SEO – Search Engine Optimization Tips
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is largely hyped and mystified to include a lot of jargon and false promises that mislead people into spending money on services that don’t really do too much. What are the real facts about SEO that web designers need to be aware of, and what are the steps that should be taken to build page rank? The majority of internet users browse for information by going to one of the three main search engines: Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Results are compiled based upon search engine algorithms that factor a number of variables simultaneously. Most important of these variables are:
- Keywords – where they appear on the site page
- Page Rank – how many incoming links to a page & the rank of the referencing domain
If 99% of SEO revolves around these two issues, what needs to be done to optimize a site? Most important is to make sure the keywords are actually on the page. If the keywords that your users type to search for information aren’t actually present on the page you want them to find, there isn’t much to be done. Domain level keywords are the best, which is why top domain names have become so coveted and costly. URL level keywords, especially those that relate to page titles, are also very important. Often overlooked but vital to SEO are the meta-tag keywords. Without overloading them to become spam, these should be carefully edited to reflect the content uniquely on every page. A lot has been written about how much better websites with individual meta-tag descriptions for every page fare in the SERPs compared to domains using a single set of keywords for the whole site. It can make a big difference as to how your site is spidered and ranked, and which pages return for a query. So make sure to edit the meta-tags and descriptions for each page individually for best results.
Keyword analysis should be done by making a list of the top 25 to 50 keyword phrases you expect users to input when searching for your information, and then analyzing your site pages. You can use SEO software to chart your site’s placement for the keywords in comparison to other competitors. But make sure to go in and re-write the page titles and site text to include the keywords throughout the pages, making it natural and seamless with the site’s content. Place the keywords in the meta-tags and create a unique site description for each main section and you are 50% done with SEO for a site.
The other main task is building incoming links from related sites across the web. The search engines are formatted to view every link to your site as a “vote” for its popularity. If top level domains link to your site, it boosts your page rank. If spam sites link to your site, it can reduce your page rank. This is what is known as the bad neighbor effect. Strangely, directory submissions are often touted as a really important way to build the volume of incoming links. But a lot of these sub-level directories are spam magnets and send out loads of spam to you after you register with them. In my experience, I have never found a link to my site from one of these sub-level directories appearing in the search results after they have been listed. However, links from free blog sites, social networking portals, and social bookmarking listings perform really well. These sites have high page rank themselves, are frequently updated, and should be the main focus of your link building campaigns,
When doing SEO for a website, our link building campaigns typically run in the following stages:
- Building Links through Industry Related / Community Sites
- Building Links through Directory Submissions
- Building Links through Free Classified Sites
- Building Links through Press Release & Article Posting
- Building Links through Free Blog Sites
- Building Links through Social Bookmarking Sites
- Building Links through Social Networking Sites
Industry submissions are important for building organic traffic from your base community, as they target users who are interested in the same content or themes directly. Directory submissions, free classified sites, press releases, and articles build link volume, and can be posted to many bulletin boards, forums, or portals. Free blogs, social bookmarking, and social networking sites are most effective for building page rank, because the domains themselves are top level, and the dynamic content they display is frequently spidered by the search engines. We create html templates in association with our web promotions teams to include deep links to site sections with multimedia graphics, Flash animations, and brand logos that act as an online flyer. These templates can be used as social networking site profile page or as blog posts that bring organic back to the main domain.
Though there are a lot of methods and jargon involved with SEO, optimizing your site’s content and meta-tags for keywords and conducting a link building campaign are the two most important aspects which when correctly done will help your site rank better in the search engine results pages.
Make sure to also read 101 quick links for SEO campaigns.
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