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Understanding SEO: Step 5 - Spell It Out

From Understanding Search Engine Optimization Process Series

You may not fully understand the technology behind Search Engine Optimization process – after all, that is what experts are for – however understanding the concept is easier then you think.

If you had ever bought or sold a house, or even simply watched any of the house-hunting shows on TV, consider yourself armed with basic knowledge.

Let’s imagine that the website is the house that you want to buy or sell.

Step #2: Spell It Out

Nobody likes "Mystery Meat".

Human Factor: Make sure that it takes your visitors less then 2 seconds to figure out what your site is about. In nowadays people are so used to the super-sonic speed of the internet, their fingers click “back to search results” faster then their brains register what did they just see on their computer screens. Long and windy mission statements may be great for the content fulfillment and good income source for copywriters – but they are not a great way to invite the visitors to browse your website. You know your business; do not assume that your visitors do. Make it simple and obvious for them. Just like buying the house – you want to see the neighborhood, the front yard, the house, - before you read the mortgage papers.

Do you sell ice skating equipment? Do you run a successful dental practice? Do you practice law? You would not put pink flamingos all over your façade, you would not hide behind the unmarked concrete wall as if your business was in witness relocation program – you would clearly identify the nature of your business by visual aids (yes, I’ve seen a sculpture of a giant molar in front of one dental practice in Wyckoff, New Jersey) or by a clearly stated business name. If someone drives by in the car, you want to make sure they see your location right away, and do not pass by.

Now, apply the same logic to your website. Make sure that nature of what you do is obvious to anyone who takes just a glance at the site. Include attributes that would make it easy for visitor’s brain to register “I found the right place” before their finger clicks away…

Computer Factor. Same “no mystery meat” logic goes for the search engines. When you think search engines – think people who use them. You would not use the buzz words to search for products or services on the internet. You would not type “myriads of technology solutions of unsurpassed quality” into the search box when you simply want to find “computer technicians in New Jersey”. Content of your website - especially home page – should consist of text that makes it obvious to the search engines what your site is about, so they can properly index and list it. Make sure that content such as “computer technicians in New Jersey” (if that is what your do) is a part of your home page, - in title, in keywords, and in text – to make it easy for the search engines to identify your website as the right source of information.

Making nature of your business obvious to people and search engines helps you be in demand.