Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization is the process of modifying a website with the goal of ranking better in the search engines for a specific keyword phrase, ultimately leading to an increase in the organic traffic volume to a website.  As part of an overall Internet Marketing Campaign, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is based around the Search Engine’s lengthy algorithm, which is made up of variables such as the age of the domain, the speed of the pages being downloaded from the server, whether or not there are keywords in the domain name, the keywords used in the Title Tags, Meta Keywords,  Meta Description, and many more variables.  In fact, Google has over 120 different variables that it uses to determine rankings. 

A good way to look at the SEO of a website is to know that no website is perfect, the industry is all about making the website as least imperfect as possible.  In this instance, SEO is more like Golf than anything else, no one has a perfect swing, instead, everyone tries to have as little mistakes in their swing as possible.  In fact, SEO is quite similar to Golf in another aspect, golfers strive to shoot as low as possible, and the SEO Company strives for low rankings.

In order to better explain what search engine optimization (SEO),  why don’t I just take you through the steps through the eyes of a customer.  John Doe owns a company and wants to show up better for the search engines, he thinks that the online marketing industry is where he needs to spend his budget.  He has a website, but is not very happy with it is not everything that he has wanted and does not represent his company well.  He goes online, and does his homework in the process.  Not only is he learning about a new industry.  He is also discovering that there are many different paths that he could take in order to accomplish his goal of not only having an excellent online presence through his website, but also having his website generate leads.  Eventually, John contacts a search engine optimization company.  He can do this either by phone or by e-mail.  About half of the time, the initial conversation is initiated through e-mail by filling out a form, the other half of the time it’s a phone call that initiates the conversation.  Either way, once the search engine optimization company has been contacted.  John is sure to receive plenty of feedback.  Now John turns into a mediator.  He has to determine which of these companies who have all submitted proposals follow up with phone calls followed up with e-mails and the like is the best company for him.  Some companies are more aggressive than other companies, some companies have a salesperson who knows little about SEO, while others have technicians who answer phone calls.  Ultimately, it is not the techniques, or the beautiful presentations, or the long phone calls, but rather, the person who John feels the most comfortable with that ends up earning the business.

Of course, the company that is awarded the contract is not just given the contract because they have a nice person on the other end of the line.  They are given the contract, because they have the ability to back up what they’re talking about, and the knowledge to wade through the turbulent waters of the search engine optimization industry.  Due to the fact of the search engine optimization industry is always changing, and always has different rules, it is absolutely essential that the person or company that is taking care of John eats, sleeps, and breathes SEO.  They must know the industry backwards and forwards.  It’s not always about what’s going on with your clients and how SEO pertains to them, rather it’s what the search engines deemed to be important that matters.  It is the job of the search engine optimization firm to determine how what the search engines deemed to be relevant effects their clients, not the other way around.

When you consider that Google has over 120 different variables in its algorithm, it is easy to understand why a search engine optimization firm, must be on top of things in order to obtain results for their clientele.  So, how does one understand an algorithm that no one other than Google truly knows.  The answer to this riddle is experience!  Experience is the badge of honor that any true search engine opposition firm wears proudly on their chest.  Only experience can allow someone who is performing SEO to truly be able to answer the myriad of questions that inevitably will pop up during the course of a contract term.  For example, why is it that a certain number of the pages on my site show up in the supplemental results provided by Google.  Or, why is it that I can’t seem to get this page to show up in the rankings even though I know that there are other pages ranked ahead of me and have a lot less content.  The answer to these questions opens up the door for even more questions.  In the case of supplemental results, it can be something as simple as duplication of content, or in the case of not performing as well as the competition, it could be something as simple as the lack of relevant links pointing to your site.  Of course, it is not always this simple, and in some cases the answer is more difficult than it might seem at first.  This is especially true when considering the fact that there are most often times millions of pages that your site is competing against at any one time.

So what is search engine optimization?  Is it merely a technique?  Or, is it the ability to apply a technique, knowing a given amount of variables, and based on the experience one receives by actually performing SEO.  I say it is the latter!

One might wonder why a web design company chooses to place so much emphasis on Internet Marketing. After all, the two really are two totally different specialties. On one hand there is a company full of designers (artists) and programmers (engineers) and on the other hand there is a marketing agency (advertisers and statisticians). So, why the combination? The answer is more biology than anything else. What? How does this all tie into biology? It is quite simple actually: evolution!

In business just as in life, you must evolve to survive. Therefore, slowly but surely, search engine optimization firms and web development firms began to appreciate how the other might create a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. In some cases, it is an internet marketing firm taking the first step and obtaining the services of a web developer, or web development firm; and in other cases is the exact opposite. It is not unlike the relationship between chocolate and peanut butter; both are great on their own, however, the combination is absolutely delightful!

It really doesn’t matter how or when the combination began, only that it has happened. In our company’s case, it was the request of clients that peaked our interest.  This brings new meaning to the phrase “the customer is always right”.  Were they ever! With the writing on the wall and the requests coming in with each new client, the need for Internet Marketing was born out of necessity.  Survive and advance!