Omega Pine Flooring Web site

Looking to get more mileage out of an existing Web site? Wondering how people are going to find your site? Thinking about building one, but question the value it offers?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is designing, writing and coding (in HTML) your entire Web site in order to increase your chances of appearing at the top of search engine queries. Based on keywords and key phrases, Search Engine Optimization triggers search engines to pick up on the deliberate coding of your site.

At the core of optimization is keyword research...what are people typing into Google, Yahoo! or other search vehicles to pull up what you have to offer? In order to obtain search engine visibility, you must find and use these words and phrases frequently and prominently throughout your entire site.

Keyword Analysis and Search Engine Optimization design starts around $700 but the results can be overwhelming. Martha Dixon of Omega Pine Flooring (www.omegapineflooring.com) has certainly reaped the benefits of this service. Enriching the site with the necessary optimization tools as it was built, the Plexus team was able to ensure the Omega site ranks top among searches for related terms, some of which may include "pine floors," "pre-finished pine," "reclaimed heart pine" and others terms relevant to what the company offers.

"Since the launch of our optimized site, business has increased three fold," said Ms. Dixon. "Potential clients are finding us easier and that translates into more business."

Plexus uses a host of other tools and techniques to evaluate current search engine rankings in order to establish a baseline for improving visibility. They include but are not limited to Google Site maps, Google Rankings and relevant URL tagging.

In addition to enriching a site with keywords and phrases to better attract search engine listings, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), a form of optimization that encompasses directory submission and pay-for performance campaign setup, may also be a valuable tool for driving traffic to your site.

Better known as Google AdWords or Yahoo! FastTrack, SEM uses methods such as SEO, Search Engine Advertising or Paid Inclusion to increase the visibility of a Web site in search engine results pages. Through SEM, you can buy a premium spot in the search query results page by paying per click for the visits to your site. Based on demand for the position, popularity in the category and a budget you determine, a monthly �bank� is established. Each time your site gets a hit from that listing, it draws upon the bank. Once the bank is depleted, you have the option to deposit more money and remain in position or lose it for the remainder of the month and re-up when a new month begins.

"Many sites find SEM a viable option when they are competing for Web traffic," said Plexus Web Creations President Stephanie Sharp. When a site is brand new and has little to offer in terms of longevity, site popularity or link saturation, Search Engine Marketing is a fast track to getting search engine traffic.