• How many of your website’s pages have been indexed (i.e. “spotted”) by Google
• How many links (“backlinks”) you have from other websites
• How many times your website appears in search results

• Optimise your site for the “long-tail keywords” (3 words or more)

You can give your website greater authority by getting links from other websites.  A link counts as a vote, and Google adds up the votes to decide who should rank higher.  Link building is one area of SEO that is often cloaked in mystery.  Rather than buying links from link farms, the only way to do it properly is to post fresh, relevant content on other websites, or to take part in forum discussions or blogs.  Each of these provides you with the opportunity to make a link back to your own website.  It takes time, but the rewards are worth it.

Talk to the Preston SEO experts today - call WSI on 01772 286460.

People are searching for your products and services online.  Is your business getting found?

Marketing and advertising has come a long way in 10 years.  As recently as the mid 90s businesses were still relying on print media, TV, radio and tradeshows as their main avenues for reaching customers.  Today, not only has the medium of communication changed, but also the direction from which it is initiated.

Every business (there are few exceptions) needs a strong internet presence.  There can be little argument.

However, the fact that most buying decisions are now started by the consumer is an important fact that needs some examination.  Often the buying process is started intentionally, and sometimes inadvertently, but all internet users are swimming around in this medium, and if your business isn't a visible landmark then you risk turning into the invisible man.

Either way, the point is that if their computers aren't switched on with an internet browser open, no business in the world can hope to market to its potential customers.  Your marketing efforts, despite how targeted and relevant, are still dictated by the behaviour of your audience.

Outbound Marketing

This is the traditional method for businesses to reach their customers.  A message is pushed out from head office with the hope that it reaches a broad audience.  The hope is to catch a few individuals for whom the message is relevant at that particular moment.

Whilst such traditional media are in decline, there is still a place for TV, radio and print advertising.  But one of the problems is that we're all getting better at filtering them out.  For example, recordable TV and TV on-demand present a particular problem for advertisers.

Inbound Marketing

This is the idea that when we're searching online, we're giving out a "buying signal" (essentially we've just given Google our shopping list), and so when we're presented with a list of results we've given our permission to be sold to.  That's obvious if we're searching for digital cameras (we'd get frustrated if there were no results on page 1 that took us to a product purchase page), but equally true when searching for services or general information.

The important point is that as internet users and consumers, it's us that initiate the purchasing process.

• We tell businesses WHEN we need them.
• We tell businesses WHAT products we need.

So if your business isn't there, right at that point, then you just aren't in the game.  Every business needs a strong internet presence, and every business needs a good SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) strategy.

Contact us at WSI Internet Marketing Preston to discuss your online strategy.

We often get asked whether Search Engine Optimisation is easier on an established website.

This question has come up a number of times over the last few weeks.  Certainly when it comes to developing a brand new website (i.e. one with a new domain name, so no history of any of its pages being indexed by the search engines), a coherent SEO strategy must be included from the outset.  There is little point in leaving SEO until the website is 12 months old and you realise you've made no attempt to market your business.

But what about the other way round?  What if you already have an existing website, it's a few years old and you've done a reasonable job of keeping it up to date with your latest company information and some new pictures - is it easier to optimise this than a brand new one?

Things to consider are:

1 - Despite how often your website is (or isn't) displayed on the first page of Google search results, it is still established in terms of time.  This is good.  Time is a big factor when it comes to being favoured by Google, Yahoo and Bing.  You may not be exploiting it well enough right now but it's something to build on.

2 - In the years since it was born, your website may well have "grown".  i.e. more pages, more content.  Even if this wasn't done with any Search Engine Optimisation plan in mind, the search engines still love content, so if you've kept feeding their appetite even on a drip-feed basis, it will have done a little bit of good.

3 - In your website's long and exciting existence, it will hopefully have attracted links.  Links from other websites, other businesses, all count as a vote for your website.  Votes are a good thing.  The search engines count up the votes to decide how they will rank your website in the various search results.

However, time alone is just one small piece of the equation, and even if you've managed to achieve some of 2 and 3, these really only fall into the category of "accidental SEO".  Doing little bits of work here and there is not a sensible marketing strategy, and after all, your website is a marketing tool for your business.  One that requires managing and given some clear direction.

So, the answer?

