The UK Search Engine Placement Scene

Posted on August 19, 2011 by admin

We’ve taken a few calls in the past week asking if we can provide search engine placement services. It’s an interesting phrase to use and one that had kind of fallen out of use for a little while – or so it seemed!

Generally, when people talk about placement in this way, they are looking to get the best positioning and visibility in the search engines. In some senses, it reminds us of the days when we’d get numerous enquiries about search engine submissions – more about that in a minute!

Ok, so if clients are interested in search engine submission, then what’s involved? To a certain extent, this will depend upon where they are in terms of business developments. Let’s explore this issue a bit more deeply.

Launching a new website

A lot of companies approach us because they are launching a new website. This may be replacing an older version, or be due to the fact that they are a startup.

This is an interesting task for us. Some SEO experts would suggest that it’s hardest of all to produce results for a brand new site and that can certainly be true. There’s general agreement within the SEO industry, for instance, that domains gain authority over a period of time. There’s usually a good chance that domains will gain inbound links over time.

So what does this mean for a new site? It means that you’re likely to be faced with a situation where you’re competing with more established sites. That can obviously be tough.

On the other hand, challenges help to make SEO interesting! We like to get involved with sites at an early stage so that we can concentrate on optimising before development has gone too far. Some web development companies have little knowledge of SEO (understandably) – a brief consultation with us may be enough to reduce expenses in the longer term.

Although some clients only wish to hire us for off-site optimisation, we like to take a look at a site anyway. Ideally, we’ll provide a full written report of suggested changes.

Getting indexed by the search engines

What about when it comes to getting spotted by Google and the other search engines? Getting indexed is often a concern for startups, but it really shouldn’t be a worry. Most sites are indexed within a few days of being launched and the process can always be speeded up placing a link or two. It’s a simple process and we find that most websites are indexed before owners get to the point of speaking to us.

Search engine optimisation

The next step is to think about how your site will be marketed. Organic search engine placement refers to the process of demonstrating to Google that your site is the most relevant for a particular query.

You may hear this type of work referred to as allowing you to access the results for free. Sadly, this isn’t really the case. The reality is that the most successful sites will be paying for a monthly SEO service.

But the term does help us to differentiate from the alternative, which is…

Paid search

It is possible to pay for positioning on Google (as well as the other leading search engines). If you do, you’ll see your website separated from the main listing.

So why would you want to pay in this way? The main answer is often that you want fast results. Although SEO usually works out to be extremely cost-effective, it’s also true that it takes time to produce results. It’s not an immediate process.

If you opt to go down the search engine optimisation route then you’ll need to prepare yourself to wait some months for results.

Conclusions

When talking about placement, it’s fair to say that there is no correct approach for all. You need to decide on a strategy that will work well for your business.

We’re happy to advise – you can contact us for more details.

Posted in Bing, Google, Google Adwords, Internet Marketing, Link Building, Paid Marketing, SEO | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Summer SEO changes

Posted on August 15, 2011 by admin

Some market sectors are clearly more competitive during the summer months. In fact, it’s fair to see that some businesses fall away dramatically at other times of year.

This is clear to me when I hear an ice-cream van pass at this time of year. Where are they in December and January? I can only assume that they have alternative jobs for part of the year – maybe they spend the winter months selling electric heaters? Or maybe the ice cream business is more lucrative than I’d realised, so it could be a good time to get into it!…and tasty too!

But I digress. Thinking about seasonal markets got me thinking about seasonal SEO requirements. Some businesses are really keen to hold great search engine positions during one part of the year. The rest of the year is considerably less important.

Although few ice cream retailers are looking for search engine optimisation services (at least – not small retailers who drive vans), there are plenty of other businesses specifically looking to hold positions in June, July and August. You might imagine, for example, that those selling camping accessories might see these as being the key months of the year.

So why should a business owner involved in such a sector spend money on SEO throughout the year? It’s a good question, but is it simple to answer?

One of the big issues that some people have with organic SEO is that it takes time. Some SEO consultants might tell you otherwise, but it really is the case that search engine optimisation takes months, rather than days or weeks.

