Putting the Search Engines to work to help attract new customers may just be the growth tool your company needs. Multi-national companies spend heavily on SEO programs so that their product web sites and pages will be presented frequently to prospective customers. But SEO is not just for the big firms. Smaller organizations too, can attract new customers utilizing their unique understanding of local customer purchasing habits.
So the question arises Who can profit from a Search Engine Optimization program? The simple answer is that anyone can benefit from a well-optimized web page that attracts traffic. But it is worth discussing some of the differences in how SEO may be implemented for different types of organizations.
There are factors that need to be considered when developing an SEO strategy. Different organization types generally require different strategies, so before taking on an SEO effort, take these questions into account. Is your business:
Small or Large? Local or National? Product or Service Oriented (or both)?
Answers to these questions should provide answers into the challenges and type of SEO effort that would be effective.
Small or Large? Of course larger companies can usually afford to invest in an SEO program. Bigger companies have to compete for attention based on a very wide variety of products, price strategies and distribution points. This volume of information simply requires manpower and funding to manage. Optimizing that website to attract traffic requires examination of each individual product sold and presentation of product and service benefits using the web page.
Smaller businesses don’t have anywhere near the SEO budgets found in large companies. Still a website is highly effective for these enterprises if it can be focused on the unique qualities offered. Location, understanding of local buyer behavior and local support or service can all be inexpensively presented on the web page as unique assets or advantages that the local company provides. People prefer to buy from people they know. Small companies can present ownership information and make local buyers comfortable with the business relationship much more than large companies. This can be a huge advantage over the mega-chains.
Local or National? Global organizations usually have extensive central websites and enjoy consistent traffic with many external links already established. Larger companies such as these generally need to attract a lot of search traffic for competitive phrases. These companies though, usually have a high number of products and services – each of which requires its own, separately optimized product page. Optimization efforts then focus the web message around product features for each product page.
Organizations that do not have existing high-traffic websites require a different strategy. Link building in particular needs to the central focus of the SEO plan in the early stages to get the website recognized and indexed on the search engines. Further link-building then establishes the page as significantly relevant. Link building differs from large SEO projects in that they should include a location parameter or value for the local business. Searches for “refrigerators” will return links to websites owned by major manufacturers. Searches for “SEO Consultants in Denver” will return pages for local SEO consultants in the Denver area. Larger firms typically do not compete effectively on a local level, so this could be a significant advantage in drawing relevant traffic.
Product or Service? The web page message strategy should certainly include the value provided by the organization through its product or services. Product web pages can offer a wide variety of product feature detail, functional specifications and other pertinent product facts. Many organizations offer product pages specifically for certain product families. These pages can be uniquely optimized individually to attract the attention of people looking to purchase the products. This applies to all sizes of organizations. Product and support features are very important to present to prospective customers.
Companies that primarily provide a service must rely on the value statement even more as a focus of the SEO message strategy. Saving time or money using the offered service is a sound economic argument to make, but the service company has to state and re-state the value proposition over and over again and in multiple ways; ways prospective clients and customers understand. A useful strategy includes stating the value proposition in the form of questions that customers might ask.
Nearly every commercial enterprise type can use SEO to develop new revenue streams and win new customers. An effective SEO program though, requires a specialized message strategy developed specifically for the individual business or organization. As no two businesses are identical, the SEO strategies will not be identical to others in the market place. So, careful consideration of these and other questions about the type of organization will determine what would be the most effective way to use the Search Engines to bring in more sales and revenue.
SEO Consultants in Denver assists businesses win new clients using the search engines. Learn more about Low Cost SEO in Denver!
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