There are millions of web sites trying to get listed in the top 20 spots of the major search engines. That amounts to a lot of competition! I say if you can’t get listed at the top, indirectly get to the top.

How do you do this? Look up the top 20 web sites on the major search engines under the keywords and phrases people would find your web site. The key would be to then advertise on those web sites.

The most expensive way would be to buy ad space on those web sites. If you don’t want to spend any money, you could use the ten strategies below. These strategies may not apply to every web site.

1. Participate on their discussion boards. You could post questions, answer other peoples questions, and join in on conversations. Just include your signature file and link at the end of your messages.

2. Ask the web site owner if they would like a free ebook to giveaway to their visitors. You could have them link to your web site or include your ad in the free ebook.

3. Submit content to their web site. You could write articles for their web site and include your resource box and link at the end of the article. If they publish it, you’ll indirectly be at the top of the search engines.

4. Write an excellent article review of their web site, products or services. Then publish the review on your web site. E-mail the web site owner and tell him or her about it. They may link to your web site so their visitors read it.

5. Ask the owner of the web site if they would want to trade advertising. If you don’t get as much traffic as they do, you could throw in some extra incentives.

6. Propose a cross promotion deal with the web site. You both could promote each others products or services together in one package deal. This means a mention and link back to your web site.

7. Give the web site a testimonial for their product or service. Include a little text link for your web site with the testimonial. You never know; it could end up on their ad copy.

8. Post your advertisement on their free classified ad section on their web site. You want to be sure you have an attractive headline so they will read your ad.

9. Post your text link on their free-for-all links page. You want to go back and post your link regularly so it stays towards the top.

10. Sign their guest books. You could leave a short compliment about their web site on their guest book. Just include your signature file and link at the end of your message. —-

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Advertising, marketing, media and competitor analysis: Oh my, what a mouthful. But using them together can help fill your business’ hunger for profit.

What your competitors are doing can provide you with suggestions for what you should be doing. If your competitor analysis reveals that your competitors use the same advertising, marketing, media, and they are successful with them, then you should consider doing the same.

If you’re just starting a marketing program, adapting what your competitors are doing can save you money and time. Just adapt their advertising, marketing, media and promotional tactics to your business. Then track and test those tactics to siphon some of their magic to your business.

Do your competitors always run an advertisement in a certain professional newsletter? Then it’s surely working for them.

Do your competitors constantly advertise on radio stations that play country music? Then do you think their target market members listen to country music? Are you targeting those same people?

Do your competitors use social media? Maybe you should consider using it too. This type of competitor analysis can guide your advertising, marketing, media and promotional strategies.

Still, this doesn’t mean that you should just do what they are doing. Instead use market segmentation research to assure that their marketing strategies and tactics will appeal to your target market.

Before devoting your precious resources to advertising, marketing, media and promotions that your competitors use, determine that your target market responds positively to those tactics delivered through that media.

Different target markets use different media to get information. Knowing what primary and secondary media your market uses assures that you can reach market members with your message. Market segmentation provides insights to media preferences. It also defines the structure and language to use in your advertising and marketing messages.

For instance, generations prefer different media and different communication structure. Today’s seniors, in the WWII generation, like getting information from newspapers. They trust them and are comfortable with journalistic style. On the other hand, Generation Y likes neither newspapers nor journalistic style.

Besides media and communication preferences, every target market will prefer a different brand and message for your business. So your image and key message should be built on what best appeals to your target market members.

Your competitor analysis and market segmentation research will get your advertising, marketing, media and promotions started. Then you need to test and track to assure that these marketing activities work effectively with your target market.

By administering this kind of research, you can rest assured that your get a good return on your advertising, marketing, media and promotion investments.