It has been predicted that magazine display advertising revenues will be overtaken by web advertising revenues in 2007 (Carat). TV advertising companies are looking to the World Wide Web as an alternative to traditional advertising (JupiterResearch) as an increasing number of viewers are switching to ad-free services (Alan Sugar).

Online marketing is an attractive alternative for small and large brands to reach their target audience. Search engine optimisation is an essential element of online marketing and increases the visibility of a web site in the organic, unpaid results of the major search engines.

Effective SEO is a complicated process. An experienced and professional SEO supplier should be able to provide the following services:

Code optimisation
For maximum visibility in the major search engines, a web sites code needs to be clean and well organised. Infrastructure considerations also need to be made to ensure that search engine spiders are not faced with obstacles or given inappropriate information when attempting to access content. Code optimisation involves meeting certain web standards, applying logical structure and meaning to information and clearing the path to content.

Content optimisation
Body content must be relevant to a users search query if a page is to be selected by the search engines for the results pages. More importantly, content should be engaging, original and updated regularly to gain both the search engines and a users interest. Organisation of content, on the page and throughout the site, is paramount in determining the relative importance of chosen keywords and phrases. Content optimisation increases the relevancy of a page to a users search query and therefore its chances of being considered a good match. It can apply to copy, images, rich media and the accessibility of content.

Off-site optimisation
Due to the democratic nature of the internet, a web sites reputation is based on the volume of relevant and trusted inbound links. These are interpreted as votes by the search engines. The more votes a websites receives, the stronger its reputation will be, and the higher it will usually rank. Off page optimisation seeks to encourage the linking behaviour of relevant and trusted web sites to the target website, and thus bolster the target websites reputation.

Analytics & reporting
Understanding user behaviour and where they came from is essential for judging the effectiveness of SEO strategies and the usability of a website. Analytics can also be used to measure return on investment (ROI). Monitoring navigational paths, referring sources, content performance and conversion goals gives the information necessary for making informed decisions and visitor cost per acquisition.

Mini Audits
An initial review of a website will quickly determine exactly how much effort is required to meet objectives and a web sites potential for generating revenue. Mini audits are by no means a full search engine optimisation strategy. However, they provide a cost effective way of establishing the strengths and weaknesses of website and identifying areas for improvement.

Agency Solutions
On occasion, web design or marketing agencies require assistance with their client-side SEO work. This can either be because they lack particular skills in-house or simply don’t have the resources at that point in time. In these situations it is sometimes necessary to hire an independent SEO contractor for consultancy, training or outsourcing of services.