Define your Business & Target Audience

One of the most important things before starting SEO of your website is defining define your target audience. Ask yourself: Who is my ideal customer? If your answer is "Everyone", you've got some work to do!

While it would be nice if every single person in the world wanted your products and services, the truth is that by trying to appeal to everyone, you often wind up appealing to no one. Increase your chances for success by narrowing your target audience: selecting a crowd of likely customers and concentrating on meeting their wants and needs.

You might immediately know who your ideal customer is. Great! Having a clear concept of your target audience is a great first step. However, if you don't have a target audience in mind, it's never too soon to start looking.

Finally, as you narrow your niche, searching for your ideal target audience, keep the following in mind. Your niche should be Growing, in an area you have some Experience in, that you Love. If you're niching yourself by the age of your target audience, you have nothing to fear: people continue aging at a fairly steady rate, and birth rates in most of the world have been steady or climbing for decades.

However, population changes and socio-economic shifts mean that niching by religion, ethnic group or even economic class can prove problematical. Do your market research to make sure the group you're targeting is going to be around for a while: you don't want to be the only florist specializing in traditional Chinese weddings when there aren't any Chinese families in a hundred mile radius.

Good luck! Remember, your niche is out there, just waiting for you to find it!