SearchEngineOptimisation.com, only one way up

We hear and read so much about optimising our websites and creating effective navigation, yet sometimes we are not focused enough on the actual individual content. When we begin building a website we often look at introducing as many pages as possible, and whilst page quantity is important, page quality is even more crucial. Although it is not always essential in all cases, it is worth spending a little bit more time and effort on your more important and popular web pages, in order to cater for your consumer needs.

The first thing you should consider is what exactly it is that you want to get out of a web page. The easiest way to do this is to think about objectives and identify the key things you want that page in particular to achieve. Whilst to some companies this may sound a little extreme, the power of the page should not be underestimated.

In terms of search engine optimisation techniques, the main thing you need to focus on is your unique selling point. You need to understand what differentiates yourself from your competitors and ensure your pages are tailored towards this. This is particularly important if the sector which you are in is a fairly popular one and there may be other websites which are similar.

Take for example, that your website sells products which are available on other sites too. Each product page needs to be better than your competitors’ pages; otherwise there is nothing to drive people solely to your site. Some information will of course have to be standard, but always try and write your own content and make it as unique as possible. There is a danger of duplicating copy even by accident when you are discussing generic issues, so try to be as creative as you can with the quality of your content.

Page layout should be consistent throughout your website so no matter what element of the business users are looking at, they always know they are on your site. Pages should be easy to read and not over crammed with content. Images are always a pleasant welcome too as they are pleasing to the eye and add an extra dimension to the page.

Each page needs to have its own keywords or phrases to ensure it ranks high within SERPs. A lot of companies make the mistake of having generic keywords for their site but not paying enough attention to detail on the individual pages. The purpose of your search engine optimization strategy is to keep your reputation within search engines positive, so ensure you are using it on a page by page basis and not just your website as a whole. At Searchengingoptimisation.com, we can help you achieve better standings in SERPs.

Usability is probably one of the most important things and a lot of this is reflected in the page loading speed and the navigation. Ensuring that these factors are working as efficiently as possible will make for a more user friendly page and result in perfect web pages for a top quality website.

RSS can seem more complicated than it actually is. Usually referred to as Rich Site Syndication, it is basically a way for users to see a favourite site’s updated content without actually having to access the site itself. This can be a new blog, industry news or anything else that has been refreshed. The RSS feed will be made available to anyone who wants to access it. RSS feeds allow users to keep up to date with their favourite websites by letting them know that there is something new to read. Subscribing to an RSS feed serves a similar function as email newsletters, but without needing to access an inbox or search through spam to find it.

While this is obviously a benefit to internet users, as they can get the information they want without having to scour the web for it, it can be helpful as part of a site’s SEO campaign. If a site updates its content on a regular basis, then subscribers will be made aware of it. This will then ensure that the site stays fresh in their minds, and will make sure they know that the site has plenty of interesting things to say over sites which rarely update.

Also, it can further benefit SEO if a site’s RSS feeds are keyword-rich, as then they may be sent to users who have never accessed the site but are interested in its content. As search engine spiders prefer sites which update content regularly, then RSS feeds with high keyword density (provided it is not spammy) may get that site’s ranking improved. The site’s feed may be featured on another site with a relevant link, which can provide a good amount of backlinks. If a site user wants to subscribe to its RSS feed then they simply need to look for the icon, usually located clearly on the page. If feeds are to be successfully received, then the user needs to install a reader, which can simply be downloaded from various locations. More and more sites are using RSS and they can be a strong component of SEO.

At SearchEngineOptimisation.co.uk we are no strangers to choosing a good domain name and it is an exceptionally important part of the search engine optimization process. A lot of information surrounding choosing a domain name states how it is important that domain names are either full of keywords or include one of your strongest keywords. Having said this, depending on the length of your domain name and the nature of your business, there are arguments against including keywords within your domain name and instead stating that the focus of these should be in your title and description tags instead.

