Welcome to the second part of our series of articles on search engine optimization. In the previous article we discussed keywords, domain names, content and keyword density issues. This article moves past that to the nitty gritty of improving your web pages and website for better search engine rankings.
Page Title
It's truly amazing how many people don't realize how critical the TITLE tag can be to the success or failure of your website. Your TITLE tag needs to have your most important keyword for that page included in it. This is for the benefit of the search engines.
From a visitors point of view it also needs to entice them to click on your title tag when they see it in the search engine results. If your page is about PDA Accessories don't just use that phrase in the TITLE tag.
Dress it up a bit. For example "PDA Accessories For The Busy Geek" or "Need Accessories for Your PDA? Come right in!" Those examples took me 10 seconds to come up with. You can do far better with a little more time and effort.
META Keyword Tag
Anybody still using the Meta Keyword tag as their sole search engine optimization method please leave the room. Go on get out and don't come back.
The Meta Keyword tag is all but dead to the search engines. When building your pages it's still worth including but simply put in the top 3 or 4 keywords that are relevant to your business and leave it at that. Do not spend hours coming up with hundreds of keywords to stuff into the Meta Keyword tag. It's a total waste of time and anybody who tells you different has no idea what they're talking about.
META Description Tag
This still has some limited value for your SEO work. When Google or other search engines display search results they display the contents of the TITLE tag and your Meta Description tag (if present) or a random selection of text from the page. Your Meta Description tag will take priority if present.
The Meta Description tag is still worth using. Your most important keyword should be in there and again you need to work this keyword into an eye catching phrase or sentence. Don't just copy and paste the main keyword in there.
If the Meta Description tag is used well, in conjunction with the TITLE tag, then it can make your displayed search result more inviting to the potential visitor. Again don't spend more than a few minutes on your Meta Description tag but do make sure that you include it on each page. One final note - make the Meta Description for each page different; don't just recycle the same one over and over.
RSS
Stands for Really Simple Syndication and is probably something you've heard a lot about over the last few months. RSS allows you to display the news items and/or content from other sites on your website as part of a "news feed". This adds a huge amount of value to your site from a vistors point of view - they don't need to leave your site to get the latest news on a given topic. The other benefit is that search engines love seeing fresh content on websites.
At the moment there's a huge upsurge in the use of RSS for search engine optimization. The question is does it work? Yes it does. Using RSS can most definitely encourage the search engines to come back to visit your site more often. How does it work? Well again that goes beyond the scope of this article so please refer to our site for more information.
Blogs
Also called Web Logs are basically online diaries. For a long time these were used solely by... well.... geeks to record their thoughts and as a way of sharing information on Star Trek. Seriously though initially blogs were never seen as anything more than a curiousity.
Recently with the increased visibility of RSS blogs have also seen their profile rise. Why? Well because many RSS feeds feature blog content. Which means what exactly? It means your blog could be included on and linked to from thousands of websites all over the world. Are you seeing the possiblities? There are some other nuances to consider but to mention them here would give the game away completely and certain ebook authors would put a price on my head for giving away their secrets.
Thursday 30 September 2010
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Building a Content-Rich Site
In order for your efforts to optimize your search engine results to work, you will need to make your entire site a billboard of sorts. Everywhere you can place some keyword to effectively build your search engine rankings, you must. This is the best way for you to get your business noticed on the Internet. The more people who search for what you sell, the more customers you will likely have.
But it's not just keywords that do the job. If it was, you could have a site where all you did was list all the keywords you could think, and you would possibly have thousands of visitors per week. But what are they going to do when they get to your site? If it's just keywords in a list, they'll go away. That's why it's so important that you make not just a noticeable site, but also it must be a content-rich site.
The first thing to remember about the Internet is that it is all about information. No matter what else people do, they are on the Internet for information about one thing or another. Therefore, it is up to you as the Internet Marketer and business owner to develop content rich in information that will not only attract people to your site, but keep them there long enough for you to make the sale. In the case of Internet business where information is the only thing your site offers, you really need to keep up on this. If the content is no good, they will not return.
