SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is the processes and tasks involved in achieving high search rankings on search engines for a given set of keyword phrases. This can be accomplished during the development of a new site or by adjusting content on an existing Web site. Obviously, the keyword phrases chosen should be phrases your target site visitor is likely to be searching for.
Search engine optimization also often involves the task of link building which involves getting other Web sites to link to yours in a specific manner
A billion searches are run on Google, Yahoo, bing!, Ask and other less popular search engines every day. These searchers are looking for something… is it your service or product? Unless your site is listed on the first page of the search engine results for keyword phrases describing your product or service, you've failed to connect with that prospective customer. Most people simply don't look past the first page of the search results! Can you afford NOT to be there?
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| Success! Search Engine Optimization work performed for Jet Fabricators has resulted in their maintaining the #1 result in the natural search results over the past several years. #1 out of 1.7 Million, not bad!!! |
So how does BANG! optimize your Web site to achieve first page results? The best approach is to start with keyword research and determine what your prospects are even looking for. This should happen before your site is even designed, or at least before copy writing and navigation is set in stone. Why? Because search engine optimization should be performed as the site is being built. SEO after the site is complete is more expensive than performing SEO during development as it requires additional passes through the site for work to be performed.
BANG!’s Step-by-Step Process to Achieve High Search Engine Rankings
- Consult with the client to learn the details of their business and develop a “persona” of their typical client. The more we learn about your business, the more effective the site will be in communicating the right message to site visitors.
- Research what keyword phrases the clients' customers really search for (as example, "search engine optimization" vs. "search engine positioning."). We have tools that allow us to query the search engines to determine which phrases people are actually searching with.
- Build search engine optimized pages for the most important keyword phrases used by prospective Web visitors and relevant to your products or service.
- Write the copy for the Web site with keyword phrases in the right balance. Insufficient keyword density (the number of times the phrase is used on the page) results in low rankings. Repeat the keyword too often and the search engines will penalize you, moving you down the results listing, perhaps so far as to move you off that all-important first page.
- Make sure keyword phrases are in the appropriate positions on the page. For example, keyword phrases that start a paragraph rank more than the same phrase buried later in the sentence.
- Properly link (anchor text) your keyword phrases within your site. As an example... search engine marketing.
- Publish and submit to the search engines a site map that lists and links to all the pages in the site.
- Invest time in generating links from related sites to yours. The content in your Web site is only one element in why a site achieves high rankings. Inbound links from relevant sites and the right keyword phrases forming the links (anchor text) are important points in achieving first page search results.
Measure your rankings... make adjustments... measure... make adjustments... repeat the process. Keyword phrases will change over time and target visitors will search in different ways. Failure to adapt will result in your rankings, and consequently traffic, fading over time. SEO should be freshened on a regular basis varying by product lifecycles or how frequently industry buzzwords change. SEO should keep pace with the changes in your industry. Frankly, the search engines will reward sites that make regular updates with better rankings anyway... Fresh is better! A site that never gets updated typically falls off of the top of the search results within a short period of time.
Search Engine Optimization by BANG! for maximum results!
Besides our experience with the tools to research keyword phrases and the frequency in which they are searched, we also have tools to measure your site’s ranking on multiple search engines. Researching this information on your own would take hours. And the results change frequently, you'd have to repeat this same effort regularly to keep it up to speed with your current position.
Is this the best use of your time? Doesn't it make sense to allow BANG! to increase your rankings and grow your Web traffic while you focus on growing your business?
It’s critical what tactics you choose when performing SEO. While great results are the goal, don't use questionable “tricks” or "black hat" tactics as a short term solution, as these techniques can result in search engines removing your site from the search results for a long time…sometimes permanently!
We are professionals, and have been developing Web sites for companies just like yours since 1996. Every day, we track and research what works in Search Engine Optimization / SEO. Because some firms use questionable tactics to "cheat", search engines constantly change their ranking algorithm. This makes the task of achieving higher search rankings an endless task of research, modification and testing.
For example, we are often asked about meta tags, with clients having been told they are the “Magic Bullet” to search engine results. While true at one time, like back in the mid 90’s it no longer works! Ask yourself this:. "If I doubled, tripled or increased my Web traffic by ten times... what would that do for my sales? How many sales would it take to cover this reasonable investment in hiring BANG!?" For most clients, the ROI (return on investment) is quick and rewards last for a long time.
Why are you waiting? Contact us right now! The sooner we get started, the sooner our SEO efforts will result in increased sales. And isn't that why you wanted your Web site in the first place?
Other methods to get Website traffic?
The information above addresses “organic” or natural search engine results. These are the non-paid listings, that show up below and to the left of sponsored (paid) results. For a discussion of sponsored listings or pay-per-click advertising see our Search Engine Marketing page.
Still have questions? Want to learn more? Click on a link below...
BANG! Web site design serves clients across the nation from four locations including South Bend Indiana and provides Search Engine Optimization services to companies large and small.
