Search Engine Optimization Strategy

Search engine marketing and search engine optimization defined

SEO is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines through non-paid, “natural” (also called organic) search results. As a site is developed, SEO-savvy techniques help persuade search engine users to visit your website…and that translates to more business!

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) makes a website more visible to search engine “crawlers” so your website ranks higher. Typically, the higher a site’s “page rank” (i.e, the earlier it appears in the search results list), the more visitors the site will receive from the search engine and hence, more business.

SEO is a complex science. Large companies devote thousands of dollars monthly to improve their SEO; however, small businesses can take steps that will make a difference. Here’s a link to some basic info. Or, learn best practices right from Google here: Download Google’s 32-page Guide. Nowadays, most developers use a professional service to calculate what you are doing right and what needs improvement. I use SemRush and here is the latest intelligence they provided to their clients.

Melody’s Services for Optimizing Your Website

For Increasing Search Engine Rankings, Building Stronger Relationships with Your Prospect and Clients, and Turning Visitors into Clients

Online marketing services:

• Website analytics
• Keyword analysis and recommendation
• Search engine optimization
• Google Adword campaigns
• Creating a “sticky” site
• Email newsletters and list management
• Blogs and forums
• Paypal

Two common Search Engine Marketing methods are:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines through non-paid, organic search results or algorithmic-based search results. SEO can also include “local search,” which is the use of specialized Internet search engines that allow users to submit geographically constrained searches against a structured database of local business listings.

Here are some common, non-paid SEO strategies:

• Having keyword-rich web pages (in headlines, subheads and body copy)
• Having keywords in the title of your pages (that appear at the top of your browser)
• SEO-friendly page descriptions and see this link for Yoast’s plugin
• Having keywords in your domain name
• Naming the images in your site using keywords
• Naming the Alt tags of images using keywords
• Creating in-bound links to your site from popular websites
• Including keywords in your site’s filenames.

2. Pay-per-click campaigns PPC campaigns require strategy, planning, and development. To implement a campaign with sustained ROI, campaigns must be optimized on an ongoing basis using A/B testing, web analytics and conversion tracking.

A successful PPC campaign includes:

• Measurable goals
• Test of specific keywords
• Test of compelling offers where the advertised offer links to an optimized landing page
• The ability to track responses and conversions
• An analysis of visitor behavior
• ‘Keywords that convert’ and can be used in other marketing communications

Creating a “sticky,” effective site

Before implementing search engine marketing strategies to drive more traffic to your site, it’s important that your website is designed so that visitors can quickly and easily find what they are looking for, or they will quickly depart. Some strategies for creating a “sticky” site include:

• Adding video to your home page
• Using elegant, conventional navigation
• Using home page messaging that offers a solution to an urgent problem
• Making an offer which compels the visitor to take a certain action
• Minimizing the number of clicks to reach key information
• Adding a blog
• Getting subscribers to a newsletter
• Motivating visitors to request an appointment
• Facilitating a purchase