Top 10 Internet Scams

Anti Fraud News Presents it’s Top 10 Internet Scams list. You may use this information to warn your family and friends.
1. Dating/Love/Romance Scam. In the modern Western world where the family nucleus has been eroded and so many of us are living alone, online dating is booming. It didn’t take long for Scammers to realise this and exploit the market. In the classic Dating/Love/Romance Scam, the Scammer opens a fake dating site profile using stolen photos. The male Dating/Love/Romance Scammers are often located in West Africa, with the female Scammers often based in Eastern Europe. The prospective Victim is contacted by the Scammer who engages them in Instant Messaging, e.mail, and finally phone calls. The aim is always to extract money and the Scammer will offer to travel to the Victim. Ploys include:
a. On the way to the airport, the Scammer (and sometimes, his/her child) has a road accident or is violently robbed at gunpoint and hospital fees are urgently requested.
b. Visa fees are required.
This Scam is so successful because dumpy, middle-aged Westerners are flattered and delighted that a gorgeous, svelte young thing finds them totally irresistible!
2. Lottery Scam. You receive an e.mail advising that you have won a lottery that you cannot recall ever entering. It is often allegedly sponsored by Coca-Cola or a major car manufacturer. Of course, to claim your millions there are fees to be paid.
3. Loan Scam. In this, the worst economic recession for many decades, the Loan Scam is one of the few areas of business that is booming! You receive an e.mail almost invariably from a free e.mail address (eg, gmail) offering you an unlimited loan at a very low interest rate. All you have to do is provide a few scant details about yourself, fill out an application, pay a fee, and the cash is yours. Yeah…..right!
4. Money Laundering. An e.mail arrives, ostensibly from a West African official (often the Chairman of the Central Bank of Nigeria, currently Sanusi Lamido Sanusi) advising that he has millions of dollars illicitly hidden away, just waiting for a helpful Westerner like you to help get it out of his country. Just provide your bank account details and the fortune will be transferred. He will arrange to obtain his share, leaving a big chunk for you. But wait!…..there’s a hiccup. A Barrister/Diplomat/Bank Manager (insert your own official here) has to be bribed before the funds may be transferred.
5. Dead Relative Scam. A relative you didn’t know you had has just died in West Africa. Behold! They died a millionaire and this kind Barrister wants to get your inheritance safely across the world to you. Of course, he has to be paid… (again, and again, and again…).
6. Dying Person Scam. A variant on the Dead Relative Scam. A wealthy philanthropist is lying on their death bed. Their Doctor/Carer/Relative, etc, has chosen you to carry on their good work and invest the fortune for them. The monies will soon be in your account, once you have paid a fee (insert reason here).
7. Property Rental Scam. An ad in Craigslist, Gumtree, etc, catches your eye. Wow! A beautiful flat or house is for rent and at a great price. You drool over the pics of your opulent new home. The owner just wants the rent sent upfront by MoneyGram or Western Union before you can meet him and view the property. Ah!
8. Trunk Box Scam. Soldier in Afghanistan (or etc) has a Trunk Box full of cash. Can you help him get it home and share the booty?
9. Puppy Scam. Awwww! Just LOOK at these gorgeous, big-eyed little pups! British Bulldogs (or insert your favourite breed here). There will be friction marks on your mouse as you get that money sent and wait impatiently for the air courier to deliver your little ball of furry mischief. Just don’t become too attached to that photo…..
10. Gold Scam. Got at least $30 000 USD to invest? Well, these Gold Sellers from Ghana/Guinea/Mali (etc) can offer you kilograms of gold (in coins, dust, or bars) at incredible prices. They will even agree to send you a small 5g sample for you to have assayed to confirm its quality and carat. Then, you just send the money and your gold will be sent by courier (but not in your lifetime).
Rounding Up
There are many other types of Scam, but the above Top Ten Internet Scams are some of the most common. Just remember to always be on your guard when you receive what seems to be a great offer over the internet!

