One thing small business owners have shared with me is the fact that they understand what I am talking about. That’s really important and exciting to me.  It should be important to you as well.

As a Buffalo internet marketer, I believe in explaining my seo and internet marketing strategy in a way that isn’t just a bunch of seo jargon they don’t understand.

Keep it simple stupid.  No disrepect here, but if you use the KISS moto, you may not always impress the CEO of a company, but Mr. Johnson, who just opened that hardware store, will certainly appreciate it.

Know your audience.  If you are trying to reach small business owners on their level, just be real.

• You don’t have to talk about the analytics, refer to it as the traffic reports.
• Don’t just throw at them that their ROI will increase.  Explain that by investing money in their online marketing, they will get more business.
• Don’t just say you want to optimize their site.  Explain it to them.  Search engine optimization is the process of getting your website ranking high on the search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Make sense?

On the other hand, I have spoken with small business owners who really know their way around seo and internet marketing, which is cool.  In that case, you can put your seo hat on and talk the talk.

Just remember, the whole point of being an internet marketer is to try to help people understand why seo and internet marketing is so important.  Don’t lose them trying to impress yourself.

As a Buffalo SEO company, we understand many small business owners are hesitant and unsure about SEO and internet marketing.

When we are asked to provide our small business clients with SEO and internet marketing services, we often suggest they take babysteps. You don’t have to dive into everything all at once.

Here’s what you could do.

• Have your website optimized and monitor it’s success/failures. A good Buffalo SEO company will sit down with you and make sure they understand what your goals are.
• Once you are happy with the work your SEO company has provided and are seeing results, take the next step. Start a blog or begin a social media campaign.

It’s basically up to you how you would like to progress. They key is hiring a good Buffalo SEO Company that will continue to move you in the right direction.

Don’t get me wrong, if you want to get things rockin right away, that’s great.  Our concern, however, is that you are confident and secure with where your hard earned money is going.  If you are going to spend money to get more business, then before moving forward, make sure you are seeing a return on your investment.

Over the years I have been approached by many companies who, in one way or another, claim to be the “Magic Fairy”.  They claim if you come on board with them, they will guarantee you number one organic placement for a specific keyword in Google.

Really?  My reply is usually, “No thanks, but feel free to tell the Magic Fairy to pay me a visit when she has a chance.”

I cannot stress enough that SEO is not a magic trick.  You know that, right?  The Magic Fairy is not going to suddenly make your SEO world perfect and move your listing to the top of Google.

Often times a salesman will take it a step further and stress that they are different than other companies, which is fine. I’m here to tell you that anyone who comes to you and guarantees organic rankings is just blowing smoke up your rear-end.

So, what are a couple of things to watch out for?

• Unreasonable pressure. Anyone who pressures you to give them an answer or the deal will not be there in the morning is full of bologna.  If the deal is there today, then it will be there tomorrow.  If for some reason it’s not, then they are not the company for you. Their deadline isn’t your deadline.
• Misleading traffic reports.  Ask them to provide you with proof of their success.  This can be in the form of how their rankings have increased other clients sales/leads.  I would caution that if they only provide you with the number of visitors, this can be misleading.  Example, say they give you stats that say when they started with Company X, they were getting 1,000 visitors a month and now they are getting 3,000.  That’s great, but where are they coming from and are they staying or bouncing off right away. There is much more to it than that.

Bottom line, follow your gut.  If it sounds too good to be true it usually is.  If you are uncertain, err on the side of caution and wait.  You’ve worked hard for your money.  Waiting a couple of days and doing a little research is well worth it.

Remember..there is no SEO Magic Fairy.

Is your SEO company leading the way, or are you trying to play catch up by following the crowd?

To be a leading seo company, you need to understand what your clients want.  What are their goals?  What is their reputation?  Do they need a new image?   Are they looking for leads or sales?  There are so many questions to ask and the key is to listen to the answers and draft out a game plan.

By leading the way, an SEO Company will research their client’s competition, analyze data and then put together a plan for success.  It’s not just about optimizing a website.  It’s about the big picture. It’s not about copying what your competition is doing, its about analyzing it and then incorporating the right moves into your clients plan.

Being a true leader in the seo arena means being honest and having integrity. No SEO company likes it when their client’s rankings aren’t as high as they’d like them to be, or that they haven’t received the number of leads they had hoped for. The worst thing any SEO company could do is lie to your clients about it.  Be honest, always.  Work with your clients to make things better.

SEO is not an exact science and there is no guarantee. If, however, you do things the “right way”, it will all come together in time and your clients will appreciate you and they will be clients for years to come.

