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Search Engine Optimization – The Basics Explained

As the internet grows exponentially each day, it becomes harder to gain recognition as a small business owner. Having to compete with large corporations that possess seemingly infinite advertising funds is a difficult task to say the least. In fact, it would be literally impossible without a thorough knowledge in search engine optimization. Search engines are responsible for more than 80 percent of the traffic distributed on the internet. If your site does not rank highly in the search engines, then there is simply no way you can become a formidable presence in your niche. There are many secrets to be learned before you can master the art of search engine optimization, however learning the basics will give you the head start needed to compete with experts in the field.

Quality Content

When web surfers search for a phrase in a search engine, they are looking for an answer. The website that best solves this question, according to the search engine, will appear at the top of the search results. A search engine judges the usefulness of a website based on numerous factors. One of the ways search engines judge your site’s usefulness is the amount of time each visitor spends on each page. If your visitors only spend 30 seconds at your site before leaving, then the search engines will view your website’s content as relatively useless. Another way search engine’s judge the usefulness of your site is by calculating the number of links containing your website’s URL that exist on the internet. These links are called backlinks. The more backlinks in existence, the more useful your site appears to be. In order to boost your site’s search engine ranking, you’ll need to provide engaging content updated on a regular basis.

Keyword Optimization

Simply having useful content is not enough. You want your content to be based on keywords that will attract attention for your niche. Try to remember that you are targeting search engine queries, so you’ll want to include key phrases within the content of your website. Before you begin writing or buying content for your site, you’ll want to do some keyword research. Find out what the most popular current search phrases are in your niche. You’ll also want to choose a keyword that is not over-saturated with competition. You can find out all of this information by using keyword research tools provided by Google. You can even find out what the hottest keywords of the day are by using Google Hot Trends. Once you have decided upon your keyword, it is important to use the proper keyword density. Search engines frown upon spam content that is littered with over-used keywords. You want your content to have a keyword density of about 1-3%.  Make sure you place the keyword in the beginning, middle and end of each article on your website. It is also important to include keywords in the design of your website, within title tags, meta tags, and even anchor text.

Getting Indexed

Once you have created your website and filled it with useful content, you’ll need to get the attention of the search engine crawlers. To do this you can submit your sitemap to Google and a few other popular search engines. You can also submit your site to a few popular online directories and social bookmarking sites. As your popularity increases the search engine crawlers will begin to notice your site, and eventually your site will be fully indexed. It is best to have a site that is heavy in basic text, as search engine crawlers index this kind of information more efficiently.

Simple Tips for Effective Search Engine Optimization

Obtaining a high search engine ranking is on the top of most webmasters’ priority list, however this task can be a daunting one, especially without the proper education. Proper search engine optimization requires much more than simple keyword density and good content. The following tips will help you obtain a high search engine ranking, and more importantly, keep it.

Visitors Before Crawlers

Most people become so engrossed with trying to please the search engine crawlers that they forget their primary focus is to build a large visitor base. Many webmasters do not realize that one of the factors search engines consider is viewer satisfaction. Every time a visitor accesses your site through a search engine, the search engine records how long each visitor stays at your site. If the visitors stay for a longer period of time, then your site is viewed as being more useful and therefore the rank rises. The best way to build a reputable site is to provide useful and engaging content, and to update the site daily with new information. Another way to promote a healthy visitor base is by providing simple site navigation.

Use Keywords Liberally

Keywords are probably the single most influential factor of search engine optimization. A single properly placed keyword can cause your sit ranking to boost by hundreds of page ranks.  However, using keywords does not mean simply using them in the content. In order for keywords to be used most effectively, you’ll want to use them within the actual design of your website. A good example would be using keywords in meta tags and title tags, or on the title of the main web page. Make sure each page on your site has a title that is relevant to the keyword you are targeting for that page.

