| As a website designer, it is my experience that a | | | | customer without telling them anything about it? |
| lot of small business websites are missing some | | | | Sometimes the customer will figure it out for |
| basic elements, and this causes their search | | | | themselves, sometimes they walk away without |
| engines rankings to disappear off the radar. If | | | | buying, and sometimes they buy it and bring it |
| your small business website features on page 363 | | | | back later for a refund because it did not do what |
| of Google, or not at all, there is a good chance | | | | they thought it would do. That is what happens |
| that it is missing a couple of very basic elements | | | | when your website does not have metatags. |
| that would change this dramatically. These | | | | The second thing that your website must have is |
| elements are metatags and a sitemap, and if your | | | | a sitemap. Metatags tell the search engine robots |
| site does not have them it will suffer!! | | | | what they will find on your site, and the sitemap |
| When consumers search the internet they are | | | | tells them where to go to find it. Ever tried to go |
| usually looking for one of two things. They are | | | | somewhere that you had never been before |
| either looking for information to solve their | | | | without a map. If your website does not have a |
| problem, or they are looking for a product to | | | | sitemap, that is what you are doing to the search |
| solve their problem. So, as a small business owner | | | | engine robots. And, they will go somewhere else |
| I have both information and products that help to | | | | at the first available opportunity. So, you run the |
| solve peoples' problems, and I need my website | | | | risk that they only find some of your website, |
| to tell them about how I can help them. So, in | | | | and some pages will not feature in the search |
| order to do this, you must first tell the search | | | | engines at all. |
| engines what information and products you have, | | | | Sitemaps are relatively easy to create, and once |
| and what problems you can solve, so that they | | | | created you can submit them to the search |
| can convey it to your consumers. | | | | engines. That way they know where to go and |
| The first way to do this is by the use of | | | | how to get there, and when they get there your |
| metatags. Do not worry too much about the | | | | metatags will tell them what they will find. |
| jargon. Ask your website designer that designed | | | | Do you have a website that is not performing as |
| your website what metatags they included for | | | | well as you would like? Can you not even find it in |
| your site. If the answer is none, or they give you | | | | the Google search rankings? Or maybe you are |
| a blank look, then there is a good chance that | | | | on page 363. Even if your site is the most |
| your site does not have any metatags. Metatags | | | | beautiful website on the internet, it will not work if |
| tell the search engines the title of your site, the | | | | no-one can find it. In terms of search engine |
| description of your site, and the keywords that | | | | optimisation, there are a lot of other factors that |
| you want your site to focus on. | | | | influence your rankings, but if you are missing out |
| If your site does not have metatags then you | | | | on the basics you will be hurting your website and |
| are just leaving it to chance as to how the search | | | | yourself. The basics are metatags and a sitemap. |
| engine will treat your site. And this will not be | | | | Talk to your website designer and make sure you |
| good for your search engine ranking. | | | | are using them both effectively. |
| Have you ever tried to sell a product to a | | | | |