As a small business owner developing your social media and online presence, search engine optimization (SEO) may prove to be a difficult concept to maneuver around, but as recent reports indicate, forgetting SEO's importance could mean being lost in the World Wide Web. A major problem facing new online small businesses is the approach to SEO as a whole. One such SEO expert Kishore Dharmarajan said that optimizing one's site is vital to its success, but at the same time there is no need to spend exorbitant amounts of a company's capital to make it happen. It might not work out so well. He says the over abundance of SEO focus has actually created a void where too many companies are attempting to tackle the Internet using similar key words, which floods searches and ultimately leaves companies on the outside, waiting for customers. Small businesses have begun to use the services of SEO consultants in an effort to improve the site's ranking, increase traffic and bolster visibility on search engines. But Dharmarajan says that small business owners should think twice before going all out on SEO maximization. While SEO is important and should not be ignored altogether, there are too many SEO sharks calling themselves “experts.” He and other analysts and industry experts warn against jumping on the first person to tell you that they can help push your website to the top of Google, Bing and Yahoo searches. Instead, he points that there are proper channels that must be adhered to. Find a company or individual with documented success, because simply putting in the wrong keywords can ultimately see your site, and your business, continue a downward spiral that is extremely difficult to come back from. BM
