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Do You Have an SEO Game Plan for Your Small Business?

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Miguel Salcido

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SEO and ROI

With all that small business owners have to do on a daily basis, a thorough SEO game plan can often fall by the wayside.

In fact, some business owners end up neglecting SEO altogether, leaving them with missed opportunities for traffic back to their sites and a better return on investment (ROI). Think about it, your small business could very easily be missing out on free traffic, from qualified leads, who are interested in your products and services.

As a small business owner, do you feel you have a strong SEO game plan in place, an average one or you’re simply missing the boat when it comes to SEO?

Do You Have an SEO Game Plan for Your Small Business?

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BigStock: Get Started!

In the event you find yourself in the latter category, take some time now before you fall further behind to see how you can get on the boat and sail towards better returns.

Among the advantages for your business having a solid SEO presence include:

  • Increasing sales through qualified business leads from search engines;
  • Better Web site performance and more traffic showcasing your brand awareness;
  • Added credibility and legitimacy for your brand;
  • Tie in to specific keywords that consumers will utilize to come to your site.

In taking a look at some of the above-mentioned items, keep in mind that your goal at the end of the day is to drive traffic to your site, preferably traffic that is interested in purchasing from your business. With the right SEO game plan, you are able to gain the attention of top business prospects, increasing the chances of a sale.

Another factor to keep in mind is that you are better served putting out products and services based on the keyword search terms that led visitors to your site in the first place.

Okay, doing what was just mentioned above makes sense, right? In order to successfully do that, you need to be recording and analyzing your SEO metrics.

Make sure you are able to see via statistics where you have a competitive edge over the competition and where you need to increase your efforts. Find the keywords that rank best for you in leading traffic back to your site, stay on top of the ones that are working, and look to improve upon other terms that need a little boost.

Lastly, many small business owners are working on tight budgets to begin with, so they go back-and-forth as to whether or not they should hire someone for in-house SEO or outsource it.


Remember that the most important question to answer is discovering how many people are searching for what you sell.

If you are a tech-savvy business owner or have a tight budget, you may look to do SEO efforts on your own or contract them out. If you have more of a budget to work with, consider hiring a company that specializes in delivering SEO results to small businesses.

At the end of the day, your small business wants and needs a steady stream of referrals coming to your site with the potential to buy.

When deployed properly, SEO marketing can be a very cost-effective means by which the small business owner drives quality traffic to their site, traffic that can very well lead to a purchase.

Author’s Bio:
Author , held executive positions with large search marketing agencies over the years and now runs an SEO consulting services agency and loves fielding questions over at his organic SEO blog so feel free to reach out to him there.

Thank you, Miguel. Understanding SEO as part of social business is so important.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Should I Borrow Money from Family or Friends to Start a Business?

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With the national unemployment rate still hovering around 8 percent, many individuals have found themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to wanting to start their own businesses.

Whether they are looking to get out of the daily corporate world or have been laid off and are thinking of trying a new means by which to make money, the idea of starting one’s own business comes with many challenges. The most daunting challenge is oftentimes coming up with the money to set out on for what many is the dream of a lifetime.

As someone that has fallen victim to the layoff bug twice in seven years, the dream of owning my own marketing business has always been biting at me. Do I have the time and patience to go out on my own in the business world? Do I have the necessary financial resources or am I better off looking for a regular job with a steady paycheck? Lastly, can I make a go of it when there are so many other people doing exactly what I want to do and be my own boss?

I’ve had to come to terms with those questions recently in light of a company layoff, so now seemed as good a time as ever to consider these things.

While I have a very supportive set of parents, along with some true friends that are there when I need them, I would never once think of asking for financial assistance to start my own business from any of them. My feeling has always been that I would and could do this on my own should I choose to go that route.

Given that I am likely touching on some thoughts that others have had, I would recommend considering the following should you be thinking about reaching out to others for financial assistance in hopes of starting your own small business:

* Get it in writing – If you do come to an agreement with parents, other family members or friends to assist you in getting a small business off the ground, by all means get it in writing. Too many people work out deals where nothing is in writing, then all hell breaks loose when it comes time to start paying the loans back. Whether it is a parent or your best friend, produce a legal document that shows exactly how much will be loaned, when the money is expected to be paid back, and what the terms are regarding any missed payments;

* Are there alternative sources? – While it is easy to turn to family and friends for funds in hopes of opening a small business, are there other sources for the funds? Although the economy is still struggling along, a good credit record and a good mission plan can get you in the door for a bank loan, etc. While bank loans can be scary because of penalties, interest etc. that can accrue, at least you avoid the potential for a family blow out should you fall behind on payments;

* Will this put family or friends in a bad financial spot? – One reason I have always been hesitant to ask family and/or friends for loans for such a business venture is because I know they have bills just as I do. Knowing this,I find it hard to simply reach out for a loan, feeling like I am taking away needed funds from them when emergencies can crop  up at anytime;

* I can do this on my own – We all have streaks of stubbornness in us, myself especially at times. The last thing I’d want to do is ask someone close to me for a business loan when I know that many people  out there, including family and friends, are having just as tough a time as myself  meeting daily financial needs. One of the great things about doing it on your  own, even if that means a number of struggles along the way, is recognizing  that all your sweat and tears were worth it over time. I’m still weighing my business options now some three weeks after a company layoff.

