It’s shakeout time folks. It’s game on, so to speak. As I hear the news of another local search marketing provider closing their doors today I suspect there will be much more fallout. So I can be completely transparent here, I too have gone through some adjustments with regard to my company. I am excited about the opportunities that are in front of me and my business partner. The changes in the market have created more opportunity than ever and for that I am forever grateful to God.

Change in the search industry, and particularly as it relates to the SMB market should be widespread and wide ranging. I suspect that overall it may not be a good thing. I feel that way because there will be a lot of people who will be looking for an opportunity to make money and may simply hang their shingle out as a search marketing or internet marketing expert. This industry already has plenty of shady practitioners and even the best and the brightest ‘experts’ will have their horror stories of clients and relationships that have gone south. For the best providers those stories are the exception and not the rule. Probably more than ever before there will be gaps in the level of service, quality and integrity because of the general malaise that the economy is slipping into.

I can offer you just a few pointers to best protect yourself.

1. Demand that your provider do a complete assessment of your current situation before there is any offering of some schedule of services. Because a real strong assessment should take many hours and should include business insight and not just search marketing jargon and mumbo jumbo you should expect to pay for this service. This is how I work. No longer can I just tell someone that the ‘usual’ search and internet marketing services apply to all. Every situation is completely different and requires a custom approach. Look at this investment as insurance of sorts. You should walk away with a complete assessment and action plan moving forward that can be used whether you use this provider or not. Good providers won’t work for free and you should not expect them to.

2. Don’t do long term contracts. I have talked about this before. A good search marketer will prove their worth regularly and you will see the return on investment that should compel you to continue working with them to achieve even greater success.

3. Understand that there is a cost involved but you owe it to yourself to find the money to support search marketing through cuts in bad marketing spend. Examples may include Yellow Page ads, newspaper ads, directories and associations that don’t produce. Anything that you can’t measure its success should be examined for its true value to your business’ bottom line.

More than ever you need to do search marketing. As an SMB (small medium business) you must step up and make the best choices that produce results. Take market share from your competition who is doing the same thing they always have or are actually pulling back on their efforts. Game on!

SMB Takeaway: Use extreme caution when choosing your search / internet marketing provider. The market will be filled with wanna bes. Make sure you consider three main ideas when looking at bringing on search help.

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About the Author: Frank Reed's blog Frank Thinking About Internet Marketing provides practical advice and insight for Internet marketers from local SMB's to Fortune 500's. Frank provides Internet marketing services through FT Internet Marketing, Inc. In addition, Frank is a regular contributor to Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim and Mike Moran's Biznology blogs.