I can't say that I know too much about SEO but I've gotten the impression that there are more effective ways to get traffic to your site. I just haven't figured out quite what they are yet! As far as I can understand you can setup your site with certain "keywords" so the search engines pull your site up on the top (or close to ) the top of the list. In a field like mine, graphic design, there are thousands of other sites that I'm sure would use the same "keywords" to see their site at the top of the list. There is really no way to say that just because their or my site ranks top that the person searching for the service isn't get the best of the best. Make sense? Is there a service out there that ranks business on their service alone? Through customer reviews and ratings? If such a service is out there let me know. I know my company would be number one!
It sounds like you're at a stating point and have a good grasp of some of the steps you'll need to learn. SEO is 1000 different things to 1000 different people. And you're right, unless you're in a very small niche the competition is vast and you'll need your "A" game to thrive. But that doesn't mean you can't start from scratch and pass thousands of companies who've been at it longer, online that is. My suggestion is to commit some time doing research on keywords. Your success, long term, definitely rides on your ability to chose wisely. But the process is not rocket science. Rocket science is easier. Here's how to start. Go to Google and set your mind to match the thoughts, needs and interests of a customer. You'll want to put yourself entirely in their seat at the keyboard. Type your questions into the keyboard. Here we're talking about the type of questions your customer would need to use to wind up on your webpage. Keep track of the phrases you type and also the businesses you find. Don't just look at the businesses generated in the results lists. Scan the sides and top of the page and notice who's there and what are they advertising. Click a few of the ads to see the pricing and whether or not your search phrases are bringing up information about products or closing pages used to close the sale and direct the buyer to PayPal. One fundamental piece of information you'll want to decide on is where in the process do you want to grab potential customers? What this means is: Do you want your keywords to grab traffic filled with early shoppers? Or those who are just about to make a decision...after they shop 3 to 5 more sites? Or do you want those who've finished shopping and are now hot to buy? I know what you're thinking...Decisions...Decisions...Decisions That is just a starting point for the work that lies ahead for you. Don't be stingy with your investment of time at this point. Commit as many hours as it takes to feel confident you know exactly what works best for your target market. Hope that helps. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to PM me. I've had lots of help to get where I am today. I enjoy paying back the favors. Ciao, Doc Rich