Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be a time-consuming task that requires expertise. If you have a business and you are thinking of using a local business search engine optimization consultant to expand your marketing efforts, there are several important things you will want to consider or keep in mind when hiring one.

Before you choose to use the services of an SEO consultant, it is important first to have an understanding why you need SEO services for your local business. In this Internet world, almost everyone does a local business search through the Internet first whenever they need something, whether it be a particular product or services. In fact, more than 80% of the market share search the Internet first for places where they can find the particular products they need before they make a purchase. So, if you are running a local business, having an online presence would be helpful to increase your sales. Otherwise, you are will lose your potential customers to your competitors who have a well-optimized website. If you are new to SEO, you will likely need the help of an SEO expert. However, before hiring one, here are some important things to keep in mind so you are assured to get the best one who can really help your business.

First, the local business search engine consultant you will choose should be reputable and should have a proven record in search engine optimization. Second, you make sure that the rate of the SEO expert you are going to choose is fair. Finally, you need to know about the specific methods that the SEO expert will use to help you achieve the results you want to achieve, and how such SEO techniques will help your website.

To check on the credibility of an SEO company, read unbiased reviews about the company or customers’ feedback. Also, you do not want to deal with a fly-by-night company, so make sure that it has been in the industry for quite sometime.

Secondly, comparing its rate with other companies’ rates is smart thing to do. Make sure that it is not overpricing for the work that they will promise you. Some companies charge a thousand dollars for just an SEO analysis of your website that only outlines the SEO techniques of methods they can use to help your website. So, how much more will they charge you for the actual labor? Be aware that these companies are unlikely the type of companies that will really help you with your SEO needs. There are actually many SEO companies that give a free honest analysis of your site and consultation.

Third, make sure that the company will explain to you what SEO techniques they are going to use to help the business. A company that does not give a clear and detailed explanation and that does not entertain your questions is an indication that it is not a reliable company. Get a printed break down of the specific SEO services to be performed and make a comparison with other companies’ packages.

Consider the above tips if you are thinking of using the help of a local business search engine consultant to take your local business to the next level. Being critical will help you get the best SEO consultant for your business website.

In today’s business world, doing business on the web has gone from being a luxury to a being necessity. But succeeding at web business involves more than erecting a nice website. Because the e-marketplace has become as competitive as the physical marketplace, hiring an Internet consulting firm that offers expertise in SEM and SEO is usually key to realizing a string web presence that sees its payoff in increased sales. But before you hire an Internet consulting firm, it helps to know exactly what you’re hiring. Below, we answer some commonly asked questions about Internet consulting.

What’s the Difference Between SEM and SEO?

SEM (search engine marketing) focuses on evaluating a company’s core offerings in relation to its market, as well as studying the strategies of its competition. Then, based on the information revealed by SEM, SEO (search engine optimization) “optimizes” a company’s website and other important web pages using a variety of strategies, including webmercials, website redesign for SEO friendliness, and homepage videos. Although some companies offer SEO as a stand-alone service, SEM should always be performed in advance of SEO.

What is Pay Per Click Advertising?

To put it simply, pay per click (PPC) is an advertising module in which a company pays a certain amount every time a PPC ad is clicked, with the attraction being that a company only pays as much for advertising as the advertising generates web traffic. PPC is often talked about as an ideal form of web advertising for smaller companies. But large companies also use PPC due the high page ranking of sponsored (i.e. paid) links. Additionally, it’s estimated that almost 50 percent of search engine traffic is received by paid searches.

Do Internet Consulting Firms Handle Web Video?

Some consulting firms handle web video and some don’t. But, if you decide to make webmercials, homepage videos, customer testimonial videos, etc. a part of your SEO campaign (a wise idea), it’s best to hire a firm that offers full scale video production without outsourcing, particularly a company that shoots in HD, has its own film crew, and its own writers.

For How Long is the Consultant Involved in the SEO Campaign?

The duration of the consultant’s involvement in an SEO campaign is decided by the customer, although it’s common for companies to form six-month to one-year contracts with Internet consultants, after which a contract is often renewed. Although a properly executed SEO campaign will bring in new customers that become return customers, continuing to draw a high level of new customers requires consistent research into the frequently updated web crawling strategies of major search engines, which is crucial to maintaining up to date keywords strategies.

If you could have a bit of one on one time with a successful marketing consultant who could help you succeed online, what would you ask them? You might ask them how to improve the traffic to your website. You might also ask them to help you convert more of those visitors into customers. You’re in luck! Here are two tips from an online marketing consultant that can help you succeed online:

1. Look at your site from the perspective of the search engine.

2. Look at your site from the perspective of the visitor.

The Search Engine

Search engines aren’t smart. They work based on rules. If you follow those rules, you have a good chance of them finding you and sending you traffic. Not everyone knows the rules. That works in your favour. A marketing consultant that is specialised in internet-based marketing should know those rules well and be able to help you position your site so that the search engines will take notice.

Knowing how to pick the right keywords, place them strategically, and take advantage of technology as well as online marketing tools so that search engines can take notice of you can increase your chances of being found on page one of the search engine results pages for your niche. Some of your competitors know how to do this but most do not. Find a good consultant and you can easily surpass the online traffic levels of quite a few of your competitors.

