It has often been said that web site search engine optimization is the best way to increase traffic in terms of value for investment. This is something I have always believed in through my web marketing efforts with Great Excursions. I spent much time since I launched the first generation of the Great Excursions website in 1999 generating new visits by making the website more attractive to search engines with a great deal of success, thanks in part to ongoing conversations with my friend and partner in SEO Mike Ritchie of North Battleford.
Mike runs M.R. Website Development Studio. His firm has designed countless websites for Saskatchewan companies and organizations, as his client list will attest. He has also acted as a consultant for a number of clients, including Great Excursions. I remember been referred to Mike by Clint Krismer who used to run Tourism Saskatchewan's website early on in my tourism career. I had asked Clint who in his opinion understood best SEO in the province, and that's how I came to be in touch with Mike Ritchie.
I was impressed by the insight Mike gained in creating and operating Tradingcharts.com, a free charts and quotations website used by brokers around the world, on which advertising is sold through a major partner in the US. SEO was critical to the website's success then, just as it is today.
A conversation with Mike Ritchie is not one where off-the-shelf solutions are pitched to you right away, but rather, an investigation into how to build a website that will be optimized organically through its design. More importantly perhaps: how to built a website that does the job it is supposed to do... plain and simple.
It is hard to summarize a 13-year relationship into a short article, but I thought it might be worth letting people know that if you are ever looking for someone to take a look at your web products to explore new ways to improve their performance, you could do worse than give Mike Ritchie or any member of his team a call. To this day, I can't think of anyone in Saskatchewan with a more qualified appreciation of what a web presence can mean for businesses and organizations. These friendly Saskatchewan experts make a difference.
Silicon Valley may be in Northern California, but there is no doubt in my mind that SEO Valley is located in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.
This is a well-deserved plug by a fellow disciple of greater web marketing knowledge gained through hard work!