Coming Out On Top
There are almost 200 million internet users in the United States, and 92% of them use a search engine to find information on the web. A website with a good search engine ranking will definitely experience an increase in traffic.

Everyone is concerned with getting traffic on their website, but many websites do not get good listings in the search engines because website owners do not understand the elements involved in search engine marketing. Today it’s just as important to position your website online as it is to have a website. The art and science of getting a top position in the search engines is called search engine marketing.

Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing is comprised of two different elements: Optimization and Advertising. Websites that are optimized for search engine performance will appear in the listings without having paid for the position. Website owners who choose to pay for search engine advertising will appear in the “sponsored listings” area of the search engine.

Search Engine Optimization includes the following elements:

• Key Phrase Analysis - Research includes key phrase counts, actual search engine results, key words on competitor websites and other relevant statistical and competitor information.
• Content Analysis - This includes fine tuning content for the search engines by evaluating keyword density, frequency and distribution.
• Submission Service - This includes research and selection of the most appropriate categories for directories and creating titles and descriptions for each directory.
• Link Exchange Programs - One of the keys to good search engine performance, especially in Google, is popularity. With links to your site you’ll gain the popularity to increase your page positioning.

Search Engine Advertising includes the following elements:

• Pay for Placement - A one time or annual fee to be listed in a search engine (like Yahoo’s directory).
• Pay for Click - Ads that are paid each time someone “clicks” or selects the ad.

Generally it’s not enough to just complete the steps and forget about it. To assure that the site was listed, it’s important to monitor progress and make adjustments to the website as the position changes.

Teajai Kimsey is the founder and Managing Member of Beyond Web Design. Established in 1999, BWD is a full service web development company specializing in performance based web sites. Teajai is active in the Chamber, WIBA, and the Workforce Alliance. She has taught professionally and has presented programs on marketing and internet marketing. Teajai can be contacted at 262-4868 or tkimsey@bwdllc.com

One of the most common questions posed by new a web site owner is:

“ Why can’t I find myself in the search engines?”

There are a couple of reasons. First, if the web site was not manually submitted to the search engine, it may take some time to be found if at all.

Second, just because the site was listed doesn’t mean it will automatically be sent to the top of the list. So while you may be putting in keywords, your site (assuming the site is optimized) may be ranked on page 250 of the search engines, and since the majority of people don’t look past the third page you won’t be found.

Finally, it’s very common that the web site owner doesn’t know what key phrases to use. For example, if you build decks, you may naturally assume your potential customers will look for “deck builders” when an analysis of searcher habits shows that “pool decks” or “backyard decks” are the phrases that will be most used. Therefore, the site won’t be found in the way the web site owner thinks.

Another common question is:

“Can I be number one in the search engines?”

The answer is yes and no. Yes depending on the key phrase. For example, if you build pool decks in Wichita, Kansas and someone searches for “pool decks Wichita” you will have a better chance of being number one, assuming the site was optimized. If that same person looks for just the words “pool decks” the chances of being number one are drastically diminished because those words alone put you in competition on a national, even global, level.

That being said, it is possible for companies that compete on a national level to be well-positioned in the search engines with good optimization and consistent effort. If you are interested in getting more traffic, leads and sales from your website, you must investigate the options that search engine marketing can provide.

If you are interested in contributing expert advice for Chamber members, please contact Emily Mann at emily@wacc.org or 268-1151.