SEO Tips for Small Business

I teach a class at the Pinellas County Small Business Development Center. Click here for specific dates and more information. The class is a basic intro to web design and Internet marketing. My experience is 40+ years of a practical business marketing with more than a dozen years building web sites and doing Internet marketing for small businesses. I’m often asked about Search Engine Optimizations (SEO). There is no short and simple answer. A great place to start getting SEO answers is from Google. Google owns the search engine markets today, so it makes sense to read what they have to say. Below is a Google link which is a good place to start.

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=70897

If this link changes, search Google for “google seo.” There plenty of good information to help.

Too many people think that the “Internet is free” and “I can get listed on Google (or the other search engine) for free. It’s possible but not likely. The Internet is arguably the most powerful marketing tool in the world today. Most big companies recognize this fact and spending according. So when some one advertises that they can get you listed “#1 on Google” for some small amount of money, they are probably less that honest. SEO is a big games and it takes expertise and resources to play successfully.

There are “white hat” and “black hat” SEO experts. Both can be successful but the ‘black hat” techniques get uncovered and web sites and clients are penalized. For some this means the end of Internet business.

So find a “white hat” SEO source that matches your budget. There are plenty of suppliers.