Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
15:04:2009
Built the website? Filled it with information for potential customers? But where is everybody?!
We can help your potential customers find you!
The best looking website in the world will be utterly useless if no one can find it. Potential customers will generally find your website by using a search engine and typing in the 'keywords' that are of interest to them. There are quite a few search engines available but the key one is Google as it receives almost 90% of all search traffic (the next nearest is Yahoo with around 5%!).
It is clear that the nearer the top of the first page of Google that you appear, the more people will see your website. How can Corona help you achieve this?
Build and Pre-launch
Firstly, your site has to be built with Google and search engines in mind so that they find it easy to locate relevant information. Ideally, your site should be built to the W3C compliancy standard to ensure that this is the case. You and your web developer will have to consider many items, including:
- Keywords
- Content
- Links
- Header Tags (the name of each page)
- Sitemap (so that users and search engines find their way around easily)
- Website coding
Google loves inbound links ie. a link to your website on someone else's - speak to everyone that you can think of to see if they will put a link on their site and perhaps you could reciprocate. Consider web listings directories that will feature your site as this will again help your ranking.
The content of your site should be unique (as much as it can be), relevant and updated regularly. The reason that Google has become the number one search engine is that it finds the best and most relevant content. Ensure that yours is!
Ongoing Optimisation
Once your site is launched that isn't the end of the process! Organic SEO is the ongoing process of optimisation of your website to ensure that it gets to the top of search engines and stays there! This is necessary as search engines constantly change their search algorithms - it requires constant attention and knowledge to stay ahead of the game. We recommend that your website is reviewed and updated at least quarterly.
A word of advice
One final word of advice. All of the techniques that I have touched upon are known as 'white hat SEO' and are ethical and adhere to Google and other search engines codes of practice. Beware of 'black hat' techniques such as bulk link exchange programs or spamming that promise quick results. The minute that search engines realise what you are doing, your website will be removed from listings and your domain name blacklisted!
Corona Design & Communication are the experts in growing your business through using design, marketing and PR effectively. We are based in St Albans but we do travel!
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