Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

One very important aspect, often ignored, is web site search engine optimization (SEO). You may have a visually appealing website, and an excellent marketing message, but if your prospects can't find your web site through search engines, your business will inevitably suffer.

Forrester Research reported that over 80 percent of Internet users reach sites through search engines.

This means if your website doesn't attract 80 percent of your visitors from search engines, you're losing out on a lot of search engine traffic.

A study from NPD Group found that search listings are more effective than standard banner or button advertisements when it comes to brand recall, favourable opinion rating and inspiring purchases.

The study also found that 55 percent of online purchases were made on sites found through search listings, while a mere 9 percent were on sites found through banner ads.

Again, if your sales from search engine traffic accounts for less than 55 percent of your total online sales, you are missing out on a lot of potential customers.

SEO is a science. Just like other forms of marketing and advertising, SEO requires persistence and a lot of testing. The optimization process is complex and time-consuming. You're trying to align your Web pages with the ranking algorithms of the search engines, while at the same time trying to out-smart your competitor's optimizers.

But the fact remains, SEO is cost effective, and should not be ignored.

In order to get you a coveted place on the search engines Mystique Creative take a four step approach to promoting your web site:

1. Keyword Analysis

Without knowing what keywords will get you the most amount of targeted viewers, you can waste a lot of your time for very little return.

2. Search Engine Optimization

Utilize your keywords within the copy of your web site's text, its meta tags, and all the little added extras that can give you an advantage over your competition. It's also very important to build your web site knowing what techniques actually block the search engines from finding and adding your site to their databases!

3. Search Engine Submissions

We submit your web site to all of the major search engine and directory submissions by hand. Manual submissions are the most effective and ensure that your site is added properly. The smaller, more topic or country-specific search engines and directories are submitted to using proprietary software.

Results are not typically quick. It can take anywhere from six to eight weeks for most free search engines to add your site to their listings.

However, Mystique Creative can help speed up this process through a planned program of "paid placement" submissions and media buying. If you're interested in this sort of service, click here for more details.

4. Monthly Reporting

After all the other steps have been completed, it's important to know where your site is appearing for any given keyword or phrase within the major search engines.

Your first report will give you an idea of where you're starting from. From then on, your site's progress will be tracked across all the major search engines and directories (contact us for an example).