When I first got my website finished, I was disappointed on how few calls were coming in. A website guarantees you NOTHING! Companies call and say "for a certain monthly fee" they can have you show up on page 1 when you google. WHAT! Website designer friends told me that you can get there on your own; just use the right search words, sign up on many search engines, blah, blah, blah etc. But no ones sits down and does it with you. Dang! I even paid for the "secrets" to being successful on search engines. It was a list. Could have got that info on my own. A waste of money!
When I googled "chicagoland face painters," I placed within the first few pages, but when I googled "Chicago face painters," I was as far back as page 13! Yuck! Who is gonna find me in all those pages with so many people in front of me? I was always thinking and changing my search words; "hmm, is that one good?" "What words should I use instead?"
A doctor I was chatting with said that he wrote several online articles. It helped him get more hits and move higher in searches. Well, I was posting at one face chat site, so I decided to be more proactive and chat more with fellow face painters (thank you everyone, you're great!) I also made sure that ALL of my signatures (my emails too) have "Chicago face painting or face painter" close to my business name, Party Picassos. They need to be together. That is what the search engines are looking for.
I advertise on Craig's List and Thumbtack.com. It's FREE! I put links to these ads on my website. Soon I want to exchange website links with local balloon people, magicians and bouncy house businesses. It will all help.
Well today, if you google Chicago face painter, I am on PAGE 1 and the SECOND ITEM on the page! YES!!!!!! Now if my phone will start ringing more, I will feel even better!!! So do your homework, don't be lazy. Website are a dime a dozen and there are lots of us pushing to do well on search engines.
Sooner or later, our efforts will pay off!
