Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Date published: 2013-10-07
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is all about optimising your website so it ranks well in search engines. The Search Engines have the job presenting the most relevent information on a search. So their best interest lies in ranking your website correctly. So why is SEO necessary..? The simple truth is that in most cases it is not necessary.
Nobody knows what algorithms a search engine uses to rank websites, if a SEO person tells you they do - they are lying. The Search Engine algorithms are top secret. So why do so many people do SEO..? Simple answer is to take your money.
SEO is really about not being lazy and skipping aspects of your website. For your site to rank well you need to use different meta keywords and meta description and title tags on each page. If you use software to build your website then don't skip filling in these fields.
With ecommerce, time and again, I see people do skimpy product descriptions. Firstly this page will rank poorly because of a lack of text, secondly nobody is going to buy a product sight unseen and almost zero description. Photos will not sell products, you need a textual description.
Search Engines rank pages, so don't put totally unrelated products on the same page. If you sell hammers, then put the entire range of hammers on the same page. Don't put the drills on the same page as hammers though. It's just common sense.
Google also gives higher rank for "expert" websites. The more people that search for a website the higher it's ranked. You can help make your website an "expert" website by writing some articles (just like we do). Running ecommerce...? How about an article on how to choose a hammer or the different types of hammers and put it on the same page that lists all the hammers you sell!
You can also encourage search Engines to see your website as "expert" by links from other websites. Got some videos about your products? Put them on your own channel on Youtube and link your channel back to your website (saves hosting space too). Link your social media pages back to your website. Let people re-publish your articles as long as they link back. Write articles for other websites as long as they link back to your website.
- Gotchas
- Be careful of SEO experts that contact you, people who spam you are not going to benefit your business in any way.
- Tell you to change software. All the internet is run on kickbacks these days. They are probably making a bunch of money on having you move to their recommended software. Talk to us about software if you are unsure (our clients only).
- Can get you on first page. Using adwords you can get on the first page for any keyword, but at what price..? Some keywords cost $20 a click (not a sale, just a click). Some keywords are not searched for or simply don't relate to your products, in which case they are worthless.
The truth is that you can spend thousands of dollars on SEO and sales may not increase at all. Google adwords have a free tool that tells you how often a keyword is searched for - this gives you a good idea how limited your sales might be.