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Search Engine Placement and Optimization
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It is now almost commonplace for small business owners to create their own web pages. Others use a graphic design firm, an advertising agency, or their best friend’s eldest computer-literate child, as their developer. However you do it, there are some considerations that will make a difference to the search engines, and will help determine who comes to your site, and in what numbers.
Things to Consider1. Creating a web page does not automatically mean people will find it. If you put your house up for sale, use a small little sign, don’t use MLS, don’t list with an agent, and don’t advertise, how many people come to visit your house? You need to consider how to get people to your site – how they will know you exist.
2. What’s in it for me? In general, people don’t really care what you say, or what you sell. They care what they need. So your site needs to clearly identify what you can do for them – why they should stay and read what you have to say/buy what you have to offer.
3. A pretty site is not necessarily a great site. If you have the most spiffy, cool, gadget-laden site you can imagine, does that make it the best? In design, maybe. But unless your aim is to win design awards, you’re likely trying to attract visitors for other reasons.
4. Your site should ultimately be designed for the user to get what they need. Without this clearly in mind, it won’t matter how you rank on the search engines. This means content. For people. Then, you can tweak it for search engines.
5. Search engines are picky. Each search engine is different, in terms of requirements, and in how they index your page. Some common issues that could affect your site include:
a. Images too large, too slow to loadb. No meta tags
c. Improper (non-standard) html, xml, etc.
d. Lack of content
e. Key words are embedded only in images, which are then not found
f. No robots file
g. Key words are not found in content of page
6. Another common problem can be the quality of your links. Shere number of links is not the answer, if some of those links are ones that the search engine has identified as ‘questionable’. This could mean they are just link farms, or they, in turn, may have links to other more questionable places. Make sure your links are real, and are appropriate to your site.
Things that can help you include:a. Reciprocal links with other related businesses
b. Writing web articles that give a link to your website
c. Connect your pages, with in-line links. This means using links within the content of one page, to link it to the content of another page on your site.
If all this is just a bit too much, HMK Consultants will review your web pages and provide you with an analysis of how you can improve your site. For more information email: hmkstaff@hmk.on.ca.
Stay tuned for part 2
Comments? hmkstaff@hmk.on.ca
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