How important is SEO marketing to your online business? Well, since a lot of your affiliate marketing success will depend on how much traffic you can attract to your websites, blogs and articles, it can be very important.

This has happened to most of us. You spend days, even weeks, building the best website you possibly can. The site is well designed, and packed with content. You upload it and, filled with excitement, sit back and wait for the sales to start rolling in…but they DON'T!

Why? Because no one has found your site. And it doesn't matter how great a site is if potential buyers will never see it.

With the help of SEO marketing, you can make sure potential buyers will actually see the websites, blogs and articles you have worked so hard on.

What Is SEO Marketing?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. And SEO marketing includes all the things you do to optimize the pages of your websites so they will rank well in the search engines. The better they rank, the more traffic your site will have.

Every day, millions of people use search engines like Google to find information. What do you do when you use a search engine? You type what you are looking for into the search query box, and hit “Search.” Then you read down the page until you find a result that looks like it might contain the information you are looking for.

If you are like most people, you rarely go beyond the first page of the search results. So getting your content on the first page of the search results for a popular search term, can give the traffic to your site a major boost. And if you can get your content in the top three or four positions on the first page, even better.

SEO Marketing Can Save You Time

Many affiliate marketers spend a lot of time and energy trying to get more traffic to their website. And while some of those methods, like article marketing, are definitely worthwhile, the results you can get from good page rankings can be more impressive. Not that getting on page one for a popular search term is easy. It takes work. But, when your site is ranked number one or two for a hot keyword, and the profits are rolling in, the effort will seem more than worth it.

SEO Marketing Can Save You Money

There are a lot of paid methods you can use to get more traffic to your websites. And many of them are quite effective. But what's great about SEO Marketing is that you can be successful at it without spending a cent. Once you learn the basics of search engine optimization, and put those basics to work for you, the sky is the limit.

Reach More Potential Buyers

Affiliate marketing work on one simple principle. The more potential buyers you can reach the more profit you can make. And SEO marketing can help you reach countless potential buyers who might never have found your websites, blogs or articles any other way. Considering all of the benefits of SEO marketing, it's easy to see that it is an aspect of affiliate marketing that you can afford to ignore.

About the Author: Bill Vannot teaches marketers how to get top search engine rankings through an ever-growing archive of top quality, 'How To' Marketing Videos. Stop by and see how Bill's Videos can help you.

With today's website tracking software and services you can find out a lot about the people who visit your website. You can learn where they're from, what kind of browser they're using, how long they stayed on your site, and a whole lot more. But what all this high tech intelligence won't tell you is what kind of people they are, and how likely they are to be transformed by your Web presentation from viewers to customers.

Your ability to convert website visitors into clients depends on your ability to find the soft underbelly of their subconscious desire. After all, if someone is happy with what they've already got, they don't need you, but if they were truly one hundred percent happy, they wouldn't bother coming to your website. Therefore every visitor that comes to your site is a potential client whether they know it or not.

The Setup's The Thing

Your website presentation has to find that annoying little subconscious scab just under the surface and pick at it until it becomes a full blown irritation that fosters discontent and a desire for change. That discontent is your opening to make your value statement.

We refer to this process as The Setup. Like any good presentation you cannot, or rather should not, just blurt out how great you are, but rather you have to set the scene. Like any good story, the punch line, moral, or payoff only works if it is properly setup. Far too many website presentations suffer from premature pitch climax.

The ability to transform viewers into customers requires patience. Entrepreneurial companies tend to view the setup as a waste of time, and they fear losing viewers before they ever get to the so-called “good-stuff.” But without a proper setup, an audience is just not primed to accept what you have to say.

You can't sell anybody anything unless they understand they've not been getting everything they need and deserve. That understanding creates dissatisfaction with your competition and opens the audience's minds to what you have to offer. In short, the setup needs to touch a psychological nerve.

The Customer Is Always Right – Not Quite

We've all heard the expression, “the customer is always right.” The fact is the customer is not always right, and in many cases they don't really know what they want or what they should have; and sometimes even when they do, they resist it because of a variety of misinformation, misunderstanding, self-doubt, and preconceived notions of conventional wisdom. It's your website presentation's job to set visitors on the right path.

