SCORE: Search engine optimization a hot topic

Websites are very often the hubs of companies' marketing efforts, the central place to which all other marketing materials and points of online presence direct potential customers. Websites serve as the center of the marketing universe where people can get more information about a company's products and services—and where they can make a purchase. With so much of a business's success riding on drawing more traffic to its website, no wonder SEO (search engine optimization) is a hot topic and major concern among small business owners.

SEO, the process of affecting the ranking of a website or web page in a search engine's organic (unpaid) results, is a complex, multi-faceted undertaking. It requires ongoing attention and often knowledge beyond what most small business owners possess.

In hiring or contracting an SEO professional or agency for consultation or ongoing services, you need to be careful. While most will have your business's long-term best interests in mind, there are some that take shortcuts. While shortcuts might initially deliver quick results, in the long run they could do more harm than good to the credibility and visibility of your website.

Be wary of any SEO professional who claims they can get you on the first page of Google in a short amount of time. That's a promise they likely would not be able to achieve by using SEO best practices. Generally, to see improvement in ranking, it requires three months of legitimate SEO work. And getting to the first page of Google could take longer for a variety of reasons.

To avoid having your website penalized, ask prospective SEO professionals questions about what they intend to do to improve your website's ranking in searches. Any of the following techniques should raise a red flag:

n Using automation to build links to your website.

n Buying back-links to your website.

n Producing low-quality content just for the sake of having new content.

n Guest blogging that might be perceived as "spammy."

n Using link anchor text that's optimized with keywords and points back to your website.

n Stuffing website page content with keywords and phrases.

These practices alone or in combination could result in your website being penalized by Google, so it's wise to find out upfront if an SEO adviser intends to use them.

As you seek a qualified and reputable SEO profession to help you in your online marketing efforts, consider also talking with a mentor at your local SCORE chapter.

StrokeStyle/$ID/SolidBarbara Shellman is responsible for marketing and brand strategy at Craig Wealth Advisors. She has been a SCORE mentor for over 4 years and is co-presenter at SCORE's digital and social media marketing workshops. For more information about small business marketing, attend the free SCORE workshop, "Optimizing Your Digital Marketing Strategy" on Monday, Nov. 7, 6:30 pm at Traverse Area District Library Woodmere branch. Please pre-register at upnorthscore.org.

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