Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO Services)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is likely the cheapest marketing you will do because the efforts you put into researching relevant keyword phrases and making your website indexable by search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing) can have a lasting affect on your website traffic and subsequent leads generated because of the high visibility. Analyzing a client's website architecture and current search engine positioning, then building a strategy for improving the site's visibility over time, is a worthy activity for most businesses seeking strong and relevant search engine keyword positions. Nelson & Co., LLC (N&C) takes a "white hat" approach to this by following guidelines provided by the search engines in its optimization practices. Beware the web marketer that tries to sell you a gimmick for fast, highly-visible keyword positions. True results come from meticulous research, site work, networking and fresh content. These optimizations work best on coordination with other web marketing services where the combined efforts produce results greater than would otherwise be achieved individually.
What SEO activities do we perform for our clients?
Site Audits
To understand where we want to go with a website’s search engine presence, it’s important to understand where it currently stands, research any specific site or 3rd party flaws that might negatively affect search engine positioning, then build an implementation strategy that addresses the finding in an organized fashion by focusing on the critical factors first then working down through the small issues that collectively have a major impact. While conducting a site audit, N&C will analyze the current search engine situation then report back on our findings offering keywords to target, gain an understanding of what tasks need to be done and in what order of priority.
Initial Search Engine Optimization (SEO Setup)
If a site audit is first conducted, N&C will utilize the findings to perform the initial SEO work needed on the site. Some of those activities are detailed below:
- Site Architecture - Work with webmaster suggesting fixes to site architecture
- Meta Tags - Work Meta tags (Title, Description, Alt, Heading, Subhead, etc.) and page text (copy) for each page utilizing the keyword phrases we have identified.
- Geography - Add and optimize subpages for geo purposes
- Sitemaps - Setup an ‘XML Sitemap’, which auto-generates as new pages and posts are added to the site.
- Webmaster Accounts - Create Google and Bing Webmaster accounts and submit the XML Sitemap. This pushes new content directly into the search engines –vs- waiting for them to come crawl the site.
- Structured Data - Employ ‘structured data’ in the site and through Google Webmaster tools.
- Submit to DMOZ.org and schedule follow-ups as they are difficult to deal with since it’s not a bot, but volunteers that manage various categories, so it’s hit-or-miss if we get in. DMOZ was once known as a back door to Google. We still see improved Google positions when listed in DMOZ.
- Submit to a number of other search engines and directories (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, Entire Web, Alexa, Yelp, Yext, etc.) depending on location of the business and the industry they are in.
- Setup Google Analytics and Reporting
- Install ‘caching’ system if possible
Ongoing SEO & Maintenance
Once the initial groundwork has been laid, we recommend building a budget based strategy around specific goals and needs and addressing them on a regular basis. The following table outlines several packages we offer in addressing ongoing SEO work in order of priority:
Line Item Descriptions Defined
- Webmaster Tools - Webmaster accounts provide feedback on issues found with the site SEO or architecture and we work with the Web Developer to get them resolved
- DMOZ - Continued submissions to DMOZ until the site gets listed
- Subscriptions - Manage 3rd party tool subscriptions, activities, renewals and maintenance
- Analytics - Analyze Google Analytics for trends and keyword patterns
- Reporting - Prepare a monthly report called “The Fortune Teller” which summarizes all of these platform activities for the month and work performed. At the end of the year, we bind the report and provide to the client for record purposes.
- Documentation - All tasks are documented in a Task management system so we have a full archive of all work
- Validation - Perform ‘validation’ activities
- Disavow - Perform ‘disavow’ activities
- Image Optimization - Compress and replace large file sized images
- Internal Links - Build ‘internal links’
- Image Attributes - Work to improve image attributes
- Social Monitoring - Handle social postings and responses
- Reputation Management - Monitor the internet for reviews doing ‘reputation management’ and report on them, offering to respond if part of the scope of work
- Back Links - Manage back links, especially monitoring bad ones that negatively affect your rankings, which can be a malicious trick utilized by competitors
- Site Analysis Software - Run analysis software periodically to see where we have improved or need to improve and adjust our strategy accordingly
- Competitor Analysis – Run competitor analysis reports and review positioning for additional strategies or needed improvements to current campaign