The best ways to make yours a content-rich site involve a lot of writing. You need to write articles that will inform and entertain readers. These articles should be related to your site's market. The more small articles you write about various different aspects of the subject matter of your site, the better. Another thing that makes for a content-rich site is news. Information relating to some new event in the market will dramatically enhance the content of your site. Even interviews, reports, and product descriptions can enhance content.
The final thing to remember is that your content should be revised frequently. The same old information will wear out, so you have to be on top of it, with something new all the time.
Also, remember that the keywords are how you really get noticed. The more content you have, the more room you've got for the important keywords. When you add content, be sure to have as many keywords as you can incorporated into that content. It's all about getting noticed and getting results, and keywords and content are how you get there
But it's not just keywords that do the job. If it was, you could have a site where all you did was list all the keywords you could think, and you would possibly have thousands of visitors per week. But what are they going to do when they get to your site? If it's just keywords in a list, they'll go away. That's why it's so important that you make not just a noticeable site, but also it must be a content-rich site.
The first thing to remember about the Internet is that it is all about information. No matter what else people do, they are on the Internet for information about one thing or another. Therefore, it is up to you as the Internet Marketer and business owner to develop content rich in information that will not only attract people to your site, but keep them there long enough for you to make the sale. In the case of Internet business where information is the only thing your site offers, you really need to keep up on this. If the content is no good, they will not return.
The best ways to make yours a content-rich site involve a lot of writing. You need to write articles that will inform and entertain readers. These articles should be related to your site's market. The more small articles you write about various different aspects of the subject matter of your site, the better. Another thing that makes for a content-rich site is news. Information relating to some new event in the market will dramatically enhance the content of your site. Even interviews, reports, and product descriptions can enhance content.
The final thing to remember is that your content should be revised frequently. The same old information will wear out, so you have to be on top of it, with something new all the time.
Also, remember that the keywords are how you really get noticed. The more content you have, the more room you've got for the important keywords. When you add content, be sure to have as many keywords as you can incorporated into that content. It's all about getting noticed and getting results, and keywords and content are how you get there
Search Engine Optimization - Advice And Tactic
Unique content is King. Search engines love new, unique and updated content. If you produce new content at a rate of just one reasonably sized page per day and tied in with the other advice throughout the site, I can almost guarantee you will get good listings. Remember though, write for the visitors but cater for the search engines. If your field of expertise fits into a niche in the market, all the better for you but you must get unique content all you will fall behind.
Page Structure. Search engine bots can sometimes get confused with poorly coded html, javascript and other web languages. If the bot has to wait too long or cannot decipher the web language then it will just abandon your site and move on to the next, even if it manages to get through the code it usually leads to poor search engine indexing of your website. You should also keep to widely used file extensions like .htm, .html, .php, .asp for your pages.
Loading Speed. The loading speed of your website should be kept to a minimum, if it takes long than 5 seconds on 256kb+ connections then you lose visitors - both real and search engine bots. There are a variety of reasons why pages can load slowly, it may either be your web server, poorly coded server side code like php or client side code like javascript which can slow or even stop your page from loading.
Visitor Navigation. This is more an aesthetic feature of your website focused at real visitors but you need to have some sort of standard navigation that is the same throughout your whole site. People can be put off and leave your website if they find it difficult to browse easily, search engine bots may also miss links if they can only be found deep within your site. Try to make as many internal links as possible available on each page.
Site Hierarchy. Site hierachy can be great for adding keyword density to your web site. An example of site hierachy working effectively would be this page, seo-advice.php. The full link contains SEO twice - www.seoassistance.com/seo-advice.php which is very beneficial in the way search engines determine your sites relevance to a particular subject. Use your domain, folders and file names to your advantage.
Avoid Blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO is a vast topic that commands little respect from real webmasters as it means using underhand methods to gain search engine rankings, although the site is usually banned quickly. Blackhat SEO includes using link farms, search engine spamming, hidden or disguised text, fake meta tag data, using duplicate content and using doorway pages. I would recommend you stay away from tactics like this as you will end up losing out in the long run.
