If this sounds like what you have done, then you are probably wondering where is all the traffic? Why didn’t it work. Just having your information included within the search engines or directories doesn’t mean you are going to be listed on the top of Google search. It could mean you are 20 pages back. Have you ever searched for something on Google and gone through 20 pages to find the right company? Probably not. The first three pages are usually the only ones that get viewed and most of the time just the first. So you want to be ranked on the top of the page one in the search queries.

You have two options to start increasing your page ranks and drive traffic:

• Pay someone to do it for you ongoing.

OR

• Do it yourself (or have someone in your company, do it)

I’ve worked with several small businesses that don’t understand search engine optimization and they don’t want learn about it. They just want results. Reality is that the world has changed since the introduction of the internet and the way people find things or services, make purchase decisions and the way they buy. The majority of business owners out there realize that they need the internet to get customers and want FREE organic search to deliver those customers to them. What many don’t realize is just how complicated SEO is and that if someone says they can come in and make you rank quickly, you should probably stay away from them. The saying “if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably isn’t true” is VERY TRUE when it comes to SEO. Ranking and increasing traffic organically (without pay-per-click ads) takes time and ongoing effort. Don’t be fooled or taken.

So, whether you intend to manage your SEO internally or to hire someone, I recommend that you dedicate some time every week to learn more about search engine optimization for small businesses and do something to promote your website and build traffic. Take the time to understand what your is being done to increase your traffic, ask questions to your team or consultant. SEO is complicated but you don’t need to stay in the dark as a business owner or manager.

I’ll be sharing some tips and providing instruction on how to do the following things to help build more traffic over the next few weeks. So sign up for our UnderstandingMarketing.com Newsletter or subscribe to our rss feed so you don’t miss out on Small Business Search Engine Optimization posts to come. Here’s what you can expect to learn about in the next two or three weeks:

1. Understanding keywords and search engine ranking
2. Link building (From social media profiles and from other relevant sites)
3. Writing content  – keeping it relevant and fresh
4. Analyzing SEO results and making tweeks
5. Beyond SEO – focus on CRO (conversion rate optimization)

1. Search Engine Optimization: SEO is useful because it’s all based on specially placed keywords that help your blog or Web site rank in Google and other search engines. People and businesses are going to continue flocking to Google to find everything that’s on their minds. But small businesses are still fuzzy on what makes a good keyword and how to use it to rank higher in searches. Add in the importance of long-tail keywords and you’ve got a situation ripe with confusion. Despite all of this, SEO is going to continue to be one of the biggest drivers of online marketing success for small business – and many know it. Plus, there’s lots of places on the Web to help small business learn how to do SEO successfully (ahem, you’re at one of those places). Here’s an additional resource to help you with SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible

JA says test

UM (UnderstandingMarketing.com) says invest

2. Paid Search: Also known as Pay Per Click (PPC), paid search is the sister of SEO. You still rely on specially selected keywords to drive traffic to your site, but instead of natural placement in Google, you’re competing for the paid placements and ads on the Google pages. PPC works but only if you’re spot on with your keyword selection. Although the prices will continue to come down, those little costs can certainly add up if you’re not on target with your keywords. Because there’s an investment here we’re not as bullish as John, but we still feel you should test it out. For small business marketing advice here’s an additional resource to help you understand paid search techniques: Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Marketing Handbook

JA says invest

UM says test

3. Email Marketing: This is one area we both agree on. Email marketing is a great way for a small business to reach out to customers, existing and new ones, because of two primary reasons: 1) most people still prefer email as their number one source of information, and 2) it’s a relatively inexpensive way to do marketing. These two reasons, coupled with the big opportunities in landing pages for even stronger conversions, makes us very high on this tactic in 2010. Here are a few additional resources for you to do landing pages and email marketing: Landing Page 101, and of course The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing.

JA says invest

UM says invest

4. Social Marketing: Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and a host of other social networking tools came on strong in 2009, especially for small business. Every time I went to a small business in the last six months the owner not only told me he/she was highly interested in social marketing, but many of them were already using one or two tools. Look for social marketing to be even bigger in 2010 for small business because of it’s very inexpensive cost for marketing as well as it’s strength in local marketing focus. Here are a few more resources for social media marketing for small business – Twitter, or check out Facebook Marketing, or even take a peek at The Facebook Era.

JA says test

UM says invest

5. Blogging: More small businesses now have blogs either to complement their existing Web site or actually to replace their Web site. Small business online marketing advice says either one can be an effective strategy, even for events promotions. But John makes a good point in saying blogging to drive traffic is different than blogging to drive sales. Using a blog to drive traffic is still a good idea. But even we’re not sold on the notion that you can set up a blog and all of a sudden turn your blog into a cash register. Add in the fact that a blog is most successful when it’s a community and you may want to consider putting on the brakes if you want your blog to be a sales machine. Here is another resource for building a successful blog, 42 Rules of Social Media for Small Business.

