Search Engine Marketing For 2007

With the major elections now behind us, we can once again concentrate on getting back to business. In Canada, we don't even have Hockey to distract us this year. And in other parts of the world, I am sure there is anything that can distract us this coming year. So here is to your success. Here are a few strategies and tips to help you prepare for marketing your business online in 2007.

Microsoft will have the bugs in their new search engine ironed out sometime in 2007, so be prepared to have your web site optimized for it. This may be an ongoing process for the first while, so planning a little more money into your web site marketing budget would be prudent.

I strongly suggest you begin to gather quotes from search engine optimization companies as soon as possible. Many of the reputable firms will stand by the quote they give you now for a period of time, some up to ninety days. Getting the quotes now also allows you to 'gear up' for next year.

Take stock of where this year's online marketing dollars went. Did that paid advertising or pay per click advertising truly deliver a good return on your investment? Drop the campaigns that are not bearing fruit. Fall is the best time to prune your trees. There are literally hundreds of advertising programs and venues out there. Do a little research and pick a few new ones for 2007.

Learn as much as you can about Blogs and RSS feeds. These tools will be all the rage in online marketing in 2007. They are sprouting like dandelions out there right now and show no signs of slowing down. Blogs are great for letting your clients and future customers know what you are up to and they provide many links for your web site. Blogs and Blogging will be a bumper crop next year.

Go organic. The trend in online marketing is swinging away from entirely paid programs to the much more functional and "organic" search engine optimization. Concentrate on getting the best listings and rankings in directories like DMOZ and Yahoo! And aim for good placement within Google and MSN.

Plant more seeds. Spread the good word about your web site through various Ezines and article posts. Join a discussion forum. Plant as many seeds as you can in as wide a path as you can. Plant them everywhere, all the time. Never miss an opportunity to put your web site's address in front of people's eyes.

Always include your full URL in your email signature file. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone sent me an email with his or her web site address starting with the www, a complete waste of time. Most email and word processing programs do not recognize this as a 'live' link, thus if the recipient wishes to visit your web site they must cut your domain name from the original email you and paste it into a browser window. Bottom line? You're making them do way too much work. Your making them do the weeding in your garden. Adding your entire URL like this http://www.cisspguide.com activates the link within browsers and email programs. Now all they have to do is click on it and an instant traffic for your site is generated. It's amazing how a single small change like this can increase your traffic and help your business grow.

Plant your full address on your web site. Make certain your entire street address; city, state, and postal/zip code is included on nearly every page of your web site. Search is going local these days. The engines are gearing up to offer local searches to locations all around the world. For example, "Search Engine Optimization Services in Toronto". People will be entering these types of search queries by the millions, into hand held computers, laptops, cell phones and cameras next year. You want them to find you if they are visiting your location. Plant your full address on your web site.

Plant a local community centre. There are bound to be other people in your community who share your passion for business. Find them and start a breakfast (or dinner) club. Discussing your experiences with others expands your garden and brings in brand new varieties of ideas. It also feels good to find like-minded people. Give these relationships plenty of water and sunshine, they will often last for years.

Watch your garden grow. Follow these simple Internet marketing gardening steps and watch your online business bloom and grow.

Internet Marketing For Online Business
Few distinctions are ever made between Internet marketing for an online business and that of a brick and mortar one. While often overlooked, this is one of the most important determinations a website owner needs to consider. But why is this so critical?

When marketing for an online business, it makes little difference where the customer is located. It does not matter if the person purchasing your product is located three miles away or across the country. Regardless, you are going to package and ship the product.

On the other hand, if you are marketing a brick and mortar business online there is a specific geographic area that needs to be targeted. A plumber in Virginia Beach has no need to advertise to someone in California. Still businesses wastefully and wrongly try to conquer the world.

Type “plumbing” into Google and you will start to understand. Sure enough a plumber in the United Kingdom is persuading me that he should unclog my toilet. The trick is not to make the same mistake as this UK plumber. If you only intend to sell your product or service in a specific region than do not go after the whole world, try to rank well for relevant terms such as “Toronto plumber Service.” This way, when people see your site they will be potential customers.

New services make geographic targeting even easier. Pay Per Click (PPC) search engines allow you to bid on general terms such as plumber, but only display your website if the search comes from a location within Toronto.

Conversely, if your site sold plumbing supplies throughout the world it does not matter where the search originated. Your business has the capability to sell to anyone anywhere. In this case it would be beneficial for your website to be found under general terms such as “plumbing,” since people viewing your site will be legitimate prospects.

It is critical to distinguish between Internet marketing for an online business and a brick and mortar company. This often overlooked step will prevent you from making the same mishaps as your competitors and save you thousands in wasted advertising.

About the author: Romeo Kane is an information technology, training and Home Based Business Opportunity Consultant in Toronto, Ontario Canada. He has a specialized background in network and computer security for over 10 years, working as MCSE, CCNA, MCSD and CISSP. Has written many books and articles on search engine optimization, internet marketing, business success, home based business opportunity, online business, search engine friendly web design, how to increase your sales and e-mail marketing. Just finished writing a new book called "Secrets Of The Pros" you can learn more about it at http://www.cisspguide.com.