Understanding How to Use SEO in Your Business
SEO. We know it's a good thing and it can help us get more clients via our website. But what is it really and how to I use it in my business effectively?
SEO is a term that has come to mean many things to many people. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and is a big topic all by itself with many different levels and strategies. So how does a business owner figure out what kind of SEO, and which company providing it, will work for them?
First, a quick education
SEO falls within the web promotion and marketing category. Businesses that want to use their website to actively and consistently gain new clients need to use some form of SEO. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of ahead of time in order to have appropriate expectations.
What you can do for your budget
You need to keep in mind that in SEO, "you get what you pay for". If you have a small budget you will not be able to afford the same services as a business with a larger budget. It seems simple, but so many businesses want to be on the first page of Google when they have a fraction of the budget as the companies that ARE on the first page of Google.
Another thing we all need to remember is not to compare ourselves with large International companies like Amazon, Ebay, WalMart, and Target. These companies have a dedicated team with a budget in the millions to market themselves online.... we, as small to medium size businesses, do NOT have this budget and therefore cannot achieve the same visibilty.
Have realistic goals
We all want to be on the first page of Google, but we can't all afford to get there, especially if our industry is heavily impacted. We need to understand that being on the first page of Google may not be a realisitc goal. You can still get quality clients via the Internet without being on the first page of search results. At SonicSpider we help you come up with goals that fit your budget so that you can achieve success.
There is a place for you in the SEO world!
Now that we have brought you down telling you that you can't gain the same exposure as other companies that have millions of dollars to spend on their SEO campaign, you need to know that there is a place for you and your business's marketing in the SEO world.
At SonicSpider we will help you figure out if SEO is a good fit for your business and what to expect for the budget that you have. There are many things that can be done for any size budget that will gain you greater recognition for your business and more clients.
Organic SEO
At SonicSpider we work with our clients using mostly organic SEO techniques. Organic SEO is the use of techniques that will work with search engines' natural algorithms to gain you better placement. Some of these techniques include:
- Keyword research and placement
- Keyword densitiy in website content
- Consistent title, meta and alt tags with the page content
- Outside links to your website
- Email campaigns that drive traffice to your website
- Online press releases
- Other traditional marketing techniques that may drive traffic to the website
It is important to note that organic SEO has no guarantee for placement, and depending on how agressive your budget allows, it could take between 6 to 12 months to see results. However, organic SEO is more cost effective and a good option for many small to medium size businesses. Organic SEO campaigns usually start at about $800 to set up and between $200 and $500 a month to maintain.
Pay-Per-Click
We do not always recommend that a small business start out with a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campagin unless they have the budget to do so and want to be very agressive about their marketing. PPC is when you "bid" on keywords to get better placement. You are bidding on these keywords with other people in your industry. Businesses that are willing to spend more money will get better placement. Some keywords are more highly impacted than others and may cost more, so you need to work with someone to help weigh your options and come up with a budget.
For example, the keyword phrase "web developer" is very generic and highly impacted. Every web developer in the world would love to come up in the top ten when someone searches for "web developer". Therefore, as a web development company you need to be willing to spend a lot of money, or accept that you don't have the budget and move on to less popular phrases to drive traffic to your website.
For PPC you need to be prepared to not only pay your web developer or marketer but also the PPC fees to the search engine. You need to be willing to spend at least $1,000 on set up and $1,000 a month to see any results.
Take the first step
If you are thinking about starting a SEO campaign for your business SonicSpider would love to talk to you! We offer a free 30 minute consutation to help you figure out if it is a right fit for you. Visit our website or give us a call at 619.255.3551.