TEN TIPS TO THE TOP OF THE SEARCH ENGINES

Having a website that gets found in Google and the other engines isn’t hard to do, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here are ten tips to get you started.

1. Start out slowly. If possible, begin with a new site that has never been submitted to the search engines or directories. Choose a domain name that best fits your brand, and start out by optimizing just the home page.

2. Learn basic HTML. A lot of search engine optimization techniques involve editing the behind the scenes HTML code. At the very least you should be able to view the source code of any page and understand what it all means, and be able to slightly edit it as necessary

3. Choose keyword phrases wisely. To find the optimal words for your site, use a research tool such as Wordtracker. Decide on two or three highly targeted phrases for each page of your site.

4. Write approximately 200- 250 words of visible text copy based on your chosen keywords. The search engines need to “read” keyword-rich copy on your pages so they can understand how to classify your site. Write the copy based on your keyword phrases and not the other way around.

5. Create a killer Title tag. Title tags are critical because they are given a lot of weight with all of the search engines. Think of your tag more as a “Title Keyword Tag” and create it accordingly. It should reflect exactly what your page is about , using the keyword phrases people might he using at a search engine to find your company.

6. Make sure your site is “link-worthy”. Other sites linking to yours is a critical component of a successful search engine optimization campaign, as all of the major searchers place a good deal of emphasis on your site’s overall link popularity.

7. Create meaty Meta tags. Create a Meta Description tag that uses your keywords and also describes your site. The information in this tag often appears under your Title in the search engine results page, especially if the keyword phrase that was searched upon in the engine appears in your tag.

8. Be careful when submitting to directories such as Yahoo, DMOZ, JoeAnt, Gimpsy and the like. Having directory listings are a key component to getting your site spidered and listed by Google and the other search engines. There it’s important to read each directory’s FAQ and follow it precisely.

9. Don’t expect quick results. All search engines measure link popularity and it takes time to really and truly become one of the most popular sites in your niche. Be patient and give your site time to mature.

10. Don’t constantly “tweak” your site for better results. Its best not to make changes to your on-the-page optimization for at least three months after you optimize it.

If you’ve followed these tips and still can’t find your site in the engines, the first place to “tweak” would be your page copy. If you added less than 250 words of visible text on your pages, this could be your culprit .Also, double check your keyword density, and make sure that you only targeted two or three phrases per page. Eventually, you’ll see the fruits of your labour with many top-ten rankings in Google and the rest of the search engines