Attended: UltraLight Startups SEO, SEM

Last night’s UltraLight Startups event featured a panel that discussed the need for search engine optimization and search engine marketing. The four panelists –  Seth Dotterer of Conductor, Inc, Christopher Hart of Bruce Clay Inc., Kevin Lee of Didit and Dennis Yu of BlitzLocal – were tremendous. For startups, the take-aways were:

• Know your audience and learn to think and search the way they do,
• Set goals, measure and track against the goals,
• Build great content, and
• Start thinking about search engine optimization earlier rather than later

The biggest take-away, though, was that you need to have at least an understanding of SEO and SEM if you’re going to have any type of online presence.

For biotech and life sciences startups all of the above apply. It’s common sense but it takes time.

When I meet with potential clients, I like to talk about online marketing strategy and it still amazes me how often clients either dismiss SEO and take a ‘we’ll build it and they’ll come attitude.’ Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way and never did, no matter how great your content, product or service. In addition, very few life sciences and biotech companies use their web sites to capture emails, distribute white papers or develop a relationship with their audience. I say, what better way to communicate with an audience that wants to know you?

Online marketing isn’t complicated, but it is something that needs to be part of your market mix.

Market you must. Constantly.

Graham posted links to several articles on SEO marketing for new sites here, here, here, and here.