8 Web Optimization Mistakes Many Minnesota Business Owners Make

Today, it’s almost certain that most business owners have heard about search engine optimization. Whether they have received emails from various marketing companies, seen ads on the internet, or have talked about websites with colleagues, search marketing is bound to have been noticed. That’s a good thing. What’s not such a good thing is the fact that not all SEO companies and web marketing strategies are created equal. Some companies promise the sky, but are short on delivery. Some companies even resort to unethical techniques that are frowned upon by Google, Bing and Yahoo. As the leading web optimization company in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the experts at Kick Ass SEO have been contacted by many businesses that have invested marketing dollars in campaigns that simply did not work. Here are some COMMON MISTAKES Twin Cities business owners make that can lead to pouring marketing dollars down the drain:

• Hiring the Wrong SEO Firm

  Most web design companies have little experience in this highly specialized field. Don’t be fooled by these worthless services. Search engine optimization is very different from web design and requires extensive training and experience. Web designers think visually and graphically. In contrast, search engine optimizers think in terms of algorithms and mathematics. Many business owners hire a firm without conducting thorough research on its reputation or capability. If a self-proclaimed web optimization company can’t get its own website ranked at the top of major search engines, what are the odds that it can give your website top rankings? If you are in the Minneapolis, St Paul area, you can search for keyword phrases like “SEO services in Minneapolis” or “SEO firms in MN” to see which web sites are ranked at the top. Companies that don’t rank at the top of Google are only good at making empty promises.

• Thinking They Know All about Web Optimization

  It is definitely a good idea for business owners to keep themselves informed about what is going on in the SEO field. However, simply reading a few blogs or watching a couple of videos doesn’t make anyone qualified to plan and execute a full-scale SEO strategy. Very often, a business owner who thinks that he or she knows everything about SEO wants to make the most critical decisions regarding their marketing campaigns, instead of letting experienced professionals take charge. Doing so can sabotage the efforts. Would you try to tell an emergency room doctor what to do simply because you have watched 3 episodes of ER?

• Lacking a Sense of Urgency

  Every day, potential customers are actively searching for your products and services on Google, Yahoo and Bing. If they can’t find your company, they will find your competitors. Every lead and sale your competitors get takes money away from your business and weakens your competitiveness. Worse, the longer your website stays invisible, the more difficult it is to get higher rankings when you do decide to optimize your web site. If you can’t find your website using a variety of searches, NOW is the time to take action.

• Thinking Organic SEO Can Be Done Overnight

  Organic search engine optimization takes time and patience. If your industry isn’t very competitive, there is a very strong chance that you will see a quick increase in ranking and web traffic. However, if your industry is highly competitive, such as real estate, law, travel or insurance, it can take several months or longer to see any significant improvement. Even though it may take longer, organic search engine optimization is still the most critical marketing for the long term.

• Giving up on Search Engine Marketing too Quickly

  If you have a bad experience with a doctor, would you give up on medicine? After working with unqualified SEO companies, some Twin Cities business owners have concluded that this marketing strategy doesn’t work. However, if your competitors’ websites dominate in Google’s ranking results, it must be working well for them. Web search optimization is very complicated, and its success depends on many factors, including the history of your website, the keywords you target, the quality of your web content, the structure of your website, and your competition. If your past campaigns failed to boost your bottom line, it is helpful to consult with a qualified service firm that can make a fair evaluation of what needs to be done.

• Lacking Direct Involvement in the Process

  Some business owners think search engine optimizers can perform magic tricks to make a website findable. However, that’s not how it works. When Google, Bing and Yahoo decide how to rank a website, one of the most important factors is the actual content of your website. This content, about your services and products, your expert knowledge, and your company’s information, is carefully analyzed by sophisticated ranking algorithms. That is why business owners need to work closely with the web optimization company to create content that is useful to potential customers and informative to search engines.

• Ignoring Web Conversion

  Many Minnesota business owners assume that top search engine rankings will give them leads and sales, without paying much attention to whether their websites provide valuable information to visitors. Always keep in mind that only well-designed, user-friendly websites can convert traffic to leads and sales. The ultimate goal of your web optimization campaign should always be high conversion rates.

• Going for the Lowest Bidder

  All too often, business owners forget the time-tested truth of “You get what you pay for.” Cheap services can be very expensive in the long term. Before committing to any proposal, you should get a detailed list of what services you will receive from the SEO firm. Compare the services from different companies, and then choose the one that offers the best combination of services and price, along with demonstrating a history of kick-ass results.

Web Optimization for Business Success – Minneapolis St. Paul, MN

The mistakes above can be very costly. Many Minnesota business owners keep making the same mistakes while expecting different outcomes. The good news is that it is never too late to fix these mistakes and jump-start your search engine marketing. Kick Ass SEO has highly experienced search engine optimizers and top-notch web designers, and we have consistently helped clients in Minneapolis, St. Paul and across the country with exceptional marketing results. Our clients have told us that their search engine marketing outperforms all other marketing methods combined. Contact us and we will be happy to explain how our effective strategies can work for you!