The "Number One" Question - the question that I
(and probably every other Internet marketing expert on the planet) am most
frequently asked:
"How do I get to be Number One in the search engines
for widgets? After all, my company is the world's leading provider of widgets -
it's ridiculous that these other nobody companies are coming up in search
engines ahead of us . . . "
My response is almost always along the lines of:
"Forget that right now, and get a life!"
OK, so I am a little more tactful than that - and I do
occasionally encourage an in-depth search engine optimization strategy, but
usually I'll encourage clients to spend their website promotional budget in
other ways.
Here are the main reasons why I'm not generally enthusiastic
about free search engines:
1. You have to be really careful in choosing keywords
Many people make the mistake of focusing on very generic
keywords. Not only are these even more difficult to get top placement in, but
they also won't generate you targeted traffic.
A prospect approached me recently for help with a coaching
site. This site promotes teleseminars to help clients implement life changes
described in various motivational books. This prospect initially said that he
wanted to be "Number One" on a search for "books".
I'd suggest this would be a virtually impossible challenge
for any search engine optimizer. But in addition, someone searching for
"books" is probably really looking for Amazon, or Barnes & Noble,
and not my client's teleclasses. He could spend a lot of money for very few
qualified leads.
2. You need to speak the language of your visitors
We all talk "geekspeak" - it's often second nature
to us within our industry or area of expertise. And it's easy to forget that
our prospects don't always use the same terminology. One of the most difficult
areas in copywriting that I see is when technology sales people are trying to
describe their products to a non-technical market - the result is usually
incomprehensible!
But there's also the jargon that we use as a matter of
pride, or because we've lost touch with how our markets think of us.
I worked recently with an association of plastic surgeons.
They had their member database on their Web site, and wanted to attract visitors
there to find a local practitioner.
Their "Number One" target keyword for the search
engines was "rhinoplasty". Well, I can only spell this because I just
looked it up for this article - but usually you and I in the general public
would never think of that - of course, we'd be searching for . . . "nose
jobs"!
The surgeons didn't like this at all from an academic
standpoint. But they had to concede the point when I presented evidence on most
common searches from the old Overture's Search Term Suggestion Tool .
3. It's very passive marketing . . .
My most pressing argument for not spending too much time on
free search engines is that it's a very passive form of marketing. You're
relying on a prospective visitor waking up in the morning, and realizing that
they need something that you might provide. Then, you're relying on them
choosing the precise keywords that you've targeted for search engine
optimization. It's a fairly hit or miss business.
When do I disagree with myself?
There are some exceptions to all this. I do believe that
search engines are well worth it when you have a niche product or service with
extremely unambiguous and well-defined keywords.
For example, an audience member in one of my recent programs
was working on a Web site to sell some incredibly advanced yoyos. I did
recommend a search engine strategy to him - after all, if someone puts in
"yoyo" as a search term, they'd almost certainly be a qualified lead! Our smart
algorithm may help you to find the right SEO techniques which may be effective
to rank you highly. Visit the link given here- http://saferankbacklinks.com
What do I do instead?
That's the subject of numerous other articles. To get you
started, you can find twenty-three of my favourite techniques in my free
tipsheet.
But in short, I much prefer aggressively seeking out sites
where your target markets are likely to be reading, or searching for
information. That way, you can proactively bring your ideas, products and
services to them, in places where they are much more likely to be receptive and
interested. And there are so many options for different budgets and campaign
sizes, both online and offline.
So, are search engines worth it any more?
I'm not advocating ignoring search engines. And I do like
the better paid models, such as Overture.
But I do suggest that you should be very clear about how
much passive marketing you want to undertake, and whether the product or service
that you're offering lends itself to this.
And if you do decide to optimize your site for search
engines, pick the keywords that will be in the mindset of your customers . . .
and be willing to settle for "Number Two" sometimes!
