Today I received a welcome Easter holiday treat at the office. Cupcakes!

The amazing treats from Eat My Words are the BEST Toronto has to offer. Having ordered cupcakes for birthdays and work functions several times before, I wondered why I hadn’t come upon this divine shop in my search for the best combination of flour, eggs, icing and all that is delicious. It turns out, that my online search for “cupcakes + Toronto” yielded a plethora of options, but none so amazing as this outfit which supports the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Eat My Words is clearly a great operation and the women running it have the marketing savvy to get Beyonce eating their scrumptious goodies. Everything about their branding is impeccable – but I doubt I would have found them online without knowing the name of their company. And while I am absolutely certain that well-deserved word-of-mouth must be attracting clientele in droves, this reminds me to never underestimate the power of search and the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

As information gatherers we know that it is rare to click beyond the first page of an online search, so it is critical for companies to be listed with prominence on the SERP. This is often done through Search Engine Optimization (creating a push-pull of references across the Web to help drive traffic to your website) and paid advertisement with a search engine to help promote your brand and increase your online presence.

Whatever your approach, keep it simple. Identify the key words your customers actually type into the search box and ensure those key words are used throughout your marketing materials, press releases, and website.

I promise you a smart online strategy can reap big rewards …. or I’ll eat my words.