Setting Realistic Optimization Expectations

Often times entrepreneurs get to the end of their financial ropes, and want a consultant to perform a search engine optimization miracle in the hopes of saving their drowning business. So, let's set the record straight on what SEO can and cannot do for you.

First, let me say I am a big fan of seo - I believe that today, your website is basically the marketing hub for your business. Even if you are not doing business online (i.e. selling something) your website serves as your ad center, your communications center, your distribution center, your contact center, and more!

Today, it's very difficult, if not impossible, for a small business to compete without a website. And with your website serving so many functions, it's obvious that people (customers, prospects, vendors, potential JV partners, etc) need to find your site for these functions to be fulfilled.

So I am in no way trying to talk you out of optimizing your site for the best possible traffic. I do, however, want you to be realistic.

Proper optimization will drive more targeted traffic to your site. It will increase your organic traffic (organic traffic is "regular" search traffic, people who click your links from within a Google or Yahoo or MSN link that you did not pay for).

Optimization will also lower your cost per click on your paid search listings (the kind that show up in the highlighted top and right hand side of Google for instance). It will increase your conversion rate on your website (that's the number of people who actually "do" what you want them to do at your site). It will improve your overall exposure and provide a better return on all of your advertising dollars.

Proper optimization will not make you a household name overnight.

Proper optimization is not free. There is a difference between "free" traffic and free services. If you hire a service provider to optimize your website, there will be costs involved for their time, talent and knowledge. If you optimize your site yourself (yes, it is doable!) there will be "costs" involved for your own learning curve and your time. There will also be an opportunity cost involved - the time you spend learning SEO is time you're not spending with clients and revenue generating activities.

Optimization is not a set-it-and-forget activity. In order to maintain search rankings, fresh content must be added to your site at regular intervals, keywords must be reviewed on a regular basis, traffic sources must be studied, click paths must be analyzed, content must be updated.

Optimization will not create immediate bank deposits, per se. You can drive tons and tons of traffic to your site, but if that traffic is confused when they land at your page, if they don't see an immediate benefit to staying at your site, and if you are not capturing their contact information in order to stay in touch with them, your traffic-driving efforts will all be in vain.

Optimization should not be done in a vacuum. Any traffic, design, or optimization changes made to your website must be done in context - any seo consultant who begins the optimization process without a thorough understanding of your business plan and revenue model is doing you a big disservice.

There is a difference in optimizing for an e-commerce site versus a lead generation site versus a marketing hub site. Be sure you have an in-depth conversation with your seo consultant regarding the goals of your website (or be sure you have a thorough understanding of these various models before beginning the seo process yourself).

Please don't get me wrong - I am not in any way doom and gloom about seo. I am very much in favor of optimizing your website to its fullest advantage. But bear in mind that seo is not a cure-all and it can not be done effectively if done out of context.

About the Author:
Karen Scharf is the founder of Modern Image Communications. Her company provides services that include business and marketing plan development, newsletter publication, copywriting services, graphic design, info-product development and strategic planning.

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