Millions of Americans search for service businesses every month. When they conduct those searches, they aren’t looking in newspapers or ads in the hard-copy Yellow Pages. Over the last fifteen years, the Internet has become the dominant technology for local service business searches.
I have been working with SEO / SEM and web design for almost a decade now and I have met literally hundreds of service business owners who have no idea what search engine optimization is or how it is used to help clients find their business online.
9 Components of Good SEO – How to Help Clients Find You
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of gaining visibility for your company on the Internet. It involves a series of activities which include:
analyzing keywords, submitting businesses to online directories, creating meta tags and the right website content, setting up social media accounts, writing and publishing articles, creating press releases, generating incoming web links, blogging (if desired), and creating video (if desired).
I primarily work with businesses in Denver, CO and I talk to business owners in the area every day who have a nice website that cost them thousands of dollars. The problem is that their site is getting virtually no meaningful traffic. That is why SEO is so critically important. Good search engine optimization gives your website the best chance of getting noticed by all those people who need your service.
The SEO Scenario
Imagine that you are given a choice between an incredible website design with mediocre SEO and a mediocre website design with incredible SEO. Which would you choose? Most service business owners I know would take the incredible design. Sadly, they are left with a great looking website that no one sees. It is a wasted investment.
Good Web Design + Good SEO = More Clients
Do yourself a favor and do a search for (your service business) in (your city). If you are a chiropractor in Ogden, UT, do a search for chiropractors in Odgen UT. You get the point. Do you land on the front page or even the front two pages? If not, make a commitment to implementing the 9 Components of Good SEO into your web strategy and help people find your business online.