If a website can’t be found by search engines, does it really exist?
For your company’s intents and purposes, no. That’s why search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical component of your website and the primary reason certain websites are found more often than others through searches.
SEO is too often an afterthought for businesses when they’re conceiving their new website. And businesses often don’t consider an interactive agency’s SEO expertise when they hire one to design their website. SEO is as important today as it will be tomorrow, so the agency you hire must stay attuned to SEO best practices.
Websites with the most effective SEO are those that include SEO strategies at the beginning of a project and involve multiple members of an interactive agency’s team at each stage of a project.
Consider SEO During Every Step
Website designers should understand the relationship between SEO and the visual design of the site. This includes everything from the site architecture to how text and images are used. While a visually stunning website is impressive, it doesn’t mean it’s SEO-friendly if SEO wasn’t considered at the beginning of a project.
Website developers need to understand SEO best practices from their point of view and employ coding techniques that enhance the site’s SEO.
Copywriters must weave keyword-rich content into the website’s messaging in a manner that fits into the site’s overall strategy. Simply peppering pages with keywords in a nonsensical pattern will hurt your search results, particularly after Google released its Penguin and Panda updates.
Speaking of which, marketers must be well-versed in the latest SEO techniques, especially techniques that are penalized by search engines (such as the keyword stuffing example cited above).
Specific SEO Strategies For Clients
When considering a new website project, keep these points in mind and seek an interactive agency with a team of professionals that understands SEO on multiple levels.
ZAG Interactive formulates a specific SEO strategy on all of our clients’ projects. To learn more about the benefits and philosophy of SEO, contact us today!