Note: no cause for alarm, but do read this article before your next website content update
INTRODUCTION
Okay, so some of us are just not in the know when it comes to web development and the idea of SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. This article is a short and humbling reflection for those who have come to face the existential panic caused by their own website's poor search engine ranking.
YOUR WEBSITE'S DEEP-SEA DIVE
Wanting your website to be found is a primary concern for you, especially since you have invested your time and resources in creating and maintaining your personal or commercial website. You want to be found by potential customers because you ultimately want to increase your visibility and sales. This taste of optimism, however, is ruined by the saltiness of reality. It is more than likely that your website will never be found or viewed because it is ranked poorly on search engines (such as Google, Yahoo, etc.).
ONE BIG UNFILTERED AQUARIUM
Case in point: When you type your name in your favorite search engines, your website is on page 1,800 out of 2,305 found pages. It seems that filter systems haven't quite found you as extraordinary as you would have liked on this particular murky day. You thought your site was unique, outrageous, magnificent, or something much better than at least the site that ranked above you. This leads to one ever-important question: Why should you bother keeping your online presence when no earthly soul will ever find it?
There is still hope out there. Methods of extraction do exist. Read on......
ORGANIC.FISH.FOOD.COM
Let's imagine that, being the fast-paced, let-no-worthwhile-cause-escape-me entrepeneur that you are, you have decided to innovatively set up your online store selling organic fish food. That is, organic food for fish (yes, classic pet fish with home aquarium addresses). Your revolutionary idea will reshape mankind. There's only one small catch (no pun intended): you must have your website ranked highly so mankind will know that your store actually exists.
Your dilemma is threefold:
you need to have the best content so people will want to view your site
you need to market your offerings in a way that people will want to buy from you
you need to be understood so people will simply understand you
KEYWORDS: people, people, people
YES, KEYWORDS
These so-called keywords are the plankton that search engines survive on. The FOOD of marine life. You have to fill your website with them, pumping them up with some vitamins and minerals, so search engines will be able to provide this relevant information to your potential customers. Keywords that relate to your business and, most of all, PEOPLE. For example, your entrepeneurial "organic food for fish" website would need the relevant keywords: pet fish, hungry fish, organic food for fish, healthy fish, pampered fish, ......and so on. The main refreshing idea here is to fill your site with the actual keywords that your customers would type in any search engine during their desperate effort to find what they need: organic food for their pet fish. By using effective keywords, you create content that keeps you afloat so search engines may find you. The more keywords you have in your content, the higher your search engine ranking will be. Your chances for survival have now exponentially multiplied10,000.
INTERESTING + KEYWORDS = INTERESTING COPY
Since you truly want people to return to your site and become your satisfied customers, it is in your best interest to write interesting, informative, persuasive, possibly entertaining content (i.e. copy) that is craftfully made for your target audience. Your goal should ultimately be to enhance communication between your business and your individual market niche. The content on your site should be stylistically served on a platter for your customer to poke at, smell, turn upright, finally enticing them into biting.
KEYWORDS: customer, biting, platter, content, market niche, ....
LEARN TO SPEAK WHALE
Now you know that your site needs quality copy throughout, drenched with keywords that allow your customer to actually ride the wave towards you. You also want your customer to feel the need and desire for your product or service. How can you make sure that your international market will keep up with you? Your "organic food for fish" website must be translated well, of course. Your customers are potentially in Shanghai, Lisbon, Prague, or Mwansa. You are the one who finally decides which market to aim your business at, but whatever your target locale, you must choose the most richly-formulated content that speaks specifically to that audience. Give them the plankton they are searching for, but serve it to them elegantly.
KEYWORDS: whale, locale, quality copy, target locale, audience, plankton, organic food for fish....(yes, this article will certainly give me some ranking under marine biology searches, which is not quite my intention...)
RISING ABOVE MURKY WATERS
Whatever language, your website can rise above murky waters. It is essential that you update your content often with relevant, well-thought out copy. If your online business selling organic food for pet fish is actually successful, you may even consider expanding your product line. Don't you agree that solar-powered aquarium filters are more earth-friendly?
KEYWORDS: SUCCESSFUL, ONLINE BUSINESS.......
Disclaimer: Absolutely no such "organic.fish.food.com" website exists as of the date of this article's writing. Any offensive or insensitive material related therein is completely unintentional, especially with respect to marine life sciences and our plankton friends that have provided us life-sustaining conditions on earth. -c.p.