Searching for answers?

Searching for answers? It is so easy to get your answers in a jiffy, just go online and you will find the answer to anything that you are seeking, including how to get rich in 10 days!

But are the results that show up on searching that relevant?
Search engine are getting better at weeding out the sites that are not relevant, but searchers are getting smarter too. This article explores the factors that are critical for a website’s online success.

Over the years, searching has become more refined. Along with search engines, searchers are changing and learning to search more effectively. Most of us do not wish to scroll through endless pages to get our answer; we would like to get to the relevant answer instantly. This has triggered the need to provide instructions to search engines, in terms of key phrases, as clearly as possible.

For instance, I want to find up the show timings for a particular show in a movie hall near where I live. In the search engine, search box, I type

“<the name of the film>+<location>+<preferred movie hall>”

I get a lot of search results. I quickly scan the titles, and descriptions for each result. If I find a match to exactly what I am looking for, I will certainly click on that result, but If the movie hall’s website features in the list, and even if it is down below, I would prefer to check the show timings from the actual website of the movie hall rather than go through a third party. Experience has  taught me that more often than not, it is good to rely on the actual site; this may not always be true, of course.

Two factors that really matter to searchers:
Relevancy and Trust

If you want to buy anything online, you will most likely buy from a well known site and not from any site. That is when trust becomes very-very important.

Also, when we wish to look up facts, why do we invariably go to Wikipedia?

That’s because it has established itself as one of the most authoritative sites on a variety of subjects.

How do you establish trust for your website?

There are various ways of doing that. First and foremost, your website should be what you proclaim it to be. Ensure that you have the most relevant and original content on your website.

You might want to ask for reviews and testimonials for the products and services that you offer. The reviews and testimonials should be genuine, if required, get permission from your customers, and allow your potential customers to reach out to them.

If you are providing excellent service, there should be a way of letting more people know.

Social networking is perhaps one of the best ways of reaching out to your existing customers, interacting with them, providing solutions, and attracting new customers.

You will eventually see an increase in relevant traffic to your website. This will not happen overnight…but you will start noticing changes from the 2-3 months onwards.

Coupled with SEO strategies, your website is sure to get the recognition it deserves, but it does require a disciplined approach and a continuous effort.