As a small business owner finding a marketing service that delivers good results can seem like an impossible task. In most cases, you might have tried many services and always got the same results.
I know, when our company takes over a new account in many cases, there is really nothing out there to work with, and if there is, we spend many hours fixing all the BS that other companies out there decided to screw up!
A Starter or Affordable SEO Package That Makes Sense
Over the last five years, we have worked hard to find a solution for every business, one shoe fits all approach. Guess what, there is no such thing, in most cases, everything starts out the same and 90 days later changes have to be made to get the results that make sense for the business.
The biggest problem with SEO is that in most cases it takes many 10- 20 hours to fix all the problems that are out there with clients that have used many different SEO companies. As well as the clients time to do it correctly to ensure there are no problems down the road. Also, the biggest cost with real search engine optimization,(SEO), is content. Content is king, and it takes time to write.
The Reason Your Results Suck, Has a Lot To Do With You
I know, that sounds like a BS statement from a guy who does SEO, maybe even a scapegoat answer, but hear me out. One factor that Google uses for ranking a website or business, is the server that a website is hosted on.
Also, the domain or website URL makes a difference in rankings, many business owners out there never take ownership of the website. You just keep going from one company to another every 90-120 days hoping for better results, and yet never get them and blame everyone else.
Imagine if you moved addresses every 90-120 days, would any of your friends or loved ones be able to find you? No, so how are your customers or better yet, how is Google going to have any idea who you are, what you do, and where you do it? I only say better yet Google, because if Google doesn’t find you I can guarantee your customers won’t either!
Buy a URL or Domain Name and Keep it
Look, purchase a domain name, try and make it your companies name. “ABCremodeling.com” Keep this domain for the rest of your life, you can build a new website every month if you are bored, but don’t change your web address!
- Keep The Same Domain/URL
- Amatures Need to Use Keywords in a URL/Domain Name
If you are working with a marketing company and they say they need to use a domain/URL like ACrepairdallas or kicthenremodelerphoenix, they are pretty much hacks and no nothing about SEO or online marketing.
Everyone Has Online Search ADD
Here are the facts, when people go online they search like they have severe ADD. They search for a kitchen remodeling, go to Pinterest, look for a minute, then back out, end up on Homeadvisor, then go to whatever else meets there search criteria.
If you are not located in the top 3-5 listing, you are most likely never even going to get a chance at making that searcher a new client. This is the truth, and most of you reading this know exactly what I am talking about.
How Do I Market My Company The Right Way, Starting Now?
If you have a website, host it on your own hosting account. Keep in mind, WordPress is really the best option for good Google rankings, platforms like Wix or even Godaddy are complete garbage if you want the best results.
- Start with your Google My Business Page
- Use a Free Google Business Website
- Create Citations, AKA “NAP” Name-Address-Phone
- Fill Out everything in detail- Not – “I do carpentry and I am good”
- Own your website and anything else on the internet
- “DO NOT HOST a WordPress Website with Godaddy”
If you aren’t looking for good results, then use anything but WordPress, then again, why bother? Even an investment of $30 a month can seem like a waste if there is no return on your investment, right?
Do I Need a Website For Attracting Local Business
The easy answer is no, you don’t need an expensive website to get good rankings locally with Google. Honestly, we have seen really google results with a Google business website attached to your Google My Business page.
FYI, a Google Business website is free with your Google My Business page. From setting up a Google Page to launching your website, in some cases can be completed in a matter of minutes!
No kidding, a new business can have an online presence in a matter of minutes and don’t be jealous, but I have seen these accounts outrank businesses in a matter of a few months, even businesses that have been on the internet for 10-15 years!
Ranking For a City is Different Than Ranking For Keywords
What I mean by this is, if you are a remodeler in Dallas for example, your Google maps listing might rank for “kitchen remodeling” or “kitchen remodeler near me”, versus “Kitchen remodeler in Dallas”, or “Kitchen remodeler Dallas”. These are all different search queries and will yield different search results with all search engines, especially Google.
How to Get Accurate Search Results For Your Business
One of the biggest issues is that when you are searching for keywords related to your business you might think your company is showing up in the top results. I know, this should be a good issue, right? Well, only if you are searching in what is called incognito browser and have the same results.
- Check your results in an incognito browser
If you are not searching in an Incognito browser, the results that you see are not going to be the same as the results that a potential client might be seeing. If you are searching in your regular browser, all of your searches that you made previously will affect your results, in other words, you might think your company is ranking for certain keywords, and really you are not!
The Takeaway
As a small business owner, you don’t have to spend $600 a month to get an online presence and start getting phone calls from the internet. You can start small, start locally, and then build your way up to marketing your company in a larger area or for bigger projects.
Always keep in mind, $600 a month working with the right marketing company can go a long way, believe it or not. Creactive has developed a Google My Business Starter package to help new and struggling businesses get a foothold in their local market. Please feel free to contact us for more information!
