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Website Marketing Plan Update
Current Edition

February 19, 2002

Welcome from Bobette

Book Update: Strategic Website Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses

Feature Article: "How Can You Tell if a Search Engine Marketing Firm is Legitimate?" by Robin Nobles

WebSiteMarketingPlan.com Site Updates
                                              
 "Developing a Website Marketing Plan" 
  by Bobette Kyle

Online Trends and Statistics

Administrative - Subscribe, unsubscribe, etc.

***

Welcome from Bobette

If you look closely, you will notice that today's issue has
some formatting changes (Many at the suggestion of David
Frey of MarketingBestPractices.com.). Most notably, in the
emailed text version, I have replaced the long URLs with shorter,
redirected links. This makes the text easier to read and cuts
down on errors due to truncated URLs. There are at least two
ways you can do this:

1) Build a redirected link at http://makeashorterlink.com .
This free service helps you create a link that redirects to
a page you specify.

2) Build your own redirect pages. If there is a lengthy or
cumbersome URL you want to include in an email, you can
avoid using it by sending visitors to a redirect page on
your site that has a shorter URL. The redirect page then
forwards visitors to a final destination. To see how it
works, go to http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/MarketingBook/index.htm .
You can make your own redirect page by adding this piece of
HTML to your page after the heading (replace my URL with the
final destination URL):

<HTML>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh" CONTENT="0;
URL=
http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/currentnewsletter.htm">
</HTML>

OK, enough tech talk.

Today's feature article, "How Can You Tell if a Search
Engine Marketing Firm is Legitimate?" by Robin Nobles, will
help you evaluate search engine outsourcing options. She
tells you how to distinguish the legitimate from the sleazy.
This is especially important when your budget is limited.
Shopping on the low end can sometimes be treacherous.

The S*P*O*T*L*I*G*H*T is on my own article, "Developing a
Website Marketing Plan". The article explains elements of a
marketing plan and why it is important to have one.

Thanks for reading the newsletter. I am doing it for you, so
want to include topics you want to read and learn about. Let
me know what you would like to see. Send your suggestions
and comments to me, bobette@WebSiteMarketingPlan.com

Enjoy,
Bobette

Haven't found what you want? Search below.

Google
 
Web WebSiteMarketingPlan.com

***

Book Update:
How Much for Just the Spider?
Strategic Website Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses

If you have not already done so, you can read about my upcoming book here as well as view the table of contents. It is a cut-to-the-chase guide designed to help you meet the challenge of integrating your business with the Web and the Internet.

The book will be available through Booklocker.com as both a print an ebook. We are making progress. I numbered the
index and sent back to the publisher this weekend. I am
expecting the book to be available April 2002.

New subscribers to the newsletter receive a free book excerpt. Subscribe now if you have not already done so. Thanks X


(Carefully type in your full email address then press the button.)
*

***

Feature Article

How Can You Tell if
a Search Engine Marketing Firm is Legitimate?"
By Robin Nobles

Have you ever gotten e-mail similar to this:

"Hi Website Owner,

"We noticed that your site isn't found under the keyword phrase, `freckles on English bulldogs.' With our proprietary software, we can determine your rankings in the top 32,727 search engines, and we guarantee we'll get you top 10 rankings for every keyword phrase that's relevant to your business."

Okay, I exaggerated a little, but you know what I mean. You've gotten these e-mail too.

What do e-mail like this do for the search engine industry? Regretfully, it often lumps us together with e-mail spammers and snake oil salesmen who promise the moon but can't deliver.

It even causes some people to question the professionalism of the industry in general.

So, how does the "average" person know which search engine optimization firms are legitimate? How do you know who you can trust, versus who should be tossed in the same category as the "get rich quick schemes" that never work?

Let's look at a few suggestions.

Read: "Fees and Concerns of Professional Search Engine Optimizers."

This article, which I wrote a few months ago, offers information on guarantees, pricing structures, and other topics of interest to professional SEO's.

Keep this in mind: As a general rule, it's virtually impossible to guarantee a top ten ranking across the board, as there are way too many factors, including off page factors such as link popularity, that come into play with a successful Website. However, some of the pricing structures are fashioned around rankings, which means that you literally pay for your rankings. You'll find the article at this URL: http://www.acws.com/information/pro- se-optimizer-fees.html.

Does the SEO firm hire Certified Search Engine Marketers?

