Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing your website and website pages, as well as managing factors outside of your website (i.e off-site factors), to acheive top rankings or positioning at Google, or other search engines, on a search engine results page.

As a result of this increased online visibility, which shows up in people’s browsers when they are searching, you get more QUALITY traffic to your website, increase your brand/company awareness, more effectively compete in the marketplace,  and ultimately increase inquiries and sales (i.e. conversion).

Many of the people I’ve talked to think just building a website and getting online will be the key to new sales and business growth. This is bad thinking and actually a mistake.

It’s not a mistake because I say so.

It’s a mistake because dozens of people have called me who tried that approach and it didn’t work. So now, they’ve been online for six to sixteen months, have little to show for it, and have a new problem - they’re six to sixteen months behind their competition. Playing catch-up on the Internet is not fun.

Q: Would you open up a new restaurant and then not advertise, market, and promote it - and it’s location?

A: No, certainly not.

But that same logic seems to get lost on the Internet.

I think it’s because in days gone by there was this mentality that the Internet was free - and a lot of people are stuck with it. Sure, it sounds good, but it’s not true.

Add onto that bogus success stories about online success and even infomercials at wee hours of the morning promising Internet millions while you “sit back, it’s on auto-pilot” on the Internet Marketing Speedway… ouch.

Here is why you probably want to develop and implement a search engine optimization strategy for your business website:

1) More Sales

2) More Leads

3) You Make It Easier For Your Existing Customers To Find You

4) You Make It Easier For NEW Customers To Find You

5) Your Existing Customer Expect To Find You

6) Don’t Let Your Existing Customer Find Your Competition (you lose sales)

7) More Visibility For Your Company, Brand, Products and Services

8) Reaching New Customers From Outside Your General Marketplace

9) Enhanced Credibility and Legitimacy

10) Testing New Products

11) Competition

12) Gives You Competitive Advantage

13) Predictable Costs

14)  Measurable ROI

15) Long Term Benefits