SEO Information

Is My Search Engine Optimization Working?


You've just built a website and can't wait to start popping up in the top listings of search engines. After all, you've paid this company even more money to create "optimized, search engine friendly pages, start building links and add lots of fresh content." If it takes weeks and months for the search engines to notice me, do I have to wait that long to see if the money was worth it?

No! It's true that it takes time?weeks, even months to build up your web presence, but there are ways to follow your progress. It's important to note that if you already have an established Internet presence and wish to further optimize your site, it usually happens much faster than a site that is brand new with a brand new domain.

If you are already listed in various directories and your existing website has been up and running long enough the search engines have probably already indexed your site and those linking to it. (to see if your site is indexed with a particular engine, in the search field type "site:www.yourdomain.com"). As you modify your pages and add new content the process of moving up in search rank is much swifter than starting from a brand new, un-indexed site. ?

The ranking process has an inherent unchangeable variable of time. Sponsored search listings are one of a few ways around this hurdle to get you to the top instantly while the search spiders dig through your new site. But for the long haul, while you wait for that big chuck of cash you just paid your SEO to start returning, here are some ways to tell if he or she did you justice.

Ways to keep tabs on your progress:

Monitor Search Engine Positions
If you're a brand new domain name the first step is to watch for yourself to be indexed. Chances are that your optimizer submitted your site to the most prominent search engines at the very least. While the search crawlers will ultimately find you on their own, there is some merit in submitting your site manually. It may take some weeks before a check of site:www.yourdomain.com reveals any activity though. Take care not to be over anxious and resubmit your site. That will only hurt your efforts.

Once you find yourself being listed by particular keywords in a search engine, monitor how your rank moves every week or so. (Frequently, the more you add fresh content, the sooner the crawlers will return to your site.) Change the preference settings in search engines to speed up your research efforts.

Google will display up to 100 results per page, MSN up to 50 in "advanced search." This makes it much easier to find yourself if your down in the 300th position. Don't be discouraged though! Being listed even at 300 is an accomplishment. And as you optimize you will see your listing move up in the ranks.

Visitor Tracking
The best, and easiest way to see who is reaching your site by search engine and particular keyword phrase is to implement some sort visitor tracking system. These are not complicated and can cost only a few dollars a month. Take a look at a company like www.webstat.com for example.

A small piece of code is placed on each page you want to track. When you log into the online service, you can tell the exact word and phrase someone used to reach you and from what search engine... not to mention scores of other useful data about your site traffic. This quickly gives you a snapshot of which keyword phrases are most successful and in which engines. This data is invaluable to further optimize your pages.

Are your top search engine rankings on par with the industry percentages?
Again using visitor tracking you can see if the people reaching you by Google are close to the percentage of people that use Google compared to MSN or AOL. If the industry shows that overall 25% of searchers are using MSN and 5% Lycos, your results should be similar. If they're not, it's a sign that some modifications might be in order.

Monitoring these processes will show you that there's actually quite a lot of activity. And there's nothing more exciting than watching that 300th position search climb to the first page!

As the owner and creative director of theMouseworks.ca I've found the best way to help people with internet marketing is to first help them understand internet marketing!

Watch for an upcoming SEO article to show you how to check your search rankings up to 1,000 results deep in Google in one step! Read more articles on the insights and secrets of website development and search engine optimization in easy, non-technical, up front English!


MORE RESOURCES:

Are You Measuring SEO Success Correctly?
Search Engine Watch - 1 hour ago
By Mark Jackson, Search Engine Watch, Oct 14, 2008 I've written before about how a SEO program's "success" should be based on the lift of organic search ...
Where's The ROI? Search Engine Watch
all 2 news articles


SEO Manager
ClickZ News, NY - 1 hour ago
Analyze opportunities for growing traffic on search engines and continually monitor new SEO trends. - Analyze the success of promotional and search engine ...


Guaranteed Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services by UniSoft ...
Promotion World (press release), CA - 9 hours ago
Unlike other search engine optimization (SEO) providers, UniSoft Technologies covers all aspects of internet marketing services for our customers. ...
How Can You Make Your Site Outrageously Successful With Keywords Promotion World (press release)
all 4 news articles


Analytix Solutions launches expert SEO Services to increase ...
NewDesignWorld (press release), UK - 1 hour ago
Internet marketing is the main part of the SEO and it is more targeted and result oriented compared to traditional marketing techniques with actual ...


Icopywriters Launched to Provide Web Content Writing, SEO ...
Press Release 365 (press release), FL - 6 hours ago
NEW DELHI, INDIA -- SEO Copywriting or in other words Search Engine Optimization copywriting is the name given to the art or technique of writing search ...


Revamp of IT Chimes a Website Design, Web Development and SEO ...
Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 3 hours ago
Rajesh Jha, SEO Head IT Chimes said “These are exciting times. Internet today has given the platform for companies to promote business on-line and have ...


White and Black Hat SEO
Free press releases (press release), UK - 5 hours ago
White hat SEO techniques follow the general guidelines of search engines; they are considered ethical techniques and are therefore viewed positively by the ...


Dallas SEO Company Hired by Private Jets and Air Charter Services Firm
Free Press Release Center (press release), Canada - 11 hours ago
Dallas SEO Company has been retained by Air Compair to handle its internet marketing. The leading air charter services firm, Air Compair, with its unique ...


Video SEO Tip: How to Optimize a News Release with Video
ReelSEO Online Video News, CA - 18 hours ago
... company that owns the popular news wire service PRWeb), shares with us the advantages of emedding video and doing Video SEO for an online news release. ...


Press Releases Need A Home -- Ideally With Good SEO
bMighty.com, NY - 21 hours ago
Use SEO keywords that are relevant to the business, service, and geographic location. 2. Try to keep the keyword usage to around five percent of the overall ...

SEO - Google News

home | site map
© 2006