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If you are not really sure what all this SEO talk is about, here is an article that explains it very clearly, in everyday english.

 I wrote this a few months ago, as an answer to a querie in a forum where I am moderator.  I think it is one of the best analagies for SEO that I have seen.

Always make sure your site is optimized for the search engines so when the spiders follow those links to your site, that everything works and makes sense to both the spiders and to people. This is a must for an effective web presence.

If you think about the search engine spiders logically, they are really just checking out your site, and being sure that everything is logical. It is like a person checking out a new brick and mortar store. First you hear about it from a friend (the link to your site). So what your friend said has to match the stores name on the front (your title). Then when you look in the window (Keywords), again that has to match what your friend said and what the name said. Then when you walk in and look around (site description and keyword density) that again has to all be in tune with the referral from your friend, the name on the front and what you saw in the window. Also the main items on display or on sale(H1 and H2 tags and bold words) at the front of the store have to relate to everything else.

If a friend told you to go to a great restaurant for seafood, and when you got there the restaurant was called Fred’s House you would not know it was a seafood restaurant. And if the signs in the window were pictures of steaks, you would not know that they had great seafood. And if you walked in and the special was a cheese burger, you still would not be sure this was a great place for seafood. And when you looked at the menu and there was 20 different dishes listed and only two were for seafood, would you really think that this was the best place to go for seafood.

Compare that to another restaurant that another friend recommends to go to for Seafood. You drive up and it is called Shrimp - Lobster - Crab Specialty Cafe. You see very tempting pictures of seafood in the windows as you walk up. You walk in and the specials are Alaska King Crap and Garlic Shrimp. You sit down and open the menu and you have 3 choices of Lobster, 2 choices of Crab, and 4 shrimp dishes. The waiter walks up and says welcome to the best seafood place in town.

Now which place - if you were a search engine - would you recommend to someone searching for Seafood, Lobster, Crab or Shrimp. The search engines just want to make a very relevant recommendation.

If your site is not saying to the search engine spiders the correct message, then they will not deem it relevant. And therefore your listing in the search engine for the keyword you are targeting will not be very high.

I hope that this helps to make SEO a little more relevant to your site. I just wanted to make a point about what search engines are looking for and that it is not that difficult when you get down to the basics. If you really think like you are a search engine spider, exploring your site, and take an objective look at what they see, I am sure you will notice things that must be changed to improve your site.

Let me know if this helps for you, and if it makes SEO a little more clear.

Thanks

Jack

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking to owners and managers about putting their website on one of our directories. Many have been very interested, but I may have to turn many of them down. Not that I want to. After all, they were willing to pay me to be in the directory.

I may have to turn them down because I told them that their web site was currently hurting them more than it was helping them. That is, it was poorly designed, confusing, slow, and unattractive or it didn’t include sufficient content to interest or convince anyone to pick up the phone to inquire about their services.

It seems strange that a business owner, interested in attracting clients, would do something that was hurting them more than helping them, but the sad truth is, this is more the rule than the exception. And it is not only on their website, but in all their marketing and promotion.

Even more puzzling is that most of the things that independent professionals could do to help instead of hurt their marketing are not too hard to figure out, aren’t so difficult to change, don’t take a huge amount of time, and don’t cost an enormous sum of money.

I simply want to address five of those areas where you may be hurting rather than helping yourself, and give you some very frank advice for getting your *marketing act* together.

Not Getting Attention
Every time you open your mouth to talk about your services and don’t provide a crystal-clear “What’s in it for me” reason for people to listen further, you’re hurting yourself immeasurably. You’ll have branded yourself as someone who *just does stuff*, not as someone who can provide a solution to a problem. Why should they be interested?

No Value to Give Away
If someone shows interest in your services and you have no value to give away immediately, it’s a big let-down. You started creating momentum by generating interest, but then you fell flat on your face. How are they going to retain your services if you can’t tell them more?

No Unique Value
If you can’t answer the question “How are you different than…?,” then you simply get lumped together with everyone else who provides similar services. Because you have no Unique Value, you are easily forgotten and passed over for someone who does.

Poor Presentation
This covers a multitude of sins. But let’s come back to your presentation on the web. Amateurish layout and graphics, navigation that’s confusing, content that leaves you wondering, information that is incomplete, an absence of free information, slow meaningless graphics and no reason to respond top the list. Better to take down your clumsy web site and miss some business than keep it up and drive people away. Or put up a simple, clean, attractive site that people can get the facts from.

No Keep-In-Touch System
Even if you do all of the above in a way that helps you, you can sink it all by failing to capture the name and contact information of prospects and keeping them informed over time. If you don’t make sure people who met you once remember you when they need you, you’re inflicting a mortal wound on your business.

I’m sure there are a few more ways you’re hurting yourself, but this is a good start! As I said, if you’re experiencing resistance, confusion, uncertainty or that just-plain-stuck feeling about moving any of these into action, then contact ZedBiz