Monday, March 12, 2012

What an Online Marketing Firm Needs to Know about Search Engine Positioning

By Michael Gillen


Search engine positioning is much more than search engine optimization, and I realize that every online marketing firm should be familiar with the difference if they want to expertly manage their clients' online reputation. In simple terms, search engine positioning concerns search engine optimization, but it is a a bit more nuanced term: search engine optimization is the function, but search engine positioning is the end goal. While the two terms can be used synonymously, I feel that by drawing a clear distinction you will be able to more properly get your point across.

The very first thing about search engine positioning that every online marketing firmshould be aware of if they want to successfully manage their online reputation is that it relates to where you want to be located. I surmise you just cried that you want to be first and I'm an fool for even asking. However, that begs the question: first for what? And, if you're not first, where would you like to be? While many people think that all of the positions on a search engine result page get gradually worse, the situation is actually a bit more convoluted.

First of all, the most unfortunate position is actually the ninth, since people are more likelyto see the one just before the next page button which gives the tenth a bit of a benefit. Next, you should keep in mind that the top of the second page actually gets slightly more clicks than the bottom of the first, so if you had to choose between being nine, ten, or eleven, it is in fact smartest to be eleven. You rarely have such perfect control over you exact positioning, but it's something to keep in mind.

Next, you should explore the result page for your main keywords and find outwho would be ranking above you. Like for example, I know a company that does debt collection and it is normally number two to Wikipedia for "collection agency." They might want to think about to get to number one, but there really is no point; anyone who is in the market for an actual debt collection agency is not going to visit Wikipedia, so for them, being in the second spot is equivalent to being first.

Lastly, and this is, I feel, the most mandatory part of search engine positioning about the keywords you would like to strive for. While we would all like to be ranked in a great spot for our main keywords, commonly that is unrealistic. If you have to select between working for number one on a smaller keyword and number one hundred on a large one, you should go for the former and save the latter for when you have more skill. Very few people go beyond the first page of results and almost nobody goes beyond the second, so you should always bear this in mind.




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