SEO stands for search engine optimization.  The focus is on removing impediments within your web site while at the same time making improvements to your site that will allow the search engines to increase your site’s visibility within their search results.  Optimally, placing your site on page one of the search engine results for an unlimited number of keywords and phrases that are directly related to the products and services your company offers.

Organic Search Marketing versus Pay Per Click

Pay per click or sponsored ads are wrapped around the organic search engine rankings.  Searchers have become savvy on knowing the difference between organic (perceived to be unbiased) versus clicking on an ad.  The old adage of people wanting to buy something instead of being sold to shows up when you look at research showing that 85% of the searchers will click on organic over the sponsored ads.  Why then is 88% of the budgets for businesses based on pay per click?  It’s the easier softer way for companies to know that they are on page one.  However, when you look at that type of thinking, the flaws become obvious.

Clicking on the sponsored ad means you incur a cost per click.  If your site is listed in the organic, there are no charges per click for search conversion traffic. 

Pay per click is based on all the keywords that your PPC manager can think of or obtain within the SEO tools - limited only by your monthly budget. This is a fairly straightforward, in control type of situation that is by far easier and more expensive than organic search marketing.

In control is not all it’s cracked up to be however since the control is really tied into the cost of each keyword.  There are a number of other factors, but for now suffice it to say that buying your way onto page one has never been the cheapest way to obtain business online!

Because it is easier, web developers, ad agencies and most local search marketers seem to be in love with pay per click for their clients.  Why?  It’s easier and they don’t have to manage the expectations of their clients as much when you can point to the ad and say, “see you are now on page one for search!”  It’s also easier to throw on free analytics and have the client follow the summary reports that don’t dig into things such as traffic patterns and usability.

On the other hand, our clients have typically paid for some type of optimization with their web site.  Web developers usually have some “add-on” SEO services that are questionable, at best.  When the client complains that they are not showing up for any of their keywords, these web designers just shrug and tell them that they did the optimization but they can not control the search engines.  Anyone who says that - walk the other way because they don’t understand that organic search optimization is about the web site, not controlling  the search engines.

Do not let anyone tell you that organic search is not a worthwhile investment.  Talk to a company who understands organic, has a successful track record.  It is the longer road, no doubt.  But at the end of it, your company will dominate the search results for an unlimited number of keywords and you can effectively target a PPC campaign that will allow you even greater coverage than if you were to use it without organic rankings.

Bottom Line

To effectively market your business online, business’ must take a fresh look at organic search engine marketing.   If you tried optimizing your site in the past, try it again only this time work with a company who knows what they are doing and can show you the results.

Be patient.  Setting the right expectation going in will help you and it will help us to get the work done.  Organic search marketing does take time, that is the takeaway, which is why it can co-exist with your pay per click campaign.  Eventually organic should provide you with relief from the daily click costs and allow you the freedom to use PPC ads in your most important business keywords.  Budget for organic search, it’s one of the best investments you can make.

Top SEO Marketing is the leading organic search marketing company in Dallas TX.  Our fully managed search marketing program is a proven plan.  For smaller businesses, find out about our organic based local search marketing service where we get proven results within 30 days.

Impact of Search Engines

• 77% of executive recruiters use search engines to research applicants?
• 26% of college admissions officers use search engines to research candidates

This is information not related to business, but to reputation!  What you put out there in cyberspace, can impact you more than you realize today, tomorrow and in the future.

At Top SEO Marketing, we take your business and personal reputation seriously.  We will monitor, track and provide you with the means to challenge, remove or replace bad information.  Call us today to discuss your online reputation at www.topseomarketing.com

What’s the point of Social Media?
There is a point, its just not a point that fits all companies.  The idea is that in social networking circles where someone you know has someone they know that might possiblyknow of someone you’d like to talk to about possible business it’s a way that you can hook up rather than if you just made the call out of the blue.  In the not so old days, this was called personal business referrals.

If you are looking for a job, LinkedIn might be a good bet.  You review the contacts you are first tier with and then look at who they know in their first tier (your second tier) and so on and so on….until you find a connection that may help you to get into a company or find out if they are hiring and get that contact to introduce you etc. etc.

