SEO marketing companies play a strong role, but I noticed something really ironic about them…or I mean “us.”
It’s not my only business, but for years, I touted online marketing SEO service as a main part of my business. After all, Google provides so much traffic for many businesses, and truthfully, while it has plenty of flaws, it’s a great model.
How many of us turn to the Internet to find someone who can do certain types of stuff for us?
It’s a great system, and it’s always a good idea to get in places where there is a lot of traffic.
So what’s the ironic part of SEO businesses?
Something Funny about SEO Marketing Companies
None of us SEO companies...that I know...has EVER gotten any SEO marketing clients from Google or any other search engine.
Does this mean that we’re frauds?
NO!
I admit that there ARE a lot of frauds in my industry. (No, I will not call out anyone in particular. That’s not my point here, anyway.)
However, is every SEO company fraudulent? Probably not!
How does that make sense? An SEO company never getting any business of its own as a result of SEO?
How is that NOT a scam?
I have a quick answer…in the form of a question…
How do (most) people select SEO companies?
Where I Get Many of My Clients for SEO Work
Everyone I know gets referred to me.
Everyone I know gets referred to me.
Here is the longer answer...
SEO Marketing: A Success Story
I began doing SEO work as a volunteer for small businesses.
SEO Marketing: A Success Story
I began doing SEO work as a volunteer for small businesses.
When I first started, I just blogged for this company…EVERY DAY. At the time, I was trying to learn how to do real estate investing, and I figured a good way for me to learn was to volunteer for a real estate investor. One of the things I started doing was blogging on a real estate topic…every day.
At first, my blogs were bland. I did not know much about real estate, and I knew even less about online marketing. Sure, I took a class on internet marketing, but it’s a whole lot different when you’re actually trying to APPLY what you learned during the class.
After a few months, I started getting ideas where to get more topics, and I typed away. Helping other people learn was a great way for me to learn about that topics, also.
It did something else.
My blog marketing started attracting investors from around the world. REALLY! It helped the company where I was volunteering attract enough investors that they had over 200 properties.
The company began as a tenant placement company, but it evolved into a pretty good size property management company.
The craziest part of this was that I really had NO idea what I was doing. Sure, I tried to use keywords, but I didn’t even really understand keywords—at first. In fact, I just simply wrote…a lot.
But it's clear that SEO marketing worked to attract people who did NOT know my client BEFORE they "found" him on Google. SEO works; it's not a scam (when it's done correctly).
SEO Marketing Success Story #2
The work I did for THAT real estate investing company gained the attention of another internet marketer who is much bigger than me. He had over 100 clients and worked for 5 or 6 national franchises at that time. (I don’t remember the exact count anymore, but I’m sure you get the idea.)
The work I did for THAT real estate investing company gained the attention of another internet marketer who is much bigger than me. He had over 100 clients and worked for 5 or 6 national franchises at that time. (I don’t remember the exact count anymore, but I’m sure you get the idea.)
I started doing some work on a volunteer basis for him, and I helped him build a company that provides a service. It took a while, but we used SEO—and nothing else—to build that company. That work generates between 30 to 50 calls each day. Fast forward a few years later, he sold that company earlier this year. He did not become a millionaire from it, but let’s just say that most people would be pretty happy with it.
The crazy thing about that is…even though he uses the same SEO marketing principles to build business for his online marketing clients, HE has NEVER gotten any SEO business from people searching for him on Google.
He gets his business by word of mouth or presenting at events.
An important realization about marketing for SEO Companies
Does that make this internet marketer a fraud for getting clients for SEO marketing via offline marketing methods?
Does that make this internet marketer a fraud for getting clients for SEO marketing via offline marketing methods?
No. The SEO work he does helps businesses get clients they would not get otherwise...via Google.
So why does he, I, or any other SEO company NOT get new clients from Google?
Because that’s NOT how people decide where to get SEO services.
There are too many SEO companies, and many of these SEO companies only want your money. They’re, at best, marginally concerned about your company’s success.
It’s too easy for SEO companies to rip off people. So people get referrals from other people they know who got good service from someone in an industry ripe with scandal (yet is so important).
Moral of my story: You have to know how people are making buying decisions about what you sell.
Too many people ASSUME Google is the one and only answer.
Google is great, but it’s not always the answer.
Is it the answer for YOUR business?
If so, I might be able to help you. If you’re not sure, ask me. I’ll tell you...either way. I don’t want to get business that’s not a fit. That’s a waste of my time and your money (and bad for my reputation).
Examples-Good Fit for SEO Marketing: locksmith service, towing, plumbing, bakery, restaurant, wedding planner, etc.
Examples-Bad Fit for SEO Marketing: web design, branding, (unknown) book authors, (most) manufacturing companies, (unknown) musicians, SEO MARKETING, etc.
If people are searching online on a search engine for a service that you offer, than by all means, hire a good SEO marketing company. Otherwise, skip that and find how to get in front of that decision making path people make when they’re buying.
There isn’t any one-size-fits-all marketing approach that works for all businesses. Make sure your business is chasing a market where people are looking.
Final Hint: Often there is more than one good marketing approach for your business to take. SEO is only sometimes one of those “right” ones.
SEO companies should probably NEVER rely on SEO marketing to be “discovered.” It's one of the businesses that should NOT depend on Google to get customers.
Isn’t that ironic?
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