SEO Promises: Show Me, Don’t Tell Me!
Dennis Winchell, Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc.

     The lodging industry is very competitive, and most property managers realize the great importance of owning a website to increase revenue. A well designed, user friendly website is the first important step to gain market exposure and increase booking ratios. Simply having the site, however, will not increase the number of visitors to the site. An effective website promotion is truly the key to gaining exposure, a higher volume of daily website visits, and ultimately an increased number of room bookings.

     How do you know which website promotion company to choose for effective search engine optimization (SEO) and promotional work? The first thing to look for is a performance track record.  Be sure the company you spend money with has been doing this work long enough to display proven results. It is not unusual for these companies to display a list of satisfied clients on their website. Take advantage of this by contacting the clients directly. Ask them if they are satisfied with the results they’ve received, and if they would recommend their SEO company to a friend.

     Make sure you speak with a representative from the SEO company to determine what methods they implement to achieve the results they promise. There are many SEO companies that make claims and use methods that could be detrimental to your website marketing. Some make submissions to a large number of search engines, even when this does not guarantee better results - they are generally a form of “smoke screen” to help the SEO company become more boastful of the work they are doing. Others, perhaps new to the business, try to achieve good results by simply copying metatags, sending spam e-mails, or making cold-calls promising top rankings, but gloss over the actual techniques they will use. While some number of these techniques may be effective in the short term, the big danger they posses is the strong potential to get a website banned from search engines. It goes without saying that this could be devastating to a business. We’ve had clients describe some unreliable SEO companies that use scare tactics to try to win customers – they claim that if you don’t choose them, your website will fail; do not believe this for a moment. It also is unrealistic to expect overnight results, so if this is promised, be weary. When working with a reputable company, it is realistic to expect your website to be optimized and effective in search engine results within three to six months.

     A trustworthy SEO company will be happy to provide you with proven results and statistics, and will allow you to make a decision based on realistic promises for search engine placement. It is very important to choose an SEO company that specializes in your industry and provides personalized service to each client. You should expect an account manager to work with you individually to meet your expectations. The account manager should be skilled at implementing highly effective promotional techniques that meet standards for your industry. The company you choose should provide positive results within six months – if they don’t meet this timeframe, it is likely they never will. It is also essential to recognize when a company does not meet your expectations. You are not required to move forward with a company if they have not earned your trust or provided positive results. You will know you have made the correct decision when you see that the SEO company spends time to understand your needs – ideally, the company will surpass your expectations. By placing your trust and hard earned money with a reputable SEO company, you will see a tremendous return on investment (ROI) and quickly recognize the tremendous impact search engine optimization has on your business.

     Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc. has been providing complete website promotion (including SEO services), as well as website design and hosting, to the lodging and hospitality industries since 1997. The company has a proven record with its more than 2,000 satisfied clients.

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