Search Engine Optimization Consulting

by Brandon Cornett

So you've been researching ways to get more business from web, and you found out about something called search engine optimization consulting services. It's a mouthful, to be sure, but what does it mean? In this post, I'll explain SEO consulting services are, how they can help you, and how to choose a competent search engine optimization company.

In order to understand what these consulting companies do, you must first understand the nature of search engine optimization (SEO). In essence, the goal of these programs is to help you improve your website's ranking in the major search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask. Actually, the ultimate goal of an SEO program is to increase the number of qualified visitors to your website. In this context, "qualified" means people who are most likely to need your products and/or services.

So when you seek search engine optimization consulting services, you are seeking a company who can help you boost your website's visibility and traffic levels. That's the nature of what these companies do. Now let's talk about how they do it. Or at least, how they should do it.

SEO Consulting Tools of the Trade

Essentially, search engine optimization boils down to three main components -- link popularity, website content, and overall website structure. I know that a lot of SEO consulting firms will argue with me on this point, but that's only because it's in their business interest to argue the point.

You see, the last thing a search engine optimization consulting company wants you to know is how fundamentally simple it is to increase your rankings. They want you to think it's a highly technical, overly complex field ... that way you'll be more inclined to hire them for their services.

I never fool my clients into thinking SEO is beyond their ability. My clients come to me not because they can't perform SEO work, but because they don't have the time or desire to do it. But I digress. Back to the subject at hand...

So with those primary components of SEO in mind, it makes sense that a search engine consulting firm should be able to help you with these things. They should be able to increase you link popularity (the quantity and quality of other websites that link to yours), as well as your website content and structure. So when screening these companies, be sure to ask what they will do to help you in these areas.

Search Engine Optimization Consulting - Or Legwork?

You should also find out how much of the actual production work a consulting firm is going to do for you. This is something that varies widely from one firm to another. For example, some search engine optimization consultants provide the direction, but not the actual legwork. They might tell you to expand your content around certain phrases, but they'll leave the actual writing up to you.

Other SEO consultants will provide the direction as well as the production work. This is the category we fall into. We explain to a client what they need to do in order to improve their website rankings ... and then we help them execute that plan. Sometimes it means writing content. Sometimes it means building up their link profile or fixing optimization problems on the website.

I hope this guide to search engine optimization consulting helps you make smart choices when hiring an SEO consultant. Good luck.

Small Business Website Success - David vs Goliath

by Brandon Cornett

Can your small business website compete with the "big dogs" online? Sure it can. That's the great thing about the Internet. Here's how to go about it...

With the right approach, your small business can outperform larger competitors online. It's like the old tale of David versus Goliath. In this article, I'll explain how you can use the Internet as an equalizer.

In the old tale of David versus Goliath, the hero used his cunning and his aim to defeat a much larger opponent. Here's how your small business can do the same thing online...

From a business standpoint, the Internet serves as an equalizer between small companies and large corporations. You see it all the time. A small company will work hard to grow its Internet presence, and before long that business is competing with the "giants" of its industry for web traffic and sales.

The Internet as Equalizer

Online, it does not matter how large your budget is, or how long you've been in business. It only matters how effectively you drive traffic to your website, and how well you capitalize on that traffic. This is what I love about the Internet, and it's what I strive to teach others.

For instance, I have a real estate website that ranks up there with the largest corporate sites in the major search engines like Google. It also provides just as much content as the big corporate-owned sites. They have budgets and staffs that make mine seem insignificant -- I'm just one guy who happens to be passionate about web publishing. But by learning how to be more effective online, I've taken their size out of the equation.

Online, Smarter is Better Than Bigger

You can outperform your larger competitors in a number of ways online, regardless of their marketing budget or staff size. Here are some of the ways you can beat "Goliath" in terms of Internet success:

• By doing more keyword research to find out what phrases your customers are searching online (i.e. search engine optimization).
• By creating more content -- and better content -- built around your list of key phrases and topics (i.e. content development).
• By having a nicer looking website, or a better organized website (i.e. web design and usability).
• By doing a better job converting web traffic into leads and sales (i.e. lead generation).

These are just a few of the ways you can use the Internet as an equalizer between your company and your larger competitors. Online, nobody cares how much money you spend on your marketing program ... or how many people it took to create your website ... or how long you've been in business. They care about products and services that help them achieve their goals. If your website does a better job of presenting those products and services than the websites of the "giants" in your industry, then so be it.

In our current web-based economy, the Internet can make or break a company -- especially a small or medium-sized business. Good search engine rankings alone can easily triple a company's sales. That's how powerful the Internet can be for your small business. And if you work hard and build a strong web presence, there's no reason you can't slay some giants.

I hope this article has given you the motivation needed to take your Internet success to new heights. If you'd like some practical advice on what to do next, refer to the website listed below.

Brandon Cornett is the author of many articles and e-books on small business website success and similar topics. Learn more about this topic by visiting http://www.austinseoguy.com/small-biz