Key SEO Tactics

Search engine rankings are a function of sophisticated algorithms. Minor changes/updates can alter your rankings. While it is true that the algorithms are a moving target, which no one can fully explain, the factors that lead a Website to perform well in the natural results are fairly consistent.

A top level issue is the degree to which a site contains hearty content that aligns closely to the keywords which are most important to the site. If for instance the keywords in the Meta tags, etc. are related to human resources consulting and the content speaks to employee training programs, then there is a problem. While that may sound obvious, you would be surprised how often companies change product lines or direction, and dont fully incorporate the new direction into both the content and architecture of its Website.

Try also to limit the number of keywords/phrases per page to two or three. Incorporating content about more than two or three keywords onto any Web page will weaken your message on the page, which wont be viewed favorably by the search engines.

Another step in making your site as search engine friendly as possible is to ensure that the architecture doesnt present any obvious roadblocks. Flash is probably the best example of a technology that is much more aligned for the end user than for the search engine spidering process. Its okay to have some flash on the site, but its not a good idea, from a search engine ranking perspective, to have a home page that is all flash. In general, the less the better.

Both content management systems (CMS) and template driven Websites can be problematic for SEO. The problem with many of these frameworks is that the site owner has very little ability to make modifications to the coding of the site and the majority of templates are not SEO friendly to begin with. Before purchasing a new Website that is template or CMS driven, be sure to investigate the degree to which it has been designed with SEO requirements in mind.

Lastly, commit to a link development initiative, as link popularity is a component of the ranking criteria for the major engines, particularly Google. The greater the number of quality inbound links you have to your site, the better. Be careful, as link building is often abused, which can cause more harm than good. Incrementally adding relevant links to your site is the best approach.

Advanced SEM Methodology

I probably shouldnt have titled this section Advanced, because what I have to say is really simple. Just like any other component of directmarketing, its vital to measure campaign performance; then continue to test and refine.

Whats relevant about this topic is the dramatic improvement in the tools that are available to figure out whats working and what isnt. Variables include engine selection (MSN vs. Google, etc.), keywords (broad vs. narrow, exact/negative match, etc.), as well as factors like which pages of your site are moving a prospect toward your objective in contrast to others that may be hindering a conversion.

It used to be that the cost associated with analytics programs was substantial, therefore only the largest online players could justify the expense. With free and low cost programs like Google Analytics, the investment is now limited to the time required to set the tools up properly (including coding the site) and the post click analysis of the data. I continue to hear stories of larger organizations abandoning their high end solutions for this new wave of technology, as its much easier to both install and evaluate important data in a timely manner.

The number of companies who have a genuine understanding of the activity on their site and more specifically their SEM related statistics remains minute. The opportunity to gain a competitive edge through utilizing this data is significant.

Improved Web marketing is not about utilizing any particular technology or channel, it is about investing time and resources to pinpoint and execute a profit generating strategy. For certain organizations this is practiced continuously (both on and off line). For others, now is a perfect time to get refocus and make the Internet a vital component of yourmarketing efforts.