Optimizing your site is an ongoing process that needs constant attention. When a new site is launched, it can take Google anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months to even find the site and store it in their database, and then another couple of months for the site to earn a place in search results. Then once your site is up and running, boosting your PageRank (the scale that Google uses to determine the importance of your site and therefore where it ranks in searches) takes time and effort – updating keywords, writing new content and organizing links are all time-consuming, and then you have to wait for Google to find your changes. So be patient.

You need to use keywords throughout your site so it gets listed in the search engine results when a consumer or business conducts a search using those words. Therefore, you need to know what words your target audience is searching for so you can use them in your content. This is called keyword research – first you brainstorm a large list of all the words and phrases related to your business (even ask your clients), then use keyword generator tools to narrow down this list. You also need to look at the competition for keywords and choose more specific words. Keyword research is essential for successful SEO.

The hardest thing about optimizing your website is creating content that is balanced between the needs of search engines and the needs of your target market. If it’s too SEO-focused, it will be gibberish for users but if you don’t use enough keywords you won’t rank well on search engines. The main thing is to only use keywords in your copy when they make sense and not to overuse them (the recommended is about 3 of the same keywords per page). Try to use variations of your main keywords through the text, because search engines will pick up on those too. Overall, the best thing you can do is research your content thoroughly, tailor it to the needs of your business and write it well – the search engines can tell if your copy is good, and they’ll reward you for it.

Many people are under the misconception that you only need to list your key words on your home page - although that is important, it is just as important to use them throughout the site and adjust your keywords to the content of each page. Keywords are important to be considered for your page title, meta keywords, descriptions, headings, and content.

Take advice before having a flash site or one with lots of images and not much content. This can work against you as the search engines don't register words that appear in images. This is also important to consider for when you use flash in navigation, as keywords importance is also measured here. For our clients, to make it easier for Google to log your site and content, your site is automatically mapped in text and in XML - so every time you make a change to your navigation or add a page, it is automatically adjusted.

The algorithm that Google uses to analyze and rank websites is not guaranteed – Google can choose to change it whenever they want. Websites that don’t keep up-to-date with the changes will slide down the rankings and get overtaken by sites that follow the new algorithm. It’s very important that your website developer or SEO consultant stays up-to-date with the algorithm so they can advise you or make any changes quickly and keep your site ranking high. If you are serious about your SEO and want to focus on it as a strategy for getting customers, you will need to employ a professional to help you, not only to keep up-to-date, but also to do keyword research, update your content and get other websites to link to yours.