What's That You Tweet?

In recent weeks I've gotten more serious about my relationships on Twitter - who I follow and why.  For whatever reason (and I'm truly humbled), I've gained a few hundred new followers in the past few weeks, and that number continues to grow.

What's daunting to me about that is that I take my followers very seriously because, they chose to follow me for a reason and I sincerely hope I can capture their interest and keep it - chances are they have something to share with me as well.

When I get notification of new followers I don't automatically follow every one - even if it takes a little bit of time, I do check out each and every profile of my followers (now it's taking longer than it used to... but I make the time to do it)  

Here's what I look for when I decide whether 

to follow back or not:  (I'm using @jasontryfon as my example)

Step 1 - Review Twitter Bio - If you can sell me in the short Bio I will follow - generally those who say they are passionate about anything I'll follow.  If the Bio is unique and funny, I'll follow.  If your Bio gives me enough sense of your business goals and they relate to me or my clients, I'll follow.

If your Bio is generally a product pitch - I probably wont follow, unless you pass step 2...

Step 2 - Review Recent Tweets - Your Bio may be blank or just not grab me, but you haven't lost me yet.  I will check out recent tweets to see what you are sharing with the world.  I look for personality, humor, sincerity, industry related info (social media, internet marketing), or information that my clients may find useful.  I also look for ReTweets, and real conversations - not one sided tweets.  (Being a Christian is a plus too.)

Seeing followers in conversation with mutual Twitter friends is always a plus too!

If your recent tweets consist only of "buy this", "great deal on this", "make a million dollars an hour working out of your home" and so on... chances are I will not be following you (sorry)

Still not satisfied after reviewing recent tweets?  The game is not over yet - onto step 3...

Step 3 - Review your Site or Blog - I may have already followed you after steps 1 or 2, process doesn't always hit this point, but I will take the time to check out your blog or website for interesting content.

**  If you are new to Twitter, doesn't mean I wont follow - we all start somewhere.  If you have a Bio and a site link that's relevant I will follow you and will enjoy watching your personality evolve!  **

How I introduce myself?  I will most definatley send you a DM referencing either one of your tweets, your Bio, or your website/blog.  I want you to know that I took the time to learn something about you.  I used @jaysontrfyon as my example here and chose an interesting tidbit to ReTweet.

@jasontryfon has it all going on.  His Bio

 is full of information that is relevant to my industry, his profile background rocks, his tweets are genuine, AND what caught me was on this quote on his background "Jason has gamered his acclaim as a noted customer satisfaction evangelist..."  YES!  Now you are speaking my language!  I let him know that too by Tweeting that little qoute :)

I am big on ReTweeting the good info of others and paying it foward whenever I can. (#payitforward).

So if you are following me and have not heard back from me yet - never fear - I need some time to do the real work!

Why do you follow and how do you introduce yourself?  I'd love to hear!

Like this post?  Please RT!  See yah on Twitter my friends!

@SocialPMChick

Why Me? Why You?

In a recent post @dannybrown asked folks to introduce themselves - so I did.  I read his post on Monday, the same day I wrote my "Pay It Forward" post.  One of the questions he asked was about what blog post defines you - Ironically it was the post I wrote that very day.  I live my life on the premise of paying it forward.  If you haven't read it yet - it's a must read!  :)

@ChazAtCaz and I discussed this today in the office as well - it's just too true!  We reap what we sow, I cannot say that enough.

So I ask you this...  Why Me?  Why should you connect with and get to know me?  

Because I care.  Show me that you care and I'll promote the heck out of you.  Show me what you are passionate about and I'll share your passion with everyone I know!

My areas of expertise include internet marketing, project management, web development, living a Christ centered life, parenting (not really an expert, more of a work-in-progress), and am in the process of working my way up in the ranks of the social media arena.  I am passionate about all that I do, and all that I am.

We all have something (lots of things) to learn, and I know that I can learn from you!  What can YOU teach me?  Though there are too many to list, some of my recent "teachers" include @auctiondirect, @dougmcsorley, @markfrisk.  I am always learning from @chazatcaz!  I hope to return that favor one day.  To them I say thanks!  To you I say - thank you in advance!

