Internet users increasingly let their search engines do the walking, so companies are looking beyond the contents of their Web site as they come to realize that people first must find it.
"It's a hot topic in design and development," says Josh Kenzer, director of business development at Reno-based Internet marketing company Twelve Horses.
The company hired Eric Morgan, based at its Salt Lake City satellite office, to ensure that client sites rank top of the list in popular search engines.
"Industries such as retail, travel and tourism, leisure entertainment, real estate, plus finance and insurance have a unique set of challenges when it comes to competing for top placement in the search results," says Morgan.
Blogs are another effective means of improving search engine results for businesses, says Marketing Manager Robert Payne.
Other strategies for search engine optimization, he adds, include Web site integration of a content management system, which enables non-technical staff to add content to their website.
Twelve Horses is boosting its search engine optimization capabilities in response to client requests, says Kenzer. "And it positions Twelve Horses to be more comprehensive and competitive; a complete service agency," he says.
Website building techniques that affect search engine rankings are labeled either white hat or black hat, says Kenzer. Some methods are favored; others may result in the Web site being banned by a search engine like Google.
Twelve Horses is growing its workforce modestly even as adds new services.
"As we need employees, we will add them," Kenzer says. "We always have positions for talented individuals."
NNBW staff
