Search engines are one of the primary ways that Internet users find websites. That's why a website with good search engine listings may see a dramatic increase in traffic.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
The function of SEO is to improve a website’s position within the search results for specific search terms, and to increase the overall traffic the site receives from crawler-based search engines.
Search engines are one of the primary ways that Internet users find websites. That's why a website with good search engine listings may see a dramatic increase in traffic.
Everyone wants those good listings. Unfortunately, many web sites appear poorly in search engine rankings or may not be listed at all because they fail to consider how search engines work.
In particular, submitting to search is only part of the challenge of getting good search engine positioning. It's also important to prepare a website through search engine optimisation. Search engine optimisation means ensuring that your web pages are accessible to search engines and focused in ways that help improve the chances they will be found.
Search Engine Optimisation - Pros
- Leverage your site’s natural advantages – content, popularity, linking relationships
- Can deliver substantial benefits at a very low cost, especially for a "content rich" site
- Requires minimal ongoing activity for most sites
- Initial investment in SEO can pay off for years to come
Search Engine Optimisation - Cons
- SEO influences, but does not control, the search engine results - there are no guarantees.
- Delayed results - after the initial SEO effort, expect to wait at least 2-3 months for significant traffic.
- Risk of becoming overly dependent on "free" traffic, because results are variable over time.
- Some modifications to your site may be required.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
PPC involves the management of keyword-targeted advertising campaigns through one or more PPC service providers; currently in the UK there are 3 main providers: Google, MSN and Yahoo.