Terms:
SE Search Engine(s) - Google, Yahoo, MSN.
SEO Search Engine Optimisation
SEM Search Engine Marketing
Traffic Visitors to your website
What does Search Engine Optimisation mean?
SEO is short for 'Search Engine Optimisation'. This essentially refers to improving your rankings in the free listings of search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. To improve your rankings there are many factors that can be addressed to 'optimise' your website so that it has a better relevance to certain keywords. Improving your relevance, generally improves your rankings.
I have a website, why doesn't it appear in Google?
The most common misconception with websites is that just by existing it will automatically be found in search engines. This is absolutely incorrect. In almost all cases, some form of Search Engine Optimisation is required.
If your website has existed for some time, there is a reasonable chance that the search engines may have found you site and even listed it without you doing anything. That still does not mean your site is being found by search engine users for terms relating to your site.
If one of the goals of your website is to obtain traffic via the search engines, having designed and built your website is only part of the process, ongoing SEO is required to build your SE ranking and general internet presence over time. In many cases, where a website has been developed without SEO in mind, it may have to undergo some re-development for SEO purposes.
Is there an easier way to improve my search engine rankings?
The only easy way is to spend money with paid listings. This gan give you immediate prominence in search engines, although the listings appear in separately listed areas, not the generic free listings that are given the most weight with the SE users. Paid listings will continue to cost money forever.
While there are schemes boasting immediate results in free search engine listings, it is unlikely that their claims will work, while also there is most likely a high element of risk associated. There are many rules to improving rankings in search engines, if your site is found to have broken these rules, the consequences can be devastating and permanent, meaning your site can be banned from the search engine listings, with very little chance of restoration.
Where do I start with optimisation of my website?
At ANSO we refer to SEO in two aspects, the 'On Page' and 'Off Page' factors. Every SEO campaign must begin with the On Page factors of a website.
On Page refers to factors directly related to the design, layout, text and setup of your website. All of these factors can be addressed by modifying your website directly.
Off Page refers to your presence on the internet. In many ways, search engines rank your site by what others think of it. If another site has a direct link to your site, this is seen as a vote of confidence for your website. Assessent of links is one example of Off Page SEO factors. These are aspects that cannot be addressed by directly modifying your website.
Visit our SEO Services page for more detailed information.