Targeted Linkswaps. Link swaps are great but you must make them work for you. It does little good for you when your going for top search engine positions when your link swaps are untargeted. You should choose some specific keywords for both the link text and the link title text then make sure before you link swap that the other webmaster adds those specific keywords with the link.
Page Structure. Search engine bots can sometimes get confused with poorly coded html, javascript and other web languages. If the bot has to wait too long or cannot decipher the web language then it will just abandon your site and move on to the next, even if it manages to get through the code it usually leads to poor search engine indexing of your website. You should also keep to widely used file extensions like .htm, .html, .php, .asp for your pages.
Loading Speed. The loading speed of your website should be kept to a minimum, if it takes long than 5 seconds on 256kb+ connections then you lose visitors - both real and search engine bots. There are a variety of reasons why pages can load slowly, it may either be your web server, poorly coded server side code like php or client side code like javascript which can slow or even stop your page from loading.
Visitor Navigation. This is more an aesthetic feature of your website focused at real visitors but you need to have some sort of standard navigation that is the same throughout your whole site. People can be put off and leave your website if they find it difficult to browse easily, search engine bots may also miss links if they can only be found deep within your site. Try to make as many internal links as possible available on each page.
Site Hierarchy. Site hierachy can be great for adding keyword density to your web site. An example of site hierachy working effectively would be this page, seo-advice.php. The full link contains SEO twice - www.seoassistance.com/seo-advice.php which is very beneficial in the way search engines determine your sites relevance to a particular subject. Use your domain, folders and file names to your advantage.
Avoid Blackhat SEO. Blackhat SEO is a vast topic that commands little respect from real webmasters as it means using underhand methods to gain search engine rankings, although the site is usually banned quickly. Blackhat SEO includes using link farms, search engine spamming, hidden or disguised text, fake meta tag data, using duplicate content and using doorway pages. I would recommend you stay away from tactics like this as you will end up losing out in the long run.
Targeted Linkswaps. Link swaps are great but you must make them work for you. It does little good for you when your going for top search engine positions when your link swaps are untargeted. You should choose some specific keywords for both the link text and the link title text then make sure before you link swap that the other webmaster adds those specific keywords with the link.
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Going After the Competition With SEO
No matter what business you're in, there is one common factor all businesses share:
they have competition. Sure, the exception is the monopoly, but you would be hardpressed
to find any form of true monopoly on the Internet. More likely you will find
that there are at least a few, and perhaps as many as hundreds, of competitors all
scrambling to get to the top. If you have an Internet business, you're one of them.
And for you to be successful, you must know how to successfully compete. It's a
game with very real consequences, and winning is the ultimate goal.
Search Engine Optimization is one way you can effectively compete with others in
your market. But the only way you can even start to compete with them is to know
them. You have to know your competition as well or better than you know your own
company. And, fortunately, there are ways you can do this.
First of all, to know your competition you will need to visit them. Search for all the
sites you can find that may be doing the same thing you are, and then visit each
one. Pay careful attention to the results at the top of the search engine list. These
are the highest ranking sites, and you will want to find out what got them there.
When you go to each site, take notes on layout, content, obvious keywords, and any
other things about the site that may make it more visible than yours in searches.
Once you've gotten through all of the sites and reviewed the results of your study,
look for ways to enhance the quality of your own site. Consider different types of
content, better or more keywords, and any other additions that will make your site
as good or better than the competition. Remember, too, that this is not something
you can do one time and leave it alone. You will want to do this as frequently as
possible to keep on top of the game.
Besides looking to others for ideas, also think of ways you can enhance your site that
others have not tried. Innovation is what will set you above the rest. It doesn't hurt
to add an innovation to your site to test the market's response. Just be sure to study
it for effectiveness before you use it. You want to be reasonable sure that it will work
before you put the idea to the test.
A final note: constantly review your results. Determine what worked and what did
not work. Keep an eye on your competition for what they are doing. This is an
ongoing process without end. It is the best way to go after the competition online,
and it will be the key to your success or failure.
they have competition. Sure, the exception is the monopoly, but you would be hardpressed
to find any form of true monopoly on the Internet. More likely you will find
that there are at least a few, and perhaps as many as hundreds, of competitors all
scrambling to get to the top. If you have an Internet business, you're one of them.
