Gentlemen
(and Ladies), Start your Search Engines!
By Susan Young, President, AimFire Marketing
June 2006
Summer
is the peak racing season, and no doubt your company is
devising its own strategies for getting ahead of the pack. Are
you winning the search engine race? If not, I'll show you a few
quick search engine optimization (SEO) strategies that will move
your company's website to the top of the search engine results.
First, you must understand the basics of how search engines and
directories like Yahoo! and Google rank websites. Although no
one but the folks at Google and
Yahoo! truly know the exact
algorithms used to rank websites, ranking is generally based on
two main factors:
1) The popularity of your web site in relation to other
websites on the Web. In other words, the more people visit
your website or are linked to your website, compared to others
in this same category, the higher your website will rank.
Some good strategies include asking a few partners who sell to a
similar audience to add a link to your website from their
website. Another way to increase the popularity of your site is
to list your website in online product or service directories
for your industry. A third way is to conduct public relations
campaigns (writing press releases or articles) and submitting
them to online media. If you list your website address in these
press releases or articles, you'll receive an instant link back
to your website from any resulting coverage.
2) The relevance of your website content for a specific
keyword search term or phrase. For example, if your company
is a tool manufacturer, you need to include valuable content
throughout your website about tool manufacturing in order to
rank higher under that search term. If you only sell to
individuals living in Sioux City, Iowa, then tailor your content
and include the words 'Sioux City, Iowa' within your site. A
word of caution: Don't simply repeat your keywords over and over
on your site (because search engines have caught on to this
tactic and may penalize you). Instead, add informative articles
about your topic. Devote an entire page of your website to each
particular keyword phrase you wish to optimize for the search
engines.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
is as much an art as it is
a science. Although there are too many strategies for me to
mention in this article, you should begin by researching and
building a list of keywords that you believe people would type
in a web search to find your product or service. Then think
about ways that you can incorporate these keyword phrases
throughout your website. If you need any assistance, I'd be
happy to provide you with some guidance.
The key to winning the search engine race is to research,
optimize, optimize again, and
then have patience. Remember that the results may take some
time, but they are definitely well worth the investment.
Susan Young is
president of Aim Fire Marketing, an Indianapolis-area marketing,
public relations, website development and SEO company that works with
growing organizations to implement effective marketing programs. You
can contact Susan and learn more about Aim Fire Marketing by
visiting www.aimfiremarketing.com.
Copyright
- Aim Fire Marketing. You can reprint this article on your
website or newsletter by including this and the above paragraph.
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