Broadway Producers, just like every other CEO or Company Head out there, have a lot on their mind.  And it’s impossible for them to know every aspect of how to run their business.  In fact, the more you focus on all the minute details of how your business is run, the more you take your eyes off the bigger picture.  (Let’s take a poll. Any micro-managers out there? Spoiler alert: my hand is up.)

That said, I also advocate that you have as much of an understanding of how the wheels of your business turn . . . especially when it comes to advertising and marketing, so you can make more informed decisions on how to spend your limited budgets.

Since the web (and next up– mobile) is becoming more and more how our customers are getting their information about Broadway shows, I thought it would be best to share some of the secrets I’ve learned about SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

But before I tell you the tips . . . let’s talk about what the heck SEO is anyway. I know, I know, it sounds like a new Law & Order spinoff (Tonight at 8 on USA, Law and Order: SEO), but it’s not.

For a technical definition, click here . . . but simply put, it’s making sure your website is easy to find via Google, Yahoo, etc. (but mostly Google) when your customers are searching for you or even better, broad terms that represent what you do (imagine how beneficial it would be if your show popped up first when someone was searching for “Broadway Tickets”). In other words, if the web is the information superhighway, then great SEO puts up a big building right on the most popular block with major signage.

The challenge is that Google is constantly changing the algorithm that determines what sites reach the top spots of search results. I’ve been running websites for shows for over a decade . . . and I’ve seen our search rankings rise and fall over the years, even though we’ve done nothing different . . . simply because Google decided to shake up what they were doing. In fact, and you heard it here first, one of the reasons The Awesome 80s Prom is closing after over nine years, is that Google altered their algortihm.  When they did, we dropped from the #1 search spot for certain Bachelorette Party terms . . . to the third page.

Scary, isn’t it?

I don’t want that to happen to you . . . which is why I’m writing this two part post about getting to the front page of Google and staying there.

So stay tuned to tomorrow’s entry for my three simple secrets on how to SEO your show.

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– Win free Script Coverage for your play or musical!  Click here. 

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