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SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

MAKE SURE YOUR SITE COUNTS

WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)?

SEO: A QUICK OVERIEW

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. Other forms of search engine marketing (SEM) target paid listings. Having variety in your marketing strategy will help to increase your outreach to customers. It will also make you more visible to potential customers. Having a responsive website design is one key to ensuring you are at the start of good things to come.

There is not one person or company that can guarantee you a first spot in any search engine. Be weary of those that say they can as it is likely a scam.

In general, the earlier (or higher on the page) and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a website web presence.

Responsive design showing on iPhone

SEO SERVICES ARE A CONTINUAL PROCESS, NEVER A ONE TIME DEAL

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a web search engine's unpaid results—often referred to as "natural", "organic", or "earned" results. SEO is an ongoing, continual process where we check various factors, make changes to see if they work, and then continue to make changes. SEO is never "done."

HAVING A WEBSITE IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP!

SEO is an ongoing process

Having a website is a great first start, but if you do not have a professional maintaining it, adding new content and media, optimizing it for new keywords and updates, including important security updates, your site is going to be a waste of money in the long run.

Likewise, without SEO services, especially when you are trying to rank well for a popular keyword, your site won't make it far in search engine placement or rankings. 

Our pricing is always based on your needs. For the first year, at least, we suggest going with a full package that allows unlimited hours of SEO. This helps get you established on the web. 

SEO SERVICES, DONE YOUR WAY

IN DELAWARE AND NATIONWIDE

SOME THINGS WE LOOK AT WITH SEO

Below are some of the more important things we look at when developing an SEO strategy for your site.

KEYWORD DISCOVERY & ANALYSIS

The simple goal of keyword research is to find out what your target audience is searching and what it will take to actually rank for those keywords and phrases. Knowing the right keywords to target helps to effectively optimize your website to reach your target audience. Keyword Research & Relevance to your industry and location (geolocation) is what this part is all about. 

COMPETITOR RESEARCH

SEO competitor analysis is very different from your normal competitor analysis. For example, if you have a computer shop, you may think of some of your main competitors as the other local shops. However, if you are specifically targeting a single area such as Sussex County, Delaware or targeting more niche keywords, your online competitors could be very different. We look at both local competitors and those that rank well for target keywords for a complete analysis.

CLEAN CODING

Reviewing your website content to ensure it makes use of effective keywords, calls to action and is well-written. Content is still king. Ensuring we use clean coding during the site building process helps your site to better rank with search engines. Search engines read code, not the words in the actual layout. Therefore, if the code is poorly-written the search engines will quickly drop your site for others that they can make better sense of.

CONTENT OPTIMIZATION

Along with the clean coding aspect, again, we focus on keywords, effective descriptions, page size and length, creating effective calls to action, learning to anticipate what you want your visitors want when they come to your site, linking to internal pages and ensuring a clear navigation system.

When we say content is king is means that search engines look for unique content. They are not against you. They simply want to ensure they are offering their customers the absolute best results possible when they search and hopefully find your website. Learn more about Writing for the Web.

ON PAGE & OFF PAGE SEO

On Page SEO ensures that your website is optimized for the topic(s) it represents as well as measures such as page load times, using keywords in the right spots, use of social sharing, monitoring the bounce rate and more.

Off-page SEO includes building high-quality links, creating “local” accounts such as with Google Local and others like Yelp.com, and thinking about article submissions. You can create huge opportunities for yourself by also commenting on other, related blogs and considering whether creating your own blog, or article directory on your site, would be beneficial to your visitors and search engines. Creating conversations on the web can be helpful to for your SEO plan. We can submit your content to proven directories that list business information to ensure all information is the same across the web. Off page SEO is essential.

SEO IS A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT

SEO is not a one-time deal. We must continually make adjustments to various parts of your website.

SEO is a long-term commitment

SEO is a long-term commitment that can become expensive depending on your provider, your goals and how you wish to build your online presence. We try hard to make it affordable for you.

If you are not well versed in Search Engines and how they operate you need professional SEO services. It is no secret that search engines constantly update their algorithms and they are closely guarded. This means that we will never have one specific way to get your site to the top of the search results, however, we do have a set of proven techniques that will help. Content is king on the web and in search engines. When you write effective, unique content using keywords that your visitors will likely search for, you are well on your way to effective SEO compliance.

Most website owners have received the emails that say they "guarantee" to put you on the first page of Google's search results. Do not fall for it as it is a scam. Any SEO professional using white hat SEO can tell you that there is never a one size fits all approach. SEO is always based on you, your business, your industry, and other such factors.

GET YOUR MAINTENANCE & SEO PLAN!

If we built your website, you already have a firm foundation with SEO. If you have an existing website that was self-created using a site builder or designed by another professional, our first step will be to analyze the site in full. This also includes a review of your hosting platform, domain names, and other technological aspects. Once the initial analysis is complete, we will report back to you with recommendations. This is a continual process and not a one-time optimization. Search Engines and coding technologies and standards change often and to remain compliant you must have someone working for you to reap the benefits of SEO. We offer quarterly SEO packages to ensure you are kept up to date and your site is not lagging behind in search engine results.

The long-term results of a well-planned SEO campaign are worth a few extra bucks. When your site succeeds, so does your business!

ACCOUNTS WE CREATE FOR YOU

As a part of the ongoing SEO processes and to determine where changes need to be made, and for many other reasons, we create a few accounts on your behalf to track performance and other metrics to help us along the way. Some of these include: 

  • Google Webmaster Tools
  • Bing webmaster tools
  • Google Analytics
  • Directory Listings (like Yelp.com)

These accounts, along with our investment in other SEO applications, help us keep search engines updated and allow us to continually track the performance of your website. 

Never forget, your visitors come first!

We talk a lot about metrics and optimization of your site but never forget that creating an excellent user experience is always first and is a natural way to gain SEO.

We can do all of the planning, research, and execution of SEO techniques but without a good interface that creates a GREAT USER EXPERIENCE, your visitors will not stay and they will not convert. 

This is where the design aspect comes in. Creation of easy to read content, adaptable to be read on all devices including screen readers, and creating an easy navigation system to allow your site visitors to find what they cam for, and quickly. 

Let's face it, we don't have great attention spans these days. We often skim content unless we are really trying to learn something. Incorporating easy ways for your visitors to focus on what they need is paramount to your site's success. Some of these may include using bulleted or numbered lists, incorporating media such as images, audio, and video, creating an article "series," and effective calls to action. 

So yes, design is as important as the other SEO factors. 

Dapper Web Designs has a strong focus on small businesses, nonprofits, and related sites and projects, which are usually underserved and overcharged market segments.

SEO is important for any website, and especially for the first year. We suggest purchasing a website maintenance plan that includes unlimited SEO for at least the first year, or for the entire site's life if you can afford to do so. These maintenance plans come with many other features as well that help keep your website performing well.

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