Before we start, here's some shocking statistics you need to know:
* Every piece of content created from the beginning of mankind to the year 2003 is now being created in volume in just 48 hours.
* The videos uploaded to YouTube in just one day would take you 4 years to watch... nonstop.
* 25% of all the goods and services produced in the history of the world were made in just the last 10 years.
* Think about what I just said... Talk about info overload!
Change is FAST and UNRELENTING!
If you think for even a moment that somehow, some way you are going to get your website or keyword on the first page of Google organic search based on the above information, you are very likely to be disappointed. And when an SEO expert strolls into your office claiming to get you there for "reasonable monthly fee," it's OK to laugh.
I'm not saying it's impossible. I've been #1 or #2 on Google several times for organic search terms in less than 2 days. However, every passing day makes it more difficult as the amount of content continues to explode.
Most businesses shouldn't concern themselves with SEO anyways. If you are a small business owner, you should be far more concerned with "Local Search" results.
* 89% off ALL searches start online. (Not the Phone Book or Newspaper)
* 73% of those are LOCAL searches.
* 61% actually BUY!
* By 2013, the majority of those searches will be done on a mobile device.
Take advantage of all the Free Listings available to you as a business owner such as: Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing, SuperPages, YellowPages, Facebook Places, ThinkLocal, Merchant Circle, LocalEdge, FourSquare, Twitter and more.
Restaurants can also use Where, Yelp and Urban Spoon. Hotels, Motels and B&Bs should list on Trip Advisor and other travel sites too.
And don't forget to list with all the major GPS navigation sites!
More and more, search is becoming a local marketing tool as people have become addicted to their smart phones. And for good reason. Imagine driving with your family for a weekend getaway to the beach. Along the way you have car trouble in an unfamiliar area. You pull out your smart phone and search for a service station. If a business owner didn't take a few minutes to fill out his (Free) online profiles, his competitor will get this business when the search results show up.
All of this I've shown you so far is FREE! It just takes a little bit of your time to fill out some online forms. If you've got a little money in your marketing budget though, consider running some Google AdWords Express ads.
Rather than the national AdWords program that has proven so successful, AdWords Express is a local search ad that can appear in Google Maps or Google Search to people in your area looking for exactly what you have to offer. As with AdWords, you only pay if someone actually clicks on your ad and the results are measurable. I think it is definitely worth a try with their minimum $250 program.
You have to seriously think about changing your marketing. Even newspaper executives agree that there likely won't be many daily printed newspapers 5 years from now. In fact, a number of newspapers across the country have already ceased publishing or moved their content online.
The future is Mobile and Local. You're either in or you'll be out... of business that is. Don't wait!
* Every piece of content created from the beginning of mankind to the year 2003 is now being created in volume in just 48 hours.
* The videos uploaded to YouTube in just one day would take you 4 years to watch... nonstop.
* 25% of all the goods and services produced in the history of the world were made in just the last 10 years.
* Think about what I just said... Talk about info overload!
Change is FAST and UNRELENTING!
If you think for even a moment that somehow, some way you are going to get your website or keyword on the first page of Google organic search based on the above information, you are very likely to be disappointed. And when an SEO expert strolls into your office claiming to get you there for "reasonable monthly fee," it's OK to laugh.
I'm not saying it's impossible. I've been #1 or #2 on Google several times for organic search terms in less than 2 days. However, every passing day makes it more difficult as the amount of content continues to explode.
Most businesses shouldn't concern themselves with SEO anyways. If you are a small business owner, you should be far more concerned with "Local Search" results.
* 89% off ALL searches start online. (Not the Phone Book or Newspaper)
* 73% of those are LOCAL searches.
* 61% actually BUY!
* By 2013, the majority of those searches will be done on a mobile device.
Take advantage of all the Free Listings available to you as a business owner such as: Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing, SuperPages, YellowPages, Facebook Places, ThinkLocal, Merchant Circle, LocalEdge, FourSquare, Twitter and more.
Restaurants can also use Where, Yelp and Urban Spoon. Hotels, Motels and B&Bs should list on Trip Advisor and other travel sites too.
And don't forget to list with all the major GPS navigation sites!
More and more, search is becoming a local marketing tool as people have become addicted to their smart phones. And for good reason. Imagine driving with your family for a weekend getaway to the beach. Along the way you have car trouble in an unfamiliar area. You pull out your smart phone and search for a service station. If a business owner didn't take a few minutes to fill out his (Free) online profiles, his competitor will get this business when the search results show up.
All of this I've shown you so far is FREE! It just takes a little bit of your time to fill out some online forms. If you've got a little money in your marketing budget though, consider running some Google AdWords Express ads.
Rather than the national AdWords program that has proven so successful, AdWords Express is a local search ad that can appear in Google Maps or Google Search to people in your area looking for exactly what you have to offer. As with AdWords, you only pay if someone actually clicks on your ad and the results are measurable. I think it is definitely worth a try with their minimum $250 program.
You have to seriously think about changing your marketing. Even newspaper executives agree that there likely won't be many daily printed newspapers 5 years from now. In fact, a number of newspapers across the country have already ceased publishing or moved their content online.
The future is Mobile and Local. You're either in or you'll be out... of business that is. Don't wait!