Well, Search Engine Optimisation has the potential to deliver incredible results on an established website.  There's the time factor in its favour that a new website can never match.  There's also (hopefully) an established traffic pattern, which even though it may be low, still proves to Google that the website exists and people visit it.

There's also the added bonus of a business owner who's now wondering why his website still isn't bringing in the business after all these years, and therefore more open to suggestions for making it work.  (Or totally disillusioned with this whole web thing and will never spend a penny on it ever again!)

Contact WSI Internet Marketing Preston to avoid getting into that situation.

"Social Media Preston" - does anybody search for such a thing?

SEO and Social are the new bedfellows, so let's find out what their relationship is.

First of all, let's just answer the question to prove that we weren't being completely rhetorical.  According to the Google Keyword Tool, this is the number of Google searches performed in just one month (Feb 2010):

"web design Preston"                                  2400
"SEO Preston"                                                1000
"search engine optimisation Preston"       480
"Social Media Preston"                                       0

So, the answer seems to be no.

According to Google's own data at least, nobody in Preston is searching for Social Media.  But why not?  Especially considering that Social Media is everywhere at the moment.  Many companies are doing their own Social Media "thing", using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and the like.

So at first sight it's surprising that the number of people searching for Social Media is so far behind those looking for web designers or SEO companies.

But what's the reason for this?  Does it make a statement on how (un) tech-savvy Preston businesses are?  Or could it be something to do with the way Google records it data?  (Possibly; the numbers are often rounded and/or extrapolated).  But I think the most likely reason is that while we're all familiar with the tools of the job (Facebook, etc), companies aren't proactively looking for people to build and manage their Social Media strategy.  Usually because most businesses aren't yet thinking of Social Media as something that can actually be formed into a strategy.

It could be nervousness (...but isn't Social Media just a gimmick?)

It could be scepticism (...but how can we measure the return on our investment?)

Or it could just be ignorance (...why would the teenagers on Facebook want to read about our accountancy firm?)

Social Media is a powerful tool for Search Engine Optimisation.  It can drive traffic to a website, create brand awareness and involve the business in a 2-way dialogue with its customers.

But, for the businesses of Preston at least, Social Media still has a long way to go to enter the conscious minds of business owners and marketing directors.  Perhaps if we come back in 6 months we can test this theory again!

If you're interested in discussing your Social Media strategy, contact WSI Internet Marketing Preston.

Make sure your company is visible on Google

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is all about promoting your business and using your website as a marketing and lead generation tool

Of course, in order to do that, your website has to be "found" by Google (and the other search engines).  Every time you type something in to the search box, Google works its magic and hey presto we get our results list.

But how many times do you do a search and see your competitors websites appear?

How many times do you wonder where on earth your website is?  Sometimes it's hidden down at the bottom, sometimes it's on page 2, and worst of all it's down on page 16 somewhere, invisible to all but the most intrepid of searchers.  All of this is due to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

Question:  How does Google decide who should be on page 1?

Answer:  It's complicated!

...and sufficed to say that nobody (besides the gods at Google) has the definitive insight to Google's "ranking algorithm".  (And if you're told otherwise, that person is lying!)  As Internet Marketing professionals, we do have a very clear understanding of some of these factors, but the goalposts are forever moving and with the advent of Social Media and Google's decision to include YouTube and Twitter posts amongst its search results, the landscape (and the rules) continue to change.

But the basics will always remain.

Your site will rank well for any given search term if you focus on:

• on page factors
• off page factors

On page factors include things such as the words on each page, the positioning (and density) of "keywords" on each page, the tags (title tags, keyword tags, etc), and internal page linking.

Off page factors include things such as inbound links to your site (both quantity and quality).

Concentrating on these 2 areas will put you in good shape for Search Engine Optimisation.  They aren't by any means the only things, but you'll have a tough time if you ignore them.

Many businesses embark down the SEO pathway in a rather blind panic to "be found", under some vague notion that they need to "do well on Google".  Really though it's simple.  Decide what words you want your business to be found for.  Think carefully about your products and services, and between you and your SEO provider, agree a prioritised list of the words and phrases that will bring you the best-qualified visitors.  Sometimes it's obvious, and other times it's not, but this is where an SEO consultant will earn his money by doing the keyword research for your business and your industry.

Call WSI - the SEO Preston experts for any further information on Search Engine Optimisation.

•     the same PageRank
•     the same domain age
•     the same on page optimisation factors such as keywords in title and meta tags