The Science Of...
Search Engine Optimisation

Yes! It is a science - science is about gaining knowledge which can be applied in a repeated method to achieve constant results. That is search engine optimisation at it's heart - learning what is required & implementing the correct techniques in a repeated method that achieves constant results.

In science one cannot cut corners or employ techniques abhorent to natural laws - when men do, disaster always follows. SEO is no different, stick to the rules or a typhoon may come along & blow your website out of the SERP's (search engine results pages). The analogy goes further...

Nature yields her mysteries grudgingly - clearly the Lord God our creator didn't intend for us to learn all the secrets in one go! Likewise search engines have their own programs (called Algorithms) which power their searches & results & they don't intend we should know all their secrets - they give us enough information to design websites intuitively but not so much that we can manipulate the system to our own advantage. I think the same can be said by degrees of creation...

SEO - The Dilemma

The whole point is search results should show what the internet community agrees are the most relevant results not websites that have the best tactics & the wiliest webmasters. So the search engines are understandably protective of their service & herein lays the problem - because everyone wants to be number one, page one on Google & Yahoo! which yields volume traffic & hopefully sales. Tricky though if you're in say, the wedding favours business for which the search engines return about 8.5 million results. Yet there are ten companies on page one so it is possible & that is the most important conclusion to take away - there's nothing like discouragement to wreck a business plan. It can be done.

Fortunately the study & research of professional consultants in the science of SEO does unravel many of the mysteries of succesful optimisation - if not all. There are many consultants out there who can do this work & do it well & many who make big promises, deliver little & charge a great deal.

Our SEO Services

Core-FX has a proven track record in delivering top results & we continually follow the trends & changes of the big search providers. We are happy to undertake SEO work for our clients but equally to provide referals to the best Professionals around if you prefer. Here's a clear breakdown of our services:

• On Page Optimisation - The websites we design are optimised already for the best results for the campaign relevant to your business. We will discuss this with you & develop a brief for this purpose that will consider content, keywords & headings. This is called 'On Page Optimisation' & is only one part of SEO (& regretably the smallest part by far). 'OnPO' is part of the web package you sign up for & there is no additional cost.
  £ FREE (when we design your site)
• Indexed By Search Engines - This is the launch pad for your new website. A new site doesn't just suddenly appear in the SERP's it must be submitted, then the engines visit your site & follow all the allowable links to find all your pages & other sites you link to. This can take longer than required if done the wrong way - we never recommend submitting your site directly to the search engines. We have a simple method that achieves this very quickly. All the websites we design are indexed at the time of launching the site so if somebody searches your domain name or business name you will be listed.
  £ FREE (when we design your site)
• Basic Off Page Optimisation - The biggest part of SEO doesn't take place on your website. Once the engines understand your content's theme they know the category to place you in but what about position? The first step to securing a solid position is basic 'off page optimisation' (OffPO) creating a 'good neighbourhood' for your website by carefully associating it with your industry introducing the site in the right places. Like a job reference this begins to build credibility for your site & assurance of it's good character & allows your site to begin to climb the SERP's.
  From £249.00 + VAT
• Enhanced Off Page Optimisation - The next step in OffPO is to establish 'Authority' - think of this like a favourite uncle who's a fanatic on railways, has the whole layout in the attic thing, wears the cap & blows the whistle, the works. Maybe he's not the sort of chap you'd introduce your new girl to but if there's ever anything you need to know about trains he's the first guy you call. Enhanced OffPO is about establishing your site as an authoritative site on it's subject or business matter - you want your website to be the first place Google looks to for your subject. There are many strands to this but if well done it will assure your site of long term future success in search listings, after all the engines do want to list people... whereas to get this wrong or neglect it altogether will make the work much harder perhaps even impossible depending on the competition.
  £ POA (Depending On Campaign)
• Advanced Off Page Optimisation - Once listed with a good health check & pedigree advanced optimisation will focus on maintaining consistent results. This involves building on the previous work & increase your sites popularity accross the internet. There are again many ways to achieve this & it takes a lot of work, neither will it ever end - if you stop optimising your site, it will decline, a bit like a hot air baloon, if you let the air cool you won't get far & will soon disappear from the horizon. However if you have been correctly advised on site design, content, SEO & marketing then you should be making good profits & this will finance your ongoing optimisation. Bottom line - if you had a shop it would cost you money to run it - the internet is no different but can be hugely rewarding. I do believe that consultants should be clear & realistic about SEO.
  £ POA (Depending On Campaign)
• Campaign Optimisation - In the light of what I have just said you should understand the need for ongoing work - we call this 'Campaign Optimisation'. After your initial success & evaluation of your results in tangible profits you will want to continue your SEO. We would agree clear goals with you for the particular point in time you are in & the individual needs of your business - from this we would build a campaign folio with proposals & recommendations along with expected results, campaign time, predicted ROI & clear costing. Campaigns can be started at any time but should never be too distant from the last SEO activity performed for your website.
  £ POA (Depending On Campaign)

You may have guessed by now the big vagary is the x-factor of time - it cannot happen over night (though I have optimised some sites & achieved first position in a few weeks - some took a year). I still remember the first site I optimised & how quickly I realised I had a lot to do. That was some years ago when big changes were taking place soon after the easy ride was over (which search engines initially gave websites when the whole dot com thing began in the good old days of keyword stuffing). Add to this the random changes that often emerge from the search providers (Google in particular bless 'em) & it should be clear one can never relax in SEO terms but following the golden rules of the proven methods, in time the science of SEO always yields results which returns profits.

Action

My name is Peter Bruce, I'm the founder of Core-FX & I am always happy to receive enquiries & help with questions of any sort so feel free to mail me or telephone for a chat. If we can't help you for whatever reason I will always find you somebody who can.

Best Wishes for your business future,