A lot has changed in the way sites are optimized for search engines since last year. For one thing, Google is not the only search engine worth looking into anymore; Yahoo has definitely managed to take away some of Google's oomph over the past twelve months. Another important change is that the intelligence of the search engine spiders and algorithms has increased dramatically. So without further ado, I will present you with a standard search engine optimizing process.
Keyword Research
Nothing can be done until you know what your target phrases are. Keyword research must be done to find out what people are actually typing into the search engines. For example, do they type in "medical insurance" or "health insurance" more often? Is it worth targeting the keyword "dental insurance"? What do your competitors think its clients type?
Keyword research usually begins by asking the client what they think are good keywords and by looking at your competitor's Meta tags and text. You then have to brainstorm to find new and related keywords that were not previously thought of. The use of Wordtracker, Overture, and Google AdWords' estimates is indispensable. If you use the "KEI" offered at Wordtracker, don't fall into the trap of giving it too much worth. It is a good tool to help discover keywords that have not been exploited by the competition, but the really important number is the amount of traffic each keyword generates. Finally, create a chart to determine the relationship between keywords used. For example, there is no point promoting dental insurance if your site does not offer it.
Texts
The next step is to write the text. Hire a specialized writer to put the text together. Ideally someone who has been trained in Internet writing, Internet marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO), or get advice from professional SEOs, marketing experts, and usability experts. Work with the client to get a feel for what is needed for the site. Then use all these skill to put together the delicate balance needed between selling to people, selling to search engines, and making the text interesting/useful to read.
Domain Selection
Once the text is written, come up with a catchy domain name for the site. Try to include part of the keyword in the domain, and to think ahead so that the domain can be expanded into the title. Our site www.gloriousbahamas.com is a good example of a domain with a keyword in it that is catchy and clearly stated. The keyword for that site is "Bahamas real estate", so having part of the keyword in the domain will help in the long run.
Title and Meta Tags
From the domain name, you can then create a title with the full main keyword in it (such as Glorious Bahamas Real Estate). The title is the most important text on the site. The Meta tags include the description tag, and the keyword tag. The description is what the searchers will see in many search engine results, so it must have the keywords in it and, more importantly, it must sell the site. Write a description that is objective, not subjective. Zeal has some good advice for titles and especially description writing at www.gloriousbahamas.com. The keyword tag is done just in case some engines still use it (though very few still do), so don't pull your hair out over it. Just list 10-15 keyphrases and try not to repeat any single word more than three times.
New Content
Now we come to the meat of today's search engine optimization. So far, we have not discussed anything new or original. It is the same strategies that have been used since I first got into the business of SEO in 1998. Today, with smarter engines, a site needs to be something that is cared about. A site has to grow, develop, and expand as if it were someone's baby. Gone are the days when you could build a site, get good listings, and then forget about it as it brought in the traffic and the dough. Take care of your site by adding useful content to it on a regular basis, and then the site will gradually grow from a few pages to dozens of pages. Not only will this make the site seem more alive - radiating with the healthy glow of a developing child - but it has the added benefit of increasing the amount of content the site contains, and thus increasing the amount of keywords found within it. For example with www.gloriousbahamas.com we add pages with more details about dental coverage or pages with details about government coverage for each province. Every month there are new pages, so that every time the spider comes back to visit, it spends more time at the site reading new content. This is one half of the key to getting good listings in the search engine results pages (SERP).
Link Campaigns
The second half of the key is getting good sites to link to your site. Going after web sites with related content, sites with good authority in your web site's field, and sites that are "popular" are the priority. Getting only reciprocal links is not the goal, getting the aforementioned sites to link to you because you have good, valuable content is the goal. Sites that do reciprocal linking usually have hundreds of links on their link pages and these will add very little value to your site. Don't waste your time with reciprocal linking. Only link to a site if doing so will increase the value of your site in the eyes of your clients.
A link campaign is a lot of work, and it involves a lot of frustration and rejection. You have to approach bigger sites and sell the value that linking to your site will bring them. For every 20 sites you approach, you will be lucky to get one to link to you. You have to be persistent, consistent, and determined.
Conclusions
Optimizing a site is no longer something you can do and then forget about. For a site to succeed in the search engines today, it has to constantly be changing and growing either in content or in links, and ideally in both. It has to appear that the site is the life and soul of its creator, and that somebody cares enough about it to pay attention to it. Because after all, if the creator doesn't care, why should the search engines?
About The Author
Shawn Campbell is an enthusiastic player in the ecommerce marketplace, and co-founded Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc. (www.gloriousbahamas.com). He has been researching and developing marketing strategies to achieve more prominent listings in search engine results since 1998. Shawn is one of the earliest pioneers in the search engine optimization field. Contact: www.gloriousbahamas.com
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare"How do I improve web site sales figures?" The CEO... Read More
Most people know they need a website in order to... Read More
Yahoo has long offered email, an online calendar, notes, bookmarks,... Read More
An additional benefit of website accessibility is an improved performance... Read More
Absolutely everything stems from the purpose of your website -... Read More
Failure, just like success, is measured differently by each and... Read More
Dynamically Update Your Web Pages Via E-MailIf you can Send... Read More
1. Splash pagesMost of the time splash pages are uncalled... Read More
I am just a learner who likes to delve in... Read More
A lot has changed in the way sites are optimized... Read More
There have been many significant changes to the face of... Read More
Profiles are one of the best kept secrets around regarding... Read More
Many small businesses have the misconception that their business can... Read More
The "robots" meta tag, when used properly, will tell the... Read More
Build it and they will come is not always true;... Read More
We are clearly well past the innocent "golden age" of... Read More
80% of your Web site is Maintenance!Once your Web site... Read More
Every business needs to know how it is doing. That's... Read More
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,... Read More
"I am a writer, not a business-person. I don't want... Read More
I'm a freelance programmer and somehow I managed to get... Read More
"Build it and they will come."--Filed of Dreams (1989) If... Read More
I'm one of those people that always wanted a website,... Read More
Through the explosive growth of the Web, companies have realized... Read More
Q. Hey, Cathy: I'm just setting up a website. What... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..1. As the first step, "Hire a web designer."First create... Read More
People often come to me in a state of crisis... Read More
There are many elements that are key to successful web... Read More
This article was prompted by some customer support work I... Read More
Optimal website design is the art of logical navigation.It will... Read More
When you started reading this sentence you assumed lo acabar?a... Read More
Part of the success of most home-based businesses is their... Read More
The internet is a sea of knowledge. Getting your information... Read More
If you are looking for creating your online presence you... Read More
Many millions of dollars are being wasted on promoting and... Read More
Through the explosive growth of the Web, companies have realized... Read More
In the time that I have been using the Internet,... Read More
Many small companies choose not to invest in a professionally... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes that most online retailers make... Read More
In about the Time it takes to Watch a Reality... Read More
We are clearly well past the innocent "golden age" of... Read More
It's now easier than ever to take payments on the... Read More
With the New Year upon us yet again, it's time... Read More
There is an ongoing debate about web copy. Some say... Read More
What is the most important part of your online business?Many... Read More
"If you build it, they will come"; is an age... Read More
Your ObjectiveYour small business needs an appealing and professional website... Read More
The Internet car buyer is an elusive animal. Trying to... Read More
A simple website stats counter is not enough if you... Read More
Making maximum profit from your law firm website is important,... Read More
Web Development |