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The Seven Secret Skills Of SEO Work
here is a lot of talk on Copy writing - producing the
the web regarding Search actual readable text on the page
Engine Optimization (SEO)
and how, if you just do this one Marketing - what are the actual
thing, you will be at the top of searches that are being used,
Google. If only it were that what key words actually get more
easy! In fact, I believe there business for your company?
are seven distinct skills that a
search engine optimiser needs to An eye for detail - even the
possess. Most people possess one smallest errors can stop
or maybe two of these skills, spiderbots visiting your site.
very rarely do people posses all
seven. In truth, to get to all Patience - there is a time lag on
seven, people who are good at two any change you make, waiting is a
of these need to actively develop virtue.
the other skills. This takes time
and effort and, if you are IT skills - an appreciation of
running your own business, do you how search engine programs and
really have the time to do this? the algorithms they use actually
work
The seven skills that I believe
are necessary for SEO work are: Many website designers produce
more and more eye-catching
Web Design - producing a visually designs with animations and
attractive page clever features hoping to entice
the people onto their sites. This
HTML coding - developing Search is the first big mistake; using
Engine friendly coding that sits designs like these may actually
behind the web design decrease your chances of a high
Google rating. Yes, that's right;
all that money you have paid for paid the money really do not want
the website design could be to know this. In fact, I have
wasted because no-one will ever stopped playing the messenger of
find your site. bad news (too many shootings!); I
now work round the problem.
The reason for this is that
before you get people to your So, optimising a website to be
site you need to get the Google friendly is often a
spiderbots to like your site. compromise between a visually
Spiderbots are pieces of software attractive site and an easy to
used by the search engine find site. The second skill is
companies to crawl the Internet that of optimising the actual
looking at all the websites, and HTML code to be spiderbot
then having reviewed the sites, friendly. I put this as different
they use complex algorithms to to the web design because you
rank the sites. Some of the really do need to be "down and
complex techniques used by web dirty" in the code rather than
designers cannot be trawled by using an editor like FrontPage,
spiderbots. They come to your which is OK for website design.
site, look at the HTML code and This skill takes lots of time and
exit stage right, without even experience to develop, and just
bothering to rank your site. So, when you think you have cracked
you will not be found on any it, the search engine companies
meaningful search. change the algorithms used to
calculate how high your site will
I am amazed how many times I look appear in the search results.
at websites and I immediately
know they are a waste of money. This is no place for even the
The trouble is that both the web most enthusiastic amateur.
designers and the company that Results need to be constantly
monitored, pieces of code added Some people try to stuff their
or removed, and a check kept on site with keywords, while others
what the competition are doing. put white writing on white space
Many people who design their own (so spiderbots can see it but
website feel they will get humans cannot).
searched because it looks good,
and totally miss out this step. Spiderbots are very sophisticated
Without a strong technical and not only will not fall for
understanding of how spiderbots these tricks, they may actively
work, you will always struggle to penalise your site - in Google
get your company on the first terms, this is sandboxing. Google
results page in Google. We takes new sites and "naughty"
actually run seven test domains sites and effectively sin-bins
which are testing different them for 3-6 months, you can
theories with different search still be found but n t until
engines. Remember that different results page 14 - really useful!
search engines use different As well as good English, the
criteria and algorithms to rank spiderbots are also reading the
your site - one size does not fit HTML code, so the copy writer
all. also needs an appreciation of the
interplay between the two. My
Thirdly, I suggested that copy recommendation for anyone copy
writing is a skill in its own writing their own site is to
right. This is the writing of the write normal, well-constructed
actual text that people coming to English sentences that can be
your site will read. The read by machine and human alike.
Googlebot and other spiderbots
like Inktomi, love text - but The fourth skill is marketing,
only when written well in after all this is what we are
properly constructed English. doing - marketing you site and
hence company and in a very sophisticated html
products/services on the Web. The validator that picks up errors
key here is to set the site up to that other validators just fail
be accessible to the searches to see. These errors do not stop
that will provide most business the pages displaying correctly to
to you. I have seen many sites the human eye, but cause massive
that can be found as you key in problems with spiderbots. Almost
the company name. Others that can all the code that I look at on
be found by keying in "Accountant the web using this validator
Manchester North-West England", flags major errors, even from SEO
which is great, except no-one companies.
ever actually does that search.
So the marketing The sixth skill is patience, or
skill requires knowledge of a is it a virtue! Some people seem
company's business, what they are to want to make daily changes and
really trying to sell and an then think they can track the web
understanding of what actual page ranking results the next
searches may provide dividends. day. Unfortunately, it can take a
week for absolutely correct
The next skill is an eye for changes to take effect, in which
detail. Even a simple change to a time you have made six other
web page can create an error that changes. Add to this Google's
means the spiderbots will not reticence to allow new sites
crawl your site. Recently, I put straight on to its listings by
a link to a page that didn't have adding a waiting factor of,
www. at the front of the address. maybe, three months for new
The link still worked but the sites, and you have a totally
spiders stopped crawling, and it uncontrollable situation. We say
took my partner to find the to all our clients that a piece
error. We have recently invested of SEO work should be looked at
like a marketing campaign that database that will be created and
runs for six months, since it is how it will be accessed when a
only after that time that a true search is undertaken.
judgement of the effectiveness of Unfortunately, this skill is the
the work can be made. most difficult one to learn as it
relies on many years experience
The final and seventh skill is an of systems programming.
appreciation of how search
engines and algorithms work, for So, in summary, I would say "If
this where both IT and maths it was easy everyone would be
experience is useful. People who doing it!". I hope you will see
have programmed at a detailed that professional Search Engine
systems level have a natural Optimisation companies need more
feeling for how spiderbots will than a bit of web design to
read a page, what they will improve your business. Make sure
search for, what tables they will anyone you choose for SEO work
set up, what weightings they may can cover all the bases.
give to different elements. All
of this builds a picture of the
About the Author:
John Fowler trained as a Mathematician and has worked in the IT industry for over 30 years, much of the time in sales related functions. He now spends his time between being a partner in SEO Gurus and as a sales and management trainer for ICT companies. John can be contacted via http://www.seo-gurus.co.uk
Read more articles by: John Fowler
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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