The painful but strangely satisfying process of web optimisation - from the client's perspective. By Nina Simpson, Audience Systems

My boss asked me today what exactly we had done to optimise the Audience Systems website. “Well, “ I said, gesticulating knowledgably at the HTML, “we changed all the titles, descriptions, keywords and picture tags so they were completely relevant to the content of each page. And, err, we changed the body to make sure it was chock full of keywords. That’s it really.”

But that’s not it. I felt I had cheated myself with my own explanation. There is far, far more to optimisation than a few code tweaks. It’s about living in the heads of your target customers. It’s about knowing exactly what you want your website to deliver. And it’s about obsession and persistence.

There are a few things you need before you embark on the optimisation journey - the first being a borderline compulsive personality. If you’re not stirred by spikes in your web traffic, or cheered by new incoming links, if you don’t punch the air when your Google page rank improves, you may not have what it takes to see the optimisation process through.

The second prerequisite is a deep understanding of your customers. When they sit in front of a search engine, what are they really looking for? What questions are they looking to answer? And in what terms would they couch this question?

And what else? Well, time, time and more time. Not forgetting patience, dedication and the charm to inspire your agency to keep trucking along with you….

Our odyssey started with Andrew trawling through our site. Hours of analysing keywords, rummaging back through links, looking at our Google rankings… I believe many a midnight flew by unnoticed in the course of this endeavour but really only Andrew knows what passed in those dark days…..

Next I came into play. Using a combination of my knowledge of customers and their language, our Google Adwords stats and referrers to our website, I compiled a list of keywords that I wanted to feature strongly in our campaign. Next I trudged my way through every page of our website – all 56 of them – to customise the titles, descriptions, keywords, image tags and body text to ensure the page would capture attention of Google – and thus the attention of anyone floating past on the world wide web. It took days. I sent Andrew emails with idle thoughts about sharp objects.

Next – back to Impress to implement the XXXX pages’ worth of changes (let’s not talk about how many, it’s a sensitive topic) and then, when they were finally in place – sit back and set my baby free for the Google-spiders to find.

This is just the first phase of optimisation – to take it further we need to not only get as many incoming links as possible to point to our site, but also get those incoming links speaking the same language as our customers. We need to create a blog so that we can excite humans and spiders alike with our dazzling stream of new content (which incidentally will be about chairs – but that’s the power of the web – it gets you engaged with people who share your fixations; who you can dazzle about pretty much anything).

And that’s the point – because it’s about spreading the passions of your organisation, optimisation can’t just “be done” by your agency. Well, it can – but not in a way that gets to the heart of what your customers need from you. Deny it if you like, but you’re the one that speaks their language. So optimisation needs commitment from both sides.

But, even with this commitment, what have we achieved so far? Apart from weariness and a growing obsession with our webstats? Well, this week, the changes seem to have wormed their way through the ether. Unique visits are up from their usual average of 165 per day to around 195 per day. Percentages. But what happens when we add the links? And the blog? And take it another step further? Those percentages become customers. Those customers become cash. And so our obsession – my obsession – Andrew’s adopted obsession - helps to grow the business. And I still get to sit and drool over my statistics. I love it when things work out.

What is with Spring? Everything seems to happen at once and the Impress family continues to grow and evolve.

Firstly, a big welcome to our new company administrator - Simone Camode - who joined the company in January after a successful marketing career at Warminster School. Simone has added a new dynamic level to the agency with her unfailing cheerfulness, calm demeanour and wonderful telephone manner. She is lovely and sweeps up all the chaos caused by Andrew and Mark.

Secondly, another new face is Chloe George who has swapped the London life for the tranquil waters of West Wiltshire. The capital's loss is our gain, as Chloe is one of the most talented web designers we have ever come across. Her portfolio includes web designs for the Diesel brand and a wealth of other blue chips. Current Impress websites in development for Bodyline Books, Fit2beSeen and Longleat already look absolutely stunning.

Thirdly, Martin Palmer, the rock of Impress, is to become a Dad in May for the first time and massive congrats to him and Laura. Martin has been the one constant feature of Impress since the company's conception in 1999 and he is the undoubted Mac-master. To a point of madness, Martin is the ultimate graphic designer with a heart of gold and we all look forward to seeing Martin Junior in a few weeks' time. Well done matey.

Some agency friends are also embarking on life-changing journeys. Gemma Read from Orchard Park has decided to give up her job in the Lagan Farm Shop and take time out to work in a bar on the island of Kos for the summer. Can't believe you won't miss the fame and stardom of having your face splattered all over the OP newsletter, but enjoy the ride babe and come back soon.

And so, Impress reflects life and life reflects Impress. As ever, the evolution is good and the bar is constantly raised. Financial year end just around the corner and much to do. We move into a new era now and the fresh faces inspire new ideas, brilliant creative thinking and a true agency spirit I could only have dreamed of.

We all know, this is just the beginning....

A long overdue update on agency life. The truth is that Impress is an ever-changing entity that inspires some and infuriates others. It is the same for many a small business striving to be a real 'player' and learning the harsh lessons of business reality on the fly. One just keeps hearing the same story: staff problems, cashflow, client demands and a host of other frustrations that drive the entrepreneur to distraction.

A commonality exists among many lead clients and, as their agency, I can empathise and offer advice, but I have the same issues too. This is why Impress is what it is. We are on a journey together and some days it can be fabulous, other days it can drive you to distraction. As ever, today has been a mixture, but one client totally thrills me for their endeavour, passion, commitment and sheer belief in what they are doing. That client is Big Bang Events (www.bigbangevents.co.uk) and I had a long meeting with their managing director, Alison Welsh, this morning.

