Copyright
© Milena Sotirova
Search
engine optimization is the process of increasing the
amount of visitors to a website by achieving a high ranking in the
search results of a search engine (i.e. Yahoo, Google, etc.). The
higher a website ranks in a search, the better the chance that a
website will be visited. Most Internet users will not click through
multiple pages of search results, so a high ranking in a search is
necessary to direct more traffic to your website. While
a top listing is not guaranteed, there are a number of
small steps that you can take to improve your chances of gaining a top
ranking. We recommend the following 5 basic steps to produce a more
desirable search engine listing:
1.
Content Writing/Keywords
We?ve found that content targeting seems to be the
most
successful strategy. Search engines are beginning to use algorithms
that identify the main themes of entire websites instead of just single
pages. In order to create a main theme for search engine optimization,
you must identify a focused group of keywords that exist on and are
relevant to the content on most pages of your website.
In practical terms, if you?re writing an article,
service
description or sales copy for your website, focus on creating
informative and interesting content, but factor in keyword phrases that
are more likely to give you a better ranking with the search engines. Key
word selection can be a rather complex process as there
are many different factors that come into play when search engines
decide the ranking of your webpage and how well your keywords rank. You
may wish to spend some time educating yourself about this process. A
good rule of thumb is to choose 2 to 3 word phrases from content that
appears throughout your website that you expect to have the greatest
appeal to the visitors you want to attract. We suggest that you consult
with other colleagues as your create your list. 2.
META Tags
Meta tags are special HTML tags that provide
information about a
webpage, such as who created the page, how often it is updated, what
the page is about, and which keywords represent the page's content.
Many search engines use this information when building their indices. Meta
tags should contain your basic content terms. We
recommend that you do not use too many words (less than 25) and that
you do not repeat keywords as this could cause the search engines to
overlook your website. You can use Overture Term Suggestion Tool http://www.content.overture.com/d/USm/adcenter/tools/index.jhtml
to find the highest rated keywords.
We also offer a simple free Online Tool http://www.promotionworld.com/tools/meta.html
to create your own meta tags. Once you?ve created your meta tags, you
can use this Meta Tag Analyzer http://submitexpress.com/analyzer/to
see how search engine robots analyze your web site. This data will help
you to determine if your web content or meta tags need any changes.
Please keep in mind that search engines avoid sites with multiple
unrelated meta tags. 3. URL
Submission
Once your website is complete, its time to submit
your site to
the search engines. We strongly recommend using Promotion World?s free
search engine submission tool. It?s a terrific service that allows you
to submit 10 URLs at a time and to receive accurate and descriptive
results on the submissions. As you review the results, it?s likely that
you will find some failed submissions. For the failed submissions,
Promotion World provides information on how to submit your site
manually. 4.
Site Ranking
Search engine optimization doesn?t end with
submitting your
website to search engines. You still need to determine the popularity
of your site and make any necessary changes. In order to check how your
site is ranked, go to Alexa.com. If your site ranking is between 1 and
100,000, it has a solid ranking. If you are ranked over 100,000 or
you?re just not happy with your site ranking, a popular way to increase
your ranking is to trade links to your site with other sites. This
typically works because external links are the main criteria for
Google?s ranking and Google is being used by such powerhouses as Yahoo,
AOL, Infoseek, etc. 5. Website
Promotion
Your search engine optimization endeavors should
always be
reinforced by other forms of promotion and marketing. One way to do
this is to use a newsletter to deliver useful and informative content
that will drive visitors to your website. Other methods of promotion
include online advertising, print advertising, a special promotion
(i.e. chance to win a digital camera), surveys, and word-of-mouth
promotion through friends and family. Website
promotion is a crucial part of eBusiness. Success in
sales is a numbers game and without serious web traffic you will not
have the numbers you need to prosper.
About
The Author
Milena Sotirova is the Editor of DevStart http://www.devstart.com/.
To find more articles, tips and tutorials that will help you to find
the best hosting and to promote your site, visit HostReview.com http://www.hostreview.com/
and PromotionWorld.com http://www.promotionworld.com/.
Discover the secrets for your guaranteed traffic increase. Send to the
author your feedback at msotirova@devstart.com.
editor@devstart.com
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