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SEO | Search Engine Optimization FAQs
In the quest for better business why is Search Engine Optimisation important?
If your business relies on the internet as a means of attracting customers,
then SEO is essential to getting a better ROI. There
are other methods of driving online sales, but these are cost intensive
and tend to be effective only over the short term. SEO
is unsurpassed for better ROI, a properly optimised site will drive highly
targetted traffic to your web site consistently. The effects of a good
SEO program will continue to be enjoyed by a web site
over the long term.
Organic Search Optimisation, what is it?
Organic Search Engine Optimisation refers to the practise
of using 'natural' techniques to gain better rankings in the SERPs, or
the absence of spam in the optimisation process. It is also sometimes
referred to as Ethical Search Engine Optimisation. Firms
that engage in purely Organic or Natural SEO do not try to boost rankings
through the use of techniques and tricks that fool the search engine (and
will lead to the site being eventually dropped by the search engine) such
as hidden text, duplicate content sites, keyword stuffing, invisible links,
inclusion in link farms, cloaking and redirects. These spamming techniques
can be quite successful in the short run, but are forbidden by the search
engines and will lead to the culprits eventually being dropped from the
search engine listings altogether. At Avatar Web Solutions we engage solely
in organic Search Engine Optimisation, for more information
on why please visit our Ethical Search
Engine Optimisation section.
Search Engine Optimisation only needs to be done once. True?
Unfortunately, no. The internet, and how people use it, is constantly evolving,
and this is especially true of the search engines. How they gather information,
how the algorithms which rank sites operate, even the kind of services
and options they offer the user, everything about them is dynamic and
ever changing. At the same time, web users are also becoming increasingly
savvy on how to use the search engines to their best advantage. Whereas
just a few years ago searchers were primarily using one word queries,
today most searches are multiple words or phrases. As the web evolves,
so too must your site, and how it interacts with the users. For these
reasons search engine optimisation needs to be an ongoing
process.
Can I optimise my own site?
The short answer is yes. If your site is quite small and uncomplicated, then
you should be able to perform your own Search Engine Optimisation.
All you will need is to know is how to program in HTML and XHTML, have
a reasonably advanced knowledge of CGI scripting, CSS stylesheets and
server-side programming. Before you begin you will need to spend from
between 1-3 months on research (depending on the nature of your business
and the competition), and another few months in testing and trials. You
will need to have some years of experience in SEO, and
be willing to set aside a few hours of every day to simply keep track
of the latest innovations in the search industry and the newest alterations
in the search engine spider algorithms. Alternatively, you can employ
a reputable and proven SEO firm who already have the
knowledge and experience, allowing you to concentrate on what you already
do best - business.
How important is submitting my site to hundreds of search engines?
Not at all!. Submitting your web site to search engines is a tiny part of the optimisation process, and one that happens
only after the major work has been done. Once your site has been indexed by the big three (Google, Yahoo and MSN),
the other lesser engines will find it. Companies offering web site submission to thousands of search engines are
really not going to help your overall rankings, although you may find your email boxes clogging up with spam shortly
after.
Search Engines Vs Directories.
Search engines differ from online directories in one important way; how they
gather data. Search engines use automated software, called spiders, which
visit web pages and gather information from the meta tags, titles, and
the content. The information is then stored in the search engine's database,
or it's index, and when a searcher enters a query the search engine's
algorithm will decide where to include a specific page in the results,
based on the information gathered earlier by the spider.
Directories are distinguished from search engines by their human element. To be included in a directory you must
submit your site for inclusion and then wait for a human editor to visit and evaluate your site. These editors play a
vital role, as they can determine which category to place in, and can alter the wording of the titles and descriptions by
which your site will be identified, thereby determining how searchers will find your site.
When I will see my site getting better rankings?
How long it takes for your site to begin its steady climb up the rankings
in the SERPs will depend on a variety of factors. Is it a new site, or
an existing site? Google has an age delay component to its rankings, new
sites may be placed in what is known as the 'Google Sandbox', and kept
there for some 6 months or so. Well established sites are quite likely
to see a noticeable improvement within the first month, and continued
improvement thereafter. It also depends on your past relationships with
the search engines, if you have used an SEO firm previousely
and attained high rankings briefly only for your site to vanish from the
SERPs altogether then it is likely that they used hidden spam techniques
and your site has been penalised. Getting reindexed can take some time
in this instance, but there are things that can be done in the meantime.
What can I expect from my Search Engine Optimisation campaign?
A lot depends on the current state of your site and how it is already positioned
in the SERPs, but typically you can expect an increase in traffic of between
50% and 90% for an SEO campaign of 4 months. Within another
4 months that volume may well have jumped by 300% or more, and the site
should continue to draw more traffic long after the initial campaign is
over. Keep in mind that increasing traffic to your site is not the primary
aim of any SEO campaign, the object is to drive targetted
traffic - to attract visitors who will become customers.
How should my site be optimised best for the long term?
Content is king. This simple rule should be your guide when optimising any
web site. If you provide your visitors with information that they are
seeking you have taken the first important step. High quality content
serves two purposes, it attracts visitors and will keep them coming back,
and will also encourage other relevant sites to link back to you. Your
site should also conform to the standards set by the W3C, and within your
code you should make proper use of heading tags and titles. Spend some
time selecting and honing the text in your text links. In general, adhere
to good coding practises and avoid the use of techniques that may be interpreted
as search engine spam.
For more FAQs, just follow our links below:
SEO FAQs - Guarantees,
frames and cookies.
SEO FAQs - Search
Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Spam.
SEO FAQs - Pay
Per Click campaigns.
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