CRM911

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
and Internet Marketing

Search engine optimisation consultant with sales and marketing experience in Nasdaq and ASX listed companies for over 12 years; someone who has built award-winning sites and has satisfied SEO clients who will provide references upon request. The home page contains information about my other services.

The wrong way to do SEO

Fill your pages with repetitive and/or hidden text that is clearly intended to fool search engines.
Link your site to "link farms".
Run automated programs that try to boost your ranking on search engines.
Submit your site to 50,000 search engines. (How many can you name?)
Choose a web designer or developer who builds functional and attractive sites but who knows nothing about SEO.
Use an SEO service that promises to get you into the "Top 10 results - guaranteed!"

Your site could get banned by some search engines if such practices are reported by a competitor or are picked up by the engine's own algorithm. Bulk submission will most certainly bring you more spam and abuse than you bargained for. Ranking in the first 2-3 pages is important, but even more important is to get the searcher to click on your link and, finally, to make the purchase (or whatever you want them to do).

How I do it

My approach is to look beyond the Web pages and into the marketing strategy behind it. I use ethical techniques that won't get you banned, so I only work with ethical clients. I focus on content, structure and HTML. You can study the structure of this site as an example of how it can be done. By way of example, I sometimes use English and American spellings on the same page, such as search engine optimisation / optimization on this one. As an experienced editor and marketer, I add value to SEO by improving the content and conversion rate.

Options

I can give you a written report telling you what you need to fix and what steps to take. This report covers:
- Site critique to point out aspects that are not conducive to high ranking on search engines.
- Usability concerns that might affect human visitors.
- Steps required to rectify shortcomings.
I can undertake a deeper analysis, including studying your competition, give you specific strategies, and possibly do some of the work for you.
I can come on site and work alongside your team and train them in SEO.
Monitor your site on an ongoing, consultative/retainer basis.

Patience

Patience is required in this game. Only the people that run the search engines know the algorithms that determine the positioning of your pages. On the other hand, some engines publish a list of dos and don'ts, and good SEO firms also make their own observations based on experience.

There are no shortcuts in SEO: it can take several months to rise higher in the search engine index and requires ongoing observation and touch-ups by the site owner. There are some short-term gains too. If your pages have risen to the top, you cannot be complacent, as your competitors might hire a SEO to displace you.

Why I do it

I am primarily a marketing consultant, specialising in CRM and sales management. These days, the Internet is an important part of marketing; therefore, businesses that use it to attract customers need someone who knows how to be visible to the search engines, which is often overlooked when building a Web site.

A wise man recently said that pure SEO is a mug's game - you give away your secrets and the client does not need you anymore. That's why I regard SEO as a door-opener to a long relationship.

Do it yourself

There are some 3 billion sites on the Web, so there is plenty of room for other people to do their own SEO or to do it for their clients. You cannot acquire experience without doing the hard yards but you can learn the basics within 3 months.

If you want free advice, please check out the newsgroup google.public.support.general.