October 19, 2009
What SEM Can Do For Your Business
So what do SEO/SEM companies offer, anyway?
There are many bloggers, article writers, web developers and business owners out there who think search engine marketing (SEM) isn't something anyone should pay for. They believe search marketing - like any other type of marketing - is something you can read up on and learn how to do yourself. But, as I'm sure we all know, some things are best left to the experts.
Is search marketing for everyone? Of course not. Neither is social media. Neither is purchasing space on a highway billboard. It all depends on business marketing goals.
Danny Sullivan said,
But, Can't I Create My Own Site/PPC Campaign?
Any Tom, Dick or Harry can zip out to GoDaddy and purchase a domain with hosting, then start a web site on Wordpress and write the content. Heck, they can even create an Adwords account and bid on some keywords. Hey, if that's all a business owner needs, then super. But, are they aware of the finer points of entering into the 'conversation' Danny alludes to? Sure, they've saved money and have the pride of building their own site. The reality is, if a web site is intended to be more than an online business card, there's more to it - a LOT more - than that.
Are SEMs offering some magical service no one else can do? Of course not...but this IS something we do every day, and for those of us who adhere to best practices, we're offering a service which can be very effective for a company's bottom line and takes much less time and effort than it does to the small-business owner struggling to learn and do everything himself.
Think of it this way: if someone wants to write up her will, can she take care of that online, with a cheap, do-it-yourself service? Yes. Is it probably smarter to hire a lawyer well-versed in the law to ensure everything is done correctly? Absolutely. An even simpler analogy: are we all capable of hand-washing our clothes? Indeed, but I've yet to come across one of my friends who doesn't own a washer and dryer. Why? Because who's got the time dedicated to do as good a job as a Maytag?
So, what DOES an SEM company offer you - the small business owner, the veterinarian, the health and safety consultant agency? Lots of experience in a marketing niche, proven results, data to back it all up and peace of mind.
There are many bloggers, article writers, web developers and business owners out there who think search engine marketing (SEM) isn't something anyone should pay for. They believe search marketing - like any other type of marketing - is something you can read up on and learn how to do yourself. But, as I'm sure we all know, some things are best left to the experts.
Is search marketing for everyone? Of course not. Neither is social media. Neither is purchasing space on a highway billboard. It all depends on business marketing goals.
Danny Sullivan said,
Search engines are where people go to seek information. They express what they want using their own words. They’re having a conversation with that search engine, and part of the conversation back comes from the web sites that hear what they say and speak the same language.
But, Can't I Create My Own Site/PPC Campaign?
Any Tom, Dick or Harry can zip out to GoDaddy and purchase a domain with hosting, then start a web site on Wordpress and write the content. Heck, they can even create an Adwords account and bid on some keywords. Hey, if that's all a business owner needs, then super. But, are they aware of the finer points of entering into the 'conversation' Danny alludes to? Sure, they've saved money and have the pride of building their own site. The reality is, if a web site is intended to be more than an online business card, there's more to it - a LOT more - than that.
Are SEMs offering some magical service no one else can do? Of course not...but this IS something we do every day, and for those of us who adhere to best practices, we're offering a service which can be very effective for a company's bottom line and takes much less time and effort than it does to the small-business owner struggling to learn and do everything himself.
Think of it this way: if someone wants to write up her will, can she take care of that online, with a cheap, do-it-yourself service? Yes. Is it probably smarter to hire a lawyer well-versed in the law to ensure everything is done correctly? Absolutely. An even simpler analogy: are we all capable of hand-washing our clothes? Indeed, but I've yet to come across one of my friends who doesn't own a washer and dryer. Why? Because who's got the time dedicated to do as good a job as a Maytag?
So, what DOES an SEM company offer you - the small business owner, the veterinarian, the health and safety consultant agency? Lots of experience in a marketing niche, proven results, data to back it all up and peace of mind.
October 16, 2009
SEO: It's Not Snake Oil
I'm sure by now you know all about Derek Powazek and his temper-tantrum-like rant against SEOs as "evildoers, spammers and opportunists" and the resulting wrist-slap-meets-training article offered up by Danny Sullivan.
While it might seem like adding more peanut butter to an already evenly-spread PBJ sandwich, here are ThinkSEM's thoughts on Derek's extremely distorted view of search engine marketers - and their alleged attempts to con everyone with a website - and our reasons why SEO is not snake oil.
"Search Engine Optimization is not a legitimate form of marketing."
According to Wikipedia, marketing is an integrated communications-based process through which individuals and communities are informed or persuaded that existing and newly-identified needs and wants may be satisfied by the products and services of others.
In regards to SEO, the communication occurs via a company's website, which offers goods, services, etc. Just like in any type of marketing, shortcuts can be taken, sales people can fenagle and bedazzle, and prices can be inflated. So, SEO is just like other forms of marketing - there are the good, the bad and the ugly. As a consumer looking to hire out for this service, it's up to each business to do their research - as in anything - to determine the best SEO to help them out.
"If someone charges you for SEO, you have been conned."
