One of the most important things about SEO for customers to understand is that Search Engine Optimization and Web Design are not the same thing. Some companies specialize web design. Others specialize in SEO. Some companies offer both. SEO and Web Design are part of the same team (if you will). They both work together to create the unique page for your business web site. They both require the use of HTML code and various media to create the page. But basically speaking, that’s where the similarity between the two ends.
Web Design encompasses the structure of the site. It’s the frame of the house, so to speak. It involves the look and feel of the site; the artistry of the site presentation. Web Design can be compared to the job of an interior designer on a house. An interior designer selects the color and placement of a home’s furnishing. Web Design involves the color and placement of the text and site media. Web Design is the work that provides a structure for a site that can range anywhere from simplicity in presentation to an elegant, graphically rich environment.
Here’s the clincher: You will soon discover that the prettier the site, the more expensive it is to build. Something to seriously consider…what’s the ROI on a pretty site? Frankly, search engines don’t care how pretty the site is. And only a few people care how graphically enhanced the site is. (Don’t get us wrong, we know graphics do contribute greatly to retaining site visitors, but there is the need for balance and common sense in media presentation.) Consider the following: Amazon.com is one of the best shopping sites on the internet, but it isn’t pretty to the eye. EBay.com isn’t really pretty, either. Craigslist.com has no “eye candy” whatsoever. Wikipedia.com looks like the pages of an encyclopedia (go figure). The services of Google.com don’t even look all that elegant to the eye. You must agree that these are just a few of the most popular sites on the internet, but they didn’t get where they are by being pretty. Try this: conduct some searches using your preferred search engine. Visit several of the sites that come up on the front page in your search query. Are they pretty? Remember the famous saying: “Beauty is only skin deep”.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a work that lies just under the surface of the design. While it does lend some support to the frame and design of a site, the primary focus of SEO is on the details in text such as keywords, HTML tags, meta-tags, and media tags that get the attention of the search engines. Companies like ClickReady Marketing stay up-to-date on the latest search engine algorithms. We learn from the “rules” or “patterns” established by the search engines. We act on those patterns to optimize a site. From a coding perspective, we study how the subtle changes in keyword text, meta-tags, and media presentations impact your site’s ranking in the search engines. We modify the code and text content to optimize the opportunity for a customer to find you in the search engines and visit your site. From a marketing perspective, we look for ways to maximize your exposure on the internet within the budget you have selected. We work to build back links from other sites through press releases, RSS feeds, social marketing, search engine submissions, forums, blogs, and more. These structures sometimes take weeks and months to accumulate in order to build rank for your site. (That’s why you should think twice if an SEO company promises great rankings fast.)
You can have a very pretty site created by great Web Designers. Unless you take the time to invest in the tedious and ongoing processes of SEO and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) neither the simple site nor the pretty site will ever be seen by many of your prospective customers. ClickReady Marketing provides the services to Optimize and Market your site with the search engines and other internet venues. Contact us today to learn how our SEO and SEM services have the potential to boost your website performance.