JA says let it rest

UM says let it rest

6. Web Presence: This one is a bit interesting since it may not be what you think. Yes, having a Web presence is an important fact. John’s not debating this, nor will we. Where you place emphasis on your Web presence is the discussion here. In 2010 small business will have to change its way of thinking in that it’s all about getting traffic to your Web presence. Rather it’s more important now to place your Web presence where the traffic is. Do paid search on others’ Web sites or even places like YouTube.com, for example. If you know lots of eyeballs will be on other Web sites, you’ll want to consider placing your Web presence there as well. Here’s another resource for you The Online Advertising Playbook.

JA says invest

UM says test

7. Mobile Marketing: An interesting marketing platform that will get more looks in 2010 is mobile marketing. Some companies now have the technology to beam messages to your cell phone from wherever you may be headed. For example, if you are walking through the doors of a Best Buy, imagine if you all of a sudden get a text message on your phone that includes a Best Buy coupon. Small business can take advantage of this kind of technology as well. It deserves more look, though. Here’s another small business online marketing advice resource for mobile marketing, The Mobile Marketing Handbook.

JA says test

UM says test

8. Podcasting: Ask yourself if you can name five podcasts or Internet-based radio shows/stations? If you failed to do so you’re probably in the majority. We like blog talk radio and we also like podcasting. But is it something you’ll want to focus heavily on for marketing as a small business in 2010? Probably not. Podcasting is a technology that has struggled to get on its feet and will most likely continue to struggle in 2010, and it doesn’t help that many small businesses are often intimidated about doing their own podcast. It may still be in its infancy with a bright future, but just not right now. There are some really fantastic shows on blog talk radio and you should put on your PR hat to take advantage of these. Here’s another resource for podcasting for small business, The Complete Guide to Audio and Video Podcasting or also check out Podcasting Bible.

JA says let it rest

UM says let it rest

9. Online Video: Not only are videos fun and easy to watch, but with YouTube also a part of Google, videos are very searchable with keywords and tags. Small businesses should definitely be running to purchase video cameras like the Flip to easily produce videos they can post online. 2010 will be a big year for videos and online marketing. Here’s another online video resource for you, Marketing With Video.

JA says invest

UM says invest

10. Coupons: The use of tools like social media marketing and mobile marketing will make coupon offerings pretty innovative, intuitive and exciting for small business. Technology even makes it easy to utilize coupon marketing for local audiences, too. Even some “older” marketing tools like landing pages, which have proven their worth in providing great ROI for incentives like coupons, will continue in 2010. We’re bullish. Here’s another resource for you in using coupons for your small business, Hug Your Customers, and also Customer Loyalty is Priceless.

JA says invest

UM says invest

Here’s John Arnold’s list.

What are some of your marketing predictions for small business and 2010? We’d love for you to chime in here.

Yes, people misspell keywords on Google and other search engines all of the time.

But is there a chance to take advantage of this for the benefit of search engines? Be careful, though, because some search engines punish you for doing this. Remember, search engines are smarter than you think.

Our #smbiz chat recaps are a relatively safe place to capitalize on misspelled words because, well, there are a ton of words on those pages. Google won’t penalize you as much when your misspelled words take place in an area where there’s lots of text. (plus, keep in mind that on these pages we aren’t intentionally trying to take advantage of any misspellings. These are reprinted as-is from the chat recaps.)

Pay close attention to where you do your misspellings, though, because there are obvious areas where they can actually hurt you and backfire. Any high traffic pages or places like title tags are areas where you do NOT want to have misspelled words. Forget getting any Google love on those pages, even if you have deliberate intentions of trying to take advantage of the situation. You’re simply better off having correctly spelled words here.

Here are a few more great resources to help with good search engine optimization (SEO):

Search Engine Optimization Bible

Landing Page Optimization

Search Engine Optimization: Your Visual Blueprint for Effective Internet Marketing

Website Optimization: Speed, Search Engine & Conversion Rate Secrets

But here’s a secret: You can get a nice Web presence without spending a lot of money – design and hosting.

HostGator is a great way to get affordable Web hosting for your Web site or blog. Plus, they can also offer all kinds of great services such as Web site editing, e-commerce and taking payments online, domain registration, credit card encryption services and script installation. With plans starting at just $4.95 a month it’s definitely something any entrepreneur, small business or start-up should consider.

Once you’re online you can open up a whole world of small business opportunities and participate in the global economy since your reach will span all seven continents. you’ll be able to tie in your online marketing efforts through landing pages and drive Web traffic to other pages, provide company and product information or PR information to visitors and press, start a Web community or blog where your customers can interact with you and each other, and also sell your own items or affiliate products. Getting online is also a great way for unemployed professionals to launch their entrepreneurial spirit. HostGator can make all of this happen at a low price.

