search engine optimization
SEO is a science of sorts, wit the aim of increasing traffic to a web site through improvement of internal and external factors which may influence how search engines rank that site in their listings.
The need to gain an understanding of what SEO is all about is important, particularly for small businesses who want to bring themselves to the attention of potential customers. A properly constructed and validated site is a strong foundation, with straightforward navigation and relevant information on pages as the next step in an effective SEO programme.
If you already have a web site it's unlikely to be enough to have just added 'keywords' and submitted the site to various search engines, which is the usual route carried out by web design companies. If you want to maximise the chances of your site being up there on page 1 of a search engine enquiry you're going to need to implement some strategy. These days it is not usually enough to have a web site in cyber-space, just floating around like a barrage balloon, to attract the attention of potential customers. You need a bit of turbo-charging!
While SEO may be called a science it's not an exact science and it's worth remembering that search engine ranking changes week by week and no-one has all the answers as to just how it is determined - otherwise everyone would be on page 1 of Google. One things for sure, search engine ranking constantly evolves and changes to keep you on your toes, just like your business competition.
paid and organic SEO
Search engine optimiization methods fall basically into two camps, paid and organic SEO. If you are a business with a large promotion budget then paying for search engine listings or throwing a sizeable chunk of money at Google Adwords may be the way forward, but it's advisable to make use of Google Analytics to provide feedback on cost-effectiveness.
For many small businesses these options may not be considered cost-effective and a small budget might be better spent on outsmarting your competition using skills which combine coding, specialist writing for the web and general site tweaking which, in essence, is what SEO is all about.
Tweet your message?
There has been much written about the value of of using Twitter and social networking sites for increasing business web site traffic. The benefits this can bring in spreading your message has to be balanced against the resources you have at your disposal, i.e. time. Once you start blogging for business you need to update on a regular basis if you are to keep the interest of your followers.
If you can find the time, or can pay someone to blog for you there are significant benefits to be gained through gathering an ever-widening group of followers who can be updated on 'what's new' or 'latest news'. Blogging can be a valuable asset to marketing your product or service and can help improve your search engine ranking.
The key to SEO success is patience, there is no fairy dust that will work wonders! Beware of companies who offer a quick fix, it's very unlikely to happen. Good web site structure and content rich pages cannot be stressed enough as important and valuable assets in the armoury needed for successful search engine ranking.