Created on Thursday, 14 April 2011 20:03 Published Date Hits: 553
Whenever I am asked why SEO is necessary I tell those who ask the question to carry out a small thought experiment. Imagine doing what you like. Imagine doing it to such a high level of quality and passion that what you do sets you immediately apart from anyone else doing the same thing. Now imagine doing this in a perfectly sealed room. No one gets in, no one goes out. You are there, on your own, doing what you like. No one would know about it.
That’s exactly what happens when you do anything online without implementing some SEO to help you promote it. This brings me to the next question which is asked which is ‘What do I have to do in order to promote myself online?’ – the answer here is a lot more complex but only because the question is so encompassing.
You can be anyone: an author, a musician, a TV personality, an actor or an entrepreneur. It really doesn’t matter who you are or what you are. The moment you put anything online you really need to optimize it so that you can become more visible. What most people do not realize is that SEO need not be technical. The big change in 2011 is that SEO and online marketing converged and that, in the very first instance, you can save yourself a lot of time and money by engaging in simple, SEO activities which are also part of your online marketing.
This way not only do you get to kill two birds with one stone but you also save valuable time which can now be applied to other activities. When you have a business time is always the enemy. The ‘little’ things which you need to do in order to run your business also siphon valuable time away from what you need to do in order to successfully promote it.
If you are serious about saving time online and promoting both your SEO and marketing you need to know what the necessary steps are and how you can make better use of the time you have with a properly structured SEO Strategy and some content creation ideas.
Most people who try to market their online business through internet marketing stumble on the first hurdle which is knowing where to start from. The checklist below is there to help you get past that first hurdle:
1. Start from your own site.
2. Make sure you understand what SEO needs you have and the different types of SEO available to you.
3. Have a balanced internet marketing strategy in place which works for you.
4. Have some idea where all this is heading in the near future.
5. Understand what the SEO Trends are so you do not end up doing things which will waste your time.
6. Keep up to date with online business marketing techniques like Inbound Marketing and Truth Marketing.
7. Have at least some Top How-To Practical Business Books on your bookshelf (and make sure you actually read them).
8. Stay on top of your Analytics so you can keep track of what’s going on, on your site.
9. Understand your own motivation for keeping your online business going.
10. Start your SEO planning sooner rather than later.
Provided you keep all this in mind your internet marketing will pay dividends and your online presence will start to grow. The net effect will be greater online visibility, more and more people knowing who you are and what you do and, eventually, online success.