Most of us by now are fairly familiar with internet search engines. In fact, I know some people that really don’t even use the browser address bar at all. Even for simple domain names or ones that are the actual name of the company – staples.com, bestbuy.ca, walmart.ca. These companies obviously spent a lot on these URLs to make them easy to remember, but some people prefer to Google everything.
So we like the simplicity of the Google search (or Bing, or Yahoo, or even YouTube sometimes). We like that we can type random things into the search bar and have it pop up with exactly what we need even before we’ve formed a complete thought.
Now let’s look at this from the other end. You have a website that you want found. How do you make this happen? How do you ‘search engine optimize’ your website, to use the lingo?
Let’s say, for example, that you want to show up in someone’s search for Calgary web design. Or maybe just more generic web design or web developer. In order to show up for these words, you need to know how Google looks for these words when people type it in the search engine.
Search and destroy…
When I type Calgary Web Design into the Google (or Bing, Yahoo, etc.) it sorts through a bazillion web pages (I think that is the statistically accurate number) that it has indexed. It grabs those pages that:
- have Calgary web design in the content of the site,
- are easily indexed by the algorithm,
- load quickly, and
- have good traffic already.
So what does all that mean?
If I want to be found for Calgary web design, I need to remember these things to make Google want to choose my website over all the other sites that want to be found for the same search term.
I need a site that does not break Google’s SEO rules, so I need keywords but I should not hide or ‘stuff’ the site with the keyword, because Google will find out. If you have great web content that mentions the keyword in around two percent of the text, it will give you a boost. If Google finds 300 Calgary web designs stuffed into one page of my website, I will be in big trouble.
It’s Not Magic, You Know
If my site is well set up, appeals to actual people that are actually looking for a web design company from Calgary, and is programmed to ensure there are no blocks to Google indexing the pages, this all improves the chance that I will get to the first page for my search terms.
An appealing, well-written, well-designed and technically superior site will bring you the biggest benefit. It does take longer to get to the first page of the search engine results, but organic search (search that is based on those solid web elements I mentioned) will get you to the top with no risk of getting blacklisted and will keep you there longer.
Want other tips on how to build a great site? Put your questions in the comments below.
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