It’s also true that most SEO companies (including ourselves) have no direct way of telling how the search engine results will change. Unfortunately, that’s all in the hands of Google (and their rivals).

So it might be nice to simply “turn on” an SEO campaign in the summer, but the reality is that it’s extremely difficult to do so. What if you turn it on too late? More importantly, what if all of your rivals are concentrating on their web marketing strategies throughout the year? That could certainly make it difficult to compete.

There may be some great examples out there of companies that have had success from using traditional SEO methods in short bursts, but I must admit that I’m not aware of them. This seems to be an area that could be of rather more interest to social media experts though – we know that social media lends itself rather better to last minute marketing (in some instances).

This is a case of where search engine optimisation can feel complex. Things are far more simple with PPC campaigns.

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts!

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Small Business SEO: How Is It Different?

Posted on August 12, 2011 by admin

So what’s the difference between search engine optimisation campaigns that are carried out for small businesses and those that are undertaken for larger organisations?

The most obvious answer here is that the budgets tend to be very different. Although this will generally be the case, it may not have quite as great an impact on the outcomes as might be imagined.

Although larger companies will often have significantly larger online marketing budgets, they may also be targeting considerably different areas. In particular, it’s usually the case that the big multi-nationals are going after competitive, high volume search terms.

This makes a lot of sense and it means that big corporations tend to find themselves competing directly with other organisations of a similar size. As a result, the bulk of that SEO expenditure may be needed simply because competitors are taking a similarly aggressive approach to SEO.

What does this mean for small businesses?

Does this mean that small businesses can’t hope to compete? Not necessarily so, although it certainly does mean that we need to be a little more realistic about targets.

If a six-figure sum is being used to tackle particular search terms by a large company, then it’s unrealistic to be able to compete for positioning with a monthly expenditure of just a few hundred pounds.

Fortunately, this isn’t the end of the story.

Small business SEO often comes down to getting the maximum results from whatever budget’s available. That usually means being creative and concentrating on niche areas (you’ll often hear professionals talk about targeting the long-tail).

We may feel that there’s plenty of confusion in the world of SEO, but how there’s undoubtedly a lot of truth in the idea that tackling the long-tail can be an intelligent strategy for a small business owner.

It may be unrealistic to get to the top of the Google listings for the term estate agent, for example. But achieving better results when a Google user types in estate agent in Luton (as an example) is clearly an aim that would be in the hands of most small business owners.

Our own approach

Look away now if you don’t want to read a plug for our own services! It’s unavoidable that we should include something!

Our own approach to small business SEO involves examining the budget available and the aims of the client. It’s important to produce a plan that will achieve results and be cost-effective.

We take an honest, open approach. If we can’t achieve the results that you’re looking for, we’d rather tell you at the outset. We want our clients to be satisfied with the service and the outcomes.

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Keeping an eye on SEO events

Posted on June 21, 2011 by admin

We’re looking at attending quite a few industry events this year. Here are a few dates for the calendar:

29 June and 30 June 2011

The Online Marketing Show takes place at Olympia. With over 6,000 key players in the industry having attended last year’s event, 2011 is sure to be popular too.

Saturday 2 July 2011

London SEO Off The Clock is taking place at The Old Red Cow (71/72 Long Lane, Smithfield, London), from 2pm until late.

They’ve hired out a room in the pub and the event promises plenty of great beers, as well as SEO and affiliate chat.

3 September 2011

Think Visibility is aimed at those with an interest in the search market, social media and affiliate marketing. It’s taking place at Alea Leeds.

7 November 2011

This marks the start of this year’s PubCon over in Las Vegas. The leading industry event, which this year includes no less than 19 sub-conferences.

 

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Why choose a UK SEO company?

Posted on June 20, 2011 by admin

Well, we might suggest that the answer to this question is because we are a UK SEO company, but that’s not the actual answer!

If you have a business based in the UK, then there are plenty of good reasons to stick with a domestic provider. The most obvious reason is because local companies will usually have the best understanding of the local market. They’ll be able to advise you on what’s working well for other clients too.