To build on what Danny did, I say to you - what can we learn from each other?  Please leave me a comment with answers to the following questions:

What are you passionate about?

Who are you favorite Tweeps and why?

What can I share with You?

Where can we connect?   FB, LinkedIn, Twitter, Other?

Internet Marketing Taskmasters

If you are like any of my clients - they tend to get a bit overwhelmed when told what to do!  What I quickly learned upon kicking-off the marketing of a freshly launched (or re-launched) website is that clients often become overwhelmed when they realize the real work is just beginning.

Common misconception:  If you build it they will come... (see previous post - this is not the Field of Dreams!)  

You must work and rework your site, monitor traffic sources, statistics, conversions and about a gazillion other factors to determine where to focus your energies - and then you need to put the time and energy into it - REGULARLY!

When I review a website's marketing plan with a new client - I warn them...  ::: your eyes will glaze over about half way through this, don't be alarmed :::  There is a ton of information and activity surrounding an effective internet marketing plan - and the best type of plan?

A simple plan!  Keep it simple!  I tell my customers they will get no more than 3 tasks at a time from me.  I try to keep the work in small manageable chunks, so when they accomplish a task, they feel great about it.

Not only that, but when you are reviewing website content and updating it, I find it better to do in small chunks to start getting the new web pages indexed while working on others, so you aren't waiting 6 months to promote a whole new website yet again.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Define Your Website With Content

The transition of a website from "build" to "marketing" is always an interesting one.  Very rarely does a new website get launched that is full of keyterm rich content, unique and interesting content, and most importantly... relevant content.  That is not to say it does not happen with much pulling teeth and dragging them along kicking and screaming by our most talented production group here at Cazbah. What is does mean, is that once their site is officially in "internet marketing" mode, it is my job as their Internet Marketing Account Manager to help them to "see the light".

Common misconception:  If we build it... they will come.  This is not the "Field of Dreams" people.

The correct line of thinking is much like the mustard seed - you must plant it, water it and nurture it. Only then can it grow.  Like the farmer who works his field - we we reap what we sow.  If we work the web site and work it well, we can reap the rewards that will follow.

What generally happens?  I am handed an eCommerce website that has very little static content, and product descriptions that leave a lot to be desired.  This is okay because it gives me a baseline to work from - and truth be told, I love starting with a website that has zero ranking in Google and is not converting.  I am passionate about turning that website into a content rich and interesting website, that oh-by-the-way also happens to sell a product.

Don't misunderstand, there is much emphasis placed on optimizing the product pages with well written descriptions and product titles - with the end goal for those products being that they obtain their own ranking in the search engines, and ultimately convert to online sales.

It's the other content I like to focus on.  This is an area you can define an online niche opportunity.  Take a look at your customer's base line keyword ranking - what keyterms are relevant that they are not currently gaining any search engine ranking on?  (This of course assumes you have done your keyterm research and have a set of keywords to focus on.)

Analyze your list of keywords and see which terms are not getting any search engine ranking.  You now know where to start with writing new content for your website.  Build informational content that will educate your site visitors about what you have to offer that is unique and different.  Why should your customers buy online from you?  What makes you better than your online competition?  What makes your online product unique?  What about the service you offer is by far the best?  Help your potential customers make a decision to buy your product or use your service.

Not sure where to start?  Here's a simple tip that I have found works with my clients. Often times I am dealing with VITO of Company "X".  VITO (or Very Important Top Officer) does not have time to write content, and frankly does not see the value of writing "stuff".  "My products are online what more do I need?"  If I can get VITO to write just one piece of content to prove my point, I push them to write a Glossary of Terms for their website.  

Write me a glossary - start with your top ten keywords and build them into an online glossary.  Or take each product and define it.  For example I have a client who sells Air Pollution Abatement Equipment.   Well not everyone on the planet knows what a carbon scrubber is or what it does - and I tell you with no uncertainty that the search engines do not know what they are.   

I emphasize to my clients that they are writing this content more for the search engines then they are for their website visitors.  Now, that said - once the search engines recognize the new content as being relevant, and it is well written, the end result of course would be gaining ranking on some of your additional keywords - thereby helping new and potential customers not only find your website, but LEARN about what you do and/or sell online.

