Issues with Search Engine Marketing

We’d be lying if we said there weren’t any issues with search engine marketing. We wish there were none (because that’s what we do), but there are a couple that we will share with you here…

As a quick disclaimer: the issues are not as big of a deal as you might think. Actually, it depends on how picky you are and how deep your pockets are (what else is new?).

The first issue with search engine marketing

The first and one of the major issues that comes up is that SEM requires physical, sometimes noticeable changes to be made to a site. You may have already knew this, and you might not mind, but some people are in love with their websites and don’t want any changes made whatsoever.

To these people I say: “How much new business (generated by your website) would convince you to change a couple words on your site?”

It is important to understand that in 95% of cases, the design/layout of your website will NOT change.  Rather, only the text and hyperlinks will be modified (as well as some behind-the-scenes stuff like meta data) to enhance your search engine position.

Another concern when performing search engine marketing is that the company providing the service may not be intimately familiar with your business or industry.  This can cause major problems because if they don’t research enough, they could set your website up to attract unqualified people to your site by targeting less-than-effective keyword phrases.  Even worse, you don’t want them to misrepresent what your business does!

For instance, let’s say you’re a high-end catering company operating in Maryland, but not much in DC or Virginia. Your SEM company finds a keyword, “cheap caterers washington dc”, that they think is winnable and relevant. This would be a rational thought, but it would BOTH attract unqualified visits AND misrepresent your company.

This is where your pocket comes into play.  You could leave all the work up to your SEM company, OR you can roll up your sleeves and get involved in the project — which will save you money as well as guarantee your business is represented exactly how you want it to be online.

You surely have some questions at this point, which is natural, no worries – feel free to use this form to contact WebMechanix for help or call us right now at 443.326.2612.

Another issue with search engine marketing (and this is a biggie) is that in most cases, the company performing the services cannot guarantee results.  This is an obvious issue as ROI is an important consideration for making decisions (understandably).

Here is the truth: some industries already have heavy online competition, and some industries don’t. Some industries will definitely benefit from SEM because there is a lot of relevant search traffic, and other industries won’t.

That is a major reason why before WebMechanix takes on a new client, we do comprehensive research and set our clients expectations with the truth.

Are there other issues with search engine marketing that you know of? Feel free to comment!