The more and more I work with SEO or Search Engine Optimization, the more I love the art and science of it all. It is definitely a bit of modern alchemy because you are trying to turn lead filled web pages into gold filled content that drives new sales or advertising click throughs. Sure, there are alot of black hat and sneaky SEO practioners out there but when done properly content that is tuned for quality search engine results can have a powerful impact on your business and really leverage the investment you have made in your online presence.
This morning I came across the 7-Minute SEO Guide on Marketing Pilgrim and it is a great and short explanation of the basics of SEO. In fact, it just takes seven minutes but I have shortened it to three minutes to the key elements you MUST know as you are reworking your current web site or designing a new one. So lets get started…
- Three Key Components in an Awesome SEO site – Good structure, content that matches queries and quality/relevant links
- Avoid using lots of images of Flash content, Javascript and Flash Navigation
- Don’t create duplicate pages and keep your code clean and concise
- Research your keywords and avoid using industry jargon
- Use the keywords in the <TITLE> tag of each page, the name of the page file, content headings (H1 tags) and for each 250 words of text, try to include 2-3 mentions of the keyword
- Obtain external links from business partners, suppliers, clients, industry blogs, and news media
- Link from one of your pages to another using keywords in your anchor text
- Consider adding a “sitemap.html” page and link it from your home page. This will help Google discover and crawl your entire site.
Your three minutes are up.
Want to learn more? Set aside 7 minutes and check out the 7-Minute SEO Guide – you won’t regret it.
(Photo Credit: iStockphoto)
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