Search Engine Optimization 101

I'm sure you will be the first person to tell me you go the the search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN) to do any kind of research on products and information you are interested in. How many however search past the 2nd page of Google? 3rd page?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines.

Of the 185 million Americans that use the Internet, 99% of these go to the search engines and perform 22 searches per month, per user. That is a lot of searches! Inevitably these are your prospective customers looking for the types of services and products you provide.

I recently had someone tell me that they needed to get more sales for their business. They were thinking about hiring someone to do some cold calling. The problem with cold calling is the one doing the calling is hoping they are getting someone on the phone that needs your products or services at the moment they answer. With SEO, your company gets in front of a prospect at the EXACT moment that prospect is searching for the products or services you provide. Moreover, the majority of your prospective customers are turning to the search engines than any other advertising medium. So why not concentrate on where the majority of your customers are turning to.

No matter what business you are in, there IS an opportunity to grow your business online. Having a "nice looking" website should be a given in 2008. Using your site however as a sales tool should be the #1 avenue to promote your business.

The yellow pages and radio ads are becoming what we know the encyclopedia is today. Making smart marketing decisions should begin and end with your website.