Which three letters bring on sweaty palms and sleepless nights for business owners and web masters everywhere? IRS?  FBI? Good guesses, but the culprit is… SEO.

If you do it wrong or put it off, then your website will spend its days lost in the endless pages of search engine results, like a message in a bottle floating in a vast, dark ocean.

But what if you crack the code on the secret language of meta keywords, H1 tags, and inbound links? Will all the riches and glory of Page One Google Ranking await you?

Well, no.  As with most things, good SEO is less about uncovering “the secret”, and more about taking the time to understand and implement best practices… and then to keep applying them religiously over time.  (Sorry!)

This leads to the big question regarding your website’s search engine optimization… do it yourself or hire an SEO expert?

According to a recent Marketing Sherpa report, just over half of businesses manage their SEO in-house, while about 45% use an outside expert or are considering one… So whichever way you decide to go, you’ll have plenty of company!

Here are a few pointers to get your started down the path to SEO success.

If you’re going to do your own SEO…

• Learn the basics first. Invest in a couple good books on SEO.  There are lots, so find one that lays out the material in a format and style that works best for you.  Browse Amazon to see what other readers are recommending, or just head to the business section at your local bookstore and flip through what’s there.

• Subscribe to SEO information sources. Get a daily stream of advice, tips, and tricks from experts.  Check out this list of 15 good SEO blogs, or if Twitter is more your thing, follow TheSEOList, a great curated list of folks that tweet about search engine optimization.

• Don’t approach SEO as a one-off project. Instead, think of it more like going to the gym – consistent effort over time is what will bring results!  If you need more traffic right away, you should read our previous post, Should You Do SEO or Paid Search?

If you’re going to hire an SEO consultant…

• Educate yourself on what you’ll be paying for. This article from Search Engine Journal, What’s My SEO Charging Me For?, is a great place to start.

• Ask (smart) colleagues for referrals. Part of an SEO consultant’s job is to understand your business and customers, so finding someone who has worked with businesses like yours before can really help get things moving quickly.

• Remember there are no SEO guarantees. Be wary of any consultants making claims that guarantee you a specific ranking or position. Search engines are complex, the algorithms are nuanced, and results take time. Reputable SEO practitioners will happily agree to goals and measurable milestones, and factor these into your billing and payment terms.

And in either case…

Don’t worry about every possible tweak you could make – just start with the basics and you’ll be well on your way. So wipe off those palms, get a good night’s sleep, and we’ll see you on Google’s Page One!

(P.S.  We’re here to help… so feel free to give us a call at 888-330-3236)

Do you know how many times  the search engines (Google, etc.) were used last month? Well if you guessed 15.9 billion times then you win the prize! And that’s only counting searches done in the U.S. market… according to comScore, a digital research firm.

Cool factoid, by why should you care? Because many were prospects searching for products and services like yours. So the name of the game is making sure your website shows up in search results!

Your website can appear in search results in two ways:

1.  Natural Search. The search engines find (index) all the websites on the Internet and then decide what to show when a user does a search. This is called natural or organic search. The search engines determine how relevant your website content is for a given search… based on their own (super-secret) algorithms.

The good news is you don’t have to pay when your website appears in natural search results. That’s the whole point of search right? The bad news is that Google and the search engines have millions of other web pages to choose from besides yours.

But you can influence this. That’s what search engine optimization (SEO) is all about!

2. Paid Search. As the name implies, it means you pay to have your ad show up in the top and right hand side “sponsored listing” sections of a search results page. Of course, your competitors want those spots too… so you get to bid against them to see who’s ad gets the highest ranking (what fun!)

In either case, if prospects can’t find your business when searching the Internet… then you won’t be in business very long. That’s why whole industries (and lots of consultants) have sprung up to help with your search engine optimization and paid search efforts.

So which should you do, SEO or Paid Search?

Let’s do a search “smack-down” before we answer that question:

Natural search is free. It’s worth repeating this one. You don’t have to pay Google or any other search engine to show up in natural search results. With paid search, you pay, and pay, and pay (you get the idea!)

Winner: SEO and Natural Search

With paid search, you control what, where, and when… your ad shows. You control what your ad says and in which search results it shows up. You can also start and stop your ad at anytime to stay within budget. Plus, it’s easy to test different paid search ads to see which works best… since you’re in control!

Winner: Paid Search

People mostly click on natural search results. About 80% of the time users click on natural search listings versus only 20% on sponsored listings.Why? Because people trust natural search more since they know that the sponsored listings are ads.

Winner: SEO and Natural Search

Changing natural search results takes time. Figure it may take 6 to 9 months before your search engine optimization results really pay off. SEO is an ongoing process of big and little changes to your website… to make it easier for search engines to find you, understand what your business is about, and to see that other website owners think you’re important too. And that just takes time.

Winner: Paid Search

Now we’re (finally) ready to answer the question of whether you should do SEO or paid search. The answer is… both!

If you’re starting a business or just bringing your offline business onto the Internet then you can’t wait around for your SEO efforts to work. You need to find prospects and generate sales now. This is why paid search is so great. Once you’ve set up your paid search ad, you’ll start driving potential customers to your website right away.

But don’t put off your SEO efforts. Otherwise, you’ll be kicking yourself later… and running out of cash since paid search bills add up quickly (that’s why Google makes tons of money).