list of top 10 best bussiness ideas

We give you 100 reasons to quit that job, cash out those savings, and take the plunge that makes lions out of lambs. The plunge into the world of business
1. SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANCE SERVICE
We have previously talked about how big social media is for big and small businesses both. This kind of business is merely an extension of how well you know your social networks and how best to use them for business clients. Under this service, you could be doing ghost-writing for businesses, posting on their blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter accounts. You could also actively monitor the networks for mentions of your client and manage them accordingly
Seed capital: Rs.10,000
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: 6 months
Resources: You should know your social networks. Guides on how to effectively use social media for businesses are available online. Social media workshops have also begun in Indian cities
Expected revenues: Rs.15 lakh (5 years); Rs.50 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads)
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
2. HR AND RECRUITING SERVICE
Not every business can afford a human resources department. Not everyone can afford a big recruitment firm either. There is a gap here that can be exploited, especially by human resources professionals, to start building their own recruiting firm. Further on, you can also actively manage these firms HR processes for them, all the time putting yourself to be one of those big firms as well.
Seed capital: Rs.10,000
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: Immediate
Resources: If you are not trained already, pursue a short course or workshop at an institute like Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning or IGNOU
Expected revenues: Rs.10 lakh (5 years); Rs.20 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads)
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
3. TRANSLATION SERVICES
Globalization and the positives in business infrastructure mean that even small and medium businesses now work across at least a few nations. But this comes with the hurdle of language in which they invariably need assistance. So, if you know any language of business, you are going to be in business yourself as translators are in big need. A translation service would be required to interpret all sorts of documents, but their greatest source of revenue will be legal and medical companies. You can specialize in the one or two languages you speak fluently, or you can hire other linguists to translate dozens of other tongues.
Seed capital: Rs.10,000
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: Immediate
Resources: If you are not trained already, pursue French at Alliance Francaise, German at the Max Mueller Bhavan, Spanish at Instituto Hispanico, Chinese at the India China Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Japanese at the Language School of Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce
Expected revenues: Rs.20 lakh (5 years); Rs.40 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads)
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
4. BOARDROOM FACILITIES
This is a business idea that, though a tad expensive, can bring in huge revenue over time. Most small and medium businesses do not have boardrooms of their own owing to the space crunch in most big cities. In addition, some do not want to commit that much investment towards a boardroom of their own. Hence, they rent boardrooms for meetings, events and general socialization. So, if you have space of your own, you can easily modify it to suit a business’ needs.
Seed capital: Rs.2 lakh (Assuming you have space)
Can be started from home? No
ROI period: 1 year
Resources: No training needed. One must look up the internet to see what business facilities are in trend
Expected revenues: Rs.30 lakh (5 years); Rs.60 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads). Projectors, laptop, broadband connection, tea and coffee machines, fax, and stationery needed for boardrooms too
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority. You also need a fire safety clearance from local fire department in some cases
5. MEDICAL TOURISM SERVICE
That India has some of the best-trained and qualified medical professionals is a foregone conclusion. What is of note to us, however, is that medical costs in India are also one of the lowest in the world. This is why many foreign nationals come to India for surgeries or medical treatment. This has created an opportunity for Indian entrepreneurs to offer services to overseas patients looking to get treated at local hospitals.
Seed capital: Rs.30,000
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: Immediate
Resources: No specific qualification is essential but industry knowledge helps
Expected revenues: Rs.15 lakh (5 years); Rs.25 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads), and lots of material on hospitals in India
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
6. DIETARY CONSULTANCY SERVICES
Eating right is as big as working out amongst the fitness crowd in our urban cities. However, that cannot be done without a bit of external guidance and this is where a dietary consultant comes in. This is a business for the dietitian or nutritionist to startup. Given that more and more of urban India has progressively lesser time to eat and take care of their diet, clientele size will always be growing in this sector.
Seed capital: Rs.10,000
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: Immediate
Resources: A course in nutrition would be necessary here. You can do such courses at the National Institute of Nutrition, the International life Sciences Institute and J. D. Birla Institute
Expected revenues: Rs.10 lakh (5 years); Rs.20 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads)
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
7. USED CAR DEALERSHIP
Buying a car is a status symbol in our country now, and many middle-class Indians think it is necessary to own one. But, given that costs of new cars are very prohibitive, the need for having used cars on the market is justified. You can start a dealership with not much if you make your first sales on a commission basis rather than a buy-and-sell basis. Also, the used car market tends to do better in a slow market and that is one big positive.
Seed capital: Rs.1 lakh
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: 6 months
Resources: No specific training needed, but knowledge of RTO procedures will come in handy
Expected revenues: Rs.50 lakh (5 years); Rs.1 crore (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads), and at least 2 more assistants
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
8. MOBILE GARAGE SERVICE
This one is for the engineers and trained mechanics. Garages tend to be in the more grey parts of any town and the car does not always break down there. Mobile mechanics are then a Godsend. You can start this service with just a motorcycle of your own and a couple of assistants. You can even offer packages for car owners by tying up with dealerships.
Seed capital: Rs.1 lakh (Assuming you have some transport of your own)
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: 1 year
Resources: No specific training needed
Expected revenues: Rs.10 lakh (5 years); Rs.20 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads), garage equipment, and at least 2 more assistants
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
9. AUTO MODIFICATION SERVICE
Not everyone can afford a swanky imported car or motorcycle. But many of them can afford small modifications to their set of wheels. All thanks to movies like The Fast and The Furious, people are also more eager to get their wheels tuned for better performance. All this spells a business idea for all the design-leaning auto enthusiasts amongst our readers.
Seed capital: Rs.3 lakh (Assuming you have space)
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: 1 year
Resources: No specific training needed. Just an eye for design and the latest trends in the auto world
Expected revenues: Rs.20 lakh (5 years); Rs.40 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads), at least 1 assistant, garage equipment and modification kits
Licensing and permissions: You will need a specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority
10. DRIVING SCHOOL
This is again an evergreen business idea in the auto sector. With the number of cars increasing and more and more people wanting to learn how to drive a car, this business will always have a steady flow of clients. All you need is a car of your own, and good-enough patience to be able to teach people how to safely drive their cars.
Seed capital: Rs.10,000 (Assuming you have a car)
Can be started from home? Yes
ROI period: Immediate
Resources: No specific training needed
Expected revenues: Rs.10 lakh (5 years); Rs.30 lakh (10 years)
Office requirements: One 10×10 room as office space, laptop (with internet), phone, printer, fax, own stationery (visiting cards + letterheads)
Licensing and permissions: You will need specific permission on running a commercial business out of your home from your local authority. Also, you will need permission from the local RTO to run a driving school

Business Idea Center: Retail Businesses

Industry / Startup Costs / Franchises

Business Name / Description

Album Cover Art Combine love for music and art by selling framed album covers.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Albums and 8-Track Sales You'll be dancing all the way to the bank when you specialize in album and 8-track sales.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Antique Furniture Sales Cut down on costs by selling antique furniture from home.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Antique Radios iPods may be convenient, but they can't compete with the nostalgia of antique radios.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Bathing Suits People will never stop going to the beach. Cater to them by selling bathing suits and other beach accessories.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Candy Maker Here's a business that promises sweet rewards.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Candy Store Sweeten people's lives with a candy store.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Carts and Kiosks Don't have a ton of startup capital? Consider a cart or kiosk business.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Clocks It's always the perfect time to start a clock business.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Collectible Clothing Bring back the vintage and retro styles of years past with a collectible clothing store.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Consignment Clothing Store The low-cost way to start a clothing store--sell items on consignment.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Convenience Stores Set up shop in a convenient location and you'll have customers dropping in.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Dollar Store Get a great deal with a dollar store that brings in big bucks.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Evening Gown Rentals Turn women into Cinderellas for a night by renting them evening gowns.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Fabric Shop Add some texture to your business side with a shop that's made of good material.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Filing Systems Keep businesses organized with helpful filing systems.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Framed Movie Posters Picture this: A business surrounding movies.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Glass Shop A glass shop could be the window to your entrepreneurial future.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Gun Shop Here's a great market to shoot for.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Honor System Vending Boxes Put your trust in your clientele by offering items on the honor system.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Inventory Liquidation Every cloud has a silver lining. When other stores close shop, you can buy their products wholesale.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Janitorial Supplies You can clean up by selling janitorial supplies.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Lawn Ornament Sales Will it be a tortoise or a hare? Why not provide both to decorate homeowners' lawns?

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Leather Fashions Rope in customers by offering leather clothes and accessories with large profit potential.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Lighting Shop It's time to shine some light on your business startup.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Linen Shop This retail business requires an eye for detail and design.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Lingerie Shop Put a swagger in women's steps by providing them with attractive lingerie.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Maternity Clothing Moms-to-be don't want to give up looking good. Cash in on this strong demographic.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Mattress Shop You'll rest easy knowing you're providing people with a good night's sleep.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $50,000 - $100,000 Franchises Available? No

Musical Instrument Sales Keep your business in tune with your passion for music.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Network Marketing Find a product you love and start selling to your friends and their network.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Newsstand Outdated, you say? In spite of online media convergence, classic print newspapers will never grow old.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Online Custom Blue Jeans Jeans have never been more popular, and selling custom options online can set your business apart.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Patio Furniture Retailer Attractive, comfortable furniture can turn a patio into another living space.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $50,000 - $100,000 Franchises Available? No

Pawnbroker Use your negotiating skills by opening up a pawn shop and bringing in second-hand goods.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Safety Clothing Sales Help employers keep their workers safe with boots, neon vests and other apparel.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Scaffolding Rentals Take business to new heights with scaffolding rentals.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Secondhand Clothing Store People love a bargain. Put your good taste to use by opening a used clothing store.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Silk Scarves People will pay hundreds of dollars for a Ferragamo or Hermes silk scarf. It's a trend you can cash in on, too.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Sleepwear This huge market is one you should be able to cozy up to.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Sports Team Uniform Service Help inspire a sense of camaraderie by selling uniforms to sports teams.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Sportsmen Vests Cater to sportsmen, from hunters to boaters, by making vests that fit their specific needs.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Used Appliance Sales Buying secondhand appliances for resale is a tidy way to clean up profits.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Used ATM Sales Since the ATM biz has been deregulated, you can now freely buy and sell them.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $50,000 - $100,000 Franchises Available? No

Used Baby Equipment Make the best of expensive baby products the original owner no longer needs by reselling them.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Used CD Shop Share a love of cheap and legally-purchased music with your customers.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Used Children's Clothing Help parents out of financial hardship by selling used children's clothing.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Used Furniture Retailer Help others out of their financial hardships by picking out classic furniture to sell.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Used Restaurant Equipment Sales Sell used restaurant equipment to restaurateurs looking for a deal.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Used Wedding Gowns Help brides-to-be find beautiful, affordable gowns.

