Yes, website design concepts must also include those tactics needed for allowing website spiders to "crawl" the site (deep scan for keywords, links, etc) and then boost the search engine rankings as a result.
There are certain basic procedures that need to be employed in order to make a website search engine friendly. Far too often, however, people will assume that link building is the only necessary item for boosting search engine rankings.
In all honesty, simply building and trading links can(and will) boost search engine rankings. However, relying exclusively on link building as part of your website marketing plan is a limited one. After all, your website is following a "single minded" approach to search engine optimization and this can create problems down the road.
After all, what happens when a link is removed or deleted? Search engine rankings take a hit! This is why it is also important to weave in search engine friendly page tactics when exploring web development.
Obviously, the website design must carefully employ the use of keywords. Keywords are those terms people type into a search engine in order to locate websites related to the subject.
If your website deals with Christmas trees, then the homepage of the website should include a number of terms associated with Christmas trees and Christmas related terms. If the site is sparse on these terms then the website designers will need to add them.
This, however, does not mean that website design should be bloated and overloaded with keywords. Such tactics are self defeating because they can lead to a poorly composed website. Also, many search engines frown upon keyword overloading and may rank your site poorly as a result.
Here is a brilliant web development tactic that many websites overlook. All it involves is simply adding a few links to the bottom of the website. Let's say your website centers on baseball. If you add five (small font) links to the bottom of the page that are popular baseball related websites you might pick up ancillary traffic.
For example, you can add links to MLB's homepage, the Hall of Fame's website and you could even link to Topps' baseball cards' website. This way, those searching for those sites may end up stumbling on your particular baseball site. Some may think this tactic is dubious, but it draws in a surprising amount of traffic if employed properly.
I get plenty of clients or potential clients telling me they need “website optimization" (Toronto or anywhere in North America). Right away, I know it’s something that their website designer said they needed. Be grateful if your website designer recommended you get a “website optimizer" because the alternative is that he/she can do it, which will ultimately result in them trying to learn on your time and dime.
The three most important money making types of optimization are:
--> Search Engine Optimization --> Conversion Optimization --> Social Media Optimization
Let’s focus on search engine optimization, and conversion optimization because 95% of websites need them the most.
To simplify, let’s stick to the ABC’s of website optimization (Toronto or otherwise):
You’ll need some search engine optimization to attract traffic because 77% of first time visitors come from search engines.
The name of the game is to rank high for a “keyword" (phrase or word people search with) related to your business’s product/service. For example, if you were a Toronto divorce lawyer, when someone typed in “toronto divorce lawyer" you want your website to rank in the top 30 results. The higher you rank the more traffic you get.
With the rules for search engine optimization constantly changing, it’s best to hire a SEO (search engine optimization) expert. Otherwise, there are some great books on the subject, my favorite is Michael Wong’s “Search Engine Optimization Strategies".
BUYING TRAFFIC
When using Google, Yahoo, or MSN have you seen the “Sponsored Links" on the right hand side or on top of the results?
Well, those are paid ads. And the advertisers are NOT paying for you to see them, but rather only when you click on them.
Do they work?
If your ads are relevant they do. Thus, only go after the keywords relevant to your business services/products.
Do they cost money?
Yes, but they go up instantly, they are controllable, scalable, and easily prove an ROI.
What about “visibility" in search engines?
The benefit of “visibility" is something magazines/newspaper sold to their advertisers because they could NOT prove a ROI. When “buying traffic" you want to BUY CUSTOMERS NOT CLICKS or visibility.
My favorite option for buying traffic is Google Adwords because of the simplicity and great ROI my clients and I get.
If you have the time and motivation, take Google’s FREE “Google Adwords" course. If you don’t have the time or motivation, but have some money, hire a search engine marketing expert to set up and manage your account, you’ll save tonnes of cash on lower costs per click and eliminate wasted clicks.
CONVERTING TRAFFIC
Possibly the most underrated aspect of website optimization (Toronto or anywhere) is converting your traffic into paying clients. The bottom-line is, it’s a lot cheaper to double your conversion of traffic into customers than it is to double your traffic.
For example:
1000 visitors = $1,000/month You convert 1% of 1000 visitors into sales = 10 sales/month
Now if you double your conversion rate, you’ll double your sales for the same cost.
1000 visitors = $1,000/month You convert 2% of 1000 visitors into sales = 20 sales/month
How do you convert more traffic? Decide right now what you ultimately want a first-time visitor to DO on your website. If you want them to ULTIMATELY fill-in a form to request more information, then put the form up front, and remove all other distracting links and copy.
There are 100s of articles on “conversion optimization" and “website usability". Look them up. If you’re hiring a “website optimizer", he should bring up “conversion optimization" on his own, otherwise look for someone else.
ROI or RIP
The bottom-line is making you money. Your website designer or the “website optimizer" can prove a ROI by giving you a free “website optimization" evaluation report, using Yahoo’s “ROI tool", or by providing ROI case studies.
If your website designer or the “website optimizer" canNOT prove return on investment (ROI) from applying the ABC’s of website optimization (Toronto), let them RIP.
Both Todd Herman & J.p Richards are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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