Search Engine Optimisation Gold Coast

Why "search engine optimisation gold coast"? because we actively specialise in SEO for sites targetting Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast has a massive tourism and accommodation sector making it very difficult for new websites to be found on any term relating to Gold Coast.

If you are building a website that targets the Gold Coast, what can you do to be found in search engines especially Google which is the largest?
Paying to for sponsored links can be expensive as can conventional advertising in newspapers etc.

Web marketing is different to traditional media marketing

Search engine marketing can be combined with other web based marketing techniques. Normal media style marketing (tv, radio, newspapers and magazines) are about stopping people and grabbing there attention and forcing them to listen. Those techniques fail miserably on the Internet becuse users who feel they are being advertised to move away.
Websites allow you to engage with the visitors and it is here where you can generate loyal customers without the hard sell that requires a result in one go.

Search Engines - What has changed?

This section will be dedicated to new changes that you should be aware of to stay on top of the Search Engines. Google always evolves, it is way ahead of the competition and will more than likely stay that way.
Have you noticed certain sites now have maps and videos in search results?
Read our article Using Google Local Business Center.
Read our article Yellow Pages vs Search Engines.
Quality content is now more relevant than ever. Google can tell if users are staying on your site (bounce rate).
The speed of your site is also now a factor to consider. Some CMS systems can really slow down your sites reponse.

Google Personalisation of search results

Google sometimes customises your search results based on your past search activity on Google. This is called personalisation.
To get a true picture of where your site is ranking in search results turn off personalisation.
How to turn Google Personalisation off Turning off Google personalisation

Signed-out searches - click the web history link on the right hand side of Google. The above screen appears. Click the disable customizations based on search activity.
Signed-in searches

Search Engine Optimisation Tips

Hence your strategy starts before you buy your domain name. I am often referred to people who want thier site to improve in Search Engines. More often than not the cheap ( and sometimes not so cheap ) sites lack quality planning to allow the site to reach its potential in Google.

The more amature sites actually are a liability to the company and represent a lost opportunity as Google places heavy emphasis on time.

We create an Image Management System that acts as a search engine promotion tool allowing you to actively improve your search engine ranking over time. This is done by allowing you to create articles that are read by search engines and can include links to other sites or parts of your own site.

Search engines offer free advertising in that you can be found for free. There is no charge, they are also (especially Google) democatic and consistent. Generally you have to earn the high ranking and then it comes down to how well your site is optimised for the search terms.

Search Engine Optimisation Case Study

You are a Naturopath and you want to create a website to enhance your business. You are a small but growing business without $10K to spend on a site.

Some of the issue to consider are:-

For some categories of sites there may only be one position that is important to be in the top 4 entries in Google. Otherwise with low traffic numbers it is simply not worth creating a web site apart from servicing people that already know about your site. Hence no matter how cheap the web site you create it may be wasted money and a wasted opportunity if you are not found!
If you are under a miniscule budget the best choice is using an easy do it your self flash web site template. You will have minimal if any visibility in search engines like google, but you could have a professional looking website created and hosted for about $ 100.

Search Engine Optimisation - Targetted Traffic

The main aim of a web site is to gain quality targetted traffic. To that aim I would have to admit that this site is not a good example of a targetted site. The sites I build for my customers are much more heavilly targetted for specific terms e.g.

Gold Coast Computer Repairs
Q1 Accommodation
Spit ( for save our spit )
Gold Coast Yoga
Gold Coast Accommodation
Gold Coast Painters
Gold Coast Java (this site)
Gold Coast Flash (this site)
Gold Coast SEO (this site - soon to be Gold Coast Search Engine Optimisation if this page works)

Diversity of Search Terms A study by Dustin Woodard reported in Webpro News looked at the top 10000 search terms. To summarise the conclusions of his report there is such a diversity of terms used that competing for just the main terms is not the only strategy to use.
A good strategy is to look at the competition and decide whether to target key terms or broader terms.
"It turns out that, at least in this particular three-month data set, the top 100 terms accounted for just 5.7 percent of all search traffic."

How web hosting effects Search Engine Optimisation

What has the quality of your server got to do with good search results?
Google is in the business of delivering quality search results. An unreliable server gets picked up by Google crawlers in what is called URL's timed out.
Having recently tested this by moving one site from a cheap server to a more reliable one and after it settled down following the move it dramatically rose in the search results.
Cheap hosts save money by craming lots of sites onto shared servers.
We recommend quality hosts on our web hosting page.
Finally host location is a factor - we can advise you on your SEO needs and whether a local or OS host is best.

