| Claire Bush
Special for The ABG |
Whoever said, “Build it and they will come,” probably didn’t have a Web site.
A well-crafted site can be a valuable marketing tool, but first visitors have to know how to reach you.
Enter search engine optimization specialists, Web gurus who specialize in techniques that boost a site’s visibility on the “Big 3″ search engines of Google, Yahoo and MSN. These technicians typically program specialized keywords and links into a site to boost ratings.
It can be a challenge to know who to hire to perform the task, however, because the field of SEO technology is not regulated and no certification program exists to denote “professional” status.
An informal poll of several Valley SEO providers offers a “how-to” for those who want to build their first site or enhance one.
“Some clients come to us with a real pretty Web site, but it’s been built with a code that isn’t friendly,” said Sabine Sharp, owner of Web design and consulting firm Glendale Designs. “It’s best to work right from the start with a company that can both design and optimize.”
Existing sites also can benefit from SEO upgrades, according to Adam White, president of Mesa-based Website Breakthrough. “A new site usually takes . . . nine to 12 months to begin ranking in Google, while one already in existence can show substantial improvement in a just a month or two after optimization.”
Yahoo and MSN typically pick up ranking more quickly, he added.
There are good guys and bad guys, even in cyberworld.
“Black hat” SEO providers use unethical methods to boost a site’s presence, including “keyword stuffing,” or targeting a certain word into every possible location into the Web site without regard for content. Stuffing also can be done by inserting keywords in the same font color as the background of the page.
“The visitor can’t see it, but the search engine picks it up,” Sharp said.
Then there’s “random link creation,” where unrelated links are added to a site to boost presence.
“Link building is probably the most crucial part of the process, but it’s easier said than done,” White said. “You don’t necessarily want to build reciprocal links but find sites with relevant content that will agree to link yours.”
Once a visitor arrives at the site, make sure the content is worth the search.
“Search engines really want to see unique content that they haven’t seen before. The key is to mix in the right phrases in a format that’s acceptable to them and present it in a fresh new way,” White said.
Most site owners write their content, but a good designer will ask questions about a business, its customers, products and services to do the correct keyword research.
Sharp’s firm charges anywhere from $1,200 to $20,000 to build a site, depending on the complexity of the project. “If the site is set up correctly, changes aren’t significant in the long run. It’s more a matter of tidying up and upkeep,” she said.
White’s clients typically enter a six-month agreement to build and monitor a site; prices start at $2,500.
Christopher Conlan, owner of the Blog Mill in Scottsdale, works on a month-to-month basis for existing sites, with fees varying from $125 to $1,500.
“If they see results after a month or two, that’s all they need,” he said. “They can move on to spending their money on other marketing projects.”
In the end, “everything gets back to a search,” Conlan said. “Even when you give someone your business card, back at home they’re looking you up on Google.”
Reach the writer at claireeileen@aol.com
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