Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If accessing new markets and new customers is one your goals, then search engine optimization should be included in the upfront design. Natural search engine optimization will influence the design methods used on your website. Search engine optimization during the design phase of a website will have little bearing on the initial development cost. But, natural search engine optimization becomes more costly to retrofit on an existing website. Once optimized, your website should attract search engine referrals long after the design is complete. So if sales leads are one of the goals for your new website, the time to plan for search engine optimization is during the upfront development.
Content is Key
SEO (search engine optimization) depends on a number of factors, but content is key. The more information you can provide about your product or service, and the more targeted this content is, the more likely your website will achieve a high search engine ranking. Look for content writing and copy editing that includes a focus on search engine optimization.
Design for Search Engine Indexing
SEO design means using design methods that are friendly to search engines. In general, search engines have difficulty indexing websites that are developed exclusively in flash. Search engines also have difficulty indexing frames based web designs. And since search engines don’t see what is in a graphic, any written content that is created exclusively as a graphic with not be indexed. By designing your website with proven search engine friendly methods, you’ll have more search engine referrals, and you will avoid future (costly) rework.
Measure your website results
Search engine optimization also makes sense if you plan to measure the results from your website. In addition to measuring submissions from contact forms, quotation requests, product enquiries, and requests for literature, you can collect website statistics such as page views and search engine referrals. New prospects from search engine referrals and their the resulting contacts can be measured against the investment made in your website. Your measured results also provide the feedback needed to plan future changes.
About Agora
Agora has included SEO in its designs for over 10 years. Because search engine optimization is built into our web design process, even websites that we designed years ago often rank well.