The reason we embark on SEO techniques is simply to target search engines. As the likes of Google and Bing are in fact robots and not people, it has previously been fairly easy to understand how they operate. Relevance has always been a firm favourite of search engines, so if your company name resembles the main search phrases used, then the search engine is going to perceive your site as a trusted and reliable source.

A good example of a website domain name for this is the B&Q website. The domain name for this company is actually diy.com, and as this is the main industry they are in, it is likely that a lot of people will use ‘DIY’ as a search keyword. The keyword is relevant and is also part of the domain name, meaning that the search engines instantly give it a high ranking.

All of this of course makes perfect sense, yet there can be instances where this could be a downfall. For starters, search engines are becoming much more advanced and with the introduction of personalised searching, they are becoming less like robots and more like human minds. None of us know exactly what criteria search engines us, and whilst we can have a very good estimate, it is highly unlikely we will understand fully how it works. The other part to this is the fact that search engines change their criteria for ranking on a regular basis, so what they favour one week could be a lot lower priority the next.

The other problem companies face is that the nature of the business could expand and become more diverse. In the case of B&Q, one of their largest revenue streams is now business to business, meaning that rather than them catering for one man in his home, they are supplying the trade with goods. Whilst this is an exceptionally positive thing for the company, if it ever gets to the point where trade becomes their main offering and diy takes a back seat, there could be relevance issues. Whilst this is an unlikely occurrence for a company such as this, it is good to use as an example in this instance.

Domains which are keyword rich can work wonders, but they should not take the place of a strong brand image. If your company name is simple and strong, then it is probably a good idea to use this as your domain, as it will not date and will always be relevant.

The world of online searching is ever changing and is becoming much faster paced and specific. Real time searching has been driven by the increased popularity of social networking and online news viewing, whilst personalised searching is Google’s way of trying to make things more relevant for its users and create a more efficient method of searching. Most of the comments regarding these new methods of searching have been very positive and there is no denying that they will benefit some elements of the online world. On the other hand however, there have been more recent posts and comments which are a more negative towards these methods of searching and are deeming them as more of a hindrance than a help. In terms of search engine optimisation, we have to wonder how much focus we should be putting on these methods.

The most common complaint we are hearing about is personalised searching. The theory behind it does make sense in a lot of ways but at the same time it is a little contradictory in terms of the purpose of search. For example, if a user is searching for something within a search engine then it is more than likely to be because they do not know where to look for the information they need, hence the point of a search engine. If Google is using previous search results as its base for predicting relevant sites, then there could be a danger that the results are too familiar and not in fact what the person was looking for. If the subject is something which a user searches for on a regular basis, then the chances are that they already know their favourite sites and places to look for things, so this all seems a bit pointless.

When we move on to real time searching we see a lot more mixed reviews. Real time searching is ideal if you want to find the most up to date information, press releases or news articles, yet how relevant is it really for other types of factual or informative searches? Take for example somebody is looking for Italian recipes, it does not really matter when the recipe was posted, it is the content which is more important.

The next step in real time searching is the inclusion of Facebook and Twitter results within Google. Whilst in the first instance this seems like a wonderful thing, when you consider it a little more closely, what exactly is the point? If somebody wanted to read results in Twitter then they would search within Twitter, not through Google.

There is obviously a place for real time and personalised searching as it has come on leaps and bounds, and there are obvious benefits for SEO – you can contact the web optimisation experts at SearchEngineOptimisation.co.uk to discuss how they can be tailored for your business – but it is clearly not everybody’s cup of tea. Perhaps a good idea for Google would be to offer the choice of these types of searches as opposed to just automatically generating them, that way everybody is happy.

Like most companies offering search engine optimization services, we at SearchEngineOptimisation.co.uk face a constant battle with spam. From pop ups to emails, it appears to be everywhere and the increasingly worrying thing is that it seems to slip in so effortlessly and easily that we almost barely notice it. It seems that whoever is the driving force behind some of these spam sites takes it so seriously and are in fact doing it as a full time job. It surely must be the only explanation as to why spam appears to be getting to us.

