Cast the net wide when experimenting with SEO

Limiting search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies to the larger search engines can prove a disadvantage for marketers, it has been suggested. Although the likes of Google and Bing dominate the market, there are smaller players out there who operate in slightly different ways, noted Matt Owen in an Econsultancy blog.

"Remember, every engine is going to provide slightly different results," he explained, pointing out that marketers can take on SEO experts to identify what their nuances are. It is also worthwhile to note down where the best traffic is coming from and going to, Mr Owen said, as this will help eliminate any "dead ends".

Smaller search engines are also likely to require less capital for the most sought-after keywords, but marketers must be sure their bids are realistic. Although the overall volume will be lower, you'll still get out what you put in," the expert told the site, so investments need to be carried out properly in order to get the right results.

Economics are important in SEO, the expert highlighted, so any keywords or sources that are not providing enough returns need to be pulled. "Before you do though, measure the actual amount of money those customers spent with you. If you are paying a low rate for a few high paying conversions then it's still worth it," Mr Owen advised.

The merits of using a blog as an SEO tool were recently emphasised by Nick Baggott, founder of Navigate Consulting. He noted that because they generally include links and are updated on a regular basis, they tend to rank well with search engines. "From a search point of view, businesses that haven't got a huge budget can often get their blog higher up search engine rankings than their website," he revealed.

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