There's so much out there about search engine optimization - and so little of it seems to be worthwhile. I hear horror stories about people being "sold" search engine placement for thousands of dollars (sometimes MORE) and promised overnight results.
Because many companies have limited web marketing budgets, I recommend being armed with knowledge is two key areas with regards to SEO:
1. What you NEED
-AND-
2. What it takes to get you there
1. What you need is to be findable for the right key phrases. Perhaps the phrases are descriptive or location specific or possibly solution-based - in any case, a good SEO provider will be able to help you determine the right key phrases to optimize your site for and the ones that will help achieve your overall sales or communications goals. If you'd rather discover those on your own with some time and research, you can go to Wordtracker.com and use their suite of tools for keyword data.
2. What it takes to get there is knowledge of what facets of your site CAN be improved for search engine findability - and we've got a great tool to recommend to assess your site's SEO prowess at SEOdiagnostic.com. It can read over your site and give you feedback on what your site does and doesn't have for optimal search rankings.
You can use these tools as a way to gain the information you need to optimize your site with your in-house resources and/or current webmaster or when choosing an outside SEO service provider. Either way, learn more about your site before you embark on the SEO journey!
I have to agree with your post and must say, impressed on the two areas you've discussed. This two is a two ingredients that an SEO should know.
Posted by: Amihay Inbar | June 25, 2008 at 07:21 PM