Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation is much more than registering with the search engines and hoping that you will get a First Page Ranking, search engine optimisation starts at the very point that you decide you need a web site. The checklist below is a 31 step guide to effective search engine optimisation that we have used to get oue own commercial sites to a page one ranking. As an example of how well it can work just one of our web sites which we developed using this search engine optimisation checklist had 3,104 Page 1 positions, yes I know it sound impossible but we have the reports to prove it. 3,104 is the number of unique Page 1 listings that the web site www.galleon.eu.com received during October 2002.

The KeywordAnalysis
Search Engine Optimisation Checklist

Copyright (c) 2002 KeywordAnalysis.
The CheckList was produced for the in-house use of a client of KeywordAnalysis as a guide to the creation of Business Web Sites. You may pass this Checklist on to others, as long as it is sent in its entirety.

When creating a web site make sure that you tick every item in this checklist in the order of the list, don’t skip any sections if you want to create a successful site that achieves First Page ranking with good Search Engine optimisation.

1. Identify the business objectives

2. Identify the customers you want to reach

3. Identify the products you want to sell

4. Create the sales hinge i.e. the call to action to get the visitor to make the step from visiting to the action you require. This action my be
4.1 to provide their e-mail and name so you can start a sales dialog towards closing a sale,
4.2 To actually buy the product on-line, 4.3 Just their e-mail address so you can send information in a newsletter

5. Review items 1 to 3 remember Search Engine Optimisation is rifle marketing not shotgun marketing, you’re not just throwing mud on the wall and see if some sticks there are specific customers that you want to reach.

6. Brain storm the keyword search phrases people may use if they were to search on the Internet for the products you want to sell.

7. Research search phrases and keywords, Using Overture.com, Wordtracker.com, AddWords at google.com, etc. Good search engine optimisation takes research and knowledge.

8. Select the initial 10 keywords / search phrases. In time once the site is live you will be able to identify your Golden Keywords, but you want to make the best start you can.

9. Decide on the size of the site dependant upon the business objectives

10. Which region of the world are you targeting? A site primarily for the UK will require to be subtly different to one for the US or Germany. Remember it’s the last 3% that gets you to the top of a search engine if you only achieve 96% of the features that a search engine ranks you on then you may well be down on the 7th page and nobody will find you.

11. Allocate search phrases to unique pages.

12. Write copy based around search phrase for that page.

13. Decide on site visual design

14. Decide on the key indicators and level of visitor analysis that you require for the site to achieve you business objectives. It is impossible to know too much about a customer, because its only by knowing your customers that you can target new customers. Website analysis is available from www.KeywordAnalysis.com.

15. Write site in HTML

16. Ensure that the site is created so that it is search engine friendly. All elements within the source code of the site must be created around the identified keyword search phrases and used correctly to maximise the specified Business Objective.

17. Test site, do all links work correctly, is it still focused on items 1, 2 and 3.

18. Publish site

19. Get independent comments on usability and content, modify if not hitting items 1,2,and 3.

20. Register with the Directories. Yahoo, Open Directory DMOZ, Lycos, etc

21. Start to build links with associated sites in the same industry. This will become an ongoing and continual process.

22. Register with the Crawler search engines.

23. Pay for inclusion of the key pages with the crawler search engines.

24. Market the site. You need to create as many road signs to your site as possible, this may be PR, e-newsletters, e-mailing your current customer database and prospects, etc.

25. Pay for sponsored site status using Pay per Click on the very best deep specific search phrases, remember its rifle marketing. Try Overture.com and AddWords at Google.com

26. Establish tracking of sales leads within your company, if you don’t know where a sale comes from how can you maximize the return on your marketing spend.

27. Analyse the profile of visitors to your site, and which visitors become customers. Track the search phrases people use to get to your site, you will be surprised at some of the search terms people use.
27.1 What are the 200 most important search phrases?
27.2 What are the 100 most important search words?
27.3 Is the site traffic from the region of the world that you want?
27.4 Which search engines are sending you the traffic,
27.5 Which link domains are sending you customers,
27.6 How successful is you Pay per Click marketing? To gather this information register with KeywordAnalysis.com.

28. Do you need to add additional pages to improve your ranking for some of the newly identified search phrases? 28.1 Do you need to improve the site for low performing search engines?

29. With the new knowledge learnt about your customers, how they found your site and keyword search phrase analysis, you will identify additional search terms that are in line with the business objectives, but remember you want quality traffic for your business objective. Lots of visitors that do not convert into sales just wastes expensive sales staff time.

30. Remove pages for search phrases that create “Chaff Traffic”, i.e. enquiries that do not convert into sales, this traffic wastes your sales peoples time and reduces your companies efficiency. The 80-20 rule holds true for web site sales and sales leads, 80% of your business will come from 20% of sales enquiries, so identify that 20% and re-focus the site to get more of the quality traffic.

31. Review business objectives, have they changed or are they still valid. Is the web site still 100% focused on the business objectives? Is the sales hinge working and how can we improve on it.

For ongoing success of your business objectives via the internet you must integrate your sales web site into your company objectives and reporting structure, then review fully at least once a quarter if you are still achieving you objectives this is very important with the internet and Search Engines because Search Engines keep changing the search algorithms, so search engine optimisation is an ongoing and continual process. Design your site with Search Engines in mind and they will reward you with high quality sales leads, customers and profits.

If you're looking for more search engine optimisation guidance, try these resources:

• Since 1995, Danny Sullivan has been reporting on search engines at Search Engine Watch. He offers this advice: "Start by designing search-engine-friendly pages. Use good titles and good copy (i.e., text on the page) to match popular search terms and tap into natural traffic. People only use tricks to make up for the fact they don't have good copy."

• Danny Sullivan suggests you tap into email forums like I-Search and the Rank Write Roundtable, to discuss what works and doesn't, and share news and tips.

• Another good authority on search engine optimisation is WebMama [www.webmama.com] with 16 years experience in marketing and 6 years experience in Search Engine Marketing.

• For more advanced tech talk, Webmaster World has moderated forums.

If you found this checklist useful, the best way to thank us is to add a link from your site to us at www.Keyword-Analysis.com.

We intend to add a feature page for case studies on successful internet marketing and search engine optimisation, if you have a story you would like to add e-mail it to us at case.study@keyword-analysis.com

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