While I have drafted a business site and begun marketing myself to potential clients, I am not at the point yet where I am in need of financial assistance to get things off and running.

When that time comes, you can bet that going to family and friends will be a last option for me. Not because they would not help me, but because I’m one stubborn person at times.

Then again, being a little stubborn never hurt the best of business owners.

Photo credit: theatlantic.com

Dave Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer, covering marketing, SEO, press releases, social media and more. Contact Dave at: http://beemoresocial.wordpress.com/





5 Must-Attend Events to Understand Online Business Growth


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Ann Smarty


Understanding Online Business  


If guiding your business startup to the point that you’re breaking even is your first major hurdle, the second is focusing on sustaining that growth in order to turn your business into the profitable machine that you’ve always known it would be.


Just like the first leg of your entrepreneurial journey, the general idea of growing an online business covers many complicated fields and endeavors, often leaving you in the dark as to the best possible step to take in a given situation.


If getting bigger is what you’re about then you’ll need all the help you can get; check out these five must-attend events to understand online business growth:


1. SOBCon NW 2012


 




Business owners of all kinds are invited to attend this year’s SOBCon event, a conference that offers education and inspiration to startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Starting off with its theme of Starting Up Strategically, SOBCon NW 2012 will offer six unique “Mastermind Models” that focus on the key elements of a successful startup alongside interviews and talks with those in the know and panel discussions to allow you to benefit from others in your niche.


For those focused on entrepreneurial non-profit efforts, Give Back Sunday is set aside to provide you with the kind of information and insight that you need in order to achieve the best possible results with your charitable efforts.


When & Where: SOBCon NW 2012 is set to be held at the Urban Studio in Portland, Oregon, from September 28-30, 2012. Live chat with Liz if you have any venue and location questions.


2. The Conference Board – The New/Next CMO: What it Takes to Win in Marketing 


 




Startup success and business growth depend, in the end, on marketing and marketing alone; buyers rule. With this fact in mind, it’s easy to understand exactly why a strong mind for advertising is a necessity, especially in today’s crowded business landscape, and The New/Next CMO conference offers marketing professionals big and small the tools and ideas they need to help their business to excel.


This event will help you to better spot and leverage marketing opportunities in your business, focusing on how to achieve real world results while giving you the take-home ideas and inspiration you need sell your brand to the world.


When & Where: The Conference Board Conference Center in NewYorkCity will play host to The New/Next CMO conference on November 8, 2012. There’s no official venue information at the event site but you can book a hotel using NewYorkHotels.org


 3. Pivot Conference 2012


 



Speaking of marketing, Pivot Conference 2012 is another great event for brand builders and marketers, helping online entrepreneurs to gracefully tackle the many challenges and risks to be found in the rapidly evolving world of social media. Attended by some of the biggest and most successful names in social marketing and engineering, you’ll learn how to take advantage of emerging platforms in effective ways while never losing focus on the good old-fashioned art of connecting on a meaningful level with your customers.


When & Where: NewYork, NewYork is the city that Pivot Conference 2012, to be held on October 15-16, 2012, calls home, offerings attendees an exciting travel opportunity in itself! Here’s the official hotel and travel information.


4. Ignition: Future of Digital


 




In a world quickly moving towards paperless money, digitized business and technology-fuelled everything, digital media professionals need to stay educated in order to stay on top of their game! Ignition: Future of Digital promises to give attendees the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, no the matter the niche in question.


When & Where: New York City continues to hold the spotlight as it hosts the Ignite conference on November 27, 2012 at the Time Warner Center. More location information and registration is available here.


5. Business Growth Conference


 




Visit a city on the cutting edge of technology and digital media and rub shoulders with the best and brightest minds available by visiting the Business Growth Conference, a full day of professional development activities designed to help any business owner to grow surely and steadily.


When & Where: A visit to beautiful San Francisco, California on October 17, 2012 will be in order if you’d like to attend the Business Growth Conference. More info on the event location is available here. Union Square also boasts many other hotels. 


Are you visiting any of the above? Please let us know in the comments!


   Author’s Bio: Ann Smarty is a blogger and guest blogger with 6 years experience. She is a control freak and she loves when she is busy, so her hands are always full. One of her largest projects is My Blog Guest, the free community of guest authors and blog owners who preach the “high-quality” approach to guest blogging. Follow Ann on Twitter at @seosmarty and Google Plus 


 


Thank you, Ann! Great information, Great guest post! Great birthday present to include SOBCon among them! 🙂


–ME “Liz” Strauss


 



Rev Up Your Content Marketing with Effective SEO Strategies


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Brad ShorrWith continuous Google algorithm updates, it’s quite an effort for online businesses and bloggers to keep their website content in compliance and in the top ranks in search engines. How can you create content that works for your branding and marketing, while still being search engine friendly?