I have proven this to be an effective technique to teaching my clients how important keyword rich website content can be.  Taking some important keyterms that are ranked somewhere below 30 in Google and working them to the first page on Google is proof that your content can define your website.  Once my clients see this online glossary of terms work, they are more than willing to continue writing new content.

Keep track of your keyword search engine ranking on a regular basis.  If you a see keyword begin to lose search engine ranking, or a keyword that is not performing - analyze the content (or lack thereof) associated with that keyword and work it!

That's my story... and I'm sticking to it!  Content.  Content.  Content.

Selling Cars Through Social Media

A month or so ago I got a request to follow a blog on Facebook's Networked Blog- it was the first request of this kind I had received on Facebook.  Having my own blog (of course), I was intrigued by this request - as we are all looking for ways to market our blogs.

The request was to follow Best Used Cars Blog.  And why would I follow this blog if I am not in the market for a car?  Well the answer is quite simple - because it's a good blog filled with good content.

Eric does a great job of putting an interesting spin on his content, he incorporates video, imagery, humor, facts and presents at a level that everyone can enjoy and understand.  He gives the consumer very sound advice to assist in knowing how to buy a car and not get scammed.  Given the state of the auto-industry today, and the economy - his blog should be in its prime with the information he is providing.

He also has a few pieces of content that are unique - Car Dealer Confessions, and a Tweet & Greet Interview asking the users questions about their first cars and their personalities related to their cars - it took me 5-10 minutes to complete and I had some fun with it!

Check out this blog - I do reccommend it.  Give Eric a Tweet-Out at @auctiondirect as well!

As a final side-note I have found that 2/3 of my blog traffic is coming from Facebook through profile links and Networked Blogs, and the other third is coming primarily from Twitter - just a tidbit I thought I'd share.

Internet Marketing - A Piece of Cake?

I had a dinner meeting with a close friend tonight who is re-building her web site and we just chatted through some of the areas she needs to be focusing on to help promote her web site.  

I was astounded to find that the company doing her web site was offering to charge her "x" amount for search engine optimization for 3 hours of work per month (and the dollar amount was way off), and made  a brief mention of email marketing, but the proposal stated nothing about what they covered under the title of "SEO" and what they proposed for email marketing.

So I lend these thoughts -  things to consider when searching for a "marketing strategist" for your web site.  Plain and simple... find someone who knows what they are doing - and pay attention to the details they are providing you.

Internet Marketing has several layers to it.  I will compare it to my favorite dessert - A Triple Layer Chocolate Peppermint Torte!

The bottom layer of the cake... What I consider the

 "technical" pieces of your plan.  This layer includes your search engine optimization, keyterm research, meta tags, page titles, image and file naming conventions, site maps and basically, the aspects that are addressed through your site's code/tags.

The middle layer of your cake... Your content.  Know your customers and what they are looking for and provide the content, products or services in your content that will answer questions easily and help them make their buying decision quickly.  Your content should also be optimized using the information compiled when building the first layer of your cake by building your keyterms into your content allowing the search engines to find it!

The top layer of your cake... Listening to your website and making the necessary adjustments to content and product offerings.  Modifying keyterms, building new content, adding new documentation and information as people your customer are looking for.  Work your site through email marketing, blogging and much much much more!  What I describe here only scratches the surface of working your site and continuously modifying your strategy to marketing your site to meet the ever-changing needs of your customers.

And then there's the frosting...  This outer layer is your brand, your persona, your online  personality.  Working your site by building your brand through Social Media and Social Networking.  Think of it this way...  The frosting on a cake is the first thing you see, and usually the first thing you taste on a cake.  Relate it to your brand or persona - this is the first impression you make - the face of your business.  Professional decoraters take great pride in the details of the impression their cake will leave (as it may result in more business for them in the beauty alone).  The same should apply to you and the effort you put into to building your online personality through social media.  (Cake image shown at right is a creation of Sincredible Pastries in Central NY) 

The frosting does not refer to a flash heavy site with blinking images and glitzy appearances - remember that your site must function effectively and efficiently allowing your customers to find what they want quickly - AND allow the search engines to find your site as well.  Flash has it's place and when used properly can be a very effective tool - but that is a whole separate conversation.

