By Craig Booysen on 2005/02/21
Every business has a goal. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) should support a business to achieve their goals both online and offline.
The purpose of this article is not to define SEO but to emphasise what a specialised profession it has become and to highlight the role that we as SEO professionals play not only in helping clients achieve their goals but also contributing to the growth of the industry.
When it comes to SEO, high on my list of priorities is knowing and understanding where a business' website belongs. Spending time upfront thinking about and discussing where your website belongs will help you set realistic and measurable goals for your SEO campaign.
Fools rush in, especially with their eyes closed!
To realise your SEO goals you need a plan. SEO professionals accept that hard work and commitment is what it is really about. Having a strategy helps you monitor your progress and increases your chances for success.
Fall in love with your research
Thorough research is fundamental to achieving your goals. Work towards a position where your SEO efforts are centred on facts. Don't cheat and avoid short cuts. This stage takes time but if done correctly can save you a lot of effort later in the campaign. Lay a good foundation through your research and the rest of the campaign will be easier to maintain.
Be diligent and cover all the basics
Your website needs your constant attention. If meeting your goals are important to you then do thorough keyword research and create quality content for your site visitors. We all know this by now, so do it. Pay attention to detail and get the basics right.
We all need to have some fun!
Get the hard work out of the way so you can focus on taking your SEO campaign to the next level. Your online success does not only depend on hard work. The next level requires a very special ingredient.
Set your website apart by adding your personal touch
Build relationships. Make it a goal to make new contacts online. Support your effort by trying to convert as many of your offline contacts and relationships to online opportunities for your site visitors.
Add value to your website through creativity
Use part of your time allocated for research to explore alternative ways to show and share your quality content. Think of ways to keep site visitors happy and coming back for more. Look offline for inspiration if you have to. An example I would like to use here is a small clothing boutique I pass every morning. I've noticed that everyday they change the display in their shop front window. Often it is as simple as replacing the same garment in a different colour. The point I want to make is that they now have my attention and the next time I want to spoil the person I love with a new fashionable item for her wardrobe, guess where I'll spend my money!
Don't be selfish
Share your expertise. If you don't somebody else will and that goes down as another opportunity missed. Your website should contribute to the community it is a part of.
Conquer fear!
The web is a very big playing field that continues to grow every minute. This emphasises the importance of knowing where you belong in the grand scale of things. Website owners should embrace the challenge with optimism and make it a goal to grow with it and let their website contribute to their success.
As for SEO, industry professionals should always have their finger on the pulse of what is happening. Make it a goal to add value to your client and the industry by combining commitment, hard work and just plain fun!
