Search Engine Optimization
A complete Midnite's website design packages include FREE Basic search engine optimization, Site Map, and W3C Validation at no extra charge. We also offer advanced SEO, and Advanced SEO with copywriting.
"I want to be #1 on Google! on __________ keyword/phrase." is the one thing we hear from clients over and over. If anyone ever actually guarantees you a #1 placing on Google - Run! Unfortunately, that's impossible to guarantee that, and SEO has become the snake oil of the internet age.
Here's an exercise I do with clients to illustrate the problem of making any kind of SEO placement guarantee.
- Go to google and plug the phrase you want to place on. We'll use Los Angeles Car Wash
- After Google searches, under the search bar there is a number telling you how many matching results there are. In this case: 7,670,000.
- Now, assume .01% hire an SEO "Specialist" that "guarantees" them the 1st page on Google. That's 700 websites that have been "guaranteed" 1st page placement. There are only 10 to 12 results per page... So much for that "guarantee".
Search engine ranking is more than keywords and metatags, it's an algorthym of dozens of different, constantly changing factors, including factors outside of your control like:
- How many other websites link to your website
- The quality of the websites linking to you
- How many people go directly to your website (ie. type in your url)
The factors with in your control that can improve your search engine ranking are:
- Proper Keywords, Titles, Content, and URLs - For each page:
- Your content should contain your keywords at about 5% density per page
- Your page title should contain your main 2 or 3 keywords for that page
- Cross linking your keywords internally
- Make your page URLs relevant to your keywords
- Make your site is error free - No W3C errors!
- A proper sitemap in XML submitted to Google Webmaster Tools and Bing Webmaster Tools
- Promote your website - get your url out there! Every direct call will help.
- Get into relevent directories, and get links on relevent sites.
- Update/change/add content regularly
- Do NOT repeat content. Each page needs to be unique, and NO OTHER SITE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME CONTENT
- Really need to be in the first 2 pages in google - use Google Adwords.
Also, remember search engines don't buy your products or use your services, so don't get so wrapped up in the pleasing the search engines that you forget about your customers! You can go so overboard with search engine optimization that your site isn't appealing, and if that happens it matter what yor ranking in Google is!