Even for those companies who elect to purchase search engine ads (PPC), there is the knowledge that 'if only' their listings were also being shown in the 'free' organic results they would be making more profit.

Getting your site to position well in the 'free' organic search engine listings is anything but free. Whether you elect to use only in-house resources or hire search engine professionals, there are definite time and dollar costs associated with search engine optimization (SEO) and making your website search engine friendly.

Many companies are dismayed to discover that some design aspects of their website are the reasons they are all but invisible to search engines. Being punished for the over-use of flash, dynamic pages with non-search-engine friendly URLs, duplicate content, lack of content, poor site structure, or a myriad of other guideline violations is painful. It can be very upsetting to learn that some of the things that were put in place in an effort to make your website more appealing are in fact hurting it on the search engines.

It can be even more upsetting to discover that your company is going to have to invest resources in repairing these earlier website decisions.

Gaining Your 'Rightful' Position

Where you start in getting your 'rightful' position in the search engines will depend upon your company, your resources and your time restraints.

You might elect to begin by learning as much as you can on the subject (seek out reliable sources of SEO information - avoid the 'black hats'). There are some companies doing a phenomenal job with their own in-house search engine optimization. These companies realized early on the importance of SEO and they have worked diligently to stay on top of the ever expanding SEO information base.

You might decide to accelerate the process by using SEO professionals who will be able to work with you to identify and repair any possible search engine issues your site may face. Make sure they are also focusing on ensuring that your website is delivering your marketing message to your target customer in the best manner - it is of no value for your site to be found in search engines if it is not delivering what your target audience wants.

Summary

Whether you go it on your own or enlist the aid of SEO professionals, you will need to accept another reality of search engines. It takes time for your website changes to be recognized and rewarded - SEO is not an over-night fix. However, good, solid SEO is your best bet for 'free' organic search engine visibility.

You are welcome to check your website's search engine visibility with our 'really free' Search Engine Intelligence Report (SEI) tool. It will give you a view of your website's visibility on the major North American search engines.


Brenda Wright
Head Sponsored Search Strategist
Enquiro Full Service Search Engine Marketing


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