Search engine optimisation (SEO) consultancy & strategies from freelance search engine optimiser & website editor, Stephanie Kendall, based in Christchurch, New Zealand
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Services
In a nutshell, search engine optimisation (SEO) – search engine optimization – is an editorial process that changes the content of a website with the aim of making it easily accessible to search engines and people using search engines. By serving up a 'search engine friendly' website to search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing, you can significantly increase the number of people finding and viewing your website.
There are two main strands within the most effective search engine optimisation strategies. The first, on-site search engine optimisation refers to structural and editorial changes made to the website itself. The second, off-site search engine optimisation refers to additional activities that help to increase the website's search engine presence and rankings.
Please view more about the search engine optimisation services I typically offer below. If you would like to discuss a project or commission me for any of these services, feel free to contact me.
On-Site Search Engine Optimisation Services
SEO strategies to assist search engines find, index and present your site to the search market
1. SEO Site Review
This first-step review includes suggestions and recommendations on how to improve the 'search engine friendliness' of your website. It outlines key areas in which improvements could be made. By acting on these suggestions, you can make a significant difference to your website's online visibility through organic search and to the amount of search engine coverage/traffic it receives.
2. Keyword and Market Research
This research identifies relevant keyword search phrases for inclusion in your website content (i.e. the words and phrases search engine users in specific geographic markets are actually using to find businesses online). A shortlist of search phrases is then provided based on a) attracting relevant traffic whilst avoiding overwhelming online competition and b) your search engine optimisation budget (time and resources).
3. Search Engine Optimisation Strategy
Search engine optimisation strategies can be used as a set of instructions/recommendations by a website designer or developer as they outline what changes to website's structure and content should be made to help increase its search engine coverage. Typically these search engine optimisation strategies include:
- An outline of changes to Meta data on the home page and throughout (most of) the site
- Editing requirements for home page and existing sub-pages
- New optimised content pages (i.e. enhanced with keyword phrases) for the website content
- Submitting of site information to popular and relevant search engines and directories (free listings only). This part of the optimisation is only done when 'search engine friendly' changes are live.
4. Supply of Optimised Content Pages
Additional optimised content pages can be added to a website to help increase its keyword coverage and search engine visibility. Pages are written and provided in a Word document (including page names, Meta data, page text and links) for upload by your website designer or developer.
5. Review of Uploaded Optimisation
Once a strategy has been uploaded by your web developer (either to a test server and/or published live), a review of all pages is made to ensure that nothing has been missed and that additional edits are made as required.
Off-Site Search Engine Optimisation Services
Additional SEO strategies to help improve your search engine rankings1. Link Strategy
This document outlines a potential link popularity strategy for your website based on relevant opportunities for your business. It includes an outline of the techniques you could feasibly use to increase the number of links pointing to your website. These may include:
- On-site cross linking
- Free or paid website listings
- Blog marketing
- Article marketing (see below)
- Newsletter marketing
- Online press release submissions (see below)
- Social media marketing (e.g. Facebook, Twitter)
2. Article Marketing
Once upon a time, article marketing was a favourite technique used by search engine optimisers to write articles that included backlinks to specific (e.g. client) websites. Articles were commonly submitted to article directories. Whilst article marketing can still be a useful tool to promote a specific website, it should be noted that article directories have tightened up their guidelines to meet with new Google algorithms and it is not possible to publish as many backlinks as before. Articles have to be written to meet quite stringent site guidelines and are not allowed to be advertorial in nature.
Article marketing is undertaken on an hourly rate and includes: article writing, submission of each article to the client for pre-submission approval, followed by submissions to article websites (in accordance with each website's requirements).
3. Online Press Releases
Submitting genuine news releases to online press release websites is a great and legitimate way to promote a website. Although it may seem that not much is happening in a business, there is generally news to be found in: new staff appointments, upcoming events, competitions, sponsorship announcements and refurbishments, not to mention the launch of new websites, products and services.
The creation and distribution of online press releases is based on an hourly rate and includes: press release consultation and writing, submission to the client for pre-release approval, followed by submissions to press release websites (in accordance with each site's guidelines).
Press releases are also submitted to newsdesks by email when it is appropriate to do so.
Please note: The distribution of press releases online is not designed to replace the work of a specialist PR firm, who may have strong partnerships with media representatives.
Contact me for a free cost estimate for your website optimisation project.
Service Fees
View fees for search engine optimisation and other services.
Please let me know if you would like to discuss or commission a related service not specifically mentioned here. You may also like to find out what my clients say about working with me.