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Tag: small business owner

  • SEO Factor » Blog Archive » » 5 Tips to Prepare For the Common Questions

    5 December 2008 No Comment

    If I ever meet Daryl Mather of ConsultingPulse.com, I’m going to buy him a beer. We just had a nice debate about the legitimacy of SEO, and I was reminded of a lot of concerns people have that I haven’t heard in a long time.

    You see, for the last few years I’ve been involved in larger, corporate sites. These are directed by people that have a much greater understanding of marketing overall than your average small business, and they know fully the power of a proper online marketing campaign. They have likely gone through the “pfft..SEO” phase, and understand and agree with the need for optimization and promotion of their site. But that isn’t the norm.

    It seems as though I’ve forgotten what it was like to speak with people that weren’t convinced that an optmization strategy was needed. As I’m jumping back into the small business game, it was really nice to be reminded that there is a whole group of business owners out there that aren’t as likely to have heard of SEO before, much less pick it up just from my explanation. So, it makes good sense to have answers to some common questions.

    You’ve probably already heard the common questions before, so we won’t go over them here. I’ll post on them as time goes on. Instead, here are some tips on answering the concerns of a small business owner without losing your mind.

    1. Be Confident
    When you offer your services to a small business owner, they will have a lot of questions. As unwitting as they may sound when talking Internet stuff, don’t be fooled. Small or big, these are still business owners. They want the best for their business and the last thing they want to hear when discussing a topic that is already so mysterious to a person that doesn’t speak with confidence.

    This would be bad:

    BizGuy: So what is the first thing you will be doing for us?
    SEOGuy: Well, umm…we will have to resaerch your keywords.

    BizGuy: My keywords?
    SEOGuy: Yeah, uhh….these are ummm…the words that people will use in Google to find you. Umm…in the search engines I mean. All of them. Not just Google. Umm…Yahoo! too.

    BizGuy: Ummm?
    SEOGuy: I uhhhh…

    BizGuy: You uhhh what?
    SEOGuy: I mean ummm.

    BizGuy: I ummm think I should just get a Yellow page listing.
    SEOGuy: Ummm…hello?

    2. Know Your Answers May Be Different
    SEO is like a fine wine. No, wait. SEO is like a box of chocolates. Hmmm. SEO is…well…different. It’s different for everybody actually. Sure, there are some basic rules most of us follow, but after that we all have our own little processes and techniques. Be ready to explain that fact. If you are the third or fourth SEO a company has contacted, they will see the trend of slightly varying answers.

    BizGuy: So you think we should add some pages? The last guy said my site was fine.
    SEOGuy: Well, he was right. However, I prefer to categorize the content on a site to focus on a wide range of keyword types; both competitive and long-tail.

    BizGuy: Wait, I was told we should only go for the long-tail because anything else would be too competitive.
    SEOGuy: This isn’t incorrect, but wouldn’t you rather be afforded the luxury of both?

    BizGuy: Sure, but the other guy seemed like a single focus is best.
    SEOGuy: I would agree that a singe focus can be a great strategy, I just prefer to run a campaign this way for a wider range of visibility.

    BizGuy: What’s the right way?
    SEOGuy: There isn’t really a “right” way as long as you have a good SEO on your side. We all work differently towards the same goals.

    BizGuy: I see. You mean like fine wine or a box of chocolates?
    SEOGuy: Exactly.

    3. Don’t Get Angry
     Explaining the same thing over and over can be frustrating. It gets exhausting answering the exact same question every time you pick up the phone or have to write an email. But you have to remember, the person you are talking to is probably hearing this stuff for the very first time. This can all be very confusing, especially if you’ve heard a lot of horror stories. Add to that the fact that any good business owner knows to ask a lot of questions and fully understand what you are getting into before you make a commitment for your business. The last thing they want to hear is you getting angry or frustrated.

    Take a deep breathe

    This would be bad:

    BizGuy: So wait, can you explain this whole link building thing again?
    SEOGuy: Sigh, look you need links to your site.

    BizGuy: But why?
    SEOGuy: Because it will help you rank.

    BizGuy: I don’t understand why that would be the thing to make my site rank.
    SEOGuy: Dude, cus’ I say so.

