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Search Engine Optimization Quick Guide

by Chris Bennett of 97th Floor

Search engine optimization is becoming essential for nearly any business in any industry. Having your companies web site at the top of Google or Yahoo can make an unbelievable difference to your companies bottom line. Google gets millions of new searches per day, and as consumers are becoming more advanced and experienced with finding information on the Internet it is important that you leverage your companies website to show up in the top positions.

I will layout some basic optimization strategies that virtually anyone with a basic understanding of web sites can implement. There are two main areas of focus in SEO when making changes to your web site. The first is called On Page Optimization and the Second is Called Off Page Optimization.

On Page Optimization:
This is all of the areas dealing with you sites actual pages and what changes you can make to your site to be more friendly to the search engines. Google and Yahoo look at many different aspects when indexing your site that can effect your rankings. They often look to the code of your site to see if you have included anything to tell them what your site is about. This would be through the sites Title and Meta Tags. There are three main tags in your code that the search engines look to in order to better understand and categorize your site. The first is the Title Tag. The code for a title tag looks like this, <TITLE>Title Goes here</TITLE> this refers to the main topic of the page. Each page of your site should have it's own title that is relevant to the topic and the text of the page. The same goes for the Description Tag and the Keywords tag. They look like this, <meta name="description" content=insert description here"> and <meta name="keywords" content=insert keywords here">. The description tag should be a brief written description about the contents of the page limited to about 20 words at most. The description tag should also be individualized for every page related to the specific content of that page. Keywords Tag should have no more than 30 words in it I recommend keeping it shorter and this should just list the main keyword phrases separated by a comma. If I was selling Travel Packages and I was constructing my Tags for two pages of my site, the first being the homepage and then a sub page that sells travel packages in Hawaii specifically my tags might look like this, Homepage: <Title>Travel Packages Throughout the World</Title> My description tag would read <meta name="description" content=Travel and vacation packages offered in the U.S. and throughout the world."> and my keywords tag would read <meta name="keyword" content=travel packages, vacation, U.S., world">. Hawaii page would say words like Hawaii Travel and Hawaii Vacations instead of the general non geographical phrases used on my homepage.

For more tips concerning on page optimization read a previous article I wrote published by another web site called, "Search Engine Optimization Basics"

Off Page Optimization: This is the art of marketing your site on other sites and throughout other places on the web. Google and Yahoo have become very interested in what other sites on the web are saying about you. The more references or Links that you have pointing to your site from other sites the higher your rankings will be. This still has a strict rule of relevance just as the on page factors, if a site selling computers is linking to a informational site about kittens that probably isn't going to help the kitten site rank better. However is a site that is conducting computer reviews links to a site selling computers that can help the computer selling site rank better in the search engines. Some site owners try to game this portion of Googles algorithm by trading link also known as reciprocal linking. This is where 100's of sites will exchange links with each other with the whole purpose of gaining better rankings in the search engines not because they are truly recommending the other site. This type of link building comes back to relevance and there is no reason for a barcode RFID site to link to a site offering information or products about fishing. If you are going to trade links do it lightly and do it with sites that will compliment yours and that could bring visitors or sales regardless of the ranking increase. More information on Link Building at the same "Search Engine Optimization Basics"

Tips anyone can implement to receive more traffic and leads to their site.

Local Search:

Google, Yahoo and MSN all have Local Search programs these are for businesses to register their local offices in their respected area, so that searchers who perform localized searches can find them. For an example if you type in San Diego Plumber you will see a list of Plumbers with Phone Numbers at the top of Googles Searches. All three of the engines provide this service for free. The days of the Yellow Pages are long gone, even if someone is searching for Pizza they will go to Google before the yellow pages. Also as more people buy cell phones with Google Search on them they will be accessing Localized Search results as well.

*If you business is geographically restricted it is an absolute must you sign up. Google Local Yahoo Local MSN Local

Social Media: If you right articles for your web site or run a blog for your business make sure you are actively engaged in Social Media. Social Media is user-driven content displayed on a web site. Digg.com and Netscape.com have some of the most popular user-driven sites. Members of these sites submit articles, videos, news, any new information to share with all other users. The more popular the article the higher it ranks, eventually if the article is popular enough it will reach the homepage which is usually followed by thousands of new visitors a day as well as thousands of links from other sites referring to the article. As in any member managed product the more you contribute the more you gain, you don't want to sign up and just submit your articles or blog posts and nothing else. Submit anything and everything that is news worthy that isn't already in the sites database and share it with everyone. You can grab some code off of both these sites and put it on your blog or articles pages that will help others submit your articles for you. As you contribute more you will gain a bigger friend list and those friends will often submit articles for you as well.

Digg.com

Netscape.com

Other Seo Related Articles and Resources:

Google Ranks Web Pages not Web Sites

SEO Starter Guide

Digital Point Forums

Web Master World

Search Engine Roundtable

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