Smart internet marketing
should include lots of different marketing methods but it should
start with good search engine optimization strategies.
What are the best SEO
strategies?
First of all, keep in
mind that search engine optimization is a process. You won't achieve
it overnight. Search engine algorithms are all different and can be
quite complex comprising many different elements.
While it's not feasible to
delve into the bowels of search engine algorithms, there are two
basic optimization factors that play key roles in optimizing your
site. They are typically referred to as on-page optimization and
off-page optimization
On-page optimization refers to
the elements of your web page that you can optimize yourself.
Off-page optimization refers to the elements of linking and how your
link partner sites link to you.
Let's discuss each of
them
On-page optimization
(website strategies):
- Each page of your site should
have its own descriptive title tag, description tag and keywords.
The keywords tag is seldom used nowadays, however each page should
be optimized for a maximum of 3 per page, preferably one keyword per
page.
- Be sure your title tag
contains your best keyword or keyword phrase.
- Use header tags (h1,
h2...) in the body of your page text.
Search engines look for
structure and organization. Using header tags indicates good outline
form.
- Bold your keyword or
keyword phrase once. It's also a good idea to italicize and
underline them once as well.
- Use keyword alt tags
to describe an image used on your page. Since search engines don't
index images, alt tags allow the search engines to recognize all
your content. Be sure not to stuff them with lots of useless
information. Use your best keyword or keyword phrase and keep it
short.
- Include quality, informative
content on each page and keep your content fresh and
updated.
- Pepper each page of
your site with your keywords Use your keywords in the first
paragraph, the last paragraph and sprinkle them in between. Keep
your keyword saturation at about 1-2%.
- Cross link each of your
site pages by placing a navigation bar on each page. Be sure the
title of each page contains what the page is about.
For example,
if a page is about "jewelry beads," the page name should be
"jewery-beads.html" or "jewelry_beads.html" and all the links to
that page should be named 'jewelry beads' and set up as:
<a
href="jewelry-beads.html">jewelry beads</a>
or
<a
href="jewelry_beads.html">jewelry beads</a>
- Create a site map.
Site maps act like a table of contents. Site maps can help search
engines find, crawl and index all the pages in a website ensuring
that no page is left behind.
Off page optimization
(linking strategies):
Linking plays a large part in the optimization of your site
so don't just link to any site. You should adopt a methodology in
obtaining useful, quality links. Here's a few tips:
- Keep the majority of your
links to sites that have a similar theme as your site. Be sure
the site complements your site. It should be one that you would use
and recommend.
- Links should be slow
and gradual. A sudden burst of links could indicate spam to a search
engine.
- The higher the page
rank of the page your link is on, the better. This doesn't mean
you shouldn't link to pages with a low page rank, however the higher
the
page rank the better it is for you.
- The title of the page your
link is on should be something other than 'links.html'. If
possible try to ensure it has some relevance in meaning to your
site.
- When exchanging links,
be sure to submit your best keyword in the anchor text.
Good
Luck!