    BizGuy: Wow, I’m gonna go with the SEO that isn’t wearing cranky pants.
    SEOGuy: Pfft, whatever.

    4. Don’t Get Personal
     It’s going to happen. You’re going to be approached buy a guy with a website built by his third cousin who is going to school for “computers.” It’s going to be bad. Really bad. You’re going to have to tell your potential client this. But beware, the last thing you want to advise is that his third cousin should consider chaning majors.

    This would be good:

    BizGuy: Yeah, I like my site. My third cousing built it. He’s going to school for computers.
    SEOGuy: I see. Well, I really like th eheader image at the top. He’s on the path to becoming a good designer.

    BizGuy: Really? Thanks!
    SEOGuy: Keep in mind that design is a little different. The stuff we look at deals with the search engines in more detail.

    BizGuy: I see. So he wouldn’t have done any of that stuff?
    SEOGuy: Not so much as a designer, but if he would like to continue his education, he may want to hear about what you are going to learn.

    BizGuy: So he won’t be the “smart computer guy” at this Christmas’ dinner?
    SEOGuy: Not the only one at least.

    BizGuy: Cool.
    SEOGuy: Cool indeed.

    5. Be Honest
     Someting else about business owners. They are getting smarter and better by the minute. Communication is so open and information is so easy to get that lying to gain a client is becoming more difficult. Why not just tell the truth? If you don’t know something, it may be better to just come out and say it. This will help you set the right expectations in the beginning instead of taking on a designer’s site that claims to have a very old domain, making a statment over the phone, then finding later that “old” apparently means a few weeks.

    This would be good:

    BizGuy: So, when can I expect to be on page 1? How much traffic will I get?
    SEOGuy: Well, these are very broad questions and have no definite answers.

    BizGuy: So you don’t know?
    SEOGuy: Nope. Actually, nobody knows. But that’s what we do. We will research your site and industry as best we can, and implement the best strategy.

    BizGuy: I like your honesty. This other guy made a few promises I wasn’t too sure of.
    SEOGuy: Yeah, I think it would be better to build a long relationship on trust than just take your money and run.

    Seriously Though
     These example conversations are meant in fun, but I hope you see the points. A small business owner will have a ton of questions, and it’s best to learn to handle them before they are sprung on you. This will help to prove that you are the guy or gal for the job, and that you will handle the job professionally.

    It’s Friday. Have a good day and safe weekend everyone.

  • SEO Factor » Blog Archive » » The Company

    3 November 2008 8 Comments

    Wanna get in on a little secret? Yeah, I bet you do. Well I have a little secret. Actually, its not really as much a secret as it is a self-perceived blemish on my record. There is something that I was a part of that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that, when there’s too much quiet time, weighs on my mind quite a bit. Something that, when I hear about from another person, makes my blood boil with anger. Something that, when I’m working, is an extremely powerful driving force behind what I do, second only to my family. So what is it? It is The Company.

    I’ve discussed my workings with The Company before in passing, but never by name. I’ve never written their company name in a blog post or article. I’ve actually only spoken about them either in person, or written about them in very vague terms. Why do I not mention their name? Because soon, they will be in direct competition, and the last thing I need is their better lawyers coming at me (we can play like that later).

    Also, this is the only warning I’m giving that this post may rant off or become incoherent. I don’t get to vent about The Company, and when I do speak of them, I have to do so in a positive manner (I am a professional, you know).

    My First Days as an SEO
    Take a step back in time with me, will you? My younger career was that of a call center jockey. Outbound sales, customer care, tech support; I’ve done it all. That was my job, wherever I went, and in the days of little to no responsibility, it paid enough and kept up with my laziness.

    One day, I start a customer service job for a “website design” company. Being a computer guy, I had played with HTML before, so nothing was out of sorts with this job. This company (from no on known as “The Company”) also offered Internet marketing. That’s interesting, how do market on the Internet? With SEO, that’s how. What a really neat concept. Gaining rankings in Google, and on purpose!

    Because this concept of gaining rankings on purpose was so intriguing to me, it was merely months before I was THE SEO for the company. But let’s take just one more step back before I get into the mushroom cloud rant I’m about to get into.

