It is probably not surprising that a fair few online retailers, at sometime, will try to put together a Google AdWords and SEO campaign, and thats good. They will delve into the mechanics of creating an online marketing strategy and decide to have a dabble. After a short period of time, they will decide that they need some advice as it’s not quite as clear cut as they thought. This advice and guidance often takes the form of;
1. Asking a friend
2. Asking a friend who has created their own strategy
3. Asking questions in forums
4. Reading the Google Guidelines
5. Contacting a reputable SEO/PPC company
There is good reason that number 5 is at the bottom of the list as historically, this is usually the last option the SME will try.
So lets look at these in more detail;
1. Seriously? You would seriously ask a friend who probably has no knowledge of the subject. Prepare yourself for failure.
2. This option is just as bad. Your friends strategy will not be the same as yours due to different parameters/budgets/expectations. Unless he’s a competitor of course, in which case you shouldn’t be asking him in the first place.
3. I just love this option. If you are ever in need of a giggle, just read the forums. You would think that this is the best option, but you would be wrong, you would be so wrong. What happens usually is that you join a forum and post a question. You will very quickly get opinions from many “Experts” who will start to contradict each other. We’ve seen examples of someone posting a question and the remaining thirty posts in the thread are taken up with conflicting heated opinions. Not recommended.
4. This is a good start. Read the guidelines and begin to understand what you should and shouldn’t be doing. Even if you engage an agency to run your campaign for you, it’s a good idea to understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.
5. If you want to save money, if you want your strategy to succeed, then this is the only option you should consider. A word of warning though, choose your agency wisely. Do your research and beware of anyone telling you they can get you to position one in the rankings in four days. It won’t happen. But then again, you’ll know that because you’ve read the Google Guidelines right? Your strategy partner should be transparent and preferably a Google Partner. Listen to them and work with them and you’ll soon be on the way to a successful and profitable campaign.
