Sure They Can Find You, But Are They Looking?

We were explaining the usual SEO sequence to a new client recently.

First, we explained, we get you to where people can easily find you if they search for the name of your company. After that, we want people to be able to find you by the generic name of what you do — locally and then further afield if you want that. Once that’s solid, then we can spread out with other keywords. But first, they’ve got to be able to find you when they specifically look for you.

“How,” she asked, “will they know that they’re supposed to look for me?”

A very fair question.

Fortunately, the process of getting people visible for their business name is usually quick and easy for us.

Then, when we move on to what you do, we’re using your keywords, which we’ve chosen at least in part according to what people are looking for.

But it’s smart, when you have a new website or a new business, or even an old one, for that matter, to tell people about it.

Here are some ways to share the word:

• Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and your personal bog — plus all the other social sites you hang out at — care about your new website. Tell them.
• Forums and blogs where you usually hang out and comment want to know about this important milestone in your life. Notice the usually part here, though,and the part about wanting to know. This comment attempting to share a website is going to get deleted:

August 29. 2009 20:29

Hey very nice blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…

bad credit loans | Delete | Approve

And so will yours if you try to tell complete strangers who don’t care at all about your website by dropping links at blogs.

• Put the URL on your business cards, bags, invoices, signs, the side of your car, and anything else that will take an impression.
• Include it in all your advertisements.
• Send a press release to your local newspaper announcing your new website. It might be a slow news day! Write it well, with a good and original story, and it doesn’t even have to be a slow news day.
• Tell your customers. Have customer service people get the habit of saying, “You can also shop with us online at OurBusiness.com!” or “Be sure to watch our blog at OurBusiness.com — we announce all our sales there.”

By the time you’ve done all these things, you’ll be visible at the search engine results pages.