And for you to be successful, you must know how to successfully compete. It's a
game with very real consequences, and winning is the ultimate goal.
Search Engine Optimization is one way you can effectively compete with others in
your market. But the only way you can even start to compete with them is to know
them. You have to know your competition as well or better than you know your own
company. And, fortunately, there are ways you can do this.
First of all, to know your competition you will need to visit them. Search for all the
sites you can find that may be doing the same thing you are, and then visit each
one. Pay careful attention to the results at the top of the search engine list. These
are the highest ranking sites, and you will want to find out what got them there.
When you go to each site, take notes on layout, content, obvious keywords, and any
other things about the site that may make it more visible than yours in searches.
Once you've gotten through all of the sites and reviewed the results of your study,
look for ways to enhance the quality of your own site. Consider different types of
content, better or more keywords, and any other additions that will make your site
as good or better than the competition. Remember, too, that this is not something
you can do one time and leave it alone. You will want to do this as frequently as
possible to keep on top of the game.
Besides looking to others for ideas, also think of ways you can enhance your site that
others have not tried. Innovation is what will set you above the rest. It doesn't hurt
to add an innovation to your site to test the market's response. Just be sure to study
it for effectiveness before you use it. You want to be reasonable sure that it will work
before you put the idea to the test.
A final note: constantly review your results. Determine what worked and what did
not work. Keep an eye on your competition for what they are doing. This is an
ongoing process without end. It is the best way to go after the competition online,
and it will be the key to your success or failure.
Steps for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a rather involved process that you must follow through to ensure that your Internet business is getting results and revenues. Without SEO, you may as well close your virtual doors and go home. This is the most vital means by which you can direct traffic to your site, and so it is critically important that you understand at least the basic steps in the process to optimize your ranking with the search engines. Here are basic steps you will need to follow.
1. Know your competition. You will need to find out everything you can about who else is in the same market as you. Perform searches to collect information. Repeat this process often, using up-to-date search terms. New businesses open all the time. You don't want to miss a new competitor.
2. Gather a list of keywords. You can go online and obtain massive lists of keywords that are used all the time. Put together the list according to the words that will have the most impact on your site.
3. Find ways to combine the keywords you've selected. The more combinations you can incorporate into the content of your site, the better will be your results.
4. Modify the content of your website. Change headlines, labels, and content throughout your site to enhance the capabilities of your site to draw in highly directed traffic.
5. Refine your keyword list often. Knowing that the Internet is ever-evolving, you must stay on top of what words will have the most impact. Make changes asnecessary to keep on the top of the ranking lists.
6. Make sure that your URL is added to the top search engines. The last thing you want to do is be missed because one of the majors didn't know you were there. Keep on top of this. Know which search engines are most popular.
7. Keep track of your results. Just like grades in school, the rankings you achieve will tell you how well you're doing and how much you need to improve for that A+. Analyze whatever information you can collect and constantly work to improve your results.
8. Repeat the process. Over and over again, you will need to redo all of these steps, keeping in mind that the competition is doing the same. Always look for innovative ways to improve your results. Sticking with the same old stuff all the time is not how giants are made.
This is a relatively basic illustration of the process you need to follow to optimize your search engine results. There are certainly more ways to fine-tune your site's rankings. However, for the purpose of getting started, this list should serve to put you on the path toward higher search engine rankings.
1. Know your competition. You will need to find out everything you can about who else is in the same market as you. Perform searches to collect information. Repeat this process often, using up-to-date search terms. New businesses open all the time. You don't want to miss a new competitor.
2. Gather a list of keywords. You can go online and obtain massive lists of keywords that are used all the time. Put together the list according to the words that will have the most impact on your site.
3. Find ways to combine the keywords you've selected. The more combinations you can incorporate into the content of your site, the better will be your results.
4. Modify the content of your website. Change headlines, labels, and content throughout your site to enhance the capabilities of your site to draw in highly directed traffic.
5. Refine your keyword list often. Knowing that the Internet is ever-evolving, you must stay on top of what words will have the most impact. Make changes asnecessary to keep on the top of the ranking lists.
