Natural Success for a Small Business OnlineBY: R A Smith
Getting into the natural search engine results is like trying to enter a private celebrity club, where you only get in if you are well connected. Money can certainly make a difference, as evidenced by the big company names occupying a large number of popular keyword positions. Brand name companies with large budgets have the resources to employ extensive marketing departments, outsource to experts, and acquire online properties in their efforts to gain the necessary connections. Is it realistic to think small business owners can succeed against big companies online? Although the playing field is financially uneven, some small companies have been able to establish positions in highly competitive keywords, without the benefit of a large budget. One example is a small business which has consistently been in the top 20 of Google's natural search results for keyword phrases such as, home equity loan, second mortgage, and variations of similar keywords. The mortgage industry is among the most competitive spaces online, yet here is a small business listed among the big competitors, such as, Bank Rate, E-Loan, Wells Fargo, Lending Tree, and Countrywide. While the listings are not at the top of the results, they are within a good range to generate valuable traffic. If you examine the site, it reveals nothing extraordinary. Actually, it has a simple design, with basic on-page optimization for the title, description, and keyword phrases. The main reason for the success of this site is a combination of these basic elements, plus pages of useful on-topic content, which have been publicized over a period of time to generate the necessary inbound link connections from other sites and directories. All the web development, content writing, and site promotion was done in-house with little money spent, and any questionable ranking methods have always been avoided. This example shows that a small business can succeed along with the big companies in a competitive online space. It takes time and effort to create good original content, and getting connected is an important part of the marketing process, including the use of web directories, social networks, blogs, submitting articles, press releases, and asking for links. Be persistent, it may be a long road to get there, but it's a rewarding destination.
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