Web Design Packages (UK)

Archive for the ‘Search Engines’ Category

Well it would seem that Jo(e) Public don’t know how search engines work. According to a recent survey by FastHosts, more than 70% of UK surfers haven’t much idea on how to search using keywords or how the search results are chosen and returned in the list. 19% admitted thay hadn’t a clue!

Some think the search results delivered by search engines such as Google and Yahoo are totally random. And interestingly nearly 40% of searchers deliberately ignore the Sponsored Ads  (Google Adwords for example) and prefer to choose and click on the organic natural results.

Which of course makes it difficult to predict what users may type into an engine search box or where they might click but for sure web site owners have to optimise their web sites for relevant keywords. There is already many reports that users rarely go beyond the 1st or 2nd page of search results… and that’s where we all want to be!

So optimise, optimise and keep on optimising your web page content… oh and remember inbound links are massively important. Go get ‘em Floyd!

After years of designing and developing web sites for a myriad of small to medium businesses we often encounter the need to do SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) . Increasingly customers ask us to get their sites a TOP 10 in Google et al. This of course is not always easy !

As most clients don’t understand the technical side of building web sites they equally have little clue as to how even basic SEO works. So often their EXPECTATIONS of SEO / page ranking or search positioning are FAR TOO HIGH… certainly in the post web site launch stage.

A customer recently contacted me ONLY one day after we released his site complaining he couldn’t find the site listed in Google !!! Despite telling him it takes time and writing extensive release notes with hints and tips for better SEO.

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It’s been a while since we posted here but I am keen to once again say that our customer’s just don’t get the importance of attaining in-bound links to their web sites !!

Google Encourages It!

Ok, it;s hard work sourcing quality links/sites (useless you come by them naturally (but most don’t). The EFFORT IS WORTH IT if you want more traffic and better search positions. Google et al, encourage inbound links and outwardly say that this helps your ranking. SO DO IT !!!

What is an ‘inboundlink’?
“Inbound links are links from pages on external sites linking back to your site. Inbound links can bring new users to your site, and when the links are merit-based and freely-volunteered as an editorial choice, they’re also one of the positive signals to Google about your site’s importance… As many of you know, relevant, quality inbound links can affect your PageRank (one of many factors in the Google ranking algorithm). And quality links often come naturally to sites with compelling content or offering a unique service.”
c/o Google Webmaster

You gotta earn Google’s respect

As long as the link to your site is not on a ‘spam’ or ‘link farm’ then you (and Google) think of an inbound link as a vote of confidence, your site is respected and liked. The more respectful links to your site the better chance of being on Google’s good ranking books.

Need Help With SEO?

If the idea of SEO and inbound links daunts you or you don’t have the time to try yourself then don’t leave it to chance, get in touch as we can help you. Do nothing and your traffic will be like a bicycle with a flat tyre going through mud !!!

If you use ‘sponsored ads’ through Google Ads, Yahoo Search Marketing or similar, please be aware that Click Fraud is increasing year-on-year according to the Click Fraud Index. Q4 saw the index rise to it’s highest yet at 16.6%. That means for every 6 to 7 pay-per-click adverts, one is fraudulent which you are paying for!

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Dormant or stale websites can get demoted by Search Engines. So it’s vitally important to regularly change your web page content in order to keep the Search Engines ‘interested’ in your website.

With a new year upon us it’s a good time to be considering changing the content of your website for the benefit of not just for your prospective customers but also the search engines… after all who wants to read the same old stuff. Read the rest of this entry »

Matt Cutts (the Google SEO Guru) helps you get better website ‘searchability’ with both his renowned Blog website and latterly his on-line SEO Video Web Casts. These are full of handy tips, do’s and don’ts, FAQ sessions and general help on how to get better search listings whether you are a small or large business. Some of it is quite technical and aimed at Web Masters and Web Designers but if you want to understand the complexity of making web sites more Search Engine Friendly then you may as well get it “from the horse’s mouth” !!!

Here’s the places to look:
BLOG http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/
VIDEOS: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=matt+cutts