A website is probably the most popular way for bands to release information about themselves and their music, but in many cases the acts don’t consider search engine optimization (SEO) and are more concerned about the look of the site, which can hinder their visibility.
Jason Feinberg, writing for PBS’s MediaShift, says that many bands’ websites – like the official site for Led Zeppelin – is built entirely in Flash. While that might be great for the artistic expression of the band, it’s not very friendly to search engines.
Feinberg says that just as any company should consider search engine optimization (SEO) when they’re building or revamping a website, so too should musical acts.
"Search engine optimization is just as important for musicians’ sites as any other type of website," he writes. "And there’s no reason that an artist must forsake creativity for better search rankings."
One mistake these bands often make is the lack of keywords in the content of their site, but Feinberg notes that for a band the keywords are often harder to define then they might be for a real estate agent.
To combat this, Feinberg suggests creating one page that is full of information on the band such as bios, quotes and discographies.
A growing number of organizations and individuals are using search engine optimization (SEO) to help increase their visibility on the web. A recent report from eMarketer found that although search engine optimization (SEO) made up only 11 percent of the total search engine marketing (SEM) budgets in 2008, the gap between organic search and pay per click is expected to narrow in the coming years.