    My job was simple. Customer calls in, we talk about their website, I tell them what to do to gain rankings. Neat. After about a month of talking a bunch of lines that had been given to me by The Company, I started to wonder if it was really that easy to rank in Google. Surely its a bit more difficult than adding a few keywords, but that’s what I was telling my customers.

    I started learning. I started to read forums (that was the thing back then) and a few blogs (that was new back then). I started to take part in discussions about rankings. I even started a site of my own. Oh how reality bit me in the ass (first time I’ve ever cussed on this site, mark it down).

    I realized that you can’t just change a few keywords and call it a day. There’s more to it. And where the hell (that’s 2, I think) were these keywords coming from? We never did any research.

    I diplomatically voiced my “hey, I think there’s more to it” concerns, and I became the SEO for The Company. Soon, it was my job to return the calls of the customers that either weren’t happy with the answers they received from customer care, or of the websites that just didn’t rank. Wanna take a quick stab at guessing how quickly and to what degree my work piled up? Alas, I was the guy saving the day. I would call these people, and advise on things they should be doing to rank better. And it was working. I had done enough research to get some decent results (decent at best. Not as good now as they seemed then). But there was a piece to this puzzle that bugged me. The service The Company was selling didn’t make any sense.

    400
    That’s how many search engines The Company submitted your site to. Yup, it was one of those companies. In reality, that was the best part of their service. Sure, they had a ton of marketing speak, but there was nothing to it. If you were a customer, you paid your monthly bill and had no idea that you were being ripped off. You could call customer support, and they would answer your question (with extremely low integrity), and you would think all was well.

    The Fights
    I think I still hold the record for “most time spent in the VPs office” at The Company. I would collect a bunch of cases, fight with management on the crap we were telling people, spend a few hours making reports, then repeat. It never ended. I was almost fired for sending an email to the entire customer care team stating that “if any customer calls for SEO advice, tell them I will call them back. Do not under any circumstance discuss SEO with our clients.” Well, it was their job to discuss SEO with our clients, and management was upset, to say the least (the email came from me, so everyone listened, and it was funny to see the calls pile up). These fights were useless.

    My Part
    “Single handedly I would make this company a better place. I swear it.” That’s what I thought. I honestly thought I could take all comers, educate them and get them something that would resemble SEO success. This actually had a chance at working. Customer care even took to my rule as best as they could. However, this just wasn’t logistically sound. The calls piled up and the appointments were missed. It didn’t work.

    You Get The Idea
    I think you understand enough about The Company. Plainly put, they were the crap company that sold a nice, big helping of snake oil.

    SEO Factor
    While working for The Company, I decided to start my own service. I would offer an affordable solution with a real return. This turned out very well for me (you’re reading my blog, aren’t you?). I pulled in a few clients, and was on my way to becoming a real company. Unfortunately, The Company was not happy about this. The things I preached on my blog were not something they could risk their clients seeing (it didn’t help that I directed customers to specific posts to answer questions). I was asked several times to close this site (that didn’t site well with me).

    The Guilt
    I would like to say that as soon as I realized what type of company I worked for, I got up from my desk, flicked the owner off, and walked away. The truth is, it was a long time before I left. I knew fully to what extent we were lying to people, and I had seen too many extreme cases in which our actions certainly ruined businesses. I had even lied to some small business owner myself; “sure you can cancel, but your rankings are going to drop.”

    I know this sounds cheesy, but I feel incredibly guilty when I think about my work at The Company. I know I’m supposed to be more business-minded, but at the end of the day, I’m still young and idealistic. I remember all the good people I had spoken to and convinced to keep the service because it was good for the online visibility. Eventually, this did indeed lead to my leaving. And I’m happy I did.

    Why Am I Writing This Post
    Well, I got tired of specifically writing myself in circles when I spoke about The Company. This post will serve as a reference when I speak about them. Also, I would like to let people know where I’m coming from when I speak with such passion about these crap services. And finally, I am in the middle of starting a company that will be in direct competition with The Company. It’s been a couple of years since I left The Company, and they have had plenty of time to change things (at least that can be their rebuttal if it ever comes up). I think its fair game now.

