There’s a lot of information out there on the Internet about search engine optimization. Some of it is really good but unfortunately much of the information is either totally inaccurate or just plain wrong. I’ve taken the time to sort through much of this information and provide you with the strategies that get actual results.
Having worked directly with hundreds of web sites I have discovered techniques for optimizing web sites that actually work. I often get question about SEO such as, “what is the one technique that works better than all others?” A difficult question to answer because I have found a number of techniques that are truly effective.
The first search engine ranking factor has to do with inbound links. We all know the importance of generating inbound links to your web site or blog. However, these links are only effective if they include your keywords in their anchor text. Links should always include keywords which help search engines identify your website with these links. Make sure to ask link partners to structure their links to your web site properly.
The second most important factor for having high search engine rankings is to include your most important keywords in your meta tags, particularly your title tag. This is one of the key ways that search engines identify your pages and display information on search results. In addition to your title tag, include your keywords in the keywords and description tags as well.
The third raking factor is what we call link popularity. Link popularity refers to a couple of things but most importantly the number of inbound links to your website. Each of these links carries with it some type of value. The value might be a Google PR of zero or ten so it’s important to look at the value of each inbound link to your website. The greater the link value or popularity, the more it helps you with search engine rankings.
The fourth ranking factor to consider is the variety of domains linking to your web site. If you have hundreds of inbound links from a single web site, they carry less weight than only a few inbound links from separate and distinct sites. The key here is that different sites are essentially placing their vote. Focus on diverse link building strategies among many different web sites.
The fifth ranking factor is placing your keywords in your root domain. If you are unable to acquire a domain that has www.yourkeyword.com as the format, don’t despair. You can vary your domain by including words before or after your keyword. Short of being able to acquire such a domain, place your keywords using a subdomain structure or placing a folder on your root domain. This can have a positive impact on your overall rankings.
All of these factors are important for top search rankings. Don’t overlook any of them if trying to improve your search rankings for particular keywords or keyword phrases. Also, be sure to continually read up on the subject or consider any one of a number of SEO training programs that can show you how to have more impact with your optimization efforts.
Michael Fleischner is the Author of SEO Made Simple: Strategies for dominating Google and offers SEO training for small and medium sized businesses. Make sure to get free search engine optimization and Internet marketing support at the Internet marketing forum