The Visitor

Unlike search engines, visitors ARE smart. If you look at your site with the eyes of a potential customer, you can improve that visitor’s online experience. Today, more than ever, user experience is important. Your site has to be interesting, valuable, and compelling in order for you to get the attention of your target audience. A skilled marketing consultant knows what sells. They know how to position your product, understand vital elements of design, and can help you articulate your value added proposition to your prospects so that they will be more likely to become a customer.

If you had access to a professional marketing consultant, how much more successful could you be? Some business owners think they can’t afford the expert services of a skilled marketing professional but when you calculate the potential return on investment it’s easy to see why marketing experts are more in demand than ever.

When searching for a marketing consultant to work with, look at their credentials, their customer reviews, and their value added proposition. Does their website content impress you? The internet is huge and growing at a rapid pace that’s almost immeasurable but if you can appeal to search engines and to visitors you can increase your chances of success.

In the world of recruitment, what matters first is how you sell yourself to the company through your cover letter. If this document can’t grab the attention of the recruiter during pre-screening, chances are you won’t be contacted for further assessment.

Your cover letter gets across your personality and capability to perform consulting responsibilities. By just reading it, recruiters can gauge your communication skills, ability to organize ideas and meticulousness. Because these are significant in consulting, you should avoid committing the mistakes described below.

One common mistake that traps applicants is rehashing information written on the resume. To steer clear of redundancy, create a framework that summarizes your work experience, skills and accomplishments. This stirs the recruiter to refer to your resume for additional information. You can also make the most of this document by using it to explain your career objectives, gaps in employment, shifts in career and other inconsistencies in your resume. The recruiter will be able to understand your career status better because of your comprehensive explanation.

Second, many candidates make use of a generic letter for all their applications.. An indicator of this is using the salutation, “Dear HR Manager,” or “Dear Sir.” This one-size-fits-all approach makes it faster for you to apply to different companies, but it won’t create an impact to the recruiter. Your cover letter will be just one the thousand impersonal documents that have passed by his or her hands. Hence, if you want to create a lasting impression, exert extra effort by researching facts, carefully organizing your thoughts and customizing your letter. It might take your time but it will take you places.

Third, some applicants enter inaccurate details due to lack of attention to details. When you’re sending your application in series, you sometimes forget to change the recipient’s details, position you’re applying for and the firm’s name. If the recruiter notices this, it might be assumed that you’ve mistakenly sent it to them. In worst scenarios, some candidates enter wrong contact details. This usually happens when they move to another place, change their email address and use another mobile number. As a result, recruiters just put their application aside and prioritize other applicants. In a nutshell, with wrong details, you will lose the opportunity of being selected to undergo the rest of the screening process.

Another common mistake applicants commit is rambling too much on the cover letter. The document must contain only relevant information. It is not an autobiography but a tool to market your services. About four to five paragraphs is enough to highlight your qualifications for the management consulting position. Make sure that you include your skills, the names of well-known companies or institutions you’ve previously worked for, your high GPA and other keywords that catch the recruiter’s attention.

Some management consulting applicants also get too casual in writing a cover letter and in choosing their style. A cover letter with a tinge of your personality is interesting, but professionalism must be always the guiding factor. Never use slang or vulgar words. Structure your thoughts using the correct language, style and tone. Fancy and colorful fonts are not encouraged. For recruiters, it’s not only what you know, but also how you manifest it. You need to have both the knowledge and the right manners to prove your worth.

Lastly, some consulting aspirants send out their application without proofreading their letter. In effect, some grammatical errors and mistakes are not corrected. Blunders, such as “Deaf Mr. Roberts,” and “I cope to hear from you,” considerably affect your candidacy. Management consultants are expected to have a flair for writing as they will be preparing presentations and reports for clients. Hence, your cover letter errors might be interpreted as incapability to produce quality written deliverables.

One effective way of reviewing your letter is through the assistance of a third party. Ask help from your friend, a professional or a team who offers job application review services. At times, when you are so familiar with what you’re doing, you tend to neglect little but embarrassing errors. If you want your cover letter to be reviewed with objectivity, a pair of fresh eyes can absolutely do it for you.

In the backdrop of recent economic crisis that has enveloped the globe, one of the key questions doing the rounds in every circle is – “when would things be back to happy times”. I would certainly not hazard a guess in an attempt to answer the question; however, I would like to share my views on the probable impact of this deep crisis on the management/business consulting industry around the globe.

I would attempt to explain the possible outcome at two levels – short term and long term.

In the short term there could be some slowdown of consulting opportunities in specific industry segments, namely those industry segments that are more adversely impacted by the downturn.

However, in my view the bigger impact could be on the long term landscape of management / business consulting services. This landscape had been redefined globally in the past by two major landmarks – IT majors entering the consulting services space through bought-outs, and reorientation of Big Five consulting business. In my view the current crisis could also go a long way is reshaping this landscape once again.

Risk assessment, identification and mitigation have for sometime been high on the priority list of most organizations worldwide. Increase in number of compliance requirements (‘SOX’, ‘IFRS’, ‘BASEL2′, ‘SIFY’, etc.) combined with service offerings in this space by consulting organizations globally; evidences the high priority placed by organizations on risk assessment, identification and mitigation solutions.

When the management / business consulting industry regains full momentum, demand for delivering consulting assignments that include and address risk management solutions / strategies could be much higher. The appetite for such solutions / strategies would also surface in system implementation services offered by management / business consulting industry. This could imply consulting business being skewed in favour of those who provide these services as an integrated offering. Possibly, churning out system implementations as a commodity would become a thing of the past.