Search for Business Traffic

Finding a business on the web can be made easier for some people by using search. Most people type in some syllables of the name of the business, hit the search button, then click on the business website. The reason that this is done is that most people don't remember the URL, just the business name.

This is especially so for first time visitors who haven't bookmarked the business website. The same experience holds true for nonbusiness listings like governmental and non-profits.

For well-known, large, national businesses this search is accomplished easily. Yet, some search engine writers and SEO service sellers use this simple example to sell services to some businesses who don't even need the help.

Smaller local or regional businesses may actually need help in the search engine results, but the best help may not come from SEO consultants. If the company name and URL contains only highly competitive keywords then their SEO could be a problem. If the company name and URL rely on a very original name that does not contain keywords then the search should be easy.

Ultimately, the best URL contains the main keyword and the unique syllables that would make it both easily searched for originality and easily listed for keywords. In this case the length of the URL could become a hindrance.

An example can be made for the current SEO algorithms in mind. Let's take the example of a coin shop. Let's say this coin shop sells antique and collectible coins. The most searches for this business could use keywords and phrases like "coins", "coinshop", "collectible coins", "coin collection", "numismatics" (coins), "antique coins", "coin trade", etc.

Although I don't know which keywords combination would be best for this particular shop there are several things to consider besides keeping the length of the URL down. Some keywords may be used more often or appear in more SERPs, but they may not deliver much in clicks or sales.

After these factors are negotiated then you must find short and unique syllable(s) from your business name or logo that can be added to "coins". Some examples for this are: "nut", "cave", "paradise", "haven", "central", "poop", "owl", "dealer", "king".

What about these example? "Paradise" and "central" may be too long. "Central" or "dealer" may not be unique enough. "King" may find you behind a laudromat with a URL lik coinking.com or kingcoin.com. "Nut", "cave", "owl" or "poop" may fill the bill, but taste and professionalism may not be served - although some are more memorable.

Punctuation and order of sylablles can be important. If you use coincave.com (or) coin-cave.com (or) coin_cave.com (or) coin.cave.com (or) cave-coin.com there may be some minor advantages ro one or another. The SEO algorithms aren't understood well enough to make an absolute distinction, but a dash seems to have the most all-around appeal for esthetics, memorability and spider perception.

The idea that Wal-Mart's website was inundated by the traffic from Thanksgiving holiday visitors is not a selling point for SEO. Search traffic may have been too high to meet all the demands of that shopping press, but those website visitors were of two major groups. 1) Price/brand comparisn shoppers who would buy instore, and 2) Internet shoppers ordering for delivery from the Wal-Mart shippers. This may have helped instore sales by forcing buyers into local Wal-Mart stores.

So, when you start worrying about improving your presence in searches, remember that for your particular business the SEO contractors may have less help than you can do yourself.

Arthur Browning began his career teaching technical writing in a small midwestern university for 15 years. He later editted and published a national professional journal for some ten years. He is now an investor. His interests include art collecting, web marketing, writing.