I, not unlike my fellow SEO Experts, tout that you need CONTENT for your websites. You need the information that people are searching for, you want to be seen as the expert you are in your industry, and you want to build trust. So how do you do that without giving away all your trade secrets? If you put too much content will there be any reason left for them to hire you?

The answer is MAYBE … well really the answer is YES there will be plenty of reason for them to hire you. Just because you tell someone how things work doesn’t mean they are skilled or even willing to do it for themselves.

And, on my site, again like other SEO Experts, there is so much given away, you’d think we’d all be out of work. But I can assure you there are far more jobs; projects and websites than there are people for the jobs in the Search Engine Marketing and Optimization field.

NOTE TO SELF: Write a blog entry about the opportunities in search marketing with all the layoffs and bailouts before you ramble on here about it ;).

But back to the topic at hand, think about it, an architect can share information on green suppliers, lawn professionals can address pest problems, accountants can discuss new laws, and plumbers can compare and contrast DIY vs. professional installation. Any industry, any profession can add value to their website, create great giveaway information and still have an opportunity to attract clients and close deals.

Now that said, that doesn’t mean you have to give away all the goodies, reveal the Secret Bean Recipe or even disclose information that is common industry knowledge. Your point of adding content to your site is to establish you or your company’s credibility in the marketplace.

Give the customer reasons to say YES to these questions:

• Can I trust you?
• Do you know what you’re talking about?
• Are you right for me?

Prospects are checking out your “profile” (reviewing your website) before they choose to ask you out on a get to know you date (request info / quote). So go ahead, trust yourself, add value to the conversation and invite them to do business with you at the same time.

If you are struggling with adding value to the conversation, maybe we can help, give me a call at 904-253-6890 x 2007 to discuss your Search Marketing Strategies.