Here are 5 basic Search Engine marketing tips for business owners, marketing managers and key decision makers new to SEO.
SEO is a very dynamic industry with Search Engines continually making improvements and tweaks to their algorithms to help enhance the usability and the integrity of search but there are certain underlying principles of Search Engine marketing that SEO consultants and site owners should follow. Here are the five basic elements of optimising your website that will lay the groundwork for a successful SEO campaign.
Technical infrastructure
One of the most important components of Search Engine marketing is the technical structure of your site and whether it is deemed to be Search Engine-friendly. Most SEO consultants will still recommend a HTML-style navigation and content template rather than using Flash or Java Script technology. It is also important to choose an SEO friendly content management system (CMS) for your site to boost your optimisation efforts.
Keyword research
Keyword research lays down the foundation of your Search Engine marketing campaign. Keywords can be and should be sourced through all different ways. Companies may think they know what search terms their customers use to source their products but research results may tell a different story. Once you have done your keyword research, you can plan your on and off page optimisation.
On-page optimisation
Once you have worked out what the relevant keywords are for your site and put together a shortlist, you need to formulate a keyword strategy. It’s best that each landing page is optimised for the keyword theme you have chosen. Keywords ideally should be inserted into the page URL, the title tag, the heading, anchor text and placed naturally throughout the text. Maintain a balance between keyword stuffing and keyword-rich landing pages.
Link building (off-page optimisation)
Link building is an important element of Search Engine marketing but this sometimes gets lost in translation for SEO companies. Back links should be sourced from quality websites that have high authority but are also relevant to your subject matter. The anchor text (this is the clickable text in a hyperlink) is also very significant in regards to building your link profile – where possible, provide keyword-rich text to webmasters for back links.
SEO Copywriting
The written content on your pages also plays an important role in the optimisation of your site. Once the keyword research is done, you can start drafting optimised landing pages targeting a particular keyword or keyword phrase for your site. The underlying principles are that it should be original, fresh, time stamped and updated frequently. Quality content will also encourage websites to organically link back to yours.
If you have started a new business or recently launched a website, you may want to consider hiring an SEO company to help you understand the principles of Search Engine Optimisation and how it can help your organisation. Take a look at the range of SEO Packages we have on offer and speak to an SEO consultant about how they can boost your online revenue with cleverly targeted Search Engine marketing campaigns.