We will spend the next few blogs exploring the opportunities or lack of opportunities out there today in social networking for average Joe clients.  We will also provide you with some need to know information and tips so that the next time you are asked by anyone if you “Tweet, Facebook or Blog” you will be in a position to know exactly what it why you do and what value it adds to  your company.

 Here are some of the benefits as per Google: at you can do with Subscribed Links:

1. Create search results specific to your product, service, or expertise.
2. Design a basic version in minutes to see how it works.
3. Build a dynamic version using XML, TSV, or RSS files or feeds.
4. Include images in your Subscribed Links.
5. Include gadgets in your Subscribed Links.
6. Test your Subscribed Links interactively and get debugging messages.
7. Define query patterns using lists of keywords or regular expressions.
8. Invoke the calculator to help construct your results.

Business owners can benefit by organic search results because searchers skip over paid advertising more than not.  People don’t want to be “sold to” but would rather look “to buy” something.  So why are there countless companies out there trying to sell local business owners on a one dimension solution with pay per click advertising? 

The local search market is different than the general search market.  SEO for local business’ should provide you with quality optimization (on-page) as well as a well rounded submission, social networking and ranking service (off page).

Reviews are very important!  As a business owner, you should have your SEO company provide you with an easy to access URL so that you can encourage your customers to write an online review. Business’s receiving these types of reviews and details about their services, food or operations will tend to rank higher in the search results.

Get your own domain name! Your business will benefit in the rankings over those businesses who do not have their own URL.  This is a simple process that does not need to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time.  A one page informational site with directions and clearly marked address and phone number will suffice.

Be linked with other related businesses or professional organizations, these quality links will increase your rankings as well.

Quality Content Wins Over Quantity Content!  Make sure your site content addresses what your customers most want to know.  Affordable hair styles, painless dentistry, 5 star restaurant, 22 years in business etc. Place what you do at the top of the content.

If you take the time to present your business to the potential customers searching for your type of services online - you will increase your business.

For any questions or comments contact Top SEO Marketing, Inc. a leading provider of organic search marketing and local search marketing services.

By now you may be wondering what this has to do with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Top SEO Marketing’s core focus of search marketing.  It reminds me of all the people I’ve met who told me stories about the disappointing results they received after they paid their web design company additional dollars for “search marketing”.   Business leaders who only thought they knew what search was all about - and web designers who presented on the right “sound point keywords” to appear as an authority.  Together this ill planned and ill equipped venture was a bit fishy from the start.  Expectations high, the CEO begins to plan on how bes to handle the leads the “optmization” will produce.    Not too long after writing a check out to the web design turned SEO expert, the CEO begins to feel as though he’ll never get a nibble to his web site from search.  Instead of pulling in qualified leads, up pops the snake!  When questioned, the newly minted SEO person tells you its Google’s fault, not theirs.

When you go fishing you expect to see a fish on the end of your line.  When you go to hire an SEO company, make sure you can tell the diference between a fish and a snake.  If you do get burnt by an SEO company, do not think all SEO companies are the same.  Don’t throw in all the equipment, let us show you what we have accomplished for other bsinesses simlar to yours and what we believe it will take to make a credible lead generation tools from your web site,  www.topseomarketing.com

Call us for a free site evaluation today!

Local businesses might view search engine optimization as useful for larger sites, companies who sell products online, not a local dentist, medical center or career counselor.  While its true that SEO makes a huge difference for larger businesses by driving qualified traffic to their web sites, local search marketing is designed to drive traffic into your brick and mortar location.

You can add Google Friend Connect to your web site as well as to your blog …here’s an excerpt from the Google site: 

Build your community
Anyone can join your site and discover other members by using information from a variety of services, including Google, Yahoo, Twitter, AOL, orkut, and Plaxo, strengthening your community as visitors become members.

To get your copy and paste code, just click on the following link - Google Friend Connect

Next post we’ll discuss how best to utilize SEO with social networking.