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SEARCH
ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
THE
IMPORTANCE OF SEO
Search
engine optimization is the ability to design a
website in such a way that that it is easy for
search engines to find and index the pages,
with the ultimate goal of having the website
rank in the top 10 results of a search.
Search
engine optimization includes making sure that
key words are chosen in both the title, and
paragraph text. However, it is important that
you remember that different search engines use
different criteria for indexing.
In addition, because there are some
unethical companies and individuals who attempt
to beat the odds and attempts to unfairly
manipulate search engine results, search
engines are constantly improving and changing
their search criteria.
Yahoo!,
Google, and other search engines send out bots
that index websites. The goal of SEO is to
ensure that certain elements in a website’s
HTML coding are set up in such a way that that
the bots from a particular search engine read
each page of the website quickly and easily.
How each element of a webpage is read by a
specific search engines may have an effect on
the free referral traffic that website
receives.
In
general, most search engines rely on the proper
use of keywords as well as keyphrases.
Keywords and keyphrases are words and
phrases, which potential customers and visitors
may use in order to locate your website on
search engines.
They are also the words and phrases that
best describe the content of the website.
Keywords
and or phrases should appear first in the
website’s source code in the TITLE section as
well as in the META-Tag description.
The source code for all subsequent pages
should also have its keywords and phrases
unique to each page. In addition, all page
titles should also use at least one or two of
the keywords or phrases that best describe that
page’s content.
Keywords
and keyphrases are a vital part of SEO,
keywords and keyphrases should be used
liberally but not too repetitively in the first
two paragraphs of the content as well as the
last paragraph.
A good rule of thumb is to maintain a
density of approximately 5-10%. Keep in mind
that even though you may be tempted to over use
keywords and keyphrases to increase your
website’s SEO, if your website lacks content,
your high SEO will soon decrease.
Another
way to increase your website’s SEO is by
providing links to and from external sites.
This practice is known as backlinks and
is important, because the spiders, bots, and
crawlers sent out by search engine navigate by
links. However, avoid linking to any “Link
Farms”, as well as "Link Directories.”
For
a while many companies that specialized in SEO,
did suggest to link to link directories as a
way of improving a websites SEO and acquiring
good backlinks.
However, nothing good last for long and
sadly many link farms are popping up in the
disguise of link directories, providing no
benefits to anyone who link to them. In fact many of these so call link directories are considered
spammers. Therefore, we strongly suggest that
you do not link to directories.
SEO
is necessary if you want to benefit from search
engine traffic.
Because of this there are thousands of
companies who specialize in Search Engine
Optimization.
If you are considering hiring a company
to perform SEO for you, then the following is a
list of tips to help you chose a company.
·
DO
REASEARCH!
·
Be very
wary of any SEO firm, which contacts you out of
the blue. You also want to be wary of any SEO
company that guarantees you a Google top 10
ranking within the first few months or who
advertise a “Priority Submit” to Google.
Fact, no one can guarantee how Google,
Yahoo! or any other search engine will index
and rank your site.
Another fact: anyone can submit a site
to Google through their Add URL page or through
their Sitemaps program at no added cost.
What will improve your page rank is
simple good hard honest work.
·
Do not
use any company that will not clearly explain
to precisely what they will do and how they
plan to do it for you.
If you are uncertain about
something—ask for a clear explanation.
Remember you are responsible for your
website.
·
Never
hire or use a SEO company or employ deceptive
means such as: doorway pages or
"throwaway" domains, shadow domains,
uses spyware, or scumware, or has had domains
removed from any search engines index.
·
Be very
wary of any SEO who promotes increased page
ranking simply through link popularity or
through the use of link directories.
While many directories are acceptable,
unfortunately there have been increases in link
directories which are no more than link farms,
benefiting only the link directory itself.
·
If you
decide to use a SEO, then above all, make sure
that you protect yourself and your company
legally.
·
Make
sure that you can receive a full, unconditional
money-back guarantee if you are not completely
satisfied or if the actions of the SEO cause
your website domain to be removed from any
search engine’s index.
·
For the
protection of your website domain, make sure
that the SEO you decide to hire follows the
guidelines for site inclusion recommended by
each search engine.
·
Make
sure you receive a WRITEN contract that
includes all pricing as well as any guarantees
made by the SEO.
DO REASEARCH on any SEO that you are considering.
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