What we mean by this is the relevant and accurate association which spam has towards us and our online habits. Take spam emails, for example. We are seeing a vast increase in links to fake login pages where the site will ask for passwords for an online account. The scary thing about these are that the majority of the time, the user will actually have an account of this nature, meaning it is extremely easy for people to get caught out.

The same goes for pop ups and spam links in comments. They seem to be so acute as to what activity we are conducting online and sometimes even what we are thinking. It is like they are getting inside our minds. From a personal point of view this is worrying and an obvious danger to our online security, and from a business point of view it is even more concerning.

When we consider email spam this is a real worry and any company which requires users to create an account or profile should be managing their spam filters regularly. Even though spam is random and nothing to do with a business the majority of the time, once there is an association with your company name you are already tarnished.

In terms of our online marketing and search engine optimisation we need to be doing more to monitor spam levels. Personal details are usually what people are after so try to include only the necessary details within your site. Most companies now adopt an email strategy which is a ‘no-reply’, meaning that the company can email members but they should not reply to it. This is a good tactic as it prevents any similar but fake email addresses from generating a response. It is also a good idea to provide your members with a URL address for the login page which they can add to their favourites so they do not follow links from any emails.

When it comes to spam links within your website, the best way to do this is purely by monitoring your blog comments and user posts. If you are on top of this then any spam links which appear can be discarded immediately before any actual users click on the link. If you are seeing any regular spam culprits then you can block these completely. Preventing as much spam as possible is definitely the easiest way to combat this and ensure as spam free a website as possible.

We all know how important content is for the purpose of our website effectiveness and page rankings, yet what we often do not appreciate is how much time and effort we put into our content. Whether you hire an external search engine optimization company to control and write your content or you do it in-house, the process is time consuming and requires accurate attention to detail. Most of us at some point have come across the unfortunate situation of us losing all our content, or a large chunk of it. When this happens and we have no method of backup in place, it can be a catastrophe.

More recently we have seen reputable online resources suffering from this also. Earlier this year WordPress encountered one of its worst periods of downtime in years, almost two hours of no server. WordPress claim this was a router problem and assured all its users that all their content was still there and safe, the only issue was that their server was down which meant nobody could view it. Whilst it is exceptionally good news that no blogs were lost, the number of page views which the websites lost out on was well into the millions.

Server issues and the loss of content can affect us all. The web as a whole is much greater than an individual company or website, meaning its power is also a lot greater. Whilst there are things we can do to prevent downtime and make it as least damaging as can be, it is impossible to prevent it happening ever again as it is something beyond our control.

Backing up your content is the best thing any company who post a lot of content should do. In the case of the WordPress downtime, content was not actually lost, however in many instances, a computer crash scenario can result in a lot of lost work.

The recent downtime with WordPress obviously put the wind up them a little, as not long after the event they launched a new plugin called WordPress online backup plugin. This plugin enables users to backup their content quickly and easily to give you peace of mind and it is not at all difficult to use. The memory is large which is extremely good, particularly if you are blogging on a daily basis. For any users of WordPress, this is one of the SEO tools that should be seriously considered.

If you do not fancy this or are not a user of WordPress then a simple additional hard drive can work wonders. Previously bloggers have often emailed themselves their content on a daily or weekly basis, but this is a little time consuming and although very effective, not always the best way to go about things. Whichever way you choose, there is no mistaking the importance of backup. Accidents happen and being prepared for them can really be your saviour. At SearchEngineOptimisation.co.uk, we can advise you on the best way for your business to protect vital data.

