A search engine optimization (SEO) consultant is an expert in online research methods who helps a client’s websites be found more easily by Internet search engines. By increasing a website’s visibility and search rankings, the website traffic, sales, and productivity will generally increase. An expert SEO consultant will analyze the client’s goals, marketing strategy, target audience, and website to determine a strategy. The consultant may then offer recommendations, teach the client what to do to improve SEO, make marketing and website changes, or a combination of any of these options.
An expert SEO consultant has a thorough understanding of the current marketing trends, online venues, and tools that will improve the client’s online presence. A web marketer who has experience in the customer’s field can be helpful, but not necessary. More importantly, the consultant should have the ability to create a marketing plan consistent with the client’s goals and implement effective SEO techniques to execute the plan.
One important aspect of search engine marketing is the use of effective search engine keywords within a website. SEO consultants identify the most relevant and popular search words that people use when conducting online research for a particular product or topic. These consultants also understand the right places to insert these keywords within the page titles, HTML code, and website content so that search engines will find the client’s online material. When a search engine repeatedly finds relevant content from the same source, the site’s page rank improves and customer traffic increases.
An SEO consultant can link the client’s pages with other online sources, which will create more paths for website traffic and increase online presence. The use of social media sites and tools, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Digg, Twitter, and StumbleUpon, can be important aspects of a web marketing plan. These venues can increase business relationships, connect the client to more customers, provide additional, complementary content, and establish the client as a leader or expert. A consultant may also recommend ad campaigns and online press releases that draw more customers.
As part of an SEO marketing campaign, an SEO consultant provides baseline information about the client’s web traffic and page rankings and conducts analysis over time to determine the effectiveness of the plan. While a consultant can not guarantee specific results, a good marketer can predict levels of success and should be able to produce satisfactory references. When a sound search engine marketing campaign is implemented, clients can realize a good return on the investment.
