Do You Really Need to Optimise Your Website For Search Engines?

There is no doubt that search engines can help your business reach its goals quickly and effectively – but should you be optimising your website specifically for search engines?

No – well not really…

The days of simply putting a few META tags into your web page and expecting to be number 1 are gone – content is king and has been for some time. Today Google and other major engines look deep into your websites content and gather information from all over the internet about your website, including finding other websites that link back to your website.

Real people use your website

Search engines are simply a channel of attracting REAL people to your website based on a search term which they enter. To rank well for your target search term or keyword you need to have topical, well written content which is targeted at those keywords. Content should be easily accessible, using a well structured menu and navigation system – you can the aid the website visitor by providing a site map.

Content, content, content

Google loves content that is relevant to your website – content that gives your visitors original information, insight, opinions and revelations. You should look to continuously create inspiring content for your visitor which makes them act on your goals, whether that be buy a product online or simply subscribe to your newsletter.

Trying building content on what your great at doing, for example of you’re a builder then you should try and create article on “Handy ways to install door frames” for example, this not only build content for search engines to read but also shows to the website visitor that you are an expert on the field and know what you talking about which will drive them to contact you about your service.

Keeping it simple really is the best policy

Optimising your content for search engines should come naturally from writing content – don’t worry about keyword density, just write to your audience and don’t over repeat your targeted keyword or keyphrase too much. Always remember your writing for real people not search engines. The basics for optimising your content are;

1. Include your keyword in the title “Category > Title Site name” is an acceptable format.

2. Use H1 – H5 tags for all your important headings

3. Use text instead of images to display key content

4. Use links wisely and ensure there are no more than 100 links on anyone page

Find other people that love your content too

Once you have written some indulging content then shout about it, find blogs, review sites, forums and social media websites that you can use to tell everyone about your content – be careful though, don’t just ball in guns blazing, ensure you are a trusted and long term member of the website who contributes regularly. This will ensure that other website will naturally link to your content without even asking as you become an expert on your area of interest.

In summary

Although there are certainly methods, techniques and other guidelines you should follow to optimise your website for real people to find your website through search engines, you shouldn’t optimise specifically for search engines – it’s simply not a sustainable long term strategy. So go out there and build on the content for your chosen topic and give everyone something original to read.