The amount of doom and gloom in the media can be a little overwhelming. If you don’t set your personal filters to edit out some of the economic content, it can really shape your attitude and leave you looking for a rock to hide under. There may not be any easy answers, but informed decisions can help focus your efforts. Looking for opportunities with measurable returns can help mitigate some of the economic pressure and stress. Google has taken an extra step and created a page of tools specifically oriented to the online marketer.
Google created Do More With Less to help create a strategy for succeeding in the 
recession. Understanding how your site and strategy is performing can help navigate the many choices for search optimization. A few of the free tools that we use often include:
Google Insights for Search – For the trendsetter in each of us, a look at what others are searching for and filter by time and categories.
Google Maps – Local search becomes even more important as clients look closer to home and business for the services they need. People often look to a vendor they can establish a relationship with to insulate against tougher times. Make sure your Google Map listing is correct and look at options for updating to reach new customers.
Google Analytics – A free tool tracking who visits your website, where they came from and how they interacted with your site while visiting. This is critical information for determining if you are providing the right content to the right market. For more detailed information, see Jason’s post on What’s New with Google Analytics from SES 2008.
These are basic tools and reviewing some of the others will help you gather the data needed to make informed decisions. Informed decisions can improve the success of your website. If you have questions, let us know and we can help develop a strategy for tough times, or even if they are not.
For more information please contact the Search Engine Marketing Team at Schipul – sem@schipul.com