Many of the blogs and articles written on the topic of search engine optimization are based on giving tips which purport to have the power to drive a site up the search engine results pages, obtain a higher degree of traffic and boost conversions. It is a commonplace to say that not all sites will benefit from the use of a general tip. What is sometimes missing from the debate is an appreciation of the multiple and multiplying benefits which can flow from a continuous and successful SEO campaign.
Search engine optimization may boost the rankings of a site and make it more visible to its target audience, but it can do a lot more than that. The complex process, if it is properly tailored to the requirements of the site, can bring along a whole host of other positive things. For example, it can help with the code of the site, engender more user interactivity and establish a community feel. Developing a community atmosphere can even help a site to become an authority in its sector. Sometimes it can help to look at the process in terms of different stages or phases.
In the initial phase of the campaign, a lot of work is needed to ensure that the site meets the basic expectations of users and delivers what the web crawlers of the major search engines desire. Getting the navigation right, starting the content production, getting the long tail keywords in, starting the link building strategies and getting everything together in terms of the communication and collaboration between the client and the online firm, means that there is a formidable ‘to do’ list. When some of these actions begin to bear fruit and when some of the activities can be left in motion, it could be said that the first hectic phase of the strategy has been accomplished.
At www.seoconsult.co.uk we never stop when we are ahead of the game. Maintenance is necessary to keep the success going and to keep in touch with relevant changes in the world of search, but more imaginative strategies can be implemented alongside the maintenance techniques. The next phase of optimisation can involve building on success in innovative ways. It is possible to see the optimised site as the bedrock for future diverse activity. This can include the combining of press releases with the incorporation of explanatory content on the pages, for example. It may involve boosting a social media marketing campaign, by using the data which has been accumulated in relation to the target audience. The initial phase should have provided information about the methods of the competition and this can be of importance in this second phase. Social media marketing has to attract users back to the right pages of the site.
It is artificial and a bit misleading to see the SEO process through the lens of the different phases. Nevertheless, it has been employed here to flag up the notion that there is much to SEO and that combining it with SMM and other forms of marketing can have highly productive consequences. Thinking too narrowly about what SEO can do is a mistake.