by Christine Stander, 9/30/2007

Know your territory

If you want to experience something fully, you have to be prepared for it. You have to research what you need, from the most basic needs through to the finest details. I have been privileged enough to experience the wonders of an African safari. Before the journey, one knows to pack comfortable bush clothes. One also knows that you're not going to need high heels or suits in the bush. It's the basics that count: jeans, sneakers and t-shirts.

When you go out on a game drive, what keeps you at ease amongst lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo is the fact that firstly, you know you're in a Land Rover, driven by an experienced safari guide, and secondly, that if it comes to it, there's a trusty rifle in the back seat.

The lessons illustrated by this analogy are: research your territory, be prepared, dispense with what is unnecessary and remember that the basics count most of all.

To take the analogy further, launching a web site is not unlike going on safari. Before sending it on its journey to the World Wide Web, you need to pack it full of the things you know it's going to need. Start with the basics.

• Know the territory.
  • What is the industry which you are entering?
• Know the climate.
  • How competitive are your competitors?
  • Does it call for additional optimization methods such as PPC?
• Know the predators.
  • Research your competition. Who's going to be out there with you?
  • Are they well prepared? Scrutinize the optimization fluctuation of their web sites.
• Choose a suitcase.
  • Ensure the SEO strategy is developed around the technology you choose to develop the site. Flash, Javascript and dynamic sites' strategies may vary from conventional "straightforward" HTML web sites.
• Pack accordingly.
  • The site's clothes are the copy and design elements. Ensure both are enticing, convincing and relevant, and that they flow with the general theme of the site.
  • Ensure your key-phrase fluctuation is relevant to the page content and does not deter from the natural flow of the copy.
• Be vigilant.
  • Regularly check your site's key-phrase ranking and follow-up on your competitors to see if they have made any changes to their strategy.
• Adapt.
  • In an ever-changing, fast-paced environment, it is crucial that SEOs are able to adapt their style to the most relevant optimization requirement for the intended market.

SEO is a crucial element throughout the life cycle of a web site. Its roots are firmly planted from the site conception to the launch, and tenderly keep it stable throughout its life.

The only question remaining is: "If you choose to call in the experts, should you do this before or after the fact?"