You're a business owner and you just can't seem to get onto the first page of search results, no matter how many links you have back to your site or how much great content you publish. Believe it or not, there is no magic word that will make even the best SEO services work the way you expect them to. Here are 7 circumstances that present particular challenges best handled by an SEO professional or internet marketing expert.



1. You have a new website or domain. Fair or not, search engines reward older domains by giving them higher rankings. This puts you at an automatic disadvantage if you've just purchased a new domain or just started your web-based business. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to get the search engines to notice you faster, but there is no quick fix. Consider doing the following: starting a business blog, submit articles to online article submission sites, use long-tail keywords, build links, syndicate your original content, and optimize your site for local search.

2. You purchase an old domain, but it doesn't seem to be helping. The obvious remedy for a new domain is to purchase an old domain, but that isn't always the magic bullet that you need to make search engines notice your site. You'll still have to utilize the SEO services mentioned above in order to improve your search engine rankings.

3. There is strong competition for your keywords. It takes time to build links and write great content, which are the two primary ways to build popularity, and you may not have time to wait. You need a strategy that includes optimizing your homepage around one or two main keywords, writing articles that are focused on about 10 to 15 of your secondary keywords, submitting these articles to article submission sites using your primary keyword as the anchor text in the link back to your site, and focusing your link-building only around your primary keywords.

4. You've identified the wrong keywords. Keywords are not a matter of intuition or gut instinct. SEO experts identify keywords using analytical software, charts, and projection tools. If you're not using these same tools, then chances are you're optimizing around the wrong keywords.

5. Your on-site optimization isn't focused. Each page your website should only be optimized for one keyword and one keyword only.

6. Your content is lacking. Search engines reward content that is relevant and helpful to visitors. This means that your content needs to be regularly updated, relevant to your products and services, and helpful for your visitors. Make a schedule for updating your content on a regular basis. This will hold you accountable on those days when you just don't think you can come up with something new to share.

7. Your website needs a cleanup. Search engines do not reward websites with missing redirects, broken links, and 401 errors. Go through your website with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that all of your links work.

If you find yourself in any of the situations listed above, chances are that you need professional SEO services from an internet marketing professional or SEO expert. Anytime you find that you are lagging behind the competition, you should make it a point to find professional help. It takes time and effort to catch up with your competitors, and the quickest and most efficient way to make up for lost time is to enlist the services of an expert. So don't hesitate to contact a local professional. He or she can take the time to analyze your website, identify the critical issues, and devise a strategy for addressing those issues. And he can also help you determine how to make SEO an integral part of your overall internet marketing strategy. It's impossible to overestimate the importance of SEO to your business success, so start now!