Wow. If A = B and B = C, then this means ThinkSEM (along with every other SEO practitioner in the world) cons people? Odd, since we have plenty of happy clients who've complimented our services and told us what a great job we've done. Doesn't feel like con work...wait, because it's not! It's perfectly normal for businesses to pay for SEO services. Not every company has an in-house online marketer, just like most businesses don't employ their own PR people, their own creative directors, or their own web designers. It's not snake oil; it's just smart business sense.
While it might seem like adding more peanut butter to an already evenly-spread PBJ sandwich, here are ThinkSEM's thoughts on Derek's extremely distorted view of search engine marketers - and their alleged attempts to con everyone with a website - and our reasons why SEO is not snake oil.
"Search Engine Optimization is not a legitimate form of marketing."
According to Wikipedia, marketing is an integrated communications-based process through which individuals and communities are informed or persuaded that existing and newly-identified needs and wants may be satisfied by the products and services of others.
In regards to SEO, the communication occurs via a company's website, which offers goods, services, etc. Just like in any type of marketing, shortcuts can be taken, sales people can fenagle and bedazzle, and prices can be inflated. So, SEO is just like other forms of marketing - there are the good, the bad and the ugly. As a consumer looking to hire out for this service, it's up to each business to do their research - as in anything - to determine the best SEO to help them out.
"If someone charges you for SEO, you have been conned."
Wow. If A = B and B = C, then this means ThinkSEM (along with every other SEO practitioner in the world) cons people? Odd, since we have plenty of happy clients who've complimented our services and told us what a great job we've done. Doesn't feel like con work...wait, because it's not! It's perfectly normal for businesses to pay for SEO services. Not every company has an in-house online marketer, just like most businesses don't employ their own PR people, their own creative directors, or their own web designers. It's not snake oil; it's just smart business sense.
Is it true that anyone can do search engine optimization, thus negating the need to hire this service out? Absolutely. Yet, do most businesses have someone on their staff who learns SEO and becomes adept at it? It's most likely very rare. The same can be said for web design and development. Is it perfectly reasonable to assume someone can learn the basics of design concepts in PhotoShop and take an HTML course or two to learn how to put together a functioning website? Of course. Again, do most businesses have someone who learns this from scratch to do it full-time? Of course not. So, Derek, while to some people - those adept at search optimization techniques - the advice might be 'obvious,' to the average layperson or business owner it's NOT obvious. Which is why they hire the service out.
"SEO is poisoning the web...the most effective way to game Google's ranking algorithm is to plant links on as many sites as possible, all pointing to your site."
First of all, SEO isn't poisoning anything. The whole premise of SEO is to connect search engine users with the most relevant results possible. It's very simple. If you offer services or products, you use good content to describe them on your site. You build the site to be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and easily found by search engines.
Now, about gaming Google's algorithm. I'd say that a) it's going to be very difficult and b) if you're caught, you'll be penalized. What Derek doesn't know is that merely acquiring mass quantities of links from any old website isn't going to work.
There ARE some SEOs out there who try to 'game' the system, sure. Those are the people looking for a quick fix, and they're most likely going to get caught and penalized for what they're doing. That being said, there will always be 'black hat' ways to go about website promotion. Circa 1997, it was the keywords meta tag; soon search engines started ignoring that. Then it was cloaking and white-on-white text, and within the past couple of years it was link farming, which doesn't work, either.
"Make something great. Tell people about it. Do it again."
This is the one piece of good advice Derek does have. Thing is, he goes on to further describe how to do this:
Make something you believe in. Then tell people about it. Start with your friends. Send them a personal note – not an automated blast from a spam cannon. Post it to your Twitter feed, email list, personal blog. It’ll take time. A lot of time. But it works. And it’s the only thing that does.
While it's a method which can prove successful, what he's touting here is marketing via social media sites...which is not website optimization. Then to say it's the only marketing that works proves the lack of cognizance about the search industry. But, that's our opinion. What do you think - is SEO snake oil or legit?
October 11, 2009
Contact Information
ThinkSEM can be reached during the business hours of 8am—6pm central time at (612) 208-8SEM. If you have questions or comments after our business hours, or if you prefer email, please email us. One of our representatives will contact you within 1—2 business days.
October 10, 2009
Minnesota Search Marketing Company
ThinkSEM Consulting, LLC:
Your Minneapolis/St. Paul Search Marketing Company.
Who we are: we’re a small group who likes to act big. We’re the behind-the-scenes geeks who make cool things happen online.
At ThinkSEM, we don’t offer cookie-cutter packages. Our focus is helping clients achieve their online marketing goals. To accomplish that, we need to understand each and every business like it was our own. From main objectives down to the nitty-gritty details, the consultants at ThinkSEM work with each client to outline the best online approach.
We have decades of combined experience designing customized Internet marketing solutions for a wide range of clients. Staying current as the industry evolves, we’re good at adapting to the latest changes in the Internet marketing landscape. So rest at ease knowing you’re getting not only our best effort, but the latest and greatest of what’s current.
Attract Web Traffic that Matters.