At SearchEngineOptimisation.co.uk we always like it when we see a good, honest site ranking well within the search engines. It shows they are doing everything by the book and are reaping the rewards for their hard work. With all the online advice and independent companies out there offering search engine optimisation services, everybody seems to be getting involved and is optimising their own site to the highest standard. As with everything however, too much of a good thing is bad for you and too much search engine optimization can have a negative effect on your site. It is easy to get carried away and overdo it a little, especially if you find that something is working well for you, however it is important to do things in moderation, as once you have gone too far it is difficult to get back.

Consider the basics of optimising your website for search engines and you will soon see how something which is a positive step to web optimisation can quickly turn into a negative if it is done too much. The trick to successful optimisation is finding the right balance, as not doing something enough will not get you noticed at all. This may seem a bit scary if you are new to the world of website design and management, but fear not as it is more a case of common sense and simply understanding what the search engines like and dislike.

One of the most important things you need to focus on is your keywords. Keywords come in various forms and you will find that some are more popular than others. Whilst you will focus on your most searched for keywords, it is important to include other keywords too which are relevant to your site, as you could be missing out on applicable search results and potential customers. Keywords can also be long tail, which means they can include more detailed and specific searches and are ideal for increasing page ranking and creating a much more relevant search for a user. The mistakes happen however, when websites recognise which keywords work best for them and simply stuff them into as many sentences as possible. Firstly, search engines frown upon keyword cramming and secondly, consider how awful your site content will be to read if every paragraph is overflowing with keywords.

The other main focus for search optimisation is links. Linking strategies are well thought through and you should ensure that you have strong links to and from any relevant pages. The purpose of links is to make it easy for other sites and search engines to pick your links up, whereas internal linking ensures easy navigation for users. As with keywords, the main mistake websites make is to link to and from everything they possibly can. With links it is all about quality over quantity, so ensure you stick to this.

Whilst there is no denying that good optimisation can get you far, be sure to know your boundaries otherwise the thing that has made you could easily break you.

You are nobody nowadays if you do not have a website, and competition between websites within similar industries is rife. When we look at any business market, it is more than just price or quality of products that matters. Having an online presence is crucial, and even more important than this is having an online presence which is better than your competitors. There are two main areas which make a website great. The first area is ensuring that people can find and navigate your site easily, and the second area is making sure that once they finally get there, they have a reason to stay.

If there is strong competition and high standards between websites within your industry then fear not, as it is not as impossible as it may seem to get ahead of the game. At SearchEngineOptimisation.co.uk we know some simple ways to get your website noticed above the rest. Before embarking on any web optimisation strategy it is important to do some competitive research. Check out websites which rank high within search engines which are related to your industry and also delve deeper into their sites to see what is so good about what they have to offer. Once you know what you are dealing with, you can devise a strategy of your own.

Search engine optimisation is one of the first things which you should be looking at. If you are not ranking high within search engine results pages (SERPs) then you are off to a bad start. Update your keywords and include some long tail keywords into your links, as this will ensure you are ranking high within these pages. Always remember that most search engines favour natural and relevant content and links, so never try to fool a search engine by using false or misleading keywords.

Give people a reason to visit your site. It has been discovered that once a user likes a particular site, they will visit it time and time again. If you are a local business then have some form of resource or details on local information, as this will give people more of a reason to visit your site than solely what you have to offer.

Create a positive brand image. This applies not only online but also to your offline presence. Even if you are local you can still create strong brand awareness within your vicinity. A strong brand image makes you a trusted source, and both users and search engines favour sites from a trusted origin.

People like to know what is going on, they like to be informed and entertained and one of the easiest ways to do this is to create a blog. A blog is a natural and friendly way of communicating with people and can also provide you with regular and loyal readers to your site. Always ensure that your blog is relevant an interesting. Try not to focus too much on keyword quantity and focus more on quality. Devising link building strategies so your blog connects to other websites and social networking sites is also a good idea.

