Customer Reviews

The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization: Increase Your Google Rankings, Double Your Site Traffic...In Just 15 Steps - Guaranteed

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a computer person and business owner who bought this book for a friend. The idea was for the friend to learn a little about SEO, so we would have a point of reference when we talked. I quickly read the book (large print, plenty of white space) and found it of no value to pass along.

This book is not geared towards a business person, recommends buying an expensive ($99) add-on DVD, and appears to be printed without editing.

The following example is printed on page 82:

[...]


The included worthless stories about relatives accomplishments, personal accomplishments, teaching experience, buy the DVD, and filler should be removed. The 15 SEO steps could easily be summed up in a 20 page pamphlet.

Find another book.

Stephen's book is a great resource for those of us who aren't expert web geeks. The step-by-step process can be implemented by most business people that have some computing and internet experience. It is also a good read if you are hiring someone to do SEO for a site so you are informed and can ask good questions of a consultant. Good work!

I have always been skeptical of SEO materials, and have also been intimated by the process, assuming it was a difficult and mysterious process only a chosen few could understand. I was seriously shocked at this book because of how easy it was to read and understand. I am not a programmer, but I do have an ecommerce web site that was not showing up well organically in search results. I followed this book's 15-step process and now my site is showing up on page 1 for my main keyword, and page 2 for my secondary keyword. To get through the 15 steps does take some time and thought; I probably spent about 5 hours of time, but I am sure that time gets cut down as you optimize more and more pages. It takes several weeks after optimizing your page for your organic position to change, but be patient, it will happen if you follow the steps! If you are looking for an SEO tool that WORKS and can be easily understood and followed, THIS IS THE BOOK YOU WANT!!

I used this book to promote my website, my organic ratings on Google have increased quite a bit since using this small business owner's handbook to search engine optimization! Basically, I highly recommend getting this book! :)

I would think many business people are at my knowledge level regarding web sites and SEO...way below a web geek and definitely above totally clueless. This book is at the perfect knowledge position on that scale. Its detailed enough to actually get some SEO accomplished, but simple enough to essentially hold your hand through the process. It actually makes sense. I just started the process, and I'm starting to see some nice results for my web site placement with Google.

Stephen Woessner's book was easy to read and use because he employs step-by-step instructions. The most challenging aspect of implementing his advice to find two key words to plant on main web pages is that it's extremely difficult to find the words that meet his criteria! I've spent many hours searching and devising new combinations of words to find the ones that are searched but will not put my site up against literally millions of others! Unfortunately, I have not gotten the hang of it and am not sure I will. It may simply be that the kind of work I do, public relations and writing, is extremely common across the globe so there is inherently a lot of competition. I am still going to follow his advice and see if my web traffic and conversion rates do indeed improve. I haven't completed the process yet. Woessner makes a convincing case for his recommenations and I am glad I bought his book.

For the small business owner who is looking for a clear and simple guide to implementing a range of SEO techniques or who simply wants to understand SEO concepts before engaging an SEO professional this book is ideal. The author clearly identifies SEO concepts, identifying some simple free SEO tools, and then moves through a step by step process for carrying out your own SEO. There is some coding involved (as you would expect) but the reader is not overwhelmed with jargon and the processes are clear enough for even the novice.

The book includes an extensive glossary and FAQ for reference, again very helpful for those with limited knowledge. However don't expect this to be the only SEO book you buy though. It is not a complete guide to everything SEO, nor does it need to be (nor would I expect that one exists!). There's plenty of SEO books out there but for the small business owner or anyone looking for some simple, practical and relatively easy techniques for carrying out their own SEO this is the book to get started with.

What I liked:

This is a good book to begin understanding how Internet search engines, mostly Google, concentrate on key words to rank a web site. The book is written to the web designer, but it applies to anyone who writes Internet content. The book has relevant content that is structured logically and is easy to understand. This book is best used as a primer for understanding Search Engine Optimization and may also serve as a resource for intermediate web writers and website developers. The book is relatively short with large print, but it does not skimp on the key points.

What I did not like:

The only fault I can place on this book is the amount of self-promotion the reader must endure. Mr. Woessner clearly has the credibility to publish this book, but every couple pages bleed self-indulgence. Web writers want to read about content and methods of improving their skills, not the author's autobiography.

Summary:

Overall, this is a good book to keep on your desktop and use as a reference. The chapters are structured so you can go directly to a key point without spending much time sifting through off-topic information. Although I found the self-indulgence annoying, I was able to skip those paragraphs easily without missing anything I need to know. The author shares some very good tips and offers some valuable resources. If you are trying to gain some practical knowledge of SEO application, then you will most likely find this book useful.

This book is way out of date and desperatly needs updating. Plus the author encourages push you to buy a $99 DVD. The concept of the book is really basic and doesn't go in depth to the point other professional books. do. The book has a lot of "fill" and the editing is not very good.

After checking this book out from the library, (I recently purchased the book from Amazon) I had the opportunity to attend Stephen Woessner's SEO workshop at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. So, which one was better - the book or live workshop? Honestly, I appreciated both the book and the workshop. Woessner is an accomplished entrepreneur in his own right. He understands that not every small business owner has the internet savvy other business owners have in order to compete in the 21st century. That's why he breaks down each step into terms computer-challenged entrepreneurs can understand.

Since search engine rank is vitally important to the health of a business, search engine optimization (SEO) is a crucial component to a successful business and marketing plan. Woessner does a brilliant job of not talking down to the reader with fewer computer skills, nor insulting the intelligence of the computer whiz.

For someone looking for a great resource on SEO, this book is well worth the money. If you have the opportunity, take Woessner's SEO workshop put on by the Small Business Development Center at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.