SEO for Beginners: Don’t get taken to the Cleaners

Misconceptions abound in the realm of search engine optimization, due in part to the fact that the industry is unregulated and widely misconstrued. Like the discipline of medicine or law, there are SEOs who remain firmly dedicated to providing genuine, ethical services, and there are inevitably those seeking to make a quick buck capitalizing on the naiveté of others. Gaining a practical understanding of what to expect from search engine optimization can help you make a better long term investment in your website by avoiding SEO firms that fall into the latter group.

True search engine optimization encompasses more than the presence of key phrases on your home page. It even extends beyond Meta tags, inbound links and quality content. To be included in search engine result pages, a site must exude the essence of what search engines and users alike are seeking—authoritative, intuitive, valuable and informative, meanwhile adhering to World Wide Web best practices and current navigability protocols. Effective search engine optimization involves at minimum ensuring that search engine spiders are able to fully index each page of a site and that they can identify the major theme or subject associated with each—signified by the inclusion of the most relevant key phrases. Some site owners are under the delusion that Google has some sort of obligation to find and deliver their site to users. Google, like other search engines and site owners, aims to deliver a top quality user experience, and that includes indexing and providing access to reputable web pages relevant to the topics for which its users are searching. In implementing an SEO strategy to improve a site’s search engine visibility, remember: you are the one who wants your site to appear in the search results generated by Google, not the other way around. Search engine visibility requires that a web page first and foremost be up to the quality standards the engines prefer, and that means having a navigable site structure and original, updated content. Websites should be structured such that they are navigable by search engines while preserving an emphasis on providing a positive user experience. Some code and content modifications to better comply with search engine preferences may be helpful to maximize a site’s search engine appeal.

Another misguided perception that will inevitably lead to disappointment is the expectation of instant gratification from search engine optimization efforts. Even with the benefits of having regularly updated, fresh content, establishing a site as a leader takes time, particularly if it has been launched in recent months. SEO involves a longer time investment to achieve results as compared to pay per click and other forms of advertising that provide fairly immediate exposure. In purchasing a television spot to promote your products, you are purchasing a concrete block of time during which to convey your message to your audience. But establishing your website as a premiere resource in your industry is not such a cut and dry undertaking. Search engine optimization is an art and a science influenced by many factors, and making a few simple changes to a site is not enough to affect significant improvement in search engine visibility. Many pertinent issues must be evaluated in determining the best course of action for a particular site, and the issues to be addressed vary from site to site.

It is important for site owners seeking SEO services to understand that the practice of search engine optimization is one characterized by constant change. Firms providing SEO services must remain actively engaged with a network of industry experts and stay up to date on changes in order to achieve and maintain results. In selecting an SEO firm, be wary of any company promising to boost rankings by making a few quick site modifications or pledging to “SEO” your site in one shot. Guaranteed top search engine placement and other over the top promises should signal a red flag. As the adage goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

About the Author: Pamela Westbrook is a Project Manager for a premiere search engine optimization firm based in Austin, Texas. Pamela is a graduate of the University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration with a degree in Consumer and Industrial Marketing. For more information about search marketing and PPC management, please visit http://www.arteworks.biz