Do It Yourself, Optimizing a Website: Part 1
In today's market there are so many misconceptions when it comes to the right, and even wrong ways to optimize a website. Given that there is no concrete formula set out by Google, or any of the other major search engine providers to go by, some might even ask -- well how can one go wrong? That is an excellent question, but one that will be covered in-depth at a later date. However a couple of the key points made in this article will highlight some of the major stumbling blocks that many people today encounter when trying to properly optimize their website. Although the task of earning a first page ranking on any of the search engines can seem daunting, if you follow these 10 proven SEO boosters, your website and its ranking will be sure to respond!
- Choosing a Keyword Phrase - K.I.S.: Keep it short!
- Keyword Description: Ever wondered what to write?
- Browser Title: A Keyword Phrase Opportunity
- Meta Keywords (a.k.a. KEYWORDS): The Abridged Truth
I. Choosing a Keyword Phrase - K.I.S.: Keep it short!
Most of the time it is better to use shorter keyword phrases, so that your webpage has a greater likelihood of falling within search result trends. With a bit of research you might be amazed to find that almost 60% of keyword searches are 2 to 3 keywords long. Don't fret if you need to use a longer keyword phrase -- just focus on using one keyword phrase for that entire page.
*Points 9 & 10 will help clarify the number of keyword phrases to put per page, as well as how to determine what words should actually be in a keyword phrase.
II. Keyword Description: Ever Wondered What to Write?
Ever wondered what that little blurb below the link to your website is about on search engine results? Well it is your keyword description, and although often overlooked, it is a useful and easy-to-implement SEO-booster. Without having a statement in your keyword description, major search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo! will automatically create one for their search results pages; a crawler will parse through the content of your website and determine (usually incorrectly) what to write for the description if it is lacking.
What should you do about this?
Simple! At the very least add on the Global Optimization level a keyword description that suits your website's purpose. I recommend adding in Single Page keyword descriptions to custom pages, and/or any pages that you feel are of greater importance. In the world of search engine optimization every bit counts, and it is a matter of constant small compounding factors that will eventually help you achieve a highly ranked website.
III. Browser Title: A Keyword Phrase Opportunity
It is important to incorporate your keyword phrase within the browser title at the Single Page Optimization level. This will help identify to search engine crawlers what the central topic of your page is about. Write one line about the page's purpose and try to incorporate your keyword phrase.
IV. Meta Keywords (a.k.a. KEYWORDS): The Abridged Truth
In my experience common practice has been that roughly 90% of the effort one puts into their website is into thinking of, and adding in different meta keywords. Common meta keywords like Toronto Real Estate, Real Estate Agent Toronto, Condo for sale Toronto, etc. might seem like a good starting point for SEO, but in reality they aren't.
Years ago when search engines were less sophisticated, they relied heavily on keywords to index web pages. However in time as with every technology the artificial intelligence of search engines has improved dramatically, to the point now that instead of being forced to associate a web page primarily based on a loose set of meta keywords, the focus is now on the actual content contained within the web pages. It is better to invest your time and mental efforts into thinking of one or two cohesive keyword phrases that you build an entire web page around, instead of relying on outdated methods such as inputting meta keywords which yield little to no added benefit.
Authored By: Bryan Coughlin, Client Relations