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| Once your content is indexed, you need to work on getting it ranked high in the search engines. To improve search engine rankings you need to optimize the content on your site as well as the overall site itself. This is referred to as “on-page SEO.” You also need to learn how to get backlinks to your content. This is referred to as “off-page SEO.” Let’s take a look at each one. |
| Improve Search
Engine Rankings with On-Page
SEO On-page SEO focuses strictly on the content on your website and the website itself. These are things you can control directly since it’s your website. Optimize Your Meta Tags (title and description) Use meta tags such as your meta title, description, and keywords on every page of your site. Your keyword optimized meta data does play a direct role in higher search engine rankings, it helps the search engines better categorize your site, and your title and description tags will be what is displayed in the Google results. You may also be able to (if you know what you're doing) use compelling language to attract more clicks from potential customers that may otherwise click the link above, or below you instead of you. Keyword Optimization Optimize your content for the keywords you are trying to rank well for. It seems every SEO “guru” has a different opinion on the keyword density you should use. I personally don’t follow any keyword density rules. |
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Register SEO-Friendly URL’s If you don't already have a URL, you should create an SEO friendly URL to get higher search engine rankings. Your URL should describe your content instead of using random and meaningless characters, or your company name, or any attempt to be catchy, or clever. Many people make the mistake of thinking about "branding" their company name, when in fact they are just jeopardizing the chances that anyone who doesn't already know them will be able to find them. Here's an idea, Build two slightly deferent but optimized sites, use the company name site for you business cards and print material to build brad recognition, and use a keyword rich domain name for SEO. SEO Optimize Your Images You should strive to include an image on every page and then use the HTML tag to describe the image. Use your keyword for the title of the image and the alt tag. And here's trick I've been using since 97 and it's never let me down... furthermore I rarely see any other SEO Companies, or Web Design taking advantage of this simple, and extremely effective trick. Here is Name your graphics with your keywords. Your logo image does not need to be named logo, and if you name it with your keywords, you've just bumped your keyword relevance up a few notches and your Google Rank will improve as a result. Link To Keyword Optimized Pages Within Your Site Using Anchor Text When you link to other pages on your website, link to them from the body of your copy... specifically, link to the pages about X from the places in your copy that use the word X, instead of using the typical, “click here” hyperlinks. This is very powerful, in fact you will many example of anchor text on this page directing traffic to my Google Traffic Jackpot website. Incoming Linking ONLY! If you link to other websites, DON"T!!!! Google ranks site based on Authority using a number system. When other website link to you, YOU are the Authority in Google's eyes. However, if you then return that one link, it's a wash, and the more links you have going "out", the less of an authority you become. If you have more going out, then coming in, your get a negative score. Never swap links, it's a complete waste for both parties involved in the exchange. You might also be surprised to learn that having incoming links from sites that do not share your "theme", meaning they do not use the same, or similar theme related keywords as you do, is not going to help your Authority with Google, even if they are all and only incoming links. If you sell Xs, Google wants to see that other sites that talk about Xs are linking to you, making YOU the Authority on Xs. This page send links out to my Google Traffic Jackpot site, making Google Traffic Jackpot the Authority in all that is discussed on this page. |
Off-page SEO are those things you don’t necessarily have direct control over. These are all the other things you do OUTSIDE of your website. It’s primarily about getting backlinks – that is, getting links to your website from other websites.
There are a number of things you can do to get backlinks. To get the Do's and Don't about which of the below I suggest are worth while, and which are a complete waste of time and energy (and may even hurt you rank) visiting the page where I discuss incoming links and backlinks in detail.
Article marketing - Waste of Time (why I say that about Article Marketing in detail, here)
Video marketing - Great if done correctly. More on Video Marketing here
Forum posting - Waste of Time (why I say that about Forum Posting in detail, here)
Blog commenting - Waste of Time (why I say that about Blog Commenting in detail, here)
Guest blogging - Waste of Time (why I say that about Guest Blogging in detail, here)
Directory submissions - Great if done correctly. More on Directory Submissions here)
Link wheels - Waste of Time (why I say that about Link Wheels in detail, here)
Link networks - Waste of Time (why I say that about Link Networks in detail, here)
Social networking (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace) - Great if done correctly. More on Social Marketing here
Web 2.0 (Squidoo, HubPages) - Waste of Time (why I say that about Web 2.0 Marketing in detail, here)
Testimonials - Great if done correctly. More on Testimonials and Reviews here)
Affiliate programs - Waste of Time (why I say that about Affiliate Programs and What Google says about them, in detail, here)
Buying “backlink” packets - Great if, and only if they are related to your "theme"
I’ve only highlighted in the list above, the primary methods most SEO companies will try to sell you on to get traffic and backlinks to your website, even though some of them will cost you lots of money, or effort, or both with ZERO results. I have a Top Secret way I achieve good quality and Authoritative incoming links to my client's website. I share that with only my private clients.
Improve Search Engine Rankings: Final Words
The key to higher search engine rankings is to improve your on-page and off-page SEO efforts. If you can master both aspects of SEO, you will have tremendous success in your online business efforts. Your websites will dominate the search engine rankings and you’ll have all the free traffic you could ever want.
| Jake Steingart -
Feel free to email me with questions jake@jakesteingart.com |