tothepoint

Content is key. It should be well written and as specific as possible. Once you identify your target audiences and your key messaging, you’re halfway there. This also helps to identify your goals and develop an online strategy. Are you looking to simply strengthen your brand presence, promote a set of unique selling points or sell a product? Who are you speaking to and why? This will lead to tailoring your content with the correct messaging and phrases. It will also help to identify the competition.

Once you have your game-plan mapped out, it’s time to measure up the competition. Is anyone in your sector doing particularly well online and why is that?

Analysing your current web content, and comparing it to that of your competitors and industry peers is the first step to search engine optimisation. Consider the hot topics, and associated keywords and phrases. Pepper these through your website with well written and relevant content and you’re well on your way.

Of course there’s the technical stuff behind the scenes. At tothepoint, we’ll make sure your website is built well for search engines to index, and support the content you’re putting out there. Google Analytics and webmaster tools will help us get a better understanding of who’s drilling into your website and where the dead ends are. It’s this continuous reviewing of traffic and updating of content that will help your website’s visibility online and you to spread the word.

Optimising your content and having the neatest, tidiest most well presented website in the world won’t be for much if no-one knows that it’s there. People aren’t going to stumble across your website unless they’re pointed to it. Search engines won’t necessarily rank your website highly if no-one’s visiting. It’s a catch 22 situation that will need you to give it a push elsewhere.

So it’s down to the oldest online trick in the book; reciprocal linking. Before Google (imagine that?!) and the other search engines we know and love today, you had to rely on other websites linking to yours and it’s still the best way to increase traffic, and therefore your search engine ranking. It might be from articles written on other websites or blogs, or news stories. You might consider utilising common social networks; Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin for example. And keep an eye on those keywords and phrases. This content is just as important as the stuff on your own website. It’ll draw people in and if you’re doing it right, it’ll keep them coming.