Charles Cuninghame's expertise as a copywriter is on display at Flying Solo, an online resource brimming with small business advice. Read my articles here.
Your website is like a billboard in the desert. It doesn't matter how good it is, if no one sees it, it's absolutely worthless.
Most of an average site's traffic comes from search engines (such as Google, Yahoo and msn). And research shows most people don't look beyond the first one or two pages of search engine results. So if your site isn't listed on the first two pages, your customers probably won't find you.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art and science of developing a website's content and design so that it gets high search engine rankings.
How does SEO work?
Customers generally search on two- or three-word key phrases e.g. "laptop computers Sydney". The search engines display results for queries based on what they consider to be "relevant".
Key phrase density (how often the key phrase appears on a web page) is one of the most important factors that define what's relevant. So if you have key phrase-rich content on every page of your website, your search engine rankings are likely to go up.
This means website content is one of the mainstays of SEO. But you can't just fill each web page full of your key phrases. Good search engine optimized content must also be reader-friendly and persuasive. It's filled with benefits, is easy to read, and drives your marketing goals.
Three Elements of SEO
Optimising your web content is only one third of the SEO puzzle. The other two elements of SEO are:
* Link popularity i.e. the number of websites link to your site. If lots of sites link to a web page then it's considered more relevant. This is probably the most important factor for high search engine rankings.
* Having a spider-friendly site. Search engines catalogue the web using programs called spiders (or bots) which automatically index content. You must ensure the coding of your site allows the spiders access to all your content.
The Biggest Website Mistake
Not optimising your website for the search engines is one of the biggest online marketing mistakes you can make.
The web is a key information resource for consumers and business. If your site doesn't appear in the first two pages of search engine results when customers are comparing features and prices, it opens the door for your competition to steal your business.
Search engines bring QUALIFIED TRAFFIC to your site. That's because people who find your site through search engines are actively looking for information about your products and services.
SEO enables you to build brand awareness throughout the buying cycle - from initial research to purchase. And high search engine rankings create a good impression of your brand.
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