The title of the article, Small Business: How to get to the top of the search engines, set the enthusiastic tone. And why not? The search market is a truly level playing field where small businesses can square up to and beat the big boys with a well planned SEO campaign.
The article offers a good introduction to SEO and search engines, but, of course, limitations of space and mainstream appeal means that the details are skipped over. This is a great pity, because SEO for small businesses is so very important and mainstream coverage of some of its real intricacies is long overdue.
However, we think there's are a few points that require the filling-in of a few of the missing details. For example the advice to "use [...] key words as often as possible, bearing in mind most search engines have a facility to filter out mindless repetition," is very true. But, crucially, search engines have the ability to penalise for it too. We'd hate to see a SME website fall from search engine grace for the want of knowing that!
However, there's also lots of good advice like: "Text should be rewritten to make it more appealing to search engines. Use as many key words, including misspelt versions, as you think a potential customer is likely to put in the search box to find you".
Putting thought into your copy and how users might find it is absolutely vital - but never lose sight of your final audience. Concentrate on creating high quality, unique, and up to date content for real users and not search engines - as recommended by all the major search engines in their published guidelines.
This is the place where everyone - businesses both great and small - should stop off next for advice and information to improve their websites performance. One thing's for sure - mainstream articles like the Sunday Times piece are to be welcomed and encouraged. The more wide-open and public a forum everything to do with search engines has the better.
The full article - Small Businesses and Search Engines - How to get to the top of the search engine pile is available from www.timesonline.co.uk.
And if you are - rightly! - enthused to climb to the top of the search engine pile, make sure you do your research thoroughly and fill in those pesky details. Remember: don't turn your SEO into an SOS call!
