Columns > Small Is Beautiful
Small
Is Beautiful is for the millions of small
businesses that have to compete against larger, often better
staffed and funded rivals for top positions in search
rankings and ads. Columnists offer creative advice and tips
that smaller, nimble search marketers can exploit to gain a
competitive advantage online. The Small Is Beautiful column
appears on Tuesdays at Search Engine Land.
To get this column via email or feed, visit our columns page.
May. 15, 2008 at 7:20am by Christine Churchill
Eight Keyword Research Mistakes That Are Costing You Money
One of the reasons search marketing is so effective is that it delivers information on products and services to people who are actively seeking them out. People enter search terms into a search engine and the engine provides sites and ads that are relevant to the terms. This arrangement...
See Related Stories In: Search Marketing: Search Term Research, Small Is Beautiful
May. 8, 2008 at 7:24am by Matt McGee
A Small Business Marketing Success Story: Avante Gardens
There's a battle going on in the floral industry, and many small, independent florists are losing. Like other small businesses, they don't have the time or knowledge to keep up with the latest marketing trends and tactics. But there are other challenges, too: Way back in 1998, the FTC...
See Related Stories In: SEO: Local, Search Marketing: Local Search Marketing, Small Is Beautiful
May. 1, 2008 at 12:37pm by Glenn Pingul
Video SEO Can Give Small Businesses An Edge
Many of us in the online video advertising space have been encouraging small businesses to deploy video to stand out in search results and level the playing field with larger competitors. Some colleagues and I have been working with select clients to test, learn, test again, and learn again...
See Related Stories In: SEO: Video Search, Small Is Beautiful
Apr. 17, 2008 at 11:14am by Christine Churchill
Using the Web Developer Toolbar For Search And Usability
One of my favorite plug-ins is the Firefox Web Developer Toolbar. Don't be fooled by the name. While it's specifically designed for web developers, the toolbar has many options and features that are also useful to search marketers, usability consultants, and SEO analysts. The toolbar has far too many...
See Related Stories In: SEM Tools, Small Is Beautiful
Apr. 10, 2008 at 11:05am by Matt McGee
A Small Business Marketing Success Story: John Tuggle, Guitar Teacher
A small business can have millions of dollars in revenue and dozens of employees ... or it can be a one-man-band, turning passion into a living. This month's small business marketing success story is about the latter. Meet John W. Tuggle, a guitarist living in Athens, Georgia. John has...
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Apr. 3, 2008 at 11:36am by Glenn Pingul
Video Search & Relevance: Important Bedfellows
As I wrote in last month’s column, video offers enormous opportunity for local SMBs to market online more effectively. Admittedly, some folks differ with that point of view. For example, one commenter wrote that “although the technology exists for businesses to deploy video online, SMBs can’t compete with big...
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Mar. 27, 2008 at 11:36am by Bill Slawski
Privacy Policies And Search Engines
A few weeks back, I started wondering about whether or not search engines might care whether or not a web site had a privacy policy. Is the content of a page less relevant or more relevant if there's a link on it to information about how any data collected...
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Mar. 20, 2008 at 8:31am by Christine Churchill
Ten Strategies For Avoiding Search Marketing Burnout
Search marketing is the ultimate seductress. It lures you in with the promise of an interesting, exciting career that can actually pay the bills, but soon you’re regularly pulling 12 hour days with no vacations. There’s intense pressure to achieve high search rankings and triple digit ROIs to keep...
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Mar. 13, 2008 at 7:37am by Matt McGee
A Small Business Marketing Success Story: Pink Cake Box
Ready for something different? Typically in this space each month, I write a "How To" or "Why To" article with ideas and tips for helping small businesses succeed online. I'd like to go in a different direction: profiles of small businesses that are succeeding online. I'm a big believer...
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Mar. 6, 2008 at 7:30am by Glenn Pingul
Online Video Advertising + Search Engines = Opportunity For Small Businesses
Much is being written and said these days about the rising future of online video advertising. Recent articles like one in the NY Times reporting Google’s move to test video ads in search results pages shows that the once abstract promise of online video advertising is now upon us....
