So, let’s say you have a web site that’s been around for some time and you’re getting hardly any visitors to it and you’re wondering why. Or, maybe you’ve just created a web site and you’re wondering just how you’re going to go about getting people to visit your site.
The answer is the same in both cases, and that is search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO is a set of tactics, if you will, that, when implemented correctly, can (emphasis on the word “can”, as there are no guarantees) lead to high rankings within the search engines.
So, let’s take a look at what these SEO tactics are, and get you started on the road to success online.
Winning With Search Engine Optimization
The first thing we should point out is that SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Once you’ve set all your SEO elements and values up, that’s when the hard work begins because, unless you hit the top rankings of the search engines straight out of the gate, you’ll need to constantly test and tweak to get your site moving up in the rankings of the search engines.
Here’s a brief introduction to the most important aspects of SEO:
1. Selecting Keywords
This is really where SEO begins, because, without good keywords (i.e. competitive and searchable), you have no foundation on which to build your success. So, this is quite possibly the most important aspect of SEO – master this, and the online world is at your command.
2. Content
The content of your site tells both human visitors and search engines what your site is all about and needs to be meaningful to both. Good content will differentiate your site from others and is needed to engage your visitors and lead them to take the action you desire. Fresh content keeps not only visitors coming back for more but causes the search engines to crawl your site more regularly and potentially improve its ranking.
3. Inbound Links
Having links pointing to your site from sites that are authoritative in your market boost the value of your site in the eyes if the search engines. Acquiring those quality inbound links is the difficult part, but that starts with quality content on your site, which will encourage other sites to link to yours.
4. Internal links
These are the links that point from one page of your site to another. They should be descriptive, and contain a relevant keyword, so that both humans and robots know what to expect when the page being linked to comes up.
5. Page Title
The title of your page must be relevant to the page’s content since this lets the search engines know what the topic of the page is. Also, your page title is displayed as part of your site’s entry in search engine results and so should be an attention-grabber as this is what people will see as representing your site and will be what makes them decide to click on your page or not.
6. Header tags
Use of the h1, h2 and h3 tags gives emphasis to your main keywords where the search engines are concerned, but shouldn’t be overused as it may affect the meaning of your content for your readers with h1 tags only being used for the page heading.
7. Meta tags
If nothing else, at least pay attention to the description since this is used as part of the search engine listing and can have a direct influence on click-thrus, and, as a result, your ranking.
8. URL Domain
Having a properly formatted domain is a benefit, and should complement the page’s structure.
9. Domain And Age
Your domain name should contain your site’s main topic, and, while not vital, the domain’s age is certainly a factor in search engine ranking calculations.
10. Sitemap
Submitting a sitemap to the search engines gives them a clear picture of your site and its structure and topic, and aids in the crawling and indexing process.
So Far, So Good, But…..
Hopefully, the foregoing will give you a taste of what’s involved in the SEO process. And that’s just a small part of the overall process, as there is much more that can and should be done to ensure a top search engine ranking and eventually success on the web for you and your business.
Call On The SEO Experts
At this point, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed by SEO and everything involved in the process. If you are, don’t worry – there’s expert help available in an online community called Wealthy Affiliate University. I was panic-stricken at the prospect of all the work involved in SEO, not to mention the fact I knew absolutely nothing about it. About that time, a friend recommended Wealthy Affiliate to me, so, since they were offering a free trial, I decided to take them up on it, and couldn’t believe what I found in there. There was training in SEO and every facet of it in the form of both written and video instruction; there were amazing tools such as the Keyword Tool to help me find the perfect keywords; and there was the support, where I could even call on the founders, Kyle and Carson for help. And, guess what, not only could I call on them, but they were right there, ready and willing to help.
As I said, this was a free trial, but, once I saw and experienced what was available and at such a low cost (you’d pay thousands just for the tools alone in Wealthy Affiliate), I had no hesitation in saying, “Sign me up!”.
So, why not take advantage of the free trial today and learn all you need to know about SEO. In fact, why not get started today in setting yourself up for online success by trying Wealthy Affiliate - you’ve got nothing to lose except the shot at online success and a future you could only previously have dreamed of.
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