Here are some tips on Web hosting for small business:

1) Domain Name: This is just as critical as the name of your business. The domain name must mirror your business name or be as close to it as possible. You’ll quickly realize that everything you do is tied in with search engines. If you sell ice cream, for example, you’ll want “ice cream” in your domain name so that it’s easier for search engines to find you.

2) Homepage: Every Web site or blog has a home page. Naturally this is arguably the page with the most visitors and will be their first impression (most of the time), so make sure your home page is clean, attractive, visually appealing, informational and easy to navigate. You’ll also want to pay close attention to using your homepage to make sales.

3) Products Page: Whatever you’re selling in your business, make sure you have a clean page or section that talks about your products or services. Make sure it’s easy for visitors to see how much each item costs, how to purchase and how to get access to customer service to ask questions.

Special Note: Don’t make it difficult for visitors to contact you through your Web site or blog. The purpose of a Web presence is NOT so you can avoid human interaction, but rather so you can enhance it.

4) Web Hosting: Work with HostGator to set up your hosting services. They offer excellent customer service and support in the event that your Web site goes down (no provider is perfect so it’s important to work with one that has reliable and friendly customer support).

5) Search Engines: Pay close attention to title tags, meta tags and keywords you use when setting up your Web site or blog. We live in a search engine world and it’s important for people to find you on all of the major search engines and directories. Check out this blog post to learn more about search engine optimization.

After you’ve done your homework and are ready to launch your Web site or blog, click here to check out HostGator and get reliable Web hosting services at a low monthly price.

Think about your company for a second. What ever widget you sell you want your customers to think of you as the best, most knowledgeable company out there, right? Same with the Web. Similar to your online marketing efforts, you want your customers to see you as the leader in your industry, and you want that brand attribute to come through in all of your online visibility, including your Web site.

Here are 13 ways your Web site can be more of an authority on the Internet:

1) Google says you’re an authority: Google is still the top search engine, so make sure you get in good with its search rankings.

2) Online Press Room: Download The PR Toolkit and learn how to make an information-packed press kit you can have for the media. Turn items like press releases into digital pieces and create a section on your Web site where the media (and your customers) can go to learn more about you.

3) Get On Twitter: Establish a Twitter account and join the conversation with others about common areas in your industry. Whenever you have a new blog post or something new offered via your Web site, promote it to your network of friends on Twitter, which will drive them to your site.

4) Other Social Media For Authority: Take advantage of other social media to promote your Web site as an authority figure. Social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr, and even MySpace all have important communities that can help turn your Web site into an authority figure. As an example, promote discussions and blog posts on LinkedIn Groups where people will see that you have something valuable to say – via your Web site.

5) Make Inbound Links A Priority: There’s a reason why they call it the Web. Literally it’s designed like a big spider web. The more inbound links you have the higher authority and search ranking your blog or Web site will have.

6) Leave Comments Elsewhere: Seek out other blogs that rank high in visibility. Read the blog posts and be sure to join in on their conversation. You’ll be amazed at how you’ll start to get noticed by the people behind those blogs. They’ll even start adding you to their blog roll which will be good for your inbound links. Here’s a tip – leave a comment on someone’s blog and then promote that conversation on Twitter to drive traffic there.

7) Author A Guest Post: Approach the owners of other blogs and ask if you can contribute a guest column on an important topic. You’ll get to have a by-line and most likely be able to link back to your blog or Web site. Readers will see you as an instant expert on the subject.

Develop Lots Of Content: Don’t simply launch a blog and then have just three or four posts sitting there. Develop fresh, quality content frequently. The best bloggers post content multiple times each day. If you don’t have time for that, be sure to post content at three-four times a week at a minimum.

9) Size Up Your Competition: Find out all the players on the Web in your category. The Web is a little bit different than real life business. Don’t make enemies. Establish relationships with other Web sites that are authority figures in your category.

10) Search Engine Optimization Bible: Use this resource to learn expert tips on how to leverage the search engines to get high keyword visibility and rankings.

11) Landing Page Optimization: Landing pages are essential for today’s online marketing. A landing page lets you customize a campaign to a specific audience and helps drive traffic back to your Web site.

12) Yahoo! search marketing: Pay Per Click ads can be your best friend when used effectively. Identify the best keywords for your blog or Web site and then work with Yahoo! to place PPC ads for even more traffic.

13) Outbound Linking: Of course, don’t just make it all about you. It’s important to have good inbound links but you also have to share the love with the rest of the world, too. Check out this resource to help build successful and meaningful outbound links.