Client Planning Area-Search Engine Optimization [SEO]

Getting Started - Search Engine Optimization

Ideally, you want to think about search engine optimization BEFORE you even start on your design. There are techniques and practices (including navigation and site archetecture) that'll need to be addressed before you even start to layout the site design.

So where do you start?
Keyword research is the first and most important step in any Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Project. While you and I can think of some great phrases for your site, we need to find out if humans are actually seaching on these phrases. If you optimize your site for phrases no one searches on then don't expect ANY quality traffic from the search engines.

How do you create a seed list?
I tell my clients to create a list of every phrase they can think of that has to do with their product(s) and/or service(s). Have their co-workers, parents, grandparents, pets (well maybe not pets) submit their ideas as well.

EX:
An Albuquerque lawyer might have the following phrases in their seed list:

medical malpractice
auto accidents
big rig accidents
birth injury

Sometimes, depending on the niche, the above exercise can create enough phrases for you to start with. Sometimes it doesn’t. That’s when you get a bit more aggressive about where you find these phrases:

1) server log files
2) competitor sites
3) thesaurus
4) online bidding tools
5) client
6) offline advertising

Tips

1) Do NOT include words like:
The Best
Green
Great
Excellent
etc

2) Make sure your geographical areas are unique.
Example: Cooks County

There are several Cooks Counties in the United States. If you find yourself in this position, try to find other geographical areas that could be possible candidates for optimization. If not, you’ll be competing against other areas. This optimization effort would be best spent optimizing your site for unique areas.