Category: Retail Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Business Idea Center: Online Businesses

Industry / Startup Costs / Franchises

Business Name / Description

Domain Name Broker Match marketable domain name owners with willing buyers.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

E-Bargains Help people save a buck by compiling online deals in one spot.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

E-Commerce Consultant Use your web smarts to help others grow their online businesses.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

eBay Consultant Teach others to sell on eBay as an eBay consultant.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? Yes

Genealogical Researcher Love research? Help others go through their family tress as a genealogical researcher.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Information Consultant Use your strong research skills to start an information consulting business.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Internet Trainer Use your web savvy to help others get online.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Art Prints Sell art prints to customers anytime, anywhere with an online store.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Children's Camps Help parents find the right camp for their kids with an online directory.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Contract Forms Contracts are a part of everyday life for businesses. Cash in on this need by offering the forms online.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Contractors Directory Contractors are always in need. Help others find them with an online directory.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Diet And Fitness Convenience is key for people trying to lose weight. Give it to them with programs and tips online.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Entertainment Coupons Make cheap entertainment even easier to find by putting coupons online.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Franchise and Licensing Opportunities Start a database for those seeking opportunities to buy into a business.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Recycled Renovation Products You know what they say, one man's junk is another man's treasure.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $10,000 - $50,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Researcher Have your nose in the net all day? Monetize your research time.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Scholarship Directory Applying to college can be an anxiety-inducing process. Help students-to-be make their education more affordable.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Spokesperson Directory Create a database of people who can help businesses with their PR efforts.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Trade Show Directory Compile information about trade shows across the globe online.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Online Vitamin Sales The current focus on health and anti-aging products makes it the perfect time to capitalize on this market with an online store.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Public Opinion Service Love surveys? Start a public opinion service.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000 Franchises Available? No

Web Design Create professional, beautiful and functional websites for your clients.

Category: Online Businesses Startup Costs: Under $2,000 Franchises Available? No

Making Money Online Report: Teaching Sells

Rarely I download an eBook and read it straight to the end. This happened with Brian Clark’s latest report about making money online, which is titled “Teaching Sells.”
The ideas contained in the 22 pages are surprisingly solid and knit together. Do you think that giving your content away for free while charging for advertising space is the best model? Maybe not. Here is a quotation:

If you’re blogging or otherwise creating content online in the hopes of making money, there’s a good chance you’re following a fairly complicated and time-consuming strategy. You’ve got to publish every day and attract lots of links, so that after a year or so, the Google Gods will bless you with plenty of long-tail search results that will bring you traffic.
Once that happens, you’ll have to keep blogging for another year, and hope to build page views, so that you can make money from AdSense or some other form of advertising. The money is pretty meager, but if you work hard, maybe one day it will add up to enough—if you just keep at it and never ever quit producing more and more free content. Or you could simply create content once and sell it over and over.

While I think that the “free content-paid advertising” model still works on some situations, the strategy illustrated in the report can be equally, if not more, efficient. Anyway I am pretty sure you will get some good insights out of it, here is the link to the report (referral link).

10 Ways to Promote your Site with a Bit of Money

10 Ways to Promote your Site with a Bit of Money

Some time ago I wrote an article titled “Are you marketing your blog?” where I argued that there is a myth around the Internet that bloggers and webmasters should not spend money on advertising. The myth comes in great extent from the success stories of people that managed to create popular websites without spending a dime on advertising or other paid promotion techniques.
The reality is that most of those successful websites were pioneers on their niche, hence why they became popular without spending money on advertising. Now a days the market is crowded and you have thousands of websites and blogs even for small segments. As a consequence paid promotional techniques are becoming an important factor of any successful marketing strategy.
Below you will find 7 ways to promote your website or blog with a bit of money. You can use them to generate raw traffic, improve your search engine rankings, gain visibility on your niche and so on. Despite the initial investment most of those techniques will pay off on the short to medium term. If you are expecting to make money with your website there is no reason to assume that you will not need to spend some as well, right?
1. AdWords: Google make billions of dollars every year from the AdWords-AdSense combo. Why is that? Because they work. Adwords is probably the most efficient method to generated raw traffic for your website. In order to get started you should create an account, add lots (by lots I mean hundreds if not thousands) of keywords that are related your site and set the maximum Pay-per-Click rate at $0.01. After that raise the rate by $0.01 every week or so until you start getting the desired amount of daily clicks. Notice that at lower bids the keywords will be reported as “Inactive for Search”. Do not worry about it, it just means that your ads will not appear on the search network (Google’s search results), but they will appear on the content network (websites of people that use AdSense).
2. Site-Specific AdWords: if you pay attention to the AdSense units you will see that most of them have a link titled “Advertise on this site”. This feature enables AdWords advertisers to create customized ads that will be displayed only on specific websites. Those ads work on a CPM (cost per 1000 impressions) rather than a CPC (cost per click) basis, but they can generate a good amount of very targeted traffic since you will be in control of where the ad will be displayed and of the message. You can get even better results if you use some creativity when designing the ads, click here for some examples.
3. StumbleUpon Ads: StumbleUpon is a very innovative social bookmarking site that allows users to discover great websites by using a browser toolbar. When the user clicks on “Stumble” he will be delivered a website that people with similar interested rated positively. The user is also able to give positive and negative ratings to any website that he visits on the Internet. StumbleUpon also offers advertising campaigns, called StumbleUpon Ads, where you can deliver your website directly to those “Stumblers”. It costs $0.05 per page delivered, but since the websites that appear on StumbleUpon usually have a high quality it is very likely that part of that paid traffic will convert into regular readers.
4. Text Link Ads: if you are trying to increase your search engine rankings to leverage organic traffic you should consider buying some text link ads. While those text links can also generate direct traffic the biggest benefit you will have is an improvement on your search rankings, specially if the links are placed on authoritative and relevant websites. There are several places to buy text links, including specialized companies like Text-Link-Ads and Text Link Brokers or online forums like Digital Point‘s market place.
5. Direct Banner Sales: most established websites sell banner ads or sponsorship plans directly. Those advertising deals usually are structured with weekly or monthly fees, regardless of the number of impressions or clicks that you will get. Despite this characteristic a banner placement can represent good value for money because apart from the direct traffic you will also create visibility and brand awareness. Readers of the website where you will display your banner will associate the message on the banner with your site or blog. Should they come across that banner or message two or three times it is very likely that they will get curious and decide to check what the buzz is all about. Another advantage of banner placements is the fact that people will unconsciously think that the author of the website endorses your content or product.
6. Sponsored Reviews: buying some sponsored reviews is a good way to kick-start a website. They will bring backlinks, traffic and RSS subscribers. There are many market studies confirming that “word of mouth” is the most efficient way to capture people’s attention, and that is just what you get with sponsored reviews. You can either pay a low price (sometimes as low as $5 per review) to get a large number of reviews from small sites or you can focus on large players (which can charge several hundreds of dollars for a single review) that are authorities on your niche. The best way to purchase sponsored reviews is through sites like SponsoredReviews.com, ReviewMe or PayPerPost.com.
7. Blog Networks: there are several blog networks founded around a traffic exchange principle. Basically you create an account for you blog and you earn credits by surfing other members’ blogs. Afterwards you can use those credits to make people visit your blog or to display your banners around the network. The interesting part is that most of those blog networks allow users to purchase credits with money, and the price is really convenient. You should be able receive hundreds of visitors or to get thousands of banner impressions for less than 10 dollars. Some blog networks that sell credits include Blog Explosion, Blog Soldiers and Blog Advance.

