There are a great many free SEO tools available on the net, but like any other skill, you should balance any savings you might make against the cost of not doing what you are good at.

There are a number of variables that have an impact on search engine position include the following:

• Keywords: choosing the right keywords is critical to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) success.

• Location, position and formatting of those keywords.

• Use meta (hidden) keywords and descriptions.

• Add descriptions for all images.

• Use keyword-rich internal links and headings.

• Build a properly structured and error free website.

• Use search-engine friendly URLS (web-addresses).

• Create a well-positioned ‘Site Map’ within the website.

• Link Popularity: Increase traffic by developing links from higher ranked websites.

• Time. Many websites take time to get recognised and ranked. Google may not rank your website for the first 6-12 months after registration.
  

• Use Flash/animations sparingly; they may be ignored or even hurt your website ranking.

Once you actually know what factors are involved, is it really worth time away from your business to learn to a basic level, a task which should really be done by professionals?

That may sound harsh, so let us clarify. If you spent 50 hours learning the basics about how to optimise your site (we aren't kidding about this), but it cost you $50 per hour in lost profit, then you just spent $2500 to save $1000.

So if those numbers don't make sense to you, give us a call on 1800 SMALLBIZ (freecall 1800 762 552) or contact us and we'll present you with a cost effective plan to get you seriously ranked.