Though certification alone doesn't guarantee that the optimizer can achieve top rankings or that the optimizer stays away from shady practices, at least you have a "guarantee" that the person has completed organized and legitimate training and that his or her skills have been certified. All certification isn't alike, however, so be sure to verify that the certifying agency is legitimate and keeps up with the constant changes in the industry.

The Academy of Web Specialists is the best choice for an online certifying agency. (http://www.academywebspecialists.com/more_info) For onsite certification, choose Search Engine Workshops  (http://www.searchengineworkshops.com), which I teach with John Alexander ( http://www.beyond-seo.com).

In the next few months, the Academy will be setting up a job databank of past students, which will be an invaluable resource when shopping for a professional SEO firm.

Purchase a copy of the Buyer's Guide to Search Engine Optimization & Positioning Firms.

Does the SEO firm adhere to the guidelines and suggestions as outlined in the Buyer's Guide to Search Engine Optimization & Positioning Firms? This excellent guide will help you understand the various pricing and SEO packages that are currently available in the industry, and it even rates 68 firms.

However, just because a firm isn't listed in the Guide does not mean that the firm isn't legitimate. The Guide's authors recognize that it's a work in progress. In fact, they plan on increasing the number of listed companies to 75 when they update the Guide in March of 2002, and they constantly ask for recommendations of additional companies to add.

So, if you're considering a search engine optimization firm, read the Guide to see how the firm "stacks up" against those firms that are listed in the Guide. Use the Guide as a source of information on what to ask the SEO, and listen carefully to the answers. If anything sounds "fishy" or too good to be true, you may want to move on to a different firm.

What type of information is available in this comprehensive manual?

* Guidelines for pricing and evaluating services;

* A "best practices" questionnaire;

* Reasons for hiring an outside firm versus doing it yourself;

* "Leveling factors" that allow you to compare apples to oranges, as much as possible. In other words, it's very difficult to compare one search engine optimization firm to another, because pricing structures and services often vary considerably. This Guide, however, allows you to compare different firms by focusing on specifics that can be compared across the board.

* Rough math to determine how much search engine optimization is worth to your online business; and,

* Evaluation, comparison pricing, and rating of the included SEO firms.

When reviewing the Guide, remember that opinions vary greatly in what's "legitimate" and what isn't. For example, the Guide believes that cloaking should not be used under any circumstances, and if any of the listed SEO firms participate in cloaking, they will lose points toward the final grade. While I agree that cloaking should not be "required" by an SEO firm, I disagree that cloaking should never be used. If used legitimately and when needed, cloaking can be a highly effective tool in search engine optimization. Of course, because the key word in that sentence is "legitimately," the Guide has felt the need to take a stance against cloaking.

Another example lies in the comments related to automated submission software. While I totally agree that manual submissions are the best, let's be honest here. Manual submissions aren't always feasible.

In that situation, software programs that mimic a manual submission should be chosen. Examples are WebPosition Gold's Submitter, Search Engine Commando, and Commando Pro. In fact, Gold's new version (1.6) does everything possible to emulate a manual submission and even improve upon it. (http://www.acws.com/information/gold.html) So, in my opinion, firms that use Submitter or these other programs shouldn't be penalized in the rating structure of the Guide.

How much does the Guide cost, and where can you buy it?

The cost of the Buyer's Guide is currently $119, and it can be purchased through: http://sherpastore.com/page.cfm/1759?a=terry

(Note: The above URL is for tracking purposes only. We don't get an affiliate percentage for selling copies of the book.)

In Conclusion . . .

If you're considering hiring a professional search engine marketing firm, do your homework, both in terms of the firm itself and what's currently being offered in the industry. Remember that the most expensive firms aren't always the best, and the most well-known firms aren't always the most legitimate.

Look to see if the SEO's skills are certified by the Academy. Then, pick up a copy of the Buyer's Guide to Search Engine Optimization & Positioning Firms. Study those guidelines carefully, and run any firm that you're considering hiring through the Guide's "Best Practices Questionnaire."

***

This article was written by Robin Nobles, a professional freelance writer and the Director of Training of the Academy of Web Specialists, where she has trained several thousand people in her online courses in search engine marketing strategies. http://www.academywebspecialists.com/more_info. She also teaches onsite search engine marketing workshops through Search Engine Workshops, http://www.searchengineworkshops.com, and she has written three books that can be ordered through Amazon*.

