5 Keys to an Optimized Web Site

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)
is a necessity for successful online marketing.

Your business or organization should have a presence on the Internet that is quickly and easily
found by prospects and customers alike. Recent studies show that more than 40 percent
of those looking for local businesses search online, and that number is growing.

Here are FIVE STEPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR SEARCH ENGINE RANKINGS,
enhancing the odds that your business will be easily found on the Web:

1

       Have a Web site. Sounds basic. But, to have a solid online presence, you
       must have a Web site. According to a Nielsen Global Online Survey, 875 million
       consumers worldwide have made purchases on the Web, up 40 percent from
       627 million just two years ago.

2

       Clarify your goals. Who do you want to visit your site? Once they arrive,
       what do you want them to do? Defining your goals will give you a roadmap to
       developing the right content and functionality for your site. An objective of
       educating prospects will yield a different site than one designed for direct
       orders of products and services.

3


       Include keyword-rich content. Once you've determined the goals
       of your site, you can determine how to make the information most relevant
      to your target audience. More than 40 percent of consumers that spend time
      online are looking for content.* For search engines like Google and Yahoo to
       find your Web site, you'll need to use keywords and keyword phrases.  (These
       are the words someone types into a search bar.) When you are writing the
       content for your Web site, develop the content first. Strive for 5-7 percent
      keyword density, or 5-7 keywords and/or keyword phrases per 100 words
      of text. They should be seamlessly incorporated into your Web site copy.

4

       Create a local listing. It is quick and easy to create a local listing for your
       Web site.  A local listing allows customers and prospects searching for your
       products and services to view your contact information quickly, determine
       your hours of operation, get directions to your location, read reviews of
      your company and learn about products and services you offer.

5

       Participate in social networking sites. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
       are three of the most popular social networking sites. Research suggests that $3.1
       billion will be spent on social media by 2014.** By participating on social networking
       sites, your Web site will move up in rankings on search engines. The more your Web
       site is linked to social networking sites, the more optimized it will be. Plus, social
       networking sites allow you to communicate one-to-one with your customers,
       allowing you to manage their perceptions of your business.


                                                   *OPA Internet Index       **Forrester