30 Ways to Make Money with Your Website

There are several lists with “ways to make money with a website” on the Internet, but none of them seem to be complete. That is why I decided to create this one. If you know a method that is not listed below, just let us know and we’ll update it.

Notice that ways to make money with a website are different from ways to make more money from it. Methods to increase your traffic or click-through rate will help you make more money, but they do not represent a method of making money per se.
For example, one could suggest that blending AdSense ads with the content is a way to make money from a website. In reality it’s not; it’s just a way to make more money by improving your ad click-through rate. The real monetization method behind it is a PPC ad network.
The list is divided into direct and indirect methods, and examples and links are provided for each point. Enjoy!

Direct Methods

1. PPC Advertising Networks
Google AdSense is the most popular option under this category, but there are also others. Basically you need to sign up with the network and paste some code snippets on your website. The network will then serve contextual ads (either text or images) relevant to your website, and you will earn a certain amount of money for every click.
The profitability of PPC advertising depends on the general traffic levels of the website and, most importantly, on the click-through rate (CTR) and cost per click (CPC). The CTR depends on the design of the website. Ads placed abode the fold or blended with content, for instance, tend to get higher CTRs. The CPC, on the other hand, depends on the nice of the website. Mortgages, financial products and college education are examples of profitable niches (clicks worth a couple of dollars are not rare), while tech-related topics tend to receive a smaller CPC (sometimes as low as a couple of cents per click).
The source of the traffic can also affect the overall CTR rate. Organic traffic (the one that comes from search engines) tends to perform well because these visitors were already looking for something, and they tend to click on ads more often. Social media traffic, on the other hand, presents terribly low CTRs because these visitors are tech-savvy and they just ignore ads.
List of popular CPC advertising networks:

• Google Adsense
• Yahoo! Publisher Network (YPN)
• BidVertiser
• Chitika
• Clicksor

2. CPM Advertising Networks
CPM advertising networks behave pretty much as PPC networks, except that you get paid according to the number of impressions (i.e., page views) that the ads displayed on your site will generate. CPM stands for Cost per Mille, and it refers to the cost for 1,000 impressions.
A blog that generates 100,000 page views monthly displaying an advertising banner with a $1 CPM, therefore, will earn $100 monthly.
CPM rates vary with the network, the position of the ad and the format. The better the network, the higher the CPM rate (because they have access to more advertisers). The closer you put the ad to the top of the page, the higher the CPM. The bigger the format (in terms of pixels), the higher the CPM.
You can get as low as $0,10 and as high as $10 per 1,000 impressions (more in some special cases). CPM advertising tends to work well on websites with a high page views per visitor ratio (e.g., online forums, magazines and so on).
List of popular CPM advertising networks:

• Casale Media
• Burst Media
• Value Click
• Advertising.com
• Tribal Fusion
• Right Media

3. Direct Banner Advertising
Selling your own advertising space is one of the most lucrative monetization methods. First and foremost because it enables you to cut out the middleman commissions and to determine your own rates. The most popular banner formats on the web are the 728×90 leaderboard, the 120×600 skyscraper, the 300×250 rectangle and the 125×125 button.
The downside of direct banner advertising is that you need to have a big audience to get qualified advertisers, and you will need to spend time managing the sales process, the banners and the payments.
Related links:

• How to Find Advertisers for Your Website
• Finding Advertisers for Your Blog
• Direct Advertising Sales for Beginners
• Openads Ad Server
• OIO Publisher Ad Platform

4. Text Link Ads
After Google declared that sites selling text links without the nofollow tag would be penalized, this monetization method became less popular.
Many website owners are still using text links to monetize their sites, though, some using the nofollow tag and some not.
The advantage of this method is that it is not intrusive. One can sell text links directly through his website or use specialized networks like Text-Link-Ads and Text-Link-Brokers to automate the process.
Text link marketplaces and networks:

• DigitalPoint Link Sales Forum
• Text-Link-Ads
• Text-Link-Brokers
• TNX
• LinkWorth

5. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a very popular practice on the Internet. Under this system you have a merchant that is willing to let other people (the affiliates) sell directly or indirectly its products and services, in exchange for a commission. Sometimes this type of advertising is also called CPA (cost per action) or CPL (cost per lead) based.
Affiliates can send potential customers to the merchant using several tools, from banners to text links and product reviews.
In order to find suitable affiliate programs you can turn to individual companies and publishers like Dreamhost and SEOBook, or join affiliate marketplaces and networks.
List of popular affiliate marketplaces and networks:

• Commission Junction
• ClickBank
• Azoogle Ads
• Link Share

6. Monetization Widgets
The latest trend on the web are widgets that let you monetize your website. Examples include Widgetbucks and SmartLinks. Some of these services operate under a PPC scheme, others behave like text link ads, others yet leverage affiliate links.
Their main differentiator, however, is the fact that they work as web widgets, making it easier for the user to plug and play the service on its website.
List of companies that provide monetization widgets:

• WidgetBucks
• ScratchBack
• SmartLinks

7. Sponsored Reviews
PayPerPost pioneered this model, with much controversy on the beginning (related to the fact that they did not require disclosure on paid posts). Soon other companies followed, most notably Sponsored Reviews and ReviewMe, refining the process and expanding the paid blogging model.
Joining one of these sponsored reviews marketplaces will give you the opportunity to write sponsored posts on a wide range of topics. Not all bloggers are willing to get paid to write about a specific product or website (because it might compromise the editorial credibility), but the ones who do are making good money out of it.
If your blog has a big audience you could also offer sponsored reviews directly, cutting off the commissions of the middleman.
List of sponsored reviews and paid blogging networks:

• PayPerPost
• Sponsored Reviews
• ReviewMe
• BlogVertise
• Smorty

8. RSS Feed Ads
With the quick adoption of the RSS technology by millions of Internet users, website owners are starting to find ways to monetize this new content distribution channel.
Feedburber already has its own publisher network, and you can sign-up to start displaying CPM based advertising on your feed footer. Bidvertiser recently introduced a RSS feed ad option as well, with a PPC scheme.
Finally, some blogs are also opting to sell banners or sponsored messages on their feed directly. John Chow and Marketing Pilgrim are two examples.
Related links:

• Feedburner
• BidVertiser
• Pheedo

9. Sponsors for Single Columns or Events
If you website has specific columns or events (e.g., a weekly podcast, an interview series, a monthly survey, a special project) you could find companies to sponsor them individually.
This method increases the monetization options for website owner, while giving advertisers the possibility to target a more specific audience and with a reduced commitment.
Mashable illustrates the case well. They have several advertising options on the site, including the possibility to sponsor specific columns and articles, including the “Daily Poll” and the “Web 2.0 Invites.”
Problogger also runs group writing projects occasionally, and before proceeding he publicly announce the project asking for sponsors.
10.Premium Content
Some websites and blogs give away part of their content for free, and charge for access to the premium content and exclusive tools.
SEOMoz is a good example. They have a very popular blog that gives advice and information on wide range of SEO related topics. On top of that visitors can decide to become premium members. It costs $48 monthly and it grants them access to guides, tools and other exclusive material.
11. Private Forums
While the Internet is populated with free forums, there is also the possibility to create a private one where members need to pay a single or recurring fee to join.

SEO Blackhat charges $100 monthly from its members, and they have thousands of them. Obviously in order to charge such a price for a forum membership you need to provide real value for the members (e.g., secret techniques, tools, and so on).
Performancing also launched a private forum recently, focused on the networking aspect. It is called The Hive, and the monthly cost is $10.
These are just two examples. There are many possibilities to create a private and profitable forum, you just need to find an appealing angle that will make it worth for the members.
List of popular forum software:

• vBulletin
• Simple Machines Forum
• phpBB
• Vanilla

12. Job Boards
All the popular blogs are trying to leverage job boards to make some extra income. Guy Kawasaki, ReadWriteWeb, Problogger… you name it.
Needless to say that in order to create an active and profitable job board you need first to have a blog focused on a specific niche, and a decent amount traffic.
The advantage of this method is that it is passive. Once you have the structure in place, the job listings will come naturally, and you can charge anywhere from $10 up to $100 for each.
List of popular job board software:

• JobThread
• Web Scribe Job Board
• SimplyHired Job-o-matic
• Jobbex

13. Marketplaces
Sitepoint is the online marketplace by excellence. Some websites and blogs, however, are trying to replicate that model on a smaller scale.
Depending on your niche, a market place that allows your visitors to buy, sell and trade products could work well. Over the time you could start charging a small fee for new product listings.
The problem with this method is that there are no standard software on the web, so you would need to hire a coder to get a marketplace integrated into your website.
You can see an example of a marketplaces being used on EasyWordpress and on Mashable.
14. Paid Surveys and Polls
There are services that will pay you money to run a small survey or poll on your website. The most popular one is called Vizu Answers.
Basically you need to sign up with them, and select the kind of polls that you want to run your site. Most of these services operate under a CPM model.
15. Selling or Renting Internal Pages
Million Dollar Wiki made this concept popular, but it was being used on the web for a long time around (check Pagerank10.co.uk for instance).
These websites sell for a single fee or rent for a recurring fee internal pages on their domain. Usually they have either high Pagerak or high traffic, so that people purchasing a page will be able to benefit in some way.
Implementing this method on a small blog would be difficult, but the concept is interesting and could be explored further.
16. Highlighted Posts from Sponsors
Techmeme probably pioneered this idea, but somehow it has not spread to other websites. The tech news aggregator displays editorial posts on the left column, and on the sidebar they have a section titled “Techmeme Sponsor Posts.”
On that section posts from the blog of the advertisers get highlighted, sending qualified traffic their way. Considering that the monthly cost for one spot is $5000 and that they have around 6 sponsors at any given time, it must be working well.
17. Donations
Placing a “Donate” link or button on a website can be an efficient way to earn money, especially if your blog is on a niche where readers learn and gain value from your content.
Personal development and productivity blogs, for instance, tend to perform well with donation based systems (one good example being Steve Pavlina).
A small variation of this method appeared sometime ago with the Buy Me a Beer plugin. This WordPress plugin enables you to insert a customized message at the bottom of each article, asking the readers to chip in for a beer or coffee.
18. In-text Adverting
In-text adverting networks like Kontera and Vibrant Media will place sponsored links inside your text. These links come with a double underline to differentiate them from normal links, and once the user rolls the mouse over the link the advertising will pop. Should the user click on it the site owner will make some money.
Some people make good money with this method, but others refrain from using it due to its intrusiveness. It is also interesting to note that very few mainstream websites have experimented with in-text advertising.
19. Pop-ups and Pop-unders
Pop-ups are a common yet annoying form of advertising on the Internet. If you are just trying to make a much money as possible from your website, you could experiment with them.
If you are trying to grow the traffic and generate loyal visitors, however, you probably should stay away from them. Just consider the hundreds of pop-up blockers out there: there is a reason why they are so popular.
Ad networks that use pop-ups:

• Tribal Fusion
• PayPopup
• PopupAd
• Adversal

20. Audio Ads
Also called PPP (Pay Per Play), this advertising method was introduce by Net Audio Ads. the concept is pretty simple: play a small audio advertising (usually 5 seconds) every time a visitor enters into your website. The user should not be able to stop it, creating a 100% conversion rate based on unique visitors.
The company is still rolling tests, but some users are reporting to get from a $4 to a $6 CPM. Regardless of the pay rate, though, this is a very intrusive form of advertising, so think twice before using it.
21. Selling the Website
Selling your website could be your last resource, but it has the potential to generate a big sum of money in a short period of time.
Market places on online forums like DigitalPoint and Sitepoint are always active with website buyers and sellers. Keep in mind that they most used parameter to determine the value of a website is the monthly revenue that it generates, multiplied by a certain number (the multiplier can be anything from 5 to 30, depending on the expectations of the seller, on the quality of the site, on the niche and other factors).
Some people also make money trading and flipping websites. They either create them from scratch or buy existing ones, and after some revamping they sell them for a profit.
Related links:

• How To Buy A Website And Flip It For Profit
• How To Sell A Website – How Much Is Your Website Worth?
• Where to sell a website? How to go about selling it?