When you pay for a monthly service, part of the payment goes to investing in getting this sort of expertise. You’ve got the option to pick up the phone and ask an SEO consultant for advice on all sorts of areas, from the layout of your website to their thoughts on how your blog is being used.

But, you may say, surely it’s also possible to pick up the phone to an SEO provider in California too?

Although this is certainly true (and Skype, for instance, makes this quite an easy task), using a provider who’s based overseas introduces its own hurdles. Time difference is just one of them.

The search engine scene in the United States, to take an example, is considerably different to that found here. SEO companies in the US are used to the fact that their own domestic market has a different environment. They aren’t always on top of the latest market share information for the UK search market. They often struggle to identify the real influencers in the UK market too.

So what does this mean for your business? The bottom line is that a UK provider will usually be most cost-effective. That doesn’t mean that they’ll be cheapest, but they will generally be the best choice if you’re looking for value for money.

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Musings on the UK SEO scene

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

Search engine optimisation is beginning more mainstream here in the UK. I know this, since more people understand what I’m talking about when they ask me what I do!

There’s undoubtedly greater recognition of what the industry is all about and how it can be of use. We’re more used to receiving enquiries from friends and acquaintences about how we achieve improving results.

Sometimes, those queries may have financial benefits in mind. One of the great things about the internet revolution is that it’s meant that more and more people have been able to start their own businesses. Maybe they wouldn’t have tried before because it was too complicated (and difficult) to bring ideas to market.

The power of research

We can certainly see that the Internet has much to offer as a research tool. It allows us to read up on particular business ideas before looking to take the plunge.

This means that we can learn about business concepts prior to taking those first steps into the world of small business. Pretty much anyone can learn how to create a website, although marketing it does appear to cause more confusion.

Although the Internet can be a great source of information, it’s clear to me that television still has a powerful influence. People are inclined to immediately believe in something “because it shown on the telly”. This means that various online issues tend to take on a whole new life once they appear on TV.

We can see this when we look at how some issues are still viewed in the UK. We’re used to seeing the Internet in contexts including:

  • Increased dangers of fraud
  • People dating complete strangers
  • The rise of mysterious companies, with massive valuations, but surprisingly few profits
  • Fads!
  • New means of communication

Social networks: increasing recognition

As a result of the appearance of Internet issues in the mainstream media, we certainly see more people discussing social media concepts. Facebook and Twitter can now be talked about at dinner parties. Although maybe not too much, assuming you want to be invited back again!

But there are misconceptions here too. I hear clients talking all the time about increasing Twitter followers, as though this is a goal in itself. Do we really want to promote the idea that gaining a particular number of Twitter follows is an achievement? It certainly seems like less of one than gaining an increase in sales.

Educating SEO clients

Where does this leave SEO professionals? To some extent, we’re still left in a position of explaining to clients what SEO is all about. The difference is that more people are aware of the general concept. But now we find ourself dealing with misconceptions instead.

What’s the best way to approach this? I think that transparency has to be the key. For those of us who use “white hat” techniques, there’s really nothing to hide. Good quality SEO is like any other service – if the service is good enough and you offer clarity on what’s being provided, then clients will be happy to pay the money.

That’s a message that we all need to remember sometimes. This industry will continue to expand. As it does, more and more people will get involved. The cream will surely keep on rising to the top.

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Marketing on the web

Posted on June 2, 2011 by admin

Our services are all aimed at helping businesses to success online. As might be expected, we have considerable expertise in marketing online. But how does this style of marketing differ from other techniques?

Technical issues

It’s easy to become focused on technical issues when dealing with the Internet. It’s easy to see why this should be the case – after all, for many people, the Internet is all about technology.

Keeping on top of technical aspects is certainly important, but you need to strike a balance too. It’s vital to remember that the entire purpose in maintaining a website is to attract customers and new clients. If you spend too much time thinking about the technology, then you may be running the risk of spending too little time considering what your customers actually want.

Don’t forget that great customer service, for instance, will be of more value to your customers than a funky-looking website.

Concentrating your efforts

Just because big brands are spending massive amounts of money on particular online marketing channels, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should follow suit. In the offline marketing world, most small businesses aren’t able to afford TV advertising campaigns. That’s because the costs are prohibitive and the likely returns may mean that it’s a risky approach.

