So, 2003
is here and another year beckons. It's that time, when most search engine
optimization (SEO) experts look ahead to the coming months and predict
what will come of the SEO industry. It's also the time when we stare
at our computers and try to think of clever articles with cryptic titles
so that we can once again declare ourselves as "search engine optimization
gurus". Well, I must admit to thinking the same thing. While researching
the latest trends on SEO and determining the topic of my first article
for the year, I came to the following conclusion; The SEO industry is
growing at a tremendous rate, with more companies realizing the benefits
of this marketing medium. With this rapid growth come new minds, researching
how to get better rankings, all looking for the basic information that
will get them started down the road of SEO. I therefore decided to break
with the trend and go back to basics. While I will still endeavor to
write articles that touch on complex issues, I want to make sure that
those of you looking for the basic information are not overlooked. To
get us started lets review some interesting statistics and set the scene
for the upcoming series of articles…
Why you
need SEO
If your
company owns a website you will be pleased to know that, according to
ComScore Networks, US online sales in 2002 leaped to a staggering $74
billion. There were more than 109 million people in the US surfing the
Internet on a regular basis. And with an estimated 700 million people
worldwide going online in 2003, Internet sales are set to soar to record
numbers. These are all encouraging statistics for anyone looking to
leverage online revenues in 2003. One fact you may not have considered
is exactly how did those millions of Internet users locate businesses
in order to spend their precious dollars. The answer is simple; they
used one of the many search engines.
More than
85% of all Internet users arrived at a website for the first time after
entering a search phrase at one of the many search engines. Whether
their preference was Google, MSN, Yahoo or AOL, they all had one thing
in common; they all new what they wanted and they used a search engine
to track down the best vendor. With an estimated 33% of search engine
users believing that the number one listed website is the best location
to spend their dollars, ensuring that your business holds top positioning
in the search engines is critical for success in 2003.
Unlike
traditional forms of advertising, such as the Yellow Pages, it is possible
to manipulate your positioning on the search engine listings. The process
is referred to as "search engine optimization" (SEO) or "search
engine marketing" (SEM) and involves changing different aspects
of your website to ensure better search engine positioning. Various
factors are involved with any SEO campaign and can range from simple
changes to the HTML code within your website, through to making changes
to the number of times you mention a product within the page.
Upcoming
series of articles
Over the
coming weeks, I will introduce you to the principles of SEO and take
you step-by-step through some of the fundamentals you should implement,
if you desire to increase your online revenues in 2003. The topics we
will take a look at include:
·
Keyword research; how to target the correct search phrases to bring
traffic to your website.
· Meta tags; what are Title, Description and Keywords tags and
how should you format them for better search engine positioning.
· Content changes; are you making the most of your website content
to attract and convert visitors.
· Search engine submissions; where to submit your website and
how often should it be done.
· Quick Tips; a host of small changes that you can make to assist
in your SEO campaign.
· What not to do; SEO techniques that you should avoid.
In addition,
I will be happy to answer your SEO related questions, which you can
submit directly to me at andy@proranking.com. If you have a problem
with your website or simply want clarification on a SEO technique you
have heard about, be sure to email me. Each month, I will answer a selection
of the best questions and publish the answers.
I look
forward to sharing with you the information and advice you need to ensure
that your website is better positioned on the search engines. With some
minor changes, a larger slice of the 700+ million Internet users will
discover your website.
Bio:
Andy Beal
is Vice President of ProRanking.com, specialists in professional search
engine optimization. Highly respected as a source of search engine marketing
advice, Andy has had articles published around the world and has spoken
at Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Strategies conferences. Under his
guidance, ProRanking.com has grown to become one of the most successful
corporate search engine marketing companies. ProRanking.com clients
include Alaska Air, Peopleclick, Jos. A. Bank and Build.com.