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Top Ten Search Engine Optimization Myths
1. Creating a web site means
people will find it.
Think of a search engine like you would a phone
book directory - with a twist. For $100 anyone can get
a telephone business listing in their area. However,
if you want to have a high visibility ad such as "MARBURY
& MADISON: JUSTICE FOR ALL," you need to do
something extra with your site. With phone book directories,
you simply buy your way to the front. However, with
search engines, you have to spend some time and effort
to correctly optimize your web site. Optimization does
NOT include simply editing meta tags. That technique
worked back when Clinton was president. Today, you must
try other techniques.
2. Submitting my site to search
engines is enough.
No it isn't. Sure, your web designer probably submitted
your site to Google, Yahoo!, or MSN ... but where is
it ranked? Are you in the critical top ten results or
are you number 134 for "florida lawyer"? In
fact, if your web site has been on the Internet for
more than two or three years, most search engines have
already included your web site in their directory. Search
Engine Optimization (SEO) helps to achieve high results
and make sure your web site is ranked in the top ten
for your keyword phrases.
3. All search engines are equal.
The top three search engines are Google, Google, and
Google. Either through their web site or affiliated
web sites (Yahoo! and AOL), Google serves over 80% of
ALL search engine results. Note that a distinction should
be made between search engine portals and the database
companies that provide search engine results. Some of
the popular search engine portals and directories include
MSN, Ask Jeeves, Yahoo!, AOL, Netscape, Hotbot, Lycos,
Excite, etc. However, nearly all of these portals share
search engines results provided through third parties
that own the databases and search engine technology,
such as Google, Open Directory, Inktomi, Overture, FAST,
and Teoma. Search engine portals and directories mix
and match databases to produce their own unique set
of results. In any event, all of these secondary search
engines total for the other 20% of results.
4. You can optimize for all
search engines.
There is no holy grail. However, there is Google. Since
Google serves nearly all of the search engine results,
if you optimize for Google you will be essentially optimizing
for nearly all of the results. Techniques that work
well for Google generally will work well with other
search engines, too. Note that the number of results
served by Google will probably decrease in the near
future, once Yahoo! begins using the Inktomi database
of search engine results.
5. I don't need a Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) specialist.
I can grill a mean sirloin, but nothing beats the fresh
taste of a 12-ounce Outback Special with a Bloomin’
Onion. On your own you can probably achieve decent search
engine results for a few keyword phrases. But remember:
your competitors are trying to do the same thing, with
many of the same words. A SEO specialist knows the little
quirks and tricks that can make a big difference and
give you the edge. If you pay them $1500, or even $5000,
to correctly optimize your web site and that optimization
leads to a new client each month, is that not worth
the price?
6. Quick fixes like jump pages,
cloaking or hiding content will increase my rankings.
While unethical tactics do not hurt anyone like a weapon
of mass destruction (WMD), search engines view these
techniques just the same. Each search engine company
has its own team of inspectors that regularly ban web
sites that use these spam techniques. Use these techniques
at your own peril. They may help you in the short term,
but eventually you will be caught and your site banned.
7. Software can automatically
optimize my web site.
Can your cruise control on your Honda Accord
drive you to Atlanta? You will need to hand code each
page of your web site to achieve optimal results. You
will need to edit the meta title tag, meta description
tag, meta keyword tag, and include those same keyword
phrases several times in the body text of that web page.
8. Link popularity is key -
at all costs.
We encourage clients to create reciprocal links with
related companies; we do not recommend creating spam
links to artificially boost your web sites rating. Further,
you should never link your site to spam sites, or sites
that contain thousands of web sites in a database.
9. A good SEO specialist will
guarantee top three results.
No firm can do this - if they're honest. If a SEO firm
guarantees a top listing, then they are trying to sell
you advertising. Every search engine has a set number
of listings and areas of the web site page that they
reserved for advertisers. If you want to buy advertising,
then buy advertising. Simply visit Overture.com, Looksmart.com,
or Google.com and sign up for their advertising programs.
SEO entails editing your web pages code, text, and altering
the design to achieve high rankings without the need
for advertising.
10. I should submit my site to 1000+ Search
Engines.
We're sure you've received an email claiming to submit
your web site to all search engines. However, can you
even name 500 web sites off the top of your head, let
alone 1,000 search engines? These companies simply register
your web site using an automated computer program. This
does not achieve desired results and can actually hurt
your web site’s ranking as the search engine may
reject your listing as spam. Further, there's no need
to submit your web site to 1,000 plus search engines
as almost all web traffic comes from a handful of search
engines (80% from google.com).
How We Can Help
eResultz has extensive experience developing,
re-designing and optimizing web sites. Our expertise
can save you time and money while increasing your web
site traffic. Why have a web site if no one
can find it?
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PaperStreet Web Design
500 SW 9th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315
954.523.2181 (phone)
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