Many internet marketers had to learn by being thrown into the arena.  In my case, I didn’t have a marketing background at all, I just knew a lot about the industry I work for.  That’s a good place to start.

If you find yourself at a dead end in your career, but know a lot about the field you are currently in, then use your experience and try internet marketing.  Making the transition into internet marketing may not be as far fetched as you may think.

Search engine optimization is one place you can being with.  Learn what seo is all about and then add other aspects of search marketing. I would recommend attending as many webinars as you can.  Many are FREE. Ding Ding Ding. You can simply search on Google for Free Seo Webinars, or Free Internet Marketing Webinars, etc.  If you are able to attend a seminar or workshop, they are very helpful, but pick a good one. I would recommend High Rankings with Jill Whelan.  This will give you a great overview on what seo is all about and its best practices.  You can’t go wrong.

Internet marketing is not for the lazy at heart.  If you think you can make a transition into internet marketing and sit on your tushie eating bon bon’s, then think again.  However, if you have a good work ethic and are ambitious, then I would highly recommend a career as an internet marketer.

Take Care All!

Well simply, the answer is yes and no.

Fresh content is critical to your long-term life on the search engines.  However, if you just fill your pages with content and don’t take the time to properly research your keywords and optimize your pages, then you could be wasting  your time.

In checking out the various search engines, I obviously don’t know the algorithms and wouldn’t know what to do with them if I did.  I do know, however, Google likes when you do the right thing.  Meaning keyword specific pages, good links, good site structure, etc.  Google also loves blogs, which means they loves fresh content.  ding ding ding.

Yahoo seems to love fresh content, as well. Some tests I have done showed a significant jump in my rankings. Anytime I was on the move and made significant content changes or added new pages, it got Yahoo’s attention and thus affected my rankings.

Now with Bing, well it’s too early to tell, but my initial reaction is that they put a lot of weight on the url.  I’m not saying it’s exactly that because I simply don’t know, but many of the tests I have done gave a ton of weight to companies with one of the keywords in their url.

I’m certain that Bing, as well as the other search engines are hungry to be fed, so feed them. If you don’t have the time or manpower to continue to add to your website, then a blog is your answer.  Add content as often as you can. Twitter is also a simple way to tell the world what’s up and link it back to your blog, thus creating traffic and links.

Listen, I understand as well as anyone how tough it is to find time for anything nowadays. I work full time, am a wife, mother of 3 active children and am trying to get a new business off the ground.  It’s not always easy to find the time to get your website the way you want it, but a blog can really make a difference. So once you get your site up and running, I would focus my attention on my blog.

Let’s do a content test for the fun of it.  Our blog is currently listed 10th on Google under buffalo seo company.  Once I publish this blog, over time, I will go back and check it out to see if I was able to get it to move.  It’s not magic people it won’t happen immediately and may not happen at all, but let’s see.  I’ll let you know in my next blog how we did and how long it took to increase our results (if I was able to do so).

Fuel the Web – Buffalo SEO Company – Fueling business on the web one site at a time.

With so much competition on the web, many people wonder how they can compete on the web. I’m here to tell you, you can make a difference.

We have missed the point of what this country is all about.  With hard work, you can make a difference.  Even if it’s just one little babystep at a time. If you sit back and hope that the magic fairy is going to catapult you ahead of the competition, well then I certainly hope you are a patient person.

I’m here to tell you that you can make an impact on the web and can compete with big companies.

Let me share a story with you.  I began jogging a couple years ago and could hardly breathe.  I thought I was in decent shape, but I could barely get around the block without gasping for air.  After a couple of months, I was able to get myself up to about 3 miles.  Pretty cool.  Well, I then started having knee problems and had to stop jogging.  Instead of grabbing a bag potato chips (which actually sounds pretty good), I decided to start riding a bike, which I enjoy pain free and continue to see the benefits.

There is a point.  Search marketing follows the same concept.  When you start off, often times, your website is out of shape.  As time goes on you see steady improvements.  Some times along the way, you may hit a road block or plateu. When that happens, it’s time to look for other options.

Many people are looking for instant gratification. I am a getter done kind of person and learned that putting the right pieces of the puzzle together can pay off.  Here’s what I suggest:

1.  Ask an experienced search marketer to look at your website.  They will be able to tell you what areas you should focus on (i.e. tagging, keyword placement, etc.). If you don’t have a website yet, I would suggest you find a web design company that also understands search engine optimization.

2.  Start blogging.  You can make an impact relatively quickly. I would suggest you just be yourself.

3.  Start participating in the social media arena. Start a Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn account to begin with.

If it sounds like a lot of work, well, it is.  For seo people like me, however, it’s exciting to watch your hard work make a difference for the people who have hired you to help them.  The biggest impact comes when people get involved in their own business and don’t expect an outside company to do everything for them.  A hands-on approach is important.

