Paid advertising is one way for a business to be noticed in Google searches. However, a single click of one advertisement can be expensive and competitors bidding on clicks only serve to drive up the rates. Small businesses save money by improving their rankings in organic searches, those users receive in the middle of a Google Web page following a keyword search. Here are some Web marketing consulting tips to help a company improve its website rankings on Google.
Each of these tips should be considered conceptually because specific steps vary by company and what is being offered. We begin with a warning to be cautious of search engine optimization (SEO) firms that promise to get the website onto the first page of search results immediately. Though many SEO agencies are reputable, some are just looking to make a buck. The best firms rank on the first page themselves when an online search is conducted for their services.
Google gathers text from Web pages and uses this information to generate search results. A website that uses Flash or is filled with images rather than text will not provide the search engine with the content it needs. Each Web page should be comprised mainly of text and when images are used, alt tags should contain keywords. Every page and link should have a descriptive name because this will be more visible to Google.
Webmaster Tools is a free service provided by Google that can be invaluable for do-it-yourselfers. Site administrators receive ongoing site reviews and alerts regarding identified issues related to searching, all at no charge. After tweaking the site, the administrator should spread the word about it by mentioning it in blogs, articles, and forum comments.
When site administrators learn new ways to improve rankings, they often go overboard, resulting in punishment from Google. Artificial methods of enhancing search rankings should not be used. This includes stuffing the website with keywords, incorporating page redirections as masks for the final destination, and using Wikipedia for marketing purposes. Google has eliminated site links from search results due to these practices.
Google accounts for more than 80 percent of all Web searches worldwide so businesses should focus on improving their Google rankings. The Web marketing consulting tips above will help any business get started and additional help is available from a professional. If one of these experts is not on staff, contact Illumination Consulting for assistance.
