“If you build it, they will come” Only works in the Field Of Dreams

It’s a very exciting time getting your website finally completed and launched. Now you can sit back, relax and wait for the phone to ring, right?

Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

Now you need to be focusing on driving qualified leads to your website; otherwise, no one will actually know it exists.

There are several ways to doing this ranging from utilizing Social Media to other online marketing efforts but let’s focus on SEO: Search Engine Optimization.

After reading this article, you will understand the reality of ignoring SEO, why it’s important to incorporate it into your online marketing efforts, and what you need to know before hiring someone to help you.

The reality of SEO

SEO is a strategy that gets your website listing higher up in the search engine results when someone is typing in a search query that matches what you do or offer.

Your goal is to show up on the first 3 pages of those results… anything past that and your website will likely be lost in a sea of competitors.

One of the reasons why SEO is so effective is that even though most consumers are really tired of being inundated with marketing everywhere they look, they are actually quite receptive to the kind of “just-in-time” marketing that is represented by a high placement in search engine results from places like Google, Bing or Yahoo!.

So the reality is, if you own a business website, you must implement website-based search engine optimization. Ignoring this important strategy will result in getting fewer qualified leads due to potential customers never knowing you exist.

Fitting SEO Into Your Marketing Budget

According to a post by Dominate With SEO – as a business owner/entrepreneur, you have to decide what role the Internet will play in your business marketing budget and whether you’ll be implementing a strategic search engine marketing campaign or focus on other business-building methods.

Search engine optimization, and eMarketing in general, can serve a number of different purposes:

• It can generate sales and leads both online and offline.
• It can convince search engine users to implement the actions you desire such as:
  • buying your product or service,
  • signing up for your newsletter,
  • downloading a free “give-away” document,
  • registering for a seminar,
  • and so on

A bonus, yet often overlooked positive effect SEO has on your business is with your website/company’s prominent position on the search engine results actually contributes to higher:

• Industry Exposure,
• Rankings,
• Target Market Attraction, and
• Brand/ Name Recognition

When done correctly, search engine optimization can bring qualified potential buyers to your website that are actually looking for what you are offering. You know they’re looking for it because they typed in a keyword or phrase that is directly related to your content.

Since all of these purposes are essentially what you would want to achieve when doing online marketing, it makes sense that SEO be a strategic part of your overall marketing plan.

What a Professional SEO Company Does to Get You the Best Results

When researching SEO companies, it’s important to understand what they will do for you and if those efforts are relevant to your goals.

Here is what a typical professional SEO company could do for you, depending on their package and service offerings:

• Research your online competition.
• Research and implement targeted keywords and phrases.
• Manually submit your site to search engines and relevant directories (not use automated tools that will spam directories and get you little results).
• Rewrite and revise your website content to make it the best it can be while utilizing your pertinent keywords and phrases.
• Create relevant inbound links and relevant linking partners.
• Make sure you don’t have any items on your site that may “blacklist” it from the search engines.
• Use Meta tags properly and that are page specific if warranted.
• Create and implement accounts in the major search engine webmaster tools and monitor the websites health frequently.
• Make sure your site is properly built using compliant coding for optimal performance.
• Keep on top of your site rankings and freshen your content to raise your ratings even more.
• Think outside of the box in using many creative yet ethical ways to increase qualified traffic.
• Keep up-to-date with all the latest on-line marketing trends including blogging, social media and article submissions.

The 3 R’s of Search Engine Optimization

When researching which professional SEO company to work with, think in terms of the 3 R’s to SEO.

1. Research: What are your goals that you want to achieve with SEO? Fully understand what exactly SEO is and if it will accomplish those goals for you. Research the advice you get and don’t let yourself be sold a bill of goods that might be unnecessary to achieve the results you wish.
    
   You don’t always get what you pay for in this industry so educate yourself, become informed and ask questions.
2. Relevance: Are your web pages relevant to the search term you’re trying to rank higher? Is it relevant to optimization or even needing SEO?
    
   Without a balanced approach to your needs, any SEO program could fail. Find the balance of your budget and the relevance of your needs and demand honesty of implementation from a reputable SEO company.
3. References:Ask for references with any company you are considering hiring to do your SEO. Ask for clients who have gone through their program and talk to them.
    
   Any company worth their weight in salt will have no problem supplying references of clients or encourage you to contact the clients yourself if a portfolio is provided. Shop around and check out what you need and what is worth paying for,

Without proper search engine optimization, your website and business can suffer or not reach its fullest potential. The bottom line is it’s a small price to pay for a sustainable business model.

In fact, it is truly in your best interest to work with a qualified SEO company that is not only well versed in search engine optimization but also in online marketing and web development; the three industries are so intertwined that any business can really benefit from having this well rounded approach to your overall marketing program.

If you have been ignoring SEO for your website, now is the time to get into action and get your business found in Google! Give us a call for more details on how we can help you achieve your business goals.

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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