The whole cake... This is just a birdseye view of how I see internet marketing and the layers that lie within.  There are many aspects of marketing your website most of which I haven't even touched on - I would simply encourage you to ask the questions to your marketing strategist and feel confident that you are working your site continuously and getting the desired results.

A note of caution - be sure that the baker of your cake is on the level...  Recently I took on a client at work who was paying a third party company to manage their pay-per-click advertising.  When I took over managing their AdWords campaigns I found that this 3rd party company was charging my new client a flat monthly rate for AdWords and my customer never realized that the amount they were paying was almost 3 times the actual amount being spent on their AdWords activity.  Fortunately for them, we cut their AdWords budget by roughly 60% and they are still getting the same bang for their buck.

Find a strategist who is passionate about internet marketing and who will share your passion for success in YOUR business.  That will surely be a recipe for success!

Getting to Know Your Contacts

As I have vowed to learn about each and every contact between Twitter, Facebook and Linked in, I'm now a bit overwhelmed with this daunting task.  As I sit back and assess the situation, I realize that in just a few short months, I have amassed roughly 1,000 contacts...  

That's A LOT of people to get to know...  But I will do it, I will get them (you) all organized and itemized.  I will review every profile one at a time and try to learn little bits and pieces about each contact.

Today I learned that one new connection on Facebook resides in the same town as two of my best friends from high school.  I also learned that he was an Account Manager for Yellow Book, and he and his wife were blessed with a beautiful baby recently.

With almost 700 Twitter followers, I have decided to attack this 5 or 10 at a time... Here's what I learned today about my new contacts - maybe you see something here that interest you, and find someone new to follow on Twitter:

@kidpartyplanner  is a pretty cool chick.  She has a web site all about kids party planning, and also works to help other women promote their blogs and their businesses.

@robmcnealy has a great philosophy on twitter use - basically... respect my space and time... I will respect yours.  Rob has a huge following as a serial blogger and social media expert  - I look forward to following his blog and believe there is much to be learned here.

@jennywrites sells a product that is much like the sticker chart I'm currently using to potty train my 3 year old.  It's a color-wrist band system (like the "live strong" bands), and with each day or each goal you change colors.  Love the concept!  

@dannybrown is making things happen with his 12 for 12 challenge.  He's working his Facebook Blog and Group, and getting noticed on Twitter.  His 2009 challenge to raise 12,000 for 12 charities is a lofty goal.  I give him props knowing he faces massives challenges to make this a reality.

@nixthenews well he just has fun tweets, video posts, and other fun stuff to take reality breaks often when greatly needed.   Today for example - a video clip of Bill Murray from "Groundhog's Day" - a classic (and today being that day - very fitting).  Great Tweets!

Those are just a few I follow, and an example of how I intend to learn a bit about 1,000 connections I have made in the past few months.  I am no expert, just a small internet marketing account manager looking to grow and this is just my $.02

But If I add up the $.02 I take from everyone else I connect with online - it sure does add up to a lot of valuable information.

See you on Twitter!

@socialpmchick

Random Thoughts: Social Media & Stuff

I am getting old... As confirmed by a friend of mine today.  I had the perfect idea for a blog post, and from the time I went to bed last night - I cannot remember what it was about.  So I'm left with random thoughts which I will share.  Random thoughts on Social Media, Careers and more...

Random Thought #1:  24x7 Connectivity is Cool.

Social Media totally cool because I can connect with people all over the world any time of day or night and be mentally stimulated about all things.  I can get feedback about a work project or personal thought in a matter of seconds in real time.  That's pretty powerful.  I'm not talking teenagers in a chat room, I'm talking professionals with expertise in all areas all looking to share information and insights.  Ten years ago it was finding a "30 something" chat room on AOL and weeding through to find someone of value to talk to.... Not so much like that anymore - much easier to find real and valuable connections.

Random Thought #2:  People really do connect!

