Search Engine Optimization - Its not about rocket science, its about strategy.
When performing search engine optimization on a site there are a number of things we take into consideration.
In an effort to improve the accessibility of the site we look at three major factors influencing the rank of a site.
- On Page Optimization
- Site Architecture and Organization
- Links and Linking
As part of an overall effort to increase the authority and ranking of your site, we begin with a sitewide analysis of where you are now,
an outline a plan of action for growing your site into an authority in your niche, and a plan for content development to assist in driving large amounts of traffic to your site from numberous keywords and sources.
The case below illuminates the Search Engine Optimization process...
There has been a lot written about Search Engine Optimization. For some, the practice is seen from a negative light. There are
indeed methods being employed by some organizations that are underhanded, sneaky, or just misinformed and outdated. And there are certainly companies who like to emphasise the mystery of the engine's ranking algorithms, or imply that there are some great secrets to getting your site ranked well. The truth is, like anything, there is no quick way to make your site popular in the search engines. The key is to increase your exposure and authority by revamping your image and appeal, while becoming known within the circles you hope to rank within.
Lets say you're a new kid at a big high high school in middle america. You're a relative unknown, and as such, are largely ignored by most of the kids at school. Sure, you make a few friends, but the friends you make are usually the kids who don't have many friends themselves, so you often leave school feeling like you know nobody, and like you just don't matter.
(hint: this is like a new site on the net...)
So you decide to make a change. You're going to become a popular kid. In fact, you're going to become the most popular kid in school. So you set out on a mission to make friends. You realize that you can't just squeeze in with the jocks and raise your social status accordingly. Instead you've got to become popular with a group thats got a little less competition, so you start out with the yearbook kids.
(hint: this is like targeting the smaller niches, ranking well for less competitive terms first)
After a month or two, you've made some headway. You've befriended some kids in the yearbook, and you've managed to get onto the newspaper as well. In the meantime you've gotten the in with some powerful teachers, some teachers with authority. You continue to build your reputation by talking to new people, bringing new people together and by connecting groups that may not have been together in the past.
(hint: this is where you build your own authority by associating with those who already have authority.)
You push your way up to some smaller leadership positions, maybe you become the chair of the semi-formal planning committee, and as such you become close with other leaders of the school...maybe last years prom queen, and the current student council president. Maybe you even get to know the principle by name.
(hint: by becoming known in closely related smaller groups, and by becoming a commonality between related but as yet unconnected groups, you build your own authority and popularity)
As time goes on you eventually reach your goal. By infiltrating the smaller groups who actually make up the backbone of the school, you become known throughout the school itself. You make yourself the face of the school by being something separate groups have in common, by being a connector between different authorities, ultimately building your own popularity and exposure through your connections. Once you've gotten to this stage you could probably be anything. Prom king, student council president, or "most likely to succeed."
(hint: at this stage of the game you're ranking for the most competitive keywords, because, after all, you're the most authoritative and popular. As an added benefit, you've got power in the smaller circles as well, and can rank for a multitude of related long tail keywords).