Beware Search Engine Optimization
 by: Paul Robert Betts


Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optomisation is the Web Development equivalent to “Franchised Personal Injury Lawyers” or even worse “Debt Management Consultants” many (not all) are more than happy to sell you a service you probably don’t need or could do for yourself considerably cheaper.

How do they succeed ?

They succeed because their basic business model assumes that most potential clients are too ill informed to achieve what they want for themselves. They rely on the fact that most people don’t know much about the mechanics of searching the web . They also rely on the fact that most people will take as “gospel” whatever they are told by their chosen web developer.

There are NO! excuses for being ill informed or believing someone who has a vested interest in telling you that you need to spend more money than you were intending to.

Ask yourself two simple question:

Would you pay FULL price for a car with four flat tyres and no MOT ?

Would you then agree to pay extra for

“ROAD OPTOMISATION” ?

NO of course you wouldn’t, not without good reason anyway.

So what do you do ?

The Microsoft Small Business Center [http://www.submit-it.com/subopt.htm] gives free and open advice on Search Engine Optomisation techniques along with a list of do’s and don’ts.

Careful reading of this mini site will reveal that all of the Seven “Tips” that are listed are coding issues that any experienced and or competent Web Designer/Builder should be avoiding as a matter of coarse. Anything less would constitute a poorly built site and therefore a waste of your money.

Google also offer free advice on dealing with SEOs in their Webmaster Help Center [http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35291&ctx=sibling]. Googles advice is centred around how to choose an SEO and what not to do when optimising your site. Most noteably they say.......

"Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or through the Google Sitemaps program, and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever."

-Google Webmaster Help Center.

Google also point out that it is entirely possible for some of tactics used by the less reputable SEOs to result in your site being removed and or barred from there index.

At Sideimpact Web Design we pride ourselves on the fact the that we follow all the Microsoft and Google guidelines for submission as standard. In our opinion any developer that doesn’t is at best lazy at worst they are trying to garner further work at extra cost to you.

About The Author
Paul Betts is the senior Designer/Developer at Sideimpact Web Design [http://www.sideimpact.co.uk] and has been designing and developing CSS based websites for over three years.