I have made 100+ new friends because I love artichokes.  Now that to me is excellent!  I have yet to really get to know many of these folks, and fully intend to do so because through something as simple as a food interest, I have made these connections.  I don't know yet what these people can offer me, or I them, but my guess is there is something for each one.  I will spend much time reviewing profiles for all new connections and getting to know everyone.

Random Thought #3:  New Month's Resolutions

I decided yesterday: February 1, 2009 that I would be making new resolutions for the month, though actually, they could be "new week's resolutions" or even "new day's resolutions".  January was a challenging month for me and I've really managed to learn how to live my life ONE DAY AT A TIME.  This applies to my career, my personal life and my relationship with God.  Today I am resolved to live only for today and make it the best day possible for me and for every person I come into contact with.  Remember - smiles are contageous and actions speak louder than words.

Random Thought #4:  What is your Dream Job?

Someone asked me on Friday night if I could do any job in the world, what would it be?  My answer was simple - I love what I do, and I cannot imagine having a different career than internet marketing.  So in conjunction with Random Thought #3 - I am resolved to make each day the most I can at work and provide the best level of service to my clients.  I am resolved to find creative solutions to making their online presence the best it can be.  I am also resolved to spread the passion for what I do...

Random Thought #5:  Totally Random Thought...

I love my best friend, through thick and thin - good and bad.  I will love my best friend today, for who he is today - and not worry about who he'll be tomorrow.  I hope my best friend has a great day today, knowing he is truly good at what he does (because he is truly passionate about it) - and doesn't worry so much today about what's on his plate tomorrow.  I want my best friend to know that the elephant is not really an elephant...

Everyone should have at least one person in their life they feel this way about and are passionate about - if you do - please tell that person you love them today.  Don't wait until tomorrow.  That's my passion point to ponder today.  

Getting to Know Your Networks

Facebook Connections

So I recently created a page on Facebook dedicated to Artichokes and in just a week, I have over 100 followers of this page.  At first I felt it was just an experiment to see how many people would find it if I worked it through various channels on Facebook, Twitter and yes - even LinkedIn.

What I'm finding now is that I'm actually connecting with some great people!  Every person that has "become a fan" of my page I have requested their friendship on Facebook, and am slowing getting to know some really great people!

What's more, I'm asking them all how they found the page - some through silly game applications, some through an actual search on FB for "artichokes" - yes people do search on it (I did), and some by seeing posts on others profiles, and a few from Twitter...  It has been a good lesson on what tools are in place to gain some awareness in Facebook.

The thought I take away from this - as with Twitter and LinkedIn - the same rule would apply.  Making these connections does absolutely no good if you don't make the effort to exchange information with and get to know your networked connections!

What's the point of connecting with people if you have nothing share?  As on Twitter, share your experiences and expertise, but also share some of yourself on a personal level.  Allow people in cyberspace to see that you are real and honest.

Just short post in the wee hours of the morning - but some thoughts I wanted to share.

Does your website have static cling?

What is Bounce Rate: It is the percentage of users who are exiting your site upon landing on a single page and not continuing to any other pages during that site visit.  If a user hits your home page and leaves without digging into your site content that is considered a "bounce".  This rule applies to any page on your site a user lands on, whether it's bookmarked or found through search.

Internet marketers use bounce rate to determine whether certain pages of your site are communicating properly.  A higher bounce rate means there is much work to be done in improving the content on your site, whether it be an informational site or an eCommerce site.  There are factors to  look at that on a page by page basis that will affect your bounce rate, and in some situations a higher bounce rate might actually be okay.  A page that is bookmarked on a news site that is updated daily with stories and such may have a higher bounce rate.  eCommerce sites should not apply the same line of thinking.

Static Cling for eCommerce:

We, as internet marketers, need to be passionate about bounce rate.  You want a lower bounce rate on eCommerce sites - mainly because the end-goal would be getting your users to click that magic "add to cart" button and completing the sale.  If this is not ocurring on your product pages and your bounce rate is high you may want to assess the following information:

• Does the user know WHAT you are selling?  It is clear they have landed on a product page and can EASILY purchase?  If you are selling, be sure that you product pages communicate that effectively.

