Getting on the first page of Google and other major search engines is no easy task. It's more than just having a website, more than picking the right keywords and more than putting in meta tags. Your website is only 50% of the process on where the search engines pull up your website. The other 50% is based on your "web presence", outside your website. Find out more about Local Internet Marketing here!
Are you a current business owner who has asked the question, “How do I get my website on the first page of Google and the major search engines?” Most business owners don’t know that traditional media ad spending is down across the board. Television advertising, radio, newspaper and magazines are down an average of approximately 13% in 2009. Before you try to figure out how to get your website on the first page of search engines, let’s establish why you need to get your website on the first page of search engines. Here are some important statistics you should know:
1. In 2006, less than 30% of consumers used search engines to find local businesses. Now, in 2010, over 82% of consumers use search engines to find local businesses.
2. In 2006 there were approximately 2.6 BILLION searches on the search engines every month. Now, there are over 32 BILLION searches every month with about 13 Billion of those being local searches.
3. Over 90% of consumers do not go past the first page when performing a search.
4. An estimated 70% of the consumers that click on a result in the Natural/Organic section of first page.
5. Internet ad spending rose in 2009 by approximately 12% while traditional media dropped on average of 13%.
6. Google, Yahoo and Bing generate over 93% of all online searches with Google leading the way with over 60%.
These statistics show the importance of being on the first page of the search engines. That’s great but… just being on the first page is a very vague term. Being on the first page in front of your “pre-qualified” potential customers is the key. You want to be in front of potential customers that are searching for your products and/or services in the areas you desire to generate new business leads and traffic to your website. If you can accomplish this, you can watch the new business leads pour in. Is this an easy task? No! Is this possible? Yes!
Traditional Media VS Online Search
It’s hard for business owners to let go of traditional advertising like TV, Radio, Newspaper, Yellow Pages, Billboards and more. They have worked for them in the past and they think they are going to continue to work at the same level that they did 5 years ago. They are not! Consumers are going to the Internet because of a few very important things; there is a large amount of up to date information and it is a convenience because the Internet is part of almost everyone’s daily life! The Internet is in cars, on phones, on hundreds of new technical devices and it’s on computers. The most important reason you want to be in front of these potential customers is because… They are ready to buy! Here’s an example:
A person in Lansing, Michigan is looking for a local company to remodel their kitchen. Are they going to get in their car and drive down the roads looking for a local remodeling company? Are they going to grab their newspaper (that most households don’t even receive) to weave though the pages to find a company? Are they going to turn on their TV or radio on and wait for an ad to come on about a local remodeling business? Are they going to go to the Yellow Pages to find a company? The answer to all of these questions is NO, with the exception going to the Yellow Pages (some of the time). Unfortunately the Yellow Pages have very limited information. People want more information before they make a buying decision. They can’t get this from the Yellow Pages. They want to find out more about the company, read their client testimonials, find out about the owner and staff, see if they have any specials, etc.
I know one thing is true today. The Internet is the most powerful advertising platform ever! Now that we’ve answered the question, why does my business need to be on the first page of Google and the major search engines? Let’s move into how to get you there!
How to get your Business on the First Page of Major Search Engines?
After spending over 14 years in marketing and advertising and meeting with hundreds of business owners, I know one thing is true today. Business owners always need to generate new business to grow and thrive, especially in today’s economic climate. I've read hundreds of articles, blogs, stories from peers, comments, and everything else you could think of, on the subject of search engine optimization (or SEO as it's typically called). People and business owners have asked me, “Should I try to build links, write article, create blogs and build other sites”? The answer to all of these is yes and no. If you are an experienced online marketer that keeps up with the trends and have some Internet based knowledge I would say take a stab at it. The end result is these business owners still come back to me for Internet Marketing services. Unfortunately, researching Internet Marketing and SEO, online and in books isn’t going to make you an expert. Experience and trial and error will give you the knowledge and “know how” to successfully build an effective web site and web presence. Additionally, business owners are better off doing the day-to-day things that make their businesses successful.
I compare it trying to change your own brakes on your vehicle. You may be able to research it and do it yourself but you are putting yourself and your family in harm’s way if you do a few things wrong. You will have wasted money and probably end up paying more money to have an experienced mechanic do this for you, which you should have done in the first place. It’s the same with SEO and Internet Marketing. Pay an experienced professional to do this right for you the first time! Don’t waste money and time doing things that aren’t effective and don’t generate results.
So here we go. I will give some examples of the steps that need to take place to get your businesses website on the first page of the major search engines. These can be found anywhere but there is one key, which I will explain after the examples:
Step 1: Identify where you want to generate new customers from and for what services and products.
Step 2: Identify what keywords that are related to your products and services people are searching for.
Step 3: These keywords are vital in the placement of content in your website, links in and outside of your website, meta tags, page headers, alt tags, articles, blogs, local online directories, social bookmarking sites, Google Local Maps, Yahoo Local Maps, Bing Local Maps, online video submissions, online press releases and more.
Step 4: Link building. Refer to everything in step 3.
Step 5: Keyword related “mini-sites”. Example: If you are a dentist in Lansing Michigan and you specialize in Teeth Whitening, purchase the domain or a similar domain like, lansingteethwhitening.com. Build a site around it related to Lansing Teeth Whitening and have questions, products, services and why you are the top teeth whitening dentist in Lansing.
Step 6, 7, 8, 9 and so on…
You didn’t think I would go over every step and secret to SEO did you? My point is that these are some of many steps needed to be done to start creating a visible website and web presence on the first page of the search engines. Yes, your web presence is not only your website!
Getting ranked on the first page of Google for any keyword or phrase is not an easy task and if you’re going to take on the challenge of doing this yourself you must be ready to put in a lot of time in research, implementation. Your web presence is an ongoing job. Can you afford to do this? Do you have the money and time? As the Internet becomes more and more competitive every day you really need to ask yourself, can you afford not to hire a professional SEO and Internet Marketing Company?
If you take anything from this article, here is the key… Getting on the first page of Google and other major search engines takes time, knowledge, research, experience and hard work. In my professional opinion, business owners are better at running their businesses than trying to market them, especially online. Hiring a professional and experienced Internet Marketing Company that can show you proven results to manage your website and SEO will be the best decision you can make for your business!
To contact Web Traffic Partners for a free website and web presence consultation, simply visit our website here. It could make the difference in your business between success and failure.
