Have you utilized Twitter to market your affiliate products? How have measured that reach and success? If you have had no real way of monitoring your online marketing efforts via Twitter; hold on to your affiliate hats.

Twitter Analytics

“According to PC World, this new tool will be a great asset for businesses, as it can help them determine whether an online visitor found the website through Twitter, a search engine or some other source. This is useful, the source says, because companies will be able to launch “incentive and affiliate programs, which would have been impossible to implement in the past.”

Seeing as this really was not plausible before, the magnitude of this project could be immense for your affiliate campaigns. These analytics will allow you to tweak your affiliate marketing efforts and target the places that are going to bring you a better ROI. After all, return on investment is the key to success in business…..online and brick and mortar.

Twitter announced they would be rolling out Twitter Web Analytics in the near future. you should know by now that a successful affiliate program monitors and analyzes…ALWAYS. Doing so saves you money, puts your money in the right place…and gets your affiliate offers out to the right people. Geo targeting is a huge benefit when you are talking about making real money online.

As far as I am concerned, affiliate marketing is the easiest way to make money online. Someone else has created the product already; all you have to do is promote it. Learn how to do that…and you can make a fine income. Hopefully you are learning some of those how to’s here at affiliatehat. That is after all, our main goal.

I do not have a specific date that Twitter Web Analytics will be released, however it is stated that it will be soon. I hope you jump on board and utilize these types of free tools to aide in making you money.

Are you currently seeking employment? Looking for a new profession?
Considering a career change? Then a job in the field of Search Engine
Marketing should be at the top of your list. Here are 11 reasons why:

1) The Search Industry is HOT

The first dot-com bubble may have burst 6 years ago, but the current bubble
is getting bigger and stronger every day. One of the main reasons for
the current dot-com boom is the skyrocketing growth of the search
engine industry. No longer the territory of geekdom, search has
exploded into the mainstream over the past few years and businesses are
falling over themselves to get seen by online searchers. And they’ll
pay big bucks to search engines for the privilege.

Have you noticed that Google shares recently hit USD 500 EACH? It’s not a
coincidence. Search giants like Google, Yahoo and AOL can’t fail to
make money because everybody wants a bit of the search action. There’s
no denying, search is HOT, HOT, HOT.

2) It’s Considered one of Four Jobs on the Cutting Edge

According to a recent article on MSN Careers, the position of  Search Engine Optimizer is considered one of four jobs on the cutting edge right now. Who gave it this title?
A representative from the world’s largest specialized recruitment firm
- Robert Half International Inc.

Search Engine Optimization is considered a sub-set of Search Engine Marketing.
If you’re unsure what a Search Engine Optimizer (SEO) does, below is a
definition provided by MSN Careers:

“Search engine optimizers (SEOs) increase a firm’s Web site traffic by
improving its search-engine page rankings. This is an especially
important task in today’s Internet-driven world, where many customers
first learn of an organization and its products or services through the
Web. Because of a shortage of experts in this relatively new area, many
top SEOs receive multiple job offers. SEOs typically supplement their
knowledge of how various search engines operate and determine page
rankings with strong marketing skills, as well as the ability to
communicate effectively and program using HTML.”

Wikipedia also defines Search Engine Optimizers here.

3) The Pay is Fantastic

A job in the search industry can be unbelievably lucrative. As noted recently by Jennifer Laycock of Search Engine Guide, “There are quite literally more jobs than there are skilled marketers and salaries can skyrocket to almost embarrassing levels.”

Have
you seen the type of salaries that search engine marketing and search
engine optimization consultants are currently commanding in the US?
Clearly, the search industry is making some people rich. Here are some
typical salaries in USD:

Entry level SEO/SEM position = $30-45K

Three to five years experience / online account managers = $50-75K

Five + years / organic SEO specialists = $75-90K

Senior management level = $70-120K

SEM Director = $95-150K

VP Level = $100-315K

Additional Salary links:

http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=10543

4) You Don’t Need a College Degree

Because
the search industry is relatively young, there are only a handful of
online courses and certifications offered in the field of Search Engine
Marketing with Search Engine College being one such training provider.

Most search engine marketing practitioners are self-taught, learning the
trade by experimenting with their own sites, researching trends,
attending conferences and participating in discussion forums and so
employers don’t generally require SEO / SEM certification or a tertiary
qualification as a pre-requisite for a position in the industry.

