SEO is an abbreviation for "Search Engine Optimization."

 

SEO is the ethical (like us) or unethical manipulation of design, content and mechanical factors that help get your site ranked higher. These include:

• Adherence to accepted design standards and shorter load time.
• Relevant content - and that means text. Search engines can't read images, only text. There needs to be diligent attention to highlighting the most important words and adding some if there aren't enough already.
• Having information people want to receive.
• Acceptable html tagging and "alt tagging"
• Inserting beneficial meta tags and avoiding useless ones.
• Robots.txt files and ROBOTS meta tags.
• Links into and out of your site.
  • Popularity has a role in Google page ranking. This is literally the vote of the people. They vote with links to your site.
    • Think about this!  You put a link on your site to something you think is important and three thousand other people do the same? Do you see the logic of this? If so many people think this site is important  - why should Google disagree? The will of the people is true democracy — even in an algorithm!
    • However - Google, ever on the move with new trends, is moving away from a "popularity" rating based on incoming links alone and putting more emphasis on traffic.
    • The bottom line is - whenever a particular search criteria is negatively manipulated Google will endeavor to thwart it.

SEO is not promotion and advertising!

There are companies out there that do SEO and promotion - but pure SEO is preparation for online advertising. And for max results you need to tune it for your target search engine.

OnlinedesignFLA builds in ethical,"Organic" Optimization as we go

"Organic SEO" is aimed at getting search views in the regular, non-paid section - not the Pay Per Click sections at top and / or on the right side. This is the most desirable way to go, although sometimes nature does need a little boost. This same optimization helps you (broadly) in the Pay Per Click arena but is not the same in all instances.

OnlinedesignFLA does not use questionable SEO tactics and tricks that can get you delisted. We will tag important words, build your site to load as quickly as the technology you request (scripting, etc.) will allow. The simpler the site, the faster it loads. We can also help you manage you PPC campaigns.

Here's a very useful RSS Feed on search engine / SEO issues!

OnlineDesignFLA Policy on SEO Services:

 

We do not solicit SEO work - the majority of our SEO work is done as part of the construction process.

We are not out to compete with legitimate SEO specialists.

• There will be little for them do to a site we build. But since some are also actively involved in the marketing process, they may tweak some aspects of a page to to tailor it to a particular strategy.

We like to build relationships and real SEO involves knowledge of the client's business. You can't call somebody on the phone, hit their site with an snazzy analyzer and figure out what they need.

As we work on a client site, we learn where he or she is trying to go and we help them get there - not by tricks, gimmicks, or some new optimizing software, but by honest effort. We believe SEO should be done by someone involved in your project. Believe me, it is way cheaper that way. Truly qualified SEO specialty companies are expensive.

OnlineDesignFLA offers savvy copy editing and tagging

This can increase your search word effectiveness within existing copy - that is what the search engines really search.

OnlineDesignFLA builds web sites to strict Google design standards

These standards are a matter of policy. There is no extra charge to optimize your site's physical design - it is done automatically as it is built.

OnlineDesignFLA can help you with your Pay Per Click ad campaigns.

You need a strategy before you spend money on PPC ads.

Optimization is different for various search engines

• Google is a key word search engine that favors heavily linked sites.
• Yahoo is a directory search engine with a high priority on key word density and page titles. Yahoo favors sites with key words in the URL (web address).
• MSN puts heavy emphasis on freshness of content and they do not offer paid positioning of any kind - yet.
• Getting listed in directories is effective - to a lesser degree, but effective if in addition to major search facilities.

A happy medium is needed for overall exposure. If you go wild with key words for Yahoo, you could be penalized for "key word stuffing" on MSN. This system insures that unfair manipulation can gain you points in one place and hurt you in another.

t is wise to invest in Google Ad Words, Yahoo Search Marketing, etc if you optimize your site for the intended ad system. However, even this will not guarantee a spot at the top of the regular ("organic") listings. That is based on relevancy, site construction excellence and popularity, and thus is very fair indeed.

Using pay per click campaigns is highly recommended by OnlineDesignFLA. We can optimize your PPC ad's effectiveness by:

• Testing prospective key words for popularity.
• Monitoring which key search words (in current use) get viewed, which ones don't get viewed and which ones get click-throughs.
• Changing and adapting your list of search words - dump the dogs and keep the winners.

'Google Ad Words' amounts to a pay-per-lead system - if they click, they're at least interested. You can't get that in a print ad.

What is the importance of page rank for the "average Joe"?

Page rank is important in Google for appearing on page one of search results and doing the same in their Pay Per Click advertising campaigns. However Google Page Rank is not a factor for Yahoo searches. In Yahoo having a search term in your URL could value more for you. It is even of less importance to someone who just wants to provide information (tech help, how-to's, etc.) to existing customers. To them a national or world wide reach is irrelevant.

This is the very reason an integrated approach to developing your web site is important. Your web site is unique and has it's own personal mission - known in detail to you and your your developer / designer. We call it Integrated Solutions.

No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google - not even Google!

Don't trust people that guarantee number one rankings, or claim that they have a "special relationship" with Google.

When your site goes public you may be contacted by telemarketing people claiming that they can unfairly manipulate search engine results and push you to the top. Unethical tactics get you delisted!

Legitimate SEO companies will not cold call you. They are too busy, to call small prospects, expensive and you must find them on your own.

 

Google and Yahoo have the best engineers in the industry and they spend lots of time beating these tactics - save your money.

I see online ads and blog style videos claiming to "get you to the top in 48 hours" - bull!  They do this (when they can) by spamming social networking sites. Google and Yahoo have the best engineers working every day to stop this. Don't waste your time on something that will be thwarted in no time at all. They are like viruses - they make one hit and then are wiped out.

Let me tell you, my friends - it is legitimate value that gets you seen, year after year. The longer you stay online the more you are taken seriously by the search engines. The fly by nights, fly by night - and are gone in the morning. That is a large part of the logic of giving more value to older pages.

Set your budget

There's no minimum spending requirement--the amount you pay for AdWords is up to you. You can, for instance, set a daily budget of five dollars and a maximum cost of ten cents for each click on your ad.

Avoid guesswork

We provide keyword traffic and cost estimates so you can make informed decisions about choosing keywords and maximizing your budget. (Estimate keyword costs)

Pay only for results

You're charged only if someone clicks your ad, not when your ad is displayed. Payment options vary by country and currency. Learn more