Indirect Methods

22. Selling an Ebook
Perhaps one of the oldest money making strategies on the web, using a website to promote a related ebook is a very efficient way to generate revenue.
You could either structure the website around the book itself, like SEOBook.com, or launch the ebook based on the success of the website, like FreelanceSwitch did we the book How to be a Rockstar Freelancer.
Related links:

• Writing an ebook for your blog
• How to sell ebooks
• Processing payments for your ebook
• How to sell digital products online
• List of ebook selling software

23. Selling a Hardcover Book
Many authors and journalists leverage their blogs or websites to sell copies of hardcover books. Examples include Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin and Malcolm Gladwell.
While most of these people were already renowned authors before they created their website, one could also follow the other way around. Lorelle VanFossen did exactly that with her Blogging Tips book. First she built her authority on the subject via her blog, and afterwards she published the book.
List of self publishing and publishing services:

• Lulu
• Self Publishing
• iUniverse
• WordClay

24. Selling Templates or WordPress Themes
As more and more people decide to get an online presence, website templates and WordPress themes become hotter and hotter.
On this segment you have mainstream websites like TemplateMonster, as well as individual designers who decide to promote and sell their work independently.
Brian Gardner and Unique Blog Designs are two examples of websites that make money with the sales of premium and custom WordPress themes.
25. Offering Consulting and Related Services
Depending on your niche, you could make money by offering consulting and related services. If you are also the author of your blog, the articles and information that you will share will build your profile and possibly certify your expertise on that niche, making it easier to gain customers.
Chris Garrett used a similar strategy. First he created a highly influential blog on the blogging and new media niche, and afterwards he started offering consulting services to clients with related problems and needs.
26. Creating an Email List or Newsletter
Email lists and newsletters represent one of the most powerful marketing and money making tools on the Internet. They offer incredible conversion rates, and the possibility to call people to action in a very efficient way.
Creating a big list is a difficult task though, so if you have a popular website you could leverage it to increase the number of subscribers on your list.
Yaro Starak is a famous Internet marketer, and if you visit his blog you will notice that right on top he has a section encouraging visitors to subscribe to his email newsletter. Yaro generates five figures in revenues each month from his email newsletters, proving that this method works.
List of software to manage email newsletters:

• AWeber
• SendStudio NX
• PHP Autoresponder
• Constant Contact

27. Mentoring programs
People are willing to pay for someone or something that will teach them and give them knowledge (as opposed to mere information). Education is one of the biggest industries in the world, and the online landscape behaves in a similar way.
Creating a mentoring program related to the niche of your website could be very profitable if you manage to structure and promote it adequately. There is a wide range of media and tools that you can use to deliver the information, from text articles to audio and video lessons.
Brian Clark leveraged the success of Copyblogger to launch a mentoring program teaching people how to build membership and how to sell content online. The program is titled Teaching Sells, and it costs $97 monthly. Sounds expensive, but they have over 1,000 members.
28. Creating a conference around the website
If your website takes off and becomes an authority on its niche, you could create a conference around it. Depending on the size of your audience, the event could attract thousands of people, and you could make money directly from conference passes and sponsors.

 

The 100 Best Free SEO Tools & Resources for Every Challenge - Interactive

 

Free Tools

---

1. Anchor Text Over Optimization Tool

http://www.removeem.com/ratios.php
Link Research, Technical SEO
Worried about Google's Penguin algorithm hitting you for over-optimized anchor text? Simply type in your URL for a full report of which links might raise flags.

2. Bing Webmaster Tools

http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster
Tools Suite, Diagnostic
Similar in function to Google Webmaster Tools, Bing offers a suite of interesting research tools and resources for webmasters.

3. Bitly

https://bitly.com/
Social, Analytics
Most people use Bitly for URL shortening, but the real power of this platform comes from its analytics.

4. Boomerang

http://www.boomeranggmail.com/
Email, Productivity
Boomerang lets you follow up on emails, even when you forget. Great for link building or any time you send a lot of emails.

5. Buffer

https://bufferapp.com/
Social
Optimize your online social media sharing. Buffer allows you to share with your audience at the optimal times for greater visibility.

6. BuiltWith

http://builtwith.com/
Competitive Intelligence
Use BuiltWith to discover what technology nearly any website was, well, built with. Great for competitive intelligence as well.

7. Buzzstream Tools Suite

http://tools.buzzstream.com/link-building
Link Building, Tools Suite, Email
Most people know Buzzstream as an outreach platform, but they also offer a number of free link-building tools. This company gets it.

8. Caption Tube

http://captiontube.appspot.com/
Video
Free and easy resource used to create captions for YouTube. Helps with usability and offers viewers a readable transcript.

9. CircleCount

http://www.circlecount.com/
Social, Analytics
Google+ analytics ramped up. Free resource to track your followers and analyze your shares. See how many followers you've gained over time.

10. Content Strategy Generator Tool

http://seogadget.com/content-strategy-generator-tool-v2-update/
Content
This tool from SEOgadget helps you plan your content strategy intelligently, using keyword research and estimating your audience size.

11. Convert Word Documents to Clean HTML

http://word2cleanhtml.com/
Content, Productivity
Despite the rise of Google Docs, Word still dominates much of the world. Copying and pasting has always been a hurdle, but this tool makes it easy.

12. Copyscape

http://www.copyscape.com/
Content
Copyscape serves both as a plagiarism checker and a duplicate-content checker. Great to use if your content has been distributed across the web.

13. Domain Hunter Plus

http://domainhunterplus.com/
Link Building
This magic extension for Chrome not only helps you find important broken links, but also tells you if the links point to an available domain.

14. Easel.ly

http://www.easel.ly/
Infographics
Free tools for creating and sharing inforgraphics. The templates allow anyone to create a professional-looking graphic.

15. Email Format

http://email-format.com/
Email, Productivity
Email Format helps you find the proper structure for thousands of companies and organizations across the web.

16. FindPeopleonPlus

http://www.findpeopleonplus.com/
Social
The ultimate Google+ directory that's great for research, outreach, and link building. Sort by keywords, profession, country, and more.

17. Frobee Robots.txt Checker

http://www.frobee.com/robots-txt-check
Robots.txt, Technical SEO
Many robots.txt files contain hidden errors not easily visible to humans. Run your file through this tool and you never know what you'll discover.

18. GetListed

https://getlisted.org/
Local, Moz
This awesome local SEO tool scores your local SEO visibility and gives you actionable next steps to raise your score.

19. Google Keyword Planner

http://adwords.google.com/keywordplanner
Keyword Research
The tool to replace Google's popular keyword tool has been derided by some, but still offers data not available anywhere else.

20. Google Analytics

http://www.google.com/analytics/
Analytics
The most popular of all the analytics tools available, Google Analytics continually innovates and sets the standard.

21. Google Analytics API

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1008004?hl=en&ref_topic=1008008
API, Analytics
The Google Analytics API is great for building custom reports and tools, and also for pulling data straight into Excel or Google Docs.

22. Google Map Maker

http://www.google.com/mapmaker
Local
Among other things, Google Map Maker allows you to contribute to public map information, which may be shared and incorporated into Google Maps.

23. Google PageSpeed Insights

https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights
Speed
Tools, data, and insights to improve your page speed. Page speed is correlated with better rankings and user engagement, so this matters.

24. Google Public Data

http://www.google.com/publicdata/directory
Content
Drawing on vast public databases, Google public data offers a great starting point for content research, infographics, and more.

