What the heck is Social Media Optimization (SMO)?

I've been aware of the changes coming in search engine marketing for a while now. I've also been preaching the value of marketing to your market instead of the Search Engines. I've run it up the flagpole and well, it hasn't flown.

I'm guessing the reason is that your run-of-the-mill small business owner is unfamiliar with the whole social media thingy. The common web site owner only hears that MySpace is a breeding ground for perverts and predators. One guy I know thinks that blogs are only about negative rants. And, hey, it's new and unfamiliar (read frightening), therefore it must be killed.

Another reason, and it's a big one, is that it takes effort and resources far beyond that of handing your web designer a company brochure and telling them you want listed in the top ten SERPs on Google, Yahoo and MSN. It takes 1) Knowing your business inside, out and all around and KNOWING IT FROM YOUR CUSTOMER'S PERSPECTIVE; 2) More effort, and ongoing effort at that, from the business owner; 3) Marketing dollars that are wasted on mediums like print that are familiar and comfortable.

It's time to move beyond optimization of web sites for the search engines. It's time to get "out there" and get your profile set up on the social web sites and it's time to get a blog up and running and post to it consistently. It's time to start marketing to your market online. Let's not forget that it's people who buy from you, not the search engines.

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