    Also, believe it or not, people from the company still call me. They still want to offer me a job. I really don’t know why, but they do. So, when I get emails from them, I think it would be a simpler to just link to this post.

    I’m going to release more information on the new company soon, but for now, just know that we plan to offer affordable services to small business owners, that coincidently isn’t a complete ripoff. This is going to be difficult. The Company has access to a lot of money, and every time I turn around they buy another company. Difficult to compete with that. However, I have something they don’t. As destructive as passion and ideals can be if you let them, I use my ideals and passion to push me. I guess that’s one good thing that came from The Company. A desire to go at them.

    In Closing
    I highly doubt I will ever speak directly about The Company. Like I said, they have a lot of money, and it wouldn’t take much of it for them and their lawyers to shut me down; regardless of what is right or wrong. And in the end, any negative comments from me would be viewed as those of a disgruntled employee. So, instead, I’ll be a bit more constructive.

    I’m coming for you, The Company. And I’ve got fire in my eyes.

  • My Post on AnyWired

    I recently wrote an article for Skellie of Anywired.com on 7 Signs of SEO Scams. It was posted yesterday, and I would like to direct my readers to it. It was a post on SEO offers that should be noted as signs of a scam. It’s on Anywired because the blog caters to the entrepreneur, and these are the people most likely to be offered such fantastic “services.”

    So head on over and check it out. Any spreading of the common signs of an SEO scam will only help educate the small business owner, and better the perception of the SEO community.

    With this, and any other post, please read the disclaimer.

  • Optimize For The Eyes, Nots The Bots

    I know the title sounds a little weird, but it rhymes, so it must be true.

    This was an article that I wrote for Andy Beal’s contest (PDF) a couple of years ago. Looking back, I would like to re-write it, as there are just a few points I would say differently now. I’m not too sure if I was trying to appeal to the audience, but some of the statements I made don’t really make sense.

    I was looking through some old posts to rehash and repost to appeal to the budding SEO or small business owner looking for information. This was an idea that I had, and still have, about the SEO process. Obviously, we are tasked to gain rankings, but there is a lot more to it; and getting too wrapped up in “rankings” can in fact end in us neglecting the bigger picture (which is creating and having better overall websites). So, I give you the updated version of an old article.

    What does ‘SEO’ mean? Search Engine Optimization, duh. No, no. What does it meeeaaan? It means ‘to optimize a site for search engines.’ Sigh. I guess that’s pretty close, but going with that thought alone can actually land you in a bit of trouble.

    We often talk on SEO and what the searchers are looking for, how they are acting, how to optimize a site, etc. But we often neglect a very important idea. Simply optimizing a site for the search engines isn’t really the best idea. If we do that and that alone, then we won’t likely find success in our business endeavor. We would then neglect our clients’ needs and/or any help that we might provide to the online community.

    Optimizing a site for the sole benefit of the search engines could result in spam or content that sounds too repetitive because we are trying to make sure our keywords are on the homepage a certain number of times to achieve ‘density.’ We may end up getting tons of links to and from areas that are less than acceptable because we keep thinking that ‘Link Popularity’ means ‘get as many as we can.’ We may end up in jail because every time we walk into Albertsons we keep hearing ‘It’s your store.’ So, what should we be doing?

    Yes, SEO means ‘to optimize a site for search engines,’ but we should be thinking of it as ‘optimizing a site, so as to show search engines what the site is about and how it can help the
    online community/consumer.’ If you have relevant copy on your site, you will likely be using your desired search terms sufficiently anyway. If you have relevant and helpful text on your site, you will get quality inbound links from other sites simply on merit. If you just remember that it’s just a jingle, your hands won’t become idle and attempt to steal your favorite candy bar.

    In closing, we shouldn’t be making and optimizing sites for the search engines alone. Consider the site and its visitors. Given proper content and quality, the optimization-for-ranking efforts will get the visitors. Yes, optimize the site for the crawlers. Make sure you aren’t doing anything too spammy. Correct errors. Clean up the code. Make proper use of header tags and meta tags. But do this for your visitors, not just the search engines. The search engines will love you for it.

    With this, and any other post, please read the disclaimer.