What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Why optimization? Almost all web sites are indexed by popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, but most are not optimized for high rankings.

Before we get into how to optimize for rankings, it is important to remember that search engines are there to make it easier for humans to find the information we think is important. Taking this into consideration, search engine algorithms and ‘mentalities’ if you will, are programmed to emulate human interactions while still operating in a computer-readable world.

How do I optimize for high rankings?

There are numerous factors that come into play when you’re looking at rankings, and the possibility – not guarantee – of rankings for a particular search term or phrase depend on these factors.

Some of these factors include:

1. Age of your site. When was it first seen by search engines? Just like human relationships, when you first meet a person you may be apt to apply a ‘wait and see’ philosophy on the amount of trust you give that person.
2. Page Titles & Meta Tags. You’ve probably heard this before, but these are of key importance. If you throw your files into a file cabinet, wouldn’t it be helpful to have a title on the folder the next time you want to find a given file? Search engines operate in a similar manner, and if you don’t summarize what your page is about then they have to make a guess, which many times is not correct.
3. Keyword research. Let’s say you are selling cars. If you are not focusing your efforts toward people who are searching for “cars for sale” or “cars for sale in Portland” or even more focused results such as “Toyotas for sale in Portland” then you are missing out on prospective buyers who are looking for your product, but don’t know about your company. Keyword research lets you know what search terms to focus on, by letting you know what terms and variations are the most popular for your particular market.
4. Site structure / Architecture. Your site needs to be structured properly to begin with in order to be able to rank for any search terms, so your internal links are good, and that your site is easily accessible to the search engines’ spiders.
5. Link equity. Do you have enough link equity to compete for your specific search terms? Are you funneling your link equity properly to your internal pages? This plays a large factor in your ability to rank, and if you don’t have enough link equity, you will also need to focus on link building.
6. Coding practices and content. How clean is your code from an SEO perspective? There are best practices and tricks of the trade to follow, which can be important, and for sure will be if your terms are very competitive.

Why should I optimize when I can just buy PPC search positions?

PPC is a viable search marketing option, but should not be considered an all-encompassing solution. Here’s why:

1. Do you watch commercials on TV or just ignore them? Like commercials, many people ignore certain parts of a web page since they are advertisements, which are discussed in item #2.
2. Trust. People trust ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ search more than advertisements, since it is not just you who is telling them that your web site is worth visiting, but also the search engine which is assumed to be an unbiased 3^rd party.
3. Cost. The cost of PPC can be cheap on a per-person basis sometimes, but it can also add up over the long term. When you optimize and rank well, you stand to rank well for more than just one term which lowers your cost of PPC as your natural rankings rise, and helps to reduce your overall spending while increasing your brand awareness and ROI long-term.
4. Additional placements per page increases credibility. Studies have been performed that support the fact that if a site shows up in both natural search and PPC positions, it increases credibility with the visitor and increases your chance to acquire the visitor, and subsequently close the sale. Similar studies support PPC and Display Advertising such as banners, for an overall Internet Marketing campaign’s success.

With this primer, you should have a basic understanding of what is involved to get started in SEO. To learn more about our services or for a free SEO review of your web site to help you know where you stand, give me a call or send me an email to get the ball rolling.

Cordially –

Mike Johnson
503-221-2020
mjohnson@firstplan.com