Quality Content Over Quantity

Good content is what will ultimately will keep your visitors returning. However having a site full of useless content is not going to do you any good. Although search engines index your site based on the content you provide, it is important to note that the content has to be worded properly, and grammatical errors are taken in to context when the search engines index your site. A good way to make your site rank high is by keeping your readers engaged for longer periods of time by using what is called “sticky content.” Sticky content is content that engages the reader for long periods of time. If your site is littered with erroneous articles that are simply not interesting, it doesn’t matter how many articles you have, the users are not going to be interested in them. Focusing too much on keyword density can cause your content to appear “spammish”, which will be detrimental to both your search engine ranking and your visitor base.

Link Exchanging and Backlinks

One of the ways the search engines judge the popularity of your website is via backlinks. Backlinks are links on other websites that contain the URL of one of your site’s web pages. The more sites that have your link featured, the more popular your site appears to be. Backlinks are an excellent way to boost search engine ranking quickly. The best way to get a large number of backlinks is by link exchanging. Contact other webmasters by using the “contact us” section of their site, and let them know that you will feature their link on your site if they will do the same for you. It is important to get quality backlinks however, by having your link featured on sites that are authoritative in your niche.

Leveraging the Press Release as an SEO Tool

A large number of webmasters and site promoters neglect to implement press releases into their SEO campaigns.  This is primarily because most associate them with some sort of news related publishing piece.  While that holds true from a traditional aspect, press releases are quiet effective in print media and the world of online marketing as well.  If you have not considered using them to promote your website, this article will give you all the reason to leverage the old press release for SEO purposes.

Generating Traffic with Press Releases

Press releases are not limited to introducing a new product or service.  However, link popularity and all the most popular keywords on the web will not aid your efforts if traffic is not coming to your site.  With a good press release, you can reel in traffic from the following sources:

Direct Traffic – In the ideal environment, your published press release will be syndicated across a network of related sites.  If you are able to snag readers with an intriguing headline, people will check out the piece and follow up by paying your site a visit.

Subscribers - By signing up with a reputable press release service, you can have your publication submitted to leading news wire sites like, EIN News, Google News, Topix and several more.  These sites maintain an existing database of subscribers so when publishing a press release, they will be able to view your piece in their news readers.  If they like what you have to say, they will visit your site to find out what else you have to offer.  This is certainly an avenue you want to consider because these sites combine to offer the potential of millions of visitors every month.

Search Engines – The most valuable traffic source that can be obtained is generated directly from the search engines.  This could turn out to be a long term source because your press release will remain online for as long as your site is up and running.  Should the traffic from the news wire sites start to diminish, you can always rely on the search engines for that consistent stream needed to keep up your exposure.

Organic Search Engine Rankings - Since publishing a press release is merely another aspect of SEO, your search engine rankings will naturally improve, thus resulting in more organic traffic.  When following this up with quality backlinks, you can boost your traffic numbers considerably very fast.

Tips for Press Release Writing

If you want to write a press release to improve your SEO efforts, keep the following tips in mind:

- Right your press release in the third person.

- Compose an intriguing headline to entice readers.

- Emphasis facts and benefits; avoid fluff.

- Make sure your press release is not too short or too long.  500 or so words should do the trick.

- Remember to insert your primary keywords into the press release.  Do not go overboard with keywords as you want your piece to flow as naturally as possible.

How Search Engine-Friendly is Your Domain Name?

A search engine-friendly domain name can put you on a path to achieve the rankings and traffic you need to be successful online.  It can aid in helping target your audience, increase conversions and open the door to multiple streams of revenue.  If these benefits are desirable to you, the following tips should come in handy when going to the registrar to acquire the name.

Think SEO and User-friendly Domain - In order to be considered search engine-friendly, your domain name must be preferably short and easy to remember.  This way, users can recall it much faster and the probability of generating quality traffic becomes much greater.  In most cases, a long, complicated name will only work against you and hinder your success.

Focus on Keywords - Keywords add to the success of a domain name because they play such a critical role in the SEO process.  When implementing keywords into your URL, search engines like Google will index it faster, thus increasing the possibility of higher click-through rates and most importantly, more exposure.

