Article
One: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) by Hugo Pickering
In this article we will look at the basics of search engines and how to maximise a website’s exposure to them. We will then look at how you can actively find search engine traffic.
Part A – Site Optimisation
There are four keys to finding and attracting traffic to your website:
1. Researching and defining the keywords that users will key into search engines to find your site. Proper analysis of the right keywords to target is essential. This entails studying various sources of research information in your market, such as your competitors and search engines themselves. This in turn becomes the basis for defining your keywords in niche sectors, after all there’s no point in competing for generalist keywords when more specific ones drive more targeted traffic to your site.
2. Ensuring that your site uses those words effectively through systematic optimisation. Ensuring that your keywords are in the correct place on the pages of your site requires the correct construction of pages, paragraphs and sentences to appeal to search engine spiders and indexes. Of course it’s not only what you see but what is behind the visible content that is seen by search engine spiders. Optimising your site to perform well requires an in-depth knowledge of these practices.
3. Understanding the search engines to ensure a high ranking and thereby a good position in search results
4. Promoting your site to search engines so that they index it
But firstly, why bother with search engines? Because, according to Forrester Research, over 80% of internet users reach sites through search engines.
If search engines are important, then Google is the Holy Grail. Quite simply, Google represents the highest proportion of searches made anywhere on the web:
• 8 billion documents indexed
• 62.2 million visitors monthly
• 39.4% audience reach
Therefore a listing on Google represents traffic!
There are a number of crucial elements to a successful search engine optimisation strategy, a combination of which will deliver traffic to your site. These include ensuring that inbound links are relevant and from popular & well respected sources. Internal links should be omnipresent and properly linked.
However, don’t expect results overnight – a search engine strategy carried out properly, can deliver results in a short time but the full benefits will not be felt for some time.
Don’t be fooled by companies that make wild claims about obtaining top placements for your keywords – these will invariably refer to those keywords with zero competition (i.e. worthless keywords for which you just won’t receive traffic).
Part B – Active promotion of your website
Where a more proactive approach to traffic acquisition is required, a budgeted Pay-Per-Click campaign can deliver highly targeted traffic, as users only arrive at your site having clicked on your advertisement. These are the ads carried by portals such as AOL, MSN and BTOpenworld, as well as search results pages on Google and other sites. You can usually distinguish them as they will be in a different colour or located separately from the main search results.
Campaigns can cost as little as £50 per month, driving significant traffic to your site and can offer better return on investment than offline advertising!
This should not be regarded as an alternative to Search Engine Optimisation however, as the two activities complement each other. It is however a great way to start receiving traffic immediately though, and you can also use Pay-Per-Click for time-limited offers and seasonal promotions.
Details of how to implement this strategy are provided at
http://www.onlinerecruiter.co.uk/seo_article.htm
Hugo Pickering runs a corporate communications consultancy specialising in online recruitment communications and owns Online Recruiter, providing web services to recruitment businesses. He specialises in search engine optimisation services. His wider business interests are aimed at supporting the marketing efforts of businesses in a number of industries and markets. Contact Hugo at
h@hugopickering.com or see Online Recruiter at
www.onlinerecruiter.co.uk
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