Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:56:20 +0000

Three of the most hated letters in marketing might just be: S-E-O. Search rose again in 2009, meaning we are not searched out and yes, Google will be self aware in a few years.

Yesterday Peter Shankman wrote an ode to SEO (search engine optimization) on his blog, arguing:

“Search Engine Optimization WORKS, and if you’re not including it in your marketing plan, you’re not truly marketing.”

ITA. Having an online presence touches on everything: marketing, public relations and social media and much more.

My take on SEO: someone needs something and they go about finding it one of two ways:

1. Ask. They call up a neighbor and ask, “who’s a really good mechanic around here?”  They ask a friend or family member for the best restaurant to try while visiting Walt Disney World.**
   • Catch: The neighbor may be a Facebook buddy, and the questions and answers are out there for the world to see. The trusted colleague may be a LinkedIn connection and know the best, low cost sales inventory software out there that no one talks about.
2. Search. They let their fingers do the typing and enter: “best restaurant in Walt Disney World” or “cheap social media marketing” into Google or Bing or Yahoo.
   • Catch. Search will lead back to online friends and networks anyway, and will call up blogs and message boards and forums. Hyper-local searches will return hits from Yelp and CitySearch. Which is why my local mechanic advertises that “it’s the best reviewed shop online” and why you cannot put all your SEO eggs in the big Google basket alone; people think global, shop local.

Even with a great website, sharp design and fantastic blog content, no one will notice if they can’t find it. You can make the bestest, cheapest widget in the world, but if the Big Three can’t find you when someone searches “widget” you’re in for a tough time.

We all work in SEO, like it or not. Search is only going to get bigger.

Got any SEO tricks to share?

**And for food with an African twist and a killer South African wine list, I’d send you to Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

City: Atlanta

We are searching for a web designer (and developer) to redesign our corporate website. In addition we are looking for long-term assistance to maintain the corporate web site.

We are looking for these experiences and qualifications:

• You have previously designed websites for software or high-tech companies.
• You have good understanding of how to design sites for good natural search capabilities.
• Ideally you have knowledge of how to develop sites where the content can be maintained using Contribute.
• Ideally you have a corporation or LLC.

Enterprise Performance Solutions (“EPS”) is a leading provider of cost management and profitability analysis solutions to large international process manufacturers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company was founded by leading experts in the cost management field with one mission – to provide clients with the most flexible, comprehensive and innovative software solutions, enabling them to more effectively manage costs and increase profitability.

For more information please see www.epsolutions.net


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