Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

There are a number of search engine optimization (SEO) companies in Toronto and beyond with a similar mindset. Many of these search engine optimization companies and individual SEOs offer services such as:

  • Link exchanges;
  • Social Media Optimization;
  • "Off-Page" Optimization;
  • Guaranteed #1 ranking for keywords and phrases;
  • Monthly search engine submissions;
  • Rank checking and ranking reports, and;
  • Competitive analysis.

The truth of the matter is that you as a website owner do not need any of these services from an SEO context, and using them can potentially do harm to your website in the eyes of search engines. These services are in violation of published search engine guidelines, are unnecessary, are inaccurate, and/or simply do not work. At the end of this page, I will provide you with a series of links to other sources that will allow you to further educate yourself and make an informed decision on what to look for in terms of SEO services, as well as explaining some of the pratfalls associated with the services listed above.

My SEO service offering is different; rather than try to retrofit SEO into your site at the end, I work many of the elements of SEO in from the beginning without sacrificing the user experience, saving you time and a lot of money. I do not and will not provide SEO as a standalone service; it will not work for you.

SEO is Web Design, and Web Design is SEO

Most elements of SEO are elements of quality web design. A properly-structured site will be both user-friendly and search-engine friendly. You'll find examples of five of these elements below and how I incorporate them into the design of your website.

Unique, Concise Title Tags

If you look at the title bar on the top of your browser, you will see the phrase "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)". The title used for a page within the results of a search engine is the same as the title in the title bar. Thus, the title of each page should be both friendly to users and search engines, and I will always endeavour to provide this for you.

Heading/Subheading Tags (or "H" Tags)

H tags are used to describe the various headings/subheadings on the page. The H1 tag is intended to describe the primary heading of a page; H2 to H7 are intended to describe subheadings of a page in descending order of importance.

H tags can be styled to add visual appeal to the text, providing an added benefit to users while structuring content in such a way as to allow search engines to better understand it. For example, the H1 tag on this page is styled in such a way as to display white text on a dark blue background that fades into white at the right edge. The H2 tags are styled in a similar way, except that the background is orange and the white text is slightly smaller. This provides you with visual cues pertaining to new content while simultaneously providing search engines with a "code clue" pertaining to the same.

Consistent, Shallow Navigation Structure

In order for your website's users to find your key content, it should be no more than one click away at all times. The menu(s) for your website should reflect this. It is also good practice to be able to guide your website's users to all of your content in as few clicks as possible. This keeps users from leaving your website due to impatience. It is important to visualize the end point(s) that you want your users to arrive at, and to guide them there as quickly and smoothly as you can.

Navigation is also an important part of SEO. Search engine crawlers will visit your website's home page, traverse all of the links on the home page, traverse all of the links on the linked pages in turn, and so on and so on. The deeper the navigation structure, the less likely that a search engine crawler will find the deeply-nested pages quickly, or at all.

When I build your site, I will always keep this in mind. I will try to structure your site in such a way as to get your users to any page within 3 clicks, and in most cases that's easily achievable.

Correct, Minimal HTML Code

HTML is the "language of the web"; it is the language used by webmasters to create and display web pages. Well-constructed HTML code is minimalist and in turn will contribute to faster load times and more accurate rendering of web pages. Google, among others, recommends that HTML be structured correctly as well.

I am one of the premier HTML coders in the web design industry, and this is something I take a great deal of pride in. I will make sure that your code is both minimal and functional.

Other Useful Resources

I encourage you to take the time to read through the resources below in detail. They will provide you with additional SEO tips and information from the standpoint of a website owner.

  • Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (PDF). This is a terrific introductory resource, and if you're unfamiliar with the process of SEO, this document explains in detail some of the additional elements that you should expect to be incorporated into your website.

  • Google Webmaster Guidelines. Webmaster Guidelines outlines the design, technical and quality guidelines that Google looks for when determining which sites should receive the benefit of free search traffic.

    A few of the key excerpts from this page:

    Check for broken links and correct HTML.
    Don't participate in link schemes designed to increase your site's ranking or PageRank. In particular, avoid links to web spammers or "bad neighborhoods" on the web, as your own ranking may be affected adversely by those links.
    Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate our Terms of Service. Google does not recommend the use of products such as WebPosition GoldTM that send automatic or programmatic queries to Google.
  • Live (MSN) Search Help. These guidelines are similar to Google Webmaster Guidelines, but they do also provide some additional information.
  • Yahoo! Webmaster Guidelines. They're more concise, but will serve as a general indicator of what Yahoo! looks for.
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