I just finished confirming what you are about to read. I had to make sure that what I saw was really what I saw because, quite honestly, I was more than a bit surprised.
No it wasn’t some awful video that makes everyone who sees it scream out loud because the pain reaches through the ‘net and visits you personally (you know the ones I am referring to guys). It also wasn’t some ridiculous political statement that makes you cringe and laugh in the same breath. I mean, really, that’s too easy to find in this day and age and surprises none of us anyway.
Actually, it was Inc. magazine’s “How-To Guide” Editors Picks to “Build Traffic Using the Search Engines”. First, let me say that I really enjoy Inc. magazine. There is almost always some really insightful information in the mag that makes me look forward to opening it up. I think many small to medium business owners who aspire to the success of the Inc. 500 feel that way. So I go to their web site and start looking around and I found the How-To Guide Search Marketing so I got excited. I figured that this would be some great information for us SMB search marketer types, right?
Boy was I surprised. I mean maybe the information had some merit but I confess that I didn’t read all of it and here’s why. Of the articles that had dates attached to them the most recent one was from September of 2005. No typo there, friends. 2005. There were articles that were included in the “guide” that were from 2000. I liken that to turning to an Edsel’s owner’s manual to fix your 2008 Toyota. The commonalties begin and end at each having four wheels and a motor. Inc.’s complete disregard for the ever -changing nature of search marketing was really bad at best and at worst irresponsible (bad out of date information is irresponsible especially from a traditionally strong source).
It’s no wonder that SMB’s are still in the Dark Ages of search engine marketing. One of the more respected sources of business information for this segment hasn’t felt the need to update its How To for SEO, PPC and all things search in nearly 3 years! I guess some of the data is still “accurate” because there are some basic elements of search that have not changed but the practice of search marketing is difficult to track from week to week. I was thinking about how it would sound to a prospective client if I said that “We use the latest white hat search techniques from 2005 to help you have success via the engines here in 2008”, would you be interested in learning more about my service offering? Of course not.
Here’s the net result of this experience for me. I am more determined than ever to provide the type of service that meets the needs of the SMB market. Maybe the first step is just providing real solid, plain English explanations and observations to demystify this stuff. I am thinking that through.
COMMENT STARTER: If you are connected to the marketing function for any SMB (agencies included) what do you think this market needs to know and why? Why do you suppose there is still so little traction in small to medium businesses when it comes to internet marketing?
SMB Takeaway: As always I will encourage the small to medium businesses to fully embrace search marketing. Be sure, however, to get the most current information through sources that can be trusted because they actually DO search marketing. Beware of stale How-To Lists!
Thanks and have a great day!
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