The Internet has become the most important medium for effective marketing, but at the same time it has become the most competitive. While in the past a simple web page was the sole requirement necessary for the search engine crawlers to index a web page in their respective web results, the sheer amount of the Web –currently estimated at more than seven billion web pages- has resulted in information overload. For small business owners, an efficient Internet marketing strategy can be the ticket to profitable success, but only if the following five tips are given careful consideration:
1 – Web directory listings: Google may be the most ubiquitous Internet property now, but Yahoo! is credited with the concept of organizing the seemingly vast amounts of information available at the time “Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web” was created in 1995. Yahoo! is considered the first major commercial success in terms of web directory listings, and while the company has since moved towards a search-based paradigm, it is still considered a powerful means for small businesses to gain a solid online presence. For small business owners, web directory listings are more effective when they are linked to online communities that share a common affinity with the potential products or services offered.
2 – Content marketing: Attempting to crack the fabled Google search algorithm to get a listing to appear near the top of the search results has managed to create an ugly side of the Internet. Spam pages and link farms are just some of the results of prior Internet marketing practices that have been rendered virtually useless by Google’s Farmer and Panda updates to its indexing algorithm. Google’s current approach to indexing consists of semantics and prominence that can motivate valuable learning and social interaction. For this reason, small business owners are urged to find Internet marketers that are knowledgeable in meaningful content creation.
3 – Keywords: The Google Farmer and Panda algorithmic updates were a hard blow to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) marketers who were convinced that keyword stuffing was the silver bullet that could guarantee top search engine placement. Keywords still form part of a valid Internet marketing strategy, but they must be carefully chosen by small business owners. Creating a glossary of words that are related to a business is a good practice; for example, a company that is engaged in the maintenance of office equipment in Denver should make sure that keywords and key phrases such as “copy machine repair in Denver” are included in their web page copy and online advertising campaigns.
4 – Learn analytics: This is something that every small business owner or person responsible for marketing should strongly consider. Many SEO professionals either send web site analytics reports directly to their clients or give real-time access via online dashboards. However analytics are displayed, learning about what they indicate and how to match them to business goals should be a priority of every business enterprise.
5 – Leverage the power of social media: Establishing a presence on Facebook or Twitter is simple enough; it’s just a matter of a few clicks. Harnessing the power of online social networking isn’t such a simple matter. Social media marketing has become more intricate and competitive than search engine placement, but when a solid strategy is formulated and implemented, it can be marketing gold. Just remember: a social media strategy usually comes after a brand has been established.
One last consideration that should be given to Internet marketing for small businesses these days is to consider the issues of transparency and negative feedback. Going online means high visibility, and this can turn into a potential situation in which a business may end up on the receiving end of a rash of negative commentary. Potential customers will be watching, and thus small business owners should be aware of the need to constantly provide quality service.
Tina Sanchez is a corporate trainer who also writes for the Aviva Directory, a website search adviser with lists of sites from business tools to marketing guidance. You can search by state, such as Texas or by categories, like online revenue.
