Would you advertise under the sea?

Nope. This isn’t some sort of apocalyptic vision nor has the author just returned from a particularly long lunch-break of the liquid kind.

In fact, the headline doesn’t actually need an answer – it’s a purely rhetorical question.

Anyone applying an ounce of logic knows that no-one advertises where they won’t possibly be seen – so why is it then that many businesses continue to apply search engine optimisation as an afterthought?

Or, to put it another way, why is search engine optimisation frequently applied as a sort of ‘fix’ that’s applied to a website only when it’s been designed, built and launched with the fix deemed necessary to address the issue of not being found in the organic search engine results pages (SERPs)?

Integrate SEO every step of the way

To avoid this scenario – and a great deal of extra work to boot – SEO should really begin with a blueprint for your website that’s allied to your overall, on-line marketing strategy. A good indication of  the quantity and the positioning of textual content on your proposed website should be as much a part of the design process as any HTML, script, Flash™ or interactive elements you want to include.

A cohesive SEO strategy should include the following actions:

• Clearly identify your target market
• Formulate a clear strategy as to how you’ll compete in that market
• Develop a search engine-friendly website
• Embark on an extensive and on-going link-building campaign.

Keyword research

It’s vital to conduct a thorough keyword research before launching your site to establish the search terms your audience will most likely use when looking for your products or services. To re-visit the site content after go-live with a fistful of hot, new keywords will effectively involve re-writing most, if not all of the site content.

Remember, rank isn’t everything

Also think of your website not just in terms of positioning in the search rankings, but positioning in your virtual marketplace.

For example, if you sell haute couture fashion garments, there’s little point optimising your site for high rankings with search terms such as “budget”. Even if you manage to achieve a top position, the only thing you’ll succeed in doing is forcing your site visitor to find another site that’s more appropriate (i.e. relevant) to their wants and needs.

And finally, SEO is never-ending
Just as business strategy is an on-going process that meets defined goals, so too is SEO so it’s vitally important to integrate SEO into all your everyday business activities.

The opportunities are endless – from off-line media, such as business cards and brochures, to the on-line space where social media has emerged as a massively influential player. Even an invoice carries with it an opportunity to request that someone engage with your website. And who knows – they may even link to it!

It’s often so much easier (and more cost-effective) to build your SEO from the ground up rather then trying to apply fixes to an existing website – especially one that has shown all the signs of having sunk beneath the waves.

Bon voyage!