Internet advertising

[chip-away]

I have all my ducks in the pond got a web site and put my name out there on ALL the 'free' sites. Are there any Search engine Guru's out there that knows how to boost your Company on as many sites as possibly? Some of them say to add more contacts to the site. I.E. Facebook etc. The net is one of the number one ways people are looking up businesses like ours, so any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[edwardsmary]

Advertising online is not incredibly expensive, it just takes some attention to testing out what works. And I believe apart from listing on free directories, writing articles, promoting & engaging prosspects through Facebook, Twitter and Linked In also does a great job. You can also participating in discussions on forums and boards. All these things are free, you don't have to spend even a penny.

[julia001]

Keyword research for local search is important to get high qualified traffic from consumers interested in your business. Focus on the right keywords or phrases. Check what keywords consumers attempt to find your business with. Choosing the right keywords and optimizing them in the website design and content is very important.

[jimmymaguire]

Keyword research for local search is really important and for the same we should know the density and competition of keywords so that we make these analyses according to market trend. Keyword search per month and by location gives us sufficient information so that to select right keywords.

[julia001]

Yes Jimmy, and also presence on the several niche social media marketing sites has proved to contribute towards an increased presence for businesses locally, and the role played by them as a small business marketing tool cannot be overlooked.

[ShawnWSR]

Although there are many reasons you should optimize your site for search results I can say that you shouldnt count on the amount of business you will get from the internet if youre doing windshield repair only. However, a long term presence online and a strong position/rating will help you build your reputation so that when people search for your business they know they're dealing with one of the leaders in the industry.

If you're looking for immediate results and are going to throw money at search engine optimization please dont. On the other hand if youre looking to obtain a the strong presence I've mentioned I would highly recommend researching search engine optimization. Beware that it's a time consuming process with many different intricacies that are constantly changing so once you have grasped it you will need to keep your knowledge updated. You also have the option of hiring someone to handle it, which isn't a bad idea if you can make the long term investment and you are sure to hire the right consultant.

[Cody Guild]

So far I have had a fantastic experience working with Google AdWords. There is a plethora of helpful information and support online and over the phone. Search Engine Optimization can seem overwhelming at first (there is a LOT of information to take in) but I believe it's worth the time and effort; paid search marketing seems to be on the rise for more and more companies.

Hiring a SEO agency to manage your website content, internal/external links, keywords, etc. may be a great investment for some, but as others on this forum have pointed out it all depends on the person, the place (read: location), and the time. I believe marketing is all about selling one's self in a way that connects the products and services of one party to the needs of another party in a genuine and helpful manner. This may be achieved through face-to-face conversations, social media postings, SEO, or a vast array of other methods. After you identify who your general target demographic is, I believe it's important to compare and contrast different marketing methods to successfully find what works for your respective company.

Another great point that has been made is that marketing, especially online, continues to change almost constantly. I too believe it's imperative to stay on top of the latest trends and techniques for properly reaching and selling to your customer base. The Internet makes this very easy, and there is a whole world of literature out there dedicated to marketing and business development.

To check out what Google AdWords has to offer, I'd suggest taking a minute to look at this: http://www.google.com/ads/adwords/

[julia001]

Although there are many reasons you should optimize your site for search results I can say that you shouldnt count on the amount of business you will get from the internet if youre doing windshield repair only. However, a long term presence online and a strong position/rating will help you build your reputation so that when people search for your business they know they're dealing with one of the leaders in the industry.

If you're looking for immediate results and are going to throw money at search engine optimization please dont. On the other hand if youre looking to obtain a the strong presence I've mentioned I would highly recommend researching search engine optimization. Beware that it's a time consuming process with many different intricacies that are constantly changing so once you have grasped it you will need to keep your knowledge updated. You also have the option of hiring someone to handle it, which isn't a bad idea if you can make the long term investment and you are sure to hire the right consultant.

Very well said. Completely agree. Hiring experts to handle the optimization of your site for search results, is a very good option. They've been doing it day in & day our for lot of people and are well on track with the latest developments.

[chip-away]

Thanks for all the insight. Since getting involved I have done quite a bit of research and have found ways to get the site to rise to the first page. A lot of these SEO companies wants to charge you a lot of cash. I've been shopping around to see what fits best. I met with my web designer and we are including two more pages to the site and putting more info on the 'off page' which is very important during google "crawling' for info on the net.

[jhickman1]

I have also done a lot of research on making my website perform as good as possible but I have never heard of an "off page".... What is that?