• Does your product's description provide enough information to assist the user in making the decision to purchase.    If you are selling an item that has many applications or uses, this should be spelled out in your description.  For example - if you are selling glue, and this glue can be used on wood, plastic, metal, etc - your product description should reflect that and not leave any unanswered questions the shopper may have.
  

• Can the user/shopper easily figure out HOW to buy this product?  Is there a clear "add to cart" or "buy now" button or link?  In most cases, this should be found above-the-fold (meaning the user does not need to scroll to find it).  This is not always possible, and may not prevent the sale, but it's a good general rule of thumb.

• Is your price point competitive?  People shop around - and the internet is the easiest way to price compare products before making a purchase.  If a user lands on your page and finds your product to be overpriced - the user/shopper will "bounce".

• If you are running AdWords, is your campaign set up properly and effectively optimized?  Be sure if you are paying for site traffic that they are not bouncing quickly.  If you are advertising on specific keywords, be sure the user who has searched on that keyword is finding EXACTLY what they are looking for when they land on your site.  Use negative keywords to increase the value of your click-through-rate (CTR).  If you sell glue that only works on wood and not on plastic - remove the search traffic for "plastic glue" by adding negative keywords.  Also be sure your landing pages for your ads allow your user to find what they have searched for immediately.  Preferrably the user will land on the product page where they can immediately make a purchase.

At home, we use Bounce to get rid of static and stickiness on our clothing.  On the internet, we do not want bounce, we want our search traffic to stick, and we want our users to find what they are looking for.

If your bounce rates are higher - throw away that fabric softener or static guard and start digging into why your traffic is not sticking on your site.  Be sure if it is an eCommerce site you are checking your bounce rate at the product level and start working on improving the shopping experience for your user, by making it easy to make a decision to purchase, and then even easier to actually make that purchase on the spot.

These are just a few of my thoughts.  I'm sure you have your own sticky points to ponder about bounce rate, and I'd love to hear them!

Projects that Drive you

I make my living as an Account Manager at an Internet Marketing Firm in upstate, NY, and I am VERY passionate about my clients and helping them make their small businesses succeed online.  I love what I do, and take great pride in the little successes along the way that lead to long term relationships.

BUT... These past few months, I have been given the chance to work on some thing I have been  truly passionate about.  Our company's new web site. Working with Charles Broersma, the founder of our company, has been a challenge.  I mean that in a good way... because he is demanding, and probably more passionate than I am - but we have a great working relationship and we get 'er done!

In a previous life I worked as a project manager at another web development firm, where I was overseeing custom site development, and all aspects encompassing that from RFP responses, scope and budget development, team member selection and managment, risk mitigation, and so on - and I loved all of it.

My work now is somewhat different - in that my days in the hands-on development and input for direction of a new site being built from scratch does not happen any longer.  I now get the sites AFTER they are built and launched, and then run with them, developing strategies for my clients to make their new sites the best they can be, get them optimized, ranked and ultimately drive traffic and sales to result in new customer relationships for them.  

Shown here is a snapshot of the current site... soon to be a memory... This site development project has been exciting for me working with Charles to develop a message for the site, and then coming away from that with a concept - after several iterations and a few headaches here and there (mostly for Charles).  I miss the days of creative input & last minute stresses, trying to dot every "i" & cross every "t".  

Puzzled yet as to what the new site will look like?  Wait and See!

So here we are at the 11th hour and the site is due go live in the next 24 hours.  There are press releases to get out, email blasts to send and meta tags to be updated.  Final quality control check and few last minute tweeks and then we are good to go!

I remember the days of all the final details of a new site launch.  My favorite was a PBS site I worked on that was a complimentary piece to a documentary.  Warrior in Two Worlds.  When you are so passionately involved in a site's success there is a huge amount of excitement and anticipation that goes along with it's launch.

It's been a fun journey, and very rewarding - gaining the acceptance of my peers on this new project and having a team review that was very positive this afternoon.  I am mentally exhausted - yet exhilerated... and Ready!  

