Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is often considered the more technical part of Web marketing. This is true
because SEO does help in the promotion of sites and at the same time it requires some technical knowledge – at
least familiarity with basic HTML. SEO is sometimes also called SEO copyrighting because most of the
techniques that are used to promote sites in search engines deal with text. Generally, SEO can be defined as the
activity of optimizing Web pages or whole sites in order to make them more search engine-friendly, thus getting
higher positions in search results.
One of the basic truths in SEO is that even if you do all the things that are necessary to do, this does not
automatically guarantee you top ratings but if you neglect basic rules, this certainly will not go unnoticed. Also,
if you set realistic goals – i.e to get into the top 30 results in Google for a particular keyword, rather than be the
number one for 10 keywords in 5 search engines, you will feel happier and more satisfied with your results.
Although SEO helps to increase the traffic to one's site, SEO is not advertising. Of course, you can be included
in paid search results for given keywords but basically the idea behind the SEO techniques is to get top
placement because your site is relevant to a particular search term, not because you pay.
SEO can be a 30-minute job or a permanent activity. Sometimes it is enough to do some generic SEO in order
to get high in search engines – for instance, if you are a leader for rare keywords, then you do not have a lot to
do in order to get decent placement. But in most cases, if you really want to be at the top, you need to pay
special attention to SEO and devote significant amounts of time and effort to it. Even if you plan to do some
basic SEO, it is essential that you understand how search engines work and which items are most important in
SEO.
Advantages of SEO
Search Engine Optimization helps site owners meet their various online marketing objectives such as generating
leads, sales or simply building awareness.
There is more to search engine optimization than just marketing, as companies can derive many business
benefits from using SEO. Let’s take a look at a few...
Cost-effective Customer Acquisition
There is no payment to the search engines for being indexed. This is important for high volume, low
intent phrases which can be expensive in paid-search (eg ‘car insurance’).
It can also be useful for generating visitors on the long tail of search. Many companies bid on these
phrases through paid-search, so giving opportunities for those who use an SEO strategy for the tail.
Fixed Costs
The cost of SEO is relatively fixed, independent of click volume. Effectively, the cost per click from
SEO declines through time after initial optimisation costs and lower ongoing optimisation costs.
Conversely, paid-search is essentially a variable cost.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is often considered the more technical part of Web marketing. This is true
because SEO does help in the promotion of sites and at the same time it requires some technical knowledge – at
least familiarity with basic HTML. SEO is sometimes also called SEO copyrighting because most of the
techniques that are used to promote sites in search engines deal with text. Generally, SEO can be defined as the
activity of optimizing Web pages or whole sites in order to make them more search engine-friendly, thus getting
higher positions in search results.
One of the basic truths in SEO is that even if you do all the things that are necessary to do, this does not
automatically guarantee you top ratings but if you neglect basic rules, this certainly will not go unnoticed. Also,
if you set realistic goals – i.e to get into the top 30 results in Google for a particular keyword, rather than be the
number one for 10 keywords in 5 search engines, you will feel happier and more satisfied with your results.
Although SEO helps to increase the traffic to one's site, SEO is not advertising. Of course, you can be included
in paid search results for given keywords but basically the idea behind the SEO techniques is to get top
placement because your site is relevant to a particular search term, not because you pay.
SEO can be a 30-minute job or a permanent activity. Sometimes it is enough to do some generic SEO in order
to get high in search engines – for instance, if you are a leader for rare keywords, then you do not have a lot to
do in order to get decent placement. But in most cases, if you really want to be at the top, you need to pay
special attention to SEO and devote significant amounts of time and effort to it. Even if you plan to do some
basic SEO, it is essential that you understand how search engines work and which items are most important in
SEO.
Advantages of SEO
Search Engine Optimization helps site owners meet their various online marketing objectives such as generating
leads, sales or simply building awareness.
There is more to search engine optimization than just marketing, as companies can derive many business
benefits from using SEO. Let’s take a look at a few...
Cost-effective Customer Acquisition
There is no payment to the search engines for being indexed. This is important for high volume, low
intent phrases which can be expensive in paid-search (eg ‘car insurance’).
It can also be useful for generating visitors on the long tail of search. Many companies bid on these
phrases through paid-search, so giving opportunities for those who use an SEO strategy for the tail.
Fixed Costs
The cost of SEO is relatively fixed, independent of click volume. Effectively, the cost per click from
SEO declines through time after initial optimisation costs and lower ongoing optimisation costs.
Conversely, paid-search is essentially a variable cost.
Brand Visibility
Think about that search on ‘car insurance’. The big insurance companies are all desperate to make it
onto the first page of Google. The ones that didn’t make it either need to buy PPC ads to be seen, which
is expensive for such a competitive search query.
Focus on Web Standards / Accessibility
Designing a website for search is an exercise in designing a best practice website. Search engine
crawlers notice errors in your code, so valid code is a must for SEO. And that makes for a healthier,
more accessible website. Accessible for Google’s crawlers, and for people.
Repeat Business
Customers referred from search engines tend to stick around for longer. Increase customer lifetime
revenues via SEO!
Customer Acquisition - Targeted Prospects
Search is demand-driven, so anybody referred from a search engine is hoping that your web page
matches their search query. If it does, and you show them all the information they need to see, they may
well become your next customer.
Focus on Unique Content
We are big believers in quality content. Original content. Google loves it too. And so do many SEO
experts – the general advice these days is to create subject-specific content on your website, and to
categorise and label that content in a way that will deliver a boost to your keyword strategy. Blogs are
good for this. Remember that quality content attracts quality links. And that links are still very important
for SEO. So if you invest in unique content you are building a valuable intellectual property asset that
will benefit other areas of the business as well as improve your search rankings.
Credibility / Brand Perception
“Why aren’t you in Google for ‘car insurance’”? Consumers expect big brand businesses to be
prominently placed in Google, so what is the effect if you aren’t on the first page or two?
Findability
Search engines allow you to find relevant web pages even if you only remember snippets of information.
A song lyric, a company name, a product review, a person
Think about that search on ‘car insurance’. The big insurance companies are all desperate to make it
onto the first page of Google. The ones that didn’t make it either need to buy PPC ads to be seen, which
is expensive for such a competitive search query.
Focus on Web Standards / Accessibility
Designing a website for search is an exercise in designing a best practice website. Search engine
crawlers notice errors in your code, so valid code is a must for SEO. And that makes for a healthier,
more accessible website. Accessible for Google’s crawlers, and for people.
Repeat Business
Customers referred from search engines tend to stick around for longer. Increase customer lifetime
revenues via SEO!
Customer Acquisition - Targeted Prospects
Search is demand-driven, so anybody referred from a search engine is hoping that your web page
matches their search query. If it does, and you show them all the information they need to see, they may
well become your next customer.
Focus on Unique Content
We are big believers in quality content. Original content. Google loves it too. And so do many SEO
experts – the general advice these days is to create subject-specific content on your website, and to
categorise and label that content in a way that will deliver a boost to your keyword strategy. Blogs are
good for this. Remember that quality content attracts quality links. And that links are still very important
for SEO. So if you invest in unique content you are building a valuable intellectual property asset that
will benefit other areas of the business as well as improve your search rankings.
Credibility / Brand Perception
“Why aren’t you in Google for ‘car insurance’”? Consumers expect big brand businesses to be
prominently placed in Google, so what is the effect if you aren’t on the first page or two?
Findability
Search engines allow you to find relevant web pages even if you only remember snippets of information.
A song lyric, a company name, a product review, a person
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