Themes/Niches and Micro Niches

Today all the major search engines appear to group websites based on their website theme i.e. what the site is about.

The terms theme and niche are used almost interchangeably when talking about web sites. I tend to use the term theme to describe a general area and niche for a more specific one.

For an example a theme would be websites - a niche- WordPress websites and a micro niche would be WordPress websites for estate agents.

Why are Themes Important?

Having a clear theme for your site is important because

• Search engines appear to group websites by theme
• Visitors search for information a particular topic
• It makes your content easier to structure and for the visitor to navigate.

The most common mistake people make when making their first web site is to, either choose too general a theme, or no theme at all.

How Broad Should Your Theme be ?

There is no easy answer to this but what you should be aware of is-The broader the theme:

• The larger the competition.
• The harder it is to rank in the search engines.
• The longer it takes to rank in the search engines.
• The more pages you will need to create.

and the narrower the theme then:

• The smaller the competition.
• The easier it is to rank in the search engines.
• The less time it takes to rank in the search engines.
• The fewer pages you will need to create.

Website Sizes and Monetization Methods Based on Niche Size.

The following are a few general rules of thumb based on the choice of theme

A broad theme site ( e.g a site based on the theme websites) will generally be:

• Large (>300 Pages)
• Monetized by Google Adsense (primary), Affiliate programs and also Own Product.
• Is Difficult and time consuming to build.
• Can become an authority Site and hence difficult to beat at the search engines by new sites.

A more niche site ( e.g. based on WordPress websites)

• Medium(>50 Pages)
• Monetized by Google Adsense (primary), Affiliate programs and also Own Product.
• Is Difficult and time consuming to build.
• Can become an authority Site and hence difficult to beat at the search engines by new sites.

A Micro Niche site ( e.g. based on WordPress websites for estate agents)

• Small (<50 Pages) but Often <10 Pages
• Monetized by an Affiliate program (s) and also perhaps Own Product.
• Is much easier and less time consuming to build.
• Can become a semi-authority Site quickly but quite easy to beat at the search engines by new sites and established authority sites.

Best Sites for Beginners

Personally I feel that the micro niche site is the ideal platform for beginners as:

• Can be done Quickly.
• Easy to see if it is working
• Offers an ideal learning platform
• Can be easily reproduced.

However I must enter a note of caution here. The idea is not to put up 5 pages of machine generated text, link to an affiliate program and then rinse and repeat. These types of site are quickly detected by the search engines and after an initial spell at the top they get removed or relegated to the lower ranks.

Instead the idea is to produce a high quality small site that is an authority on the tiny niche that the site is about.

If you do it this way you small 5-10 page site can still be earning you an income for many years and not just for a few months.

What are the Best Themes/Niches For Making Money

As your aim is to make money from your site you should be aware that some themes/niches are easier to make money from than others-Take a look at Choosing a money making Website niche .

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Related articles/resources:

• Niches Research and Analysis