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Search Engine Optimisation - What exactly is it, how does it work, and do I need it?

Matt Harwood

By Matt Harwood,
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Matt H Newbie

Matt H

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I know it's messing around with key words in your site in a bid to get your site to the top of a search list when someone googles a particular word or phrase relevant to your business. Google have a massive guide on it.

 

But more interestingly, matt, post up some pics of that Mustang! yum!

 

Try googling a key word relevant to your business, they say if your don't appear on the first couple of pages you're loosing out. If your business relies heavily on people finding you via a search engine, then you defo need it imo, whether you need to pay someone else to do it is another issue. First things first, find out where you are on google with a few searches.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization

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DamanC Newbie

DamanC

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Hi Matt,

 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of getting websites further up the search engine ranking positions (SERPs).

 

Approx 20% is done directly on the website and the other 80% away from your website. On site SEO (the 20%) is where keywords (what a user would type into google) are added to your site, relevant on site links, relevant text, unique content etc etc.

 

The off site stuff which is what most SEO companies do (the 80%) basically involves getting links to your site from other sites. Its big big business at the moment, what use is a great site if no one can find it in a search engine? Most SEO Companies are from the east and the UK based ones tend to farm the work out to the east. Again, most SEO companies automate the service using software which creates unnatural links and in a SE point of view, is a no no and can least to a drop in SERPS and even banned from the index. Other SEO companies do it properly (white hat techniques) but often do it in an inefficient way - They will try to raise a keyword SERP that does not draw a lot of traffic, go after another keyword that is irrelevant to the searcher (EG 'Tennis' for a company that sells baseball bats) or go after a keyword that takes twice as long to raise in a SERP as another keyword but both keywords will draw the same amount of traffic. The remaining small amount of companies out there do it properly, but are not cheap.

 

Whoever you use, ask for a keyword analysis - even if you have to pay. If your SEO guy is any good, he will already have one. A good keyword analysis will contain a list of 400+ keywords with the historical data on search history from major search engines and how much competition there is out there.

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Matt Harwood Newbie

Matt Harwood

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I don't really have many pictures of it for some reason. I've just attached one, but I've lowered it since that picture was taken.

 

The guy doing our SEO doesn't have access to our website, so that's confusing. He kept mentioning 'backlinks' whatever that is. I'll have a read of the wiki link though. Thanks for that. :)

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Matt Harwood Newbie

Matt Harwood

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The off site stuff which is what most SEO companies do (the 80%) basically involves getting links to your site.

 

This must be what our guy is doing. But, what exactly is he doing? - Sorry if that's a dumb question.

 

If you type 'American Cars' into Google, we're about 10th down the list. Most of our competetors are above us, so are they doing a better job with their website, or SEO, or is our guy doing a rubbish job?

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MrRalphMan Rookie

MrRalphMan

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PC Pro did a very good article on this either this month or last month.

They normally have these available via their website, I'll have to check when I get home for the article name.

 

I did find this from a google search, might be worth habing a look.

 

It's a bit of a black art, but it was explained quite well in the article.

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DamanC Newbie

DamanC

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This must be what our guy is doing. But, what exactly is he doing? - Sorry if that's a dumb question.

 

If you type 'American Cars' into Google, we're about 10th down the list. Most of our competetors are above us, so are they doing a better job with their website, or SEO, or is our guy doing a rubbish job?

 

SEO include work on the website too as such, it could be your SEO guy is shite or your competition has good SEO techniques. As said, it is very much a black art, everyone does it differently.

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DamanC Newbie

DamanC

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I have just looked at your competition (top 3 results for 'american cars'. The top site is heavily optimized, but is an awful site. The next 2 sites are better and are fairly well optimized. If your SEO guy was any good he would have you at position 2 within 3 - 9 months.

 

How long has he been doing it?

 

Whats your web address and Ill show you the work he has actually done to date.

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Matt H Newbie

Matt H

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This must be what our guy is doing. But, what exactly is he doing? - Sorry if that's a dumb question.

 

If you type 'American Cars' into Google, we're about 10th down the list. Most of our competetors are above us, so are they doing a better job with their website, or SEO, or is our guy doing a rubbish job?

 

Nice :thumbs:

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Matt Harwood Newbie

Matt Harwood

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Your example of a google search might not be what people would search for when trying to find your site, using 'American Car imports' shows that you are at number two which isn't so shabby.

 

Fair comment. But if you were looking to buy a Mustang, what would you enter? - I just entered 'Mustang for sale', and if you select pages from the UK, we aren't even on there! (Well, I got bored after page 5 :D )

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Chris Wilson Experienced

Chris Wilson

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This must be what our guy is doing. But, what exactly is he doing? - Sorry if that's a dumb question.

 

If you type 'American Cars' into Google, we're about 10th down the list. Most of our competetors are above us, so are they doing a better job with their website, or SEO, or is our guy doing a rubbish job?

 

You could do a bit of freebie job and mention your site in your sig on here :) What is it Matt?

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DamanC Newbie

DamanC

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Hmm, that would be very interesting. He's been doing it for about 5 years now. Probably longer!

 

Our website is http://www.newport-imports.com

 

I'd be very interested to see what you can find :)

 

You have 140 Backlinks form a quick check which unless he has been at it less than 3 months, is dredful. Quality of backlink is poor and the main anchor text to your site is the company name. In short, he hasn't a clue.

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imi Newbie

imi

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Hi Matt,

 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of getting websites further up the search engine ranking positions (SERPs).

 

Approx 20% is done directly on the website and the other 80% away from your website. On site SEO (the 20%) is where keywords (what a user would type into google) are added to your site, relevant on site links, relevant text, unique content etc etc.

 

The off site stuff which is what most SEO companies do (the 80%) basically involves getting links to your site from other sites. Its big big business at the moment, what use is a great site if no one can find it in a search engine? Most SEO Companies are from the east and the UK based ones tend to farm the work out to the east. Again, most SEO companies automate the service using software which creates unnatural links and in a SE point of view, is a no no and can least to a drop in SERPS and even banned from the index. Other SEO companies do it properly (white hat techniques) but often do it in an inefficient way - They will try to raise a keyword SERP that does not draw a lot of traffic, go after another keyword that is irrelevant to the searcher (EG 'Tennis' for a company that sells baseball bats) or go after a keyword that takes twice as long to raise in a SERP as another keyword but both keywords will draw the same amount of traffic. The remaining small amount of companies out there do it properly, but are not cheap.

 

Whoever you use, ask for a keyword analysis - even if you have to pay. If your SEO guy is any good, he will already have one. A good keyword analysis will contain a list of 400+ keywords with the historical data on search history from major search engines and how much competition there is out there.

 

Good Post.

 

Also worth bearing in mind that each search engine leverages this in different ways - so while one approach might work wonderful for Yahoo, Bing, etc - might not exactly get you up the results on Google - you'll be there but like you said on page 5 or later which is fairly pointless.

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Matt Harwood Newbie

Matt Harwood

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You have 140 Backlinks form a quick check which unless he has been at it less than 3 months, is dredful. Quality of backlink is poor and the main anchor text to your site is the company name. In short, he hasn't a clue.

 

Daman, you seem to know quite a lot about this... You know what I'm going to ask next :D

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