Search Engine Optimization

Q. Is there a difference between Search Engine registration and Search Engine Optimization?  A. Search engine registration is simply a means by which your URL (Website) is submitted to search engines for indexing.  It does not ensure that your Website will ever be found.  In fact, if your submissions to directories such as Yahoo are not done well, your rankings for your Website can really be hurt.   Search engine optimization or search engine marketing includes:   Research, development, and analysis of keywords and phrases Understanding the proper use of Meta tags Strategy development on building your Website to ensure it is search engine friendly Professionally written, compelling content that turns surfers into customers Identification and implementation of affiliate marketing links.

Q. Is it better to use an automated program to mass-submit my Website to thousands of search engines? A. No.  Recent statistics show that over 95% of all search engine traffic is directed through the top 8-10 search engines and directories.  In addition, many of the top search engines have put in safe guards to disallow automated submissions.  Most of the automated submissions to the "thousands" of search engine simply result in a mass of email "spam" since many of the other obscure search engines are designed to collect email accounts and sell them.  If you want to be found in the search engines, make sure your Website is submitted correctly

Q. What will a good Search Engine Strategy do for me? A. A good search engine optimization strategy helps to position you well with search engines and directories, and provides strong marketing strategies to entice searchers to click through to your site.

Q. Can all Web developers do Search Engine Marketing? A. Search engine optimization is a science.  Few Web developers have been trained in the unique strategies of search engine marketing.  Using meta keywords and submitting to search engines will do very little for you.  You need to work with an certified professional who has been trained and who continues to keep up with the constant changes that are always occurring in the search engine world.   WebSolutions-Texas has advanced certification in search engine optimization through the Academy of Web Specialists.  In addition, we stay abreast of all the changes in the industry that will affect your business and your Website.

Q. Will Meta tags and submission provide a high ranking?  A. Meta tags are very important to SEO, in particularly the Title and Description tags, but meta tags alone will not help you rank high when you are in a competitive market place.  There are many variables involved in achieving high rankings.  See Relevant text and links.   Simply submitting your Website to search engines without having it optimized first is like throwing a pebble into a large rock garden and hoping someone else will be able to find it later.  Your Website needs to be programmed correctly in order to be found in search engines.  Make sure it is done right the first time.

Q. Do you need to resubmit your site to Search Engines often? A. Many people have the mistaken idea that resubmitting your site to search engines will help boost your rankings.  Actually, it can hurt your rankings since many search engines consider multiple submissions spam.

Q. What is the difference between a Search Engine and a Directory?  A. A search engine indexes Websites by sending "spiders" or "crawlers" to your Website to review it's coding and content for relevancy.  These computer programs read the coding of the Website and determine it is ranking according to how the coding, content, and links match up with their algorithm.   Directories, on the other hand, have real people review your Website for relevancy.  They look at the overall site from a human point of view.  They still have algorithms they use to help rank a site, but the human factor is also involved.  In addition, you must submit your Website to a particular category set up within the directory.   Understanding the most appropriate category and what the editors will accept or reject for titles and descriptions is very important.  Once you are entered into a directory category with a title and description, it is very difficult to ever get it changed.  Make sure it is done correctly the first time!

Q. Is Pay Per Click the same as SEO? A. Pay per click is actually a form of advertising but it accomplishes results similar to search engine optimization.  With pay per click programs, you bid on search words to determine your ranking.  Your ranking depends on how much you are willing to spend for each key phrase you bid on.  Normally, the more you are willing to spend on a bid, the higher you can rank in the search engines and directories.  (This is not exactly true with Google Adwords since they also consider other factors.)  Expenses are generated when someone actually clicks on your listing - hence the name pays per click".   SEO is a more permanent form of optimizing your Website without paying for your rank position.  Both pay per click and SEO will allow you to obtain high rankings.  It is simply a matter of how you want to go about it.

Q. Do certain technologies interfere with SEO? A.Most search engines are unable to read certain technologies such as Frames, dynamic pages, flash, and java script.  There are methods to work around these issues; but, it is best to work with a company from the beginning that understands your goals for your Website and how technology can affect your plans.

Q. Do all Search Engines and Directories use the same criteria for ranking sites? A.No.  Search engine and directory use their own and different algorithms to determine rankings.  That is why many times your Website may rank well on some search engines and not quite as good on others.

Q. What is relevancy and why is it important? A. Relevancy is a huge determining factor for rankings.  Search engines use various methods to determine the relevancy of your Website for the key words being searched on.  If they determine that your site is highly relevant to a search, they will be more likely to rank your site high in their listings.  Many factors determine relevancy of your site.  Knowing what helps boost your relevancy factor is key to achieving high rankings.  WebSolutions-Texas is certified in Advance Search Engine Optimization techniques to help you achieve high rankings.