25. Google SERP Snippet Optimization Tool

http://www.seomofo.com/snippet-optimizer.html
Technical SEO, CRO
That SEO Mofo! Use this tool to see how your snippet may appear in Google's search results. Add structured data, review stars, and more.

26. Google Structured Data Testing Tool

http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets
Structured Data, Technical SEO
If you use Schema.org microformats or any other type of structured data, this tool will verify your markup.

27. Google Trends

http://www.google.com/trends/
Keyword Research
See what's trending in Google search results and view keyword search popularity over time. A must for trends.

28. Google Webmaster

http://www.google.com/webmasters/
Tools Suite, Diagnostic
The interface recently received an overhaul, and Google Webmaster remains a must-have resource of diagnostic and health tools for site owners.

29. IFTTT

https://ifttt.com/
Productivity
IFTTT stands for IF This, Then That. The tool allows you to create automatic triggers between various apps, like Gmail and Twitter.

30. Infogr.am

http://infogr.am/
Infographics
A great free Infographics resource that allows you to easily create graphics and data visualizations.

31. Internet Marketing Ninjas SEO Tools

http://www.internetmarketingninjas.com/tools/
Tools Suite
The Ninjas are some of the best SEOs and online marketers out there, and they've put some of their best tools online for free.

32. Linkstant

http://www.linkstant.com/
Link Building
This nifty analytics tool alerts you anytime someone links to your website. Great for outreach and intelligence gathering.

33. Linksy.me Email Guesser

http://linksy.me/find-email
Email, Link Building
Need to send an email, but you don't have the recipient's address? Type in what you know and this nifty tool will help you figure it out.

34. MailTester.com

http://mailtester.com/
Email
Need to send an email to an untested address, but you don't want to spam them? Check it first with this mail tester to verify.

35. MozCast

http://mozcast.com/
SERP Tracking, Moz
Want to know if Google is testing its algorithm this week? MozCast gives you a daily weather report to track changes in the SERPs.

36. MyBlogGuest

http://myblogguest.com/
Link Building, Content
Guest blogging is still alive and thriving. MyBlogGuest helps you find the good opportunities out there.

37. Panguin Tool

http://www.barracuda-digital.co.uk/panguin-tool/
Analytics
This awesome tool connects with your Google Analytics account to help you see if and when you've been hit by Google Algorithm updates.

38. Pingdom

http://tools.pingdom.com/fpt/
Speed
Pingdom offers an entire suite of speed tools to help analyze page load, DNS issues, and connectivity.

39. Piwik

http://piwik.org/
Analytics
Piwik is a lightweight web analytics solution, and a great alternative to Google Analytics.

40. Rank Checker for Firefox

http://tools.seobook.com/firefox/rank-checker/
Rank Tracking
This light and easy desktop tool checks rankings with the click of a button. Quick, easy and free.

41. Rapportive

http://rapportive.com/
Email, Link Building, Productivity
Rapportive works with your Gmail inbox to give you near-instant rich contact information for almost everyone you want to reach. A must-have for marketers.

42. Remove Duplicate Items

http://ontolo.com/tools-remove-duplicates
Productivity
Ontolo offers a suite of link building software and a few helpful productivity tools for link builders. The remove duplicates tool solves a common problem.

43. Robots.txt Checker

http://tool.motoricerca.info/robots-checker.phtml
Robots.txt, Technical SEO
Use robots best practices and discover hidden errors in your robots.txt files that may cause search engine crawling problems.

44. Schema Creator

http://schema-creator.org/
Structured Data, Technical SEO
Everyone loves using Schema.org, but the microformats are difficult to write by hand. This generator from the folks at Raven simplifies the task.

45. Scraper for Chrome

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/scraper/
Productivity
If you've never scraped a webpage, you're missing out. Scraper for Chrome puts the power of simple web scraping in your hands without the need for code.

46. Seer Toolbox

http://www.seerinteractive.com/seo-toolbox/
Tools Suite, Analytics, Link Research
SEER opened up its internal toolbox for everyone in the world to use. These are the same tools used in-house at SEER, and they rock.

47. SEO Toolbar

http://tools.seobook.com/seo-toolbar/
Tools Suite, Toolbar, Technical SEO
On of the most popular tools available, The SEO Toolbar puts a ton of information at your fingertips including backlinks and competitive research.

48. SEO Tools for Excel

http://nielsbosma.se/projects/seotools/
Tools Suite, Analytics, Social
You don't need to be an Excel ninja to use Niels Bosma's SEO Tools for Excel. This plugin does so many things many SEOs won't work without it.

49. SEOgadget Links API

http://seogadget.com/api/
API, Link Research
The SEOgadget Links API lets you easily gather not only backlink data but contact information as well. A huge time saver.

50. SEOgadget Tools

http://seogadget.com/tools/
Tools Suite
This suite of tools from the Gadget lab includes several Excel plugins, a content strategy generator, and more.

51. SEOQuake

http://www.seoquake.com/
Toolbar, Tools Suite, Technical SEO
More raw data than any other SEO toolbar out there.

52. SharedCount

http://www.sharedcount.com/
Social, Analytics
Want to know how any piece of content was shared socially across the major services? This is the tool to use.

53. SharedCount API

http://www.sharedcount.com/documentation.php
API, Social
Harnessing the combined statistics of Google+, Twitter, Facebook, and more, the SharedCount API puts a ton of social data at your fingertips.

54. Similar Page Checker

http://www.webconfs.com/similar-page-checker.php
Content, Technical SEO
Use this tool to check for duplicate content issues. The Similar Page Checker will give you a score of how closely the HTML of two pages resemble each other.

55. Sitemap Generators

http://code.google.com/p/sitemap-generators/wiki/SitemapGenerators
Sitemaps
Google offers a slew of free, top-notch sitemap generators. Most of these live on your server and generate new sitemaps automatically.

56. Social Authority API

https://followerwonk.com/social-authority
API, Social
How much reach and social authority do your followers have? How about the people you're trying to connect with? The free Social Authority API will tell you.

57. Social Crawlytics

https://socialcrawlytics.com/
Social, Analytics
Social Crawlytics allows you to conduct competitive research by showing you your competitors' most-shared content. Lots of other features as well.

58. Social Mention

http://www.socialmention.com/
Social
Social mention offers real-time social media search and analysis. Enter a search term and see who's sharing what, right now.

59. Text Cleaner

http://www.textcleanr.com/
Content
Some of the best tools solve the simplest problems. Text cleaner cleans up all kinds of text formatting when copying and pasting between aplications.

60. Ubersuggest

http://ubersuggest.org/
Keyword Research
Every SEO loves Ubersuggest for its ease of use and wealth of keyword research ideas. Utilizing the power of Google Suggest, it returns hundreds of potential results.

61. URI Valet

http://urivalet.com/
Technical SEO
A great tool for digging into server headers, canonical information, analyzing redirect problems and more.

