Search Engine Optimization
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website may involve editing its content and HTML and associated coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines. Promoting a site to increase the number of backlinks, or inbound links, is another SEO tactic.
The acronym "SEO" can refer to "search engine optimizers," a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in-house. Search engine optimizers may offer SEO as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require changes to the HTML source code of a site and site content, SEO tactics may be incorporated into website development and design. The term "search engine friendly" may be used to describe website designs, menus, content management systems, images, videos, shopping carts, and other elements that have been optimized for the purpose of search engine exposure.
One thing that is important to know about SEO is that it is not overnight. One cannot achieve a visible level of SEO results in a short time frame. SEO is an organic and systemic process that is dependent on over 40 search engine processes that look at every web site that is live on the Internet, worldwide, in order to determine relevant placement. To put it simply, if you were running for president and used that word 800 times in a 1000 word web site and the search engines had about six months to register the repetitive occurrence, then you would appear on the first screen of about ten links to any interest in a subject related to “president.”
At Performance Strategies we tell our clients that SEO is a “phase two” project. This means that even if all you are selling is a product line you still need your website and other collateral materials to be created first. This is all part of what we call “phase one work.” Then as we move into phase two word we include an SEO effort as part of that work. It’s also important to know that SEO is not a one-time project. SEO is a monthly retained service that can include what is known as “populating your site.” This is done with weekly content posts to your site and links to other content that is relevant to your scope of customer support. Blogs, newsletters, press releases, frequently asked questions, about us, and about our history are all prime examples of where they keywords are used to get the attention of the search engines over time. This is what eventually pushes your web presence up the ladder.
Finally, many customers will simply pay to have their web link on the first screen of responses when someone is looking for what you are selling. Ask us about this possibility. In summary, SEO is a monthly expense that goes on for as long as you wish to maintain an early relative presence on the Internet.