What does SEO mean to you?
When talking to prospective clients we are often asked about Search Engine Optimization, and what it really involves. Many small to medium sized business owners are aware that they should have an SEO compliant website, but aren’t really sure what that means. So let’s take a moment to clarify it for some of you.
In its simplest terms, an SEO compliant website is a site that delivers optimal performance for the search engines. At DGR Communications we build websites following guidelines set out by search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. That means we structure the site and write the copy in a way that enables the search engines to process your content as effectively as possible, and that will make it easier for the likes of Google to rank your site.
Search Engines ‘spiders’ search your content for relevant words; by making that job easier you’re encouraging them to visit your page more often. And that’s why it’s important to refresh your site with new relevant content regularly; so when the ‘spiders’ return, they find something new to ‘feed on’.
A properly structured, well organized site is not only beneficial to the ‘human’ viewer but also to the search engines. Your site will load quicker and once it has loaded, it will be simple to navigate. Nothing will turn a prospective customer off quicker than a slow, confusing, disorganized website. It reflects badly on your business at the first point of contact, and we all know how important first impressions are!
The copy that we write will work well for both your ‘human’ and ‘spider’ visitors; we write keyword rich good quality content that is easy to read, is not ‘spam jammed’ and flows well. Structuring the content with keyword rich HTML headings helps to break up the text, and gives the spiders something to chew on!
Where possible we recommend including a keyword or two in your website URL (only if it works for your business of course), and embedding keywords in title tags and description tags of your website is essential. We also embed keywords in image tags, video names, video descriptions, image descriptions and any other objects that are included in your site.
Once your site is live, it’s important to regularly update and refresh the content, maybe via a blog. Just make sure that you always use relevant keywords frequently, but don’t over do it!
Just like you, Search Engines are in business to provide visitors with a better experience; they ensure that they are directing their ‘customers’ to the most relevant content for their search. By following search engine guidelines we make a visit to your website a better, more enjoyable experience for both your human audience and search engine spiders.
If you need a new website for your business or want to refresh a current site, contact us – we’d be delighted to help you.