eLink Design enables our clients to have peace of mind knowing that whitehat SEO techniques are being utilized from the beginning of their project, through its launch, and on to the marketing thereafter.
An Explanation of SEO
In order to better explain what search engine optimization (SEO) does, we'll take you through the steps with the eyes of a customer. John Doe owns a company and wants to be better ranked in the search engines. He thinks that online marketing is where he needs to spend his budget. He has a website, but is not very happy; it is not everything that he has wanted and does not represent his company well. He goes online and does his homework in the process. Not only is he learning about a technical industry, he is also discovering that there are many different paths that he could take in order to accomplish his goal of not only having an excellent online presence through his website, but also having his website generate leads and sales. Eventually, John Doe contacts a search engine optimization company. Once the search engine optimization company has been contacted, John Doe is sure to receive plenty of feedback. Now John turns into a mediator. He must determine which of these companies who have submitted proposals, followed up with phone calls, followed up with e-mails and the like is the best company for him. Some companies are more aggressive than other companies. Some companies have a salesperson who knows little about SEO, while others have technicians who answer phone calls. Ultimately, it is not the techniques, or the beautiful presentations, or the long phone calls, but rather, the person who John Doe feels the most comfortable with that ends up earning the business.
Of course, the company that is awarded the contract is not just given the contract because they have a nice person on the other end of the line. They are awarded the contract because they have the ability to back up what they're talking about and the knowledge to wade through the turbulent waters of search engine optimization. Due to the fact that the best practices are always evolving, it is essential that the person or company that is taking care of John eats, sleeps and breathes SEO. They must know the industry backwards and forwards. It is the ultimate job of the SEO firm to determine how what the search engines deem to be relevant effects their clients.
Why SEO Experience Matters
When you consider that Google has hundreds of different variables in its algorithm, it is easy to understand why a search engine optimization firm must be on top of things in order to obtain results for their clientele. So, how does one understand an algorithm, that no one other than Google truly knows? The answer to this riddle is experience! Experience is the badge of honor that any true search engine optimization firm wears proudly on their chest. Only experience can allow someone who is performing SEO to truly be able to answer the myriad of questions that inevitably will pop up during the course of a contract term. For example, why is it that a certain number of pages on my site show up in the supplemental results provided by Google? Or, why is it that I can't seem to get this page to show up in the rankings, even though I know that there are other pages ranked ahead of me and have a lot less content? The answer to these questions opens up the door for even more questions. In the case of supplemental results, it can be something as simple as duplication of content. Or, in the case of not performing as well as the competition, it could be something as simple as the lack of relevant links pointing to your site. Of course, it is not always this simple, and in some cases the answer is more difficult than it might seem at first. This is especially true when considering the fact that there are most often times millions of pages that your site is competing against at any one time.
So what is search engine optimization? Is it merely a technique? Or, is it the ability to apply a technique, knowing a given amount of variables, and based on the experience one receives by actually performing SEO? We say that it is the latter!
SEO - Evolve to Survive!
One might wonder why a web design company chooses to place so much emphasis on Internet marketing. After all, the two are really two totally different specialties. On one hand, there is a company full of designers (artists) and programmers (engineers). On the other hand, there is a marketing agency (advertisers and statisticians). So, why the combination? The answer is more biology than anything else. What? How does this all tie into biology? It is quite simple actually: evolution!
In business, just as in life, you must evolve to survive. Therefore, slowly but surely, search engine optimization firms and web development firms began to appreciate how the other might create a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. In some cases, it is an internet marketing firm taking the first step and obtaining the services of a web developer or web development firm. In other cases, it is the exact opposite. It is not unlike the relationship between chocolate and peanut butter, both are great on their own. However, the combination is absolutely delightful!
It really doesn't matter how or when the combination began, only that it has happened. In our company's case, it was the request of clients that peaked our interest. This brings new meaning to the phrase "the customer is always right." Were they ever! With the writing on the wall and the requests coming in with each new client, the need for Internet Marketing was born out of necessity. Survive and advance!
Contact Us
We are available for a free consultation.
Sophisticated, complex project requirements are very much an area where we thrive, so please reach out to us for a no-cost proposal for your next web design project. You may be pleasantly surprised at the level of detail and effort we put into our proposals. Our account managers are available for meetings at your offices or our office if located in Lexington, as well as phone or video conferences for clients throughout the U.S.
eLink Design, Inc.
859-518-8401
sales@elinkdesign.com