Search Engine Optimization
Owners fire your CEO! CEO Fire your GM! Internet Marketing is here to stay!
Ok let’s talk about the Pink Elephant in the middle of the room. Over the past 2 years I ran into more CEO’s and GM’s that have zero clue about the web – even had one GM that didn’t even know the difference between IE, Firefox and Safari. Note to all owners in business – unless you are coming out of a cave or listening to a CEO/GM that are clueless the Internet is here to stay, and you need to get on board or in time you will be done. That is a powerful statement but true – each year your clients are changing to a younger generation who understand the digital game. Counting on the ways of the past and the clients with blinders to change is done – don’t let your company be done.
How do you know if your CEO or GM understands the game if you are an owner and you too are lost?
Hire an outside web professional that has both experience and time in the market! Don’t let your management team find someone – they will end up finding someone they control and manage. What you need to do is to listen from the outside consultant and learn!
Send your management team to schools /seminars!
There are a ton of Internet Marketing seminars put on across the country every month. You need to find the one that offers the skill set your team needs. They won’t come back able to perform changes to the functions, but they will be able to understand and communicate. Love this saying “being a student of the game is critical in business” – got this from Louis R years ago, and it has stayed with me and made me stronger.
Some I would advise to attend:
• Search Engine Strategies
• Search Marketing Expo
• Pubcon
Challenge your current SEO/ Internet marketing firm!
Every year bring in an outside company for an evaluation of your current directions and structure. See if your path is solid from a fresh set of eyes and more importantly challenge your current vendor to do more. The web changes every day, and you need to continuously be looking for the new angle to reach more and close more.
Next time you are sitting in your management meeting, take a look around the table – look at your CEO or GM and ask yourself – Do the subordinates around the table and outside the four walls of the room have this thought – “Lead Me, Guide Me or Get out of My Way” and feel confident that they can? When it comes to the web and the radical shift that has taken place over the last 7 years, if you don’t know the answer you need to become a student again or you will be lost!
Watch what you write on the web!
In the past week I have been looking at SEO companies from across the country to determine some sources of valuable links that we don’t already have today. Some are good some are just trash but one thing is for sure – “Watch what you write on the web”!
Prime example – on a blog post (source used for a link) a SEO company owner stated that “I’m a newcomer” and there was a date of the post (less then 12 months). This mistake could leave you open for debate in the eyes of a potential client. I understand that he wrote it in a way to sound like he cared about the blog post and pass the human filter, but his competition could use this one-day against him on a future sales call.
Remember everything written on the web will be on the web!
