29.3.04
23.3.04
Ten Tips to the Top of the Search Engines
by Jill Whalen ©Copyright 2004
Having a Web site that gets found in Google and the other
engines isn't hard to do, but it can be difficult to know where
to begin. Here are ten tips to get you started:
1. Start out slowly. If possible, begin with a new site that
has never been submitted to the search engines or directories.
Choose a domain name that best fits your brand, and start out by
optimizing just the home page. (Many SEOs recommend purchasing a
keyword-rich domain name; however, I've been optimizing sites
successfully since 1995 without using them.)
2. Learn basic HTML. A lot of search engine optimization
techniques involve editing the behind-the-scenes HTML code. Your
high rankings can depend on knowing which codes are necessary,
and which aren't. Minimally, you should be able to view the
source code of any page and understand what it all means, as
well as be able to slightly edit it as necessary.
3. Choose keyword phrases wisely. The phrases you think might
be perfect for your site may not be what people are actually
searching for. To find the optimal words for your site, use a
research tool such as Wordtracker (http://www.wordtracker.com).
Decide on two or three highly targeted phrases for each page of
your site. Never shoot for general keywords such as "travel" or
"vacation" as they are rarely (if ever) indicative of what your
site is really about.
4. Write at least 200-250 words of visible text copy based
on your chosen keywords. This is a crucial component to high
rankings and a successful Web site. The search engines need to
"read" keyword-rich copy on your pages so they can understand
how to classify your site. Write the copy based on your keyword
phrases, and not the other way around. Don't be afraid to use
your phrases as many times as it makes sense to do so. The
optimal number of instances will vary by search engine, the
number of words on your page, and also by how well the copy
actually reads to a person. Simply sticking keyword phrases at
the top of the page or only in headlines probably won't cut it.
(Purchase and read my "Nitty-gritty of Writing for the Search
Engines" (http://www.highrankings.com/nittyhra89a) handbook for
exact tips on how to do this.)
5. Create a killer Title tag. Title tags are critical because
they're given a lot of weight with all of the search engines.
You must put your keyword phrases into this tag and not waste
space with extra words. Do not use the Title tag to display only
your company name, or to simply say "Home Page." Think of this
tag more as a "Title Keyword Tag" and create it accordingly. It
should reflect exactly what your page is about, using the keyword
phrases people might be using at a search engine to find your
company.
6. Make sure your site is "link-worthy." Other sites linking
to yours is a critical component of a successful search engine
optimization campaign, as all of the major search engines place
a good deal of emphasis on your site's overall link popularity.
You can go out and request hundreds or thousands of links, but
if your site sucks, why would anyone want to link to it? On the
other hand, if your site is full of wonderful, useful information
-- other sites will naturally link to it without your even
asking. It's fine to trade links; just make sure you are
providing your site visitors with only the highest quality of
related sites. When you link to lousy sites, keep in mind what
this says to your site visitors as well as to the search engines.
7. Create meaty Meta tags. Meta tags have some value, but they
are not a magic bullet. Create a Meta Description tag that uses
your keywords and also describes your site. The information in
this tag often appears under your Title in the search engine
results pages, especially if the keyword phrase that was searched
upon in the engine appears in your tag. The Meta Keyword tag
isn't quite as important as the Meta Description tag. Contrary
to what many people believe, what you place in the keyword tag
will have very little (if any) bearing on what keywords your
site is actually found under, and it's not given any
consideration whatsoever by Google. Feel free to use this tag
for technical synonyms or common misspellings if you want to,
but do NOT obsess over it; it definitely won't make or break
your rankings.
8. Be careful when submitting to directories such as Yahoo, DMOZ,
JoeAnt, Gimpsy and the like. Having directory listings are a key
component to getting your site spidered and listed by Google and
the other search engines. Therefore it's important to read each
directory's FAQ and follow it precisely. Making mistakes in the
submission process could cost you dearly as directory listings
are difficult to change later in the game. Be cognizant of the
fact that you will be dealing with human editors, and always
think about how you can make their job easier when it comes to
listing your site.
9. Don't expect quick results. Getting high rankings takes time;
there's no getting around that fact (even with paid-inclusion).
Once your site is added to a search engine, its rankings may
start out low and then slowly work its way up the ladder. All
search engines measure link popularity, and it takes time to
really and truly become one of the most popular sites in your
niche. Be patient and give your site time to mature.
10. Don't constantly "tweak" your site for better results. It's
best not to make changes to your on-the-page optimization for at
least three months after you optimize it. You certainly don't
need to sit on your hands or twiddle your thumbs during this
period, however. You should constantly work on adding new stuff
to your site to make it better and better, plus you should always
be on the lookout for other sites that might be interested in
making your site available to their site visitors.
If you've followed these tips and still can't find your site in
the engines, the first place to "tweak" would be your page copy.
If you added less than 250 words of visible text on your pages,
this could be your culprit. Also, double-check your keyword
density, and make sure that you only targeted two or three
phrases per page.
