The Art and Science of Search Engine Optimization
by Don Hughmanick, Director of Interactive Solutions, The Anderson Group
Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is by definition the strategies and the function of increasing your Web site’s organic ranking on the major search engines to become more visible and accessible to your customers. Unfortunately, most companies get a good response to a search only when its company name is entered practically verbatim. So, even though the search engines list your site, it does not necessarily mean your potential customers can find it unless they know your name.
Effective SEO is the result of positioning strategies custom-designed to give the engines what they want and need for your site to become top ranked as it relates to your target audience. Basically, SEO is both an art and a science, since it is combining creative solutions and in-depth studies of the search engines and directories.
What is the goal of SEO?
SEO has moved beyond embedding keywords and meta tags into your Web site. This is still an important function, but the scope of SEO has grown, and it’s important to lay out your strategy to address specific issues and optimization needs for your site. Since everyone’s issues and needs are different, there is no cookie-cutter solution for everyone. But ultimately, the goal is to achieve consistent top ranking in search engines based on keywords relevant to your business.
What is the process?
When embarking on search engine optimization, there are a number of things that need to done. Some of them may include:
- Determining the back-end programming of your site content, page titles, site structure, linking structure, meta tags, and page descriptions.
- Researching what your competitors are doing to enjoy high search engine rankings in the space in which you want to be associated.
- Creating a benchmark positioning report that demonstrates your current position in each search engine.
- Identifying the keywords that will be most effective and most searched by people looking for your business, service and products.
- Updating your site so it has search engine compliant Robot.txt files.
- Applying techniques that encourage “re-spidering” of your site.
- Conducting an inbound link assessment that evaluates the total sites that can be tracked back to your site.
- Evaluating and identifying any existing or new link-building opportunities.
- Establishing metrics that will accurately report your search engine ranking.
How to maintain your rank.
After your initial site optimization has achieved a satisfactory search engine ranking, it is imperative that maintenance on your site continues in order to keep your top ranking. There are a number of ongoing search engine optimization techniques you can use. They include:
- Staying on top of your established metrics so you always know where you rank.
- Continually tweaking your site’s meta tags and descriptions.
- Evaluating existing link-building initiatives and modifying if necessary.
- Submitting your site to search engines monthly to be “re-spidered.”
- Monitoring and using any social media content on your site (e.g., blogs, RSS feeds).
What can you do now?
Search engine optimization has become as important as just having a Web site. Standing out and being heard or even found on the Internet can be monumental for a company. Knowing and understanding that you need search engine optimization is one thing, but maybe you are not in the position to go full throttle just yet. So what can you do now?
The good news is SEO is best achieved through a layering of numerous techniques. While it is recommended that you establish a solid search engine ranking first, there are some things you can do now that are inexpensive and even free.
- Take full advantage of all Google, Yahoo and other search engine free business applications. Go to www.google.com and click on Business Solutions or www.yahoo.com and scroll down to Do Business with Yahoo and go to town.
- Consider buying Google AdWords—they are affordable and really help solidify your organic search engine ranking.
- Start a blog. Be sure to link it back to your site.
- Send out regular RSS feeds and encourage subscriptions.
- Post your Web site URL on social bookmarking sites.
- Be relentless in getting your site linked to other sites and vice versa. This will help improve your in-bound link status.
- Start a Facebook page and regularly post valuable info to drive traffic to your site.
- Put your company on Wikipedia.
- Twitter and include links to your site.
- Comment on blogs and chat rooms that are relevant to your business or expertise. Put a link in your comments back to your site or blog.
Whatever path you take to improve your site’s SEO, it is important to remember that it is an ongoing process. Starting a Facebook page or a blog or a Twitter account is great, but if you never use them, obviously they will not help. Plus, it doesn’t look good for your company. Optimizing your site’s back-end programming and growing your rank is ideal, but if you do not do anything to maintain it, your ranking can quickly drop. Remember, keeping your site search-engine-optimized is not a difficult process; it just requires dedicated attention. And it’s well worth the effort.
