As an online marketing consultant, I am always on the lookout for new online marketing strategies and tactics for increasing Kinesis clients’ online visibility.

And as I'm sure you've noticed, there are a lot of companies out there screaming about search engine marketing, search engine optimization, paid search, etc (just check your email junk folder). Unfortunately, most of the “information” you will find is pretty worthless - and some of it is absolutely wrong. Many of these “snake-oil” salespeople are using outdated or incorrect optimization methods.

Online marketing is competitive and requires a combination of marketing strategy, technical knowledge, skill, and experience. But too many web marketing consultants are focused on chasing search engine rankings. They fail to focus on the ultimate outcome: growing your professional reputation online.

My approach to SEO is to always ensure every page on you web site appeals to your prospects and clients first. And search engines come second. Remember this principle when a company comes to you yammering about SEO and how they will get you first page ranking.

Matt Cutts of Google opinion on web marketing

Here is a quote from Matt Cutts, one of those smart programmer dudes at Google:

“...my advice would be: rather than chasing search engines individually or (ugh) trying to make different pages/sites for different search engines, I’d work towards making a site so great that the search engines are working to try to make sure that they return your site. By chasing after a good user experience, you help ensure that you and the search engines are both working in the same direction. That’s much better than you chasing the search engines, which are in turn chasing what we think is best for users.”

Put You Customers First (not Google or Bing or Yahoo)

As Matt says, your ultimate goal should be to provide better results for your website visitors.

A high quantity of unqualified traffic does you no good if you have no potential customers. The point of your website is to act as a sales tool, right? Therefore, it is far, far better to get fewer visitors to your site who are highly qualified, responsive prospects. These are the people who will actually hire your company.

Kinesis designs websites that are user-friendly and compelling to search engines. It’s a holistic effort. This will always generate a greater return on investment than getting ranked number one for a couple keywords. We work to build a comprehensive website that has great design based on your professional brand. Our team showcases your knowledge, expertise, and experience. Then, we write great website copy that is anchored with smart keywords and implement your search-engine code.

So, the next time you find yourself obsessing over being number one in Google, think about how to be number one to the prospective clients that find you online. Focus on how you can make the content on your website even better for them. Over the long-term, this is a sustainable solution that will attract targeted leads, convert visitors into clients, and climb the search engine ranks over time.