Search Marketing Is Easier Than You Think

Posted by: Date: November 09, 2009

by Mike Moran

Image by cbcastro via Flickr

Not long ago, I spoke to a group of local chemical manufacturers on Internet marketing. (You can download my slides on “How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules.”) After the talk, I sat next to an veteran business owner at dinner, someone who clearly appreciated the talk but also felt a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of Internet marketing, especially search marketing. I was happy to put him a little at ease, because he really knows a lot more than he thought he did.

He told me that he is running his business long after he expected to retire, not because he needs the money, but because he wants to pass his business along to his daughter so that she will have a solid paycheck. But he also told me that he feels out of touch with how marketing is done today. He knows how to develop a product that customers want and he knows how to spin his Rolodex to sell it, but he doesn’t really understand marketing, especially Internet marketing.

He said that his daughter is more computer-savvy than he is, and that she is the person who works their Web site, but he doesn’t really know how to help her. I was happy to tell him what he needed to know, which is that he has forgotten more about his business than most people will ever know, and that all he needs to do is to share it.

He is an expert on his products. He knows exactly what customer problems they solve. And, from years of sales, he knows exactly how to persuade a customer to buy.

That’s how he can help his daughter. He needs to write down (or dictate) his thoughts to be posted on the site. He could do a few write-ups posted as Web pages, or start a regular blog, even if someone else has to post it.

He has plenty to say:

What customers need. He can tell stories collected over the years of problems customers have and how they were solved.
How the products work. He can describe in great deal the differences between one product and another, especially in terms of how it helps the customer.
Specialty uses for the products. He can tell stories describing the most unusual uses for his products, to help customers think more broadly about what they do.

Before you know it, you can have a few articles every week and begin attracting search traffic. See, I just explained the basics of search marketing without anything technical—because search marketing is easier than you think, at least when you are an expert in what you do.

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