WSI Digital Marketing Consultant – We Simplify the Internet

Have you ever been in a social situation, at a party or with a group of people, where there is a lot of talking and different conversations all going on at the same time (I’m sure most of us have) and, at some point you realize that someone is saying something but no one is really listening to them? They might catch your eye, and they might have even been saying something interesting. But you really wanted to hear the rest of the story that Frank was telling about the carpenter, the podiatrist and the politician.

Well, the same thing happens all the time on the internet, too. And just like the party situation, there could be lots of different reasons why. Someone puts their stuff out there on the internet, but no one responds to it. Could it be that…

1. No one was able to find it?
2. People found it but it wasn’t what they were looking for?
3. People found it but it took too much effort?
4. People found it but they didn’t understand it?
5. They found something else that they liked first?
6. They weren’t intrigued enough by it to respond?
7. They couldn’t figure out how to respond?
8. Or some combination of all the above?

If you are looking to put yourself or your business out there on the internet, the best advice that I can give you right here and now is to think of yourself as that person at the party who might be talking when no one is listening. Start by listening to and understanding others first, before you start talking. Make eye contact and only then, after listening, understanding and making eye contact, share your thoughts.

What does this look like when it comes to the internet? Listening to and understanding others first is analogous to doing your homework, checking out your competition, learning as much as possible about if/how others are doing the same thing that you want to do. Making eye contact is similar to developing a strategy, envisioning how your approach to the internet will stand up against your compatriots and/or your competition. And sharing your thoughts is how you make the rubber hit the road, your implementation, resources, technology and final presentation.

Admittedly, there are a lot of different moving parts to building a successful internet presence. On the surface, people may see only a thoughtful blog, or a well designed website. These are just some of the many tools and techniques that we use to establish an internet presence. But what people can not readily see is your strategy, all the gears and pulleys behind the scenes that make everything on the surface work at peak performance.

All of that is Internet Marketing.

Please feel free to post a comment, below, or contact us directly. We’re always happy to answer your questions or help in any way with your Internet Marketing strategy.

The acronym SEO (search engine optimization) has become familiar to many of us. But the term “SEO Junk” may not be as familiar. While others may have seen it used, or even used it themselves, I myself have never seen it in print… until now, that is. So, what is SEO Junk?

I like to think of SEO Junk as a sort of virtual, digital version of the term Space Junk, which gained popularity during the Apollo space missions and generally refers to “the collection of objects in orbit around Earth that were created by humans but no longer serve any useful purpose (wikipedia).” Dead spacecraft and satellites, lost equipment and spent rocket booster sections, for example, can all be referred to as Space Junk.

Now back on Earth, have you ever searched for something online, found a great looking link and clicked on it, only to land on a web page that was not at all what you expected? As a result of their SEO efforts (or lack thereof), the strange website that you landed on got an increase in their traffic statistics. But what did you get? Nothing, nada, waste of time.

If you have experienced the above, you have encountered SEO Junk - tactics aimed at getting you to click on a search result with little or no regard to your true specific needs. Numerous examples of SEO Junk litter the internet like so many dead satellites and spent rocket boosters.

Now suppose you are a business owner and you have a website for your business. Should you care about anything besides the number of people who visit your website on a weekly or monthly basis? Of course! You want as many of those visitors as possible to be directed to exactly what they were searching for, and you want it to be as easy as possible for them to get it from you, to download an article, to request a service or buy a product.

All of this cannot be accomplished with SEO alone. SEO, by itself, is only one part of the puzzle. You ultimately need an integrated plan that includes conversion tactics, communication strategies and is specifically designed to target your ideal customers and to achieve your specific business goals.

Don’t settle for SEO Junk!

Please feel free to add your comments below, or contact me directly to learn more about how to develop a comprehensive online strategy designed specifically to grow your business.