Be Cautious of Hyphens - Many SEO experts speak strongly against inserting hyphens in a domain name.  This is because they can lead to complications such as users forgetting where the hyphen is to be positioned within the domain.  Because there could be many similar websites that contain domain names without hyphens, you want to be very careful that you do not direct visitors to your competition.

Optimize for Type-in Traffic – Some internet users have a habit of typing keywords directly into their browser bar instead of a search box.  To leverage this type of traffic, you may want to register a domain that contains your targeted domain in its entirety to increase your traffic through this prevalent market.

Choose a Fitting TLD – There are many top level domain to choose from, but you will likely have more success from SEO standpoint by choosing a .com.

Establish Inbound Links – Inbound links are another part of the SEO process. You certainly want to establish quality links that include your domain.  If your site is devoid of such links, the search engines will conclude that it lacks relative content.  Keep in mind that poor links will negatively effective your optimization efforts.  For this reason, you want to avoid link farms and questionable practices employed by questionable SEO firms.

Choose a Good Domain Name Registrar – The key to obtaining an search engine-friendly domain name is to register the name with a respectable registrar.  There are many registrars on the market but not all can be relied upon.  We recommend sticking with known and trusted brands like GoDaddy and Yahoo or opting for one with your web hosting provider.

Registering a search engine-friendly domain will not guarantee you increased traffic or visibility.  Even SEO itself calls for you to promote your site in traditional ways and most importantly, make sure it contains quality content web surfers will be interested in.   Once you come to realize this, we are confident that these tips will go a long way in helping you achieve the visibility and success you desire online.

Outsourcing Articles for SEO

njoying success online is great but promoting your website is never the easiest thing to do.  We have all heard that SEO works wonder but not everyone is willing to put in the time intensive labor.  One of the best ways to optimize your site for the search engines is quality articles related to your market or topic.  If you do not have the writers in-house who can produce the content, you should strongly consider outsourcing.

Content is King

More webmasters have come to discover that articles are an excellent way to obtain the relative one-way links and linkable content a website needs to generate search engine traffic.  The internet has opened up many doors for the freelance market.  What this means is that you can contract out some work at around $20 per 400 to 500 word article and possibly less when purchasing them in bulk.  If your site is bringing in steady revenue, this could be a rewarding trade off.

The greatest advantage of outsourcing articles is that you have the luxury to order content as it is required.  There is no need to worry about employing additional staff or equipment.  Simply hire a professional freelance writer and they handle the content while you focus on other important aspects.  In many cases, freelancers are represented by firms, providing you with access to even more resources and varying levels of expertise.

What Should You Pay?

When it comes to outsourcing articles, you will find that prices vary greatly, and so do the qualifications.  The truth is that many freelance writers will take on a tremendous amount of work all at once.  While this allows them to maximum their earnings it also impacts turn-around time, meaning your assignment could get put on the back burner.  Realizing this, it is a good rule of thumb to anticipate a short turn-round time at a higher price and longer turn-around at a lower price.  Try to play your cards right in the middle by not going too high or too low on the price.  Instead, take what the contractor has to say into consider and view samples of their past work.  From there, you can determine if the writer is able to meet your needs and then discuss the price.

What Qualifications Should You Look For?

Price will always be a factor but qualifications is quite possibly the most important aspect of all.  Some writers could be more effective at crafting catchy headlines while some may excel at writing the specific content.  In fact, many writers may not fully understand the ever changing SEO tactics or LSI considerations. You will also find writers who are well versed with technical subjects and others who specialize in a wide range of genres.  The key is finding one who is able to convey the tone of your website while still factoring in search engine optimization techniques.

In the end, outsourcing your articles will require that you communicate the messages you want expressed to a writer.  However, the bright side is that when you get the right individual or team on your side, you can dramatically boost productivity and ensure that your website remains appealing in the eyes of your readers and the search engines.