Copyright 2002 Robin Nobles. All rights reserved.

This article provided by the Marketing-Seek Archives at: Marketing-Seek.com
*Books By Robin Nobles:


Website Analysis and Reporting
 

 
 Maximize Website Traffic:...
 

***

WebSiteMarketingPlan.com Site Updates

I have added some articles and resources to the site since
the last newsletter:

* This issue's S * P * O * T * L * I * G * H * T is on...

"Developing a Website Marketing Plan" by Bobette Kyle.

Without a Website marketing plan, your site may be
unfocused and could even hurt your business. In this
article, I explain the purpose of objectives, strategies,
and tactics in a plan. I point you toward some marketing
plan resources as well.

* New Section: Marcia Yudkin's Marketing Minute

I have arranged to include author and consultant Marcia
Yudkin's Marketing Minute on the site. It is a short and
informational read, updated each Wednesday.

* In the "Marketing and the Web" resources section...

The eMarketing Association is added under "Marketing
Associations" on the "General Marketing Resources" page.
The eMarketing Association is dedicated to e-marketing and
the integration of online and offline marketing. There are
some resources available on the site to non-members, much
more in the "members only" section. There are four levels
of membership - Corporate, Professional, Associate, and
Student.

* In the "Your Marketing Plan" resources section...

I have added BuildACommunity.com (Yup, that's an affiliate link.) on the "Research and Data Analysis" page under "Chat Rooms and Communities."
.
They offer several ways to add interactivity to your site,
including "Auto-Quiz Pro" (which helps you offer quizzes)
and "CommunityForum" (to add forums).

* In the "Promotional Tactics" resources section...

I have added a new section called "Ezine Directories" to
the "Electronic Newsletter" page. It contains two ezine
directories (more to be added later): eZINESearch and Ezine-Universe.

***

Online Trends and Statistics

Consumers Use Multiple Channels for Purchase Decisions

This recent study by DoubleClick supports the validity of
marketing through numerous channels. DoubleClick found that
multi-channel shoppers - those that use retail store,
catalog and Internet to make purchasing decisions - spent
more than those using two or one channel.

U.S. Internet Use is Increasing by 2 Million Users Per Month

If you have any doubts that the Internet has become
mainstream in the U.S., then read "A Nation Online: How
Americans are Expanding Their Use of the Internet",
published by the U.S. Department of Commerce. About one-
third of respondents to a survey said they search for
product and service information on the Internet, and 21%
make purchases online. Many other findings as well.

Internet Shutdowns and Bankruptcies Hit 17-Month Low in
January

Webmergers.com reports that over the last three months
dotcom busts have been slowing. January's 19 was the lowest
since August 2000.

PayPal Leads Online Payment Service Providers

The Gartner Group reports that 31% of respondents to a
recent poll thought PayPal was to be highly trusted, while
27% use the service. Both of these measures were far above
BillPoint, the second place online payment service provider.

***

Administrative Notes

This newsletter, Website Marketing Plan Update, is a sporadically published ezine (No more than twice a week, no less than once a month.) containing notices of site changes; book-owner's bonuses; articles; announcements of new products and services; product reviews; and news about the upcoming book How Much for Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing for Small-budget Businesses.

How one gets onto the mailing list
(Subscribe Instructions).

I add email addresses to the newsletter mailing list only by request. This happens in one of three ways:

1) Via the subscription form on WebSiteMarketingPlan.com.

2) Via email to the autoresponder subscribe@WebSiteMarketingPlan.com.

3) Via email to my email address bobette@WebSiteMarketingPlan.com.

If you are subscribed to this newsletter and no longer wish to be, please unsubscribe...

Unsubscribe by:

1) Sending an email to unsubscribe@WebSiteMarketingPlan.com

2) Replying to the original newsletter with "unsubscribe" or "remove" in the subject line.

3) Sending me a personal email at bobette@WebSiteMarketingPlan.com asking to be unsubscribed.

Please, please, please...

Send your unsubscribe request from the address you wish to unsubscribe

OR

Note the address in your unsubscribe request.

Otherwise, I have no way of knowing which address to unsubscribe.

Copyright 2002 Bobette Kyle. You may forward this ezine - in its entirety - to others. You may not publish or reproduce the content elsewhere without written consent. Contact bobette@WebSiteMarketingPlan.com for permissions.


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