search engine rankings
Introduction to Search Engine Optimisation
Many people equate Search Engine Optimisation (SEO for short) with trying to achieve number one spot in Google or Yahoo. Although this is a core objective there is a lot more to SEO than this. To start off you need to target something to be Number one in !
Take me for instance - I make a few meagre pennies helping firms climb up the Search Engine Rankings - so what word or phrase would help me get customers ?
How about something like "Improve My Search Engine Rankings" ? Type that into Google and my home page should come near the top. That phrase is one of many that people type into search engines looking for help with SEO - so it brings me customers.
Your business will have other phrases that your customers will use. If you're going to promote your web site high up those Google Search results you're going to need a plan - try and follow these phases - honestly they will help.
First Phase - Research and Reconnaisance
It is way too easy to skip this phase and dash head first in to promoting your site and boosting it's search engine rankings (believe me I've done it many times). But it is essential that you first identify your target market, the goals of your site and also have a look at your competition. This will save you lots of time and keep your activities focussed. It should also lead you to the keywords that you will use for phase 2. Remember key phrases and multiple words are more likely to bring you customers and are usually easier to rank highly for.
Second Phase - Operation - Improve Search Engine Rankings
You've identified your keywords, established some goals and spied on your competitors to pinch ideas. Now it's time to promote your own site. Improving your rankings can be split into two main activities - on and off-site optimisation. On site is the most straight forward - it involves designing the content with your keywords in mind - making those keywords prominent (in titles, headings etc) and relevant to the content of the page. Don't overuse the keywords in your pages - content should make sense and be directed at your readers (not the search engines).
Third Phase -Promote your site
Off Site Optimisation is harder work - it mainly involves generating inbound links. Ideally these should be from relevant and linked sources with the keyword as anchor text but any link has value as it builds up your presence on the Web.
There are good and bad ways of doing this - here's some simple methods that will help you obtain some of those precious links.
Email - email webmasters and simply ask (ok you'll often be ignored but be polite and you never know).
Publishing Articles - write relevant articles for article directories such as Ezines, Amazines and loads of others. You'll be allowed to include a link back to your site (using your keyword as anchor text). These are high quality links which help your search engine rankings and generate traffic themselves.
Blogs - writing a blog which is linked to your site is a great way to promote your site. Keep the blog on-theme and interesting. Search engines love blogs !
This is work in progress - Search Engine Rankings
Any comments or questions are welcome - see below - my name is Neil.