Do It Yourself SEO – Part 4

Do It Yourself SEO – Part 4

Do You Think Most Web Designers Know SEO?

The world of web design is complex to begin with and it is easy to get the wrong idea about some of the services that are offered as you are setting up your web site. A common belief is that most web designers have a concrete knowledge of Search Engine Optimization.

In truth, the exact opposite is more true. Most people that design web sites know very little about SEO. This even includes those with college degrees in website design. Most web site design courses don’t go beyond a little definition and the basic concepts when it comes to SEO.

Actually, Web Design and SEO are two different subjects that need to addressed separately. To improve your chances of getting a beautiful website that is well-optimized for the search engines, it’s important you understand a couple of points.

Design
In this phase, your web designer will work with you to create a nice looking website according to your project specifications. This part is primarily graphic in nature but it does form the foundation of the entire project.

Website Coding
After the website graphics are finished, the design will be coded such that it can be understood and displayed by browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. Some web designers will use a program like Adobe’s Dreamweaver to code the design while others will hire a web coder to do the process manually.
As a general rule, designs that are “hand coded” by a code specialist are more likely to follow the standards set by the Worldwide Web Consortium (aka W3C). They are also more likely to be “lighter” in their design, which is beneficial to SEO.

Search Engine Optimization
After the site has been designed and coded, the work can begin to optimize the website for the search engines. This is best performed by a SEO Specialist. The SEO Specialist’s job is to work closely with the client in an effort to understand their business and what outcome(s) they are looking to produce. With this information, the will begin the process of keyword selection and set about optimizing each page of the site.

In addition to the work performed to the site itself, the SEO Specialist will perform a variety of “off page” tasks. These tasks may include link building, social bookmarking, the creation of citations as well as many others.

As you can see, successful web design and SEO are rather complex topics and frequently requires the work of specialists. Armed with this information, you’ll know what questions to ask to ensure your project is completed to your satisfaction. After all, a beautiful website that receives little visitors won’t help you achieve much in the way of new business.

 

Do It Yourself SEO – Part 1

I will be talking about Keywords and Keyword Selection Next…