Search Engine Optimisation - 8 Common Mistakes!

Search Engine Optimization is a powerful tool that can be used to increase the level of relevant traffic to your website. Used correctly, optimisation is a fantastic way to boost your business. However there are some pitfalls to watch out for.

Take a look at a few of the reasons why SEO campaigns have failed and make sure you learn from their mistakes.

1. Bad Keywords - Make sure the text on your website is uncomplicated and reflects what your company is about. You need to be sure that people searching for your website will use your terminology, and more importantly, know what it means. Common mistakes include making keywords too specific, using technical jargon which only fellow professionals can understand and generalising terms so they become generic and bring in the wrong type of person.

2. Page format - Good optimisation takes into account the format of your webpage. Make sure your sections are placed in a logical way which draws customers in. It's also important to have enough page content. As a rule of thumb look to write a minimum 200-300 words on each page of your site. Don't forget that websites are for humans not search engine spiders.

3. Don't forget to build links - Part of a good optimisation campaign includes building links from other websites into yours. In simplistic terms the more people who link to you without you offering a reciprocal link, the better your rating will become. Link building is perhaps the most important aspect of Google optimisation and can help to push you to the top of the page.

4. Work with a reliable internet marketing company - Some SEO consultants will use illegitimate means to boost your website and give the impression that you are receiving more hits. This can be done by using multiple names, owning shadow domains or by guaranteeing rankings with obscure keyword phrases which are not relevant to your business. Make sure the company you use explains how they will be getting more hits on your site. The concepts relating to SEO are fairly simple. If the company you use is being secretive about their methods make sure you find out why.

5. Consult a professional - Unless you are a specialist in SEO you should consider consulting with a reputable company. A professional internet marketing consultant who cares about his or her work and is dedicated to making your site a success can easily save you from the blunders that could cost you time, resources and money.

6. Do some market research - Make sure the words you use are relevant to the business you want to receive. Several proprietary keyword research tools are available. Wordtracker, for example, is an extensive tool that allows you to find popular search terms, the frequency with which they are entered into search engines, as well as the amount of indexed sites that are competing.

7. Monitor and maintain your internet marketing campaign - After successfully optimising your site, check back and make sure your rankings are being maintained. This is also a good method of checking who your competition is. If you don't want to check all your keywords manually there is automatic software available such as Google's web API.

8. Keep up to date - The most effective SEO campaigns are changing all the time. Make you sure you, or your internet marketing specialist, are continually keeping up to date with progressions in the marketplace. This can include staying abreast of blog pages, newsletters, forum postings or case studies.

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This article was written by David Clarke - an internet marketing strategy consultant and partner of DBS. As part of the marketing mix DBS also recommend the use of 0800 numbers and 0845 numbers.