Search Engine Optimization

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN, look through your site (using automated “crawlers” or “spiders”), to determine how the content on your site should be classified, categorized and indexed.

There are ways to construct your site so that it is optimized to give the search engines the information they want in the best possible format. These techniques are referred to as “on-page” optimization, and include optimizing for things such as Page Titles, Headings, general content, etc.

Why Optimize: Optimization is done to make your site will rank as highly as possible in the “organic” or free part of the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). For instance, the higher you rank when a Google user enters in a search phrase, the more likely they will click on the link to visit your site.

Is it Hard: A number of factors cause SEO to be challenging. The search engines are continually changing the formulas they use (called algorithms), that determine your rankings. This means that the best way to optimize is always a moving target. There are long term strategies and short term techniques that continually need to be adjusted in order to maximize your site’s SEO. However, if you push these techniques too hard, you may actually end up doing more harm (e.g. getting banned by a search engine for abuse), than good. Where to draw the line is always a challenge.

Additionally, the web is becoming more and more competitive with more and more sites vying for top placement for various search terms. Like anything else in business, you’ve got to be better than your competition in order to rank higher.

What about Linking: Getting links from other sites to your own site is beneficial in a number of ways (see also, Search Engine Marketing, below). This is a type of “off-page” optimization.

Just as in real life it’s not always what you know, but who you know. When the Search Engines note that sites are linking to you, they look at those sites and give you credit for being associated with them. Their importance level rubs off on you and can raise your own rankings and importance level.

Search Engine Marketing

Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising: One of the most effective forms of advertising today is to place text ads on Google, Yahoo, MSN, or other search engines. As opposed to SEO, you are buying your way in. Your actual site has little affect on your site’s ability to be seen. You bid an amount that you are willing to pay to the search engine in order to have your ad displayed in a certain position. Each time someone clicks on your ad, you are charged.

There are a number of sophisticated criteria, search term filters (e.g. keywords), etc., which you can employ to further target your ad buy.

Linking: Not only is having other sites linking to yours beneficial for SERP rankings (see SEO section above), people can actually click on those links to go directly to your site. There are many strategies to develop and implement a good linking program. However, you must be careful to do it in the right manner. Like so many other strategies and techniques, many websites abused this and it has led to tougher screening by the Search Engines and ranking penalties for abusers.

Vertical Search Engines and Directories: New, alternative search engines are sprouting up all the time; engines that focus on industries, local geographies, etc. Additionally, there are many directory listing websites available to offer links and advertising. Some are free, others are not. The attention you should give to these alternatives is often based on your market and your budget.

Other Online Advertising

More and more opportunities exist to place ads on sites beyond the traditional search engines. As always, return on Investment (ROI), must always be looked at when employing this type of marketing.

You buy virtual real estate where your ad is placed. Depending on how popular that real estate is (i.e. how many people are likely to see the ad), that is what you negotiate payment around.

Email Marketing

Email marketing can be an effective way to drive traffic to your website. Similar to other online marketing tools, this one can and has been abused. However, the ability to get your message across to an interested and receptive audience is a powerful tactic. Done properly, email marking is an effective form of online marketing. Done improperly it can lead to many problems and a potential user backlash.