For a lot of businesses, search engine optimization (SEO) lies somewhere between rolling the dice and voodoo. They’re never sure if it worked and they sure don’t know how it works!
Some business people are pretty skeptical of the benefits that SEO delivers, and wonder what they’re really getting for the money they spend on SEO professionals.
Some of that skepticism is, unfortunately, well deserved. You can waste a lot of money on search engine optimization efforts that are really nothing more than an attempt to “outsmart” the Google algorithm (Good luck with that!).
Here’s the thing: Search Engine Optimization is important. According to Inc.com, “A whopping 86 percent of consumers say search engines are very important in the buying process . . .” Quora.com says that, “65% of respondents used a search engine before making a purchase.”
A lot of the confusion—and skepticism—surrounding SEO is that it all seems just a little bit mysterious. Still, there’s no question that the Internet has changed the way we do business—and that your customers are looking for the products and services you offer online. And that means SEO needs to be something you pay attention to.
That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure you have at least a working knowledge of what real SEO is and how it works. You don’t have to be an expert, but you should know some fundamentals so that someone doesn’t sell you a bill of goods.
We’ve written a number of blog posts about various aspects of SEO that you may find useful. But there’s a resource that we think you might find really helpful to get a broad overview of what SEO is, how it works, and how you can make it work for you.
SEOmoz offers a very helpful tool called The Beginners Guide to SEO. You can read this helpful guide onlinefor free (a downloadable PDF is also available). Or if you’d rather chat with someone individually, shoot me an email—I’ll be happy to talk to you.
Blog Post Written by Spencer Powell
Spencer is the Inbound Marketing Director at TMR Direct. Spencer specializes in helping clients create and execute effective inbound marketing campaigns.