Being The Expert Inspires Confidence

You're supposed to be the expert in what you do, and if you are, you need to have the ability to dig deeper into what people really want, need, and desire. I am always reminded of friends of mine who hired an interior decorator to furnish their new home. The decorator asked them what kind of furniture they liked. They answered that they were looking for Colonial, to which the decorator answered, “No you aren't. What you want is Country French.” And after he showed my friends what he was talking about they quickly agreed. The decorator knew his business and understood the clients. Yes the clients liked the idea of the homey Colonial look they'd seen, but not being furniture experts they didn't understand what the options were, and what kind of furniture best suited their lifestyle and budget, while still providing the homey rustic but comfortable aesthetic they wanted. Customer satisfaction is about providing what the client really wants and not necessarily what they say they want.

Learn How To Communicate So Audiences Get It

Let's face it; we all like to read about how the digital revolution has opened up the business world to more audience influence, but the fact is people are influenced and manipulated and desires created through marketing and advertising as much as ever. How many website owners actually benefit in any meaningful way from social networking and search optimization, or do they do it because it's expected and promoted by proponents as the tactic du jour.

If you think a particular song you like is played on a thousand radio stations because it's good, or even because it has a following then you are living in a fantasy world. If you thing the vast majority of viral videos produced by corporations go viral all by themselves then think again.

Audiences are being manipulated and transformed into customers all the time, not because companies responded to what the public says, but rather to how the public reacts to various communication and marketing stimuli. What's truly amazing is how bad companies are at doing it. With all of the television industries' research into viewers, they still fail to deliver consistent quality programming that people want to watch. Every Fall new shows are yanked faster than a Nolan Ryan fastball, but the same crappy commercials live-on for what seems an eternity. Television viewers are a captive audience and if they want to watch their favorite show they have to tolerate the commercials (PVRs aside), but the Web is different. If your website presentation stinks, nobody is going to stick around to absorb the smell.

Web Television Convergence Has Arrived

If you think of your website presentation as nothing more than a digital brochure, you're already behind the curve. Welcome to the Web on TV.

All you need is a laptop computer or one of the new gaming consoles attached to your big screen TV to access the Web on television. And as network programmers scramble to get their acts together more and more people are opting to spend their television time on the Web. Kind of makes you rethink what kind of website presentation you should be offering. It's time to start thinking of your website as your own business channel and the content on it as programming. It's the future and it's here, now.

Who Visits Your Website?

Before website visitors can be transformed into clients, we have to understand who they are in terms of their mental outlook or frame of mind when they first arrive at your home page.

1. Accidental Tourists

Accidental Tourists are website visitors who find their way to your website by serendipity. Your company's link may have come up in a search for something mentioned on your website, but not something that's a core element of your business. But just because these people didn't really intend to visit a site like yours doesn't mean they're a waste of time. Perhaps they never thought of using your product or service, or perhaps they never realized how much they really wanted what you have to offer. If your website presentation is exciting, meaningful, and entertaining you at least have the opportunity to plant the seed of desire for your product or service.

2. Brain Pickers

Brain Pickers show up at your site with little intention to buy anything, in fact they're there to pick your brain and find out how to do what you do for themselves. But if you're truly an expert at what you do, you at least have the opportunity to show these people that what you offer is special, and doing it right requires a company with your skills and resources.

3. Penny Pinchers

These guys are looking for a bargain. You are on a list and they are checking out who is offering the cheapest solution to their problem. But not all Penny Pinchers are penny-wise and pound-foolish, some, just need to understand why you're the best at what you do, and why what you are charging is the real bargain.

4. Tire Kickers

The Tire Kickers love to look but rarely buy. They want what you've got but they just can't make the commitment to buy it. They visit your website a hundred times, each time pressing their noses against the virtual storefront window trying to make a decision that rarely comes.

It's up to your website presentation to push them over the edge. If they want what you got, you can sell it to them. All you need to do is find that soft under belly of desire that gets them eager to spend their money.

5. Missourians

These guys want what you offer but need the reassurance of some practical input to get them to buy. The desire is there, but it's frustrated by their mental need to justify the purchase with practical excuses. “But Honey, I know little Johnny is only three, but think of the eye-hand co-ordination he'll learn playing these video games.” People ultimately buy what they want, and rationalize the purchase with logic and reasoning, but without desire, no amount of statistical evidence will work.

6. The Enemy

If you're any good, you'll have plenty of competitors hanging around your website looking for ideas they can use. It's all part of the game. Better to be out there showing people what you've got than hiding, afraid someone might take advantage. Besides if you're really good, you'll always be at least one step ahead of the competition anyway. That makes you the leader and them the follower. And everybody wants to do business with the leader.