6. Make sure that your URL is added to the top search engines. The last thing you want to do is be missed because one of the majors didn't know you were there. Keep on top of this. Know which search engines are most popular.
7. Keep track of your results. Just like grades in school, the rankings you achieve will tell you how well you're doing and how much you need to improve for that A+. Analyze whatever information you can collect and constantly work to improve your results.
8. Repeat the process. Over and over again, you will need to redo all of these steps, keeping in mind that the competition is doing the same. Always look for innovative ways to improve your results. Sticking with the same old stuff all the time is not how giants are made.
This is a relatively basic illustration of the process you need to follow to optimize your search engine results. There are certainly more ways to fine-tune your site's rankings. However, for the purpose of getting started, this list should serve to put you on the path toward higher search engine rankings.
Why is Search Engine Optimization Important?
When you start any business, you have a lot to worry about. But above all else, you
have to concern yourself with visibility. If the customer doesn't know you're there,
how can you expect him or her to ever visit your business? In the physical world,
stores and other businesses have many ways of getting noticed. Radio, television,
newspaper, and mailing ads are all ways that they get noticed.
But what about the person traveling through the town where you do business?
Chances are that the traveler will not have received any of these advertisements.
What else can you do to bring in these potential customers? And the answer is your
signs. The signs you place are a clear beacon to the customer of where you are. You
see it all the time, driving down the highway. And the bigger the sign, the better it
catches your attention.
It really works quite the same way with search engine optimization. You need to be
noticed. The best way for you to get noticed is to have, figuratively speaking, the
biggest and the best sign. That's how traffic on the Internet, zipping by, notices that
you even exist. It's the words you use and how you use them to describe your site
and its content that get you the customers.
This is where it becomes so important to use search engine optimization to your
advantage. If you can come up with that all-important list of best keywords to
describe your site, and if you can incorporate those words into the content of your
site, then you stand far greater chances of directing that Internet traffic to you
instead of your competitors. Remember, if you don't get the customers, they will.
It doesn't cost you anything to show up on a search engine's results. But it can cost
you everything if you don't show up on a search. The amount of revenue you have
planned for your company is going to depend on how well you can utilize this feature
of Internet Marketing. If you can't get the customers to notice you, you may as well
throw those revenue goals in the fireplace.
The traffic on the Internet is much pickier than the traffic on the roadways. It is
focused traffic, looking for a specific want or need. They will search, find, and buy.
Who they buy from is of little importance to them, but to you, it is everything. So
when you think about why it's important to effectively use search engine
optimization, just remember that everyone on the Internet is really a traveler
through your town, and if you don't have that sign they'll notice, they're going to
pass you by.
have to concern yourself with visibility. If the customer doesn't know you're there,
how can you expect him or her to ever visit your business? In the physical world,
stores and other businesses have many ways of getting noticed. Radio, television,
newspaper, and mailing ads are all ways that they get noticed.
But what about the person traveling through the town where you do business?
Chances are that the traveler will not have received any of these advertisements.
What else can you do to bring in these potential customers? And the answer is your
signs. The signs you place are a clear beacon to the customer of where you are. You
see it all the time, driving down the highway. And the bigger the sign, the better it
catches your attention.
It really works quite the same way with search engine optimization. You need to be
noticed. The best way for you to get noticed is to have, figuratively speaking, the
biggest and the best sign. That's how traffic on the Internet, zipping by, notices that
you even exist. It's the words you use and how you use them to describe your site
and its content that get you the customers.
This is where it becomes so important to use search engine optimization to your
advantage. If you can come up with that all-important list of best keywords to
describe your site, and if you can incorporate those words into the content of your
site, then you stand far greater chances of directing that Internet traffic to you
instead of your competitors. Remember, if you don't get the customers, they will.
It doesn't cost you anything to show up on a search engine's results. But it can cost
you everything if you don't show up on a search. The amount of revenue you have
planned for your company is going to depend on how well you can utilize this feature
of Internet Marketing. If you can't get the customers to notice you, you may as well
throw those revenue goals in the fireplace.
