Search
engine optimization (SEO) is, in its simplest form, making your web
site easy to find via search engines with targeted keywords and key
phrases. The main goal is to increase the volume and quality of
organic search engine traffic (not including pay per click
traffic) to your web site.
Search engine optimization starts with the coding of your web pages
(including meta tags, meta descriptions, browser titles,
etc.), proper keyword placement within the content of your web site
as well as other techniques used to increase the effectiveness of
search engine indexing.
Many SEO companies focus on pushing as much traffic to your web
site as possible. There are many methods used to achieve high
rankings with search engines, and some of these methods (known as
"black hat SEO" or Spamdexing") are not considered relevant or
proper by search engines and can have negative results such as
lower ranking or even blacklisting from the search engines
themselves. All of our SEO techniques conform to search engines'
guidelines and involves no deception.
When we work with our clients to search engine optimize their web
site, we focus on one key metric, quality of traffic first, then
quantity of (relevant) traffic. In the end, the main goal for
many companies' web sites is to sell more products or services,
and/or provide valuable information to their current clients.
Pushing as much traffic to a web site for the sake of getting
traffic does not benefit the web site owner in the least, and
performing simple web site traffic analysis will quickly show you
if the traffic to your site is relevant or not.
Essentially, a search engine optimization strategy should be no
different than a basic business strategy - provide answers and
solutions to people’s problems and needs. With this focus in
mind, you will not only achieve higher rankings (as you will be
addressing the needs that people are searching for) you will also
increase the conversion of these leads into customers! This is
really what search engine optimization is all about - connecting
people with questions and needs to web sites that answer or fulfill
those needs. Converting your web site traffic into relationships is
much more successful with highly targeted and relevant traffic!
Search engine optimization is really just a piece of puzzle. The
first step is to make sure you have a web site with focused goals
and methods of tracking success. Understanding these goals will
help you optimize your site to attain relevant traffic to reach
your goals. Once this is achieved, your search engine
optimization and marketing starts to pay off!
Now you are getting traffic on your web site. This is where the fun
begins! With traffic analysis, you can determine how people are
finding your web site, and how that traffic is interacting with
your web site. Adjustments must be made on your web site to better
service and fulfill your visitor’s needs. Analyzing the
keywords they are currently using to find your web site will allow
you to search out and find other keywords that your target audience
may be using to find similar products and services you are
offering.
The loop starts over. You optimize your web site for these
new (and sometimes better) keywords and key phrases and analyze the
traffic that comes in from them to determine if the conversion rate
is improving.
You can probably see now that merely shoving non-relevant traffic
to your web site will not help you convert traffic into client
relationships, but only increase the number of people that leave
your web site annoyed that they wasted time on your site looking
for something you did not offer.