search engine optimisation – a client guide

SEO: What’s it all about?
Search Engine Optimisation (or SEO) is an often misunderstood art, and it really needn’t be. If you follow these 10 simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to having a search engine-friendly website. Remember though, Rome wasn’t built in a day (Google it, it’s true) and getting good search results for your website won’t happen overnight either – it takes time. Sometimes, quite a long time.

Follow these 10 simple steps and you’ll find that your website will start getting great search results.

1. Content is KING

• 1.1 Research likely key phrases that real life customers would search for. There are tools that can help with this. For example: http://www.wordtracker.com (free trial available) & https://adwords.google.co.uk/select/KeywordToolExternal
• 1.2 Do this research separately for each page of your site and come up with 3 or 4 key phrases per page. Next, inter-weave these phrases into your page copy either within the flow of a paragraph and/or as headings or sub-headings.
• 1.3 Repeat these key phrases.
• 1.4 Write the page copy in a punchy and ‘readable’ way. Having drawn people to your site, they must then be able to read the copy and be interested in the services that you offer.
• 1.5 Write your page copy in way that describes how your services benefit the reader. Do not tell them how wonderful you are. Tell them what they want to know and NOT what you want them to hear. Remember: benefits, not features.

2. Use key phrases in the Browser keyword/title field
The content of the browser title must match the content of the page and not be used to just randomly add keywords that are relevant to other pages. Keep all content appropriate for that page.

3. Introductions
Make the initial paragraph a summary of the rest of the page content – an introduction. People using the internet generally skim read rather than reading every word on a page as you would a book.

4. Inbound links
Have websites that are linking to yours use your keywords in their links.

5. Keep links relevant
Do not participate in link exchanges with sites that have non-related content.

6. Don’t forget real visitors
To really help the search engines out, forget them for a while, just think about how you can present your website’s content to be its very best and its most useful, for any type of visitor that may come knocking.

7. Write stuff
Write a press release, blog or other articles that will appear on other websites and make sure that your ’signature’ includes a link to your own website. This is another example of an Inbound Link. Remember that PDFs are ‘searchable’ too.

8. Submit stuff
Submit your press releases etc. to distribution websites like www.businesswire.com, www.prweb.com and www.marketwire.com. They can ensure your latest news finds its way to the trade and industry sites as well as your general marketplace.

9. Keep ringing the changes
Having gained the advantage over your competitors, don’t sit back and do nothing or they will regain that advantage. Review your content and site at regular intervals. Update the content on your site regularly. This will encourage more search engine spider activity and faster updates of your site.

10. Be patient
This is the really hard one but it’s true. Getting good search engine results takes time. Be patient.

For more information direct from Google, please click here.
Links good as of January 2010