The caveat to this is that like any retail store your entrance must entice – whatever door your customer walks in. Just think about how you respond to a website link that comes up in a query. I'll share one statistic and that is it takes 15 seconds to decide you are on a site that interests you. You are busy and you are not messing around – and neither is your potential client. Fifteen seconds is all you have to catch their interest.
However, to gain recognition by the Google bot your page or post must be between 400 to 600 words of original content including the keyword phrase or phrases - prferably in Headline 1. This is the minimum considered to speak with authority on a topic. Sourcing content from recognized content sites gives relevant content without the worry of plagiarized or duplicated material – which is a search engine no no. Credit is always given for content.
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
There is so much hype around SEO that it is painful. My website developer once told me that I didn't have enough traffic to afford an SEO expert. Is that double speak to you? It is to me. He also told me that people don't like to read much on a page so write my pages under 70 words – to fit his design. He actually told me a lot of things I believed and paid for but were not true.
Google is a search engine and to optimize your website is to know what the algorithm looks for. And, what the algorithm looks for is what you as a consumer demand from your searches: reliable information as quickly as possible. Ask yourself how often you go to page two of a search. How often to you scroll even to the bottom of page one before you get a link that interests you or know your query is not producing the results you want and you rephrase your question?
Here are 10 Statistics on SEO
http://www.intraspin.com/news/10-statistics-that-demonstrate-the-value-of-seo/
To cut it short – SEO is intrinsic to the design and functionality of your website. It is not an add on, nor is it a separate service – although you can certainly seek advice from others. Google's criteria for measuring a website is in the Google WebMasters tools. It is accessible, simple and direct and must be incorporated into the design of your website – period.
Article comments
1 - Sean D
Please take a look at the very top left of Marilyn Harding's website and see her google analytics code sitting right there: UA-10119037-2. Marilyn you need to check your website in multiple browsers. I bet you won't be able to fix it though since you are not a website designer! This is exactly why the wordpress theme route doesn't work. You actually need to know what you are doing.. It's like doing surgery yourself... It may seem really easy... but if there are complications and if you have no idea about css, you cannot fix it when you have a problem. Then you call up a professional!
GL
2 - Colin Dawson
I completely condone point number 4.
Creating a website is just the starting point, it is no use having a website if you are not going to use some techniques to generate traffic towards the site and once you receive that traffic, to be compelling to the viewer. (As I learnt the hard way in the past)!
Not many people know of the wide range of techniques that you can use to generate traffic to your site and in turn achieve a higher search engine ranking and secure leads.
Coincidentally, I have just received a mailing from a company called Intellimon, which specialize in website design software and traffic generation services. And in this mailing, they are offering a module from their Complete Guide To Traffic training course completely free for Thanksgiving. I redeemed my free module last night from a choice of 30, and have learnt so much, and am already applying these techniques to my site. The link they provided was to their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/CompleteGuideTo , I totally recommend you check it out, as you can never have too much knowledge on this subject area.
3 - Marilyn Harding
Hi Sean,
I'm not hiring out as a web designer - good thing! My frustrations and limitations with aspects of templates and plugins make me very respectful of code writers. My ultimate goal is not to be a website developer or to trash website designers.
I do know that many people looking to hook up with a good designer can save themselves money and frustration by asking some relevant questions of those they might hire. This was my intent based on my own experience and the experience of many I know. Personally I think a more informed consumer makes a better client.
And Colin,
Thanks for your comment. There are constantly changing options for traffic generation - organic and purchased. Judging from the majority of websites - if you just glimpse the source code - you will see that many do not comply with the basic Google criteria. Just doing that will set your website above the rest.
When I discovered this on my own professionally designed site written in ColdFusion and costing over $30,000.00 my question to my design company was "Pick your poison - you know this and you did not include it in the source code of my site or you do not know this and you charge me as expert web designers - which is it?". ~ mh
4 - Marilyn Harding
Just a follow up for Sean,
That error with the Google analytics number showing bothered me but I hadn't taken the time to figure it out. After it was pointed out, I contacted the designer of the WordPress "Adaptive" template and within five minutes had the code for the correction.
Tip of the hat to WordPress template designer Jeff Raines
5 - Marilyn Harding
Forgive me - Jeff Rainey - of ThemeSpectrum
6 - Magda
Link exchange is nothing else except it is only placing the other person's webpage link on your page at proper place and other person will also do similar in favor of you.