It is gratifying that a number of our clients are marketing professionals and agencies who retain us on behalf of their clients. We also receive inquiries from advertising agencies or marketing, PR, and advertising solo-practitioners for input as to how they can use Internet marketing themselves. Over time we’ve noticed some common website promotion and Internet marketing questions that get asked early in the process. We’ll publish some them here from time to time along with our responses.
1)Â After accepting an SEM firm proposal what can I expect in leads from searches for my business listings
weekly, monthly etc…?
The real question is how valuable and in-demand is your business in your region? Are you willing to create a site which answers potential clients’ questions with great content and information design so that potential customers request information to learn more about your business? How good are you willing to make your website at converting traffic to customers?
It is not possible for us to predict the value of your company’s products in your geographic area. AIMCLEAR gets 5-8 leads from around Minnesota each week from search and another 3-4 from word of mouth. Other clients of our SEM agency get 10-100 leads per day from a blend of PPC and organic ranking.  Others clients make millions of dollars selling products and services.
The objective for your company is to define what people are searching for and endeavor to attain better prominence for your site in those areas. First we’ll focus in your geographic area (“yourKeyword in Minneapolis”). Then, as your site attains strength through linking and great content we aspire to attain organic prominence in more contested spaces for words that do not have broader geo-tags or even no geo-tags (“youKeyword in Minnesota” or even “yourKeyword”).
It is not likely that you are going to dominate searches which do not have geographic tags initially because very few sites link to your site. That’s why we often recommend that new clients publish as much valuable content as possible over time to compel other people to link to your site. Again, it is possible to set your sites now on keywords geo-tagged for your immediate area “graphic design Bloomington, MN” etc…If you business is of value then you will get leads from organic prominence in your area…probably not tons at first-but the leads you get will be focused.
2)Â How often will I be in the top searches for my keywords?
Your question is a little like “how big is a house.” The answer is dependent on many variables unless you are paying for search (PPC). PPC traffic it is a matter of how much you want to spend and how clever your campaign is laid out.
3)Â Can I start with my existing flash movie web site and then update later to test the results, start out smaller if you will?
AIMCLEAR would not accept an engagement to grow an existing website for organic SEO if it remained entirely a flash movie. We would be willing to help you your company purchase PPC for the existing website unless we think it would have limited returns.
5)Â Pay per click:Â Since AIMCLEAR operates a biz similar to my ad agency, what does AIMCLEAR invest in pay per click?
AIMCLEAR does not buy PPC to market AIMCLEAR. The only advertising we do is organic SEO and word of mouth.
6)Â What would the cost be for e-Marketing for our company on a quarterly basis, with 4 different topics?
To be determined…if you want to do PPC you start with a test to determine the usefulness of the tactic and ROI. Spend a small amount to see if the traffic drives viable leads. Then you can set a budget… or not.
7) Does AIMCLEAR have any synergies with other companies? Would you be interested in discussing trading services with my company?
We have strategic partners. We will refer clients to you if we find that your ideas and solutions are among the best in the world for our clients and at a fair cost. We will learn about what you do if we work together. We might learn about you anyway.  We would not accept any money from you in return and would not expect you to refer AIMCLEAR business in exchange.
We don’t accept commissions or give them. If your services are very good, then the reflection on AIMCLEAR for providing you to our customers is more than adequate compensation. Reciprocally, if you feel bringing us to your clients reflects well on you (and you think we offer worthy services) then we would be honored to work with your clients. Whether your clients pay your company for bringing AIMCLEAR to them is up to your relationship with them. I will say that AIMCLEAR could never find enough great vendors to share with our clients.
Half of our clients bring us in to work with their clients because they know the client needs competent search engine optimization services and we have a track record.