Search Engine Optimisation - Moving your site to a new domain

When transferring your existing site to a new domain name you need to be sure that your valuable page rank and indexed pages come with you.
It is important to choose your domain name wisely to avoid loosing the value a site gains over time.
There are techniques you can use to transfer to a site to a new domain and maintain your pagerank. Google recomends certain techniques when moving a site. Your web developer may be brilliant at design - if they are not experienced with SEO (no-one is an expert at everything) make sure you get the right advise and ensure that your site is constructed in a way to maximise your exposure in Google.

Why does my site fluctuate in rankings

Search engine rankings can change for many reasons. Your site may gain or lose position on a daily bases due to algorithm changes, a dropped or added link, or a site is added or removed from the search engine's index.

We always notice minor changes except for sites that are the undisputed number 1 on a particular keyword.
Reasons for ranking changes can be boiled down to three basic events:

Or it could be any combination of the three. Avoid major site changes unless its absolutely warranted. And if you do, be sure to consult with an SEO. Big site changes don't have to have a negitive effect on your rankings as they often do.
There are changes you can make on the server to ensure site transitions are seemless when doing a site upgrade. Hence a multi-skilled SEO is important.
Unfortunately for some sites the advice given or the rush to update the site completely ruins years of Google rankings. Try to combine great design with good site structure - it is pointless to have a beautifully designed site that no one can find anymore.

Emergency - My site has completely dropped out from the rankings

It happens, and can be devastating when it does. You need to try to work out why this has happened.
A good SEO will be able to work out the problem and help the site back to its right position.
This situation occured to one of my clients sites - fortunately we were able to restore it but it was a nervous 3 weeks.
Sometimes the Google crawlers or indexing fails (accidentally) and this can cause a site to temporarilly drop out of the index.

Search Engine Optimisation - Who is the best SEO for you

Be aware that a SEO without programming and general HTML skills is not as effective as an SEO who knows the craft of the web.
Simply ask who is doing the SEO and how is it done - you may not get a definitive answer but if you are not talking to a multi-skilled SEO directly you are not getting the full value you should be.

How can you test the effectiveness of your SEO?
One way is to see if they themselves come up high in search terms.
In our case try 'Gold Coast SEO' or 'Gold Coast Search Engine Optimisation'.
Another way is to check their portfolio of sites and try to determine how successful these sites are on competitive keywords.
Many of our sites do very well in search engines without the customer specifically paying for SEO. So if your site is not doing well in search engines odds are there are fundamental issues with the design and/or you may not have been linked into search engines properly.
In most cases sites can be corrected to perform better.
For my SEO customers I produce a report (over 10 pages) that describes how they can maintain thier site high in search engines and closely analyses competitors and prospective keywords.

How to choose an SEO company

No one can guarantee you a position in Google. Do not pick a company solely on how their site ranks. Although this site is at the top of "gold coast seo" and "gold coast search engine optimisation" that alone does not prove we are good value SEO's.
Look for good results over a variety of keywords over a long period of time with not too much expence. Ask to be able to contact clients and check for yourself their experiences.
Avoid companies that outsource SEO - we do everything inhouse and do not participate in link building scams (these are often short term with little lasting benefit). We prefer to teach clients on how to promote their site themselves in an ongoing effective way.

A multi skilled SEO is best

A multi skilled programmer/SEO can out perform a 'marketing person' with limited programming skills.
Why?
When you are optimising your site getting traffic to the site is one thing but actually converting that traffic into an enquirey or sale is your goal. Google can measure the retention rate of your site (bounce rate), a programmer with SEO skills can use those skills to build applications that help retain visitors. With this broader toolset they can manage a better more holistic solution.

Search Engine Optimisation - What is it worth

Analyse the possible financial benefits of a web site which is Search Engine Optimised.
Can it reduce your sales staff?
Can it make your business grow and become more efficient?
How does it compare with conventional advertising?

Finally ensure your web developer is not only available but does not tie you down to ever escallating unnecessary charges.

My sites are built to be very search engine friendly and generally get listed very quickly.
I actively monitor all of my sites regularly and suggest refinements that will improve their search engine status. This is simply part of my service and incurs no charge except for the updates if accepted.

I do have a package for $ 1100 that includes active tracking and minor alterations to that site to really give it a boost. It also includes generating quality links to improve overall page rank. This will give lasting value to your website.

I am very successful at generating sites that do well in "Gold Coast" keywords.
With our new pay per click Optimisation plans you are only charged for incoming traffic - great value!

Phil Hoile - GoldCoastLogin.com.au programmer
Griffith University Lecturer in industry courses
- e Business & advanced e Business
Email Me

Seach Engine Optimisation - Gold Coast