It’s the same in the world of Internet marketing. Just because you are running a website, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you’ll make money by maintaining a Facebook presence, a blog, a Google Adwords campaign and a comprehensive SEO campaign. It’s likely that some channels will work better than others.

When thinking about your marketing budget (and the time that you wish to spend), think carefully about which channels are best associated with your business.

What do your customers like?

Some advertising channels will attract particular demographics. Are your customers likely to be spending a lot of time on Twitter? If not, it should be suggested that you shouldn’t be spending too much time there either. Sure, you should have a presence. But you don’t need to be Tweeting throughout the day.

It makes sense to pick your battles and to concentrate on the marketing options that will work for you. Don’t simply follow the crowd!

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Organic Search Engine Placement

Posted on May 16, 2011 by admin

Getting your website into the best organic search engine positions can be a cost-effective way of gaining new business. Our search engine optimisation options are all designed to help you get the most from your online business.

But when experts talking about obtaining improved search engine placement in an organic way, what do they actually mean? Most of us think of “organic” as being a phrase that describes natural growth. But, in the world of SEO, things are rather different!

If you simply design a website, build it and put it online, you’re unlikely to receive many visitors initially. That will probably be because very few people know about the existence of your website. In particular, you may discover that not many people are able to find your site when searching for popular terms in Google, or any other search engine.

In order to improve this situation, you have a number of options. You could:

Sit back and wait!

The theory here would be that, over time, your website should rise up the search engine rankings. Unfortunately, things rarely go this smoothly! “Hoping for the best” is unlikely to be a successful course of action.

Pay for positioning

Most search engines offer you the option to pay them directly in order to get your website shown. Google, for instance, has a paid search facility that’s known as Google Adwords.

But how about if you simply want to be ranked because you have a great site? Maybe you don’t want to pay for each visitor? This is when you’ll want to investigate…

Natural search engine optimisation

This involves making a few tweaks to your site to ensure that the search engines understand what it’s all about. It’s then a case of letting them know about the changes and why your website should be ranked more highly than your competitors. This is the world of SEO!

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Alresford Watercress Festival

Posted on May 12, 2011 by admin

Sunday 15 May – that’s come around quick!

Don’t forget that this weekend sees the annual Watercress Festival taking place in Alresford. It’s expected that around 10,000 people will attend the event we’re told – that will actually double the population of the town for the day!

It’s free to attend, although those who are driving will need to pay to park (£3 for the day).

Hopefully the weather will be good too!

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Approaching Small Business SEO

Posted on May 10, 2011 by admin

If you’re thinking about optimising your small business website, then what should you expect to be involved?

Our small business SEO service provides a cost-effective solution, but it also recognises that there are some fundamental differences when dealing with small business websites.

A large corporate, often with a significant online advertising budget, is able to make some moves that simply aren’t possible on a smaller budget. This can certainly make the challenge considerably greater for small businesses, but it’s also true that larger organisations tend to move more slowly and be less responsive as a result.

When we think about helping out smaller businesses, we always look to tackle the problems, but also build on the strengths of a more streamlined company.

A good example of this would be to look at your website. You may have opted to build a simple website, possibly because of a lack of budget. You may even have constructed the website in-house.

Looking at your site now, you may see a low-budget approach as something that might be considered to be a weakness. Although there are some circumstances where this may be true, it’s worth noting that you may actually be in a stronger position than you might have imagined.

A basic website may well be easier to update. This means that (with guidance) you’ll be able to make SEO changes more quickly than larger competitors. This gives you a much better chance of tackling issues with site structure, content and HTML tags that might otherwise be holding your site back.

When looking at the problems that may be associated with small business websites, one of the main issues that we see is that work starts from a very low base. Often, a site may barely have a search engine presence. Although this can mean that work sometimes produces results (at the outset) a little more slowly than we would all like, it needn’t be a critical problem.

One of the great things about working on such sites is that they enable us to really help smaller businesses to compete. The Internet is, in many senses, a great leveller. It can certainly enable SMEs to compete with larger rivals.

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