haven't done this yet then stop right here, go to one of the many free sites and get started. One key is to put your websites name in the blog's name. This will help to create backlinks that will drive traffic to your parent website.
• Step 2. Type in your market niche keyword(s) into Google and see what pops up. Look at your competitors sites and study what makes them get onto the first page. It could be the title, the content or even age. Use what seems to be working as a guideline for your site. It really is about experimentation!
• Step 3. Take every class you can find that teaches you to optimize search engine traffic. There are plenty of free ones and some great paid courses as well. If you just don't have time to do this then hire someone! There are many talented men and women out there that will do this very inexpensively.
• Step 4. Go to your favorite forum and start posting content and make sure your URL is included in your signature. This is a GREAT way to optimize for traffic. A word of caution here, make sure that when you respond to posts you are providing quality content and not just saying "I agree" in order to get your signature shown
• Step 5. Finally, keep good records and test everything! Keep a spreadsheet, write down what you tried that day and then check your websites' ranking. Go back a week later and check your ranking again. Do this EVERY WEEK to see if your efforts to optimize search engine traffic is working or not!

And that's it! Of course there are many more intricacies you will learn as you continue in the world of online marketing and as you try to optimize search engine traffic. But, these five tips will get you started. Give it a try, don't quit and do something every day to drive traffic to your site!