Return to the Blog.

GROW WEBSITE TRAFFIC WITH "ORGANIC" SEARCH

"Natural", "organic", and "FREE!" These terms refer to the search results seen in the left hand column of the Search Engine. These terms are used because these results are determined by the algorithm, on merit, naturally, free of interference by human agency. Because the listing EARNED its ranking rather than PAID for it, it is more trusted by the web visitor than those in the right hand ("PAID") column.

Natural, Organic and FREE, these are all good things, right? When it comes to search, they are better than good, they are the BEST form of marketing there is on the planet Earth, because...

1. Because the Search Engine is the new "yellow pages". Almost everyone uses it to find the products and services they want.
2. Because natural results EARN their rankings, they are more trusted by the web visitor than PAID results.
3. Because the results are measurable, by you, using your own server stats, rather than having to trust numbers provided by a publisher.
4. Because it is FREE!

So how do you get to the top of the left hand column for your critical Search Engine keywords? Because the Search Engine algorithm is a proprietary "black box", only the Search Engine knows, and it's not telling. So the most effective "search engine optimization" (SEO) technique is simply to measure results, repeat what works and to correct what does not.

So, before making any changes, be sure to take benchmarks for server statistics AND for keyword rankings so that you have a reference point to compare to. Keyword phrase rankings are especially useful because they indicate specific, actionable areas for improvement. For example, if your competition is on page one of Google for "architectural millwork midwest" and you are on page ten, that tells you just where you need to improve.

Beyond that, we know that the Search Engine wins if they bring THEIR visitor the best content available on the web. The "best" content therefore gets the best ranking. If we simply provide the richest, most relevant and best structured web content, and tag it in compliance with past performance and common sense, then the Search Engines will rank and refer it. So don't bother trying to figure out the Search Engine, just provide the best content available on the web and your client will find you on the first page.