Internet Marketing: Way to Go!

March 27, 2008 — HIGHLANDS RANCH, COLORADO — There are numerous routes you can take to market your Web site on the Internet. Some of those methods include search engine optimization, Web site ads, pay-per-click advertising, blogging and mass e-mails, to name a few. Most of these methods have a positive return on investment, but I submit that SEO - search engine optimization- is the most cost-effective.

Advertising on the Internet through pay-per-click or banner ads leaves you open to abuse by the competition. Simply put, anyone- your prospective client or your competitor- can click on your ad and cost you money.

Benefits of Search Engine Optimization

Targeted Audience

Whoever searches on the Internet for your business is looking for educational information or is in need of your services. This means about half of the people who find your Web site will be potential clients.

Trust

Regardless of whether you like advertisements, most people trust free listings on the search engine results pages more than pay-per-click or other types of online advertisements. Therefore, your chances of getting “hits” through your listing on the first page are higher.

It’s Free

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not free to be listed on the first page, but you won’t be charged per-click. You just pay for SEO services.

Long-Term Objectives

It’s much easier to start an ad on Google than it is to be listed on its first page. At the same time, when you stop paying Google, your site is gone. But with SEO, your site remains on the first page for a long period of time even after you quit your efforts.

Problems with Search Engine Optimization

It’s not all positive. Here are some issues with SEO and SEO companies.

Many Newbies

Anyone who knows a bit about Dream Weaver and reads one or two articles can claim he/she is the master of SEO. As a matter of fact, most Web site designers/developers claim they also specialize in SEO – when in fact they are clueless as to what works and what doesn’t.

Many Cheaters

Yes, SEP cheaters exist. Here are a few:

- “We’ll get your site to be on top of Google in ten days for your most competitive keyword.” No way. Most of the time, with hard work, it takes three months to one year for your most competitive keyword or keywords to be on the first page, unless they’re using “black-hat” techniques, which will result in your site’s abomination by Google.

- “We’ll list you on 1,000 search engines.” Come on. There are only three worthy search engines: Google, Yahoo and MSN. Can you get me on these?

- “We will generate 1,000 high-quality links for you in no time.” This is a big lie. Quality links come from relevant sites which have high page rank with Google (PR5-PR10)– and they usually don’t link to commercial Web sites. It’s difficult to generate a few high-quality links. A thousand in a short time? Impossible.

- “It only costs you $100 per month.” This is probably from someone who only optimizes your site and doesn’t do any link-building, etc. This is not necessarily cheating, but it is a waste of your money.

If Done Wrong, You’re Banned

If your SEP person doesn’t know what he/she is doing, your site could get banned from one or more search engines. If Google black-lists your website, your chances of getting it off of their list are slim.

High Initial Cost

Good SEO companies are usually expensive. This is mainly because SEO efforts require lots of experience, knowledge and hard labor to have positive results. Your specific cost will depend on how competitive your market is in the Internet realm. It also depends on whether you’ll target your local, regional or international markets.

Finding the Right SEO Company

This is probably the biggest problem. Usually the bigger SEO companies are legitimate, but they won’t give you the personal attention you and your business need. The individual SEO specialists also are not good choices because they usually lack the needed experience and resources to take care of your needs. The best solution is to find a small company that pays lots of attention to each client and has a good record of successful clients – preferably in your field.

The other important fact is to find a reputable company that will “guarantee” your first page listings. If they fail, they need to pay back your money, or at least a part of it.

About Sinai Marketing and Ali Husayni

Ali Husayni is the President and SEO specialist for Sinai Marketing. Sinai Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm, is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Mr. Husayni has helped many websites come up on the first page of Google, Yahoo and MSN. To find out more, please visit Sinai Marketing website: www.dental-web-marketing.com.

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