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Feb. 28, 2008 at 8:50am by Christine Churchill
Does Your Site Have Sex Appeal?
The secret's out: men and women are different—in person and online. Gender differences matter in web design, content, and marketing. It takes more than a girlish color scheme and soft focus photos of smiling children to draw women to your site and earn their loyalty. Color and design matter,...
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Feb. 21, 2008 at 4:03pm by Bill Slawski
Starting Conversations with Contact Pages
Starting out with my first website in 1996, I hadn't realized that one of the most important pages that I had put on the site was a contact page. With a copy of "Learn HTML in 2 Weeks" at my side and a design that reflected my limited skills,...
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Feb. 14, 2008 at 8:48am by Matt McGee
7 Things I Love About Small Business SEO
It's Valentine's Day, and what better day to give a big smooch to small businesses? Having worked exclusively with small businesses for the first nine years of my online marketing career, and with several small business owners in my family, I have a lot of appreciation for the hard...
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Jan. 31, 2008 at 10:01am by Bill Slawski
Making a Good Impression With About Us Pages
Sipping on a cup of coffee on a Wednesday morning in the lounge of the local bowling alley last summer, surrounded by shop keepers and insurance salesmen and other small business owners, I hand out my business card. Most of these merchants have actual places I can visit, while...
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Jan. 24, 2008 at 7:05am by Christine Churchill
Taking The Fear Factor Out Of Paid Search For Small Businesses
A friend recently presented me with a tiny kitten she and her daughter rescued from a busy intersection. This kitten was not particularly adept at walking and would occasionally fall over, but she kept trying, using her tail to keep her balance and become more skilled at walking. I...
See Related Stories In: Search Ads: General, Small Is Beautiful
Jan. 17, 2008 at 7:37am by Matt McGee
Why The SEO Industry Needs Small Business
Here's the primary thing on my mind as we begin 2008: If we, the search/online marketing industry, don't do a better job of helping the small business owner understand and adopt the best practices of search marketing, we are doomed to irrelevance. "Oh, but there's no money in small...
See Related Stories In: SEM Industry: General, Small Is Beautiful
Jan. 10, 2008 at 2:48pm by Stoney deGeyter
When Small Businesses Shouldn't Act Like A Small Business
I think one of the most significant problems small businesses have when it comes to growth is that they maintain a small business mindset. Now if you're one of those that likes being "mom and pop," then this article isn't for you. On the other hand, if you're a...
See Related Stories In: Search Marketing: General, Small Is Beautiful
Jan. 3, 2008 at 9:34am by Bill Slawski
A Smooth Sea Never Made A Skilled Mariner
As a small business owner, the web holds a lot of challenges that, if navigated successfully, may yield some treasures. But there are some waves on the horizon, and uncharted waters ahead for many who would pursue those riches. A secret for those of you who are starting out...
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Dec. 20, 2007 at 7:15am by Jill Whalen
SEO Is Not An Option, It's A Requirement!
Recently, there was a thread in the High Rankings Forum asking whether SEO is an extra skill or a prerequisite for any website designer/developer. It was a great question that spurred a lot of conversation. It goes without saying that the average small-business owner in 2007 knows that they...
See Related Stories In: SEM Industry: General, SEO: General, Small Is Beautiful
Dec. 13, 2007 at 7:03am by Matt McGee
A Small Business Year-End Web Site Checklist
The time of year when we make resolutions is fast approaching. I'm not much of a resolution-maker myself, but I'm going to suggest that small business owners make one. Namely, it's a suggestion that you resolve to fix up your web site and pay attention to things you might've...
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Nov. 29, 2007 at 7:26am by Stoney deGeyter
Managing Your Small Business Blogging Schedule
I'm not a blogger—I just play one on the Internet. There are a lot of professional bloggers out there. I'm not one of them. Like many small business owners that also happen to blog, I have to find ways to balance my time between the demands of running a...
