| Search Engine Optimisation, otherwise known as SEO, | | | | have fresh, unique, and quality content that is updated |
| has quickly become a popular topic of conversation | | | | on a regular basis. Be sure to include your favourite |
| amongst website owners and entrepreneurs. The | | | | keyword phrase within the body of the content! |
| difference between having a successful website, and | | | | 9. People are more likely to input a phrase instead of a |
| hosting a flop, is often the difference between | | | | single word when conducting internet searches. If your |
| whether or not you’ve incorporated proper | | | | business has a physical location, incorporate the name |
| keywords and phrases into your webpages. | | | | of your city into the text as well. For example, you |
| Learning proper SEO techniques can seem like a | | | | might use "our Philadelphia location" instead of "our |
| daunting task, especially to those who are not familiar | | | | location". Including your city name will increase the |
| with the concept. The following list offers 18 simple | | | | chances of your site being seen in location searches. |
| SEO techniques you should keep in mind when | | | | 10. If the information on your company website |
| developing and marketing your website. | | | | doesn’t change regularly, or remains static, you |
| 1. Make sure your website is initially designed with your | | | | might want to consider starting a blog. Search engine |
| search engine optimisation needs in mind. Search | | | | spiders are always looking for fresh content. Use your |
| engines look for text, not flashy graphics and cool | | | | blog as an advertising tool and link back to your |
| layouts. The trendiest web designs will mean nothing if | | | | website within each and every post. |
| no one is able to find your site. | | | | 11. Write naturally. The worst thing you can do is try to |
| 2. Every page of your website has a title tag with text | | | | cram a zillion keywords into your article or blog entry, |
| describing either your site or what is on the page. Be | | | | making it messy and difficult to read. Search engines |
| sure the text includes SEO-type keywords instead of | | | | are able to determine whether or not your text is |
| the name of your website. Unless you’re | | | | logical and they will ignore content with ridiculously high |
| incredibly popular, no one is going to be looking for you | | | | keyword density. |
| by searching for your name. They’ll most likely | | | | 12. Building links to your website is essential to its |
| search for a product or service and the keywords | | | | success. As a matter of fact, links are like the queen |
| you use will lead them to your site. | | | | to complement your king’s fresh content. |
| 3. Consider canonicalization, or whether or not your | | | | Choose a keyword phrase and network with other |
| website address includes or excludes the www prefix. | | | | websites, asking them to place links on their pages. |
| If you choose to use the www version of your | | | | Don’t hurt your ranking by having non-related |
| website, make sure the non-www version directs | | | | websites place haphazard links. While it may seem |
| users back to the one you use. Make sure you use | | | | great to gather 100s of backlinks, you’re better |
| your preferred version ( or every time you place a link | | | | off limiting your links to related websites. Ten relevant |
| to your site on the web. Never use both! | | | | links stand a better chance than 100 irrelevant links. |
| 4. When designing your website, be sure to avoid too | | | | 13. Links within your own website should be built with |
| many drop-down menus, confusing image maps, and | | | | keyword phrases as well. Try to avoid using generic |
| excessive images. If you must use any of these | | | | anchor text such as, "click here". |
| methods, be sure to include plenty of text links for the | | | | 14. Don’t place a list of links on your website. |
| search engine spiders to find and identify. Without links, | | | | Always place a link within at least two to three lines of |
| the search engines will not pick up your site information. | | | | related content. The better your description, the more |
| 5. It does not matter what type of website extension | | | | likely it is someone will click on the link. |
| you use (ie. .html, .htm. .asp, .php). Search engines do | | | | 15. Don’t limit your keyword or phrase to text |
| not look at the web extension and it will not have any | | | | links. You should also incorporate your keywords into |
| impact at all on search results or ranking. | | | | your image alt tag and domain name, whether it is part |
| 6. Every page on your website should include a link to | | | | of the name itself or contained within the description. |
| your home page and your sitemap. Make sure every | | | | 16. Try to avoid using frames, Ajax, and Flash as much |
| link is the same. Home page inks should go directly to | | | | as possible. None of these functions are keyword or |
| your domain ( Make sure your internal links do not | | | | search engine friendly and will hurt your SEO results. |
| include the additional /index.html or .php text as it is not | | | | 17. Before your website can be found by the search |
| needed (ie. | | | | engine spiders, it must be indexed. Search engines |
| 7. Are you sharing a server with other websites? If so, | | | | such as Google have regular submission forms but it |
| you’ll want to conduct a black-list check to | | | | can take days or weeks for your form to be |
| make sure you are not sharing a proxy with someone | | | | processed. Having a highly ranked website place a link |
| who has been banned by search engines in the past. | | | | to your site is a sure-fire way to have your site |
| Being on the same server as a website with a poor | | | | indexed quickly. |
| reputation may damage your own. | | | | 18. No matter what you hear, don't be overly |
| 8. You'll hear the same phrase over and over again: | | | | concerned with the Google PageRank of your |
| "Content is king". It is imperative that your website | | | | website. |