When I first started in search engine marketing, it was a godsend for many small businesses (SMBs). It was cheap, fairly easy to implement and, to use the words of Thomas Friedman, the playing field was leveled. Although still a powerful channel today, I would like to suggest that the ability of SMBs to compete effectively online has significantly diminished.

In part, this is just the nature of the game. Once the big players saw profit-making potential online, it was just a matter of time before the small businesses were crowded out. As the industry matured, established industry leaders entered the space, along with new giants that have sprung up online, often making it prohibitively expensive for SMBs to compete in major fields like travel, real estate, etc.

Search engine marketing itself has become infinitely more complex. I can’t help but roll my eyes when Google starts pitching their AdWords or AdSense products to blogger moms. Even those business that once were able to hire a webmaster, to help them promote their business online, now either need to outsource their efforts to an agency or plan for an entire in-house team of search engine marketing professionals. Either option is too expensive for most SMBs.

To add insult to injury, search engines like Google have not been to too kind to small businesses either. Granted, Google AdWords gives extra weight to local businesses in its search results, which obviously benefits SMBs. Nonetheless, generally, Google tends to favor established players, with long histories, making SEO for new website very difficult. Likewise, if a small business is trying to buy its way into the the first page through paid search, the Quality Score can often stop it in its tracks. Once again, big spenders with long account histories are favored over small newcomers.

Does this mean that small businesses should give up on promoting themselves online? Of course, not. Online presence certainly can boost their bottom line. But I do question the statements coming from Google or even the information being published on many industry blogs. Many bloggers have a vested interest in gaining more customers and much of their advice is exceedingly difficult to implement.

What’s A Small Business To Do?

Since the name of this blog does not let me end on a negative note, here are some thoughts on what small businesses can do to survive and thrive in the search engine marketing wilderness. The solutions depend almost entire on the industry you are in. Sometimes it makes sense to go with paid search. At times the niche can be so competitive (dept management, for example) that the cost of entry for new players is impossibly high. Search engine optimization can be a potential solution in those cases. In either case, SEO should be implemented along with paid search campaigns.

If you’re audience is on social media, it could make sense to experiment with social media marketing, assuming you have the resources to spare. It’s a great place to build some links and monitor your online reputation.

Keep in mind that people might not always use search engines to find what you’re selling. Large companies can afford to run branding campaigns to educate the public and create a demand for the products/services they are offering (how many people were searching for an iPod before it came out?). For small businesses, branding is rarely an option.

Whatever you decide to do, always keep your business objectives in mind. Any marketing advice coming your way online (including this one) will always be too general and too vague to apply as is. No one will ever tell you how to run your business. It will always be up to you to figure out which best practices make sense for you industry and your budget.

No related posts.