| TIP ONE: THE IMPORTANCE OF KEYWORDSThis | | | | buy from me'), since most of your customers will |
| is the good news. The bad news is that the process is | | | | probably come from your locale).At this point, you |
| slow, and it can take months (and months and months) | | | | should have a list of keywords. If you have a very |
| of dedicated effort to achieve decent rankings (one | | | | short one, or are having trouble thinking of some, you |
| reason you don't want to abandon those paid | | | | can gain access to professional software at minimal |
| campaigns while optimizing your site). But it is well | | | | cost. Just start a Google adwords campaign, or a |
| worth the time and effort in the long run, since it | | | | CPC campaign on Overture. Each of these sites have |
| addresses the one issue that is foremost when | | | | "keyword suggestion" tools that will give you several |
| marketing your product and services online: people use | | | | keywords based on your product or service, and will |
| search engines such as Google and MSN to do their | | | | include the relative popularity of each one.TIP THREE: |
| looking. And search engine listings that are highly | | | | PLACE KEYWORDS CAREFULLYOnce you have |
| ranked consistently outperform 'paid listings'.So how do | | | | your keywords, you'll want to use them in the right |
| you get your site listed and ranked highly? Does it take | | | | places. The goal is to help search engines find your |
| dedicating your life fulltime to this effort, or specialized | | | | site for those phrases, so you will want to place them |
| knowledge? The answer is "yes" and "no". It can help | | | | in spots the engines look closely at. These include the |
| tremendously to hire the assistance of a firm that | | | | page Title, inside the meta tags, inside the heading tag, |
| specializes in SEO (and, in fact, this is highly | | | | in the domain name (more about this in a later lesson), |
| recommended). They can give you professional | | | | and the keyword tags.You will also want to sprinkle |
| guidance in this arena, and steer you away from | | | | them liberally throughout the content (text) of your site, |
| common mistakes.But for those with a limited budget | | | | with special consideration for the top of your page and |
| (which is most of us, nowadays, it seems) it's also | | | | its first paragraphs. This is especially important on your |
| possible to do your own site optimization, and work on | | | | home (index page), which is the one that most search |
| a long-term campaign to help your site rise. It isn't easy | | | | engines will cache when spidering through. And please, |
| (unlike those ads and books online that promise | | | | have some real content on your page, and not just a |
| overnight success with no effort), but by rolling up your | | | | list of keywords, or your site could go down in its |
| shirtsleeves and diving in, you can learn a tremendous | | | | rankings. Search engines do rank according to content |
| amount, and help your site get found when people | | | | relevancy, and the site that says "Our dealership |
| type in your products into a search engine.TIP TWO: | | | | provides quality used Chevrolet cars, reconditioned to |
| SELECT YOUR KEYWORDS CAREFULLYSearch | | | | meet our customer's needs," (with at least 100 words |
| engine keywords are what lead people (as in potential | | | | of good, relevant content) will always rank higher than |
| customers) who type in phrases in their favorite | | | | the site that says, "cars, cars, cars, buy quality used |
| search engine to your site. When they go onto Google, | | | | Chevrolet cars, quality used cars are here". In addition, |
| Excite, or other search engines and directories, and are | | | | you won't drive away customers offended by poor |
| looking for a specific item, keywords are the ones that | | | | quality writing and obvious over-usage of marketing |
| they type in during their search.To market effectively | | | | phrases.But you do want to maintain a certain ratio of |
| to them, you will need to think like them (this is the | | | | keyword density in your text; a keyword density of 5 |
| basis of all excellent marketing). You will want to | | | | to 7% is usually recommended. If you don't feel |
| determine:What phrases people type in when looking | | | | comfortable writing copy using keywords, a |
| for your product, service, or content during their online | | | | professional copywriter who specializes in online writing |
| searches (including the most commonmisspellings, by | | | | can help you.THREE COMMON MISTAKES TO |
| the way). Not sure? Try looking at your web stats for | | | | AVOIDMistake 1: One common error that many |
| your site. You should see an extremely valuable area | | | | people make is to forget to place ALT tags for their |
| called "search strings", with a list of words underneath | | | | graphics. You may have a beautiful logo or graphic on |
| it.These search strings are the phrases that actually | | | | your web site, but if you don't have an alt tag, the |
| brought people to your web site. Which ones were the | | | | search engines can't "read it". Be sure to place |
| most popular? You'll want to note these. But you'll | | | | keywords there, and to label graphics with names that |
| want to add more.Sit down for a minute, and think of | | | | reflect keywords.Mistake 2: Always have text on your |
| every possible phrase people might use for searching | | | | site. When creating your site, search engines depend |
| for your product. At this point, don't edit yourself, just let | | | | upon text to decide what your site is about. The more |
| the words flow and write them down. If you sell used | | | | relevant the text, the better. The spiders and bots can't |
| Chevrolets in Alexandria, VA, you might come up with | | | | "read" graphics as mentioned above. Don't just make |
| "used cars, used Chevrolets, vintage cars, | | | | the text for the site one big graphic, as some firms do. |
| reconditioned cars, Chevrolet dealers, Alexandria VA | | | | The search engines will skip over the graphic, and |
| car dealers, Alexandria VA used cars", as just a | | | | assume you have no content at all.Mistake 3: Finally, |
| start.By now, you should have a list. Go through it | | | | please don't spam (by trying to 'hide' your keywords |
| again, and decide which ones seem the most focused | | | | by using a font the same color as the background, or |
| for your product or service. You want search engine | | | | repeating keyword phrases over and over in the title |
| keywords that will bring targeted customers to your | | | | and meta tags). Search engines are now excellent at |
| site, who are interested in doing business with you, and | | | | finding those who try to break the rules (and their |
| the right keywords can help accomplish this. Be | | | | technology for doing so is getting more sophisticated all |
| specific and relevant in your choices. Then, alphabetize | | | | the time), and will drop spammers from their indexes |
| your list, since some search engines and directories list | | | | like a hot potato. So play by the rules, and when in |
| pages alphabetically; so use your best phrases in | | | | doubt, ask an ethical SEO firm for advice, or visit one |
| alphabetical order whenever possible for better | | | | of the many excellent forums online (such as Jill |
| optimization.Next, analyze which keyword phrases are | | | | Whalen's High Rankings Search Engine Forums).Your |
| realistic for obtaining high rankings. While you may sell | | | | site will rise more quickly, and enjoy higher rankings, if |
| used autos, and want to get top rankings for that term, | | | | you follow these tips and their advice. And your traffic |
| 'used autos' is an extremely popular and general | | | | will increase, at no cost to you!P Lim is the editor of |
| phrase, and odds are, difficult to get good rankings for. | | | | which provides valuable tips and advice on web |
| But if you sell used Chevrolets in Alexandria, Virginia, | | | | promotion and internet marketing from linking strategies |
| then it's realistic to hope for high rankings for search | | | | to search engine industry news, internet marketing |
| engine phrases for 'Alexandria used Chevrolets'. You'll | | | | articles and more. |
| also get a more targeted audience (think 'more likely to | | | | |