Impress have been working with BBE for around a year, building their websites, developing an online strategy, negotiating media deals and extolling the wisdom of the 'brand thing' as Ali memorably described it. Now, this 'brand thing' is actually really starting to work for the business, even if I say it myself. Web traffic on both company sites is growing week by week, Google loves the SEO, PR articles are appearing in the trade press, enquires are pinging in from listings on various online directories and the magazine ads have been unified and now look genuinely cool.

The timing is spot on as it is prime time for BBE. The company has an exclusive on a fabulous London venue, Cannon Bridge Roof Garden (www.cannonbridgeroofgarden.com) which is exactly as it says: an outdoor garden with a marquee perfect for summer parties. We are currently promoting an open day at the venue on the 19th April across all media channels. The facilities are wonderful and the views absolutely stunning. Sipping champagne, marvelling at the capital's skyline, whilst being waited on hand and foot... just imagine, it's that good.

And so together we are slowly but surely building a brand: the values, the principles, the corporate ID, the tone of voice, the structure, the culture, the communication. Brand is never easy, but the Big Bang girls have collectively bought into the concept inspired by Ali and the constant witterings of their marketing agency!

Out of all my clients, and there are many, Big Bang Events has the best chance of truly establishing a brand identity - as the passion, the will and the belief stems from the head of the company. Now we go a step further and I have agreed to become, in effect, BBE's Marketing Director working out of their offices for five days a month. I have done this for one reason and one reason only: not for money, not for a cushy life, not for the trips to the smoke, not because every company employee is female, but because the company embraces the big picture and is prepared to go through the pain, the disciplines and the processes of brand building. It's about ambition, values, trust, integrity and vision.

The omens are good, and three things have happened today that convince me this is the right thing to do. Firstly, an email came into BBE today from a potential client, part of which read: "I spotted your ad in several magazines and your venue on the search engines and was incredibly intrigued. Then I saw an advert for the open day; if this is available to the public, please can I attend with a colleague?" Think about it: the ad, the strategy, the search engine optimisation, the event - all integrated and working in harmony. Wonderfully, this email was sent by a representative of a leading PR agency operating in the event sector.

Secondly, for months I have been trying to facilitate a contract between BBE and the influential London Launch website. It has been tricky. Numerous promises from commission-hungry account managers, email tennis, standing my ground, convincing Ali that it is a few quid well spent. Twitchy. Nervy. Understandable. And then tonight, the weekly London Launch Enewsletter is broadcast to the industry and there we are, sitting almost at the top of emailer under the headline "Start the season with a bigger bang"... logo prominent, copy strong, the right picture, timing perfect. Strategy, strategy, strategy....

And finally a defining moment during our meeting, and this was the deal-maker. Readers of this blog and those who know me will be aware of my admiration for Lovemarks (www.lovemarks.com), the brainchild of Saatchi & Saatchi CEO, Kevin Roberts. I have a personal profile on the Lovemarks site and once in a blue moon, I add one of my own Lovemarks. The other night I posted a Lovemark about Babington House on the site. I soon forgot about it. It's my online world that I thought no-one ever took any notice of. (Perhaps I am an avatar after all!)

And then, towards the end of our meeting, Ali says, "I read your Babington House thing on Lovemarks last night". I was amazed. She has added her own profile too. Somehow, my witterings have sunk in. Lovemarks inspires and Lovemarks is inspiration. That was it for me. We have to take it all further. We have to take it to the max. "Loyalty beyond reason", "life beyond the brand", "winning the consumer revolution" and all that...

We even got onto Richard Edleman at one point, but that really is another story....

One step at a time!!!

My great-grandfather was not only the person who set up and developed Cadbury’s Chocolate into the world brand that it is today, but was also a Quaker and an altruist.

The reason he and his brother set up Cadbury Brothers in providing cocoa (drinking chocolate) was to give people an alternative to gin and the prevalence of gin houses and alcoholism – as a Quaker he never drank alcohol.

George Cadbury was an amazing man in many ways; building the model village of Bournville and the Primary Schools for the good of all, having doctors and nurses in the factory, putting huge amounts of money into pension schemes, and one of his lasting gifts was to set up a charitable trust that gives significant donations to worthy causes, charities and of course Quaker foundations.

The idea of giving away money to charities is strong within my genetic make-up, I feel strongly that people should be given the opportunities to develop themselves and many charities allow people to take those opportunities.

I know that the George Cadbury Fund has been looked after by generations of the Cadbury family and I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to contribute to looking after the trust and make donations to the charities that I think are important.

I have to take my hat off to the thousands of people, who every day, do some crazy things like jumping out of perfectly good aircraft with a parachute for charity, who run marathons dressed as chickens, half-marathons, triathlons and many other types of activity in order to give money to needy causes. In most cases there is a personal connection with the charity, for example knowing someone who has suffered a disease and wanting to contribute to the future fight against it.

Impress Media have recently contributed to Julia’s House in Dorset and are keen to work with charities in developing awareness through our expertise in marketing, whether it is website creation, advertising or simply contributing our time.

I want to make a difference by ensuring charities are looked after, which fits in with Impress Media’s strapline of ‘creating the difference’.

It’s Red Nose Day this coming Friday and I’m sure that we will all be moved by the images on the television, so give generously.

For any charities that are interested in discussing their marketing requirements or the George Cadbury Fund then please contact Mark Cadbury on 01985 219996.