Search Engine Optimization
When the best and the most expensive are not synonyms.
We have a (fairly twisted) joke that we asked Siri: “Where to hide a body?” She replied: “Put it on the second page of Google!”
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via “natural” or unpaid search results.
Typically, the higher a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. This will be based on several factors, but it relates to domain authority, inbound links, and the strength of the content that your website provides.
Don’t worry, there are tools (like Google Analytics) and methods to help you improve all of those things and ensure you start to get the results you desire from the industry segments and products/services you want to promote. SEO is something that changes quite frequently based on the search algorithms, so it takes someone that lives and breathes this for it to be as effective as possible. This is something that warrants attention regularly to maximize results – especially if you are in business on a national or global scale.
WHY IS SEO SO IMPORTANT?
There is fierce competition among the search engines. When people search for something, and don’t find exactly what they are looking for (fast), they “bounce.” If you do not follow Google/Bing’s new (and constantly changing) rules, your site will get “dinged” and drop in “score” and rankings. If you want to get to the top, you have to follow their rules (which are based upon what they KNOW about how people use search.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION GONE BAD
Poor SEO Techniques… Don’t get burned! Not all Website and SEO service providers are alike, many low cost providers utilize these poor performing techniques:
1. Designed for Machines not People:
People often brag about how they can “beat” to Goggle Algorithm – “trick” the machines to displaying a website higher in the search results.
2. Search Overload:
Search Overload refers to being “lost in links” essentially not being able to find what you’re looking for. A large portion of this is due to people “over optimizing” websites in a effort to cast a wide net in hopes of catching any business. (Throwing spaghetti against the wall)
3. Keyword Stuffing:
Keyword Stuffing is the practice of jamming keywords as possible into a webpage. (Keywords are words that describe your business (Roofing, Dentist, Web Design, Used Cars etc.) For example, we’ve seen text similar to this: “If you’re looking for a Used Car, Terry’s used cars is the place for you. Terry’s Used Cars specializes in Used Cars. Terry’s Used Cars has been in business selling used cars for over 25 years.” We’re sure that you’ve seen this from time to time and probably wonder why someone would write such crap. Well, back to the “Trick the Machines” One of the factors in infamous Google Algorithm is base upon relevancy – “the amount of times said keywords are mentioned on a page.”
In theory, a page that mentions “Used Cars” ten times has more relevancy to the searcher than one that only mentions “Used Cars” only two or three times. That’s great if you’re just talking simple math and a machine, but the search engines are doing all they can to incorporate a more “human” element to their search results.
Now, the guys doing the SEO for Terry’s Used Cars are trotting into his office every month with their Google Analytics reports bragging about all of the traffic to their site. But is that traffic resulting in action, and by action we mean business? More than likely no. A human would land on that page – get through about the first sentence and a half, and hit the “back” button and go on with their searching.
At Reaction Direct our motto is: (or at least one of them anyway) “Why try to beat a machine? Why not just design your website, your content and your SEO around a human being? Write engaging, informative and useful information and people will respond.