One of the most cost efficient, long term strategies for online marketing has remained SEO, also known as search engine optimization, providing websites a consistent, cost saving and long term approach to attracting online traffic from the search engines. The practice of search engine optimization is a multi-facet approach to improving a websites position in the search engines by optimizing both the website itself along with external factors that together help improve the search engine result page (SERP) position. Many times search engine optimization is handled by outside firms, but from time to time some companies handle the SEO in-house with dedicated professionals.
A successful SEO campaign has many different parts that work together to help improve the quality of the website for the use of consumers and the search engines by providing quality information to both inform and teach consumers about the subjects of the website. Search engine optimization that is run by outside professionals or by websites themselves generally consist of 3 different segments; optimization, content and link building that are all used together to create a consistent approach to help to push the SERP positions for the targeted keywords that the website is focusing on. Focusing on only 1 area will help the website start gaining traction, but working on all aspects in sync will drastically improve and expedite the results in the search engines that most websites are looking for when starting their web marketing.
Many websites decide to use the services of a hired SEO agency to manage the optimization of the website, along with providing consistent content for both on-site and off-site resources to help keep the consumers interested with a variety of mediums. Finding new locations to provide content, whether its graphic, video, text or a quote, Search Engine Optimization firms will search out potential locations while creating the proper content to fill the requirements for submission on behalf of the website. Long term solutions for search engine optimization can provide websites with consistent and reliable SERP positioning for the length of their contracts and even afterwards with a robust inbound link catalog.
SEO 101
Search engines have historically operated using algorithms, with the most infamous being the google algorithm, to determine the positioning of websites when providing search results, an extensive formula that helps determine the most qualified and informative results to answer the questions and requests of the search users. The simple way to explain how results are determined is by comparing the number of links pointing towards a website (inbound) verse the number of links on the website pointing elsewhere (outbound), sites with a greater percentage of inbound links have generally been considered to be of more authority and value to users, thus increasing their placement in the search engines.
Like any automated program, some websites figured out ways to manipulate results through unethical link practices and other frowned upon methods that eventually led to continuous changes being applied to the search engine algorithms in an effort to provide users with the best information. As search engines have continuously improved their ranking methods to deliver users the best SERP listings, search engine optimization services have worked to create the best programs for websites to use in an effort to provide the information the search engines are looking for when rendering search results. Most SEO professionals will use many of the same marketing principles for website optimization and content creation, but some of the methods or materials used will vary between every SEO company.
Types of SEO Services
Some of the most common search engine optimization services that are usually being used to an extent involve one of the 3 most common forms of web marketing. These services include:
Website Optimization
- On-Site Optimization
One of the first tasks to be completed by an SEO is to check the website interested in marketing to insure that there are no obvious problems that will impede ranking.
Auditing the website consists of checking for any broken links, missing pages or other website problems, such as coding or organization problems with pages and fixing these points before starting any off-site link building.
- Off-Site Optimization
Upon completion of the on-site audit, the SEO agency will want to starting finding off-site opportunities for back links. Searching for such instances as missing website references and citations or finding articles that are not being properly linked back in an improper way to the website. Agencies will also being reaching out to other websites with broken links and providing a current source of information for other URLs in the same industry.
Content Creation
- Article Creation
Writing unique articles for use on-site or off-site, providing new and current information relevant to the industry is important to keeping a website ranking in the search engines. Establishing a consistent and quality driven writing approach will help most websites become an industry authority.
- Infographics
Creating graphics to help explain or inform consumers about an industry topic of discussion located on the website can become a powerful SEO tool. With the simplicity and functionality of a graphic, most web pages will have begun to include an infographic to compliment and help explain their subject matter.
- Explainer Videos
Creation of unique vidoes to explain and teach industry subject matter has become an increasingly popular and common tool to build traffic. Search engines have begun showing video in their search listing making it that much more important to consistently rank in the SERPs. Most videos are designed to run between :30 - :90 seconds, enough to educate consumers while not losing their interest.
Link Building
- Article Submission
Similar to website content and blog postings, creating unique and informative content for use on off-page websites allows for links back in cases where it is allowed. Some links can be placed in the articles or can be found in the signature portion of the text.
- Blog Posting
Following some of the largest and most influential blogs for related industries, websites can leave comments in their blogs with the goal of receiving back links. Some blogs will permit do-follow links while others will only provide no-follow, every comment always provides readers the ability to click to the commenting website for more information.
- Social Media Posts
All new articles and content from the website, whether its on-site or off-site, will show up in the social media accounts with links point to the location of the new material. These links generally do not offer any effect on SERP positions, they do generate click through traffic and promote faster indexing from the search engines.
Beginning a SEO Campaign
Websites interested in optimizing and marketing their website for better search engine result page positioning will want to familiarize themselves with the various methods of link building and site optimization to insure that they are receiving the best possible SEO service from a company they can trust. Contact one of our SEO specialists at zwmg for more information about the different search engine optimization opportunities for your website.