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what what is ahead.  - Phillipians 3:13

SEO - Search, Experience, Opportunity

SEO back in the day was the latest and greatest thing.  People realized they could improve their search engine ranking through optimization of their site.  Everyone jumped on the SEOwagon.   It started with meta-tags, and people packing their sites full of invisible keywords to get ranking.  You remember - white text on white background that nobody but the search engines could see.  That just doesn't fly anymore.  

SEO is really only a very small part of Internet Marketing - and to do it effectively you have to consider several variables when selecting your keyterms and where you will place them.  You will also need to know the why and the how.  Lets examine the "S" the "E" and the "O" in search engine optimization.  In my example SEO stands for Search, Experience, Opportunity.

S is for Search

Obviously we are optimizing for search so that is one of the key components - what  are people searching for?  To determine your keyterms you need to know the answer to this question to find your baseline.  This comes from knowing your customer and knowing their product or service.  One thing to keep in mind is that if your customer may sell 3 kinds of apples - they may consider "apple a" to be more popular than "apple b" or "apple c".  Does that mean you focus your efforts on "apple a" - Heck no!

There are more questions to ask before you can determine what your keyterms will be, and to take that a step further, to determine your baseline from which you will do your keyterm research.  Ask your client... Which product are you most passionate about and why?  What is your most unique product and why?  Which of your products has the highest profit margin for you or perhaps which is your "loss leader"?  How have your customers typcially found you in the past, and what are they NOT finding, but may be looking for?  As you start to gather these answers, you'll come up with other ideas for your keyterm  research.

E is for Experience

You truly need an experienced marketer to assist with your keyterm research.  When researching keyterms - you dont want to just pick the ones you think are most relevant.  Using the example above, there is far too much competition on the word "apple" - so we look for relevant AND related words that your customers may find you on.

Finding the right keyterms is only half the battle - you have to understand the competition and search volume on each keyterms and how effective you will be in utilizing that keyterm throughout your site.  While "apple" may in fact be the most popular keyterm, you should consider the fact that  if 5,000,000 other sites are competing on that term, the chances of you getting top 10 in Google is frankly slim to none and you'll probably want to enhance it a bit.

Start to look for variations of your keyterms that have high search volume and low competition.  Consider the differences between "apple a", "apple b" and "apple c" and broaden your research.  As you do this, you will start to see some suggested keyterms that may work for you with perhaps less competition but solid daily search volume.  

O is for Opportunity

As noted above - there are opportunities in search optimization and what variations you may use.  Lets for example say that "apple a" is actually a "chocolate apple".   You might want to consider common misspellings of the word "chocolate".  This does not work in all cases, but in certain situations if done properly - you can monetize that common misspelling by capturing those users who perhaps type a bit too quick and search on "chocalate" - believe me - it happens.  You certainly don't want to include these misspellings in your page content, but can strategically place them in your meta-tags.

Another way to look for opporunity is in examining the different products and competition for each.  "Apple a" may be your most popular product, but effective optimization on "apple b" or "apple c" can most definately drive traffic to your site, and the end result is that more than likely you'll sell a bunch of "apple a" as well.

Consider also your customer's expertise - perhaps beyond the products they sell.  But your site content should include keyterm rich content related to your business - there is alot of opportunity in getting ranking on content pages that are informative and useful that will drive traffic to your product or service.

SEO - A small piece of the puzzle.

While SEO is important - there is so much more to it than just loading your site full of keywords.  You have to know where to place them, how to structure your meta-tags and where they belong in your page content.  Be sure when you hire someone for the purpose of SEO, you hire someone who truly understands and has the experience to get you the results.

Add other aspects of Internet Marketing and Social Media to your online marketing and if done effectively can be a recipe for success.  Continue to monitor the success of your keyterms.  Find the areas of weakness and expand on them - your keyterms may still be the right ones, but you may need to reprioritize and develop relevant content to support those keyterms.

Listen to your site and what it's telling you.  Work your site and be proactive in updating content, adding products and getting involved in related online communities.  Always promote your site continuously through the various avenues of online marketing.

Good luck with your SEO - Hope to see you in Google's Top 10!

These are just my thoughts on SEO, I'd love to hear yours!  Leave me a comment or find me Tweeting as @SocialPMChick.