SEO vs. PPC: Where Should You Invest Your Small Business Budget?
I find myself again at the crux of making another decision on asset allocation and the growth of my businesses. It is never an easy decision and depending on who you speak with, it comes down to the two (2) titans of new business creation: Pay per click (PPC) vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Now, I can no longer claim to be a novice. I have employed social media strategists, experts, analytics freaks and people who mine the internet for choice keywords and back-links. So, I can hold my own in a conversation of geeks discussing the future Google and/or Bing algorithm changes. If you know what the Panda update means, you are set!
I have employed content writers who have developed amazing blogs, bios and press releases. I have hired great researchers who have done really deep dives into keywords and similar keywords that might be less competitive. It is always a glass half full or half empty scenario.
For small business owners, this constant tug and pull in one direction or the other especially if you neither have the time to educate yourself or the fiances to find someone who can, is maddening! The problem is that in the murky universe of “consultants” there are thousands of bullshit artists that put up good websites and optimize their own assets better than they will ever optimize yours!
I have hired more than my fair share of snake oil salesman. They sound so smart yet they are so full of it! Their successes are over inflated, their experience embellished and their ability to achieve your ultimate goals are frankly never going to happen. They get hired to be fired and they do both with the same velocity.
I have come to the conclusion that you are better served by educating yourself. I also believe you need some PPC and a lot of SEO. Now the SEO is content creation but also pushing it out in a very methodical manner through your social media network! Huge opportunities are being missed if you don’t. On your PPC program, call the customer support people at Google frequently. They are based mostly in Ann Arbor, MI. They are smart, helpful and want to provide you the ability to succeed.
But in addition to these things, you need to also do the following:
1. Read Copyblogger often! Dig deep. There is so much information you can generate from the writings of experts and listening to the industry updates.
2. Follow your competitors, try and understand what they are doing!
3. Checking your success with a tool like Hubspot’s Market Grader.
4. Use every available means to communicate with customers on what keywords they searched online to find their website. This information is critical.
5. Continue to read, review and analyze your own website analytics: MOZ reports, Google analytics, etc. On the PPC side, there are so many good reports that can assist you in keyword production as well as adding to your negative keyword “bank” to insulate you from spending against useless internet trollers!
Ultimately, Mr/Mrs. Small Business owner, it comes down to you! How much do you acknowledge you are a dinosaur or are you going to change and focus on a new way of analyzing your business. Success today only guarantees today. Your future is about being able to predict and invest on what you know to be true. Don’t guess. There is no reason to anymore!
As a fellow small business owner who is always willing to take risks and base those decisions on the facts, we need to stick together and help each other prosper. If you have suggestions for managing a small business budget, please reply with your best tips or experiences and share it with your network!
SEO vs. PPC: Where Should You Invest Your Small Business Budget?
I find myself again at the crux of making another decision on asset allocation and the growth of my businesses. It is never an easy decision and depending on who you speak with, it comes down to the two (2) titans of new business creation: Pay per click (PPC) vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Now, I can no longer claim to be a novice. I have employed social media strategists, experts, analytics freaks and people who mine the internet for choice keywords and back-links. So, I can hold my own in a conversation of geeks discussing the future Google and/or Bing algorithm changes. If you know what the Panda update means, you are set!
I have employed content writers who have developed amazing blogs, bios and press releases. I have hired great researchers who have done really deep dives into keywords and similar keywords that might be less competitive. It is always a glass half full or half empty scenario.
For small business owners, this constant tug and pull in one direction or the other especially if you neither have the time to educate yourself or the fiances to find someone who can, is maddening! The problem is that in the murky universe of “consultants” there are thousands of bullshit artists that put up good websites and optimize their own assets better than they will ever optimize yours!
I have hired more than my fair share of snake oil salesman. They sound so smart yet they are so full of it! Their successes are over inflated, their experience embellished and their ability to achieve your ultimate goals are frankly never going to happen. They get hired to be fired and they do both with the same velocity.
I have come to the conclusion that you are better served by educating yourself. I also believe you need some PPC and a lot of SEO. Now the SEO is content creation but also pushing it out in a very methodical manner through your social media network! Huge opportunities are being missed if you don’t. On your PPC program, call the customer support people at Google frequently. They are based mostly in Ann Arbor, MI. They are smart, helpful and want to provide you the ability to succeed.
But in addition to these things, you need to also do the following:
1. Read Copyblogger often! Dig deep. There is so much information you can generate from the writings of experts and listening to the industry updates.
2. Follow your competitors, try and understand what they are doing!
3. Checking your success with a tool like Hubspot’s Market Grader.
4. Use every available means to communicate with customers on what keywords they searched online to find their website. This information is critical.
5. Continue to read, review and analyze your own website analytics: MOZ reports, Google analytics, etc. On the PPC side, there are so many good reports that can assist you in keyword production as well as adding to your negative keyword “bank” to insulate you from spending against useless internet trollers!
Ultimately, Mr/Mrs. Small Business owner, it comes down to you! How much do you acknowledge you are a dinosaur or are you going to change and focus on a new way of analyzing your business. Success today only guarantees today. Your future is about being able to predict and invest on what you know to be true. Don’t guess. There is no reason to anymore!
