Where_Is_My_Site
| Where Is My Site?
Where is my Site?
The number one question I get these days from clients and
website owners is related to “how do I get better search engine
results?” Everyone wants to be listed at the top of internet
searches in hopes that it will bring more business. There is
some good news and some bad news. Although there are ways to
virtually guaranty that a site will appear near the top of
targeted searches, it is a continuously moving target, takes
constant attention, and no one strategy is appropriate for all.
First of all, remember that search engines are just one
component of marketing your website and in turn your business.
Others include listing your internet address (URL) on business
cards, telephone messages, literature, advertisements, signs,
promotional items, and everywhere else you interact with your
market. A comprehensive and consistent strategy is the key.
Regarding the specific question of internet searching, here are
a few important points.
1. Search Engines are databases. A site must be listed in the
database in order to achieve any position at all. Listing is a
result of registration. 2. Web site design along with careful
placement and density of content, long the holy grail of search
engine optimization (SEO), is important, but less so than in the
past. As the search engines continue to develop, they strive to
imitate the human searcher, so realistic, useful, and relevant
content far outperforms that formulated to “fool” the system. 3.
Some of the most elegant and beautiful looking sites incorporate
special designs such as flash and multimedia, which inhibit the
ability of the search engines to digest and therefore catalog
your site, rendering it virtually invisible. 4. Links from other
sites is increasingly important yet often overlooked. The more
your site is discovered through searching other popular sites,
the higher it’s perceived importance and therefore ranking, by
the search engines. 5. Your position today may be quite
different from your position tomorrow due to an ever changing
landscape. Maintaining top placement requires frequent attention
and care. A regular program should be employed.
With US 2004 Holiday figures tallied, the internet scored gains
of 25% over prior year, or approximately 4-5 times the growth in
the traditional market place. Careful and intelligent use of
your resources and strategies will allow you to gain a larger
portion of this increasing pie.
About the author:
John Geiger owns and operates the local affiliate of WSI
Internet Consulting and Education, a Toronto based global
network of consultants, developers and production centers
providing turn-key internet business solutions for small and
medium-sized enterprises. He can be reached at 828-320-5929 or
www.webmasters-wsi.com
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