A Brief Introduction To SEO

First, some definitions are in order.

Internet Marketing

The commercial functions involved in transferring goods from producer to consumer via the Internet; particularly the processes implemented by sellers to attract buyers.

Search Engine Marketing

The process of attracting buyers to a web site via listings on search engines for the purpose of transacting business.

Search Engine Optimization

A general term used to describe specific techniques that can be used on websites to rank high in search engines for specific keywords, resulting in increased visitor traffic to a web site.

For many small businesses that have invested large sums of money into an attractive, user friendly web site, there is a belief that once they have a web presence, visitors will flock to their site. Much to their dismay, they discover that this simply isn’t the case. Just as a retail storefront is absolutely worthless without customers walking in the door, a web site is useless without visitors.

Having a compelling, effective web site on the Internet is the first step in building the online presence for your business. However, a web site is virtually useless without visitors. Attracting visitors to your web site and developing a legion of regular users of your web site content takes time to build and should be a focused part of your overall marketing plan.

Attracting Visitors is the Core of Internet Marketing

To begin attracting traffic to your web site, ensure that your URL (web site address) is listed on items that your existing customers routinely receive, such as business cards, invoices, advertisements, and flyers. Your existing customer base is an excellent initial source of web traffic. If you operate a bricks and mortar location, in store displays announcing the birth of your web site are also helpful.

To begin attracting visitors from the Internet at large, it is important to understand just exactly how most people find web sites. Consider your own Internet habits as an example. If your web site and your products and services serve a specialized market, then it may be safe to assume that your audience will display similar traits and web surfing habits as yourself. Participating in online discussion forums (with your URL included in the signature line of your messages), banner advertising on other popular web sites that are information resources for your industry, and advertising in e-mail newsletters particular to your audience are good marketing options to explore.

If you are like most Internet users, when you are looking for something specific on the World Wide Web, you probably use some sort of search engine or directory, such as Google, Yahoo!, AltaVista, Lycos, etc. In fact, according to a GVU Users Survey, 84.8% of Internet users use search engines to find the content they are looking for.

How Search Engine Marketing Increases Web Traffic

Search engine placement is considered to be the most effective, and definitely most cost effective, method of Internet marketing. In a study released by ActivMedia Research in September 1999, Search Engine Positioning was ranked as the #1 website promotional method used by eCommerce sites. Even though this study is slightly dated by technology standards, the result is still accurate.

For a better look at how people find web sites, let’s look at data from a survey conducted in April 2000 by IMT Strategies (www.imtstrategies.com):
“Top Ways Websites are Discovered”

Banner ads: 1%

Targeted email: 1.2%
TV spots: 1.4%

“By accident”: 2.1%

Magazine ads: 4.4%

Word-of-mouth: 20%

Random Surfing: 20%

Search Engines: 46%

As you can see, search engines account for almost half of the traffic generated by web site users. Focusing on word of mouth marketing and search engine placement are, therefore, critical to the success of your web site.

In order to generate a lot of web site traffic from search engines, your web site must appear within the first two or three pages of search engine results.

Search engines typically rely upon software programs called spiders or crawlers to surf the Internet and index content. As such, there are a number of tasks that must be completed in order make a web site search engine ready. The term “search engine optimization” is commonly used to describe the tasks associated with making a web site readable by search engines in such a manner as to give the web site the best odds of receiving a high relevancy ranking when a user performs a search containing certain keywords.

The Process of Search Engine Optimization

In fact, keyword selection is the first, and probably most important, step towards obtaining high search engine rankings. Remember, search engine users are after specific information, so it is our job to make sure that we define those keywords that most appropriately describe the information contained on a web site.

After defining keywords, an existing web site must be analyzed to ensure it meets certain parameters that will increase search engine ranking. If this analysis turns up any problems with the page that may impact search engine positioning, then these pages must be optimized. Once optimized, it is important to then submit the newly optimized site to search engines, monitor positioning of the web site, and work on increasing the number of reputable web sites that link to your own, as this is a factor that some search engines use in their ranking schemes.

Any business owner that has had experience with marketing and advertising understands the value of attracting qualified buyers. On the Internet, this is done through a variety of means, and by far the most important is to ensure that your web site ranks high in all the major search engines for the keywords which people will actually use to find your particular product or service. What better prospect is their than somebody that is actively searching for your product or service?

As with traditional marketing, there are many things that one can do for themselves to attract business. However, most businesses recognize the value of seeking professional assistance with their marketing. It is no secret that hiring marketing professionals and placing print, radio, and television advertisements can be expensive, especially to the small business owner or a startup company with limited operating capital. Typically, Internet marketing cost figures are no different.

If you are interested in learning more about search engine optimization, we have several resources to assist you. This blog contains numerous articles and tools to assist you in your SEO efforts.