The process of search engine optimisation is a long one. It doesn’t finish or begin when most people expect it to. Your site’s SEO doesn’t stop when the professionals sign off on the first implementation, and it doesn’t begin with the hiring of professionals. There are things you should do to prepare your business when approaching SEO.

First of all, before you do anything physically to your site, be clear in the goals you have for your SEO. Defining what you want is the first step in planning how you will get there. Most businesses have the main goal of getting the top ranking in their industry. This sounds specific, but it isn’t. More specifically, you can define which keywords you want to rank in and which pages will need to rank for that keyword, and when you want to rank for them. These are goals you will need to consult with your SEO consultant about, to make certain the aims of your SEO are attainable. Ultimately, you need to define what outcome you desire for your business, e.g. number of conversions, for each stage of your search engine optimisation.

An important step in planning for search engine optimisation is to define what a conversion is for your site. If you are a retailer, your conversion rates will be fairly straightforward. Other types of sites will have different definitions of conversions, such as registrations, links and subscriptions. Knowing exactly what your conversions are will help when it comes to analysing the outcomes of your SEO strategy.

The next step is to define the desired outcomes for specific pages. Not all of your goals will be centred on your home page. Not all of your goals for your pages will be the same, or even similar. You should have a clear idea of what you want each page to achieve before your search engine optimisation process begins. It is also important to know your pages. It can be incredibly helpful when approaching search engine optimisation to know what each of your pages is there for, and what its future goals are. That said you need to be able to be flexible, in case new content needs to be added or the internal structure of your site needs to be strengthened.

Realise that you business is individual and unique. What works for your competitors may not work for you. It’s still a good idea to research what your competitors are doing. Research your industry to see what keywords and language are popular. Pay particular attention to the top rankers in your field, but also see what those lower down in ranking are doing.

Use the online tools that are available for education and research before you approach a professional. This is more for your own peace of mind than absolute necessity. A good SEO consultant will be as interested in expanding your search engine optimisation knowledge as you are. However, it can be easier to choose between companies when you have a little SEO knowledge onboard.

When you have chosen your SEO company, or chosen your plan without the help of an SEO expert, keep a realistic schedule in mind, and use the resources of the professionals you have chosen. Your SEO company can not only guide you through your site’s initial SEO but help in the future. Talk to our experts at SEO Consult about the future implementation of your SEO plan.

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