Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

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Foundational Thoughts For Search Engine Positioning

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of your website may be a key ingredient when it comes to marketing your business online, but it is not the mysterious and magical art that some in the Internet industry may make out. If your business needs help in getting found on the search engines it is a good idea to do a little research before racing out and hiring an "Expert" SEO.

Before You Start

The first step is to look at your website's basic structure to ensure that it is search engine friendly in the first place and a good foundation to continue to build upon.

To check that the pages of your website are capable of being indexed by the search engines correctly, pop along to google and type in the search box:
Site:www.mydomain.com
This should bring up a list of all the pages google knows about from your website.

If you find nothing at all, it could mean that your website is brand new or does not have any links pointing to it. (Google finds websites naturally, via links - there is no need to submit your website to them.)

First, take a quick look at the clickable link text in the title of the listings, they should be concise and individually unique (reflecting the subject of the page they refer to) - welcoming a potential visitor to click through. (These are derived from the "page title" element found in the Head area of your web page documents.)

Next, click on the link titled "cached" to view the information Google has about your main page. Content, links and images should be visible (a "mirror" of the real page). Next, click on "Text Only Version" (top right) to dispel the design aspects and you should see sensible, readable text and links.

If you are staring at a blank or meaningless content that doesn't reflect your business offer, then you may have a structural, navigational or design problem - like; text trapped in images, flash movies or incorrect script usage.

You should also see all your main navigational links on each page you view this way (if not, you may be a victim of badly formed framesets).

This could indicate that you may need the services of a good web designer before even considering taking the leap into SEO territory! (or beginning to optimise your website.)

Basic SEO - A Matter of Content

If everything looks good but the content doesn't include the key phrases that you would expect to be found on when people search for your product, you will need to add some good visible text to your pages to communicate your message. A classic problem is to neglect to provide sufficient information about what is on offer. i.e. the word accommodation does not appear on the page yet the expectation is to be found when someone searches for B&B accommodation!

An effective website is merely a communication tool that is formed with a good pinch of common sense, industry best practices and a bit of know-how. When you provide your potential guests with the information they are looking for in a clear and easily accessible way, your website will become stronger in the search engines naturally. A user-centric website will most likely be highly regarded by the search engines.

Side Note: Once you have written new copy for your website, don't give it away by copy & pasting it for use by other websites! Why make them stronger and dilute your advantage, always write unique copy according to the target market they cater for.

This small article just skims the surface of this subject. If you must hire an SEO, be careful not to hire one that has an over emphasis on "meta keywords", "search engine submission", "link schemes" or "gateway pages". Make sure you are comfortable with them and they take the time to explain what they will be doing in a logical way that helps de-mystify the process for you. Always ring their clients to guage satisfaction levels...