The term “search engine optimization” refers to deliberately crafting parts of your website to improve its search engine performance. Because search engine rankings are key to driving traffic and sales, SEO has become a very popular service. There are those who would say that SEO is best left to the professionals. Do not listen to these people!
As you tweak your website’s search engine focus, don’t give into the thought that advertising is the great way to higher rankings. Traffic will be generated through advertising, but this does not increase your rankings properly.
You want your site to be entertaining and grab people’s attention. Not only do you want to encourage people to visit your website, you also want to encourage them to come back. Using this type of strategy will get your site the ranking you need.
Anchor Text
Make sure you select relevant keywords to use in your anchor text when posting an internal link. Do not just put “click here” because this will not do anything for SEO. Selecting the optimum keywords to use in anchor text will really get you noticed by the crawling spiders.
Use header tags on your website. Sometimes these headers can be too big, but you can use CSS to change the size. Search engines like to use headers to rank sites. The tags H1 and H2 should highlight your service or product.
Don’t use Flash on your website if you want it to be search engine friendly. Flash is not usable on some devices, and search engine robots cannot read it at all. To optimize your website for search engines, you have to have information that’s searchable by them.
The inclusion of a site map is useful in attempting to increase traffic to your website. This allows all of your pages to be linked together. Visitors will find the links on your site so it will drive traffic to your other pages.
Your website should be easy to read. To rank higher, make your site clear and functional, and include accessibility functions such as allowing fonts to be enlarged. Be sure your website is optimized for search engines and human beings.
Site Map
Consider creating a site map which includes your keywords. A site map gives your viewers an easy way to locate what they need on your website, by listing all the areas of your site. These are used by search engines to rank sites higher on their lists based on how easily accessible the content is.
Use videos along with a video sitemap for increasing your SEO. You can use videos to familiarize your visitors with your staff and with your product. After you post the video to your site, you must also employ keywords in text. After you create the video sitemap, submit it using your Google Webmaster Tools in your account of Google Webmaster Central. Then, post the videos on Metacafe, YouTube, Yahoo and various other video websites. This should glean you plenty of customers.
Use products such as adwords or adbrite. Trying to work with SEO yourself can sometimes not yield you extra traffic on your site. These advertisers specialize in increasing your hits. Using a advertising product from a top engine like Google can be a huge boon to your site.
Captions for images, articles and other content pieces are great optimization tactics. Thus, if you have lots of photos or news articles on your site, utilize keyword-rich captioning to boost traffic.
Using Javascript in the pages of your website is fine, but don’t expect all of the search engine spiders to respond to it. You can still choose to use Java. Just be aware that there are some search engines that might not find it as easily as others.
You should have a listing with Yahoo and Google to get yourself out there. Utilizing free listing services will help you increase traffic and search engine rankings. Only a fool turns down free publicity.
Keyword Stemming
You can experience an increased number of search engine hits by inputting plural forms of keywords. A number of search engines utilize keyword stemming. If you use a word such as bank, the search engine might not find the words banking or banker! Use the keyword stemming technique by choosing longer form keywords; for example, using “accounting” can also grab readers who were searching for “accountant.”
Membership in the Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau will enhance your search engine optimization and increase your credibility. This can increase your relevance with searches that are local because these organizations automatically link to your website. Additionally, potential customers will be more interested in your website based on a good Better Business Bureau rating. It will make them feel more secure about dealing with you.
Purchasing a previously used domain name can help you achieve a higher ranking. The older the age of the domain, the higher the site will likely rank on search engines. Look for domains that were dropped recently and determine if any of them is a fit for your site.
Using a strategic keyword method in the text on your site or blog can be an excellent way to boost your search engine traffic. Look to load your keywords into the beginning passages of your text without overdoing it. Try to get your keyword into the first paragraph twice. Incorporate the keyword again in the following 200 words, being certain that you maintain a smooth flow for the reader. The keywords should not stand out.
Optimize a single page for a single keyword phrase. When you try to use a lot of keywords on your page, it starts to get confusing. The better your content, the more interested your readers will be. A loyal readership transcends search engine optimization!
Even though it can be complex at times, some SEO techniques are very beginner-friendly. With the insights you have learned, jump right in to the task of SEO with effective and obtainable results. Excellent website traffic is just a hop, skip and a jump away!