How To Search Engine Optimize Your Website

Is your business launching a new Internet site? Have you fallen off the Google map? Perhaps, you are in the backwoods of blacklisting, having followed an ill-advised SEO strategy. Whatever your challenge, these practical tips will set you on the proper SEO track.

Planning, Patience, Process

You are here, so the planning has already begun. Realize that it is going to take some time. You won't be sitting atop the SERPS (search engine results pages) tomorrow. A single strategy, a single action is not going to do it. However, if you start today, have patience, and embrace a deliberate process, profits will show.

Content Brings Contentment

Having concise, pithy, accurate, and extended website content will put you ahead of your competitors. Too many continue to fail the content test. Remember, there is nothing like a contented visitor, whether that be a spider or a user. Moreover, while Search Engine Optimization can open the door, you still have to follow through with the goods-meaning good content!

SEO Keywords For Life

Keywords should be part of your DNA. Build and maintain a list of SEO keywords and use them in your content (especially at the top of the page), headings, page titles, file names, links, and meta-tags. But don't stop there. Use them in emails, forums, blogs, and off-line communications too! Keep abreast of changes in your industry. Listen to the words used by clients, peers, and competitors. Freshen up your list when new words arise and old ones fade. Finally, while keyword-rich content is good, use common sense. Don't make the user feel like they are reading the ingredients on a cereal box.

Theme And Variation

Be on theme and stay on theme. If you sell lollipops, explore every possible aspect of lollipops (e.g., history, colours, different names for lollipops, etc.). Spiders dance to themes. Therefore, your content should be on theme, you should link to similarly themed sites (inbound and outbound links), the indexing for your site (the architecture) should hum the theme, and if possible, develop content (e.g., articles, reviews, press releases, quirky facts, etc.) that is on theme and can be posted on other sites with links.

Navigation Structure: Your Backbone

Have a clean, logical, and consistent structure for each page and the entire site. Place content up front and make sure that the programming (HTML, ASP, etc.), graphics, and other applications, like Flash, are not getting in the way of the content. While content can and should evolve, keep the basic architecture in place. Also, if you have content far removed from the home page, deep link it to the home page. Similarly, use meta-tags, but don't count on them, as they have been devalued because of past abuse.

Keep It Fresh

Maintain up-to-date content. Fresh content attracts spiders. If your basic
products or services have not changed, think of new variations on your proven theme. Don't go overboard. Track how these changes effect your SERP placement and make further changes (even reversal) when required. You'll find the right balance between stability and freshness.

Building Links, Building Reputations

Building links is like building a reputation: you are known by the company you keep. If spiders find links to and from respectable sites, you'll get a boost on Google, MSN, etc. So, the more links the better (within reason) and inbound links (or back links) are the most important because they show that someone else values your site. Foster reciprocal links with reputable sites that share your theme, but not identical service offerings. Make sure to use text links with top keywords. Depending on your business model, paid services, like pay-per-click (PPC), may be an option, but it would be best to consult a professional. Also, be aware that users generally trust 'natural' SERP listings more than paid links.

Getting Help: SEO Professionals

Your webmaster should be a SEO specialist with a firm grasp of the fundamentals. However, establishing your strategy, conducting market/industry research, building keyword lists, and setting up tracking procedures like Google Analytics Reports may require a dedicated SEO consultant. In such cases, make sure that you are provided with the SEO plan and strategies upfront (they should roughly correspond with what is listed here), and, at project 'end,' the necessary knowledge must be transferred to your webmaster and relevant marketing staff, so that SEO can continue.

SEO: The Darkside

Be cautious, but not afraid. Certain Search Engine Optimization practices can be tagged as unethical or in bad taste. You don't want to be similarly tagged, by clients, or blacklisted, by search engines. Stay away from schemes that promise instant results or sound 'spammy'. This includes doorways, cloaking, keyword stuffing, blog spamming, link farming, mirror sites, etc.

Diligence: Maintain SEO

Remember, Search Engine Optimization is a process. Keep watch and make adjustments when required. Track the SERPS using your keywords. Checkout your competitors and see how their placement and keywords are changing. Follow your web logs, where you can track crawling from search engines (e.g., Googlebot, MSNbot, etc.). Maintain your progress.

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