SEO For the Average Joe | Website Optimization
It's easy to get lost in the "Geek Speak" of SEO when trying to understand and utilize the concept. Most of us aren't internet savvy and don't have years of experience researching and analyzing how search engines operate. If you lack the budget to hire an SEO expert to monitor your site regularly, here are some some simple ways you can optimize your website and bring in more business.
Article Submission Following the same concept as blogging, Article Submission means writing about industry topics and submitting them to article sites such as ezinearticles or articlepro. The key here is putting your website address in your signature and/or bio. You can use this in conjunction with your blog, or as an alternative option to attracting visitors to your site.
Keep It Unique There's a difference between refreshing your website and updating it. Be sure you're not repeating posts or articles just to keep your site "fresh". Duplicate content is generally ignored and often frowned upon by search engines which can ultimately hurt your rank.
Apply to Search Engines It might not seem so obvious until you hear it, but why wait for the search engines to find you? Tell them about your website yourself. You can submit your website address to the popular search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc) for free.
Submit to Directories Finding directories for your industry in which you can submit your website address is another easy way to build up your link backs. Though higher ranked directories usually require a fee or link back to their site as well.
Social Media Creating a social media profiles for company gives you yet another place to post your web address, among other benefits. You can search forums posted to these sites to answer questions or offer suggestions based on your industry knowledge and gain exposure. Don't forget to leave your website address next your signature!
Site Structure Google Analytics will tell you which search words people are using to find your website. These are also known as "keywords". Keywords are important because they help you identify what that person is looking for. Analytics also tell you which pages people are looking at your website and how many times they've been viewed. You can use this information to determine which words and pages are the most popular and further promote those products or services related to your company on your site. Set up a featured section or spot light them on the homepage.
Blog Driver Still wondering what to write about on your blog or in your articles? Use the keywords as a guide for topics and see how your traffic and subscription database grows!
AdWords Management If you have an AdWords account, you can link the data to your analytics report, keeping all your SEO information in one place. The keyword information from the analytics report is a great way to determine which keywords to focus on in your online advertising campaign.
CONTENT
Start a Blog Search engines love fresh content, so the more you update your site the better your search ranking. However, if you are one of the many of whom do not have products and services that change regularly, this may be more difficult. A blog is the easiest solution to this dilemma. By linking your blog, the new content will refresh the overall site, thus ranking it higher with google. There are many sites which offer free blogs as well as easy content management systems which allow you to edit your blog using drag and drop features. Your blog posts should contain information about your industry. Avoid blogging about your own company products and services, but rather, topics which encompass a wider subject around your product. Article Submission Following the same concept as blogging, Article Submission means writing about industry topics and submitting them to article sites such as ezinearticles or articlepro. The key here is putting your website address in your signature and/or bio. You can use this in conjunction with your blog, or as an alternative option to attracting visitors to your site.
Keep It Unique There's a difference between refreshing your website and updating it. Be sure you're not repeating posts or articles just to keep your site "fresh". Duplicate content is generally ignored and often frowned upon by search engines which can ultimately hurt your rank.
LINKS
Links are very important to pay attention to when performing SEO. Your ultimate goal is to achieve a number of link backs from quality, high-ranked sites. Link back simple means a link to your website which appears on another website. Apply to Search Engines It might not seem so obvious until you hear it, but why wait for the search engines to find you? Tell them about your website yourself. You can submit your website address to the popular search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc) for free.
Submit to Directories Finding directories for your industry in which you can submit your website address is another easy way to build up your link backs. Though higher ranked directories usually require a fee or link back to their site as well.
Social Media Creating a social media profiles for company gives you yet another place to post your web address, among other benefits. You can search forums posted to these sites to answer questions or offer suggestions based on your industry knowledge and gain exposure. Don't forget to leave your website address next your signature!
ANALYTICS
Because the internet is constantly changing, your SEO strategy will as well. By using analytics on your site, you can find out where people are coming from and how they got to your site. Google offers a free analytics tool with plenty of useful information. All you need to do is sign up for an account and paste a code clip into your site. Site Structure Google Analytics will tell you which search words people are using to find your website. These are also known as "keywords". Keywords are important because they help you identify what that person is looking for. Analytics also tell you which pages people are looking at your website and how many times they've been viewed. You can use this information to determine which words and pages are the most popular and further promote those products or services related to your company on your site. Set up a featured section or spot light them on the homepage.
Blog Driver Still wondering what to write about on your blog or in your articles? Use the keywords as a guide for topics and see how your traffic and subscription database grows!
AdWords Management If you have an AdWords account, you can link the data to your analytics report, keeping all your SEO information in one place. The keyword information from the analytics report is a great way to determine which keywords to focus on in your online advertising campaign.