If you are focused and make steady changes or additions to your seo and search marketing strategy, you can always make a difference and an impact for your business.  You can compete with big business.

If you have questions or need help along the way, just ask.  I am happy to help.

Not all SEO companies are the same. So what do you need to watch out for?

Well, first of all, any SEO company who guarantees they can get you top organic placement on the search engines is full of bologna and should be a red flag.

As I’ve mentioned before, search engine optimization is about hard work and focus, not tricks and the magic fairy.  I personally don’t appreciate companies who blow smoke up my skirt, do you?  The bottomline to rankings on the search engines boils down to algorithms, but we’ll get into that another time.

Many SEO companies offer you the moon.  Be careful what you buy into.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

SEO or Pay Per Click?

Pay per click campaigns are great for quick results. Basically, you bid a certain amount per click and based on your bid and ad copy (and other factors), you get listed in the sponsored section on the search engines.  I do caution that you need to really keep an eye on things and check your conversion and click through rates or you can spend a lot of money rather quickly. The point is not how much money you spend, but that it’s producing results. So when looking for a search marketing company, I always appreciate when they come to me with some research done. Then I can compare it to my own research.

When a company starts asking me what the important keywords are, it’s a red flag.  Don’t get me wrong, you need to work together, but if they haven’t at least taken the time to do some of their own research, then to me it’s often a sign of  them either digging for information, or not being hungry enough to get you results. Many times they are looking to just glide along. Also, if they throw around that they can get you listed number 1 for some amazing keyword, that’s great, but ask yourself if this keyword is really significant. Testing and research are the only ways to find out what keywords are right for your website.

Natural rankings are gained through search engine optimization (“SEO”). SEO takes time and results do not happen overnight. I do believe, however,  trying to gain high rankings through natural (organic) listings is your best investment.  A good SEO company will work with you to determine what your needs and goals are and they will research your keywords and your competition.  Watch out for companies who promise you the moon, or who focus on one or two keywords.  Every single page of your website should be optimized and the keywords should be consistent with that page.  You don’t just want a company slapping keywords up there, just to make a buck.

So What’s the Bottom Line?

Don’t be afraid to do your homework.  This is your money and your business we’re talking about.  Ask the tough questions, such as how do you do your keyword research, what has your success been for others, can I have some references, and so on.

Here’s something I always do.  Ask your potential SEO company if they guarantee top placement on the search engines.  If they say yes, move on to the next company.  We all make mistakes when hiring people to helps us, whether it’s landscaping, home building or SEO.  The point, however, is to learn and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes again.

Over the years, I have learned to go with my gut.  Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. My goal here is to help you along the way to hopefully avoid some questionable practices.

In closing, you want to choose a search marketing company that not only helps you with your search engine optimization, but will also sit down with you and discuss an overall search marketing strategy.  Pay per click, seo, blogging, social media…each one of these can play an important part in the success of your business. Take it slow. You don’t need to give them an answer immediately.

Be smart. Do your homework and ask questions.

Have a great day.

This is a very important question!  Competitive analysis is another important component of search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). Understanding what your competition is doing on the web can put all the pieces of the puzzle together and can help you dominate in your niche market.

Why are your competitors ahead of you in the search marketing game?  They simply could have properly researched their keywords, or maybe they are blogging like crazy.  Are they submitting press releases and taking part in social media marketing? These are important questions to ask.

Fuel the Web can take a look at what your competition is doing right and can beat them at their own game. We can also check what they are doing wrong and capitalize on their mistakes.

We all want to get ahead in today’s failing economy.  In order to do so, you just need to focus on what is working and rethink your strategy.  We can help you with that.

Don’t just keep putting money in a strategy that’s not working.  You should try new and different avenues, but if it’s not working, then that strategy isn’t the right one.  Start today by doing a competitive analysis and you will have a better idea of where you should focus your efforts in the future.

If you need assistance, Fuel the Web can help you.

Fuel The Web offers affordable website design and search engine optmization to companies across Western New York.

We understand how important a first impression is to any business. It can be the difference between someone choosing you or your competition.

At Fuel the Web, we will help you obtain high rankings on the web, but that is only one part of the package. If your website is optmized well, but the design and layout is a mess, a potential customer if going to go elsewhere.

That’s where we come in. We can create a powerful website design that delivers significant results.

Truth be told, there are some great website designers out there, but Fuel The Web understands that a professional website is far more than just a good looking website. If you are looking for a company to handle your website design and search engine optmization at an afforadable price, Fuel the Web is your answer.

Contact us today. We will be happy to speak with you.