If you have been working on the internet for quite a while and still feel unclear about Search Engine Optimization (there ya go, that’s what SEO is!) this is a must read for you. This article will explore SEO, how you can use it appropriately, and what you must do to ensure you don’t get penalized.
(Before I dive right in, Goole Conquest Authority is a training program that will go over SEO in full detail, but for now, you can start off here.)
As I said above, SEO stands for search engine optimization. The hardest question new internet marketers ask is what is a search engine? I know this is extremely basic, but this is where you must start. Once you learn the absolute basics, when you start to explore more on the topic of SEO, you will have a comprehensive understanding of exactly what it is.
Search engines are the websites you go to when you are trying to find something on the internet. For example, Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask, etc. These are all search engines. When you are looking for an answer online, you go to a search engine, type in the keywords you are searching for, and presto! The search engine “searches” the internet for you and brings up a page of all the sites online that are relevant to your query.
You know what a search engine is and you know what SEO is. Now let me explain to you how you can optimize your site for it.
The most important thing you should do before any optimization, is you must determine your desired targeted keywords for your site. To be more specific, finding the terms you want your site to rank for with the search engines. An example of this would be:
Let’s say you have a website loaded with fixing computers. People who are trying to find information about repairing their computers might search for these phrases: how can I get my computer fixed, why does my computer have a blue screen, or my computer is broken. These keywords would all be considered long tail keywords, and those are what you would want to target, because they are actual terms that people search the search engines for.
Be aware when picking your keywords or key phrases, they are actual terms that get searched for, if not, you won’t get any traffic to your site. (Another tip is to be sure you pick keywords that don’t have too many websites targeting them. You might not still get visitors if there is too many sites competing.) I highly recommend using a keyword research tool to help you find some excellent ones. You can use Google’s free keyword tool, or Wordtracker’s free tool if money is short. They are great starter tools, and they do the job just fine. after you start making some money, I really do recommend you get a paid tool because they are so much more effective, and you can really find some good keywords you would never have thought of.
Here you can read more about finding good keywords here.
Okay, so now that you have your keywords chosen, the next step is to make sure your site is optimized for your keywords. How is this done? It’s pretty simple really.
The most important rule of thumb is always make the title of your page or post (if it’s a blog) isthe exact key phrase or word you are targeting. This is known as your title tag. Title tags have a very big influence on the search engines when they visit your site, so whatever you title your page, the search engines will consider it a keyword and you want to rank for it. This holds true for your domain name as well. Your page/post title and your website title (domain name) are extremely large factors in the SEO world.
aAfter you have purchased your domain (known as the URL), and you have chosen your targeted key phrases or words, the next phase is to add content to your website or blog. Write an article that is at least 400-500 words, and don’t forget to include your targeted keywords or phrases at least 2-3 times in the body. Be careful not to go overboard with this, or you can get penalized. Be sure the keyword density is not over 7% (amount of keywords vs. actual words on page). Staying below 6-7% is much better. If you go over this recommended safety net, the search engines may see you as “keyword stuffing”. Keyword stuffing means using your keywords over and over again, and your site will pay for it if you do that, I promise.
The longer the page and content, the better chance you will have of being able to get all your keywords in and not make it look like you are keyword stuffing. In other words, keep your posts and pages long, and you can put all your keywords in. Search engines smile upon long text articles and unique content.
Do not fret about getting every keyword phrase in your article multiple times, because the search engines are smart, and if you have a quality site, Google will rank you for keywords you never even thought to rank for. The biggest goal is making sure your main phrase in 2-3 times, and the others at least one time.
That’s SEO in a very brief overview. Learn as much as you can about the matter, because it really will benefit you in the end. Learning SEO takes some patience, but you will be a pro in no time.
Tags: free traffic, learn seo, search engine optimization, search engines, SEO