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Marketing & Promotion - Search Engine Promotion

5 Ways to Improve Your Site's Visibility in Search Engine Rankings: Tips From GWS Media

Internet marketing involves a wide range of techniques. Here are five things you can start doing today, which will have an impact on your site's rankings in search engines, and boost your business profile both on and offline.

Create interesting, original content for your website, which is both readable and gives visitors new and valuable information. If your site contains information worth sharing, people are more likely to pass it on - and if they do so publicly this can create valuable links to your web site. The next step is to publicise your content both on and offline to enhance its value (see step 2)

Increase awareness of your site content: add your website URL to your email signature, as well as your blog, Facebook or Twitter pages (if applicable). Encourage people to visit the site with web site offers which you promote offline (e.g. introductory discounts, free downloads etc.) Raise awareness amoung your current and prospective clients of the information on your web site and its value.

Find internet forums, community message boards and blogs which are relevant to your business area. Whether you're a florist, a solicitor or a sculptor, there will be online communities in which you can build relationships with others and encourage more people to view your online business profile or portfolio. If you leave a message or a comment online, sign off with your business name and URL where appropriate.

Why not start blogging yourself? Anyone in any business can try writing a blog. You could for example comment on news relevant to your Industry, mention client wins and new staff for your company, a recent industry exhibition, or industry trends and innovations. Many businesses find that blogging is a great way to create original content which enhances their business profile and gives added online credibility and rankings in searches that show recently created material. If you update your company blog regularly, embed the blog into your web site, so visitors can immediately see your expertise. Google will see the new content being added, and over time this should also help to increase your rankings.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be very valuable for rankings, but may involve more of a time commitment. If you have the time to engage at least a few times a week with these marketing efforts they are more likely to pay off, as they involve an ongoing dialogue with the public. For more information, see the GWS blog and our Guide to Social Media Marketing in 7 parts.

Lastly, don't forget that engaging with clients and potential clients offline can be a valuable part of your internet marketing strategy. For example, a bike company which sponsors a county-wide race, or a graphic designer firm that wins a local authority contract, may be able to obtain links through this endorsement from high-profile and high-ranking websites which will boost both their rankings in the search engines and their credibility in the business community. Make sure you highlight charity fundraising or sponsorship undertaken by your company or staff: the more you are involved in the local community, the more you are likely to find benefits feeding back from that to enhance your online visibility. The golden rule is that online marketing should be part of your overall marketing strategy, not a substitute for it.

GWS Media will be happy to assist with all your online marketing requirements. Just contact us for a free consultation and find out how we can help your business make much more of an impact on the web.