Is a High Search Engine Ranking Important for YOU?


In the process of designing a website for clients the question inevitibly arises "How do I get a good search engine ranking?". This is a very good point and the answer is not as clear cut as you may think.

A high search engine ranking means that your website will appear on the first page of a search engine, when someone searches for the subject of your website. For example if you were a babysitter, then you would want to appear on the first page of results whenever someone typed in "babysitter" into their favourite website. If you sold CDs you would want to be on the first page of any search engine results whenever someone typed in "CD".

Many search engines and marketing tools say that you need to be on the first 3 pages of search engine results, but I say that is incorrect, you need to be on the first page. My reasoning is this: how often have you gone past the first page when you have been looking for something in a search engine? 10% of the time? Almost never? I'm the same. If you or I don't go past the first page, prospective customers won't either.

There are a lot of companies that make a lot of money out of selling products that increase your search engine ranking. Before you start to spend your hard earned cash - take a moment to read this article and determine if you and your business actually needs a high ranking in a search engine.

When someone asks me "How do I get a good search engine ranking?" my advice is to think of:

  • What you wish to achieve with this site

  • Your customer Demographic

  • What other marketing plans you have.

Lets go through these points one by one:

  • What you wish to achieve with this site

    Ask yourself:

    • What is my product/service

    • Will people be searching for my product, my service or myself via a search engine?

    • Is a web presence all I want/need?

    The key answer you are looking for is the answer to question number 2. Will people, who have never or only vagely heard about me be searching for my product or service? If the answer is no, then a high search engine ranking won't do much for you.

    If you just want a "web presence" (pretty much having a website cause you think its a good idea, but it is quite a passive part of your marketing. i.e. You have one cause your customers expect to have one) the search engine ranking will mean nothing to you. The aim of the site ("web presence") is achieved - your company is present on a website!

    Many companies just want/need a web presence. The web is a great place to put their catalogues and brochures, so that a customer does not have to keep receiving mailings of the latest catalogue. The customer can simply log on to the web and then download up to date information on your company. This sort of website is great for general information about yourself and your company with the understanding that if a customer wanted more specific information then they would call you. In this case a high search engine ranking is not important, beacuse your customer already know that you have a website and already know its URL.

    If, however you have an online product, such as an e-book, and want to sell it online, then yes, you will need a high search engine ranking in addition to your other marketing efforts. A high ranking will allow you to get new customers who have never heard of you before, but are interested in what your book has to say.

  • Your Customer Demographic

    Ask yourself:

    • Where do I get customers from now?

    • What sort of customer are they i.e. Do my customers use the Web for MY service?

    • If you want to use the site as a main marketing tool then maybe a search engine ranking is important. If you believe that a customer may be searching for "babysitters" on the web, and you have a babysitter then YES - you need a good search engine ranking.

    By thinking about your customer demographic and how they come to your business you can determine if a high search ranking is needed. For example if you are a word of mouth business then having a website for your business is fairly useless unless you are only seeking a "web presence".

    If your customers will come to your site as the result of some other media advertising you are doing (TV, Radio, Newspaper etc) then a high search ranking is not important.

    If you have the sort of business where your customers will be searching on the web for you, but dont know who you are then yes, a high search engine ranking is important. For example, if you sell DVDs then people dont really care who they buy from, if the price is right - they will be just searching for DVD in their favourite search engine and if your are in the front page, they will click on you and probably buy. So in this case it is worth seeking a high ranking.

  • What other marketing plans you have.

    Ask yourself:

    • How else do I market?

    • What is my main form of getting customers?

    • If you are advertising through other media, such as TV, Radio, Newpaper, Flyers etc then it is necessary to think about if you will be needing customers to come from your website. If your website is printed on all your literature than a high search engine ranking is not important. If your customers see your product and want it - they will visit your website for more info.

    A high search engine ranking is only important if people will be searching for your product or service on a search engine. If you don't think that your prospective customer's will be using the web to find your product then a high search engine ranking is not required.

Conclusion

When it all comes down to it, you are a busy business owner. You don't want to be expending effort on something that will not reap you any benefits. For most small to medium businesses you will find that a high search engine ranking is not important as most of their customers come from other media. Most small to medium businesses need a web presence but in most cases it is not worth the effort to get a high search engine ranking.

A high search engine ranking is only important if you expect to get customers who have never heard of you before searching for your product or service. Most small businesses do not fit this description.

