How to Use Website SEO to Get More Pet Sitting Customers

This Tuesday evening I will be interviewing Jordan Kaplan owner of Petaholics - a pet sitting company based in New York - for my montly Pet Business Success Circle pet expert call.

Just like me, Jordan gets a lot of new pet sitting customers that find him on the web via his website. Jordan will be teaching us how to get our pet sitting websites great rankings in the major search engines by using seach engine optimization (SEO) techniques and strategies.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to get your own business website. Markting online is very cost friendly compared to direct mail or magazine advertising. I would estimate that currently at least 95% of new customers tell me that they find my pet sitting business online by doing a Google or Yahoo search. I have all the details, policies, and pet sitting prices on my website so it makes it easy for people to see what they will get with my service, and make a decision on which pet sitting company they want to hire. When they make a choice they can submit a reservation to me right on my site - this offers them great convenience.

Some of the topics that Jordan will be discussing are:

1) What are search engines and why are they important?

2) What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

3) How does SEO work?

4) How can pet sitters use SEO to get ranked in major search engines?

5) How can you get links to your website?

6) Why SEO is the most important and cost effective marketing tool for your business

Owning a pet business does not guarantee you success, but it is generally not difficult to set up your own pet business adn many who own pet businesses love the hard working lifestyle and the closeness to pets. You will have to compete with those who may be better trained, may have lower cost structures and those who “pretend” to have your skills and experience when they do not. (eg not all those who advertise themselves as groomers are actually Groomers).

There are also key skills that all dog industry professionals should possess. Here are some of the most critical skills and abilities for those hoping to work with dogs professionally: Basic Dog Handling and Training Skills, ability to recognize behavioral signals.

Animals can be somewhat unpredictable when they are under stress or in an unfamiliar environment, like when they visit the veterinary office or the grooming salon, so it is important to be attentive and stay aware of the animal you are handling at all times.