Sorry if this is a bit of a rant, but it needs to be said. Because search marketing is such a fast-growing industry, it seems as if everyone who has ever touched a website in any way has jumped on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, that stands to do damage to the industry, and to customers who believe that search engine optimization is a quick and easy process.

Current and prospective customers must ask themselves before entering into an agreement with anyone purporting to be an SEO expert whether they will let someone who is not an accounting expert touch their taxes, or whether anyone who is not an logistics expert do work on their production processes? If not, then why would they let someone who knows very little about marketing perform activities on their website? A website is a crucial part of marketing, and can make or break a company’s brand.

While it is important that websites look good, what is more important is whether it delivers on the company’s marketing objectives. And search marketing is a critical part of that equation. A great looking website may attract only customers looking for information, instead of customers looking to make a purchase or finding a service. The way in which prospective buyers search are different to the ways in which researchers use search engines.

Web customers can be segmented just as any other customer set, and targeted by using specific SEO techniques. Unfortunately, most of the so-called “experts” out there believe that if you achieve a front page Google ranking for some obscure keywords, you have succeeded in your search marketing efforts. In fact, one may rank on the front page and still not generate a single qualified sales lead, or make a single sale, still a marketing failure.

So when seeking out a search marketing expert, make sure that the emphasis is on the “marketing” part, and not on the “search” part. Look for someone who can coment about sales copy on the site, who can advise on whether the site appeals to the target demographic, who knows where and how to position a website so that the marketing objectives are met and delivers within a professional project management structure.

Tagged with: •

Filed under: Search engine marketing

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!