subject: Are You Sticking To Your Search Engine Optimisation Strategy? Assuming You've Got One [print this page] Are You Sticking To Your Search Engine Optimisation Strategy? Assuming You've Got One
A search engine optimisation strategy sounds grand but at its simplest, it is just a plan for how you want to promote your website and what keywords you'd like to come at or near the top of the search results for.
So the first part of answering the question of whether or not you're sticking to your search engine optimisation strategy is whether you have a strategy in the first place. I'm going to assume that you have at least a reasonable idea of the keyword phrases you want to dominate the search results for, so this article will deal with becoming fixated on them so that you actually come up high in the search results for those phrases.
Take the time at least four times a year (and ideally monthly) to go through and check where you are appearing in the search results. Although your log files or Google Analytics will give you an idea, they're not going to show you the whole picture.
Start by clearing your browser cache or using a different browser. Sign out of any Google accounts you're signed into such as mail or YouTube. Then tell Google where to go in relation to your previous searches (there's a link towards the top right of the search results that says Web History that will do that).
You're now ready to type in your keyword phrase and get a fairly reliable result.
If you don't come up in the first ten results then your search engine optimisation strategy - unless its brand new - needs revising.
Take a look at the top competitors. Not the ones in the paid-for sponsored results but the ones in the regular, organic, search results.
What are they doing that's so much better than you to beat you in the results?
When you work this out (either on your own or with help from a friendly SEO firm) you can devise a search engine optimisation strategy to beat them.
Once you've looked at the words you think are relevant, glance across to the various links to the left of the search results. One of those says "More search tools" - click it and you'll see a link to Wonder Wheel. Click that.
You'll then be given a kind of mini mind map that shows search terms that Google's computer thinks are related to your original keywords. Some of them will look familiar, others may surprise you. Some may give you your very own "Doh!" moment.
Add any relevant keyword phrases you find into your future search engine optimisation strategy.
