Companies that rely on the Internet for their clientele live and die by their website position on various search engine rankings. The reliance on strong search engine ranking has spawned a host of search engine optimization (SEO) companies that promise to boost web site position.
However, SEO companies remain one of the more misunderstood tools available for small businesses. Just what are they promising you?
Is there a magic bullet that can propel your site to the coveted first page of Google? And if there is, why aren't you using it?
The simple answer is, no. The various search engines employ their own, highly-secretive algorithms, which are mathematical formulas they employ to determine search engine rankings.
Computers displaying the Google Desktop search engine are shown on display at the Digitallife show at New York in this file photo. (Mary Altaffer/AP)
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There is not a single company out there that can deliver on the promise of a guaranteed presence atop a search result because search engine algorithms are always changing their criteria.
Sean Kennedy, owner of Pixel Soup Design Group in Calgary, sees the issue from both sides of the fence. As a small business owner, he wants his web site to be seen by many potential clients as possible. As a web developer and branding specialist, he addresses customer concerns about search engine position. He is asked about optimization all the time.
"There's a lot of generic things you can do, and there's a lot that are blacklisted, shady things that you can do, obviously I don't do those," explained Mr. Kennedy. "It really boils down to how much competition there is for certain keywords or key phrases."
Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines. As Mr. Kennedy points out, the more sites that use a keyword or phrase, the more competition exists for the position.
"For example," Mr. Kennedy explains. "Type in 'Calgary web design,' there's probably two million results in Google. Without spending some time and energy optimizing your pages and getting good links, it will be hard to see good results. Whereas, if I have a client that wants me to optimize a particular page for a particular keyword or key phrase, and there's only 30,000 competing pages, it's much easier to climb the ladder on that." It is imperative to do the research on what search terms people are searching for, but online tools like Wordtracker.com can help you do that."
Where your web site falls in a ranking of those sites comes down to each particular search engine's algorithm. These algorithms are meant to prevent people from manipulating a web site's position.
"Certain factors play in to these algorithms," said Mr. Kennedy. "Some of it is, how many times you have your keywords on the page. Is it in the title, the description, throughout the body, the footer, the images . . ."
That doesn't mean over-saturate your pages with keywords or key phrases, he said. If the content is unreadable, it defeats the purpose of getting users there in the first place.
Google, he says, takes into account how many quality sites link to your site. "So if a quality site links to your site, it adds to the credibility of your site, and that factors into the algorithm. That's where the link exchange is really important with Google," he said.
Companies like Wordtracker.com provide their customers with research into the types of keywords that are most likely to be used be certain businesses.
"Our keyword research does take a little time. It's not a simple case of clicking a button and off you go," said Andy Mindel, co-founder of the London-based Wordtracker.com "If you want to find the most effective keywords for your business then you have to put in the research."
Mr. Mindel says that finding your keywords is just part of the process. "Often people will think up keywords that they believe are right for their business and are then surprised when they receive few visitors to their site."
"You will see the top words changing all the time depending on new trends in the marketplace or new events around the world," he said. "The web is fast moving and the keywords people use to search tend to change just as quickly."
There are some basic techniques that will contribute to a better showing on a search engine's rankings such as:
These tips won't yield results overnight however. When it comes to search engines, patience is a virtue. That's the message Mr. Kennedy tells new clients.
"I'll do a bit of research, see how many competitive sites are out there. And I'll be frank with them," he said. "It's going to be tough unless we spend some time and energy to get you up there. It takes time too, it could take six months. If you do your research, see what your competition is doing, you will see results eventually." We're also finding that by using the suggested generic optimizing techniques for Google, our own site and client sites do quite well in the other major engines and directories like Yahoo and MSN. . . . and much sooner than Google."
Mr. Kennedy doesn't obsess over where Pixel Soup Design Group sits on search engine rankings. He focuses his advertising efforts on established directories like yellowpages.ca and other local Calgary media.
Mr. Kennedy finds that established directories provide a good return on his advertising dollar. "Those are qualified leads," he said. Google's local search results, he adds, are actually pulled from directory databases like Yellowpages.ca.
"More people are catching on to that, if they want a local search. Google pulls from those databases. Advertising there costs money, but I am getting better results from yellowpages.ca. I don't even show up on Google," he said.
Mr. Kennedy favours traditional methods of exposure mainly because search engines are volatile and web sites rise and fall on the rankings as the engines constantly battle against fraud.
"No one can promise that they are going to make your site No. 1," he explained. "And Google could drop you off the face of the earth, in a heartbeat, if they change something [in their algorithm], and all of a sudden you spent all your money for on-line marketing. You might get blacklisted, then your gone."
Web sites that get blacklisted, or dropped, from the search engines, are those that employ so-called "black-hat" techniques.
According to Google spokesman Nathan Tyler, a few unethical SEOs have given the industry a black eye through overly aggressive marketing efforts and attempts to unfairly manipulate search engine results.
As a result, Google publishes a tips page that steers web site owners away from black-hat techniques.
According to webpronews.com., some of these include:
SEO companies don't necessarily employ black-hat techniques, but some might. It is important to research the companies before using their services. Misinformation and a lack of knowledge contribute to a situation where small businesses could be taken advantage of.
"Things are changing daily. It's crazy when you think about it, that an industry this big can change on a daily basis, but it is," said Mr. Kennedy.
