| The race to get your business website online AND a | | | | relevant search term" or important keyword related |
| high Google ranking is one that is a "do or die," | | | | to your business, you will not have focused traffic, |
| endless marketing project for all Internet marketers, | | | | customers, finding your site. |
| including you. A major mistake would be simply | | | | That's the simple truth behind successful marketing |
| putting up a website to sell your products and then | | | | campaigns. If you are unsure or clueless about |
| forgetting about it. | | | | keywords, you can use any of several keyword |
| The brutal truth is that the old movie adage, "Build it | | | | tools to get relevant suggestions. Google "keyword |
| and they will come," was a great movie theme, but is | | | | tools," with or without the quotes, and you will have |
| totally unrelated to real life Internet marketing. Once | | | | more options than you need. |
| your website is online, your real job is getting | | | | Google likes sites that are optimized and gives them |
| potential customers to view your site and want to | | | | good rankings based on the expertise of your site |
| buy what you are selling. | | | | optimization. Of course, you can do your own search |
| While you might believe that each process in the | | | | engine optimization (SEO) or hire someone else to do |
| Internet Marketing game, building a website, driving | | | | it. You will need a sharp understanding of what is |
| traffic, getting a high Google ranking and building | | | | required and how to maximize your sales message |
| customer relationships is a singular process, it actually | | | | while using your keywords. That takes a lot of |
| is one big ball of wax. Ignore just one process and | | | | research, testing and studying what works and what |
| your business will not be the success you want it to | | | | does not. |
| be. | | | | It could cost you a lot of money and still not return |
| Let's start at the beginning. | | | | the visitors and the conversion rate (how many |
| The first hurdle you have to overcome is building | | | | actually buy something) you are paying for. The |
| your actual website to get high Google rankings to | | | | traffic you want is focused and targeted because |
| drive traffic to it. You can find thousands of web | | | | they have expressed an interest in what your |
| designers all over the Internet and in every country | | | | business offers by using relevant search terms. |
| on the globe. Some will charge you a minimum of a | | | | It's not that difficult to get generic traffic that visits |
| few hundred dollars while others will be in the | | | | your site. They will look for your free stuff and click |
| thousands. Though all will promote their web design | | | | off in a few seconds or minutes. A mention in almost |
| services as top notch, few will understand how to | | | | any social networking site will do that for you, but, |
| build a website that makes Google rank you among | | | | unless those visitors are looking for your products, |
| the leaders for your niche. And it will still cost you | | | | they just clog up your bandwidth and are useless to |
| from several hundred dollars to several thousand. | | | | your bottom line. |
| The one "never-to-be-forgotten" thought you have | | | | As a small businessman with a local, traditional |
| to burn into your brain is that a website that looks | | | | business, you will be in direct competition with mega |
| great and has all the latest, snappy widgets will not | | | | corporations, especially if you use generic keywords |
| be the focused sales machine you need for your | | | | to attract traffic. For example, a keyword like dogs, |
| business. As a Web marketer, your only job is to get | | | | cars or recipes will be way too broad to do you any |
| customers willing to buy your products or services. A | | | | good. A better focus would be Great Dane dogs, |
| really hot-looking, gorgeous website does not | | | | 1956 Chevrolet parts or taco recipes. |
| convert well or get Google's attention. | | | | If you are interested in increasing your walk-in, local |
| Besides not attracting Google, fancy, busy websites | | | | customer base, a good keyword technique would be |
| full of graphics and fancy bells and whistles can return | | | | adding the name of your town in critical places in |
| a negative effect on your Google ranking. | | | | your marketing campaign. As a traditional retail |
| While a photo of your smiling face and a graphic or | | | | merchant, you will have to recognize that Internet |
| two of your products or ebook covers will improve | | | | marketing is not the same as you might be used to. |
| your credibility with your customers, it will do nothing | | | | You would be well advised to seek out a service |
| to increase your Google ranking. In fact, Google | | | | dedicated to helping local businesses make the |
| doesn't even consider graphics and photos. | | | | transition to Internet marketing. You will need advice |
| It's all about keywords and highly relevant search | | | | and expertise in keyword selection, web page layout, |
| terms that people use when looking for information | | | | experience with Search Engine Optimization, targeted |
| they need, whether it's niche links, solutions to a | | | | traffic, knowledge of what type of content will drive |
| particular problem or a new recipe for chocolate chip | | | | the most traffic to your site, to name a few. And all |
| cookies. Google's mission is to deliver that information | | | | that will be before you start designing a website to |
| on demand and, if you do not recognize a "highly | | | | showcase your business. |