About The Author

Andy White has build approximately 224 websites in the last 12 months, specialising in small to medium business websites. He also runs a growing website entitled www.hitsmetotears.com which is designed to be a one stop shop for your website marketing needs. He is based in Adelaide, Australia.

andy@hitsmetotears.com


MORE RESOURCES:

SEO Services Alert: Internet Marketing Blueprint Unveiled at 2012 AAJ Winter ...
MarketWatch (press release)
10, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- When you design your house you need an architect; when you design your lawyer Internet marketing campaign, you need an SEO architect who understands the online legal marketing industry.

and more »


USA TODAY

Ryu leads Women's Australian Open
USA TODAY
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – US Women's Open champion So Yeon Ryu shot a 4-under 69 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead over fellow South Korean player Hee Kyung Seo after the second round of the LPGA Tour's season-opening Women's Australian Open.
South Korea's So Yeon Ryu shoots 4-under 69 to top Women's Australian Open ...Washington Post
Ryu grabs lead at Women's Australian OpenMiamiHerald.com
Ryu, Seo take charge at Australian OpenTheSportsCampus.com

all 200 news articles »


International Business Times

5 Must-Have SEO Skills
Search Engine Watch
Should SEOs be siloed into doing just SEO and close themselves out from other marketing skills? Or should the new kind of SEO should be jack of all trades and also the master of all trades? The modern day SEO should be an integrated SEO digital ...
Los Angeles SEO Company, Avital Web, Now Offers White Label SEO Reseller ServicesTechnology Digital (press release)
Top UK SEO Companies 2012International Business Times
Internet Marketing Company Announces an Increase in the Search for Keyword ...San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
PR Web (press release) -SBWire (press release) -DigitalJournal.com (press release)
all 19 news articles »


Forbes

What You Need to Know about SEO
Forbes
I recently asked a few start-ups why they avoid thinking about SEO. The most common reason I heard was some variant on the theme “SEO seems like this big huge thing that requires a lot of knowledge.” There's a perception out there that SEO is ...
Google Places Can Greatly Help Boost Agents' Real Estate SEO Marketing Efforts ...SBWire (press release)
How to Analyze Google Analytics (not provided) DataSEOmoz (blog)

all 3 news articles »


Gamasutra

4 Ways to Boost Your SEO With Google+
Mashable
Another way to look at it is that Google has given you a free opportunity to boost your SEO and get a leg up on competitors who don't know what Google+ is. “If you're a first mover on this, you're going to capture more visibility,” says Rob Garner, ...
Online Newsrooms: A Necessity for Search and Social Content StrategySearch Engine Watch
Google+ Growth, Dropbox Killer: Google IS the Tech NewsTechzone360
ARM Marketing Requires Content Strategy More Than Ever Thanks To Google Plus ...InsideARM
ClickZ -News Pakistan -NBC Chicago (blog)
all 65 news articles »


SEO Beam Named Seventh Best SEO Company in India by topseos.in for February 2012
Press Media Wire
The independent authority on Search vendors in India, topseos.in, has named SEO Beam the seventh best search engine optimization company in the online marketing industry for the month of February 2012. The list of the best SEO companies India are ...
The Best Search Engine Optimization Companies Ranked in Canada by canada ...PR Web (press release)

all 20 news articles »


Thunder SEO Announces Gary Magnone to Speak at SMX West 2012
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
San Diego-based online marketing agency, Thunder SEO, announces their Senior SEO Strategist and Business Developer, Gary Magnone, has been selected to speak at the Search Marketing Expo SMX West 2012 conference. The topic Magnone will be speaking on is ...

and more »


Covario Issues Annual Client Awards for SEO/SEM Success
ADOTAS
ADOTAS - Search engine marketing/SEO services provider Covario issued the results of its annual Sigma Awards yesterday, during the company's annual INFLECTIONPoint customer conference. Covario presents those awards to its clients who've demonstrated ...
8 Search and Social Takeaways from Covario INFLECTIONPoint 2012Search Engine Watch

all 4 news articles »


International Business Times

SEO Link Monster: All About the New Blog Network that Promises Top Ranking for ...
International Business Times
By Kukil Bora: Subscribe to Kukil's RSS feed At a time when recent alterations to Google's algorithm in ranking Web sites have affected many, a new SEO tool named 'SEO Link Monster' is generating a lot of buzz in the Internet marketing world.
8 SEO Tips That Take 15 Minutes or LessSearch Engine Watch
The Best Link Building Tool You've Never Heard Of: ahrefs.comSearch Engine Journal
9 Free Tools For Link Discovery & Content CreationSearch Engine Land

all 5 news articles »


Wet Basement and Mold Specialist in Scranton Hires Local SEO Team to Attract ...
PR.com (press release)
Integra-Clean & Dry, LLC, a full-service mold removal and basement waterproofing business in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is pleased to announce its recent SEO marketing campaign developed by Prospect Genius, a leader in local online advertising.

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006