Sometimes when I'm having an initial search engine optimization discussion with clients, I'm reminded of the classic "Dip-Tet" scene from the movie "Raising Arizona...
"Who's your pediatrician anyway..."
"... I guess we don't have one yet."
"Jesus! Well you gotta have one! You gotta have one this instant!... He's gotta have his DIP-TET!"
Everyone has heard about that "Search Engine thing". Client's want to have that "optimizing" on their websites. The have to have it right now! They NEED it! And, sadly, most people figure if they just get some SEO everything will be fine.
The truth is that Search Engine Optimization is an important part of an overall online business strategy but it is only one part. Building a site, doing some initial SEO, launching the site and then leaving it be with no online and/or offline promotion, link and/or reputation building strategies or marketing will do you little or no good.
Having an optimized site with no solid return visitor or visitor conversion elements included will do you little or no good.
Launching a terrific site with good initial optimization and then never updating or refreshing the content will do you... you guessed it.... little or no good.
Shadowbend Studios takes a wholistic approach to Search Engine Optimization, incorporating it as an integral part of an overall web design and development package which also includes solid design, good return visitor and visitor conversion elements and social networking links.
Every website that Shadowbend Studios develops has the following search engine optimization elements build into it:
- Implementing Web Design Best Practices to insure a search engine friendly site (limiting the use of white text, no keyword stuffing, page inter-linking with good anchor text selection.
- Initial keyword list research and development.
- Distribution of keywords over the various pages of your site (usually 3-4 keywords[phrases] on the home page and 2-3 keywords[phrases] on the interior pages.
- Strong keyword use in the page URL's, page titles, header content, file names, image alt tags, and page content.
- Proper construction of Keyword and Description Meta Tags in the page code.
- Post launch check to make sure that the page content has the proper keyword density (usually around 10%).