At one point or another, you’ve heard the term Search Engine Optimization, but do you understand what this phrase means? Generally speaking, SEO is a complicated, detailed, ever-changing process designed to ensure your website appears higher in search results for specifically selected keyword terms.
Can I let you in on a little secret?
Here at Power Marketing, we take great pride in our transparency, strictly adhering to an honest, truthful approach in everything we do. It’s important to point out a harsh reality regarding this vital marketing strategy: successful Search Engine Optimization can only be performed by dedicated specialists—period. Throwing keywords against the wall to see what sticks won’t produce results. Implementing every technique in the most up-to-date SEO manual by yourself can prove futile. Why?
The giants of the search engine world (Google, Bing, etc.) purposefully leave many of the intricacies of their algorithms undisclosed. However, they offer generalized guidelines to help website owners create content that they feel serves the greater good, providing relevant results to posed queries.
Spiders, Pandas & Penguins, Oh My!
Thousands of books and resources are available to help explain both the rudimentary and finer points of SEO, but allow us to present a quick overview of what is involved.
The following may sound like a science fiction movie, but this is what occurs. Search engines frequently use robots, called spiders, to crawl websites. This artificial intelligence notes keywords, relevant content, functioning links—and even image load times—to name just a few. This information is then returned to the search engine for proper indexing. Crawled websites are then categorized on various criteria, earning a specific ranking determining where pages will be placed relative to search queries.
Google frequently changes its criteria about what makes a website relevant. What made a website appear first in search results before a Panda, Penguin, or Hummingbird update (it’s even a mystery why these revisions have been given animal names) may now be considered a disadvantage. Excessive penalties can cause your site to be buried beneath the competition—and everyone knows appearing anywhere but the front page of search engine results isn’t a good thing.
Do you want to be the person responsible for overseeing your company’s SEO, or would you rather have a team of specialists dedicated to ensuring positive search results?
The Good Guys Vs. The Bad Guys
Frequent web content alterations regarding what search engines view as relevant have become necessary. Unscrupulous site owners frequently look to circumvent the system, taking the easy route to gain exposure even when their content isn’t pertinent to users. These underhanded methods are called “Black Hat Techniques,” sooner or later resulting in severe penalties for the culprits. Valuable, germane content created strictly with the user in mind, “White Hat Strategy,” is rewarded with better placement in search results.
If your current website design hasn’t been recently reviewed, it’s entirely possible you’re being penalized without even knowing it! Failure to examine your site after each SEO update can have disastrous results. The techniques you used before an update could be considered Black Hat afterward. You owe it to your business to reassess your website, ensuring no unwanted fingerprints hindering your site’s exposure are left behind.
SEO Is A Marathon, Not A Sprint
A well-structured SEO and local SEO campaign does take time to produce results. It’s a gradual process involving constant on-site and offsite attention, consistent nurturing, and detailed care. Just as planting a seed will progressively pay off in full-born fruit, implementing a detailed SEO strategy will, in time, increase visibility. Patient, persistent attention is required to ensure your website organically receives maximum exposure.
It is, however, essential to note that strictly focusing on SEO is the equivalent of placing all your eggs in one basket. A truly successful marketing campaign consists of multiple well-constructed techniques and strategies. If you would like to learn more about how Power Marketing can help your business achieve your marketing budget’s desired results, please get in touch with us at 615.257.0057 or click here to schedule your free, no-obligation 30-minute SEO consultation.