search engine positioning by South West Web Solutions

Online search engines news

South West Web Solutions
The Web Centre,
Apple Tree Farm,
PO Box 89, Exeter. Devon.
England. EX2 4YH

Telephone:
(44)-0-1392-662336
Mobile
(44) - 0-7968-829034

Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need search engine positioning ?
How do search engines work
This word "keywords keeps coming up. What's all the fuss about?
How long will it take before my search engine positioning improves ?
What is the difference between a search engine and a directory
I've heard you can cheat the search engines with hidden code and other tricks.
Can't I just submit my site once and wait for all the traffic?
Aren't there some optimisation firms that will only charge me if my site gets a high ranking?
How do you decide on your charges?
I'm still confused. I need to know more.
What happens then?

Why do I need search engine positioning ?
Anybody can have just search engine positioning. "Yeah,..we're listed number 507,890 on page 753 on google!"...Big deal! It's not just the positioning that's important. It's how high up the listings your site is, and how relevant your site and it's content is to the user that counts. Search engines are the number one way of finding products and services on the web when the customer does not have a definite brand name to look for. If I'm looking for mobile phone sellers on the web, I wouldn't type in "Nokia Phones" unless I specifically wanted a Nokia phone. I would probably type in "mobile phones" and all the sites that had used that as one of their search terms or keywords would be listed.
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How do search engines work ?
If I knew exactly how every search engine chose it's pages I'd be a millionaire several times over.
Their methods are closely guarded secrets.
There are some basic things that we know about them however, and you can usually find very helpful links on each of the search engines own homepages to information about how they work.
Very basically, if you type in "soccer coaching" into the search box on a search engine like google for instance, it searches all the web pages in it's index that feature those words prominently, either in the title or in the text on the homepage of the website it has stored. It also carries out some very complicated calculations to do with the popularity of your site among other things, and eventually ( in less than a second, usually) lists the pages in order of relevance. When you try the same search on a different search engine you may well get different results, which shows that they don't all work the same way. Again, there are always useful links from the search engines' own homepages and take a while to read through them if you're still a novice as a small bit of knowledge can go a long way in getting the results that you want from the search engines.
If you need to know more of the features of the various search engines, one of the best places to look is at this well-respected website here.
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This word "keywords" keeps coming up. What's so important about them?
Because these are the words and phrases that your potential customers type in to find businesses like yours. They are the most important ingredient of your website positioning strategy and form the basis of everything. We spend many hours researching the best keywords for our clients. I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure you target the correct keywords. A reputable search engine positioning company will always spend a considerable amount of time researching this area with you, the client. I would be very wary of any who don't.
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How will it take before my search engine positioning improves ?
It depends on the search engines really. From a couple of days to several weeks. There is a growing trend with the directories however for express "paid for" listings and this will guarantee a review of your site within a couple of days in some instances. It still does not guarantee listing of your site. If it in any way arouses suspicion among the editors, it will not be entered and your fee will be lost. It all goes back to having a well designed, relevant website in the first place. We can show you how to optimise your site to ensure it gets listed .
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What is the difference between a search engine and a directory ?
Search engines are automatic "programmes" that are let loose to find and bring back relevant sites.
Directories are like the phone book. They are put together by humans. There are numerous partnerships and agreements between various directories and search engines and it is important to use an optimisation firm which is fully aware and up to date with all the current partnerships and trends, and particularly which ones apply to your region of the World. If your market is the UK only it's important, obviously to make sure you target those UK regional directories and search engines.
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I've heard you can cheat the search engines with hidden code and other tricks.
Sure you can, and there are a lot of firms who do this for their clients, but once you're found out by the guys who run these search engines and directories you're out, and there's no appeal. We don't use cloaking techniques or any other subversive tactics to get you listed. We don't need to. Our methods work.
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Can't I just submit my site once and wait for all the traffic?
Listen,... you've been talking to your web designer again, haven't you?!
Apart from the fact that the search engines are beginning to ban bulk submissions from automated software, the first submission is only the tip of the iceberg and it's certainly not where you should start from in the first place. If your site meets the criteria laid down by Google, does it meet those for Alta Vista, or AOL Anywhere. As I said above, there's so much more you can do to get so much more traffic, without spending huge sums on banner advertising or adverts on the backs of buses! Submission of your site ( by hand, preferably) should be only part of your strategy
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Aren't there some optimisation firms that will only charge me if my site gets a high ranking?
Of course there are, and most of them are very good indeed. The number of offers and pricing structures can be very confusing however, and it's very difficult persuading people on the web that you should buy from them when their competitor is only a click away, so they feel compelled to give something away for nothing. The fact is that any bona fide search engine optimisation company should get a number of top slots for you if they know what they're doing. No one can give a guarantee to place any site at any time and those companies who fail to get their clients a top slot and can't charge them their monthly fee, aren't necessarily going to work their socks off to get you back up there if they can get another client a top listing more easily and with a lot less work, than you. You could end up just coming to a dead end so don't be tempted by 'no placement-no fee guarantees' It makes more sense to choose a company with which you will be able to work happily with over an extended period of time to build traffic to your site.
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How do you decide on your charges?
We asked our customers what they wanted and as their needs and budgets varied we provided a number of plans to suit each one. We have assessed how long it takes to work on each of the specific plans and formulated a pricing structure accordingly. We have taken a sensible approach in an industry where you can spend a lot of money on wasted promotional ideas that just don't work. We always carry out an initial assessment of each individual clients' needs and supply a report stacked with customised recommendations and instructions on how to get the most out of your internet marketing programme. This is not just a "boilerplate text" document. Real work is carried out by real people, reviewing your current situation and providing these answers. Wherever possible, I will visit your place of work and get as much information as I can to provide you with as detailed and effective a report as possible. This investment could be the most effective you make,.... ever. There are firms making 10, 100 and even 1,000 times this, just by following the recommendations in the report. They are techniques that work.!
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What happens then?
You can give the brief to your IT Manager or your web designer, or do it yourself if you have enough knowledge. We'll guide you with free telephone support through any aspect of the report. If you want us to carry out the work for you, then of course, we'd be delighted to. It's how we make our money.
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I'm still confused. I need to know more.
Just give me a call or send me an email to the contact address shown below..
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