Setting Up for SEO
Before a key is stroked in the name of Search Engine Optimisation, there is a large amount of preliminary work that needs to be covered.
What is your web site for?
Firstly, we need to look at what it is your business is all about, what you are trying to achieve and how your web site can help you reach those goals. In essence, we need to ask "what is your web site for?"
This may not seem like rocket science but you'd be surprised how few web sites lack this basic focus.
Certainly the most common answer would be to advertise your products and services, but if your business is to sell products or services rather than to advertise them, then your web site should reflect that.
It is then just as important to ask yourself:
Who is this web site supposed to help or appeal to?
It is always important when you are putting together the content of your web site that you do so with the needs and expectations of those for whom your information or service is intended.
Customer Profiling
Customer profiling is a great way to approach the needs of those who visit your site. It is important to really spend some time generating profiles of the types of people who are hoping to attract - separate out your customer types, give each one a name, a profession, marital status and then imagine the route by which they found you and what they might be needing of you.
You can then begin to taylor your content, the kind of words and phrases you use in that content and how much detail you might feel is required to reach your audience.
Understanding media consumption, community habits, content affinities and platform preferences will also help you greatly.
Keyword Research
Once you have the words, phrases and terminology you feel will be used to by those you wish to attract, or those whose questions you are answering, you can begin to think about keyword research.
One reason keyword research is useful is because if you're selling back-packs you may find it useful to know whether more searches are done for the phrase "hiking sacks" or "day bags" or whatever. You may think you know what category your products or services naturally fit into, but the internet can be an unpredictable place and your customers may be using ever-so-slight variations of the words you use, or using totally different words for the same products.
There are stacks of keyword research resources available online. Some are free and some are not. Amongst the most popular free services are those like Google's Keyword tool which has a broad range of features (some of which are only available from within an Adwords account).
It is also well worth checking out the keyword research facilities offered by the PPC services of Microsoft and Yahoo - though at the time of writing, neither are accessible without accounts.
Another useful tool is Nichebot Classic which has much the same functionality as Keyword Tracker that retails in WebPosition 4.
Also, Keyword Discovery.
But don't just go with the words or phrases that are popular. Instead go with the ones that are "relevant", and more likely to result in a visit from someone who is actually looking for the kind of things that you are showcasing - or a customer who is that much closer to making a purchase.
A great way to approach the development of potentially lucrative keyword phrases is the Keyword Bucket.
