Search Engine Marketing

Search engines have been an integral part of the internet, even longer than the social media sites, and now the businesses are taking advantage. The big search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and now Bing, provide areas for a whole new level of marketing that is not only different from social media marketing, but also enhances the social media aspect. The small businesses are taking notice. According to imediaconnection.com, since the end of 2009 small businesses spent 30% more on search engine marketing. The social media sites also realizing the advantages of search engines. According to mashable.com, Google has made deals with Facebook and Twitter, and Yahoo! And Bing have followed close behind, allowing for information to be more easily accessible.

The great thing about search engines is that the results are, for the most part, what you are looking for. If someone types in ‘pianos’, the websites for businesses that sell pianos would show up, as well as any paid advertisements.

If you’re looking to make yourself more accessible to the search engines but want to hold off on spending money for advertisements, don’t be worried. There are plenty of ways to get search engines like Google to pick up on your business. The main thing is to make you searchable. Here are a few tips:

- The web address of your website is very important. If you want your business to show up on the search engines, make sure that the name of your business appears in your web address. You may want to opt for an address like this one: http://www.nameofyourbusiness.com

-  Make sure the content of your home page, including your title, includes relevant information. The title should be that of your business and perhaps what it does. The rest of the content should be a description of your business. This way, certain search terms will pick up on the textual content of the page and direct users towards your site. This allows people to find you if they don’t know the name of your business.

-If you have multiple web outlets, such as your website and various social networking profiles, make sure everything is consistent between them. This will make all of the sites easier to find.

- When you link to any website, make sure that it has good quality content related to the context of your business. Similarly, make sure that websites linking to you are of good quality. Potential customers will trust more in legitimate and helpful links.

-Make sure to update your website frequently with current and up-to-date content. Search engines pick up on more recently refreshed items, so you’ll have a greater chance of showing up in a search.

In short, make sure that your site can be easily found. If you’re not sure, Google your business to see what turns up. Happy Marketing!