By Suzanne Carter
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is essentially preparing 
a website for search engines. The aim is to increase traffic to the site and therefore increase business through enquiries and sales.
SEO will help improve your website’s presence to search engines by highlighting targeted keywords that potential customers use when searching for a product or service. It is a detailed process which includes intensive keyword research to ensure your website appears when someone doing an online search enters relevant and targeted keywords.
It is also important to review the structure of your site from a technical perspective, as search engines need to easily find and navigate your site.
Creating trust, credibility
The content of your website must also be reviewed as it is very important to have a good amount of quality and relevant copy on the website. Also worth noting is that search engines and users alike look for content that creates trust and credibility.
Headings and page copy should also be optimised for maximum effect. In addition the content must be laid out in an easy to read format with paragraphs and bullet points and also have perfect spelling and grammar.
Marketing
You may also have heard of the term Search Engine Marketing or SEM. This is the process which follows on from the SEO of a website.
It assists with the online promotion of your website through link building, content-based marketing (like blogs and articles), PPC campaigns (such as Google Adwords) and social marketing (Twitter and Facebook).
As it takes time to lift the profile of a website, it is important the Search Engine Marketing process is started sooner rather than later. There is a common expectation that it will all happen overnight. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Depending on several factors, it can take some websites up to 12 months to really start achieving search engine generated enquiries.
There really is no point in having a great looking site if it is invisible to those searching the internet looking for your particular product or service.
It is therefore important that your website is well prepared for search engines and that work is done to lift its in order to achieve an increased number of targeted visitors.
Investing in success
Search Engine Marketing is a powerful way of achieving this, but does involve an investment to achieve success. While there are elements of specialist search marketing that you can undertake yourself, utilising an experienced specialist company will result in a return on investment that will increase as your website gains credibility and improves in popularity.
Depending on your product or service, you will find that a professionally managed SEM campaign will quickly pay for itself.
Search Engine Marketing is an essential part of developing and marketing your business and should not simply be ignored, but rather be embraced as an effective and critical element to the success of your online business.
Suzanne Carter is the business development manager for Limelight Online Ltd, a website design and development company. She has over 15 years website industry experience and a passion for working with clients to enhance businesses through the internet.
Email scarter@limelightonline.co.nz