That’s ThinkSEM’s goal – to funnel high-quality traffic to our clients’ websites through the use of search marketing best practices. We don’t want to get you just any traffic; we want you to attract the traffic you need to successfully run your business. It’s not an entirely altruistic idea; when our clients succeed, so do we. While we can consult on a wide variety of online endeavors, here’s some of our core ‘ammo’:
Where We Came From.
What started out as a single SEO guru freelancing in his spare time very soon became a full-fledged business. ThinkSEM is MSN adCenter adExcellence accredited and our staff boasts a Google Adwords Certified Individual, a couple of Search Engine Strategies (SES) speakers and a lot of years, knowledge and experience in search marketing.
Oh, you want to know more about where we literally came from? We're mostly from rural Minnesota – healthy, corn-fed country kids – so we're big on family and small on pride. Probably what gives us our big-cities-offering-meets-small-town-service feel.
Small But Specialized.
ThinkSEM might be a small company, but we’re big enough to handle your toughest search marketing challenge. You won’t have to deal with a lot of account executives and entry levels who don't know how to answer your questions – it’s just us SEM gurus and our love for making your website or PPC campaign the one that stands out in the online crowd.
ThinkSEM. And Think ‘Competitive Advantage.’
At ThinkSEM we value ongoing relationships. Think of it as a partnership; we know our best work – and that of our clients – comes from close collaboration along every step of the way. If you’re interested in a custom online marketing solution for your business, results you can measure, and a long-term relationship with a company who has a vested interested in your success, then ThinkSEM.
Your Minneapolis/St. Paul Search Marketing Company.
Who we are: we’re a small group who likes to act big. We’re the behind-the-scenes geeks who make cool things happen online.
At ThinkSEM, we don’t offer cookie-cutter packages. Our focus is helping clients achieve their online marketing goals. To accomplish that, we need to understand each and every business like it was our own. From main objectives down to the nitty-gritty details, the consultants at ThinkSEM work with each client to outline the best online approach.
We have decades of combined experience designing customized Internet marketing solutions for a wide range of clients. Staying current as the industry evolves, we’re good at adapting to the latest changes in the Internet marketing landscape. So rest at ease knowing you’re getting not only our best effort, but the latest and greatest of what’s current.
Attract Web Traffic that Matters.
That’s ThinkSEM’s goal – to funnel high-quality traffic to our clients’ websites through the use of search marketing best practices. We don’t want to get you just any traffic; we want you to attract the traffic you need to successfully run your business. It’s not an entirely altruistic idea; when our clients succeed, so do we. While we can consult on a wide variety of online endeavors, here’s some of our core ‘ammo’:
- Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) – it’s not just about some keywords and ads. We can help you create a PPC campaign to drive good traffic to your landing pages, and convert that traffic when it gets there. PPC is an ongoing process, and we not only manage the up-front pre- and post-click stages; we delve into performance reports to continually refine those processes.
- Landing page & conversion rate optimization – we can build campaign-specific landing pages and then test them via multivariate or A/B testing to find the best message for attracting quality leads. Fine-tuning the sales funnel allows you to capitalize on those quality leads and increase landing page conversion rates to positively affect the bottom line.
- Search engine optimization (SEO) – we don’t like quick fixes, and we’re sure you don’t either. Our SEO services – including keyword research, SEO copywriting, link building, local search, analytics reporting and consulting services – are built for the long-term success of your website.
- Custom website content – whether you need to dust off an old site's copy writing or start fresh, we’ll work with you to create search-friendly, professional content. We can take it a step further and implement search optimization to help attract qualified visitors.
- Corporate training / speaking – we’re not about to keep all of our expertise to ourselves – we want to share the knowledge. From basic SEO concepts to understanding analytics data, we can help your business take the reins with in-depth SEM training sessions. Also, while we don’t like to brag, we do have good experience talking at some pretty big events. We’d love to come and inform about any SEM topic at your conference, meeting or other event with one or more SEM speakers.
Where We Came From.
What started out as a single SEO guru freelancing in his spare time very soon became a full-fledged business. ThinkSEM is MSN adCenter adExcellence accredited and our staff boasts a Google Adwords Certified Individual, a couple of Search Engine Strategies (SES) speakers and a lot of years, knowledge and experience in search marketing.
Oh, you want to know more about where we literally came from? We're mostly from rural Minnesota – healthy, corn-fed country kids – so we're big on family and small on pride. Probably what gives us our big-cities-offering-meets-small-town-service feel.
Small But Specialized.
ThinkSEM might be a small company, but we’re big enough to handle your toughest search marketing challenge. You won’t have to deal with a lot of account executives and entry levels who don't know how to answer your questions – it’s just us SEM gurus and our love for making your website or PPC campaign the one that stands out in the online crowd.
ThinkSEM. And Think ‘Competitive Advantage.’
At ThinkSEM we value ongoing relationships. Think of it as a partnership; we know our best work – and that of our clients – comes from close collaboration along every step of the way. If you’re interested in a custom online marketing solution for your business, results you can measure, and a long-term relationship with a company who has a vested interested in your success, then ThinkSEM.
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