Eventually, you'll see the fruits of your labor with many
top-ten rankings in Google and the rest of the search engines!
by Jill Whalen ©Copyright 2004
Having a Web site that gets found in Google and the other
engines isn't hard to do, but it can be difficult to know where
to begin. Here are ten tips to get you started:
1. Start out slowly. If possible, begin with a new site that
has never been submitted to the search engines or directories.
Choose a domain name that best fits your brand, and start out by
optimizing just the home page. (Many SEOs recommend purchasing a
keyword-rich domain name; however, I've been optimizing sites
successfully since 1995 without using them.)
2. Learn basic HTML. A lot of search engine optimization
techniques involve editing the behind-the-scenes HTML code. Your
high rankings can depend on knowing which codes are necessary,
and which aren't. Minimally, you should be able to view the
source code of any page and understand what it all means, as
well as be able to slightly edit it as necessary.
3. Choose keyword phrases wisely. The phrases you think might
be perfect for your site may not be what people are actually
searching for. To find the optimal words for your site, use a
research tool such as Wordtracker (http://www.wordtracker.com).
Decide on two or three highly targeted phrases for each page of
your site. Never shoot for general keywords such as "travel" or
"vacation" as they are rarely (if ever) indicative of what your
site is really about.
4. Write at least 200-250 words of visible text copy based
on your chosen keywords. This is a crucial component to high
rankings and a successful Web site. The search engines need to
"read" keyword-rich copy on your pages so they can understand
how to classify your site. Write the copy based on your keyword
phrases, and not the other way around. Don't be afraid to use
your phrases as many times as it makes sense to do so. The
optimal number of instances will vary by search engine, the
number of words on your page, and also by how well the copy
actually reads to a person. Simply sticking keyword phrases at
the top of the page or only in headlines probably won't cut it.
(Purchase and read my "Nitty-gritty of Writing for the Search
Engines" (http://www.highrankings.com/nittyhra89a) handbook for
exact tips on how to do this.)
5. Create a killer Title tag. Title tags are critical because
they're given a lot of weight with all of the search engines.
You must put your keyword phrases into this tag and not waste
space with extra words. Do not use the Title tag to display only
your company name, or to simply say "Home Page." Think of this
tag more as a "Title Keyword Tag" and create it accordingly. It
should reflect exactly what your page is about, using the keyword
phrases people might be using at a search engine to find your
company.
6. Make sure your site is "link-worthy." Other sites linking
to yours is a critical component of a successful search engine
optimization campaign, as all of the major search engines place
a good deal of emphasis on your site's overall link popularity.
You can go out and request hundreds or thousands of links, but
if your site sucks, why would anyone want to link to it? On the
other hand, if your site is full of wonderful, useful information
-- other sites will naturally link to it without your even
asking. It's fine to trade links; just make sure you are
providing your site visitors with only the highest quality of
related sites. When you link to lousy sites, keep in mind what
this says to your site visitors as well as to the search engines.
7. Create meaty Meta tags. Meta tags have some value, but they
are not a magic bullet. Create a Meta Description tag that uses
your keywords and also describes your site. The information in
this tag often appears under your Title in the search engine
results pages, especially if the keyword phrase that was searched
upon in the engine appears in your tag. The Meta Keyword tag
isn't quite as important as the Meta Description tag. Contrary
to what many people believe, what you place in the keyword tag
will have very little (if any) bearing on what keywords your
site is actually found under, and it's not given any
consideration whatsoever by Google. Feel free to use this tag
for technical synonyms or common misspellings if you want to,
but do NOT obsess over it; it definitely won't make or break
your rankings.
8. Be careful when submitting to directories such as Yahoo, DMOZ,
JoeAnt, Gimpsy and the like. Having directory listings are a key
component to getting your site spidered and listed by Google and
the other search engines. Therefore it's important to read each
directory's FAQ and follow it precisely. Making mistakes in the
submission process could cost you dearly as directory listings
are difficult to change later in the game. Be cognizant of the
fact that you will be dealing with human editors, and always
think about how you can make their job easier when it comes to
listing your site.
9. Don't expect quick results. Getting high rankings takes time;
there's no getting around that fact (even with paid-inclusion).
Once your site is added to a search engine, its rankings may
start out low and then slowly work its way up the ladder. All
search engines measure link popularity, and it takes time to
really and truly become one of the most popular sites in your
niche. Be patient and give your site time to mature.
10. Don't constantly "tweak" your site for better results. It's
best not to make changes to your on-the-page optimization for at
least three months after you optimize it. You certainly don't
need to sit on your hands or twiddle your thumbs during this
period, however. You should constantly work on adding new stuff
to your site to make it better and better, plus you should always
be on the lookout for other sites that might be interested in
making your site available to their site visitors.
If you've followed these tips and still can't find your site in
the engines, the first place to "tweak" would be your page copy.
If you added less than 250 words of visible text on your pages,
this could be your culprit. Also, double-check your keyword
density, and make sure that you only targeted two or three
phrases per page.
Eventually, you'll see the fruits of your labor with many
top-ten rankings in Google and the rest of the search engines!
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