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Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing
Use this strategy to help you get on the first page of Google
SEO 101. Not Just A Buzzword, A Way To Bring In Business Online
Search engine optimization has been the buzzword for the past couple of years for businesses that strive online. But what is SEO and what can it do for your website? All of the web gurus out there may think you already understand how it all works so they jump around using terms that are confusing and sometimes frustrating. Read on to find out what it’s all about, what it can do for you and how to do it.
So, what is Search engine optimization or SEO?
SEO is a method of building and maintaining your website to show up higher in search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.). Using the methods below can increase the potential for your website to show up higher in the search engines and possibly on the first page of Google, Yahoo! And Bing.
Got it right? Good. So next one is, Why SEO?
It’s amazing how often we look up things on the Internet without the thought of how we used to do it. Here’s an example. If you want to go out to a nice Italian meal in a nearby neighborhood – you don’t go to the phonebook, you go to the Internet and search for “Italian Resteraunt 32210” (that’s right, you even spelled it wrong). It doesn’t matter because some Italian restaurant owner has used SEO to get your business and the search engine was kind enough to ask if you really wanted to spell it wrong. The owner of said restaurant did what they could to get on the first page of Google (or Bing or Yahoo! or even Ask). When you reach the top 9 on the first page of Google, your chances of being noticed goes up literally thousands of percent or higher than being on the 2nd or 3rd page – that means that the website that is floating out there is getting you nothing because nobody sees it. We can get you there, just take it slow and follow these steps. Ready?
Step 1. Keywords
The question is easy. What does your website offer? Proper SEO starts with the keyword process. Think about the product or service that is your bread and butter for the website and begin there. And, if you want to be really sneaky, go on to a competitors website who is on the first page of Google and look at their keywords. This is a regular practice in Internet marketing. Go to the website, click on view and look under source code – sites with good SEO will have all of their keywords available. Within there, you will find this text: <meta content=. Those keywords seem to work for their website and they’ll probably work for you. Next, visit Google Adwords, sign up and go to the keywords tool. Take 9 minutes of your time and visit a good Google Adwords tutorial. Once you have a list of about 10 – 15 keywords, take a break. You’re on your way to true Internet marketing!
Step 2. Tags
A tag tells the search engine what your website means. That means that when Google or Bing is looking for the answer to your query, it runs around and finds keywords that match what you typed in. So yeah, tags – great huh? Where to begin? It really isn’t difficult. Take the keywords you decided on from step 1 and either ask your web designer to put them in the tags or take a quick tutorial on tags and do it yourself. Outside of just using keywords for your tags, you should pay attention to your title tag. The title tag explains what your website is to the user.
The tag needs to have keywords all in it and helps the user find out what you do and tells your search engine who you are – double win. Another great way to get tags is to properly name the pictures on your website. Instead of 0001.jpg for a picture name, name it one of your keywords. Rotate the keywords with different pictures and watch your ranking go up (see timeframe for a realistic goal). So that’s tags. I find that when I just don’t get it, I research it a little more. Here are some great references on tagging websites and what it all means.
Step 3. Content
You’ll hear it over and over, “content is king,” and it is the truth. When scripting your content, try and use your chosen keywords as many times as you can to try and attract people to your website and to show the search engines that you are a valid source to give information. I like to use one to two per 100 words. Focus on your keywords but also link from your article to other sites that discuss the same thing. A good example is this article. I have linked to Youtube, Wikipedia and Google Adwords so far to help explain my point and give you solid resources – you like that and so do search engines. Don’t over do it by linking to websites that are not important to your article because search engines will notice that and it will actually harm your SEO. So let’s sum this paragraph up: Keywords = 1-2 per 100 words and links to supporting sites (about 1 every 100 words or so).
Step 4. Backlinking
This is my personal favorite because backlinking has several functions. Backlinking is putting your link on other websites to help with your rank on search engines. I would suggest about 150 – 180 links back to your website. This article I am writing has 2 links to our site On Ideas – pretty cool huh? There are many different ways to get links to your website. Here are the most common and easiest:
- Submit your website to directories
- Send press releases with links to your site on them
- Join forums and help educate the public with your message (be ethical on this one)
- Write blog posts like this one and submit it to blogs that would be interested in your message
Try to slowly build your links on legitimate and free sites at first but think about putting your information on paid sites like Merchant Circle or go all the way and sign up for Yahoo! Directory (pricey but well worth it).
Step 5. Timeline
SEO is a slow process that deserves attention and patience. Once your website is launched and you have gathered great keywords, scripted keyword rich content and harvested good backlinks, it may take up to 6 months before you see major results – but you will. In the meantime, build a pay per click (PPC) campaign and run ads to try and get people to your website. Learn more about PPC advertising through this tutorial.
Your Silver Bullet Checklist
Gather your keywords
Create keyword rich content
Link back to relevant websites
Build a PPC campaign
Tell all your friends how you got on the first page of Google
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