Why is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) so Important?
About SEO
Since your website will literally share the Internet with another million websites, an important question to ask is:
How will customers actually find your website?
There are four ways Internet users typically locate your site:
- Learning from traditional media i.e. TV, print, radio and brochures etc
- Link from another website
- Recommended by someone
- Using a Search Engine (SE) such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN etc.
You only have major control over the first method - throw enough money into advertising and everyone will know about the site. You can even buy links from other websites such as the Yellow Pages. For companies that don't have the marketing budget of a large multi-national corporation, the fourth method is the only real manner of attracting new visitors.
To make Search Engines a viable method, your website must appear in the top ten search results. Why? … Nine out of ten Internet surfers do not go past the first 30 search results. Many do not even proceed further than the top 10 results.
How do you get your website into the top 10?
An industry has arisen with the means and knowledge to answer this question. The process they employ is generalised as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
SEO Methods
eCom Plus have been monitoring Search Engine trends and working practices for the last 7 years. We believe that we are very aware of how a search engine works, and as a result, we aim to get your website found within the top 10 results for your Keyword Phrases.
There are three ways of optimising a site to be found in a search engine. These are:
HTML code optimisation
HTML code optimisation ties in with web accessibility and valid code. Search engines have trouble with image based navigation and cannot interpret objects like flash or javascript. They will simply ignore them as there is no point in proceeding if they cannot understand them. eCom Plus developers undertake this area of SEO with their deep understanding of current web coding standards and techniques.
Content Tailoring
Content tailoring involves understanding your target market and tailoring your web pages to specific keyword search phrases. This will involve making the text on your webpage relevant to the chosen keywords. An important thing to remember is not to choose too many, or too few keywords per page. Optimum keywords should be chosen before any development takes place the content of your site should make these keywords clear.
Cutting-edge optimisation
Cutting-edge optimisation, sometimes referred to as ‘Black Hat SEO’, involves exploiting a search engines algorithm to get results. This may involve ‘stuffing’ a web page full of invisible keywords, sometimes achieved by placing white text on a white background. This will give the search engine the illusion that your web site has a lot of content about a chosen keyword.
However, search engines are continually improving their intelligence and these methods are quickly being recognised. What works today, may cause your site to disappear tomorrow. eCom Plus do not work with these methods. We believe that an ethical approach to SEO, implementing the correct methods will contribute to sustained search engine positions.
Sustained Positions
Following the best recommended methods will get you positioned in search engines. However, they will not keep you there forever. Search Engine Optimisation is a form of marketing and as such is an on-going process. eCom Plus are committed to staying at the sharp end of Search Engine methods and as such, you can feel confident that by following our advice, and also our hosting package, your site will be well managed to ensure it maintains it’s optimum positions.