7. The Needy

The Needy crave what you've got but need a lot of reassurance, handholding, and customer support. These guys have the potential to be good customers but your presentation has to make it clear that you'll be there to answer questions and concerns and not just leave them in the lurch like so many other Web-based businesses do after they've got the sale.

In The End

If you're fed-up with social networking self-gratification, frustrated by ever changing site optimization requirements, and ineffective advertising then it's time to re-evaluate what your website presentation says and how it says it.

In the final analysis it's all about communicating your emotional value proposition using your most important venue, your website; delivered in the most engaging, informative, and memorable manner that compels your audience to pay attention to your marketing message, and act upon it.

About the Author: Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Visit http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads, http://www.136words.com, and http://www.sonicpersonality.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.

Have you done everything you can to promote your business and present it in a positive light? Do you have an effective, well designed company website? If you don't have an effective website for your business, you may be losing a lot of potential customers, and a lot of money.

According to a survey by Genex, an Incorporated 500 company, it is crucial for a business to have an effective company website that is visually appealing, up-to-date, easy to use, and that is rich in information about your company. The survey found that: 65% of potential customers will not shop on a poorly designed website, even if it is the site of a favorite brand; more than 75% of customers between 25 and 34 (the age group that makes the most purchases) say that usability is important in their online and offline purchasing decisions; and almost 30% of consumers will even quit making offline purchases from a company if their online experience at the company's website is poor.

According to David Glaze, Vice President of Creative, Genex, the survey shows there are “substantial financial consequences” when a company does not pay enough attention to the design and usability of its website.

Some companies that design effective company websites for businesses offer a multitude of services, including website design, video production, advertising design, and search engine optimization (SEO). Such companies will often design a website for a business and host the site too. Companies that use their services may find it easier to communicate with their customers in an effective and clear manner. They may be less likely to lose customers.

According to experts, an effective company website can provide a path to success. Such a website must be consistent in its design, relevant and compelling, easy to navigate, unique but familiar at the same time, up to date, fun and interactive. If a website for a company is all these things, the company with the effective website may find an increasing degree of business.

Some business experts say that customers often look online first for services or products. If you have an effective website customers will be more likely to buy from you, but the survey by Genex proves if you do not, you may likely lose customers permanently.

One problem is that some business owners think they cannot afford an effective company website. The survey by Genex proves they cannot afford not to have such a website. A website can pay for itself many times over in increased revenue for a business and may not cost as much as a business owner thinks.

Often potential customers will not look past the first page of your company website, so the site must be effective. You should buy from a web design company that knows how to provide SEO services. If SEO services are effectively used, your website could have a higher chance of being found on the first page of an Internet search for your search terms.

To increase your business, make certain you have an effective company website.

About the Author: Receive a FREE consultation from a custom website design company in Rochester MN that specializes in web development in Minnesota, and advertising and marketing agency services.

Ask a "main street" American how the economy is doing and they'll say we're in a recession, if not a depression.' Ask the same question to a reputable SEO professional and you'll likely hear their business is in a boom.

Why is this happening? For those that have harnessed the power of online marketing, including SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing), they have discovered something that experts have known for the better part of a decade, SEO is one of the best uses of capital resources a company can invest.

This has resulted in a transition from traditional offline media spending to one that diverts budgeting to focus online potential. This rapid growth is a double edged sword. Just like any booming industry, in SEO there is a definite supply-demand issue when it comes to working with qualified SEO experts.

For some companies they have elected to expand their in house operations via acquiring online marketing experts from other firms, or training employees into a desired role. This can be very expensive and can take a lot of time. An alternative consideration is to growth by outsourcing aspects of a search engine optimization project to skilled contractors.

When outsourcing to a SEO contractor the agency does not necessarily need that contractor to be an expert on search engine optimization. In fact, if broken up correctly, the agency should be able to harness the contractor's current skill set to meet the requirements of an SEO project. By developing a small team of contracting specialists the agency is able to maintain their proprietary optimization technique while meeting the needs of an expanding market place. Behind this operation is an account manger that will perform an enhanced role as a project manager, overseeing the progress of the project through its various stages.

