Web Clinic - How to get to #1 in Google
Search engine marketing...
We've all heard the claims from marketing companies, and some of us are aware of the less than savoury "Black Hat" techniques employed by several organisations. But can it be accomplished
another way?
In this month's Web Clinic, Liam Giles of Spin Dogs tackles the Holy Grail of web marketing, and gives us his top five tips for achieving that elusive number one spot in Google.
by Liam Giles
1. Identifying realistic Search Engine goals
This is a very important factor in a successful SEO campaign. Often we come across websites
selling items in Wales which will have 'Wales' or 'Cardiff' as a keyword. By simply refining your keywords
to be more specific such as 'golf products Wales' or 'golf equipment Cardiff' you have a better chance of getting more visitors to your site.
Keywords can be defined on a per page basis meaning that different areas of your website can target different search traffic. Ideally look for a max of 10-12 keywords per page and make sure they
are targeted and specific. The more keywords you add to your pages the more diluted each individual word becomes within the page content.
2. Good Search Engine Marketing
Just like traditional marketing, online marketing requires time, money and persistence to be successful and yield a return on investment. Many new businesses don't consider an online marketing spend
when developing a new web presence.
Google Adwords, adverts, advertorial online, paid links, etc., are all ways of marketing your website online which ultimately will help your organic SEO results. Inbound links to your site are good! If you
can get some good quality relevant links - for example,
a web designer
would benefit from
a link from a design directory - coming to your site you will see the benefits in the results pages.
3. Good Content
When formulating your website content, do not just ensure your content is Search Engine friendly, make sure it is also interesting, relevant and, where possible, unique.
Good content not only increases the chances of repeat visitors but also makes it more likely other people will reference or link to your website (see point 2!)
Regularly updating your website will also have a positive effect on your search engine positioning.
4. Clean website coding structure
This does not mean creating a bland looking website!
The latest website coding standards are much better
for
laying out content for easy Search Engine Spidering - what happens when
a search engine comes and looks at everything in your site.
Where possible try to ensure your website is structured using the latest web standards, XHTML and CSS are the languages your website should really be developed with. If it's easy for a search engine
to find all of the information on your website because it is structured better then you are more likely to feature higher in the results!
5. Be patient
Grab a cuppa...or a few cups potentially. Organic ranks particularly in Google are not instant.
Being found for your company name or domain name is
usually pretty quick but achieving a number one position
for 'web design', for example,
isn't going to happen overnight. This is completely dependant on the competitiveness of your target market. If you have few online competitors bidding for your chosen keyword in a specific area
then you can start to see results pretty quickly.
On the other hand if you are targeting a national market for a popular term then sit back and relax,
as you can be talking 6-12 months as a minimum.
If you are looking for instant results we would suggest starting with a Google Adwords Pay-Per-Click campaign
(where
Google charges you a set amount per visitor to your website, the results are normally at the top and down the right of a Google search in shaded boxes) along side your organic search engine
campaign. Then as your natural ranks start to develop over time you can reduce your monthly spend with Google Adwords.
About the author
Liam Giles is Director of SpinDogs Design Solutions. The company is a design studio offering creative solutions for web design, graphic design and product development. With a thorough understanding
of print, products and the appropriate use of the latest web technologies, SpinDogs enable companies to communicate their messages convincingly, memorably and with high impact. Find out more at
www.spindogs.co.uk.
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