Does anyone have any recommendations about where to go to learn more about *how* to arrange your site to encourage clicks - whether that be ad placement, colors, whatever... I am starting to get a good handle on the whole SEO thing but now I need to learn how to make a good site great so that people use it, click where I want them to, etc. Just starting a bit of research - any advice appreciated! Thanks!
No answers huh? Well - one resource you could look at is the Web Site Tool Kit recently produced by Action Plan Marketing. It is intended to help plan and build an "action oriented" site that clearly states the message of what is offered, how it is unique, what the value is, how your products and services can benefit, why they can trust you, and move them through the funnel to contacting you and/or buying. All of Middletons products are fantastic - it's worth a look in your quest for knowledge !
You could try looking in the Adsense Forum. The people there discuss what you're interested in, but in the context of Adsense. http://forums.digitalpoint.com/forumdisplay.php?f=27
I liked Order Button Triggers by Michael Nicholas. It is sold as a "copywriting book" but goes into great detail about the visual appeal and psychological process - great stuff!
It's not just about the design but also about targeting! Are you selling jewelry and watches? You might want focus on MSN instead of Google! I have a search engine guide available on my website, which provides metrics and demographic information. I guess this is what you mean by resource? Anyway...here is the link: Search Engine Guide