SEO - Search Engine Optimization
The Science and The Art behind SEO
Search Engine Optimization, is the process of “optimizing” or improving a website page or pages to appear higher in the organic (free) listings on search engines like Google and Bing for specific search terms.
Some “SEO experts” paint optimization as a secret art steeped in mystery and black magic, but the reality is that optimization is not so mysterious and is governed by some fundamental rules that underline the Science of SEO and those rules have generally stayed consistent since the late 1990’s.
The first rule of SEO is to understand that Google sets all the rules and we have to play along if we want to be found. Grey or Black Hat tactics refer to approaches some use to try and bend or go around the rules and basically “cheat” the system. The consequences if caught by Google can be disastrous for your business!
Those fundamentals are generally the same for Bing and Yahoo and if you rank well in Google you should also do well in the others.
With the ever-increasing complexity and competition of ad platforms, you need an experienced professional to get the most out of your advertising dollar through honest, transparent and measurable strategies and best practices.
The Art of SEO
Google considers hundreds of factors when it determines the order in which it shows search results. Knowing what those ‘rules’ are, and how to best follow them while gaining an advantage over competing websites is where the Art of SEO comes in, and can really only be mastered through experience.
Organic optimization is still important for any business with a website, however, Google has been pushing traditional text results further down the page in favour of video carousels, answer boxes, map listings, paid ads, and more! Today, if you are on page 2 of the SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages), you may as well be on page 500.
To combat this, knowing how to optimize for both textual and non-text results, such as video, image, and local search results, as well as emerging technologies like voice search, are the keys to online success today.
The Science of SEO
Before you start optimizing your content and keywords, a detailed Technical Audit should be completed. This audit will look for potential issues in these key areas:
- Site loading speed
- Mobile-first, or responsive, design
- Technical server issues and errors
- Poor or broken navigation
Only once the above get a passing grade should the focus shift to relevant and unique content and keywords. I’ve seen sites with great content show up on page 5 simply because of technical problems with their website – often loading speed.
Be Found More in Organic Search Results!
I’m a Technical SEO Specialist with over 20 years of proven experience. I work hard to stay abreast of changing tactics, requirements and technologies and use the latest tools to investigate, track down and fix fundamental on-site and server issues that can impact your organic ranking and visibility.
I take a No Bullshit approach and I won’t make empty promises. Be wary of experts who only want to only talk about rankings or link building without first conducting an in-depth technical audit of your website, researching your competitors, and then discussing your goals and objectives with you.
This isn’t 2004 and SEO is not an off-the-shelf product where you pick a “package of keywords” and traffic magically flows to your site. If that’s what you want, then invest in PPC Advertising.
Every website and industry presents different challenges and levels of competitiveness. My role is to research and understand those challenges as well as to identify opportunities and then develop an effective and efficient strategy to deliver measurable results.
I have delivered successful organic results across numerous B2B & B2C industries, including:
- Hotels, B&B's and Resorts
- Software Vendors
- Automotive and Trades
- Professional Services
- E-commerce and Retail
- Law Firms
- Dental Offices
- Real Estate Agencies