Are retailers using SEO efficiently?

Have moved you over to the SEO forum

When you say retailors, are you talking about bricks and mortar shops with websites who are competing with online only retailers?

I would have thought SEO would be critical to online only shops, and would be part of their marketing strategy and plan. But I would imagine a lot of smaller primarily offline retailers are still struggling to make an impact online. Especially if there is no inhouse expertise or experience.

A well thought out online retailer, with a marketing budget must make good use of SEO and SEM otherwise you'd assume they'd fold. Unless it's a 5 minute 1&1 instant website hobby site

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your response.

We were referring to both online and offline retailers. It is crucial for both to simply be found online. With PPC delivering less and less in terms of ROI and the impact sustained only when budgets are, SEO is becoming even more important to retailers of all descriptions.

The likes of 1&1 and its compatriots is laughable. You most certainly do get what you pay for.

Do you use SEO campaigns to generate sustained traffic for your own enterprise - i.e. MLF?

Best Wishes,
Michael.

Well, as of now many retailers are both online and offline. And SEO is not only important for online retailers but the offline ones too. Imagine an online fashion brand doing SEO and an offline one. Offline would be losing out on major business if they wouldn't step it up here. The person could just be researching and not intending to buy.

The forums had the odd dabble from SEO peeps, offering a bit of free optimisation for publicity or friendly competition, but never paid for it.

The directories has had plenty over the years, and spent a small fortune, but to be honest the results go from lack lustre to mildly impressed, with so called guru's ranging from incompetent to middle of the road.

After the last bunch of muppets, decided enough was enough as my own self taught humble efforts have always out performed any outsourcing, and always insisting on straight down the line white hat techiniques means <touch wood> we have had minimal issues with Panda and Penguin updates.

Not painting all SEO's with the same brush, just all the ones I've had to deal with

I think the trick for retailers or most businesses is going to be successful and quantifiable SMM campaigns, combined with effective SEO. Any SEO/SMM firms that can prove themselves as a mover and shaker here is onto a winner. But measurable results are key, not sales blurb and bluster, which is the preserve of the traditional SEO community.