When the Web was very young, conventional wisdom was if you had a business, you needed a Web site -- a clean, well-branded place to showcase what you do, where you're located, and how to contact you or purchase your product. Nowadays, treating your Web site like a digital version of your marketing collateral simply isn't enough.

Call it Web 2.0 -- the idea that the Internet isn't just a giant directory, but an "interaction and engagement with your reader," as Ray "Catfish" Comstock, Senior SEO Consultant for BusinessOnLine defined the term at a recent Online Marketing Summit event in Long Beach, California.

In fact, with the sheer volume of Web sites out there, simply getting your site seen by your target customer is a huge undertaking. And if you're not budgeting dollars to make your virtual self visible, you're missing out on a valuable stream of business leads. Here are some ideas to either get you started or ensure you're not missing an opportunity.

Help People Find Your Web Site
For your site to appear in the first page of search results on Google, Yahoo, or MSN for keywords related to you, the engines need to be able to "see" you. Here's how to optimize your site for search engine visibility (SEO) about it:

• Be sure your keywords are on your site. These words should be displayed in text, not Javascript, Flash, or as a graphic.
  
  
• Create new content on an ongoing basis. This will not only give you places to incorporate your keywords, but will also set you up as an expert in the subject area.
  
  
• Maintain at least 30 pages of content, and refresh the content at least weekly.
  
  
• Each page should have a unique page title that accurately describes what's on the page (and uses your keywords), so, instead of "Anderson Home Page," use something more specific like "Anderson's Drills and Lumber Supply."
  
  
• Ask your Web administrator to add unique meta descriptions to each page. "Meta" data is a hidden description of what's on the page, such as "Instructions on how to make an outdoor garden bench using Anderson's Redwood Lumber." Don't use the same description each time!
  · Invite product reviews and comments from your consumers, right on the page. This extra content is something search engines will pick up on. Also, according to Marketing Sherpa E-commerce Benchmark Guide for 2007, 34% of Internet users strongly prefer sites that feature customer reviews.
  

Which keywords should you use? To find the right ones for your site, step into your customer's or client's shoes. Which words do they use to describe or search for your product or service? Sometimes it's best to find volunteers to do the searching (like a focus group) and you can watch (quietly) how they navigate. For example, you might think that "construction materials" is the best phrase for you, but when you watch your customers search, they are typing "building materials." Also, what words are your competitors using? Can you compete with these phrases so you appear next to them in the results?

An SEO consultant can also help you identify keywords by using online subscription tools that provide statistics on popular search terms. Or try this free one from WordTracker. Consultants also help you decide which words to purchase with online advertising (usually the words that have stiff competition), and which ones to use for your SEO efforts.

Linking: How People (and Spiders) Find You
You know how you visit one Web site and click on a link and it takes you to another site, which then takes you to another site? This is how search engines "crawl" or "spider" through information online. The search engines rely on keywords in the URL and in the linked words. For example "Click here for more," doesn't really say anything. "Find drill bits and professional drills here" does.

Start with your site map. (If you don't have one, ask your Web administrator to create one, and link to it from the footer on your home page.) Your site map gives you a good idea of the architecture of your site, and the search engine spiders will use it to crawl for information to help identify your site. Each section's header should clearly indicate what's inside -- again, using your keywords. Instead of a section called "About us," consider one that says "About Acme Co." or "About the Drill Bit Experts."

Also consider asking people you do business with to link their sites to your site. The more relevant, valid links you receive from partners, clients and consumers, the more visible you are. If your industry has a trade site, try to get listed in its directory as well.

Let Your Voice Be Heard -- Produce New Content
All the speakers at the marketing summit agreed -- you need to have a consistent strategy for producing content that is relevant to the keywords you're targeting. Hire a writer to create white papers or tips for you. Start a corporate blog to provide "inside" information about what's new with your product or service. Post press releases on a regular basis about everything newsworthy: events, awards, partnerships, etc.

Get Interactive
People are interacting online in many different ways:

· Social networking, on sites like MySpace and Facebook
· Professional networking, on sites like LinkedIn and Xing
· File sharing (photos, videos, and information), on sites such as Flikr, YouTube, Wikipedia
· Sharing opinions via customer reviews, commenting on blogs and in online forums

Stay in touch with your customers by being virtually available everywhere you can. Getting in touch with you or someone who represents you should be easy online.

· Set up an e-mail form or a dedicated e-mail address so you are accessible.
· Keep your eye on what people are saying about you by setting up a Google Alert and by searching the blogs for your company name at www.technorati.com. Carefully consider how and when your company will respond to public discussion. These responses will also help make you more visible.
· Consider creating forums and/or a corporate blog or allowing comments on your products -- or even press releases. The comments may not always be pure praise, but customer criticism will help you refine your service and give you a chance to respond to the individual, and potentially win them over.

Once you have a loyal virtual community, ask for their advance opinions on new products and services before you roll them out.

Following these basic steps will not only help you be discovered by the clients you'd like the most, but also help you engage and interact with them. This will help strengthen relationships, your marketing message, and your product itself.