Search Engine Optimization SEO
We've all heard we need it. We all know it will generate more business. But what is it?

SEO is not just hiring a specialist to add keywords to your site and then spam the web with links to your site. Search Engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo try tirelessly to provide their customers with the most valuable product. A search engine that returns invalid or poor results is not going to be able to maintain their customers. For this reason, Search engines are very hard to trick into listing your site higher. Sure, in the old days you could just populate your site with a bunch of keywords, meta tags and descriptions and watch it climb to the top of Google. Those days are far behind us and the most important element of SEO these days is very simple actually; comittment. If you are truly committed to your business and you are an expert in your field, you will find yourself at the top of the search engines.

If your business is going to try to attract customers on the web, really the SEO plan is just a solid model for what your committment should be.

Customer generating websites use 3 major elements:

Good Design:
Do you invite customers to your office when your desk is a mess, your windows are so dirty you can barely see through them and there's no parking because their repaving your parking lot? Didn't think so and if you do, you can stop reading here - I can't help you. If you're going to put your business out to Millions of potential customers have a plan. Don't just pay someone who says they can do it all a few hundred bucks and slap up a simple presence.Consult with a Graphic Designer who can maintain consitency across all of your marketing mediums. Work out designs with the Graphic Designer and then hire a Web Developer to build your site and make sure that the navigation is intuitive. If you are going to need photographs of your products or services, hire a professional Photographer who specializes in that department. This is your business. The photos you put on your website represent the level of products and services customers are going to expect from you. Your web site should use a site map to tell the search engines what to expect within your site.

Targeted Copy:
Content is one of the most valuable elements that you need to focus on when developing your web site. Consider when a potential customer comes to your website, they may come through a search. They may not arrive through your home page. Each page you create is an opportunity to gain or lose a customer. Grab your audience with effective headlines.

• How to plan for your website project
• Customer generating websites use 3 major elements
  

While the 1st headline stimulates some interest, the second headline is much more effective as it cleary denotes what is to follow. Additionally it adds a level of expertise.

Your website should have a glossary of terms/keywords and anchor text should be used throughout your site to link to these keywords. This provides 2 advantages - your readers will be able to look up words and terms they may not understand and the search engines will see inbound links from keywords that you want to be found under. While it is important for you to know that these items should be used, it is not your job to understand exactly how or why. Just make sure your web developer does.

Community Engagement:
So you've built a great website. Now what? You could run a radio or TV ad to try to drive traffic to your website. These are both relatively expensive options that may not generate the kind of traffic you are looking for. They could be good options for a specific campaign or sale but as an ongoing effort to create a customer base, probably not what you are looking for. The easiest and most effective way to harvest a loyal customer base is to engage your community. Be a resource that people need. Be available and responive. Most of all, be the expert. How do you do this? Social Media is the new medium that allows business' to communicate directly with their customers on a level that feels more personal. It allows customers to feel like they have a say. It gives customers a feeling of business accountability knowing that you will have to respond to them on your Social Media site. Social Media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn already have great search engine rankings so why not leverage their strength to improve your own search rankings while you provide your customers with a valuable customer service branch.

But Facebook is such a time suck!
Is it enough to just build a Facebook page and let friends know about specials and sales with your company? Unfortunately, the answer is no. We circle back to the original element for success - Committment. When you build your Facebook fan page, it needs to have strategically placed links into your company website. This is something you will need to hire an expert to do. Using the Social Networking sites together is the best way to utilize all the tools to help your web site climb the Search Engine Ranks. The good news is that if you hire a professional to set this up, you will be able to manage your Social media content all from one place and there's a good chance that you will be able to stop doing some of the more traditional marketing that could be taking up even more of your time.

The proof is in the pudding
Hanson's is a small, family business in the mountains of California. They carry every type of Display imaginable and they came to FREESTYLE in 2003 looking for SEO. FREESTYLE took them to the #1 spot on Google and they've been there ever since. To find out how, click here.