However,candidates who hold a marketing degree or specific industry
certification in Search Engine Marketing may well have an edge over
their fellow applicants when it comes to interview selection.

5) You Can Learn it all Online

Everything you need to know to become a Search Engine Marketer, you can learn
online. All the information is out there, you just have to find it. To
become an expert in SEO / SEM, you need to do research, research and
more research. Read everything you can get your hands on relating to
search on a daily basis, including articles, forums, ebooks, blogs and
newsfeeds. Then you need to put this knowledge into practice by
experimenting with your own sites, or finding guinea pig sites to
practice on such as those of friends, family or charity sites until you
find the methods that give you the best results. Programming knowledge
is not a pre-requisite for SEO / SEM jobs, but it does help to learn
basic HTML. There are plenty of free HTML tutorials online.

If you don’t fancy years of research or are in a hurry to jump-start your
career in search, consider taking an online Certification course in one
of the many Search Engine Marketing disciplines such as the Certification Pathways provided by Search Engine College. These type of courses are usually
tutor-led and designed to fast-track your training and ensure you gain
the right type of skills to make you immediately employable within the
search industry.

6) You Can Be Your Own Boss

Because most of the work you’ll be doing is online, Search Engine Optimizers
and Search Engine Marketers often have the freedom of choice to work
for an employer, work from home and/or freelance. Many SEO / SEM
freelancers end up hiring workers and starting their own company due to
the massive demand. This gives search engine marketing experts the work
from home lifestyle that others can only dream of.

7) Search Marketing Has the WOW Factor

Once they know what they’re doing, it’s very easy for a Search Engine
Marketer to wow their clients. The difference that a successful SEO or
PPC campaign can make to a client’s bottom line is substantial. I’ve
seen online conversion rates for a client zoom from 1% to a massive 5%
after just two small tweaks to their web site. And although rankings
are not as important as actual conversions, clients still get very
excited to see their site listed in the top 10 search results for
certain keywords. It’s the WOW factor in action.

The Demand is Strong and Growing

As mentioned in relation to search engine salaries, there are literally
many more jobs than there are skilled marketers to fill them. This
extreme demand means Search Engine Marketers can pick and choose their
jobs and/or clients. The more skilled marketers are head-hunted
regularly. For Search Engine Optimization firms, there are more than
enough clients to go around and rarely a need to advertise for new
business. That’s why you often find SEOs turning away clients or
recommending their competitors during extremely busy periods.

Experts in select specialties such as Pay Per Click Advertising (a sub-set of
Search Engine Marketing) are currently enjoying even higher demand than
usual, as advertisers out-bid each other to have their site shown for
popular keyword searches on Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Another indicator
of high demand is the sheer number of search-related job postings seen
on employment sites such as those listed here.

9) The Industry is Hip and Groovy

There’s something very trendy about people in search that I can’t quite put my
finger on. There’s a constant buzz around them. If you’ve ever been to
a search engine conference or to Google’s headquarters you’ll know what
I mean. Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve come from so many different
professions. Or that the age range of search marketers varies from
teens to Baby Boomers. Or their whacky dress sense. Maybe it’s the
smell of money and happiness that they give off. Maybe it’s the fact
that they are constantly in the media. I don’t know. All I know is that
it’s no longer uncool to be a geek. In fact it’s downright hip to be
square.

10) The Skills Are Portable and Global

Skills in search engine marketing are portable and global. You don’t need to
be at a desk, in an office or on the phone all day. You don’t even need
to meet your clients. Of all my clients, I’ve probably only met 20
percent of them and spoken to half of them on the phone or via chat.
You can be on vacation for six months out of the year in various
locations and still conduct business. You literally only need a
computer and an Internet connection. The Internet is the universal
equalizer. You can service clients in any country in the world, in many
different languages. You can compete with one man operations and
Fortune 500 companies on the same level playing field.  The flexibility
of the search industry is a huge advantage over other career options.
Have laptop, will travel!

11) Job Satisfaction is High

Search is a fascinating industry. With all the hype, daily gossip, corporate
take-overs, start-ups and geek toys, I can guarantee that you won’t get
bored. This combined with the flexible work hours, low start-up costs,
ability to be your own boss and the excellent income keeps job
satisfaction high for Search Engine Marketers. So what are you waiting
for? Go get a job in search!