Gorilla 76

8.7.08 Search Engine Optimization for Small Businesses

Introducing search engine optimization (SEO) specialist and Gorilla 76 partner, Lauren Haman. We’ve been working with Lauren for 2 years, utilizing her expertise in SEO to build search-friendly websites from scratch and implement pay-per-click campaigns to assure those sites are found. 

Search engine optimization – it sounds daunting, right? Well, Lauren will tell you otherwise. Here’s what she had to say.

Search engine optimization and marketing campaigns are often seen as luxuries for small businesses, not necessities.  Small business owners can all too quickly reject the need for SEO with reasons like “Our customers already know how to find us” or “Our customers don’t use the web,” and here’s the big one: “It’s not in the budget.”  However, with proper research and planning, any small- or medium-sized business can benefit from search engine optimization just as much as their large-scale competitors.

Why you need it

A vast majority (over 70%) of online consumers begin their search for a product or service with a search engine.  It is true that not all types of businesses can profit directly from SEO.  After all, when was the last time you searched Google to find a gas station?  But consider this, in April 2006, 73% of American adults claimed to use the internet on at least a weekly basis (up from 67% the previous year). 

The ever-expanding market of internet users offers a substantial base for a successful optimization and marketing program, no matter what type of services you offer.  Whether your goal is to generate new customers or to offer additional services to your pre-existing client base, nurturing your online presence is both easy and effective.  A thorough search engine optimization and marketing campaign can offer a substantial return on investment to any small business.

How to get it

A web-savvy marketing firm (like Gorilla 76) can help you determine goals for your website, research, and execute an effective optimization and marketing campaign based around your needs.  Understandably, a small business marketing budget doesn’t always have room for new-fangled, high tech tricks.  Fortunately, a good SEO campaign doesn’t need any!  Fresh content, market research, a bit of know-how, and a strong website structure are all it takes. 

They can also help implement search engine marketing strategies, including Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing, to get the most bang for your advertising dollar.  These CPC (or cost-per-click) programs allow you to bid on specific keywords and display your ads in prominent locations when users search for those phrases.  The average cost per click for an AdWords small business marketing campaign is anywhere from $1 to $4 – just think how that compares to the thousands spent on print advertising to get the same potential customer through the door.  With a modest $300 investment over one month’s time, your website could see hundreds of new visitors.  Every one of those visitors is a new potential customer.

However, as with any marketing campaign, the key is commitment.  Optimization campaigns generally require routine maintenance, statistics tracking, and updated research.  Advertisements for $50 “SEO Quick Fixes” are all too common on the web and are usually scams meant to prey on those who don’t fully understand the dedication that good SEO entails.  Hiring a dedicated marketing firm to assist you through the process is the most effective way to generate the most return on investment. 

Search engine optimization, if done correctly, is an easy way to boost your website production and positively influence your business.  Harnessing the power of the web takes both marketing savvy and internet know-how, and Gorilla 76 has got you covered.

7.13.08 Diving (30,000 feet) into web marketing

I am writing this post aboard a decommissioned Harrier jet, streaking high above the Sierra Nevadas on the first moonless night of July. Hours ago I careened across the Bay Area and parachuted deep inside the Googleplex. I infiltrated Google’s headquarters (dumpsters, actually) and uncovered the secrets of a strong web presence. What follows is a full transcription:

Hey there,

Post something people want.

Cheers,
Larry & Sergey

Yep, that’s it. Let me explain.

The old days

Not long ago, getting noticed online meant loading your site with meta data — arbitrary code that only search engines cared about. Meta data didn’t have to relate to what was actually on the page, and many sites took advantage of that. As a result, search engines lost track of the most relevant sites and instead found the most cunning. Then Google came along and said, “We’re more interested in what’s actually on the page, and how many other sites link to it.” Realizing Google’s success, the remaining search engines followed suit.

So what matters now?

There are still ways to tweak your site for better ranking. But the honest, future-proof approach is to post something people want — something they can only get online; not in a phone book or brochure. Instantly impressed, visitors will make note of your site. They’ll send the link to colleagues. They’ll post it on their blogs. They’ll add it to their profiles. And Google will treat all these links like currency. The more you earn, the higher your site will rank.

Freshness

But no one will keep coming back to a site left to rot. Maintaining current content is crucial, not only for retaining visitors, but for attracting search engines as well. All other things being equal, a more recently updated page will rank better.

Design matters here too. Let’s face it, a web layout from 1999 isn’t hard to spot. When it comes to visitors’ impressions, a fresh look is just as important as fresh content. Sometimes that means going all the way back to branding. After all, a contemporary layout with an ancient logo doesn’t do much good.

Execution

As meta data loses traction, page titles and even URLs have grown more important. The more naturally they’re written, the more likely they are to match someone’s search. Search engines also examine navigation hierarchies, how headlines are used, and where information appears in the page. This is where writing, design and code come together to ensure an intuitive, well-indexed, highly visible site.

Empathy

Ultimately, a successful site starts with learning what people want. Sometimes you already know; sometimes you have to hire a company (like Gorilla 76) to help figure it out. Then comes the small matter of making it happen. So far it’s meant tracking volunteer events, surveying impractically large swaths of land, or showcasing dozens of pieces of print work without paying for paper.

I suppose giving people what they want is the essence of marketing, on the web or anywhere else. And it just so happens you’ve found a couple marketing guys who can figure it out and make it happen.

Guest contributor,

Dan Rashid