There are a vast array of companies offering SEO services out there, all providing advice on how to rank high within search engines and how to develop and design a website which is user friendly, search engine friendly and provides a good return on investment (ROI). The most amazing thing about a lot of these websites is the fact that the design and nature of their website does not reflect the advice they are dishing out. So does this mean they are all talk and no action? There is no point having all the knowledge yet no idea how to put it into practice, and surely if an SEO company cannot take the time to optimise their own website, then what chance have they got of creating a successful strategy for others?

Some of the most common complaints which people come up with are page ranking, site navigation and quality of content. All these things are extremely important factors in any search marketing strategy, yet are we being a little harsh expecting every company to get every aspect perfect? At SearchEngineOptimisation.co.uk, we know that SEO is not an exact science, and that the best way to get results is through ethical, white hat processes.

Page ranking within search engines is a common area for discussion, with users wondering why a company offering services which promise to rank you number one are in fact ranking on page three themselves. There are two main reasons for this. The first could be that the company are not following their own advice and their keywords and links are simply not up to scratch. This does seem the most obvious; however it is very unlikely as this would be commercial suicide if they were not optimising their own site. It is worth remembering that there are thousands of companies out there offering the same services and only one first page in Google. It does not matter how good your strategies are, if somebody else’s are better then they win. A lot of companies will focus on their strongest skills, so depending on the search phrase you enter will depend on where in Google they lie.

Website navigation is another area which generates conversation. Quite often it can be difficult to locate crucial areas on web optimisation sites, such as blog pages or contact details. Quite commonly users also find themselves having to use the internet browser back button to get back to where they came from, as the site links are simply not obvious enough to enable easy navigation. There really is no excusing poor site navigation, for any company.

Lastly the quality of content is often criticised. Anybody in the world of web design knows the importance of content, yet we often see extremes on websites of this nature. The extremes tend to be too much text or not enough, which does not really appeal to any audience. The other area to look at is what is actually included in the content. There are many web optimisation sites out there with no blog page at all, which seems extremely strange.

The rule is to practice what you preach. You cannot always be perfect, but at least show you are trying.

If a website is under performing it can be quite a worrying time for the company in question. With online searches and purchases becoming much more popular, a company’s website is their lifeline. The window to the company and a major source of revenue, if the website is failing to get results then there is potential trouble ahead. The mere thought of having to redo your website or amend it on a large scale takes time, skill and money – all of which are things that a lot of companies do not have a lot to spare. The reality is however, that it is not always big changes that are needed. Sometimes it is simple, small alterations that can really make all the difference.

Seeking the advice of a professional SEO company such as us at Searchengingoptimisation.com can really help any business out of a situation where the website appears to have stopped working. Rather than panic and look to immediately revamp the entire website, a professional organisation will be able to look at the website as a whole and determine both the positive and negative aspects of the site. More often than not, it is just small changes that need to be made, some of which are not very obvious to the majority of people, but in the world of search engine optimisation they can make a significant difference.

Poor links are one reason why a website stops working well. It is not always necessary to revamp your entire link strategy; however hiring some professional link building services to assess the quality of your links can be really beneficial. Links are crucial for the search engines to pick up on. Search engines need links to find their way to your website so if they cannot pick up on your site then what chance do actual users have?

Content is one of the most crucial factors to any successful website. All the search engines, not to mention online consumers, have a preference for fresh content. The easiest way to add new content to your website is via article or blog pages. If you are struggling for time then you can post shorter blogs but just make sure the content is strong. Blogging for the sake of it is no good either though and you should always make sure that the nature of your blog is applicable to your website.

Keywords are another obvious factor and are particularly important for page ranking. It does not matter how strong your keywords are, if your competitors are better then they will rank higher than you. Keywords need to be managed and your competitor keywords monitored regularly. You can include keywords within your blog pages to essentially kill two birds with one stone.

When it comes to purchases online, site navigation is crucial. So many times a website loses out due to the consumer getting lost or confused. Ensure your site is easy to get around and clear can concise, as turning people off once they are on your site is a fatal mistake.