62. Virante SEO Tools

http://www.virante.org/seo-tools
Tools Suite
Virant offers a number of high quality SEO tools to the public. These are often the same tools developed for the Virant team, opened up for public use.

63. Wayback Machine

http://archive.org/web/web.php
Competitive Intelligence
Want to see the history of your website or your competitor's site? The Wayback Machine allows you to step back in time and track important changes.

64. WebPagetest

http://www.webpagetest.org/
Speed
Quick and easy website speed tool. Offers suggestions for improving performance.

65. Wordle

http://www.wordle.net/
Content
Create beautiful word clouds. Great for visualizations, graphics, and research.

66. Wordstream Free Keyword Tools

http://www.wordstream.com/free-keyword-tools
Keyword Research, Tools Suite
In addition to its paid offerings, Wordstream offers a suite of free keyword tools offering access to thousands of keyword suggestions.

67. Xenu's Link Sleuth

http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html
Diagnostic, Technical SEO
Winner of the ugliest-SEO-tool-on-the-planet award, Xenu is also one of the most useful. Crawl entire sites, find broken links, create sitemaps, and more.

68. XML-Sitemaps.com

http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/
Sitemaps
XML-Sitemaps offers probably the easiest sitemap creation solution anywhere. Great for smaller sites when you need a sitemap in minutes.

69. Yahoo Pipes

http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/
Content, Productivity
A great mashup tool that combines different feeds into content and other magical creations. Used for link building and whatever you can dream of.

70. Yoast WordPress SEO Plugin

http://yoast.com/wordpress/seo/
Technical SEO
If you could only choose one WordPress plugin for you site, the first would be from Yoast, and so would the second. This one sets the standard.

71. YouTube Analytics

https://www.youtube.com/analytics
Video, Analytics
Offers video-specific analytics for YouTube videos. A must-have for YouTube video publishers.

Free and Paid

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72. Ahrefs

https://ahrefs.com/
Link Research, Link Building
One of the more popular link research tools, Ahrefs offers a large index and nice anchor text distribution charts. Mostly a paid tool, but they offer some free data.

73. Banana Tag

http://bananatag.com/
Email
Banana Tag allows you to track your emails after you send them. For example, check your email open rates from Gmail.

74. CloudFlare

https://www.cloudflare.com/
Speed
How do they make CloudFlare free? It works both as a CDN and a security service to provide your website with speed and safety.

75. Followerwonk

https://followerwonk.com/
Social, Analytics, Moz
Perhaps the coolest thing about Followerwonk is the ability to track your followers. Smart SEOs also use it for outreach and research.

76. Keyword Eye

http://www.keywordeye.com/
Keyword Research
Keyword eye adds a twist to keyword research by adding rich visualizations — essential when you want to move beyond keywords to valuable concepts.

77. KnowEm

http://knowem.com/
Social
KnowEm allows you to check 100's of social profiles at once to check availability. Looking for the perfect brand name? Check KnowEm first.

78. Majestic SEO

http://www.majesticseo.com/
Link Research, Competitive Intelligence, Link Building You've probably seen Majestic SEO link charts all over the Internet. Great crawling technology combined with several free options make for great link research.

79. Majestic SEO API

http://blog.majesticseo.com/general/majestic-seo-api-now-explained/
API, Link Research
Majestic makes much of its backlink data available for free via its API.

80. MozBar

http://moz.com/tools/seo-toolbar
Tools Suite, Toolbar, Moz
The standard SEO toolbar for legions of marketers, the MozBar allows you to perform over 50 key tasks right from your browser. Highly recommended.

81. Mozscape API

http://moz.com/products/api
API, Link Research, Moz
Companies everywhere incorporate the Mozscape API into their own products, but it's also available to individuals, and much of the data is free.

82. nTopic

http://www.ntopic.org/
Content
nTopic is one of the few proven methods for giving your content a relevancy score and offering keyword suggestions to improve it.

83. Open Site Explorer

http://www.opensiteexplorer.org/
Link Research, Moz, Competitive Intelligence, Link Building
When Google and Yahoo started removing backlink data from the public, Moz built Open Site Explorer to fill a huge need. See backlinks, anchor text, popularity metrics and more.

84. Piktochart

http://piktochart.com/
Infographics
A cute and easy infographic generator. No experience required.

85. RowFeeder

https://rowfeeder.com/
Social, Analytics
RowFeeder allows you to track social usernames, hashtags and keywords and load that information into Excel for easy social media monitoring.

86. Screaming Frog

http://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/
Diagnostic, Technical SEO
A powerful website crawling tool with a ton of features and customizations. A must-have for most serious SEOs.

87. Searchmetrics Visibility Charts

http://suite.searchmetrics.com/en/research
SERP Tracking, Competitive Intelligence
Track the search visibility of any website, in addition to tracking winners and losers in Google's search results.

88. SEMrush

http://www.semrush.com/
Tools Suite, Keyword Research, Competitive Intelligence
The paid and organic keyword data offered by SEMrush is often scary good and comprehensive. Also great for researching competitors' ads.

89. SERPmetrics

http://serpmetrics.com/flux/
SERP Tracking, Competitive Intelligence
SERPmetrics flux charts track the flux for US search results across Yahoo, Bing and Google over a 30-day period. A paid API is also available.

90. SimilarWeb

http://www.similarweb.com/
Competitive Intelligence
Impressive competitive intelligence across a number of online industries. Competitor website stats are hard to come by, but Similar Web does a good job.

91. StatCounter

http://statcounter.com/
Analytics
Free, quick, and lightweight analytics solution. Often used by those who want to avoid using Google Analytics for privacy reasons.

92. Trello

https://trello.com/
Productivity
Project management and tracking made simple. Used and endorsed by Moz.

93. Whitespark Local Citation Finder

https://www.whitespark.ca/local-citation-finder/
Local
Finding local citations is key to local SEO. Whitespark offers a number of free and paid solutions to find the local citations to rise above the competition.

94. Whois Lookup

http://whois.domaintools.com/
Competitive Intelligence
Find registration, contact, and administrative information for any domain.

95. Wistia

http://wistia.com/
Video
The king of online video, Wistia offers SEO-friendly solutions for video hosting. Both free and low-cost options available.

Free Trials

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96. Moz Analytics

http://moz.com/products
Tools Suite, Diagnostic, Moz, Rank Tracking, Social
The flagship of the Moz software suite, Moz Analytics offers a dashboard of all your important marketing data in one place with actionable analytics for better marketing.

97. Optimizely

https://www.optimizely.com/
A/B Testing, CRO
Easy A/B testing and analytics to help you move toward success in your CRO efforts.

98. Raven

http://raventools.com/
Tools Suite, Diagnostic, Content, Social
Raven offers a classic suite of SEO, content, and research tools popular with many marketers.

99. Visual Website Optimizer

https://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/
A/B Testing, CRO
Visual Website Optimizer allows you to run A/B tests with a simple online editor that lets you test content without knowing code.

100. Wordtracker

http://www.wordtracker.com/
Keyword Research
A powerful keyword research suite used by many top marketers, Wordtracker offers a generous free trial option.