Search Engine Optimization

Remember when Google wasn’t a verb? It seems like those days were long ago. Today, if you’re looking for something online, you ‘google’ it. In other words you go to a search engine (like Google, Yahoo, Ask.com or several others) and with just a few keystrokes and clicks you can find a multitude of websites ready to meet your needs.

So when your potential customers are looking for you using one of these search engines, it’s vitally important that your website appears as close to the top of the search results as possible. I’ve had some Small Businesses tell me they just don’t have the money to pay for high search engine results and I have to chuckle. Search engines don’t charge a penny for what they call natural search. With exception of these you see marked as Sponsored Links (we’ll cover those in a later article) websites are returned in the search results purely a result of how the search engines view and index your site. Now, there are Search Engine Optimization solutions that can help you achieve high search engine rankings but there are also a few things you can do on your own to rise to the top of the page.

Keywords - What specific words would someone use to try and find your business online? After you figure out the exact keywords that someone is most likely to use to find your business (for example, real estate agent in Marietta, Georgia), then you need to make sure that those words are incorporated into the text of your web site’s front page. Search engines will study your site’s front page to try and identify exactly how to categorize and describe your site to searchers, so it’s important to use those specific keywords on your front page.

Need help identifying keywords to describe your business? Check out Google’s free keyword tool at adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal.

Links - One of the major factors which propels sites to the top of search engine results is the number of other websites that have linked to those top sites and domain names. For search engines, when someone links to your site, that link adds credibility and authority to your site. If no one has linked to your website, it will be very tough for your site to be at the top of search results.

So how do you get these links? Start with the obvious ones – local Chambers of Commerce and trade associations will often link to your site. Then check to see if your school or other professional organizations will do the same. If you regularly contribute to online discussions or comment on blogs, make sure your website address or domain name is included in your comments. That will count as a link to your site, but remember, your comment must be pertinent to the conversation.

Writing a blog about your business, or profession creates even more opportunities for links. If other people are reading your blog and link to various posts you’ve made, all of those links to content on your site improves your search rankings.

In very basic terms, the more relevant your content and the more widespread the links to your site are – the better your rankings will be. That said, let me warn you to be careful. The old adage ‘it don’t come easy’ applies here. You should beware of anyone who promises you a quick-and-easy way to get your business ranked high in search engines. If you or someone else tries to raise the rankings of your website with unscrupulous tactics, search engines will punish your website by removing it completely from their rankings.