Should You Hire an SEO Service?
This was the question posed in this American Express Business article.
My thoughts are this: SEO for almost every business has risen beyond the tactic level to the strategic level.
The need to view search engine optimization, or SEO as a strategic marketing practice has grown so that you can’t really get through a day without hearing about showing up on the first page of Google, understanding the exact phrases people use to search for the products, services, information, answers and solutions that lead to them becoming your customer.
In my opinion, basic SEO must become a part of your planning, messaging, editorial decision and even to some degree the products and services offered by a business.
You should hire an SEO service if want an ongoing process of an SEO campaign that's consistent and repeatable in results.
If you want a one-time, stop and go, "touch my SEO every 3 months engagement" or just check it off my marketing to-do list offering then you should avoid hiring a SEO service.
Small Business SEO Tips
Understand the relationship Between SEO and Content
SEO tools and strategies are constantly changing. All the while, it’s never been more important that you get found online when people go out there searching – especially if you’re a local business.
Your content is the foundation for how you get ranked and found. It’s important to have home base well put together with unique content that is tailored specifically to the search results you want to show up in.
It is very difficult to rank for your most desired keyword phrases without great content.
Develop a 3-6 month editorial calendar that schedules the consistent creation of content that has keywords and phrases. The plan that my marketing firm usually deploys is a mix and match between website page rewrites and crafting blog posts.
Research Keywords and Phrases
As the connection between SEO and content is key for marketing success, small business owners need to validate the keywords and phrases they optimize for.
I've been in meetings where small business owners look to their competition as a way to validate keywords and phrases they should be ranking for. One problem with this approach is that your competitor doesn't have the same strategy as you and they could be ranking for the wrong terms.
Use Google Keyword Planner to research and validate the actual search terms, exact phrases, and even, how much volume (demand) these terms or phrases have. This will also inform your strategy in terms of what search terms and phrases you need to win to lead potential prospects to your company or solution.
Plan For Long-Term Success
SEO is an incredibly effective way of improving traffic to your site, but it’s not a quick fix. In my work with small business owners, the expectation is to deploy strategies and get immediate results. And when they don’t get these results, they abandon the plan.
More great marketing has fallen short due to impatience on the part of the marketer than for any other reason.
SEO takes time to pay off, so impatience is one of the biggest roadblocks for small business owners.
One of the main reasons SEO is a long-term strategy rather than a short-term quick fix is because of the huge volume of content online. You aren’t alone in your industry, and you aren’t the only one pushing out content. Because of this competition, you need to always follow SEO best practices.
Restrain from quitting your SEO marketing program and develop the willingness to continue executing a marketing plan despite the absence of quick financial strokes. You must have more strategic patience than your competition.
Contact your marketing consultant at Indispensable Marketing
If you’re a small business that needs SEO marketing services that help with showing up on the first page of search results on Google, Bing or Yahoo at Indispensable Marketing we can help. We offer marketing strategy consulting, marketing audits, monthly marketing packages, consultations, exploratory calls or monthly local SEO services. Contact us for more information.
Indispensable Marketing takes a process approach to developing and installing your small business marketing.