The practice of website optimization, also known as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is now an essential part of the web design process. That is if you ever want to stand a chance of being found. Website optimization is basically the technique of making a website more appealing to Google, Yahoo and Bing so that they might place your website higher than the competition's in the organic search results. Once you start spending a bit of time on the internet researching website design, it won't be long before the subject of website optimization starts cropping up all over the place. The reason for this is simple, you are Mr Nobody without it!
What is involved with website optimization?
There are three main areas of website optimization. Firstly, inserting strategically placed keywords throughout the website. Secondly, making sure the structure of your site is search engine friendly. And finally, the hardest bit of all, creating plenty of quality backlinks to your website from other sites. To explain in any great detail what is actually involved with each of these areas would take several lengthy SEO articles to cover the subjects properly. The purpose today is to explain in general terms what website optimization is all about.
You must understand how the search engine programs think
Website optimization is a real tightrope walk, you not only have to make sure that your potential customers are able to read it clearly but you also have to be aware of how the search engine programs will want to see it too. And that's the tricky bit! Search engines see your website very differently to how you and I do. Their automated programs (web crawlers) are not interested in how slick the design looks, how many fancy pictures, videos and flash special effects you have built in. The only criteria that they use to judge what your website is about is by having a thorough look at your HTML code that is hidden behind the scenes. So you'd better make sure it's spot on!
You have to weigh up cost against time.
Website optimization is not only very important but it is also extremely time consuming when done properly, especially if you are in a very competitive sector. I will not sugar soap this, if you intend to do it all yourself, be prepared for a lot of hard work if you want to get to the top of the search results. Website optimization can also be very frustrating, there always seems to be one more thing that you need to do. It could take from a week to several months of slogging away at your SEO before you start reaping the rewards of all that hard effort. If this seems like too big a task to take on, then your next call should be to an SEO specialist. If you are lucky enough to find a good one with plenty of experience, they will do a far better job than you could ever possibly achieve. There is an old saying "Time is money!" The benefit of going down this route is that it will free you up to focus more on all the other important aspects of running your business.
Wouldn't it be easier to just use advertising programs to bring me traffic?
The final thing to throw into the mix is the use of advertising programs (sponsored links) to promote your site, the well established Google Adwords being one of them. If you are hungry for traffic it is very tempting to want to go for this quick fix option and side step the time and effort that you will inevitably have to spend on website optimization. In theory advertising programs seem like a great idea, but in practice there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. Firstly, be warned, you will need very deep pockets, there is a very real cost for using Adwords. You will be hit with a charge every time somebody clicks on your advert, this could vary from a few pence to several pounds per click, depending on how competitive your sector might be. Trust me, the money will soon rack up. Another area that is often overlooked using Adwords, is the surprisingly large amount of time that you will actually need to invest in managing your advertising campaign to keep you at the top. For a small growing business, there is only one valid argument for taking this approach, and that is as a stop gap strategy while you are waiting for your new website to start appearing in the search results.
Website optimization might take more time initially, but if you stick with it and finally succeed in getting to the first page, you will then be driving plenty of traffic to your website and it will all be for free!
Mike is an SEO specialist at spearheadprojects.co.uk, occasionally he takes time out from work to provide free, straight talking and honest advice to help out novice web designers. His mission is to demystify the world of website optimization and to help people get to grips with their new diy website builder. Copyright 2010
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