Search Engine Optimisation
What is SEO?
SEO, a subset of website marketing, focuses on optimising all of the aspects that affect rankings in the major search engines in order to maximise visitor traffic. Optimisation involves researching the right terms to target, modifying the site to be search engine friendly and marketing/promotion of the site to improve popularity.
Why does my company need SEO?
The majority of web traffic is driven by the major commercial search engines - Google, Yahoo!, MSN and Ask. And trust me, you want them to find you.
Your Aussie relatives cannot come and visit you if they do not know where you live. So you have to let them know where you live. Or you Aunty Jane will tell them where you live as she already knows... Get the picture?
If your site cannot be found by search engines then your content cannot be put into their databases and you will miss out on all the people searching for keywords that your site could have given those answers to.
Whether your site provides content, services, products, or information, search engines are a primary method of navigation for almost all internet users.
Ways to make the search engines happy
It is shocking how many web sites out there actually block search engines from accessing them altogether. Make sure your get professional help to analyse your current website and make sure to read the following advice:
Choose the right Domain Name
When creating a new site it will be worth your while to choose the right domain name. Short catchy names can be great for branding and word-of-mouth marketing but keyword rich names can be great for search engines. So try to find a balance!
Usability
Your site needs to be easy for search engines to find and process. This includes the following:
- Professional and functional design
- A well structured information architecture
- Well-defined navigation
- Error free functionality
- Accessibility and ease of use
Professional Design
A professional design site will attract more visitors and they will have a better overall perception. Thus there will be a greater number of returning visitors to your site. It will be a lot easier to get links to you site for high page ranking sites if your company looks professional.
High Quality Content
Make sure your content reflects your product or services and is of good quality. Collect the search words that customers will be using to find our site and incorporate those words into your web pages.
Stand out from the crowd
Be different! If your site offers something unique or interesting enough to make people forward your URL on to their friend you will get loads of traffic in no time.
Become Important
Get high ranking websites to link to your site. Inbound links tell search engines that your page is important. Beware of link farms and
