Search Engine Optimization starts with keyword research and strategy.

There are many ways to go about the research and much relies on the talent and experience of the web developer. It starts with detailed descriptions of your target audience (marketers like to call them personas) then researching the phrases they are using to find your product or service.

Part of our research is auditing your competition to see what they are doing to be on page one for a phrase you might want to use. This audit also serves as a good benchmark for how to do it better. A keyword strategy determines the phrases we choose to use in optimization throughout all your internet marketing.

In the early years of the web people stuffed their websites with as many keywords as they could. That made it very confusing for spiders to know what the page or website was about. Google provides specific guidance on how to build a quality site along with the standards they define as quality. Since this information is not a primer on ‘how-to,' just know we employ Google optimization implementation guidelines which include:
• Use of meta tags in the structure of the site including page titles, alt tags, folder and image names
• Properly structured copy content using key phrases in H1 & H2 tags in headlines and body text

If you are interested in more information about how to optimize, return soon to download our SEO Cheat Sheet.

Content is King

This phrase was coined around 2010, but it is still accurate. Without articles, there is little to optimize. The more content a site has, the stronger the optimization opportunities. The value of good authoritative content can not be overstated. A website will be twice rewarded for more authoritative original content, once with better search engine results placement and again with keeping a visitors attention so you can turn them into a lead and then a customer. Of course, the goal is to create useful, engaging content that people want and will share. See our article about Content Marketing to understand it’s value and why creating it should be in every marketing plan.

The subject of search engine optimization would not be complete without mention of algorithms. Now these are a mystery because Google does not share what they are except to let us know what is in or out of favor. Algorithms are the formulas used to determine what site is more relevant than another for the same search query thus resulting in better search engine results placement. The formula changes are given names with new versions rolled out often. Since 2011 Google Panda Update rewarded sites with authoritative, relevant high-quality content. At the same time, they penalized sites that had little content and poor-quality content. High-quality content and social participation will continue to influence search engine results placement so much so that businesses should be actively building digital branded marketing materials to share with their web visitors. View our section about internet marketing to see which elements to factor into your marketing plans.

In addition to search engine optimization some of the bigger key factors that influence search engine Results placement (SERP) are:

• Volume of content
• Quality and originality of content
• Authority and relevance of content
• Social Currency (social participation)
• The age of the site - older sites are trusted more
• Quality links coming into the site

Staying on top of Google algorithms and optimization guidelines for 19 years allows us to provide our clients with a competitive advantage in search engine results placement (SERP), visitor engagement and lead generation. Call us today at 954.257.7066 to schedule a meeting to review a FREE Competitive Analysis Report.