The What, Why And How Of Search Engine Optimization
As Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts in Bristol, we have found many SMEs struggling to understand how to make the most of the internet for their businesses. Are you one of those business people who wants to make the most of the amazing growth in on-line search and purchasing behaviours over the last five years This article is written to give a basic outline of the fundamentals of search engine optimization, a key to web business success. Let our internet marketing consultants and expert in Search marketing in Bristol, introduce the fundamentals.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimisation is the structured improvement of pages on your website so that search engines like Google can more easily bring more potential customers to your site. It includes making each page accessible to search engine spiders and adding incoming links from high ranking sites.
Successful SEO results in your website rising up the page results of search engines like Yahoo to page one, attracting new visits and generating on-line profits for your organisation.
Google and Yahoo deliver 85% of people to websites, so ranking highly on their search results pages is important to internet businesses.
What is the importance of SEO?
Over time, improving the ranking of a website in the search engines is the most cost effective way of attracting visitors to your website. It does this through:
Landing more potential customers on your website
Improving website conversion rates
Effectively promoting your brand
It is no longer possible to create a website and expect potential on-line customers to find it without also developing a plan to help them. Almost every business and organization recognises the influence of the internet, where an increasing proportion of the world’s population search for interest, research or buying purposes. Search engine optimization is critical if businesses are to survive the recession in good health.
How Do I Search Engine Optimize my Website?
The rise of websites to page one of Google search results is not a random process. The largest and oldest sites tend to dominate but there are several important search engine optimization tasks that increase the chances of reaching page one. These include the following:
Write Content – organise your website like a well laid out store and write persuasively.
Research your on-line market – it is no good writing loads of content if you do not know what keyword phrases people search for on the internet and how this fits with your products and services. Page 1 rankings in search engines is not possible without a sound understanding of the role of keywords, which ones are best for your organization and how they relate to inbound links to your website. Approaching SEO systematically will help search engines and people understand what your business is about and lead to higher rankings.
Analyse Site Structure – Use website analytics to look at best performing pages and the success of website conversion tools and then improve the pages to help your visitors reach their hearts’ desire quicker.
Link building campaigns - Help search engines and people find your organisation online via other ranked websites.
Submit your website to On-line Directories – Listings used to be more important in Google’s algorithm than now. We still do directory submissions where it will help potential customers find our clients’ businesses.
Update your sitemap – All websites need a structured sitemap – it enables the search engines read your site and increases the chances of raising it to page one when properly designed.
Analytics – It may seem obvious but you should track the results of the alterations you make with web analytics such as Google Analytics so that you can evaluate your return on investment and see what works and what doesn’t!
Search engine optimization consultancy – The best place to start is this SEO Bristol company.
How Long Before My Site is Listed on Page 1?
How long is a piece of string? Apart from getting the above points right, high ranking also depends on forces over which you have little or no influence.
Forces include:
Market competition
The area you cover
Search engines change their minds on what is important as the internet develops! -
Working relationships with your SEO provider
Optimization can be expected to take upwards of half a year and should have allocated budget for continued business success.
When do I need SEO?
Can your business or organization survive without utilising the power of the internet to find more customers, generate more leads and grow or maintain your market share?
Does your website provide a return on investment?
If your website has been around for a bit, is it still making the most of new opportunities such as social media marketing?
Is your web market share diminishing?
Is your business changing and can you benefit from reviewing your website and on-line marketing strategies?
The internet is still developing rapidly and new marketing opportunities are appearing constantly. SEO continues to play a vital role in harnessing these opportunities as they appear and in preparing organisations for renewed economic confidence as it arises.