SEO Needs To Start Here

Search Engine Optimization is one of the most important aspects of online marketing. In another post here I discuss the importance of using a blog to promote or brand yourself. Well, if no one ever sees that blog then it is really not very helpful. In combination with your blog you also need to have a way to capture your traffic's information through a website or a capture page. To ensure your success online it is imperative that you can get traffic to all of your different sites including your blog, capture page and/or product website.

There are two ways to help people find your website through Google. One is Pay Per Click search or the paid advertising that is on the right side of the Google search page results, and the other is the organic search results which are on the left side of the page.

Search Engine Optimization can be used to dramitically increase your search results standing. Relevancy is one of the most important parts of this SEO strategy. This relevancy will put you on the first page for your key words if ... the sun is shining, all of the planets are exactly aligned and you are projecting pure thoughts. On the serious side, it appears that we have very little control over it! You may even feel powerless, but you are not, you just need to learn what makes Google find you and "see" you as valuable and relevant.

There are some things that you can do to your site that are extremely important to do, and I will list those here, but something that you need to know is that this only accounts for around 25% of what Google is looking at in terms of your site.

There are 5 areas that Google is searching on your site.

1. The Page Title - It should focus on your keywords
2. Your URL - It should also focus on your keywords
3. Headings - You should have several
4. Text - To look for content and how the text is formatted, such as the emphasis put on bold type words etc.
5. Description - It should be relevant to the page

The other 75% of the decision is made from the off page, or links to your website/blog. It may be a lot harder to control, however, the imporance can not be over estimated. To start off with Google gives your site a score based on how relevant your site is. This score is from 0-10. One thing about this scale is that it is easier to move from a 2 to a 3 than it is to move from a 4 to a 5. So, the higher you go the harder it is to move up. Popularity is a key to moving up the ladder. The more people that like and link to your site the more Google likes you. If others are linking to your site then they see it as a recommendation. So, how do you get those links? You need to promote your site!

A good place to start is by finding website or blog directories. Search to find directories that apprear to be well maintained. Another way is to partner with other companies or sites that you do business with and have them link back to your site.

To have your site linked back to, it has to have good content and you have to be active. We are now back to the beginning. The content on your site has to be note worthy to entice people to send back links. To show that you are active you need to write new posts, visit the web 2.0 social sites of online networking and visit forums. You could even send out a press release about an event or new product that you have.

A few other key points to know is that on your blog each keyword phrase needs to have it's on page or post. Your posts should be specific to the keyword. On your blog it is the number of pages, not the length of the post that is important. Using flash can make your site more attractive. However, do not use it a lot, Google can not read the flash so it does not add to the site in terms of Google ranking. In conclusion, hosting your site at one place versus another does not improve your ranking. There are many other things to consider, this was just a way to get you started, it would behove you to find a good source like the one below to study this more. Now get ready for all of that traffic!!!

I hope that you found this helpful, leave me a comment and let me know.

Kathy Sammons

Kathy Sammons can help you make the most of your online marketing today. Click this link now and see how the top producers are making waves and making money using SEO.
Success With SEO