The basics of SEO

Did you know that plenty of firms are still not making the most of their websites? That they haven't yet grasped their full potential? Therefore, isn't it the perfect opportunity for you to be one step ahead of your competitors? Here's how to start tapping into Search Engine Optimisation and all the things associated with getting your website performing at its very best.

Search Engine Optimisation is of course the act of altering a website so it does better in the organic, crawler-based search engine results pages. There's lots of ways to boost your own website. To get you started, here are some tips from Boomerang PR Agency in Cheshire...

Content is king!

Content is the single most important factor of SEO. Writing relevant content for your website is key to ensuring it does better in the Search Engine Results or SERPs. When we say relevant, we mean you should think about your keywords or the 'search terms' that people will type into Google should they be looking for your product or service. You then have to include those search terms or keywords throughout your website, not forgetting your meta titles, descriptions and tags. Plus, think about those words that you might associate with your keywords and add those too. By writing relevant content, you'll be pleasing the Google spiders that will crawl and index your site. But you must also remember to make it appealing to real people, i.e. potential customers. Just write within your area of expertise and you can't go wrong.

Fresh and updated content

Next step, you need to ensure your content is constantly updated. That's why an integrated blog is so important and why more and more websites are being built using systems like Wordpress. Static content only works so far; by having an integrated blog, you'll be launching your website into the stratosphere. As you know, each blog post is a new web page for the Google spiders to crawl so you won't be relying solely on your home page to attract visitors to your website. Imagine your website is like a web and the bots that crawl your website to index it are of course spiders. If you have lots of juicy content stuck to your web, then you'll have more for the spiders to munch on. Now because these spiders have an insatiable appetite, you've got to keep posting new content. So remember, relevant and constantly updated web content is key. If you don't get this right, you'll be potentially missing out on thousands of pounds worth of business and, more worryingly, it will be costing you a lot of money.

Keywords

Keywords are so important. They are the search terms people type into Google when looking for something they need. Think of Google as a phone directory and you're having to put your business into it under a certain category. Well, think about what your potential customers will look for when searching for your product and service and then you've got your keywords! When thinking about your keywords and how to optimise your website through relevant content, you should be aware that a generic search term such as 'clothing' is very difficult to compete against. If you search that word in Google, you get back over 236,000,000 results. Therefore, when thinking about your keywords, try to find a niche. Find your speciality and optimise your site. Using the right keywords are crucial and you'll find that it's an ongoing process. For instance, some keywords might not work as well as others so it can be a trial and error process.

There are lots of free tools available to help you choose relevant keywords, such as the Google AdWords Keyword Tool.

Links, Links, Links

Building links is an easy way of driving traffic to your website, but did you know it's about the quality of the links you share? And that less is more? If your website has good links, i.e. with large and respected sites, they bring added value as well as attracting more visitors. More importantly, it's better to have only a few quality links rather than lots of irrelevant links because it'll weaken your site's importance in the eyes of the Google spiders. The next thing to remember is the relevance of those links. Do they share similar content and stay on the same topic? For example, if you sell cars then you should share links with websites that are within the automotive field.

Time and patience

Finally, you must remember that there is no magic trick to instantly make your website 'number one' in the SERPs. We can't just wave a magic wand; SEO requires time and patience and is a constant process. Success depends on how much time and effort is invested in optimisation and even then, it could be some time before you see any benefit. You see, Google make up the rules, not us! And they are rules that are constantly changing and evolving. What applies today might not necessarily apply tomorrow.

But the things we do know are key. We know that Google loves relevant, fresh content and websites that are search engine friendly. Everything we do for our clients gets them where they need to be. Still think a website is just a brochure for your business? Think again. By having a static website that isn't search engine friendly, you are missing out on thousands of pounds worth of business and unnecessarily pumping huge amounts of money down the drain.

Katy Cowan, Boomerang PR