That’s why we’re glad to have content marketing and SEO copywriting expert (and Sobcon alum), Brad Shorr of Straight North Marketing, join us as guest host for our July Sobcon Twitter chat on July 19. Brad will help us demystify some of the SEO ins and outs as we discuss these questions:


1. Anything in recent Penguin Google algorithm updates that should concern content marketers?

2. What use of keywords and tags raises search engine alarms?

3. Other than keywords and tags, what are some SEO-friendly content strategies?

4. Any analytics that are best to watch in determining SEO effectiveness?

5. Are there tools or methods for checking SEO compliance of content?

6. What is Google Authorship & are there any tips for using it?


Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to make your content more Google and SEO friendly.


Join us for our Sobcon Twitter chat on Thursday, July 19, 2012 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Central Time.


How Does It Get Better than This?


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 CHANGE THE WORLD


What’s in a Question?   


   Change the World! 


You wake up and you find everything you had is gone.

Your computer is crashed. Your house has collapsed. Your beautiful puppy has run away with the local hound. 


Everywhere you turn something else seems to be falling apart.

You try to make sense of it. 


Your choice between two questions will affect whether you move forward or get stuck more than you might realize.


Will you think … 


How do things get any worse? 

or

How does it get any better than this?


Whether your world is falling apart or the universe falling into into sync with the life you want to live, things can always get better. 


Moving toward the better is raises our positive brain chemistry. That fuels our minds and hearts, keeps us smiling, and keeps us investing in the world as a better place. With that outlook fueling us, we keep building dreams and we keep attracting positive people who want to help us. Without it, we start pushing the positive off. 


Just the right question — How does it get any better than this? —

in times of stress or happiness is that powerful. 


Try asking yourself that question every day for a month.

See what happens. 


We can change the world — just like that.

–ME “Liz” Strauss


If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post.  Feel free to take the gorgeous  Change the World image up there back to your blog and write your own. 


Is Your Company’s Email Marketing Campaign Nothing Short of Junk?


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Although some “experts” stand by their claim that email will one day go the way of Beanie Babies, New Coke and Pontiac, there are others that believe email will be with us for the foreseeable future.


No matter which side of the fence you find yourself on with such a debate, one thing we can all agree on is that our respective email folders do not take very long to get filled up. In fact, go away on vacation for a few days without computer access and see what your business or personal email folder looks like when you return home.


For those individuals that are in charge of email marketing campaigns for their respective companies, it takes a delicate touch of finding the right amount of emails to send out to current and prospective clients so that you do not come across as a spammer. Making matters worse than spamming, a bad email campaign can dampen your company’s reputation, leading consumers to go elsewhere for the products and/or services that you offer.


So, how can you put together winning email marketing solutions that not only keep you out of the doghouse with search engines, but allow your company to get its message across at the same time?


    

  • Avoid having a spam reputation – The last thing you want your business to come across as with current and potential clients is that of a spammer. We all have junk folders in our email set ups that allow us to filter out all those sales pitches that we neither have time nor interest in. Make sure you are emailing individuals that have opted-in to receive messages from you in the first place. If you’re randomly emailing consumers about your business without their approval, you are breaking cardinal rule 101 of emailing, you are a spammer;
    • 

  • Avoid the same message to everyone – It should be obvious, but don’t send out a mass emailing to individuals regarding benefits for senior citizens if they are not 55 or older. Break down your list to make sure the people you are targeting are of that age and would actually find your message of value. Sending such an email to someone in their 30s is not only a waste of your time, but also their time. Yes, you could argue that their parents or someone they know in the 55 and older age range would find your message of value, but then it should have gone to those people in the first place;
    • 

  • Avoid a mixed message – Another faux pas is to have an email where the headline and the content do not match up. In the event you are trying to push information on auto insurance quotes, don’t have a headline that touts life insurance. You may think you are killing two birds with one stone by mentioning both forms of coverage, but it comes across as an error and could hurt your reputation;
    • 

  • Avoid not having solutions – Your email message should provide a solution for the party it is being sent to. Make sure your email shows how you can help the client, giving them a solution and not more questions. At the end of the day, you need to show the individual how you can assist them and why this email should be saved and not junked;
    • 

  • Avoid not providing a way out – All of your email messages should include an opt-out provision, even for clients that have been on your email list for some time now. It is as simple as providing clear details on how the individual can opt out of mailings down the road;
    • 

  • Avoid being too cheap – Just about everyone likes deals and promotions, so offer some up in your email marketing campaigns. The incentives you provide individuals are a great way to respond to your pitch, leading to added business or a new client down the road;
    • 

  • Avoid mistakes – Last but not certainly least, avoid having typos in both your headlines and the body of your message. If you think grammatical issues are not a big deal, think again. Would you consider doing business with a company whose email marketing message was sporting typos, run-on sentences, incorrect information and more?
    • 



Email marketing is still a prime player in a company’s efforts to attract and retain business these days.


If your email marketing campaigns seem a little junky these days, don’t automatically mail it in on failing.


Photo credit: websiteexpert.com


Dave Thomas, who discusses subjects such as direct mail advertising, writes extensively for San Diego-based Business.com.