Q. Do all Search Engines and Directories charge for submission? A. Not yet, but that can change at any time.  In order to remain viable, most search engines and directories have determined they need to charge for submission.  Each one handles their charges differently.  If you want to be found these days in search engines and directories, plan to pay for your submission.

Q. By Paying for submission, am I guaranteed acceptance in a Search Engine or Directory? A. Not always.  Some pay for inclusion search engines such as Inktomi and FAST do guarantee inclusion when you pay.  Others, such as Yahoo do not guarantee submission, even though you are required to pay $299 to be considered.  That is why it is very important to work with a professional Internet marketer to ensure you receive all the benefits available when you pay for inclusion.

Q. Because I paid for submission, am I guaranteed a higher ranking? A. No, paying for inclusion only means the search engine or directory agrees to review your Website and include it in their database if you qualify.  Once you are included into their database, it is up to their algorithms to determine how your Website will rank.

Q. What are key phrases and why are they important? A. Key phrases are search terms people use when they are trying to find information on the Internet.  They enter key phrases in the search box hoping they will receive a listing of relevant websites that have the information or products they are seeking.  You need to understand what words and or phrases people are using to serach and the key phrases people are typing into their search box in order to compete against other websites in your industry.  WebSolutions-Texas conducts thorough key word analysis as part of our search engine optimization service.  Do not leave your ranking to chance.

  

 Hosting and Website Statistics

 

Q. What are Website statistics and are they important? A. Website statistics track the traffic that you receive on your Website.  You need to be able to receive a detailed monthly analysis of your website traffic levels to help understand how well your site is performing.  Information that should be included in the report is the most and least requested pages, top entry and exit pages, top search engine referrals, top search keyword phrases, etc.  If you don't receive this data today -- Ask for It!  Without it, all your efforts are in vain.  WebSolutions-Texas keeps detailed statistics on all websites we host so we can track the effectiveness of your Internet marketing programs and determine if changes need to be made.

Q. Should I use a free Web hosting service? A. Free Web hosting services may be used for hobby pages but are risky for businesses.  Free Web space providers only allot a small amount of space to each account.  They seldom offer a wide range of services nor are they optimized for speed.  In addition, they are not set up to provide any type of statistical analysis needed for business Websites.

Q. Are guaranteed uptimes important? A. Yes.  Any business that is going to pay for a hosting service should inquire about the guaranteed uptime.  Typically, guaranteed uptime relates to the network and the web servers.  Our guaranteed uptime is 99.9% 24/7.

Q. Are there any extra charges for Website traffic? A. Our shared hosting platform has been developed to offer maximum value to all of our customers.  Shared hosting means there is more than one site on each server.  In order to ensure that no one site monopolizes all of the bandwidth, there are virtual traffic regulators in place.  If your site is in the top 2% of sites and requires dedicated bandwidth, we also offer dedicated bandwidth and dedicated server packages as well.

Q. Does my hosting fee include backups? A. Yes.  Our data center environment is equipped with an offsite backup automation system that creates daily backup files of all data each day.  There are multiple copies of these files stored offsite

Q. How secure are my transactions over the Internet? A. Our data center supports 128-bit SSL encryption on our servers.  This level of encryption is over 300 septillion times stronger than standard SSL encryption.

Q. If I chose Windows2000 platform, will this expose my Website to hacking? A. We support both Windows2000 and Linux operating systems, which are the two most popular hosting operating systems on the market.  Combined they account for over 90% of the market.  Even the 128-bit encryption has its theoretical breaking point but cracking the code is highly unlikely given the required resources needed.   The key to reducing risk is the implementation of a structured security plan that creates multiple layers of control.  This has been done for both our Windows2000 and Linux environments.  From our Intrusion Detection Systems, through to our firewall and server side encryption protocols, we offer the highest level of control without sacrificing performance.

Q. What other measures do you take to protect my site and data? A. Our Standard Operation Procedures ensures our customer sites and data are protected.  The following are general control areas protecting all of our clients:   Physical access restriction to our facilities and data centers 7/24 hour access control monitoring. 7/24 hour monitoring of all data center environmental systems. IDS, Firewall and SSL 128-bit encryption. Restricted or "lock down" access control to Web and data base servers. Backup and recovery systems. Disaster recovery and backup systems

Q. What is involved in having my site assessed to determine if my site can be hosted in your data center? A. All sites must undergo a site assessment before a site being hosted in one of our data centers.  This assessment usually involves reviewing the site platform, the site functionality and if a shared or dedicated hosting will meet the needs of our client