Search Engine Optimization

How to Attract Visitors to Your Site

You know you offer great products and services, but how do let prospective customers know? There are several things you need to consider in order to maximize your site’s traffic.

Your Web Address

• Create a customized domain name (AKA web address). If your customers are familiar with your company name, then your address should include a reference to that name. For example, if your company name is Beluga Bubble Gum, your site should be belugabubblegum.com or something similar.
• Pick a domain name that describes your group or the products you sell. If you company name is not very well known, then using an address that refers to your products and services is the best way to go. For example, tastybubblegum.com or flavorfulbubblegum.com would work. Think about what potential customers would type into the search engines and consider using those words in your web address.
• Choose a name that's easy to spell and remember. Do not use complex words or a complex configuration of letters and numbers as your web address.
• Register as many domain names as you like and use them all with your current web site. The more web addresses you have the more like visitors are likely to find your site.
• Register not only your ideal name but also its variants. For example, it would be a good idea to have belugabubblegum.net and belugabubblegum.org in addition to belugabubblegum.com for two reasons: first, your prospective customers would be more likely to find your site; second, you competitors could not pick up those addresses and draw your customers away from your site.

Search Engines

Think of search engines as a popularity contest. If you remember back to high school, the popular group was the group with all the new and cool stuff. They were outgoing, and constantly talking about the trendiest subjects. That is exactly what your website needs to do in order to become more popular with the search engines.
Most search engines use a complex algorithm designed to rank websites based on a few things:

• page contents
• keywords
• number of links from outside sites to your site
• site size
• etc.

This algorithm is constantly updated and changed so sites cannot artificially raise their rank by manipulating one or more of these elements. THERE IS NO WAY TO GUARANTEE THAT YOUR SITE WILL APPEAR AT THE TOP OF LIST NO MATTER WHAT. Design and SEO companies that claim they can do this should not be trusted. They usually use a very, very specific keyword search such as “Underwater Basket weaving in Antarctica on Thursdays.” Chances are you will do quite well with such specific search criteria, but who is really going to search for something so specific?

Nevertheless, you can optimize your ranking but following these simple steps:

• Create a well-organized, professional-looking web site loaded with useful information. A clean, easy-to-navigate site is a must. Combine that with some much needed information and visitors will feel confident in your products and services.
• Update your content often. Every day is best, but once a week is good if you don’t have too much time. It is a good idea to write a new article each week with helpful tips and information so visitors will return to your site often. We also offer writing services to help you update your site as often as you need.
• Add meta tags to your pages. Meta tags are code elements that are placed in the “head” section of a website. They are not viewable by site visitors. They can only be seen by search engines. We automatically add certain meta tags to your pages including keywords and a description. However, if you have specific words you would like us to use just let us know. It is a good idea to keep the number of keywords in the meta tags down to 5 or 6 words or phrases.
• Use keywords throughout your site. Search engines look for the number of times certain keywords appear on the site. Make sure that each keyword is listed more than once on each page but don’t overdo it. If the keywords appear too many times it could hurt your ranking severely. There is no magic number saying how many times are too much but it is probably best to be on the safe side and keep it low.
• Make sure each page has its own title and description. For example, if you are selling different types of bubble gum, each flavor could have its own page. Each page then could have its own title (i.e. Grape Flavored Gum) and its own description (i.e. The best grape flavored gum you will ever chew!).
• Grow your site. Large sites with continually updated content tend to rank higher than smaller site. The more pages you have the better off your site will be. Consider using a separate page for each item or service you offer.
• Network with other sites. The more sites that are linking to your site, the more popular you are. The more popular you are, the higher your ranking in the search engines. Contact other companies in your industry and have them place a link to your site in their website and vice versa. It’s a win-win situation for both sites.
• Use industry forums to promote your site. Many forums out there will let you put a link to your site in your forum signature. Consider yourself to be an expert in your industry and provide free advice to others through these forums. Many of them will likely check out your site and refer other to check out your site as well. Additionally, search engines regularly crawl these forums so your site link is likely to be recognized which helps your ranking. However, do not put your link in postings on message boards and forums if this is against the policy of the owner. You will do more harm than good.
• Use email marketing. Make sure that your email reflects your domain name. This is a great way to brand yourself as well as gain the confidence of your prospective customers. Additionally, sending out regular newsletters to your current customers will help keep your products and services at the forefront of their minds. Be sure to collect emails from current and prospective customers provided they have given you permission.
• Use traditional advertising methods. Promote your site by purchasing advertisement space both on and off the internet. While the internet has wonderful built in methods for promoting a site, sometimes the fastest way to generate traffic to your site is by paying money to have your site advertised both on and off the internet. Look for complementary sites that generate a lot of traffic on their own and check out their rates. Print magazines related to your industry might be a great way to promote your products and services to a specific audience. Just be sure that your website is listed prominently on all printed materials including business cards, letterhead, posters, billboards, etc.

For more information on search engines, check out Search Engine Watch, an unbiased, up-to-date resource for search engine news, submission tips, and strategies.