The traffic on the Internet is much pickier than the traffic on the roadways. It is
focused traffic, looking for a specific want or need. They will search, find, and buy.
Who they buy from is of little importance to them, but to you, it is everything. So
when you think about why it's important to effectively use search engine
optimization, just remember that everyone on the Internet is really a traveler
through your town, and if you don't have that sign they'll notice, they're going to
pass you by.
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Have you ever been in a crowd of people all waiting for some famous movie-star or
musician to arrive at an event? What did you notice about the behavior of the fans?
Or how about the many times you've seen a crowd of reporters circling around some
newsworthy figure? What did you notice?
Chances are that in either of those scenarios you saw a massive crowd of people all
fighting to get to the front where they could be seen and heard. There is a lot of
pushing and shoving and yelling and all of that. It's chaos, and many people would
just as soon avoid such a situation. It's all about competition. The few who get to the
front of the crowd are the only ones who stand a chance to have their voices heard.
It is these few who will have the opportunity to reap the rewards of their effort.
So now you're asking yourself: "Just what does all this have to do with Search
Engine Optimization (SEO)?" And the answer is a simple one: competition. That's
what it's all about. Competition in any field is the struggle not only for survival but
also for dominance. Very few people want to 'just get by'. Most are willing to do what
it takes not only to succeed, but to be the best at what they do. It's this very idea
that brought about the concept of SEO in the first place.
Search Engine Optimization is really a technical science more than anything. It is the
process of collecting information on your market and your competitors in an effort to
fine tune your site's headlines and content so that you achieve more hits on every
search a web-surfer conducts. Each time they search, they will use keywords that
help them find what they are looking for. It is up to you to make sure that your site
has the best, and the most, of these popular search terms. With them, you jump to
the front of the line and get the results. Without these words, you fall into the
background and are never noticed.
The way it works, basically, is by search engines tapping all the sites with the most
accurate and abundant search terms relevant to a search. When you use the right
terms to describe the content of your site, you achieve a higher ranking with that
search engine. The search engines update these rankings weekly, giving you many
opportunities to score a higher rank. The trouble is, whereas you have a chance to
move up, so does your competition. And the competition will always be looking for a
way to beat you. So be sure to keep on top of the game. Modify your site as needed
so you can keep your rankings higher and stay ahead of the competition
musician to arrive at an event? What did you notice about the behavior of the fans?
Or how about the many times you've seen a crowd of reporters circling around some
newsworthy figure? What did you notice?
Chances are that in either of those scenarios you saw a massive crowd of people all
fighting to get to the front where they could be seen and heard. There is a lot of
pushing and shoving and yelling and all of that. It's chaos, and many people would
just as soon avoid such a situation. It's all about competition. The few who get to the
front of the crowd are the only ones who stand a chance to have their voices heard.
It is these few who will have the opportunity to reap the rewards of their effort.
So now you're asking yourself: "Just what does all this have to do with Search
Engine Optimization (SEO)?" And the answer is a simple one: competition. That's
what it's all about. Competition in any field is the struggle not only for survival but
also for dominance. Very few people want to 'just get by'. Most are willing to do what
it takes not only to succeed, but to be the best at what they do. It's this very idea
that brought about the concept of SEO in the first place.
Search Engine Optimization is really a technical science more than anything. It is the
process of collecting information on your market and your competitors in an effort to
fine tune your site's headlines and content so that you achieve more hits on every
search a web-surfer conducts. Each time they search, they will use keywords that
help them find what they are looking for. It is up to you to make sure that your site
has the best, and the most, of these popular search terms. With them, you jump to
the front of the line and get the results. Without these words, you fall into the
background and are never noticed.
The way it works, basically, is by search engines tapping all the sites with the most
accurate and abundant search terms relevant to a search. When you use the right
terms to describe the content of your site, you achieve a higher ranking with that
search engine. The search engines update these rankings weekly, giving you many
opportunities to score a higher rank. The trouble is, whereas you have a chance to
move up, so does your competition. And the competition will always be looking for a
way to beat you. So be sure to keep on top of the game. Modify your site as needed
so you can keep your rankings higher and stay ahead of the competition
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