A Search Engine is an internet tool that lets users quickly and simply find the answers to questions or information on topics or keywords. The search engine spider searches a database of websites using a specially devised algorithm to return results that are as close to the original request as possible.
Q. Why are Search Engines important?
A. Search engines make it easy for people to find what they are looking for on the internet. Millions of searches are undertaken every day and as many as 80% of people who visit a website for the first time will come through a search engine.
Q. What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
A. SEO can mean many different things. Simply put, it means making a website more visible to the search engine spiders, thus ensuring that it will achieve a high ranking on a search results page. The actual process of optimization involves subtly changing up to 60 different parts of the website to make it adhere to the search engine algorithms as well as submitting websites to all the major directories and running Paid Listings campaigns.
Q. Why do I need to consider SEO for my website?
A. Increasing traffic from search engines is the most cost effective method of marketing a website and driving qualified visitors directly to your business. Net Visibility can offer a range of specialised services that will work alongside your business model to increase online visibility.
Q. How do Search engines rank sites?
A. There are nine different search engines that control 90% of the search engine traffic in the world. Each search engine has a specific criteria (algorithm) that it analyses web sites for. These algorithms typically consider around 60 separate aspects of your website and compare them against other rival sites which are designed to be found for the same or similar keywords and phrases. Websites that rank highly on results pages are ones which adhere the closest to the algorithm of a specific engine and have the best link popularity
Q. Do I need to be number one on the search engine to get results?
A. No but the top ten listings attract the majority of the search traffic (around 65%). Web sites listed between places 10 and 20 (ie page 2 of search results) will receive around 22% and the sites listed between places 20 and 30 (page 3) will receive around 11% of the traffic. You do not have to be number one to increase your traffic- first page placement on search engine results guarantees more people will see your site.
Q. Does SEO just mean ‘submitting your site to Search Engines’?
A. No, it involves a number of aspects, from making changes to your website code and content, increasing the relevance and number of sites linking to your website and the strategic positioning of your site on various web directories. Other methods, such as paid listings campaigns, also come under the title of internet marketing.
Q. What is the difference between a Search Engine and a Directory?
A. A search engine is a service that is reviewed by an automated search engine spider in order to rank your website. A directory is a service that is reviewed manually by an individual who looks at your site for content and subject matter and ranks it accordingly.
Q. Do I have to change my website?
A. Ideally yes. If you want to drive substantial long term traffic to your website, it is advisable to make some optimization changes to your site as these can deliver obvious benefits. However, if for some reason the web site cannot be altered, there are various techniques that can be used to drive traffic without major changes to the front end design.
Q. What happens if I don’t optimise my website?
A. Search engines have millions of web pages indexed however they will only list web sites in accordance to their own individual algorithms. Competition for web traffic can be extremely tough with the top ranking sites picking up the vast majority of visitors. Without optimization, fully optimised competitor sites will always rank higher than yours and thus monopolise all web traffic.
Q. Do Net Visibility use automated software for optimization work?
A. No, we submit all our sites and code all our work by hand.
Q. Why don't Net Visibility offer pay for performance billing?
A. In its information to webmasters Google says "Beware of SEO's that claim to guarantee rankings". This alone should tell you why Net Visibility do not guarantee positioning.
We prefer to work with our clients on an ongoing basis and provide qualified, scaleable internet marketing solutions rather than guaranteeing number one positions for keywords that are easy to achieve but drive little relevant traffic.
All our solutions are fully scaleable - in some cases this means we have to build link popularity or change site architecture, often a ongoing and lengthy procedure. We advise our clients what is required to achieve the positions they want and we can assist them to attain those positions, however costs are dependant on the competitive and dynamic nature of different marketplaces.