Even if your business has been online for quite awhile… you’re probably still looking to increase your website traffic and find more qualified prospects online… without spending an arm and a leg to do it! So you’ll want to do both SEO and paid search for all the reasons we’ve already outlined.

Once your SEO efforts start paying off, you’ll have a steady stream of (free) visitors coming to your website from natural search. Plus you’ll still be able to tap into paid search… for when you launch new products, need to generate more sales fast, or want your website traffic growing while your search engine optimization efforts continue to improve.

So, definitely do both SEO and paid search.

Now it’s time for a word of caution regarding SEO and paid search (sorry!)

Remember, if you’re website doesn’t show up in search results then your business doesn’t exist… as far as your online prospects are concerned.

You or someone on your team must invest the time to learn at least the basics of SEO and paid search. Read blog posts, download white papers, or buy a few books on the topic. It’s that important. It really is. Or hire an expert if you have the budget. It will be worth it!

Here are some good blog posts (including ours) to get you started:

Guide to Search Engine Marketing for Small Business

SEO Flows Through Everything

SEO Copywriting

Don’t Make These Search Engine Marketing Mistakes

Do You Want to Know What Keywords to Use for Your Website?

And as always… let us know if we can help!  Just give us a call at 888-330-3236.

Did you know that fewer than half of all small businesses advertise online? That’s what Nielsen Online reports. Surprising, huh? Well, maybe not… if you’re a small business owner who finds Internet advertising confusing, complex, and cluttered (we sure do!)

But the fact is that most consumers now search the Web for local products and services like yours. And if your competitors aren’t already on the Internet they will be soon. So like it or not… it’s time to jump online.

Seriously, how else are you going to become comfortable with Internet marketing if you don’t begin doing it? (Tough love, I know.)

Here’s the good news: There are lots of services now available to help you market your business online. From making it easy and affordable to build a website; to getting a listing with the Internet Yellow Pages; to helping you manage search advertising with Google.

Not sure where to start? Read on…

1.  What if you don’t even have a website?

Our recent post: Does Your Business Need a Website? lays it out for you… including the must-have pages that every local website needs. And here’s our list of the Best Free and Affordable Website Builders. You’ll be seriously amazed at how easy it is to build a great looking website. Best of all… no technical degree required!

2.  Want to have your business found on the Internet?

Listing with the Internet Yellow Pages and other online directories is really important. Here’s our list of the Best Local Directories for Your Online Advertising. With these directories, it’s mostly free to create a listing for your business… and if you’re willing to pay ($25 to $50 monthly) you can also add photos, special offers, user reviews, and more!

3.   What if you’d like to find more prospects online?

Using a service to help you with search engine marketing may be the way to go. Check out Yodle and ReachLocal to see if they meet your needs. Both specialize in helping small business owners advertise on Google and other search engines to find prospects looking for local products and services.

4.  Still trying to get a handle on this online advertising stuff?

We understand. As a matter of fact, we’ve written a few blog posts on this very topic:

Why Advertise Online? Here are 7 Important Reasons

Getting Started with Local Online Advertising?

Your Local Online Advertising Options

And remember… when you’re ready we’re here to help too!

As you’re reading this… you’re experiencing the power of the written word. It keeps you engaged, makes you come back, and creates trust… so that you’re willing to buy (or try) the author’s products and services.

These days, good content is extra important since it offers your customers and prospects something to talk (tweet) about and post to their Facebook page… which will put you on the radar of many new prospects (yay!)

Look, I know writing stuff is not easy for everyone. But it’s worth the time and energy. It really is.

And you don’t need to become a best selling author overnight (though that would be cool!) Creating content can be as easy as posting your company news to Facebook, commenting on your favorite blog, or writing an article on a topic you’re passionate about.

The good news? We’ve found that the more you write the easier it becomes! It’ll be the same for you… just give it try and then stick with it. You’ll connect with your customers, generate leads, and bring in sales. Not right away… but it will. Since content is marketing.

Not sure how to get started? Here are a few helpful posts we’ve done on this very topic:

Think Like a Publisher. It’s All About Your Website Content

Why Aren’t You Doing Article Marketing? You Should Be!

Don’t Be a Blogger… Be a Blog Commenter Instead!

Why take our word for it? Here are two other great blogs that help remind us that content is king!

Copyblogger – making content writing easier

Junta42 – learn about content marketing

Happy writing!

In case you’re wondering… you’re not alone. I know you’re trying to figure out how to use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to grow your business. Or maybe you just want to understand what social media marketing is… and if it can help you generate leads and sales. Rest assured. Lots of other small business marketers are wondering too… just like you!

According to the “Third Annual FedEx Office Signs of the Times Small Business Survey” from FedEx Office and Ketchum, almost two in five small-business owners reported they would be growing their businesses with social media sites. That was up from less than one-quarter who planned to up their game with social in 2009 and made social media the only tactic to increase in importance since last year.

So where to start?

Here are a few blog posts on why marketers and business owners are buzzing about social media… and how to get started:

http://www.doshdosh.com/the-importance-of-social-media-marketing/

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/getting-started/

http://www.inc.com/ss/get-started-social-media#0

Oh, and I almost forgot. If Twitter is on your mind (it should be) then read our recent post: Time to Get Started On Twitter.

Remember, you’re not alone… since we’re here to help too!