What is Search Engine Optimisation?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a powerful marketing tool now employed by businesses across the world looking to maximise the amount of web visitors they receive.

SEO not only helps existing customers find your business online it brings new visitors to your site looking for the products and services you offer who may never have heard of you.

By being more ‘visible’ on search engines your business has an opportunity to outshine competitors and even compete readily with much larger companies. SEO can be likened to obtaining the best high street presence where the footfall is highest and where more visitors are likely to come into your store.

Remember search engine visitors are free, but when they visit your site or store they still need to be impressed or reassured with what they find in order to part with their money or make an enquiry.

How Does SEO work?

SEO works on a number of levels but the common factor amongst search engines and what they look for in sites they list is ‘relevance’. The search engine model works by providing searchers with the most relevant results to their enquiry based on specific factors they deem as most important. Search engines look at all aspects of your site setup, structure and content.

Think can manage all aspects of your site and therefore can go to varying lengths to maximise your SEO, based upon your objectives.

SEO is not an overnight process, it takes planning and effort. Think looks at SEO in the following way:

Domain/Hosting SEO

The domain (i.e. www.sitename.com) and URL (i.e. name.com/make/model/forsale/) can play a significant part.

Design SEO

How your site is built and structured, making it easy for search engines to reference the whole site and its relevant keyword content, is an important factor.

Keyword SEO

Developing and customising your site’s content, ensuring the perfect mix of keyword content and the keyword density, is both an important initial task but also an ongoing process.

Link SEO

How many sites linking to your site can have a massive impact on your search engine ranking. Search Engines have strict policies and rules today how this aspect works, but established correctly this can be hugely effective.

Advertising SEO

Like many web companies Think use pay per click advertising to add a further level of optimisation. Some search engines, including Google, reference even its own adverts as inward links and as of two identical sites with identical copy the one with the most inward links will rank higher.