Archive for the ‘Search Engine Optimisation Advice’ Category

Approaching SEO From The Right Mindset

Search engine optimisation isn’t something done according to a textbook. There’s a sharp learning curve. There are plenty of sources of advice for the SEO newcomer, but if you’re operating a business and are using an SEO consultancy for your optimisation, you don’t want to go to all the trouble of learning SEO yourself.

Part of the joys of hiring a professional for search engine optimisation is it removes the need to master SEO. You can talk to us about this at SEO Consult. A basic understanding of what your consultant is talking about is all you need. Or is it?

Here are some elements of SEO that are often undervalued.

*Flexibility. Planning counts for a lot with SEO, but the unexpected, which you can’t plan for, often happens. Too many businesses mar their SEO campaigns by refusing to be flexible with their plans. Some of the best SEO campaigns have occurred because a business has realised that they’re headed in entirely the wrong direction and has been willing to explore a new area.

When approaching SEO, it’s good to be open to the trends and fluctuations of the net. Businesses are often surprised at the keywords and methods that their SEO companies come up with. Approaching the process with an open mind can land you huge rewards.

*Good sense. Not many of the instructions that SEO experts issue are meant to be taken literally, but this is just what some companies do. If an SEO professional advises that text is central, this doesn’t mean that you should get rid of all of your images. Most site owners are entirely capable of applying good sense to the advice they receive, but SEO is a technical area and it’s easy to become confused. If you’re in doubt about the path to take, either ask your SEO company or do some research within the SEO community.

*Don’t sweat the small stuff. There is only so much you can do at one time with your site’s search engine optimisation. It’s easy to get caught up in the number of options you have. Sure, its’ possible to optimise every one of your pages, build links, set up several social media profiles, blog, participate in forums, optimise for several search engines and run your own podcast. The thing to remember is that you don’t have to do all of these things at once. Luckily, SEO is a long-term process. If you’re not able to do something right now, shelve it for later. Although the ideal situation is to get your optimisation all set up and ready to go, things can be done one at a time.

*A willingness to take advice. This is one of the most important things when it comes to SEO. Many SEO professionals despair because their clients take on only part of the optimisation plan mapped out for them. If you hire a professional, it’s important to trust what they’re doing and follow their advice. The SEO industry is big on client education. Most SEO firms will be happy to discuss your questions with you.

The Things You Don’t Want in SEO

When you optimise your site, your focus is naturally on the search engines. It is important to remember that the search engines are not actually the ones that are going to generate your revenue. The users you attract to your site, and what they do once they’re on it, are the really important thing to your business.

This is something a lot of companies unfortunately forget. It is an oversight they eventually regret, when they are unable to boost their pages beyond a certain level in the rankings due to a lack of good reputation.

Much can be avoided by choosing the right search engine optimisation company and it can help to thoroughly enquire into potential companies before you decide. You can talk to us at SEO Consult about any of your optimisation concerns. If you decide to do SEO on your own, there are some significant errors that you really need to avoid.

Machine-focussed content

It is actually very easy to work keywords into content. There are a large number of software programs that will work up pieces to your specifications once you type your keywords in. Search engine spiders are happy to munch up ‘Looking to regarding [puppy sales] when you redefine generous [puppy tips] on creative lunch hour.’ The vast majority of users will look at this for a moment, frown briefly and never come to your site again. This can not be good news for your bounce rate. Machine-generated content isn’t actually the only poor content to avoid. Badly written content with spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and lack of logical thought is just as potentially harmful to the prospects of your site. With content making up such a big part of your site, it is really worth investing in good writing.

Clunky keywords

Most site owners should be aware that keyword stuffing is a bad thing in SEO. Keyword stuffing isn’t the only thing you need to worry about. In an eagerness to get their keywords in prominent positions, some sites will feature the same phrase three times in a very short paragraph. This can still set off search engine filters, and it may constitute a deterrent for users. Using keywords in a clumsy way by forcing them into titles and ill-fitting content will also put users off.

Too many irrelevant pages

To get around the keyword stuffing issue, a lot of sites create and link in pages with relevant keywords. While the search engines may lap up three hundred pages about puppy training, most human users will shake their heads and walk away in bemusement. It is imperative that an online business makes the effort to add pages of related content to your site. It is your responsibility to ensure that all content is relevant and of genuine interest

Overdone links

Despite what a lot of those in the SEO community would like to believe, users do notice the tricks used to optimise within content. Hyperlinks, bold words and italicised text all annoy users and search engines if overdone