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Simple Search Engine Optimization (SEO) — Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, I discussed some on-site SEO tactics that can help your website get properly indexed by the search-engines and show up for relevant searches. This week I will continue with an explanation of off-site factors – namely inbound links, and give some recommendations about hiring an SEO company.

Links Coming In From the Outside

The third key of simple SEO is getting other websites to link to yours. Basically, if other sites are linking to pages on your site, then the search engines assume that your site has useful, relevant content. Links from other sites are essentially “votes” for your website. Of course, some websites have a bigger vote than others.

PageRank is a score that Google assigns to every web page, based on a top secret algorithm they are always tweaking. What is basically known about PageRank is that it is based on the factors I have discussed previously, and especially on the value of those incoming links. Generally, Google prefers pages with larger PageRank, so during a search, assuming the relevance of more than one site is about equal (meaning that the keywords searched for were found on the page), Google will then check out the PageRank to determine what order to display the results. Needless to say, improving your site's PageRank is a worthwhile goal. In addition, PageRank determines the weight that links to other sites have, so if you have an incoming link from a high PageRank website, it will be more valuable than an incoming link from a low PageRank website.

There are other subtle factors which determine your PageRank, as well as your over-all location in the Google search results for various keyword phrases. The text that makes up the link to your site from the external site can be important if you are targeting certain phrases, and of course the page's relevancy to the search query will play a big part as well.

Improving Your Site's Rankings

You don't need to be an expert to improve your own website's status with the search engines. Having a basic understanding of how the search engines determine rank & relevancy will help you when crafting content for your pages and pursuing outside links.

You can do very well by following these guidelines, continually adding new, useful, relevant content to your site and building up linking relationships from other well-respected websites.

If you are tempted to hire a dedicated SEO professional, do your due-diligence. If they are promising you “Guaranteed first-page rankings!” ask a few questions like:

  • What keywords are they promising you first-page results for? If they are obscure phrases that no-one searches for, there is no value to being on the first page of results for them. Make sure the keyword phrases they are proposing make sense to you – based on what your own keyword research has suggested, or at least what you feel your own customers would be searching for.
  • What methods do they use? If they are using “black-hat” techniques, be very wary about hiring them. Many search engines view these tricks as “search engine spam” and if they determine that your site is “spamming” them, they will likely ban your website from their index altogether. This is not an easy situation to rectify, so I highly suggest you avoid it at all costs.
  • How much will it cost? Make sure you understand the entire fee structure. Are there up-front costs? What are the monthly fees? Will you be charged for additional expenses (like online advertising, etc)? Also, check about long-term service agreements – if you are unhappy with the service, will you still be locked-in to a full year contract?
  • What sort of satisfaction guarantee do they offer? If you aren't getting the ranking or the traffic they promised, what sort of cancellation policy is there? Can you get a refund?

If you do hire a professional, make sure you track their results – keep an eye on your website traffic, and also your conversions – if they are sending unqualified traffic to your site, it's just a waste of money. Remember, your goal is sales, not just traffic.

Web Action Steps

  • If you have a website currently:
    • Check your site's PageRank.
    • Check out the number of back-links you are getting (Go to www.Google.com, and type in “link:http://YOURWEBSITE.COM”)
  • Investigate ways to get relevant websites with high PageRank to link to you. Publishing articles on their site, posting thoughtful blog comments, and getting into their “recommended resources” list are all good options.
  • Remember that PageRank changes slowly over time, so monitor your own PageRank no more frequently than monthly. Don't get obsessed.
  • If you plan to hire an SEO professional to manage your website rankings:
    • Make sure that you've got all the basics covered first.
    • Research possible SEO companies carefully.
    • Ask the questions outlined above.
    • Check for testimonials and references.
    • Search online for negative feedback about the company or their services.
    • Make sure you have an idea of what would be the best key phrases for you to use before you hire the SEO company, and compare your list to their suggestions.
    • Use your common sense and your instincts – if something doesn't feel right, don't hire them.

Once you have a search-engine-friendly website, work to increase your PageRank to improve your position in the search results. An SEO professional can help you improve your rankings, but choose one carefully if you decide to go that route. If you need help creating an optimized website for your business and formulating a plan, please contact me about how I can help you.