B2B Web Marketing Tip: Know the Basics about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

© Dianna Huff

Before optimizing your B2B Web site (or hiring a firm to do it for you), it helps to know the following basic information about search engine optimization.

1. Search engine optimization is NOT about #1 rankings.
No one can guarantee you a #1 listing for anything nor should that be your goal. Search engines constantly update their idexes EVERYDAY. A site that was #8 for a keyword one week can be dropped to #22 the next week. SEO is about building Websites that help people find what they’re looking for. A site that is offers great content, is “spider-friendly,” and is built around keywords people use in their searches will naturally get found in the search engines. But, ranking well is only half the story. Getting site visitors to take a desired action once they get to your site is the other half.

2. Use keywords your prospects and customers are using.
The biggest SEO mistake is to use keywords you think people should be using versus the keywords they actually are using. To develop a good keyword list, use tools like Trellian’s Keyword Discovery Tool or Google’s free keyword tool, consult your own Web analytics reports, talk to customers, and read industry publications.

3. Content is king.
Give people a reason to visit your site by providing content they can use. People love high-value information such as glossary terms, FAQs, case studies, white papers, resource guides, reports, tools, e-newsletters, video, etc. High-value content also helps build valuable “inbound” links from other sites — and the more high-quality links pointing to your site, the higher your position within the search engines.

4. Know the basics of “spider-friendly” design.
Google, Bing, and Yahoo look at and give considerable weight to the “Title” tag in the HTML source code. (Hint: Go to your home page. If it says, “Welcome to Widget Corp” at the top of your browser, your Title tags aren’t optimized.) Spiders also don’t like dynamic navigation, frames, Flash, and session IDs. Home pages that require the visitor to log in first or choose a country or language can also be problematic.

5. Track and measure ROI.
If your objective is to generate leads, track how many visitors signed up for your newsletter or downloaded a white paper or report. If you have a search box on your site, analyze the data to determine what people are looking for — and if they’re able to find it.

6. Have your site analyzed by a professional.
Just as you would check with your doctor before exercising, you should have your site analyzed by a search professional before beginning an SEO campaign. This person can tell you if your site has potential problems, such as being built entirely in Flash, or if your site uses tactics that could get it penalized or banned by the search engines.

If you’re a search newbie and you want to learn more, check out the following resources:

FAQs about search engine optimization — Find answers to basic SEO questions – and take a test to see if your site needs to be optimized — at the DH Communications Web site.

Search Engine Land — A great online resource that includes technical articles and tutorials on search engine technology.

Search Engine Visibility, Second Edition, by Shari Thurow — A must-read for anyone responsible for a Web site (or has clients who are), this book shows you how to design a site that is search engine and people friendly. You’ll learn what pitfalls to avoid from the beginning so you can deliver a more effective site design.