Examples of Projects that can be Outsourced:

- Basic keyword research – the account manager will need to review, expand and develop the keyword strategy.
- Onsite Content – an experienced writer can help incorporate keywords into improving existing content, or author new pages.
- Offsite Content – link building is a core principle of improving a website's ranking. Online press releases, articles and blogs can be potentially outsourced. The key is to provide the contractor with distinct requirements about what keywords need to be referenced in the content.

Don't give away the Agency's Secrets:
Having a contractor provide assistance on your agency's SEO projects is a great way to provide additional value to your clients, or to cope with internal resource shortfalls at busier times. If you decide to outsource it is advised to have your contractor work as a specialist, performing similar tasks across various accounts, instead of performing multiple tasks across the same account. This will help guard any techniques or core competencies that your agency may have.

Ten Essential Tips for Hiring a SEO Contractor:
If you're considering hiring a contractor to assist with your agencies search engine optimization clients, then you need to consider the following:

1. Budgeting: What allocation of the client's fees can I dedicate to in house resources, versus external contractors? What projects can be performed economically without compromising quality or time?

2. Schedule Time Appropriately: Your contractor may not have the same ability to turn around an individual project in the time it would take to perform internally. Give your contractor plenty of time to complete the project.
- When is the Project really' due: Don't put your client's fate in the hands of a third party. Consider allowing for additional padding in the contractor for its due date.

3. Integrity: Look for the same traits in a contractor that you would in a full time employee. The contractor you hire should be honest about their abilities and should be reliable with the quality of work submitted in the time quoted to complete the project.

4. Start Small: Resumes, references and samples don't mean anything if the contractor cannot adapt to the requirements of your projects. Consider starting with a small task-oriented assignment and build up to more complex or recurring projects.

5. Be Present: Like with any employee, you get what you put in. Set expectations early and allocate enough of your time to explaining the requirements of the contract.

6. Provide Feedback on the Assignment: The collaboration between the agency and the contractor will result in a higher quality of work that is completed in less time when project feedback is provided. Key on recurring projects, communicate what the contractor did that was completed well and what areas need improvement.

7. Hourly versus. Flat Rate Payment Structure: How will you pay your contractor? The preference would be to have a flat rate, assuming the submitted work meets an agreed standard of quality. With a contractor the agency has an established relationship with this will result in a mutual beneficial arrangement where the agency gets more work, faster, and the contractor is able to earn at a higher "project by hour" rate because of efficiencies gained in the learning curve.
- Cautions about Hourly: Potential for inflated hours, or delays in starting a project
- Cautions about Flat Rate: Potential for lower quality work because the contractor did not have enough time dedicated to the assignment

8: Pay Invoices Quickly: When your contractor submits an invoice for payment, make sure payment occurs quickly and does not get lost in a paper shuffle in accounts payable.
- Set Payment Expectations: Make sure your contractor understands your agency's policies around invoicing. Set an interval at which invoices should be submitted and agree upon a time at which invoices will be paid.

9. Plan for the Worst: Don't place the client accounts in jeopardy because of a dependency on a contractor. If done correctly the contractor should be supplementing activities. Things can (and will) periodically change in the contractor's life that can change the contractor's availability. Listen to the contractor's goals and expectations to better understand if there are professional or personal risks.
- Professional Reasons a Contractor may Terminate: change of employment status
- Personal Reasons a Contractor may Terminate: addition to the family, change in residence

10. Review your Contractor Needs: It is important to periodically review your contractor strategy. Considerations you should review:

- What areas in the next month, next several months will I need contractor assistance?
- Are my contractors submitting high quality work at competitive pricing?
- What is the capacity of my contractors to submit work?
- Am I overextending work onto a particular contractor, or does a particular contractor have a risk of terminating in the near future for professional or personal reasons?

A boutique SEO agency that understands how to leverage contractors will find itself in a position to deliver an excellent bundle of services at competitive prices. When managed correctly, the client receives better than expected results, while still allowing the search engine optimization marketing agency to deliver these results at profitable prices that are superior to what the agency, or the client, could have down internally. In addition, you will better position the agency to extend its relationship with the client for additional, long term project work and maintenance agreements. By freeing up account managers to focus more on strategy and less on tactical projects, a boutique SEO agency will allow itself to take on additional client's and better control the speed at which the agency needs to hire additional full time employees.

About the Author: Keith Hanks is an established Atlanta online marketing professional and Sr. Account Manager at Atlanta SEO agency TwentySix2 Marketing.