By Jeff SanGEorge, Connect Marketing and Design
The other day I was talking with a few people and I mentioned SEO. "What's SEO", asked a woman. I immediately felt bad, I can't stand when people talk in lingo and jargon that I can't understand. And now I was the one guilty of doing just that. If I've ever done that to you please forgive me! The reason I use the term SEO is because I talk about it so often and saying the entire phrase, Search Engine Optimization, is more than a mouthful.
Everyone who spends time online ends up using a search engine at some point, Google being by far the most used. Other popular ones include Yahoo, MSN, (now know as BING.) The idea behind SEO is to optimize your website to make it more attractive to search engines, therefore more likely to show up in the search engine results page (SERP). It's hard to find a better place to be online than in front of someone who is searching for your product or service.
Let's compare SEO to traditional media, for example an advertisement in a newspaper. Let's say you place an ad for your accounting business in the business section of the daily paper. I would consider that pretty good targeting. Most people who read that section are business people who use an accountant at some point. But what percent are looking for an accountant right now, and what percent of those will notice your ad?
Now in contrast someone goes to Google because they need an accountant's help right now. They type in "accountant" and "your town, NC" and up comes your listing. Pretty cool, huh?
I should warn you though that getting a top ranking in Google is not easy or quick, and in some cases a number one ranking is just not possible. What is possible is to increase your page ranking and make the necessary changes to your site that will make your site more search engine friendly. SEO is a not a science, but an art, and successful campaigns take time and money to execute. Some key factors in SEO include: Key words, external links (how many sites link back to yours), Use of Flash and images, key word density, submission to online directories, organization and optimization of website content.
I suggest you take a quick look at Google, type in your specialty (i.e. accounting) and your city or town. Where did you show up, and where did your competitiors show up?
Contact Connect Marketing and Design for a free analysis of your website, and to find out what types of SEO efforts will increase your search engine find-ability, and bring more relevant customers to your website.
