SEO in a nutshell

Great SEO methods

Search Engine Optimization marketing for your website

  As an SEO manager and web designer for the past several years, there are a few tricks that I have learned along the way to help boost profits.  So many times I hear clients complain about their lack of customers coming through the door and how they can't afford a proper website.  SEO is the way to break a hole in the wall and show them the other side of business.  E-businesses generate customers from all over the globe and if done correctly will replace your traditional brick and mortar business.  I have provided a basic list of what I feel is important and what will help to provide more immediate impact in your SEO marketing plan.

1.  Your titles - Titles of pages (Title Tags) are what the search engines crave.  The first thing a web robot does is crawl your pages scouting for title tags to see what you are all about.  This is listed as an H1 or H2 tag in the secret squirrel code that makes up your site.  If this does not accurately describe the content on your page, then you are already fighting an uphill battle.

2.  Your content - If your content doesn't match the title tags, then the search engines assume that you are trying to pull a scam on them.  It's a good rule of thumb to have at least 150 words or more of content on each page that uses not only the title's words a few times but also other common keywords that are found in your businesses marketplace.

3.  Your domain -  If you are selling fishing lures then Harry'scatchem'all.org isn't going to cut it.  It's important to use relative terms such as fishing, lure, bait, tackle or the like in order to grab more customers surfing the web.  You may have a household name in Catasauqua, PA but the goal is to catch fish in a different pond if you follow me.

4.  Keywords -  This one isn't near as important as it used to be.  Keywords are the common names that people type in when looking for products in your field.  I use the google keyword tool to determine what the most popular phrases are for my clients prospective business and recommend them to you for research.  Once you have a good sense of what keywords are popular, sprinkle them in your content, titles, and domain if possible.

5.  Image tags -  This one is something special that is ignored by way to many people when preparing their site for success.  Each image on your site is also indexed by the search engines.  It's important to use strong keywords when describing your images in their title tags and alt tags.  These are commonly found in the code of each image and are easily added through the properties screen in most blogs and do-it-yourself programs.

6.  Draw attention to your keywords - Whether you bold or italicize the words in your content periodically.  I find that this makes the search engines job easier which in turn is rewarded with better ranking.

7.  Use engaging content on your site -  The longer and more frequent that people visit your site the better off you will be.  Little widget like weather monitors, interactive blogs, videos, and other useful information to your clients will make your site fare much better.

8.  Backlinks - This is a simple link to a reputable website.  For instance, if you have a Facebook, Twitter, or any other page that is popular, then make it easier for your customers to check them out.  References to companies you carry or other connections to your business help to boost your popularity among the search engines.

9.  Last but not least.  Be honest.  Don't just stuff a bunch of keywords throughout your pages without making much sense.  Not only can this penalize you severely in the eyes of the search engine gods, but it will confuse all of the customers you have fought so hard to bring to your site in the first place.