Search Engine Optimization (SEO) (also known as organic search) is the process of making your website ranked well in the search engines. Your goal should be to have keywords related to your website ranked in positions 1-3 on Google, Bing, and other search engines. The process is not difficult, but it does take strategy and often time because the search engines don’t “watch you” and react to your every move in real time. Here are 5 keys to a successful search engine optimization campaign.
1. Using the Right Website Platform. If your website uses technology that is not search engine friendly, such as creation of dynamic pages, exclusive use of flash, or exclusive use of images (no text), it will be hard for your website to rank in the search engines organically. The answer for achieving success might lie in correcting your platform or enhancing the website with content – which search engines love! A great, search engine friendly website platform to use for both blogs and websites is WordPress.
2. Targeting the Right Keywords. To obtain success with organic search, you need to be targeting keywords that people are already searching for. It’s not about creating new markets online, but rather connecting with those that are already searching and having them find your website. If no one is searching for what you do, it may require an online marketing strategy that focuses on brand building or exposure through closely related industries.
Your target keywords need to be placed strategically within your website; specifically in your title tags, headers and in the body of your web pages. A great (and free) tool to use to find out what keywords people are searching for is the Google Keyword Tool.
3. Write Great Content. Search engines love content! In fact, you will often hear this phrase used in conjunction with SEO, “content is king!” Keep in mind that when people search online they are usually looking for information and often seeking answers to a problem. If you write keyword rich and compelling content, chances are your content will rank better than content that lacks keywords or value.
Having a blog attached to your website is one of the best ways to generate fresh, relevant, and keyword rich content that people with read and search engines will love.
4. Link Building. If content is king, then links are the queen that turns the kings head. In order for the search engines to know that your content is more valuable than similar content on another site, it uses the number and quality of other sites linking to you as a determining factor. Great content often has lots of people linking to it, but there are other ways to get quality links to your website such as getting our website listed in trusted search engine directories (like Best of the Web), getting mentions in online press, and having articles published that reference your website.
4. Be Patient. In some cases, you might make a change and see a pretty short term reaction, but for the most part, achieving success with search engine optimization requires time. You don’t really want to try to rush thing by using mass submission sites, or automated link building strategies because these techniques could get you in trouble with Google. If you ever have questions about the legitimacy of a proposed online marketing strategy, you can always check with Google Webmaster Guidelines to see what they have to say about it.
If you decide that you need professional help with search engine optimization or any other aspect of online marketing or social media, you can contact the team at AKA Internet Marketing for a complementary consultation.