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Sphinn Home » SEM
Searching For Small Businesses, Coming Up Frustrated
SEM News Source: http://searchengineland.com
Published: Oct 16, 2008 - 08:05 am
Story Found By: DavidWallace 1214 Days ago
Category: SEM
Danny Sullivan writes, "Having written about search for years, it’s often easy for me to mistakenly assume that everyone gets it. Search is where the customers are. Surely every business owner, large or small, understands by now the importance of appearing before these customers in search. Surely. But as I’ve looked for local businesses to help with my needs after a recent move, I’ve had a personal reminder of just how far behind some companies remain."
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from CarrieHill 1214 Days ago #
Votes: 0

This is a great post.  In my opinion, the scourge of the small business is the yellow pages people.  I dont like them, and rarely use them - mostly because I’ve dealt with their salespeople and their misinformation with my husband’s small business and I’m not impressed.I think they fill a need your locksmith had - without giving them ALL of the options and the pros and cons of buying a yellowpages website.  Mr. Locksmith should have done some homework, but small business folks are BUSY and I think they get taken advantage of a lot.  If I wasnt internet savvy - my AOL-mail-loving hubby would have just sent them a check thinking it was what one was supposed to do.I did an article at SEW a few weeks ago and found just the same screen for a company I searched for - "call xxx-xxx-xxxx to reinstate this website."  I bet the owner wasnt told he doesnt really own or control his website.Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.~Carrie

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from planetc1 1214 Days ago #
Votes: 0

Same experience here with yellow pages and their sales reps but something I’ve discover even uglier are "SEO experts" popping up to serve niche industries. In my dealings talking to many it appears they are selling 1998 style seo, and not the good back to basics stuff.I want a prominent link somewhere that says “Report Fake Business!” - AMEN!

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from DavidWallace 1214 Days ago #
Votes: 1

Funny, I just spoke to potential small biz client who gasped at $500/mo. to manage small SEO campaign. Then I reminded him of what traditional advertising costs. The yellow pages for example - he’d spend this if not more for good sized ad which would only reach one geographical area. With search, he has access to the world!

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from MLDina 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 0

I can completely relate! I can’t even remember how often I’ve tried to find a local business (landscaping, repair, etc), and they rarely even have web sites! While I’m amazed at how rapidly the world changes (I remember BG- Before Google), I’m even more shocked at how unwilling people are to change, even if it helps their business. I think businesses are rapidly shifting to an online advertising structure, and traditional media will become a way of the past. Hopefully the local shops we all love so much can get on board!

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from johnandrews 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 0

There is SOOOO much to this issue, it deserves a dedicted forum/conference (LOL).Danny, it’s worse than you describe, but the reasons are even worse. SMBs are not web companies, and the local merchant can’t become a web strategist. They can’t afford to hire one, either. But in each vertical, someone will step in (eventually) and rule that market. It’s disruption, it’s coming, and it’s necessary.

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from tonyp 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 0

This is an excellent article that illustrates the knowledge gap between the search industry and small business advertising. 

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from JeffMHoward 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 0

My question is that if small business finds SEO too expenisve, a) would they pay for it if they understood the value  b) do they prefer to do the SEO work themselves or higher a consultant

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from TannerC 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 1

A great evaluation of the sad state of most businesses and their online brand. It’s unfortunate that it is 2008 and there are still a lot of businesses that don’t know how powerful of a marketplace the internet can be for them.It just goes to show that there is a need for SEO and internet marketin businesses right now. We’re the experts, what can we do to help our local businesses out?

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from Jill 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 1

I remember writing about this like 5 or 8 or more years ago. It doesn’t look like much has changed, unfortunately. Many local companies simply don’t get it and maybe never will.  Although, I imagine as the next generation starts owning businesses things may finally, finally start changing in this area.

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from Mel66 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 0

I agree with the other comments.  Even larger organizations gasp at $500 or $1,000 for SEO, yet they spend more than that per month (or day) in traditional media.  I think most small biz owners have no clue that people are actually looking for them online; and if they do have a clue, they don’t know where to start fixing the problem nor even where to ask.

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from MiriamEllis 1213 Days ago #
Votes: 1

Yep, Danny, that’s what it’s like.Every small business client you take on represents one more company that is being lead out of the darkness into the light. And if that sounds like an overly-dramatic description, let me say that last week I looked over the situation of a small architectural firm which, for some reason, is being listed across Local as an auto mechanic. They didn’t realize this. Hadn’t heard about it from their clients. And, of course, didn’t know what to do about it. What you are describing is pretty much the state of the nation in the small business world. It’s awful, but it makes work very meaningful with each effort one makes to improve it.Miriam

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from kenton 1210 Days ago #
Votes: 0

Thanks so much for posting this.  I agree with some of the comments above that this is a huge problem.  Just another case in point:I had a water leak in my house and had to get some drywall repaired.  Key point is that home owner’s insurance covers this so I really didn’t care how much it cost as long as it got done quickly (i.e., I was a ripe target).  Found a guy to do the work who had his website all over his truck, but no decent ranking in the SERPs.  I tried to talk to him about it a bit, to no avail.  So this guy went the way of your pizza joint and locksmith.  He charged me about $500 for this job (another key point).But what if you assume 10 measly visitors a day...that’s about 300 per month.  Let’s say the guy does a decent job converting visitors on his site with good copy, email marketing, etc. and gets a 1% conversion rate.  That’s only 3 new deals per month, right.  But at $500 a pop, sounds like $1500 extra per month to me!  And that’s assuming that these buyers are asking for el-cheapo repairs like my little drywall project.  More than likely, they’d need more expensive services.  And there’s a good chance the site could get more than the paltry 10 visitors a day.  So the numbers just explode when you’re not as conservative as my example.And don’t even get me started on the lifetime customer value thing.  As if people aren’t ever going to need work done around the house again...sheesh!Kenton

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from ventureN 1209 Days ago #
Votes: 0

Danny,This is what many ’local’ SEO types run into all of the time.  Small merchants often overlook things that will eventually catch up with them.  As you mention, if business is coming in, they don’t pay a lot of attention to the "small" things. If you offered to add 5% to their business tomorrow, they would jump at the chance, but they don’t care about things that are a bit beyond their understanding. The 3rd party domain ownership thing drives me nuts.  I know of a few colleagues that allowed their developer, or a yellow pages company, register their domain.  In one case, the business owner received a buyout and the developer held their domain for a ransom (jealousy kicked in).Keep up the great work Danny!

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from jamilbroom 1208 Days ago #
Votes: 0

yeah, you hit the nail on the head with this one.  a lot of people don’t use or own a computer, so we can’t expect them to know what the heck google is or how a search engine works.i am interested in helping small businesses be able to afford SEO services and expand their businesses -- any ideas on that front?  it seems like once I can explain the concept, they are on board, so long as it does not cost an arm and a leg.

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