I am Robert Haugh II, but friends call me Bobby.  I have been working with Shaun for just under 3 years... mostly learning about the world wide web.  After high school, some of my friends moved on to college, some went into the military, and some did nothing.  I wanted to do something other than just sit around... I found Google as a place to explore new worlds.  There, I can learn about anything that interests me, or find out about anything I need the answers to.  This is my first Blog, but there will be more as I explore the world of SEO!

Seeing A Difference

I have been keeping a strong presence on the web for about 3 years now and it gets easier as it grows.  Many business owners (like myself) that I talk to about the subject of Search Engine Optimization either don't see the value, or believe that it should happen over night.  I own a small landscape company, and for many years believed in the "word of mouth" to get my name out.  Well, that used to work until work became harder to come by.  Today, I still use word of mouth, but I use the power of the world wide web to carry that message to the hundred of millions out there looking for me.  My websites combined bring in just under 1000 hits per month, and I maintain at least 70% new visitors each month.  I am "branding" my name into the mainstream.  It is no wonder why my business is doing so well.  This will be a record year in a bad economy, and I owe it all to SEO!  I believe that if the right steps are taken, with patience and persistence, success is very possible ...in any economy.

Here is a lesson in SEO history.  Websites have been around for many years, and businesses have also been using this technology for quite some time... take a look at the time line below.

· Mid-1990s --- Webmaster and content providers began optimizing sites for search engines. Webmaster also known as Web developer.

· 1997 --- The phrase " Search engine optimization" came into use. Site owners started to recognize the value of having highly ranked and visible in search engines results.

· 1998 --- Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google. Google attracted a loyal following among the growing number of internet users.

· 2004 --- Search engines had incorporated a wide range of undisclosed factors in their ranking algorithms to reduce the impact of link manipulation. Google says it ranks sites using more then 200 different signals.

· 2005 --- Google began personalizing search results for each user. Depending in their history of previous searches, Google crafted results for logged in users.

· 2007 --- Google announced a campaign against paid links that transfer Page-Rank.

· 2009 --- Google disclosed that they had taken measures to mitigate the effects of Page-Rank sculpting by use of the no follow attribute on links. December 2009 Google announced it would be using the web search history of all its users in order to populate search results.

How much longer do you plan to wait?  Your competition is already doing what you should be doing.  Are you willing to give away your next opportunity at success and do some research, or have you already given up?

It is unfortunate, but many we talk to have horror stories of being taken for thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands of dollars by website developers in the past.  To those that have been burned: We are sorry for your bad experiences, but like with any bad experience in life ...you move on.  "Live and Learn" from that bad experience.  As much as you may not have the time to research what you are planning to get into, YOU NEED TO MAKE THE TIME.  There is enough information on this website to educate one enough to understand what a website should do and what it takes to get it working like it should.  I will bet a small percentage of people reading this blog will actually help themselves to that knowledge.

Knowledge is power.  To obtain it, one must make the time.  What separates the ones who win from the not so lucky ones... do you see where I'm going with this?

When you mention or hear the word "website" do you get a little defensive or apprehensive?  Do you feel anxiety, nervous like you are about to become a victim ...again?  This is probably because you put your trust in a fast talking salesman who won your trust for cheap and then left you with a worthless website and ran off with your money.  We face may vulnerabilities in a business day.  You may experience an irate or obnoxious customer one day... Do you close your doors to new customers?  You may be involved in a car accident... Do you stop driving?  The package you sent last Monday arrived late!  Are you going to drive your own mail across the country by car?  These cases may seem ridiculous and maybe even funny... but this type of mentality is what keeps some people from signing up and running over their competition!

Complaining about how unfair life is while crying poor mouth to someone who can actually help you find success won't get you there!  If you are in business for the long run, TIME has to be made to explore new ways of gaining MORE business.  You may have a few things that work for you, but the key word here is MORE.  More is always better, especially when it comes to sales.

We know there are some that only want to take your money, but There are also many that can actually do what they say.  Do your research like your business depends on it ...BECAUSE IT DOES. Make the time to know what exactly it is you are getting for the money you are paying and if that is the best option for your business and the money you are paying to get it ...oh and be sure the one you hire can do what they say they can do.  We know there are people who lie and cheat ...now that you do, start your research here ...and move on.