SEO Blog

Search Engine Optimisation is a great way of getting yourself seen online. However, that isn’t to say that it is a pathway to riches untold. Some effort is needed to ensure that you actually succeed online.

First of all you need a decent business model. Are you actually doing something that people are looking for? If you have competitors, are you doing it better than them?

Sometimes it isn’t a lack of traffic or search engine movement that condemns an online business to failure; it is the company itself. SEO is all about persuading search engines to rank you higher for certain phrases, your job is to convert that presence into something more tangible.

Let’s say you are selling fishing equipment. It is a relatively niche market, but invariably there will be some competition out there from reputable and well established businesses. If you are trying to sell a fishing rod that is available on a competitor’s site for 25% more than they are, what chance of success do you have? In all likelihood you are simply banking on the customer having no understanding of prices and not bothering to look elsewhere. That’s pretty unlikely unfortunately.

Also, what if your fishing store just isn’t selling what people are looking for. Maybe you have specialised in a particular type of fly, tackle or lure that isn’t popular. Yes, you should get good traffic from those who are looking for what you offer, but that might not be enough to cover your expectations. Sometimes you have to take a step back and question whether you are really offering something that can’t be found elsewhere or if you are able to offer more than your competitors.

Maybe it’s something simple like delivery. Some people will pay more to have their products delivered swiftly, so offering a next day service can be beneficial. If you can’t do that, then at least ensure that there are  a good range of choices available to satisfy varying budgets and requirements.

Talking of budget, don’t price yourself out of the delivery market. If you’re trying to earn a little extra on the side by boosting P&P charges, think again. The Internet is a competitive market and you don’t want to give your visitors any reason whatsoever to go and sample pastures new. You can’t run a business at a loss, but you can at least be sensible about how much profit you target.

In the most part, consumers are looking for good value from a business they can trust. You have to be able to offer both along with the actual products they’re after. There are so few absolute niches around now, so you have to be prepared for competition and the challenges that creates.

If your business practices are flawed, SEO can only paper over the cracks, it can’t fix it. You have to be prepared to look at yourself and accept the flaws that might be present. If you can add focus to your business then adding focus to your online marketing becomes a whole lot easier.