SEO

Search Engine Optimization

Many things can be done to elevate a website's ranking with the major search engines. I deal only in "white hat" methods — legitimate techniques to raise visibility rather than tricks that can ultimately cause a site to be removed from the search engine's index. Here are some important facts:

  • 96% of all searches are performed in four search engines: Google, Yahoo, MSN/Live, and Ask.
  • Search engines place relative importance on various items such as page title, text, keywords, page description, and inbound links from other sites.
  • Knowing how your audience searches will help immeasurably in titling your pages and defining appropriate keywords.
  • A clear, logical design will make it easier for a search engine to index your site — not to mention make it easier for your users to find what they need.
  • Including a sitemap is another way to ensure that all pages on your site are indexed.
  • Search engines can't read text that is embedded in images, forms, Flash files, or Javascript commands.
  • Resubmitting your website to the search engines too frequently is considered spamming and can result in your site being black-listed.
  • Inclusion in the Open Directory Project, www.dmoz.org, will almost guarantee your acceptance for Google's index.
Example of SEO

Search Engine Optimization of Eagle Eye Editorial Page
The page description for Eagle Eye Editorial Services notes their service area and target audience close to the beginning of the text:

<meta name="description" content="Eagle Eye Editorial Services assists publishers and packagers across the United States and specializes in copyediting (and limited proofreading) of manuscripts, both fiction and nonfiction, with reference a specialty. Janine Stanley-Dunham, principal, has more than 20 years of experience working with a multitude of topics and working on hard copy or in Word’s Track Changes feature. Contact Eagle Eye when accuracy and professionalism are important.">

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Tip:
The three best things
you can do to improve
your search engine
rankings are:
1) write a clear, useful
website,
2) update often, and
3) integrate your web
strategy as one
element of your full
marketing plan.