As a starting point, on-site SEO is great but it’s not enough. Search engine algorithms are always changing so it’s important for business owners to incorporate a complete internet marketing strategy into their overall marketing budgets.
To be effective, an internet marketing strategy should include not only on-site SEO, but also, social media marketing, blogging, press releases, email marketing, and much more. There are so many branches on the internet marketing tree that you have to be hanging from at least a few of them in order to succeed.
This year alone it is expected that:
- 46% of small business owners will increase marketing spending with a focus on internet marketing
- Email marketing will continue to be the most popular form of internet marketing
- 45% of small business owners will get involved with or spend more time on video marketing
- 35% will increase mobile marketing efforts
With that kind of internet marketing awareness, it’s no wonder SEOs have had to step up their game. No longer can they depend on what worked in the past. It’s a new internet out there now –one where almost every business owner knows they need a presence– and the competition is fierce.
Small business owners who want to succeed online are going to have to adapt to change just like their SEO professionals had to. You just can’t expect to rank well when you’re only hanging off of one branch of the tree.
Talk to your SEO about establishing a social media presence, getting involved with content marketing, PPC, and whatever else interests you. Or to be blunt, whatever else you can afford. Many small business owners are now dedicating a large portion of their marketing budgets to internet marketing and if you don’t start considering it as important as they do, you’ll be left behind.
October 6th, 2011 
Sarie Drake 
